P I C K L I S T
jimmy nardello peppers - sweet potatoes - gold potatoes - cherry tomatoes - lettuce - onion - carrots - garlic - green beans
pick list glamour shot with 6 year old art direction
First and foremost, I am shook that this was our very last SUMMER CSA pick up of the season as well as the conclusion to our yearly farmstand hustle. Our farmstand shut its doors yesterday, and will re-open again in June 2026. The farmstand is the dreamiest or dreams. It exists just down the road from walmart and homedepot and best buy and traffic lights. It is an open air market to breathe deep, wander, and fill one’s metaphorical cup with tangible veg. Food abounds, and so too do the sights and smells that go with it. But the people that run the stand are the real heart of the route 12A stronghold. This year, Allie Schubert stepped in to manage the farmstand. And she did so with much love and intention that you would think she’s been there for the past 51 years. Her attention to detail is seen in the way she uplifts the crew. Daily tomato sandos for staff, and Saturday night G&T’s. Heartfelt check ins and awareness over how to handle all the Spragues, especially as crops go south and emotions heighten (climate crises farming is stressful to say the least). She is learning farming’s imperfections and greeting the upper valley community with joy. We are all so happy Allie came into our lives.
Cheers to the 2025 farmstand season and all the people and the crops that made it happen. With all the abundance the tables displayed, you’d hardly realized we were experiencing deep drought.
As far as the past week in farming goes, I am a little out of touch as I had to step out of town for a family emergency. Ray and Tim put on their best Jenny hat to organize and harvest for the week. Mitchell stepped up, like the angel he is, to craft recipes to complement the picklist.
Looking ahead, as your pepper stock diminishes and your onion stash runs dry, know that we are still picking veg daily and though the stand is closed and Summer CSA is over, our FALL CSA begins next week, OCTOBER 22nd (come join the party HERE), and you can find our veg at the following locations:
All the coop food stores (leb, hanover, WRJ)
Brownsville Butcher and Pantry
Reading Greenhouse
Woodstock Farmers Market
Rumbrook Market
Kearsarge Food Hub
A bazillion thanks for joining us this Summer, having you along for the ride truly means so much. This week, for those of you who are not continuing this journey into Fall CSA, hold your green beans close and that bag of lettuce closer.
FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS:
The following recipes were crafted specifically for this week’s CSA by our friend and hyper local chef (he lives just up the road), Mitchell Davis. if you are curious about alllll the recipes he has to offer, check out his substack:
kitchen sense
Sichuan Scallops or Shrimp
This quick Chinese stir fry comes together in minutes once all of the ingredients are ready.
Brining the scallops or shrimp with sugar, salt, and baking soda, is Chinese technique that gives
them a plump, crisp texture.
Serves 3 or 4
1/2 pound bay scallops or peeled, raw shrimp
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup ice water
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon black Chinese vinegar or other vinegar
1 to 3 teaspoons chili crisp, Chinese chili oil (with sludge), or other hot sauce, such as sriracha,
according to your spice tolerance
3 tablespoons vegetable or chicken stock, or water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
4 dried red chilis, split and seeded (optional)
1/2 small white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Handful fresh green beans, cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces
About 1/2 pound red bell or other sweet red peppers, seeded and chunked
About 1/2 pound yellow bell or other sweet yellow or orange peppers, seeded and chunked
5 fresh shiitake or cremini mushrooms, sliced
In a medium bowl, combine the scallops or shrimp with the sugar, salt, baking soda, and ice
water. Mix to dissolve and then set in the fridge for at least 20 minutes and up to an hour to
brine.
In a small bowl, prepare the sauce by combining the oyster sauce, soy sauce, black vinegar, chili
crisp or other chili sauce, stock or water, and corn starch. Mix well.
To finish the dish, drain the shrimp, rinse with cold water, and pat dry with paper towel. Heat
the peanut oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilis, if
using, and cook just 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the diced onion and garlic and sauté until
they begin to soften. Add the green beans and cook, tossing often until they begin to soften.
Add both peppers and cook about 3 minutes. Add the scallops or shrimp and sauté a minute or
two until they begin to turn opaque. Add the mushrooms and sauté another minute. Stir the
sauce to distribute the cornstarch and pour into the hot pan, stirring to coat all the vegetables.
Let cook until the sauce thickens to coat everything nicely. Serve immediately over steamed
rice.
Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Zaatar
These roasted sweet potato wedges are quick and easy and the Middle Easter za’atar—a blend of herbs, sesame, and salt—gives them a savory flavor. If you have a sweet tooth, you can add a
little maple syrup to the mix. I usually make these wedges in a cast-iron pan so the edges crisp,
but you can also use an air fryer. I never use a recipe, because it depends on how many sweet
potatoes I have. Simply adjust according to your needs.
Sweet potatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh garlic, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Maple syrup (optional)
Za’atar
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Wash and dry the sweet potatoes. Cut them in half lengthwise and
then cut each half lengthwise into wedges with the peel on the wide edge. If the sweet potatoes
are longer than 3 or 4 inches, cut them in half crosswise. You want the wedges to all be about the
same length and thickness so they cook evenly.
Place the wedges in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil, scatter the
sliced garlic around, and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. If using
maple syrup, drizzle a tablespoon or more in the bowl, too. Toss the potatoes to evenly coat with
everything and then transfer to a cast iron pan or the basket of an air fryer. Don’t crowd the
potatoes or the hot air won’t circulate and they won’t crisp. If using a cast-iron pan, lay as many
wedges cut side down as you can without them touching.
Place in the preheated oven or air fryer and roast for 20 minutes or so, until the wedges begin to
brown. Turn them over and/or move them around to expose the other sides to the hot air. Return
to the oven for about 10 minutes. The potatoes should be nicely browned and crisp. Toss with a
couple of tablespoons of za’atar and return to the oven for a couple of minutes, just to warm the
spice mix and bring out its flavor. Serve hot.