*UPDATE* We are postponing CSA deliveries to Cedar Rapids this week to Thursday at the earliest. We are also offering credits to our members who wish to skip this week: a double share next week or an extra week tagged on to your subscription after Thanksgiving. Let us know which of these options work best for you. Peosta, Colesburg, Dyersville CSA deliveries will still go as scheduled but we will keep folks updated.

Greetings CSA members and Farm Share Box buyers!

We’ve got some new vegetables this week that we’ve been eyeing out in the field for quite some time, and now they’re finally ready…and we’re stoked to share them with you. PLUS, we’ve got the return of some favorites….namely, shiitake mushrooms!

Here’s what to expect this week:

• Eggplant (new!) (Italian or Asian type)
• Carrots (new!)
• Cherry tomatoes
• Shiitake mushrooms!
• Patty pan summer squash
• Cucumbers
• Garlic
• Shallot
• Onions (one white sweet, one red sweet)

We think we’ll all be a little happy to get a break from greens and herbs for a bit! (And come to think of it, our greens and herbs may need a little break themselves from all that picking too). We’re especially excited to finally have some eggplant, carrots, and the first of our curing dried shallots from the field this week – plus, the very first of our semi-sweet reds onions. We’re definitely pretty pleased with all the onions coming in!

*Note*: Due to the unprecedented derecho damage down south possibly affecting the power capacities of restaurants we work with in the Cedar Rapids area, there is a possibility that CSA deliveries will be delayed a few days! This may affect our other delivery routes on other days, too, even to areas that weren’t affected. For now, we still plan to deliver tomorrow, but will update our members/buyers via email of any changes directly as soon as we can – and we apologize deeply for any inconvenience if that ends up being the case.

What to do with patty pans? | Information & Tips

Patty pans are such a weird-looking type of summer squash (which are themselves a type of zucchini), so every year, we put a little bit of focus on them – because we grow them every year, and because they’re so good!

If you don’t know what patty pans are, they’re the round/green/flat-looking summer squash in your box, with lobed edges. Expect flavor much like a zucchini but texture that is firmer and taste that’s a little more substantial/buttery.

Our favorite way to eat them up this season: cut them into big slices and cook them straight on the grill. Sprinkle on a little herbs, like basil, thyme, sage, or even oregano. We tried them out with some sage last week, and they were lovely, even just by themselves – though try them on a burger if you like.

What to do with eggplant? | Information & Tips

Eggplants are pretty great, but if you’re new to them, it can be hard to figure out how to cook them best….or what to do with them. Fortunately we have our own experience and ideas for cooking with them!

Farmer Will likes to dice them up into thick chunks and roast them for a reeeeaaaally long time until they’re nice and soft, with a texture not all that different from mushrooms. Make sure to roast them in a shallow pan with a cooking oil that can stand 400 degrees Fahrenheit for long periods in the oven…check on them often, and add more oil to the pan occasionally if you need to so they continue to stay nice and moist!

As for farmer Adrian, she really likes to make baba ganoush! It’s a hummus-like dish that you can enjoy with chips or pita, or on sandwiches. In this case you roast the eggplants whole until their skins are smoky and dark, then you fork out the flesh and thoroughly blend with garlic, tahini, lemon juice, parsley, and other Mediterranean ingredients you may like. Be sure to follow a recipe of some sort, as it can take a fair amount of finesse to get this one right!

If you EVER have questions about items in your CSA or farm share box, please let us know! Whether it’s how to use them, what they are, or anything that might make you curious.

We love to talk food! | – jupiterridgefarm@gmail.com –

Thank you for choosing us to be your farmers!

Adrian & Will | Jupiter Ridge Farm