2011 CSA Pricing

UPDATE: After hearing from our customers we took another look at our prices. We hope the new options available (as listed in this post) make a CSA share a more viable option for you! Prices are corrected below. ____________________________________________________________

Thank you for being patient as we calculated the pricing for our CSA shares. Whew, that's a lot of numbers to crunch!

A Full share will provide 4-6 people with most of the produce they will need for the week. The cost is $650 $625.

*

A Half Share will supply 1-3 people with most of the produce they will need for the week. The cost is $390 $320.

>>Our CSA Meeting is coming up next WEDNESDAY, APril 13th at 7pm. Please come by with your questions and ideas! We can't wait to hear from you.

Roasted

Wondering what to do with all of these boring winter vegetables?

It was years ago that I first saw a recipe for Roasted Vegetables, and I will always be thankful that I did. Roasting is such a delicious way to add variety to your menu. The results provide the same rich flavor of many less-healthy cooking methods. Plus, just about any vegetable out there is even better when roasted, so you are free to experiment.

The most popular and common combination for my family would be carrots, beets, garlic, onions, and potatoes. Cauliflower, winter squash, turnips, fennel and sweet potatoes are also excellent additions. Even if you only have one of these options, just toss it in a little olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and roast away! There really aren't too many rules. If you would like to have big chunks or wedges instead of cubes, just keep the size uniform and you'll be all set.

You will be amazed at the pile of veggies you end up with after everything is peeled and chopped. Remember that a lot of moisture will be lost in the cooking process so the end result takes up less space. In my experience, it is not unusual for two people to polish off one cookie sheet (about one recipe) of roasted veggies.  Serving them alongside roast chicken with some homemade applesauce makes for a warming, delicious, and nutritious Autumn/winter dinner! And, of course you can get every vegetable you need to make this recipe at Kirby's Farm Market.

Kirby's Favorite Roasted Veggies

1 beet, peeled and cubed

1 onion, cut into small wedges

1 head of garlic, minced

2 potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 medium carrots

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Spread in one even layer on a cookie sheet. Try to leave a little space between most of the pieces. The more air flow you have the more caramelization you'll get and that's the yummy part! It is a good idea to use more then one cookie sheet if your veggies create a pile instead of a layer.

Place the cookie sheets in the center of your oven. If you need to place one on a lower rack, be sure to switch them  half way through cooking. Stir your veggies after about 30 minutes. Continue cooking for about 30 minutes more. Keep an eye on them and stir again if necessary. Veggies should be tender and golden brown, the onions nice an caramelized. Remove from oven and serve immediately. (Roasted veggies are wonderful the next day, so you will probably want to make extra.)

Thanksgiving is coming up! Maybe it's time to try something new? Let us know how your experiments turn out!

Upcoming Harvest Weekend

I hope you have a chance to stop in the market sometime soon! Fall is filling every room with beautiful color - you can't help but feel inspired by the season. Inside we have gourds and pumpkins decorating every display, accented with bittersweet and festive Autumn gifts and decor.  Take a stroll through the side door, out into the mum area and explore our new pumpkin display. We had a lot of fun piling over two hundred pumpkins onto crates and straw bales. There are so many unique colors and textures! Bumpy red, grey, tan, stripy green, and warty orange. And my favorite - white with orange and red stripes. You can also purchase beautiful mums, gourds, indian corn, straw bales and cornstalk bundles at the market - everything you need for your own seasonal displays.

Along with the usual activities of Autumn  (it's harvest time! apples everywhere!) we've been busy behind the scenes, planning a big celebration to commemorate 40 years of business here at Kirby's. We just added a new page about the festival to the website. Check it out! Harvest Weekend will be happening on October 23rd and 24th 11am-5pm. There are so many activities to try (almost all of them free!). And we hope you can join us on Sunday night for a special unveiling and anniversary cake. We're looking forward to sharing our 40th Anniversary Party with all of our customers that have made the last 40 years possible!

