Welcome to Week 15 of the 2025 summer CSA season. This week is a Group A week, which means full shares in all locations pick up and half shares in Duluth pick up their final summer shares of the season.
In their shares this week, members will receive the following vegetables: carrots, gold potatoes, green beans, thyme, romaine lettuce, yellow torpedo melons, cucumbers, sweet peppers, onions and tomatoes.
Online store: Today is the last day for Fall Share signup for CSA members before we open it to others. On the online store, there are quarts of mixed hot peppers (cayenne, Hungarian hot wax, jalapeno and matchbox peppers) and quarts of Fingerling potatoes.
News from the farm
This week marks the last CSA pickups for our half shares up in Duluth, which means the CSA summer season really is drawing to a close.
Now, our attention turns to preparing for the upcoming Fall CSA shares, harvesting our fall crops and preparing our other beds for winter and for the growing season ahead.
We know spiders are not everyone’s favorite but we (Kristina, especially) are fairly fond of them. Heather-Marie found quite a beauty in the beans over the weekend, a yellow garden spider. She put a flag near the web so as not to disturb it. Quite a gorgeous spider and web. We’re also finding lots of orb weavers in buildings and tall grasses.
In other nature news, we’re seeing lots of migrants passing through the farm. Flocks of noisy blue jays. Today seems to be more about warblers: redstart, palm and yellow-rumps, so far. We have a notebook that is just for phenology: the study of the changing seasons. We have years of notes when the first robin shows up, the first frost, etc. It’s a fun way to stay connected to the world around us.
Reminder: Fall Share is now open to all
Today, we opened our Fall Share for people who are not currently CSA subscribers. We still have about 10 slots open.
The Fall CSA Share offers three, large, weekly deliveries in late September/October of cold and root crops. Choose just one week or three weeks for a savings.
Share details
What’s in these shares: Garlic, leeks, yellow onion, sweet peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes, carrots, rutabaga, fresh herbs, Brussels sprouts, kale, collards, broccoli, cabbage, radicchio, beets, arugula, spinach, Russet and Yukon Gold potatoes, winter squash, pumpkins
- How much produce: One, large 3/4 bushel box. Choose between one and three weeks.
- How often: Three deliveries on Tuesdays (September 30, October 7, October 14)
- Pickup locations: Our farm in Barnum, Duluth Cider and Duluth East Hillside
- Price:
- Farm pickup: Three weeks for $150; one week for $55.
- Duluth pickup: Three weeks for $165; one week for $60
This week’s veggies and recipes
Italian Potato-Pasta Soup with Greens
David Tanis for NYT Cooking
This was delicious and froze well, minus the pasta
- 3 T extra-virgin olive oil, more for garnish
- 2 c diced onion
- 1 c diced carrot
- 1 cup diced fennel or celery (I used leeks instead)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large thyme sprig
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 T tomato paste
- 3 quarts/12 c chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
- 2 pounds medium starchy potatoes, such as golds or russets, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 8 ounces kale or chard, stems removed, leaves sliced across into ½ inch ribbons (4 c total)
- ½ pound dried pennette, orecchiette or other small pasta
- 1 T finely chopped fresh rosemary or marjoram, for garnish
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
In a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the onion, carrot and fennel, stir, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened and golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust the heat to prevent vegetables from browning or scorching.
Stir in the bay leaf, thyme sprig, garlic, paprika, and tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add broth, potatoes, and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a brisk simmer. Cook until the potatoes are cooked through but still firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Stir in the greens and pasta and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the greens are well cooked and the pasta is done. (Soup can be made up to the point, without the pasta, cooled and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
Ladle soup into bowls, and sprinkle with chopped rosemary and Parmesan. Drizzle each serving with a teaspoon of olive oil.
Crispy Potatoes with Green Beans and Eggs
- 1 cup fresh or cooked green beans
- 2 Tb extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds boiling potatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 4 large eggs
- Pinch of paprika
If using fresh green beans, cook in a large saucepan of boiling water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water.
Heat oil in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot enough to sizzle a piece of potato. Spread potatoes in a an even layer and cook, turning every few minutes with a wide spatula, until tender and browned, 15 to 20 minutes for raw potatoes, 10 to 12 minutes for cooked. Stir in the green beans, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper.
Crack each egg in to a small bowl and slip them one at a time into the pan on top of the vegetables, spacing evenly. Cover and cook over medium heat until the whites are set and the yolks are cooked to your taste, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle the eggs with paprika, if desired, and serve immediately.