A few crunchy leaves on the sidewalk, and suddenly we are just a little over a week away from the official start of Fall. This is a magical moment where the seasons collide and you can enjoy the last of summer’s juicy peaches followed by a crisp, autumnal apple. As we make room for the fall squash, several varieties of apples, and all the festive decor of the season, we need to move the still abundant veggies, stone fruit, and tomatoes that are coming in. To do this, we’ve set up some pretty great specials…
Our nectarines and peaches are available in fill-the-basket specials, so if you are looking for more stone fruit to supplement your CSA share, you don’t want to miss out on this. The same goes for our tomatoes and all our veggies! Heirloom tomatoes, Romas, and beefsteaks are still full of their summer magic, and our farm is still pumping out fresh veggies in this sunny heat. For a $10 basket, you get 3 lbs of any mix of your favorites. For $15, you can get 6 lbs of these. And, don’t forget, your CSA discount takes more off these prices. Trust me, you will be thinking about these fruits and veggies when the cold of winter hits, so it’s best to satisfy your craving as much as possible now.
Still not sure what to expect for the Fall produce? Think Spring produce, but with even more to choose from. Fall produce is personally some of my favorite. Delicata, acorn, butternut squash will be my veggies of choice of all there is at the stands. These hearty foods have warm flavors and satiating texture, excellent for the soup season that is now upon us or simply roasting with fresh herbs. Along with squashes, leafy greens will start to be at their peak again soon. Kales, lettuces, and cruciferous vegetables are also staples that make the Fall so delicious.
If anyone is interested, I will also be including a new section of my own entitled: “Francesca at CIA” to chronicle my experiences at the Culinary Institute of America. These will be short blogs about what I’ve learned each week in this institute, where food is everything. Right now, I am writing this while sitting along the Hudson River on my campus. The cool air contrasts what I know it feels like back home, where the weather app predicts a 90-degree day ahead of you all. We have only just gotten started with our culinary education for the semester. Still, as some of you may already know, my experience at Norman’s played a powerful role in my decision to attend this school. In the most simple of applications, my years at the markets taught me extensively about product identification that I have already been able to apply to my skills here. Our production classes kick into full gear this week, so stay tuned for a more in-depth look at the culinary world to come!