Week 17... the apple and the bee.

Its apple time again! We’ve been enjoying our time in the apple orchard and this is a bountiful year. Our chief apple picker (6 year old super kid Ayden Crigler) has been pretty busy the last week or so.

Honey bees are an important part of our farm and we’ll be harvesting honey for you soon. Unfortunately, one of the best apple trees is currently host to a swarm of honey bees! Occasionally an entire hive will “swarm” and start a new colony somewhere else… in this case it’s in our apple tree! Bees are great pollinators but it’s a challenge picking apples when they think you’re attacking their hive!

WHAT’S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Carrots
Wine Cap Stopharia
Heirloom Tomatoes
Pie Pumpkins
Summer Squash
Onions
Apples
Swiss Chard (full shares)
Purple Beans (half shares)

We didn’t have room for pumpkins this year so we brought these beauties in from our friends at Featherstone. Hope you enjoy them.

We have had a few space issues this year and as a result will be expanding our tilled acreage this fall in preparation for next season! We’re excited about the expansion and equally excited about plans for a hoop house!

Sustainably yours,

Bryan and Katelyn

RECIPES WE THOUGHT YOU’D ENJOY:

No Fault Pumpkin Pie
(The New Moosewood Cookbook)

First you’ll need to bake your pumpkins!
Cut the pumpkin in half and discard the stem section and stringy pulp. Save the seeds to dry and roast.
In a shallow baking dish, place the two halves face down and cover with foil.
Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for about 1½ hours for a medium-sized sugar pumpkin, or until tender.
Once the baked pumpkin has cooled, scoop out the flesh and puree or mash it.

Filling:

2 cups cooked, pureed pumpkin or squash
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tbs molasses
½ tsp ground cloves or allspice
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp powdered ginger
¾ tsp salt
2 beaten eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust

Preheat oven to 375 F

Place pumpkin or squash puree in a medium-sized bowl, and add all other filling ingredients. Beat until smooth.

Spread into the pie crust and bake at 375 for 10 min. Turn the oven down to 350 and bake another 40 min or until the pie is firm in the center when shaken lightly.

Cool at least to room temperature before serving. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy!!