We have something new to share, even this late in the season. We tried growing ginger in our smallest greenhouse. As a tropical crop, it needs the extra heat and shelter. Baby ginger is suddenly popular in the continental USA after a marketing campaign by Puna Organics, a Hawaiian farm that sells organically raised stock plants. That’s who we bought our cuttings from this year. The owner is quite colorful. Check out the Puna Organics website if you’re interested in guys with too many tattoos or women wearing coconut bikinis. We started the plants in March and they were finally ready to harvest this week. It was an experiment, so there’s just a bit to share with everyone this week. We’ll plant more next year so we can harvest enough for more than one delivery. It was a fun experiment!
Ginger plants. This is our smallest greenhouse, one that we generally use for just six weeks in spring to acclimate plants to cool temperatures before they go outside. This house is a good choice for ginger because the sides roll up for ventilation during hot weather. Ginger is tropical but still doesn’t like temperatures over 90 oF.
Clint harvests ginger.
Isn’t it lovely? This ‘baby ginger’ has not yet developed the tan skin you see on ginger in the grocery store. That takes a longer growing season than we can achieve in Wisconsin. This is yellow ginger, more pungent than other ginger varieties.
We cut it into small knobs so everyone could get a bit this week. It’s not much but we hope you enjoy it.
CSA countdown
November 6/7 (next week!) = final delivery for green EOW members.
November 13/14 = final delivery for weekly members and for purple EOW members.
Farm news
Carrot harvest continues. This looks like last week’s photo but now there are fewer rows of carrots.
This week, we will strip the remaining peppers from the final pepper planting, the field Steve repeatedly saved from frost. Simone and Steve talk over the frying pepper varieties that we tested this year. The consensus: “Sweet Delilah” is a keeper, “Stocky Red” is a dud. Our longtime favorite “Carmen” is still the best.
Jon, Jory and Boi wash the Sweet Dumpling squash you will receive this week.
Veggie list and veggie notes
Red cabbage
Sugar Dumpling squash, 2
(OR 1 Sugar Dumpling + 1 small butternut)
Broccoli, 1 or 2 heads
(A few members will get purple cauliflower instead)
Carrots, 2 lb
Frying peppers, about 4
Onions, 2
Garlic, 1
Baby ginger, 1 knob
Next week’s box will probably contain Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, celeriac, carrots, kale, scallions, and more.
Broccoli OR purple cauliflower – Only a few sites will receive purple cauliflower this week. Treat it like normal white cauliflower.
Baby ginger – Perishable. Use soon. Cover and refrigerate.
Sugar Dumpling squash – This is currently my favorite squash. We tested many winter squash varieties over the past few years. ‘Sugar Dumpling is one of the best. It looks like a Sweet Dumpling squash but is more substantial. Sweet, starchy, flavorful. We hope you enjoy them. Store at room temperature.
Winter squash hint: Sugar Dumpling and butternut can be difficult and dangerous to cut. Try microwaving your squash for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before cutting. It softens the squash and makes it easier to cut or peel.
Sugar Dumpling squash; pretty and tasty.