Produce Guide:

1) Mokum Carrots

2) Pink Lady Apples

3) Early Girl Tomatoes

4) Dandelion Greens

5) Winter Squash (Sweet Jane Kabocha OR Long Island Cheese)

6) Greens Mix (Wild Green Sorrel, Red Frill, Tatsoi, & Mustard Greens)

7) Tulsi / Holy Basil

8) Mizuna Greens

Friends of the Farm-

The temperatures may still be warm, and no rain in the extended forecast, but the first flavors of Fall are starting to emerge in our fields and can be seen in your farm produce this week. Pink Lady Apples are back again this week, this being the last of this variety. Fuji Apples will be our next variety on deck which have a fan following of their own. Persimmons and Pomegranates thereafter from our orchards! 

Depending on your CSA delivery or farm pick-up selection, you've received a big winter squash that didn't quite fit in our standard box. What can we say, they wanted all the attention this week...

Sweet Jane Kabocha or Long Island Cheese were the varieties this week. Great roasters, enjoy both varieties on their own, or in stews, soups, curries, filled pastas, and more. Northern Georgia Candy Roasters, White Boer Pumpkins, and more Delicata squash are also in the fields to compliment in future weeks. 

This week's recipe highlights Tulsi Basil in an easy tisane. Tulsi, or Holy Basil as it's often referred as is unique unto itself and unlike other traditional varieties of culinary basil (Genovese, ect) both in its origin (Southeat Asia / India) and its health benefits. Known to lower stress, cholesterol, aid digestion and more, it's one of the herbs we've begun to focus on growing as a farm as we explore and educate ourselves on the power of medicinal plants. 

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

With the seasonal shift to Autumn, there are two styles of music that especially call me this time of year...banjo-heavy Bluegrass and British Folk. Not sure how, not sure why, but bite into a Pink Lady Apple pie, or have a sip of cider and tell me Fairport Convention or Earl Scruggs doesn't hit the spot for a perfect pairing. This week's playlist has a dose of each to try out. You didn't know you needed it, but there are also two flute-heavy jams to explore in this week's mix- Art Farmer's, Crawl Space and Donald Byrd's, Miss Kane. Lastly, we welcome you to your weekend with a 7-minute jammer of Deep Purple's interpretation of Hey Joe. Rock on my vegetable lovers!

All our best from the farm,

Tom & William and Live Oak Farm team

Tulsi Basil Tisane

Ingredients:

Handful of Tulsi Basil leaves & flowers

Fresh Ginger

Hot Water

Honey

Lemon Juice

Method:

I find that a French Press works best for making this style of fresh herb tisane.

You may also use a medium or large stock pot to boil water and a strainer combination too if you like. 

Pick a handful of fresh Tulsi Basil flowers and leaves and fill your French Press roughly 1/3 full of herbs. Add a cut piece of ginger into your French Press as well. Heat water to 160F and pour into the press. Let sit to steep until desired brew is achieved. (I like a nice golden-green color). Lower your press to extract and strain the herbs and pour into your preferred drinking vessel. Flavor with a fresh lemon wedge or local honey to taste. Enjoy!

Compost Tea Tuesdays

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

This Weekend! Fall Farm Trails

Join Live Oak Farm, Sonoma Farm Trails, and the greater Sonoma County farming community in the Fall edition of Farm Tour weekend. We will be joining a list of local farms across the county in opening our doors to the public to share our farm & produce with those looking to learn more and take in the local agriculture that makes Sonoma County so special. Visit Sonoma County Farm Trails' website for more info and to discover new farms and even build a weekend itinerary of visits. 

Live Oak Farm will have our farm stand stocked and welcome visitors for farmer-led tours Saturday & Sunday at 9am, Noon, and 2pm each day. 

Live Oak Farm Events

A friendly reminder to check out our farm's new events here in the Fall season. 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.

See flyer below for our next dinner, A Taste of Alsace which is booking quickly. The last few tickets to join us remain. Don't wait!