Happy fall equinox!

Happy fall, everyone! As the days get shorter, and thankfully cooler, we find ourselves preparing for the wind down of our season. Dont get me wrong, things are still growing happily, and have an assortment of treats still available. This time of year our cool weather crops are making a comeback in the market/CSA, like all the brassicas, broccoli, kale, cabbages, turnips, and radishes. Our summer crops like tomatoes and peppers are starting to wind down, but are still providing us with few last fruits. Our squash has come into the market as well, delicata and butternut are classics that are great for the cooler weather in soups and stews. We also have some crops, like radicchio, that might be new to people so I'll add a recipe or two at the end of this post to help inspire you in the kitchen.

This time of year, we find ourselves preparing our space for the upcoming winter. We need to cover beds that will lay fallow, ensuring the soil stays protected, and kill off weeds. We are preparing to create new beds, which will take a few years until they are viable planting land. We are moving tunnels into their new positions for next year, so they are in place and ready to go for next spring. We still have some building projects we'd like to get done before winter, including adding an extension on our cooler space to include a protected space for our summer crops. As always, there is the huge task of fall planting of garlic, that we all enjoy.

We are always happy to see your faces at the market in Lunenburg on Thursdays, and at the CSA pick ups in Halifax or Bridgewater. As the CSA winds to a close in the next few weeks, make sure you are spending the money in your account, as there's lots available still. We will be at the market until Christmas, ideally, and look forward to seeing you there.

Radicchio Salad recipe

• 1 head radicchio

• 1 pear, halved and thinly sliced

• 1 navel orange, peeled and segmented

• 1 shallot, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

For the dressing:

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 lemon, juiced

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 1 teaspoon sumac

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• Assemble the salad and mix dressing ingredients. Enjoy

Roasted Radicchio

• 2 medium heads radicchio, quartered lengthwise

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved

Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put radicchio wedges on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat, and turn each wedge so a cut side faces sheet. Roast, turning once, until leaves are wilted and slightly charred, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Just before serving, drizzle vinegar over each wedge, and garnish with cheese shavings.