Our Winter CSA starts this week and we’re excited for all the yummy veggies we get to enjoy at this time of year! This is the season of fall soups and stews, pasta dishes, roasted veggie medleys, salads, and grain bowls. This is comfort food cranked up to 11.

At this time of year the veggies we’re pulling out of the field really are some of our all time favorites.  Crops like Carrots and Beets, Sweet Potatoes and other root veggies have had all season to build their stores of plant sugars and bioflavonoids (aka antioxidants, aka the flavor compounds that make veggies taste good!). And greens crops like Kale and Lettuce are benefiting from the botanical sugar rush that the fall frosts naturally create. You don’t have to be plant nerds like we are to think that’s pretty cool.

When we’re not out harvest ing the bounty of this season, we’re working on infrastructure projects (and repairing the damage from last week’s crazy windstorm) or …planting? Yup, though it seems odd to plant anything now, this is the time to get next year’s Garlic crop in the ground. Around here it takes about 9 months to get a good Garlic crop. So we start now, harvest in July, cure in August, and feast on Garlic bread all fall. With this weekend’s forecast looking like snow (!!) and maybe some next week too, we’re pushing hard to get it all planted by Friday!

If you haven’t signed up for a Winter CSA yet, there’s still time! Join up here or email us with questions at thefarmers@langwaterfarm.com. Cheers to comfort food season!

Organic Harvest Box

We’re trying something different with the Organic Harvest Box this week. Instead of the CSA-share-for-just-a-week model that we usually use, we want to give you one meal-prep recipe and all the veggies needed to make it. This week’s recipe is Roasted Root Veggie Medley.

In the Box this week:

• 1 lb Yellow Onions
• 2 bunches Carrots
• 1 bunch Beets
• 1 head Garlic
• 1.5 lb Macomber Turnips
• 2 large sprigs Thyme

Click here to order online and pick up in:

• North Easton at the Farmstand (Tues – Sun)
• Davis Square Farmers Market (Wed)
• Brookline Farmers Market (Thurs)
• Pawtucket Wintertime Market (Sat)

Our Organic Harvest Boxes always full of the freshest Certified Organic vegetables from our fields. This week’s Box is $20.

Roasted Root Veggie Medley

2 cloves Garlic, microplaned or very finely minced
6 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs plus 1.5 tsp Thyme
2 bunches Carrots, scrubbed & chopped into 3/4″ rounds
1 bunch Beets, scrubbed & chopped into 1/2″ pieces
1.5 lb Macomber Turnips, scrubbed & chopped into 1/2″ pieces
2 medium Onions, peeled & cut into 1/2″ thick wedges
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425. Prepare 2 large rimmed baking sheets with non stick spray or oil. Microplane or very finely chop 2 cloves of Garlic and let rest for 10 minutes (exposure to air increases the antioxidant properties of Garlic). Take 2 Tbs Thyme leaves off their stems.

Scrub and chop the Carrots, Beets, Macomber, and Onions. Because so much of a root vegetable’s nutritional content is right below the skin, we don’t peel our root veggies, we just scrub them well.

In a large bowl, whisk 6 Tbs oil, 2 Tbs Thyme, the micro-planed Garlic, and salt and pepper. Toss the veggies in and turn to coat. Taste a Carrot round and adjust seasonings as necessary. Put veggies on the prepared baking sheets and bake, turning at least once, for approximately 50 minutes. Remove from oven. Take 1.5 tsp Thyme leaves off their stems and sprinkle over veggies, then taste again for seasoning. Garnish with extra Thyme sprigs and serve immediately or let cool completely and portion into Tupperware for enjoying throughout the week!

Donuts for Donations!

In partnership with the Easton Food Pantry, we are happy to be a collection point for canned goods and nonperishable food donations on weekends from now until Dec. 22nd. Best of all, we’ll give you a free Apple Cider Donut when you bring something to donate. This weekend we got over 30 items donated! That food went to the Pantry on Monday morning in time for their Monday afternoon distribution hours. Thank you for your generosity!

And, in case you find yourself outside of Easton and in desperate need of a fresh, hot Apple Cider Donut, we are happy to share this map of Apple Cider Donut locations around New England.