P I C K L I S T
CHERRY TOMATOES - ROMA TOMATOES - PEPPERS (SHISHITOS, LUNCHBOX, etc) - EGGPLANT - PARSLEY - LETTUCE - CELERY - RADISHES - BROCCOLI - POTATOES - RED ONION - PUMPKIN - GREEN BEAN - MINI BOUQ!
This week’s CSA add-ons: Hazel Bread/ fennel corn chowder, tomato confit, beet hummus/ mac n cheese casserole/ and an obligatory pumpkin head
Edgewater update: It is a common misconception that the farmstand closes and therefore we begin our winter hibernation/relaxation/reset. Au contraire, all that good stuff will take place in about two months. We have a glimpse of the end of season on the horizon but we are still very much in the thick of harvest. In fact, with all the frost prep we did over the last two weeks, it is somehow still tomato season at Edgewater Farm. Some of you may be burnt out on tomatoes and peppers by now, but I can promise you that when the end does come, you will suddenly experience a yearning for said veg. If this is the case, and you just aren't feeling the tomatoes, pop’em in a ziploc and store them in the freezer for winter soup/sauce/summer reminders/etc. As we move through the weeks, you will certainly experience your load of winter squash and root crops, but for today, enjoy this end of Summer haul with all the colorful standards. Keep the grill out one last weekend and char that eggplant, fry those shishitos.
And while the season end is in sight there is still tons of - dare I say - fun to be had right here on the farm. For example, next week we begin planting our garlic crop for the 2026 harvest season. This is done with the same gusto as any planting, but with an added touch of magic. It consistently blows our mind that one little clove planted in the Fall grows to be a full garlic head come summer. And yes I know it’s science, but you gotta be a fool to not consider it’s magic.
Other farmy things taking place this week include the reskinning of greenhouses, deep cleans- there is SO MUCH of that, and the continual harvest of carrots, greens, taters, etc…
Enjoy this first week of Fall CSA, I know it’s a ton of food. Keep in mind that if this haul remains out of the sunlight/heat much of your veg will keep beautifully in a garage, mudroom, shed.
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: https://kitchensense.substack.com/
Chopped Broccoli Salad
I’m not generally a fan of raw broccoli, but I can’t stop eating this salad.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
2 or 3 broccoli crowns
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped
½ medium red onion, finely chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1 bunch parsley, minced
½ cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds, toasted, or pistachios, cashews or
walnuts, toasted and chopped
½ cup dried cranberries, chopped, or fresh pomegranate seeds
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup plain Greek yogurt, full fat preferred
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon toasted, ground cumin
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅓ cup fried onions or shallots
With a sharp vegetable peeler, peel the tough outer layer of the broccoli stems. Cut off the peeled stems, dice finely, and place in a large mixing bowl. Cut off any florets on long stems and chop the stems and the florets. Repeat until all of the broccoli is chopped finely and in the bowl.
Add the red pepper, red onion, green onions, parsley, seeds or nuts, dried cranberries or other fruit, olive oil, lemon juice, yogurt, honey or maple syrup, cumin, salt, and black pepper. If consuming right away, add the fried onions and mix thoroughly. If preparing in advance, stir the fried onions in just before serving. The salad will keep at least a week in the fridge, getting better after a couple of days.
Estela’s Celery Salad with Raisins, Pistachios, & Bayley Hazen Blue Cheese
Celery was once grown in a rainbow of colors and so prized that special dishes were created for it to be displayed as a centerpiece on 17 th century tables. These days, the height of celery gastronomy may very well be this signature salad by Estela chef Ignacio Mattos.
Serves 2
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
5 or 6 stalks celery, including leaves
Kosher salt
1/2 cup mint leaves, torn into pieces
Zest of 2 lemons plus 2 teaspoons juice
1/4 cup brine from pickled chilis, such as jalapeños, cherry peppers, or Thai chilis, or other spicy
pickles
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup toasted pistachios, chopped
1/4 pound chunk Bayley Hazen or other blue cheese
In a small bowl, combine the raisins with the vinegar and set aside. Setting any pristine leaves aside, slice the celery stalks into 1/4-inch pieces. You should have about 2 cups. Submerge the sliced celery in ice water for 5 to 10 minutes to perk up. Drain well.
In a large bowl, combine the sliced celery with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and toss well, rubbing the salt into the celery. Add the celery leaves, mint, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Strain the raisin soaking vinegar into the bowl and massage the dressing into the celery.
Onto a serving plate pour the pickled chili brine and drizzle the olive oil. Scatter the raisins and pistachios on top of the liquids and then scatter the dressed celery on top of that, distributing all of the dressing evenly around the plate. Shave or crumble the cheese on top to cover generously and serve.