October 22 - 26 Chatfield CSA E-News

Dear Shareholders,

Wow! The time passes so quickly when you are eating fresh and local! The sad reality of having to purchase grocery store produce again is probably slowly sneaking into your conciousness...soon you will be dreaming of CSA sweet peppers and basil while the snow falls outside!

*The final dates for our CSA distribution will be on Tuesday, October 30 for York Street and Thursday, November 1 for Chatfield.


Important News: Fruit Shares End This Week
This is the last week of local Colorado fruit but we are going out with a bang! Every fruit share member will receive a mixed 20 lb storage box of fuji and braeburn apples to store, can or eat right away (choose your own adventure)!

Please remember to RSVP to the Fall CSA Potluck event on Friday, Nov. 2 at 5 p.m. Feel free to bring family and friends; it will be a lot of fun to get so many cooks together in the same room! Please let us know if you need a copy of the e-vite sent to you again. 


This Week’s Produce (Oct. 22 - 26)
The following crops will continue to be available through most of October.
- Salad Mix
- Arugula
- Kale
- Herbs (Mint, Sage, Oregano, Rosemary and Thyme)
- Leeks
- Head Lettuce 
- Carrots, Beets and Turnips
- Kohlrabi
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Winter Squash
- Fennel
- Radishes
 

Weekly Recipe: Carrots and Turnips
Curry and Carrot Soup - Vegan
Adapted from Jolinda Hackett, Vegetarian Food Writer

Ingredients:
•2-3 large carrots, chopped small
•1 onion, chopped small
•1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
•1 1/2 tsp curry powder
•1 3/4 cup vegetable broth
•1 14 ounce can coconut milk
•Sea salt, to taste

Preparation:
Simmer the carrots, onions, ginger and curry powder in vegetable broth for 20-25 minutes, until carrots are soft.

Allow to cool slightly, and then puree in blender, working in batches if eneded. Return to heat and stir in coconut milk until well combined. Season generously with sea salt, to taste.

* This carrot soup will thicken as it cools, so when you heat it up you may need to add a little more liquid.

Vegetarian Gluten-Free Mashed Turnips 
Like mashed potatoes? Try these similar mashed turnips! Turnips are a great source of vitamin C, and this simple recipe mashes the roots together with traditional mashed potato ingredients, including sour cream and fresh parsley.
This gluten-free recipe is courtesy of Ener-G Foods.

Ingredients:
•2 large turnips
•1 tbsp sour cream or dairy-free sour cream substitute
•2 tbsp butter or vegan margarine
•pinch pepper, to taste
•minced fresh parsley, to taste

Preparation:
Peel turnips. Cut into small chunks and boil for 9 minutes. Drain. Add remaining ingredients. Mash this mixture while turnips are still warm.
 

Grower's Perspective: CSA Staff Recognition and Appreciation
Written by CSA Manager, Leigh Rovegno

This year, we have had an absolutely incredible staff who have worked their tails off through wind, hail, rain and a lot of very hot days to provide our shareholders with locally grown produce. I would like to take a moment to honor our volunteers and recognize them for their unique contributions to the program this season.

Jenny Thomas: CSA Head Grower/Superwoman
There are no words that truly capture Jenny's positive spirit, her speed and acuracy, her ability to plan, prepare, and follow through with any task...her ability to make just about anything from scratch (even in the middle of the season when she is working 70 hours a week)! She has made the Chatfield CSA the unique and personable experience that it has become for our shareholders. Jenny has taught me so much through out our 3 years together and I am sure she will continue to teach me new things each coming year!  

Josie Hart-Genter: CSA Community Coordinator/Mama Josie
After being out on maternity leave through part of the season Josie returned to us with such vigor and excitement it was admirable! She has been shifted around into many roles within the CSA including volunteer management, event planning, newsletter writing, website editor, distribution assistant, farm camp director, class coordinator and planner, field harvester, planter, and much much more. Josie's unique skill set brings so much to the program and she is always willing to help where help is most needed.

Jackie Beavers: CSA Grower's Assistant/The Question Queen
Jackie came to the CSA program this year with very little farming experience or knowledge but an incredible passion to learn. Her smile is contageous and her spirit is immeasurable. Jackie always asks the best questions and makes you think one step further. She has been one tough-son-of-a-you-know-what all season and her bicepts are proof to show it!

Chad Dahne: CSA Grower's Assistant/Snake Wrangler/Professional Jar Opener
Chad is one of the bravest men I know. Not only can he wrangle a rattlesnake but he also cooks and bakes! Chad has survived an entire summer surrounded by the farm women of Chatfield and he has made us all laugh even on the most difficult days. He has taught us many ways to increase our efficiency and is always thinking outside of the box.

Kacie Warner: CSA Grower's Assistant/DC Diva
Kacie joined the CSA crew in April from Washington, D.C. and helped us get the season started. She was a huge help in filling in for Josie while she was out on maternity leave while still working in the field. Kacie has been a great reminder to us of of the bigger picture of the local food movement and is always coming up with great ideas for Chatfield and the CSA to pursue in the future.

Matt Pfeifer: CSA Grower's Intern/The Green Bean Guy 
Matt was always excited to help with distribution and discuss how the carrots looked like sloth toes, or the garlic guy we bought seed from collected garlic like some people collected beanie babies. He was a huge help in the field and always had the most interesting stories to share! He is most known for "the bean trick" at York Street distributions which always kept the kids entertained.

DeJa Walker: CSA Grower's Intern/The Crazy Corn Lady
DeJa returned to us this year for a second season as a CSA intern. She, as always, filled us all with joy through thick and thin. She got lost in the weedy watermelons, was almost bit by a rattlesnake, and wore her dirty overalls with pride every day. She has now returned to teaching at Johnson and Wales University where she educates her students about the importance of sourcing their baking materials locally.

Amanda Wilson, Chatfield Horticulturist and Autumn Long, Seasonal  Gardener
AKA The Flower and Herb Goddesses 
Amanda has been with Chatfield much longer than the CSA has existed and she has been one of its biggest supporters. She helped to make it happen! This year, she and Autumn arranged the beautiful bouquets for sale at distributions and harvested all of the herbs. They are an amazing team and at a glance, you might think they were twins!

Brien Darby, Denver Botanic Gardens Propagation/CSA Plant Mama
Brien is not an official CSA staff member but without her we would be lost in this world! She is responsible for raising all of our little plant babies from seed to when they are ready to be transplanted into our fields. She has an amazing sense of organization and her germination rate is simply admirable! She deserves a great deal of credit for all of the work that is done in the winter and spring to help us get ready for the season. We love you Brien!! 

A GIANT THANK YOU to each of you who have helped us make the season unique and a lot of fun. Without you, we couldn't do what we do!  

 
Food Safety Note

Please note that although we have washed our produce once after harvesting it in the field, members should wash the produce at home again before eating. Our farm produce should be treated the same way as grocery store produce: always wash before eating! The best way to wash produce is by running it under cool water. Cleaning products are not necessary.