Ps11farmmkt’s Weblog

October 28/29, 2008
Week #20

Letter from Stoneledge Farm,
The fall weather has been difficult to adjust to from one day to the next. One morning last week it was so cold, the fields were completely white covered with a heavy frost. The next morning the weather was almost warm as a new wind blew in. The crops of fall seem to relish the ups and downs and their flavors intensify and sweeten.

New this week to your share is Celeriac or Celery Root. The Celeriac have grown well this year with all of the rain we received this summer. This is a vegetable that is new to some members. It is very good in soups and stews and also grated in slaws. The Celeriac also stores very well.

The weeks are clicking away. Please place your orders for honey and maple syrup soon. There is an order form on the farm web site:

www.stoneledgefarmny.org to down load. The end of the season comes so quickly and there is nothing better than some upstate New York maple syrup or honey with winter squash.
Enjoy the vegetables-Deb

Carrots, Celeriac, Winterbor Kale, Gourds (I know these are just for decoration, but they are so beautiful and are a lasting reminder of the colors of fall), Parsley, Garlic, Shallots, Broccoli,
Delicata Winter Squash, Red Ace Beets, Bosc Pears & Apples

It seems that fall has finally arrived – the air is crisp and the leaves have changed and are falling off the trees. I love this time of year and the vegetables that we receive this week from Stoneledge Farm will help fill our tables with the bounty of the harvest. Here is the letter that I received from Deb Kavakos, who owns Stoneledge Farm with her husband Pete:

Dear Member:

We are starting to work away at the vegetables that we have harvested earlier in the season and have been curing in the greenhouses or in the barn. We always feel a little squirrel like as we start to look towards our stored treasures. Shallots and also Delicata Winter Squash are ready for distribution and will be in your share this week.

We have grown Shallots for two years now and they are quickly becoming one of our favorite onion type vegetables. The shallots are started in the green house as one of our earliest seedings in March. When they are transplanted into the field in the spring they look a lot like blades of thick grass. Shallots are harvested before the frosts and the bulbs have grown thick and beautiful with a reddish tinge to the skin. Some of them split and will have two or more bulbs, some stay as singles and grow quite large.

The Delicata Winter Squash, or as some call it the Sweet Potato Winter Squash, is one of the favorite winter squash varieties. The skin is not as hard as some of the varieties and it will cook well washed and placed whole in the oven to bake. When it is soft to the touch, remove the squash, cut in half and remove the seeds. The squash is a bit thinner skinned and fleshed and could dry out if cut before baking.

Enjoy the fall weather and harvest-Deb

The produce that we will receive on Tuesday:

Carrots (This is a new variety, although they are orange colored like the Bolero. The variety, Ya Ya is harder for us to harvest because the greens are not very hardy, but the carrot is so sweet and juicy. I think that by this time with all of the carrots that we have produced this year, everyone is becoming a carrot expert and you will be able to taste the difference. A carrot is not just a carrot! • Potatoes • Delicata Winter Squash • Shallots • Broccoli • Cheddar Cauliflower • Oregano • Collards • Purple Top Turnips with the greens (If you like Mustard Greens, you will also like Turnip Greens. The bottom should be used separatly. )

We will also receive some apples and pears – some or all of the following: Fortune, Winesap, Mutsu, Golden Delicious Apples and Bosc Pears.

Enjoy the vegetables, and thanks for supporting our Farm Market.  We are open Wednesday mornings from 8-12 at PS 11, 320 West 21st Street, NYC.

Debbie Osborne

Welcome to our new blog. The PS 11 Farm Market began last spring in partnership with the Chelsea CSA. We receive local, organic, seasonal produce from Stoneledge Farm in upstate NY – 120 miles north of NYC – every Tuesday from June through Thanksgiving. Third grade classes then operate the market on Wednesdays from 8 am – Noon (or until they sell out!) What an experience this has been…. not only have our students had the opportunity to learn about healthy eating, good nutrition and local foods & produce, but they are learning how to make change, weigh & sort produce and interact with the community. We have also helped to make healthy, fresh foods available and accessible to our community and we have been sharing with each other our recipes and techniques for using and cooking with the produce we receive. On Thursdays when I walk to PS 11, I am overwhelmed by the response that I get from parents – “The golden delicious apples were the best!” and “The turnips were a huge hit last night!”. So this blog is an opportunity for you to share your recipes, feedback and insight about our Farm Market. I will post the letter from the Farm on Tuesdays to let you know what veggies & fruits we will be getting and our 3rd grade students will write about their experiences with the market. We look forward to blogging with you! Deborah Osborne