Suddenly it feels like fall!

The nights are getting colder, the morning dews are heavier, it’s still dark long after I get up. Some mornings I even wear a sweatshirt for awhile!

It is beginning to look like fall too.

Along the railroad tracks the goldenrod is turning yellow …

… and is full of bees & other insects.

The sumac is changing colour …

… and the ornamental grass along the barn is blooming.

On the farm the later crops are (mostly) coming along nicely.

Of course there are lots of weeds and messy patches too.

The squash plants are finally dying back and we can see the fruit – an average crop with above average size squash.

The tomato plants are weary and looking dishevelled – but still producing tasty tomatoes.

But the blackberries are finished – just the odd cluster of small berries left.

Some of us are also getting tired!

What’s in the box?

Sweet peppers, Chinese cabbage, kale, beans, bok choy, tomatoes, green onions, garlic.

• The sweet peppers are coming on strong now – the large bells as well as the red shepherds, which are very sweet …

… and the mini bells too. These are a perfect size for putting in the lunch box, or stuff them with cream cheese etc … for a colourful & delicious hors d’oeuvre.

• There will be another Chinese cabbage in your share this week. Tender, crisp & mild, they are delicious in salads, slaws or cooked. Stored in a plastic bag in the fridge, Chinese cabbage will keep for several months – so no rush to finish it!

• This week’s kale is too big to be called baby kale and too small to be bunched like full-sized kale. It is somewhere in between! Still small enough for salads but big enough to be steamed, sauteed, stir fried or …
• Once again the beans in your box could be green beans or the dragon’s tongue (yellow beans with purple stripes). They are both great but I think the dragon’s tongue are a bit tastier. To preserve the purple stripe, blanch them very briefly. A longer cooking time results in plain yellow beans.
• Tomatoes, green onions and garlic round out the box this week.
• Extras – hot peppers

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Around the farm this week …

Cracking garlic for planting next month.

Hiding under an eggplant.