If the temperature is droppin', don’t come a knockin'…

(That doesn’t even make sense but I couldn’t think of anything to relate to the cold, gray, wet weather moving in.)

EXCEPT maybe comfort food!

Think squash, sweet potatoes, beets, and apples...slow cook, oven roast, add some spices like cinnamon and cardamom and nutmeg and you will start to smell and taste the flavors of the season.

Let’s highlight 3 really cool food items this week.

1. The poblano pepper is a popular Mexican chili pepper, very dark green in color, ripening to dark red or brown. They are mild, large, and heart-shaped.

Honey Crisp Apples...the stuff of legend. Traditionally the most expensive apple on the market...opinions differ widely as to whether they are the absolute best apple out there or just an overpriced, overhyped, overmarketed flash in the pan?

Give us your thoughts as you try them this week.

First, thanks for letting us join you each week in your homes.

We realize that you are entrusting us with your hard-earned money each week and asking that we bring you the cleanest, closest, tastiest, healthiest food we can find.

We never want to waste your time with meaningless chatter, (except on Instagram stories when we put up meaningless chatter)(oh, and the Friday 5 which is really just my diary of meaningless chatter) but other than that (oops, just remembered the podcast), but really folks we try and limit the amount of SPAM we put out.

Caprese Box...we are a little late to the party, but let’s call it a “Saying Goodbye To Summer” party.

Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella...it’s like a holy trinity. This also gives you the opportunity to drizzle some of that new balsamic oil we picked up from The Olive Scene.

The First Fall Squash of the year is here to say "HI". Spaghetti squash is so versatile that you can literally use it as a spaghetti noodle substitute. It's a squash that dreams it's a pasta...(or maybe spaghetti pasta is dreaming it could be a squash??)

I usually cook all my fall/winter squash the same. Cut them in half and turn them upside down on an oiled pan and back until fork tender. From there you can season and use however you desire.

Welcome to week 37 of the year 2020...it’s been a good one huh? (snicker snicker)

What can we do but laugh? Answer: Cry...probably should be doing both at times.

Each week I write this newsletter, I try to check back into my optimistic self to talk about the good things we are seeing in terms of food security, personal health, and changing the world one bite at a time.

This week I want to highlight the “Italian Frying Peppers”.

We’ve finally got some 2020 apples in from Quarry Hill Orchard. The story about the “zestar” is as follows...

Finally, an early season apple with a crisp, juicy texture, and an exciting zesty flavor with a hint of brown sugar!

For generations, the University of Minnesota has taken great pride in developing high quality apples. Since 1878 when our breeding efforts began, we've brought you 24 new apple varieties including Haralson, Fireside, Honeygold, Regent, Sweet 16, Honeycrisp, and SnowSweet®. Zestar!® was introduced in 1999 from a hybridization of State Fair x MN 1691. We're confident that you will be pleased with this flavorful, crisp apple.

Folks, can you feel the shift in the seasons? I feel it most in the height of the sun...it must have something to do with the way the shadows change. What that means as always, is that our food is shifting again.

Out ahead of us we have hot peppers, sweet peppers, melons, peaches, plums, apples, grapes, beans, and brussels!!!

Corn and Blackberries again…#sorrynotsorry

These blackberries are the example of how each year is different. The strawberries were a bust this year for a few different reasons but these blackberries just keep on giving so we are just going to let them...keep on giving.

Last Monday I went to Groveport, OH to meet with Kendyl and Andy who we also know as Three Creeks Organic Produce. They live on 7 acres right in the middle of a bunch of warehouses and have carved out a serene food growing space. We had a discussion that we will release next Monday as a podcast episode.

Friends….Lend me your ears!...(so corny)
Cobbs in every box this week but you can also add more for next week right here.

Judging by people’s posts on social media, it looks like the summer boxes are finding their way into your belly in all kinds of fantastic ways.

This time of year I start to shift into eating a lot of “ratatouille” type dishes. For those of you that are not familiar with Ratatouille…

Early on in our vision for this company, we decided that we didn’t want to make fruit cost “extra”. This is usually the model that is used for doing what we do, primarily because fruit is waaaayyyyy more expensive than veggies.

We have always stuck by that desire to include the fruits in the box because like everyone, it is many of our favorite items!!

4 of our drivers went out yesterday like the 4 winds to the 4 corners of the state.

What they brought back around 7pm last night was over 32 varieties of produce from over 15 farms….

Logistical nightmare? Yes

Worth every minute and mile? Absolutely.

WE ARE REPRESENTING 17 FARMS in our boxes this week!! 
A few special shout outs!!

• Darista Dips - FINALLY, we get to send each of you the best hummus in the land.  I dare you to try and NOT eat this entire container in one sitting.

• Three Creeks Produce - We strive to grow tasty food in ways that nurture our land, our environment, and our community. Refraining from the use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides, we keep our focus on feeding our soils through regenerative practices and careful stewardship. 

This week I have listened to a couple of podcasts about the dire situation many of the people in our country are facing as it relates to both their personal health and the supply chain issues of the conventional food system. Both of these issues we have been able to circumvent as we continue to be supplied with the tastiest and most nutritious food from our very own OHIO growers.

WE take YOUR grocery shopping very seriously. Each week we have a budget for you, that we are able to take DIRECTLY to our growers and producers to get you the cleanest, tastiest, freshest produce and products in our market.

This is when things start to get really fun.  All the food is going to change quickly now as we start to see the early spring plantings, ready to harvest.

Over the next few weeks EVERYBODY will be getting LOTS of STRAWBERRIES and LOTS of ASPARAGUS...part of the power of being involved as a member is that you get a box each week so we can space out everything and make sure that everyone gets the goodies, but without having to force the growers to do something that contradicts nature in order to have enough for everyone all at once.  

We’ve waited patiently for a year to be able to sing our favorite song….All together now! “This is the dawning of the age of A-SPARA-GUS, the age of A-SPARA-GUUUU-UUUS….ASPAAARAGUUUUUUSS…..ASPARRRRRAGUUUUUUS!”

As always, our sweet mother nature has delivered again. We should have a couple nice weeks now of asparagus, which truly is the dawning of the new year of fresh food. It stores best standing up in a glass of water in your fridge. (as if you had the patience to keep it longer than 1 day before eating)