Appleton Farms Blog: Week 11: We Continue to Harvest and Begin to Plan for the End of the Season

This week we continue to bring in large harvests of tomatoes, watermelon, and cantaloupe! As we enjoy the fruits of summer, our focus is shifting to the weeks ahead. Some of the last plantings of fall brassicas will be transplanted this week and the first of our winter squash is ready to bring in! We seeded a couple of our spring fields to cover crops, which help build fertility and protect the soil over the winter. I always love watching this carpet of green emerge as we put these fields to rest for the winter. The shift in weather to more cool and comfortable conditions is a welcome change from the hot, humid days we’ve been experiencing, and I know the farm crew is grateful for that! We are sad to be saying goodbye to most of our part-time, summer crew this week, as they head back to college next week. We have enjoyed working with them and appreciate all their efforts!

This week the share will include:

Beets
Curly kale
Rainbow chard
Cucumbers
Yellow squash
Zucchini
Eggplant
Sweet onions
Garlic
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Watermelon
Cantaloupe

Despite our best efforts to keep a good stash of scissors for the pick your own field, every week many go missing. We encourage you to bring your own scissors if you plan on picking.

As a reminder, our hours for pickup have changed to Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 12:30-6:30PM. We are also open for pick your own on Saturdays, 8AM-Noon. Shareholders are free to pick up their share any day that best suits their schedule, and do not need to commit to the same day each week. Additionally, shareholders do not need to tell us which day they will be picking up.

Vegetable of the week!

ONIONS are members of the allium family, The sharp fragrance and flavor of onions is due to the high sulfur compound within them. This is also what brings you to tears when peeling one! They’re a very good source of vitamin C and B6, iron, folate, and potassium. The manganese content in onions provides cold and flu relief with its anti-inflammatory abilities.

Baked Blooming Onion
1 large yellow onion
½ cup almond flour
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp each oregano, thyme, cayenne
¼ tsp each salt & black pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Cut off the top about 1/2 inch of the onion and peel. Place the onion cut-side down on a cutting board. Starting 1/8 inch from the root, cut the onion into 12-16 vertical wedges. Turn the onion over and use your fingers to gently separate the onion petals.
In a small bowl combine the almond flour and spices. Dip the onion in beaten eggs and turn it over to make sure every part of the onion is covered, and coat with spice flour mixture. Make sure all the layers are covered. Place on parchment covered baking sheet, spray with with olive oil and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 5-10 minutes more or until the onion is tender and the edges are browned.
Serve with favorite creamy dressing!

Sweet Onion Pie
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups roughly chopped onions
1 1/4 cups Ritz cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon each black pepper and paprika
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
dash tobasco or hot sauce
Add the 2 tablespoons of butter to a large pan and cook onion over medium heat until starting to soften. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cracker crumbs with the 5 tablespoon melted butter and press into the bottom and up the sides of a lightly greased 9-inch pie plate.
Spread onions on top of crust. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce. Pour mixture over onions. Sprinkle cheese and paprika on top. Bake for 30 minutes.

In the Farm Store

The store has Appleton milk from our own cows. Try whole, low-fat, or cream top. Cream top is whole milk that is not homogenized — most people shake it hard before serving. Please remember to bring back your glass bottles.

We also have Appleton cheese — 2 hard and 2 soft varieties — as well as an ever-changing selection of cheeses, meat products (from the farm), and gifts. You can also sign up for Farm events, right at the store!

Farm Events & Programs