We asked our community to dig deep into their cooking repertoire to share the ways that they incorporate veggies into dishes in the stealthiest ways, and the submissions were wonderfully creative: veggie meatloaf, yellow squash cake, chocolate beet cake, butternut squash mac 'n cheese, omelettes, soup, and more...
One submission stole the hearts of parents when we posted it, and we had messages on social media asking for the recipe. So, we knew we had to reach out to the member to get the secret intel, so we could pull a fast one on all of the kids in our community.
Without further ado, our 2024 LGF Secret Veggie Sneak is...
Stephanie's Todder Requested and Approved Veggie Meatballs!
Steff shares her recipe:
2 lbs ground beef (85% preferred)
1 cup bread crumbs (I usually use seasoned)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, grated
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 medium squash, grated
1/2 crown broccoli (stems and florets), shredded
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon olive oil
After grating the veggies, squeeze them with paper towels to get excess moisture out. In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs and herbs/spices. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together meat, eggs, oil and garlic (I use gloved hands to really work it in). Once blended, add dry ingredients. When that's homogenous, add the veggies. Roll meatballs to desired size (I usually do about 2" balls). If you're trying to be extra sneaky, poke any exposed veggies in!
(At this point, if you want to freeze for easy cooking later, arrange in single layer on a sheet pan and put in freezer until frozen solid. Then transfer to a small container or bag.)
For large batches:
In a casserole or high-sided pan, drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom, then arrange the meatballs just touching. Cover with foil and bake at 400 until cooked through (165 degrees), for about 30 minutes, removing the foil in the last 10 minutes.
For small batches:
Heat oil in a saute pan (preferably not nonstick) over medium high heat. Add meatballs, leaving a little space in between. As they get a nice crust, turn to a new side. Cook until 165 degrees in the center.
Regardless of cooking method, once cooked, toss in sauce and let rest before serving. Enjoy!
Steff will claim her commemorative prize this weekend at her share pickup!
Thank you, everyone, for participating and having fun with this contest!
Happy fall, y'all!
There's a reason this exercise is called the "farmer's carry," and we're sure to get lots of reps in this week as we finish harvesting the rest of the pumpkins and gourds.
Randy is very proud of his pumpkin babies.
On Saturday, we hosted pick-your-own raspberries and dahlias at our Booth Hill Road location, and we had a lot of fun!
Truth be told, we did run out of berries quickly, which did lead to some disappointment as we had to turn people away. We really didn't know how many people to expect, given the demand.
There's a chance we might host this again next Saturday morning for a very short window of time, and if we do, we'll send out an email next week once we assess the availability.
This week I made the easiest sauce in the Instant Pot, and I am a firm believer that everyone should try this.
Here's all you need to do:
Quarter tomatoes, onions, carrots (sneaky!), and peel garlic
Toss these into the Instant Pot with salt and fresh basil
Pressure cook for 20 minutes, then vent the steam
Add in a can of tomato paste
Use an immersion blender to turn it into sauce
DONE.
This is the recipe I followed. I added meatballs in afterward and changed the setting to slow cook for the day. And actually, I doubled the batch so I can freeze the other half.
Please do yourself a favor and try this. Pro tip: the bags of tomato "seconds" that we sell for $5 up by the register are 2.5 lbs. This recipe calls for 2 lbs., so by the time you cut away any potential imperfections, you should be good to go for just $5.
I know, I know, I'm a traitor to our jars of Sunday Sauce. But what I would recommend is making this sauce fresh now, and stocking up on Sunday Sauce for the winter months when the fresh tomatoes are gone, especially if you don't have any freezer space. We have sold 225 jars as of this writing and we sell about a case of sauce a day. I would highly recommend picking up a few jars if you are interested in stocking up for the winter.
And if you are interested in making a much larger batch, our plum tomatoes are still producing well, thanks to this gorgeous weather.
25 lbs. are $45. Believe it or not, we don't have quite as many seconds available for large boxes of seconds, so the plum tomato bulk boxes are more readily available than boxes of "seconds."
Speaking of sauce, we sent another 1,000 lbs. of tomatoes out for processing on Monday to be returned for another special project, and we are so excited about it! We'll most likely launch the new product in October...
Last Saturday we welcomed 75 families to the farm to harvest their own free bonus box of veggies. This was a “thank you” perk that they earned for enrolling in our vegetable subscription program during our two-day sale last October. It was a beautiful day, seeing smiles, taking it slow, enjoying the sunshine, and watching kids learn where food comes from. Every fall we offer perks for enrolling during our early bird registration period, and we’re already cooking up the details for when we open enrollment for 2025 in a few weeks. Members, thank you for all of your support!
This week we also sent fresh veggies off to Shelton Public Schools and the Bridge Academy in Bridgeport. We are loving these two partnerships!
In Shelton, the food service director made rotisserie chicken with a side of greens: bok choy, collard greens, and Napa cabbage. Isn't that cool?! Kind of makes me want to go back to high school just to try it...
As I was packing veggie subscription shares last week, I came across some really fun shapes: Richard the Rooster, Mickey Mouse, and a butterfly!
Members, we love when you share photos of your silly veggies in the Facebook group: carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, and more.
We also included Brussels sprouts tops in shares last week and we always have fun experimenting with new veggies. Brussels sprout tops grow like this on the top of the Brussels sprout stalk.
