Produce Guide:


1) Winter Sweet Squash

2) Lettuce Heads (Romaine & Flashy Trout)

3) Red Russian Kale

4) Baby French Breakfast Radishes

5) Flowering African Blue Basil

6) Jalapeños

7) KN Bravo Radishes

8) Marketmore Cucumbers

9) Honeycrisp Apples

Friends of the Farm-


Happy Friday! This week we bring you a few new items to Live Oak CSA. First the arrival of some pretty darn cute baby French Breakfast Radishes. The classic pairing of a quality butter and coarse sea salt should never be overlooked. Same too should be said of the delicate radish greens. Eat them too! They can easily become an addition in a small composed salad or fresh garnish. Also this week comes a new variety of winter squash, meet Winter Sweet. This fun roaster is great roasted on its own or in soups, stews, curries and more. So much more than just a timely porch decoration, EAT IT! Lastly, meet African Blue Basil - SUPER aromatic, you can eat the leaves and especially its flowers. I really like the flowers as a garnish on roasted green beans. 


This week's recipe highlights your Sweet Winter Squash and African Blue Basil. The house-filling aromatics of a roasting squash in the oven plus the addition of the African Blue Basil makes for a great Autumn meal. 


Lastly, we welcome you to enjoy our weekly music playlist.

Dolly Parton is a living legend. Joleen is truly a track that stands the test of time. Try both the remix in this week's mix and the podcast I first heard it featured for additional Dolly listening - Dolly Parton's America, (link here). Another outstanding woman of her genre on this week's playlist is Shirley Bassey. As a pioneer black, British soul-singer you may best recognize her voice from the James Bond soundtrack cannon and Diamonds Are Forever. All this and more to be discovered in this week's accompanying farm music playlist.


All our best from the farm,

Tom & William and Live Oak Farm team

Live Oak Farm Playlist Pairing

African Blue Basil-infused Kale & Winter Squash Soup


Ingredients:

Winter Sweet Squash

Kale, chopped

2 Garlic Cloves

2 Leeks

3 Bay Leaves

2 Tbsp Olive Oli

5 Carrots

1 Celery Root

32 Oz. Chicken or Vegetable Broth

Handful of African Blue Basil leaves & flowers

Salt & Pepper to taste


Method:

Begin by breaking down and roasting your Squash in a 375F degree oven. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a touch of smoked paprika. Roast until fork tender. 


In a dutch oven or stock pot add olive oil and begin sautéing over medium-high heat garlic, chopped leeks, chopped carrots, and diced celery root. Add lid to allow veggies to sweat and cook until al dente. Add Stock, chopped Kale, African Basil, and Bay Leaves, and cubed, roasted squash. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for at least 30 min. Check the soup for tenderness of veggies and adjust flavor as you go by adding any additional seasoning. Serve hot in bowls and garnish with any additional African Blue Basil flowers. 

Compost Tea Tuesdays


A reminder that each Tuesday we now offer what we're calling Tea Tuesdays! We're all set to offer compost tea on tap each Tuesday for our community of home-gardeners and green-thumbs. A FREE resource! We've been brewing our own compost tea for our own use but now want to make this tool available to you too. Bring your own reusable vessel and we'll have compost tea here for you. Each Tuesday 8am - 5pm.

Winter Rolls On!

Invitation to our Next Season of Live Oak Farm CSA


A reminder that we farmers farm YEAR-ROUND! Let us continue to be your local source for farm-fresh veggies and weekly CSA. 


This is also a great time to reexamine your membership. Have you taken a break from our CSA over the Summer season with your own garden in full bloom & bounty and look to return for Winter? Do you care to move from every-other week boxes back to weekly membership now that schedules are a bit more regular? Want to add eggs or fresh chicken to our veggie produce?

Let us know and we're happy to make these edits at this juncture as we shift into our next season of CSA. 


Be on the look-out for email communication in the week ahead with more details. 

We still have one more week of the current season with October 28th's box. Our new Winter season kicks-off November 4 in its first week and takes holiday pause for Thanksgiving and Christmas / New Years. Full weekly schedule below.

Live Oak Farm Events


We invite you to visit our refreshed website and new Events Calendar tab to see what's happening at Live Oak Farm in the weeks ahead. We'll be offering a few different dinner formats (pricing / menu / day of the week), open houses, as well as a standing invite to join in weekly farm yoga.


The farm will take a pause from events come holiday time for a much needed break for us farmers, but be on the lookout for not only the continuation of farm yoga, but the announcement of new dinners, events, and more ways to come enjoy our farm here at Live Oak. 

Live Oak Farm Events Calendar
Live Oak Farm
Instagram