For this week we have an awesome surprise for you in your basket. I will tell you what it is towards the end so not to ruin the surprise. In your baskets you will see eggplant, tomatoes, colored bell peppers, A onion, bag of mixed lettuce, banana squash, turnip and turnip greens, and the surprise of a jack-O-lantern! Halloween is next Saturday, that means it almost time to start carving your pumpkins and dishin out the candy to all the little ghosts and goblins.

what you will need

• 2 orange fleshed sweet potatoes or about 1 pound, peeled
• 1 tablespoon canola or grape seed oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat the oven to 400

Cut the sweet potatoes crosswise into rounds 1/2 inch thick. Rinse the slices under cold running water and spread on a clean kitchen towel; blot dry with a second kitchen towel.

Put the sweet potatoes in a bowl. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with the cumin and toss to coat evenly.

Preheat a nonstick baking sheet in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer on the hot baking sheet. Roast the sweet potatoes, turning every 10 minutes, until evenly browned and tender when pierced with a knife, 30-35 minutes.

Transfer the sweet potatoes to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, a grinding or two of pepper, and the cilantro. Toss gently to coat.

Serve right away.

Pick up October 15th.

Wow, how time is flying by this fall.  Many of our summer crops are being pulled out this week making room for garlic, garlic, garlic!

Sweet potatoes were lifted out of the soil and are ready for you to consume!  Use these quickly (within two weeks) as our sweet potatoes never last as long as the ones in the supermarket.  These are truly a treat!

Also this week we have delicata winter squash, tomatoes, cilantro, mixed bag of greens, cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, carrots, sweet bell peppers, swiss chard, green onions, wonderful tart pomegranate and cucumbers.

Looking for a simple dressing for your greens?  We mix a small batch up in a shaker every night.  It’s fast, easy and ingredients are not complicated.  Measuring is almost a sin!  Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, small amount honey or agave and any fresh or dried herb.  I sometimes add a small amount of dry mustard just to switch it up.  Shake vigorously.  That’s it!  Olive oil can be substituted for sunflower, sesame, walnut, grapeseed or Hazelnut oil, as well as balsamic vinegar can be substituted for other vinegar, such as red wine, rice or coconut vinegar’s.

Upcoming!  Persimmons are starting to get their color!  Be looking up ways to use them.  We slice them thin and dry them for a winter snack.  They make a great healthy chip!  Persimmons are wonder for eating like an apple, slivered and put into salads, and on cubed mixed in with cooked and chilled quinoa.  Peanuts are only a few week out as well.  These are fresh, so you are in for a real treat.  We never roast them, just eat them raw.  But you can certainly boil them in salt water and dry in a warm oven.

I thought you all might be interested in joining us Tuesday Evening, October 13th at 6:00 pm for a Health and Wellness Class taught by John Tjenos from the Nutritional Therapy Association and Foundational Health Solutions. You’ll want to open up your calendar for this one!  All we ask is for you to RSVP via our website alisorganics.com.  For more information and to sign up go to this link: Health and Wellness Workshop

2 large sweet red peppers, 1 medium eggplant cut into 1 inch pieces, 3 garlic cloves, 1 medium red onion cut into 1 inch pieces, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon tomato paste.

In a baking pan, toss all but the tomato paste and bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned and tender, stirring once.  Place vegetables and tomato paste in a food processor and process until blended.  Serve with crackers or toasted artisan bread.

Pick up October 8th. 

It’s pumpkin season, time for cooking savory dishes and enjoying fall!  This week your share will be filled with a pumpkin you can use to decorate and eat later, plus dry seeds for munching, green onions, red potatoes, peaches, tomatoes, lettuce, eggplant, cayenne peppers (dry for later use if desired) and a mix of other veggies.

Spring Shares are now open.  This year we decided to shorten our spring shares to eight weeks instead of 12.  Last year was so unpredictable we had panic in our bones some weeks. 

Pick up for October 1st will set take off with a great harvest!  Lots of new and hardy veggies in the mix.

What do we have new?  Gold potatoes, buttercup winter squash, Israeli melons, torpedo red onions, mixed greens ~  We will list the other produce once we creep in closer share day.

Come visit us on October 3rd for our Pumpkin Fest!  This is a fun event for kids and families.  We have kiddo games and prizes, plus they get to run through the orchard and pick out their pumpkins.  There will be great fall back drops for pictures with pumpkins.  This is our first Pumpkin Fest and we would love it to be great and the first of many to come, so pass on the word!

Well this was an adventurous week for us. With the garden show in Denver, doing our annual pumpkin run, and the girls running the shop (yikes!) Shares still made it out in time and this week you will see the usual like cucumbers, tomatoes (big and small), winter squash, green beans, arugula, gypsy peppers, a big bag of mixed kale. And a few unique things like pomegranates, onions, tomatillos, our sacred garlic, and big beautiful peaches. This is an awesome basket this week. Enjoy all these wonderful foods.

We also have a few extra cucumbers and tomatoes if anyone is intrested

We have pistachios again. This will be our last week for them.  Our greens will be ridicchio.  Our herb will be basil.  You’ll find a mix of vegetables in your share. Summer squash, cheery tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, eggplant, lots of bell peppers, garlic, onions, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, green beans and more.   

We also have some extra okra if anyone wants it. 

Next week we’ll have winter squash and hopefully fair time peaches.  Peanuts are looking great, but will probably be a month out. 

With all the peppers we have, trying to find something to do with them all can be a little daunting. You can only have grilled or stir fried peppers so often. Before you can stand the sight of them any more. I found a new way to use all the pepper up and I thought I would share with the rest of you, so here goes…         Note:  this dip is delicious tossed with cooked pasta and rice, mixed into salads, or served with raw vegetables, can also be used as a glaze for roasted or steamed veggies or use just the basil pesto with bits of roasted pepper tossed in to what ever you are making.

Roasted peppers

Wash and dry peppers, If roasting bell peppers cut in half, remove stem , seeds and membrane. If roasting chili peppers leave whole with stems intact. Arrange on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cut side down. Brush lightly or drizzle with olive oil. Roast on top rack of oven set to broil or 500 degrees For 10-12 minutes or until skin blackens and blisters. Turning chilli peppers once or twice during roasting. Transfer to a glass bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel until cool enough to handle. Cut of stem end and remove seeds.

Basil pesto

• 4 large garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup pine nuts or sunflower seeds
•  3 oz hard Italian cheese (Parmesan, pecorino, etc) cut into small cubes
• 3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• Salt

Pulse garlic cloves in food processor until coarsely chopped, add pine nuts and cheese. Pulse until they are coarsely chopped. Add basil to the bowl and drizzle lemon juice over the top. Process for 30 seconds or until leaves are coarsely chopped. With the motor running add olive oil in a steady stream through the opening in the lid. Keep adding oil and blending until the pesto has reached desired consistency.

Roasted red pepper dip

• 2 cups roasted peppers sliced
• 1/2 cup basil pesto

Combine ingredients in a food processor, blend until smooth.