One of the fun things about putting together weekly shares is that we occasionally get the chance to put together thematic shares. The season being what it was, we never got to put together a salsa share, but we did give out a “pesto share” last month and today we get the “potato-and-leek-soup share”. Full shares might also be able to get some carrot soup out of it, too.

Nothing too exciting happening in terms of farm work this week. We continue to clean up the gardens as time allows: chopping down old crops and removing plastic mulch. I’m beginning to get really nervous about seeding some of our winter cover crops in time; winter rye and hairy vetch are best seeded in late August or early September, but they’ll also do just fine if seeded this late. I just need to make the time to get out there and do it. We did buy a tractor and a reach in cooler this week, which is kind of exciting. The tractor is the same old ’67 Cub that we’ve been borrowing from friends all season and the reach-in is a bulky thing that needs a little repair and will help us to better store produce with different storage requirements (like apples, which give off ethylene gas).

Eggs are back this week! The ladies are laying again! Not quite as abundantly as they had been, but enough that we can start giving out egg shares again. Enjoy!

Detailed share information, notes about the veggies, storage tips and recipe tips are all inside the full post.

All shares contain:

• Carola Potatoes
• Leeks
• Parsley
• Garlic
• Delicata squash

“Full” shares also contain:

• Swiss Chard
• Carrots
• more Delicata

Bread shares: one loaf each of Whole Wheat and Cherry/Pecan

Veggie Notes

Leeks – I can’t remember whether I’ve written about leeks, but … they’re great. They have a rich, buttery, creamy flavor than an onion just can’t match. Some will say that you can use the whole thing, but find the dark green leaves to be tough and bitter. To prepare, trim off the base and roots and cut off the top. (The blanched or white part of the stalk is the premium stuff, while the lighter green part is a little bit less choice. Anyway, we generally go up to where the leaves start to branch off and cut the top off there.) Now, slice down the length of the stalk through the lighter green part and into the white part. Fan this out under running water to rinse out any dirt that might have collected between the layers. Finally, chop up the rinsed stalk according to whatever recipe you’re following.

Carola potatoes – I wrote a little bit about these last week. Again sorry for some of the extra peeling that some of these will need.

Delicata squash – The queen of squash! I won’t say anything about; I’ll let it speak for itself. To prepare: cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. We generally roast face down in a 350-400 degree oven for 45 minutes or so — until tender to a poke of a fork. No need to peel: the skin is edible.

Storage Notes

Store leeks, parsley, chard and carrots in a plastic bag in the fridge. Potatoes and Squash should be kept in a cool, dark place, but not in the fridge. Garlic is fine on the counter with no bag.

As always, we welcome your feedback. Please let us know if you have any questions, concerns or problems. Also, please send along any recipes you’d like to share.

We hope you enjoy the share!