Sandy Spring CSA

November 11, 2009: This week’s featured fruits and vegetables are: purple broccoli, green broccoli, apples, sweet peppers, hot peppers, rutabaga, onion, carrots, kale, and one half-gallon cider for each person.

Recipes:

The rutabaga - so new to me before the CSA, it took several tries just to be able to spell it! For those who, like me, are just getting acquainted with rutabagas, here are some fun recipes with which to get started.

Because a rutabaga in a fridge just might last until Thanksgiving, one might give Hearty Turkey Soup with Parsley Dumplings a try. For side dishes, Lemon Carrots and Rutabaga sounds promising, as does R and R Pudding, a casserole of rutabagas and rice.

For a tried-and-true traditional main course, these Pasties fill the bill - meat pies with potatoes, onion, and rutabaga. For a classy departure from the norm, Rutabaga, Ham, Broccoli, and Cheddar Souffle looks fascinating, tasty, doable in the age of food processors, and (as the blog points out) relatively inexpensive.

Have fun!

Food for Thought:

Thanksgiving is approaching! For those who eat turkey, why not order local this year?

Maryland’s Department of Agriculture provides a list of farms that sell turkeys directly to consumers. Also, My Organic Market (MOMs) in Rockville can also order a local free range or organic free range turkey for you to pick up at their store.

Reminders

Monday November 23 is our last fall pick-up. You will pleased to know that you only paid for seven weeks this fall and you are receiving eight weeks of produce! Nov 23 is a bonus box.

Please return any remaining farmer boxes you have stashed away by the final day.

The organizers will be on site throughout the day on November 23 to answer questions regarding next year and to take checks, should you wish to make your payment now for the Spring/Summer 2010 CSA, which starts on May 19, 2010. Jan 15, 2010 is the deadline and the fee for returning members is $545. Alternately, you can download the Spring/Summer 2010 application here on the web site. Click Join. Print and complete the form and mail in with your check.

We would like your opinion about your 2009 experience. Please complete the customer satisfaction survey online. Your feedback is very important for us to pass to Farmer Pam to make improvements for the coming year.

The mission of Sandy Spring CSA is to continue expanding and introducing people to the organic, local food movement. Please pass our information (and web address) to anybody who might be want to be a member of CSA.

Want to start a pick-up site to help us grow? We think another site in Silver Spring or Rockville would be great. If you are interested, please inquire about what it takes with vanstrunk [AT] gmail.com.

Thank you one and all for participating. If you saw Botany of Desire (Michael Pollan) on PBS last week, you know we truly have a partnership with plants in our journey on earth. CSA is a great way to remember the connection. See you in the Spring!

CSA volunteers