Fall add-on week five

News from the field:

The 2007 season – it’s a wrap! Today’s the last basket of the year and tomorrow [we wrote this Friday so actually today] is our last market. It’s a good thing too because harvesting in the freezing rain and snow was getting old.

But excitement is already starting to build around here for 2008. We’ve already had one intern application and two seed catalogs arrive. Waverly’s been listing all the things she wants to grow in her garden next year. Her friend Zaia has grown and sold gourds at the Waitsfield market, and Waverly is talking about growing and selling gooseneck gourds. And salad turnips and tomatoes. And Mimi was reviewing melon varieties with her in the Johnny’s catalog and then gee Ma can’t we put in some blueberry and raspberry bushes and ahh winter is the time to dream and dream big.

The height of the growing season can be insanely busy for us, and so the holidays are the time to slow it down, snuggle on the couch with the kids, visit with family and friends, and be very thankful for our wonderful life.

Have a great Thanksgiving and I hope we’ll see you next year!

In the Basket:

Spinach - Waverly told Henry at the dinner table to eat his spinach because it is sweet like candy. It is coarse, to be sure, but sweet from the cold, full of flavor and great raw or cooked.

Broccoli - It was a great year for broccoli!

Carrots - I love the frost touched carrots like these. So sweet and juicy and orange.

Squash - Perfect for Thanksgiving.

Onions - Keep these in a cool dry place or in the bottom of your fridge and they should hold till New Year’s at least.

Potatoes - Try Robyn and Tim’s yummy – and totally doable – recipe on the back!

Kale - My favorite winter vegetable. I like it steamed then dressed with tamari and sesame oil, and there are multiple recipes on the blog for it too.