Thanks to Anne Fassnacht of Wit Wisdom & Food for contributing this blog post
October should be feeling a lot like fall, but it seems to be holding back a little bit. Some of our produce this month looks surprisingly like summer. Bell peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers–I am looking at you. However, the rest of the list is starting to feel a little more like fall though.
There are some great recipes below this time, but if you need another idea, much of what is in this bag would be great in soups. Search online or in cookbooks for hearty vegetable bean soups. You can make large pots of soup for a relatively small grocery bill, and they will last you a few meals. You can even freeze them and microwave them for lunch. If your recipe doesn’t call for it, you can always add kale or collard greens to the pot for some extra veggies. Simply cut the greens into strips and drop them in the warm soup and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Here is a list of all the items you will get if you purchased a share this month.
• 3 Tomatoes
• 2 Bell Peppers
• 1 Cucumber
• 3 Onions
• 1 Pint Red Potatoes
• 1 Garlic
• 2 Yellow Squash
• 1 Head Green Leaf Lettuce
• 1 Bunch Kale
• 1 Bunch Collard Greens
• Plus jalapeno peppers donated by Lawrence Community Gardens.
Big thanks to the farmers that worked with us this month:
Johnnie Raber Family Farms
(812) 636-1919
Lawrence Community Gardens
(317) 748-2437
If you want more of their produce you can visit the market stand Thursday, Friday & Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Beyond Organic
(917) 509-8287
beyondorganicllc@gmail.com
Facebook
Full Hand Farm
(503)807-1842
Facebook
Recipes
Yellow Squash Casserole – If you have grown any of your own vegetables, you may have had to get creative with all the squash this year? That last little warm spell kept these guys growing and it starts to feel like squash season may never end. This recipe looks like it will be a nice side for some roast chicken, pork chops or a nicely cooked portabella mushroom.
Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey Legs – A collard greens recipe can be deeply personal and handed down through multiple generations. Some people find it later in life and don’t have anyone to turn to for advice on cooking this staple of southern cooking. This might even be the perfect side to add to a Thanksgiving feast. Now you can try it this month and make sure you would be proud to serve it.
Easy Garlic Kale – This is certain to be delicious if you use that fresh garlic from the bag. This kale should come out of the pan smelling amazing and full of garlic flavor. Recipes like this prove time and time again, cooking doesn’t have to be complicated to taste good.
Kielbasa with peppers and potatoes – One pan, thirty minutes! Now that is how you do dinner the easy way. Even the dishes will be easy. Try serving it with that easy garlic kale recipe above and really get some veggies into your meal.
Thank you to all that purchased a share this month. We are still working on our goal to grow the CCFI program. The goal is to double the current amount of shares being sold and create some jobs in the process. If you aren’t yet a regular purchaser or know someone that would be interested, please let them know! Or bring them to the feast on Saturday so they can be welcomed, learn something new, and see if this something they would want to get next month. You can find more information about CCFI here.
We look forward to seeing you at the Good Food Feast on Saturday. If you didn’t buy a share this month you are still welcome at the event on Saturday. Come learn some new recipes and meet some new people. If you want to get in on the fun you can sign up now for November’s share.
If you have an interest in improving the food access in the community so we can all easily purchase fresh healthy food on a regular basis come join the Food Assembly. We meet the 1st & 3rd Fridays of every month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. We have speakers, a group discussion about the issue at hand and some brainstorming about how we can work together as a group to make some progress. We would love to have your thoughts and presence in the group.