Happy Thanksgiving (Oct 4-8)

Happy Thanksgiving!

It snuck up on me this year. Would you believe I thought it was next week? Oops! I did some pivoting and changing of your farm share veggie items and ordered some fresh cranberries for our fruit shares for our Wed, Thursday and Friday members. I’m hoping the Tuesday fruit people needed lemons more :).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow, did frost ever get us today. It was more like a punch in the face than a kiss of frost, especially at one of our properties that still housed tons of gorgeous beans! Sadly, they did not make it. These very frosty brussels sprouts will be just fine- they tolerate the frost well. Good thing, too, because they have some more growing to do before they fill our baskets. Our eggplant and pepper plants are looking pretty sad, although the white fabric coverings you see here saved the peppers themselves. Any peppers not covered went all soft and mushy :(. Frost is a time to let things go. It’s both a sad time and a bit of relief- we have been harvesting like crazy for months now, and we feel the shortened days in our bodies. Sometimes it’s a bit of a relief to have to accept that some crops are done, and turn our focus toward the hardier fall crops.

The trees are all turning vibrant colours and letting go, too! I think fall, and of course Thanksgiving is a great time for acceptance, contentment and gratitude. I choose to focus on the crops that made it, rather than the crops that spoiled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The highlight of my weekend was participating in the Sunrise Support for Families walk in Uxbridge with my family. I love what this charity does because it so very practically comes alongside new parents, parents to be, and anyone going through the experience of pregnancy and/or child-rearing and gives them the tools they need to thrive, from rides to appointments, to learning to cook healthy meals together, to emotional support, to access to a nurse, to assistance finishing their education. There is always an awesome raffle where we always get lucky and win something- which marks the start of my Christmas shopping :). Here’s a link to find out about this wonderful resource, to give or to access its services for you or a loved one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In your Baskets this Week:

Simply 6

• green beans or potatoes
• butternut squash
• pumpkin (pumpkin pie anyone? It tastes so much better from fresh than store bought canned puree- all you need to do is cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, place in a 9×13 inch dish with a little water in the bottom, and roast at about 375 degrees until tender (45 mins or so). Then scoop out the flesh and blend it up a quick minute) Get a full pie recipe here.
• celery
• carrots
• rutabaga (boil, mash, add salt, pepper and sugar to taste and boom- classic Thanksgiving side dish) This recipe kicks it up a notch with a healthy dose of roasted garlic.

Half Shares

• green beans or potatoes
• butternut squash
• pumpkin (pumpkin pie anyone? It tastes so much better from fresh than store bought canned puree- all you need to do is cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, place in a 9×13 inch dish with a little water in the bottom, and roast at about 375 degrees until tender (45 mins or so). Then scoop out the flesh and blend it up a quick minute) Get a full pie recipe here.
• celery
• carrots
• rutabaga (boil, mash, add salt, pepper and sugar to taste and boom- classic Thanksgiving side dish) This recipe kicks it up a notch with a healthy dose of roasted garlic.
• bunch of leeks (like a nice, mild onion. Use the whites and the tops in soups, pastas, even stuffing.
• sweet peppers (mostly green on this strange year, but some bits of red. The long, skinny ones are sweet too! Nothing spicy)
• Delicata Squash
• Green cabbage (anyone else do coleslaw with turkey dinner? 🙂

Whole Shares

• green beans or potatoes
• butternut squash
• pumpkin (pumpkin pie anyone? It tastes so much better from fresh than store bought canned puree- all you need to do is cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, place in a 9×13 inch dish with a little water in the bottom, and roast at about 375 degrees until tender (45 mins or so). Then scoop out the flesh and blend it up a quick minute) Get a full pie recipe here.
• celery
• carrots
• rutabaga (boil, mash, add salt, pepper and sugar to taste and boom- classic Thanksgiving side dish) This recipe kicks it up a notch with a healthy dose of roasted garlic.
• bunch of leeks (like a nice, mild onion. Use the whites and the tops in soups, pastas, even stuffing.
• sweet peppers (mostly green on this strange year, but some bits of red. The long, skinny ones are sweet too! Nothing spicy)
• Delicata Squash
• Green cabbage (anyone else do coleslaw with turkey dinner? 🙂
• romaine lettuce
• eggplant
• field tomatoes or grape tomatoes
• parsley
• golden or red beets
• green swiss chard

Fruit

• 2lbs BC organic nectarines
• 6-7 BC organic bartlett pears
• 1/2 pint organic blueberries
• 3 organic red grapefruit
• bag of fresh organic cranberries

 

Hope you all get a moment of pause this Thanksgiving, to reflect on the blessings in your life. If you’re just not feeling it, maybe inviting someone to dinner or surprising someone with a pie or other treat might help set the mood :). The Scott Mission in Toronto can give someone in need a whole Thanksgiving meal for only $4.25 and you can be a part of that, too.

Gratefully Yours,

The Eng family