See the little sprouts growing up the stalk? We cut the tops off so that the plant will send its energy into growing nice big sprouts for October and November. But we can eat the tops, so why not? They have a similar texture to collard greens but are sweeter and more tender. You can saute them, toss them into soup or use them for my personal favorite: Brussels sprout tops and potato hash and eggs.
Although we won't see these return to shares, we will continue to harvest them off of the tops of the plants and will have them available in the store. This is usually one of the crops that once our members discover how good they are, they're excited to receive them every year.
Did you know we have a library of resources on our website that gives you a ton of ideas for cooking with our veggies? Seriously, check it out here!
And finally, some of the other tasks we're working on:
Harvesting lettuce again!
Transplanting spinach out into the field
Fixing irrigation and cleaning up old drip tape
Bulk harvesting winter squash to get it into storage
Finishing harvesting the pumpkins, available out in front of the store
Already making orders for next year, believe it or not. We need to order supplies for hanging flower baskets, bulbs, and even next year's mums!
Planning for our 2025 Vegetable Subscription (CSA program) enrollment, which happens in mid-October - details will be released starting late next week
WHAT'S IN STORE
Here is the fresh produce we plan to have in stock while supplies last (through Friday, 9/27):
Acorn Squash
Arugula
Beets
Bell peppers
Bok choy
Broccoli (very limited availability)
Butternut Squash
Cabbage (green)
Carrots
Cauliflower (limited availability)
Collard greens
Cucumbers (slicing and pickling)
Delicata Squash
Eggplant
Fresh herbs (sage, thyme, parsley, rosemary, mint, and basil)
Garlic
Grape tomatoes
Green/wax beans
Honeynut Squash
Hot peppers (assorted)
Husk cherries
Kale
Leeks
Lettuce
Lunchbox peppers
Mustard greens
Napa cabbage
Onions
Potatoes (red and gold)
Radishes
Scallions
Shishito peppers
Spaghetti Squash
Tomatillos
Tomatoes
Yellow squash
Zucchini
STORE HOURS
Monday: 10:30 to 6
Tuesday: 10:30 to 6
Wednesday: 10:30 to 6
Thursday: 10:30 to 6
Friday: 10:30 to 5
Saturday: 9 to 4
Sunday: 10 to 3
So sorry, but we can't accommodate early or late arrivals even if we are around. Our staff is scheduled to work on prepping the store with the freshest products right up until we open. We also try to honor personal lives by closing promptly.
** Vegetable subscription pickup occurs during all open hours on members' scheduled pickup day and we hold shares for 24 hours afterward.
MARKET HOURS
Shelton Farmers' Market - Saturdays from 9 to 12 at 100 Canal Street.
Monroe Farmers' Market - Fridays from 3 to 6 at 7 Fan Hill Road.
THIS WEEK'S VEGGIE SUBSCRIPTIONS
MAIN SEASON WEEK 16 OF 20
(Tuesday, September 24th through Saturday, September 28th)
Biweekly pickup occurs on all odd-numbered weeks - 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19.
Share Contents (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)
Large:
1 head of cauliflower
1/4 lb. of arugula
1 head of lettuce
1 lb. of tomatoes
1 zucchini
1 lb. of peppers
2 free choices: beans, eggplant, broccoli, basil, squash, cucumbers, bok choy, peppers
Small:
1/4 lb. of arugula
1 head of lettuce
1 lb. of tomatoes
1 zucchini
2 free choices: beans, eggplant, broccoli, basil, squash, cucumbers, bok choy, peppers
Caring For Your Share (All of this information, plus long-term storage info, can also be found in our Vegetable Library of Resources).
Shake out any excess water in the head of lettuce, then store in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash and spin out when ready to use.
Store arugula in a plastic bag in the fridge. When ready to use, wash in cold water and spin out in a salad spinner. Use within the week.
Store your head of cauliflower in an open plastic bag in the fridge. Wash and use within the week.
Store peppers in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge. Set the crisper drawer to low humidity to allow some of the ethylene gas that results from decomposition to escape. Ethylene gas will cause the peppers to rot sooner.
Keep tomatoes out on the counter and out of direct sunlight, where they will get plenty of air flow. Do not put them in the fridge; it will dry out the tomatoes and change their consistency. Tomatoes continue to ripen after harvested, so use within a few days. To ripen a tomato quickly, put it in a paper bag in a dark place, like a cabinet.
Store zucchini in the crisper drawer of the fridge for approximately a week. Wash when ready to use.
The LGF Cooking Club (Recipes to try in addition to those in the Library of Resources!)
How to Change Your Vegetable Subscription Pickup Day
If you need to skip your share for the week, or change your pickup day, you must provide us with 48 hours notice for any of the options below. This is because we pack shares the day before pickup. Once your share has been harvested and packed, we can not cancel your pickup.
For Tuesday pickups being changed, we need to know by Sunday.
Wednesday pickups, we need to know by Monday.
Saturday pickups, we need to know by Thursday.
You have the option to choose another of those pickup days in a given week: Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday.
You can skip a pickup and receive a double the following week.
If you miss your pickup, we will hold your share for 24 hours after your pickup day, and then it will be donated to a local food pantry. With more members than ever before, we don't have the cooler space to hold onto shares longer than this. This is a great option if you accidentally miss your pickup - just come the next day.
You can always send a guest to pick up in your place by simply notifying us of their name.
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