Welcome to Week 3 of this year’s Fall share. This week all three-week Fall Share customers will pick up at their locations.
In their shares this week, members will receive the following vegetables:
Carrots, russet potatoes, rutabaga, red cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, oregano, spinach, arugula, head lettuce, red and yellow onions, butternut squash, autumn frost, a pie pumpkin and leeks. Each share will also include a carving pumpkin.
* Important: This week’s share is too big to fit in a box. There are carving pumpkins, Brussels sprouts, winter squashes and more. Please pay attention to the signs and instructions at your pickup site. Each one will be a little different.
Online store: Final blooms of 2025
Flower bouquets: Heather-Marie has doggedly protected and harvested flowers through the past week’s frigid conditions. This week, she has four mixed flower bouquets and that will be the end of the flower season. The mixed bouquets include mums, dahlias, celosia, snap dragons and more.
Marking the end of another growing season
On Wednesday morning, we awoke with the sun and walked out to the field to survey the damage. We had been up often over the night, checking the temperature and running sprinklers on our flower beds in hope of saving a few blooms.
The sprinklers can work for a light frost, but a week ago, the temperatures had stayed consistently in the 20s, which was too much for many of our tender flowers and other plants. The sun rose on a surreal landscape of ice covered petals, signaling the end of the growing season.
We call it a killing frost, and at the end of each season, we gather with our fellow farmers in the area to celebrate the end of the growing season.
The end of the year is always bittersweet. It’s been a little over six months since we fired up the heater in the greenhouse and Heather-Marie germinated the first seeds of the growing season.
Since that time, we’ve grown hundreds of flowers and vegetables and harvested thousands of pounds of produce. We’ve grown food for our CSA members, our Friday Farm Stand customers and for a handful area restaurants that value working with locally sourced products.
And now, as the season draws to a close, we are hurredly harvesting and preserving for ourselves. Through a combination of preserving, freezing and storing, our farm should feed us through the long winter months ahead.
It’s hard to comprehend that all of this bounty comes from just one small, 1.5-acre plot of land. Of course, if we want this farm to continue to be fertile, we will have to continue to feed our soil. We do this through planting cover crops such as buckwheat, crimson clover and winter rye. We also layer on composted manure from a neighboring beef farmer.
As the season winds down, we ensure that our soil is either protected under the roots of our cover crops or is covered with silage tarps so that we can peel it back in the early spring and get right back to work planting.
On Friday, we held our last (and most successful ever) Farm Stand. Our loyal, regular customers picked out pumpkins, winter squash, decorative wreaths and more. We handed them a warm cider and wished them a restful winter.
Overall, it’s been a wonderful growing season. It’s never perfect, but after five years at this location, we are starting to find our rhythm, both in the work we do and in the connections we have built with our customers.
The end of the season is also a time to recognize all the people who help us and support us. Kristina, our “Farm Queen,” as we call her, has become an invaluable asset to us; her knowledge and passion for our farm inspire us. Amelia, our summer intern for the second year, helped us on harvest days before heading off to college. There is also our family, both near and afar, who help us with their effort and their emotional support.
And, finally, there are our customers, some of whom have been with Heather-Marie since she started this business 15 years ago.
As we are fond of saying, thank you for allowing us to be your farmers.
This week’s vegetables and recipes
Rutabaga Fries with Aioli Dipping Sauce
From Heinens.com
We recently made these and they were easy and delicious!
Fries
- 6 peeled rutabagas, cut into thick slices
- 3 Tb olive oil
- 2 tsp garlic granules
- 2 tsp onion granules
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Aioli
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 finely minced garlic clove
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
In a large bowl, toss together the rutabaga fries, olive oil, garlic granules, onion granules, paprika, salt and pepper until combined.
Spread the fries out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 25-28 minutes or until browned.
For the aioli, whisk together all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until combined.
Serve the rutabaga fries with the aioli and optional garnish of finely chopped parsley.
Farro Salad With Roasted Rutabaga, Ricotta Salata and Hazelnuts
Adapted from a recipe by Melissa Clark for The New York Times.
- 1½ pounds rutabaga, peeled and cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1½ cups farro
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, more for drizzling
- 1 fat garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup crumbled ricotta salata or feta cheese
- ½ cup toasted, chopped hazelnuts
- 2 bunches watercress or arugula, cleaned and trimmed
Instructions
Step 1
Set your oven to 400°F. In a mixing bowl, combine the rutabaga with 2 tablespoons of oil, maple syrup, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste. Spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet and roast, stirring once or twice, until the rutabaga is deeply browned and very tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Step 2
While the rutabaga roasts, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the farro and cook until tender, checking periodically. Depending on the type of farro, cooking time may range from 20 minutes up to an hour. Add additional water during cooking if needed.
Step 3
In a large bowl, whisk together the shallot, vinegar, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Slowly whisk in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a bit of black pepper.
Step 4
Once the farro is cooked, drain thoroughly and transfer it to the bowl with the dressing. Add the roasted rutabaga and toss everything together. Let it cool slightly — it should be warm but not hot — then fold in the cheese and hazelnuts. Taste and adjust seasoning or add more oil if desired.
Step 5
In a separate bowl, lightly dress the watercress or arugula with a splash of oil and vinegar. To serve, spoon the farro mixture over a bed of greens.
Risotto with Winter Squash
Adapted from a recipe by Martha Rose Shulman
Heather-Marie made this over the winter and it was so good! She was always a little scared off by making risotto but she found it quite easy and this was delicious.
- 1 pound winter squash, seeded and cut in ½ inch dice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 7 to 8 cups vegetable or chicken stock, as needed
- 1 small or ½ medium onion
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- Salt to taste
- 1½ cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
- ½ cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 to 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (¼ to ½ cup), to taste
- 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Freshly ground pepper
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Toss the squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then spread it out evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the squash is soft and caramelized. Set aside once done.
Step 2
In a separate saucepan, bring the broth to a gentle simmer and keep it warm over low heat.
Step 3
In a large, heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet or wide saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes, or until it starts to soften. Stir in one-third of the roasted squash, the minced garlic, and about ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook for another minute, until the onion is tender and the garlic is aromatic.
Step 4
Add the rice and stir to coat the grains, cooking until they become separate and slightly translucent. Pour in the wine and continue stirring over medium heat. Let the wine bubble gently and cook until it’s nearly evaporated.
Step 5
Begin adding the warm stock one or two ladlefuls at a time, just enough to cover the rice. Keep the mixture at a steady simmer, stirring frequently. As the liquid is absorbed, continue to add more stock, along with the sage, maintaining a slow and even cooking pace. Repeat this process for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender but still has a slight bite (al dente). Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Step 6
Stir in the remaining roasted squash and about ½ cup more stock. Mix in the Parmesan and parsley, then take the pan off the heat. Add freshly ground black pepper, taste again, and adjust the salt if necessary. The final dish should have a creamy consistency. Serve immediately.