Week 23: Does All This Rain Mean The Slugs are Coming Back?

Transitions in the land accompanied intimately by a transition of the seasons, and being subject to the weather-for better or for worse-is yet another reward I've perceived since commiting to this thing called 'growing food'. 
The blackberries are finished, but my ritual bowl of morning oats is now studded with chunks of apple from our humble orchard.
The tomatoes are coming out of the ground outside after purging their insides after all the rain they've been injected with in the past week. Another week of them in your shares is about as far as I can forecast, so use them in some soothing soups while you can!

We're planting garlic, getting fava beans in the ground to blanket the earth over the winter as well as trying some new cover crops with the help of the students and their curiosity.
The construction I'm sure you have all seen and heard on your pick-up days is projected to be done by the end of the month or early in November, just in time to be serenaded by the rain instead of the hammers and heckling between the construction workers.

To expect this week:

• Swissh Chard
• Pumpkin
• Garlic
• Onion
• Potatoes
• Celery
• Peppers
• Salad Greens
• Leeks
• Green Tomatoes
• Carrots

Cheers to the full moon tonight, and happy eating!

Keep thinking about that end of the season celebration folks!

Roasted Pumpkin-Apple Soup

2 lbs. pumpkin, or other winter squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
2-3 large sweet-tart apples, unpeeled, cored and cut into eighths
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 Tbs. fresh sage, chopped
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock (substitute apple cider for any portiono of this, yum!)
1/4 cup hazlenuts, toasted

1.Preheat oven to 450.
2.Toss pumpkin (or squash) apples, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring once, for 30 minutes. Stir in sage and continue roasting until very tender and starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes more.
3.Transfer about one-third of the pumpkin and apples to a blender along with a cup of broth/cider. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a soup pot and repeat for two more batches. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, and heat through over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to prevent splattering for about 5 more minutes.
Serve with toasted hazlenuts.

Add some powdered curry and ginger to give this an even warmer flavor!

from eatingwell.com