The Last Fruits (and Vegetables) of Summer

September is such a beautiful month! Gorgeous skies, brilliant greens and golds, and so much beautiful produce. It is a month that contains the slow blending of summer into Autumn and we see the signs everywhere we look. Fresh sweet corn is piled next to dewy cauliflower and cabbage. The last pecks of Cresthaven peaches fill a table beside rows and rows of apples. Bushels of tomatoes disappear one by one, transformed into jars of brilliantly red sauces and salsas, while pumpkins and gourds appear up on every table.

Today is definitely part of that transition, on the cusp of a new season. Growing up on a farm, I've lived with the urgency of the seasons all my life: savor every bite, and then put it up before it's gone! Because, before too long those cardboard greenhouse tomatoes are all we'll have.

Therefore, I consider it my personal obligation to make sure our customers understand - that this is your final warning. Snow! Sleet! Ice! I would be the last person to disparage winter (I love it!), but there is one thing that winter doesn't have: fresh produce.

Don't miss your last chance on all of these delicious fruits and vegetables: sweet corn, eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers and of course, peaches (there are only about fifteen pecks left!).

But hey, if you've missed out on a crop or two (I only have about two bags of frozen strawberries to look forward to this winter) don't worry yourself too much. They all come right back around again.

Grilled Sweet Corn with Three Butters

Chili Butter:• 1/4 cup butter, softened • 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce • 1 teaspoon sweet chili powder • 1 teaspoon dried oregano • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin • 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Lime Cilantro Butter• 1/4 cup butter, softened • 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice • 1/4 teaspoon lime zest • 1/4 teaspoon sugar • 3 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Lemon Herb Butter• 1/4 cup butter, softened • 2 cloves garlic, chopped • 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest • 1 tablespoons each fresh, chopped basil, oregano and thyme • 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the Grilled Corn: Heat an outdoor grill or a stovetop grill to high. Peel back husks of corn, but do not remove. Remove all silk from corn and smooth husks back into place. Put each ear under running water to moisten the husk and place directly on grill. Grill, turning occasionally, until kernels soften and husks blacken, 10 to 12 minutes. Pull back husks and serve corn with 1 teaspoon flavored butter.

For each flavored butter: Using a spoon, mix butter with respective ingredients. Roll each into a log shape and wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper. Refrigerate until firm, 2 to 3 hours, then soften to room temperature before serving.

The Great Pickle Debate

Arguments may not be as fierce as cat vs dog, superman vs spiderman, or chocolate vs vanilla, but I know more then a few people that get pretty passionate about their pickles.

Sweet or dill?

In my opinion, it's best if sweet pickles are kept very far away to save plenty of room for dill. Ever since I was a little kid, I've been notorious for my love of dill pickles. And there are always plenty around since the Kirby family puts up dozens of jars every year (in fact I'm eating one right now, from this very jar).

However you like your pickles, this is the year to try making them yourself! As with everything else, the season started early and we already have bushels of pickles ready to be partnered with garlic, vinegar and salt. The Ball "Fresh Preserving" website has a great variety of recipes. Instructions are clear and straight forward enough to take all the intimidation out of the process.

Call ahead to place your order for 3-4" pickles or 5-6" pickles. We pick on Wednesday and Friday, so they're available to pick up those days after 3pm or the following day. (585)637-2600

If you're as anxious as I am to bite into a refreshing pickle, here's a recipe that only takes a day or so.

Garlic Fridge Pickles

• 8-10 Kirby pickles, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 cup of Cider Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Salt
• 2 cloves of garlic, smashed

• Put everything but the pickles into a clean, shiny, quart  canning jar. Swirl it all around until the salt melts and everything is nicely combined. Add the pickles. Pack 'em in there (but gently) til the jar is full with an inch to half inch of head space. If the liquid does not cover all of the sliced pickles, top it off with enough cider vinegar to do so. Cover tightly and store in the fridge. Now you have to wait at least four hours to enjoy your pickles, but 12 hours would be better.

Tossing in some other ingredients like a handful of chopped fresh dill leaves, red pepper flakes or a 1/2 tsp of mustard seed would be fun too. This is a pretty loose recipe, so you might find that you have an extra pickle, but when is that a problem? Let us know if you try it out!

Not into pickles? Cucumber salads are a great hot summer day dish (the 90 degree weather this weekend definitely does not motivate us to turn on the stove). Here are a few dozen recipes from tastespotting to inspire you!