No delivery next week due to the holiday. December 5th will be our final delivery of the 2013 Summer/Autumn season.
Winter Shares are SOLD OUT
We’re already excited to bring you winter veggies! The first Winter pick-up will be December 19th, from 5-8pm at Sunnyside Community Services (43-31 39th St., Sunnyside, NY). Questions? Contact us!
Fish Shares
Now available!! Fresh seafood, delivered weekly with your CSA bounty via Brooklyn-based Village Fishmonger! Low-mercury options are available. Sign-up today!
Lewis Waite Farm CSA Extras
Order your next Lewis Waite products for delivery on Tuesday, December 10th. IMPORTANT NOTE: Winter deliveries are on Tuesdays (NOT Thursdays). Place your order now!
CONNECT WITH YOUR FARM
Golden Earthworm welcomes you to explore their website to learn more about our farm and the wonderful things you can do with your weekly share.
If you have questions or concerns about your share, please do not hesitate to contact the farm. That is one of the benefits of knowing where your food comes from!
Winter Shares SIGN-UP NOW!DEADLINE Nov 18th
There are two kinds of Winter Vegetable Shares: 1. Golden Earthworm’s root vegetable share, and 2. Winter Sun Farms‘ frozen local vegetable share. The two shares complement each other well, so feel free to sign-up for both! In addition to veggies, you can also purchase a Cider Share and/or an Apple Share from Briermere Farms. Sign-Up DEADLINE is Monday, November 18th! Sign-Up now!
NEWS FROM THE FARM
Snow! It may be beautiful, but it’s not nice weather for working in fields. As the season comes to a close, it’s less comfortable for our workers picking and washing the veg in these cold temperatures. They deserve a big thank you for their hard work all season, and especially now as they work through the snow and wind and freezing wash waters.
CONNECT WITH YOUR FARM
Golden Earthworm welcomes you to explore their website to learn more about our farm and the wonderful things you can do with your weekly share.
If you have questions or concerns about your share, please do not hesitate to contact the farm. That is one of the benefits of knowing where your food comes from!
We are posting this week’s Lewis Waite Farm CSA Extras newsletter so you can learn all about and ORDER your holiday turkey via Sunnyside CSA. As you may know, we work with Lewis Waite to provide you with fresh local products beyond veggies and LWF is proud to offer you locally raised, all natural turkeys again this year!
ORDER DEADLINES
Stonewood Farm
All Natural Turkeys DEADLINE: Thursday, November 14th
Coldwater Creek Farm & Homestead Farm
Pastured Turkeys DEADLINE: Monday, November 18th
In this Newsletter
-Thanksgiving Turkeys + FAQs
-How to Defrost Your Turkey
Thanksgiving Turkeys
Stonewood Farm: $4.39/lb Stonewood Farm specializes in premium quality turkeys with superior flavor and juiciness that can only be grown in Vermont. They grow their turkeys naturally; no antibiotics or growth hormones. Plenty of fresh Vermont air, cool nights, good feed and tender loving care on their family farm make for a wonderfully juicy turkey. They raise their turkeys for your family without any artificial ingredients inside large, open-sided barns. They are processed on the farm in their USDA facility without any preservatives. Paul Stone was the Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of Vermont and now his son Peter is taking a leading role on the farm. Sample the flavor by ordering All Natural turkey parts before the big day!
Coldwater Creek Farm and Homestead Farm Turkeys: $6.39/lb
Both Farms allow the turkeys free-range to enjoy life in the pastures. Movable fencing allows them to bring their turkeys into areas that have a high insect or weed population. Many people enjoy the gregarious personalities of our turkeys. As with our other poultry, the turkeys receive antibiotic-free and hormone-free feed containing no animal byproducts. They thrive in their natural environment producing a turkey that they have been told “is the best we’ve ever had.” They will be processed by Garden of Spices Farm in Easton, NY. We are never sure of the quantities or weights until they arrive (they guess 13-26 lbs), so please give us an indication of your desired size when you order. We have a limited supply, so get your order in early.
FAQs
How much do I need? We recommend 1 lb. per person for the meal, but don’t forget to plan for turkey sandwiches, turkey tetrazzini, and turkey soup (usually 4-5 lbs)! Larger birds have a higher meat to bone ratio, so you may need slightly more per person for small birds than larger ones.
When will it come to Sunnyside CSA? It will be there on Thursday, November 21st
What other local products can I get? Our entire list of family farm and artisan products is available to help keep your holiday meal locally sourced. Putney Mountain Sparkling Ciders, lots of local cheeses, cranberry sauce, grains and beans for side dishes, bread, etc. After you’ve added your turkey to the shopping cart, you can keep shopping, or check out and return at a later date to EDIT your existing Turkey order. Be sure to pay attention to the DELIVERY DATE of your order.
Make sure you get an email confirmation of your order! If you didn’t get one, we didn’t get your order either!
Questions? Call: 518-692-3120 or Send an email
“The Big Thaw”
Turkeys must be kept at a safe temperature during “the big thaw.” While frozen, a turkey is safe indefinitely. However, as soon as it begins to thaw, any bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to grow again.
A package of frozen meat or poultry left thawing on the counter more than 2 hours is not at a safe temperature. Even though the center of the package may still be frozen, the outer layer of the food is in the “Danger Zone” between 40 and 140 °F — at a temperature where foodborne bacteria multiply rapidly.
There are two safe ways to thaw food: in the refrigerator and in cold water – we do not recommend Microwaves.
Safe Methods for Thawing
Frozen turkeys should not be left on the back porch, in the car trunk, in the basement, or any place else where temperatures cannot be constantly monitored. There is a danger that the outside will warm to above 40 while the interior is still frozen.
Refrigerator Thawing
When thawing a turkey in the refrigerator:
Plan ahead: allow approximately 24 hours for each 4 to 5 pounds in a refrigerator set at 40 °F or below.
Place the turkey in a container to prevent the juices from dripping on other foods.
Refrigerator Thawing Times
Whole turkey:
4 to 12 pounds — 1 to 3 days
12 to 16 pounds — 3 to 4 days
16 to 20 pounds — 4 to 5 days
20 to 24 pounds —5 to 6 days
A thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days before cooking. Foods thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking but there may be some loss of quality.
Cold Water Thawing
Allow about 30 minutes per pound.
First be sure the turkey is in a leak-proof plastic bag to prevent cross-contamination and to prevent the turkey from absorbing water, resulting in a watery product.
Submerge the wrapped turkey in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed.
Cold Water Thawing Times
4 to 12 pounds — 2 to 6 hours
12 to 16 pounds — 6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 pounds — 8 to 10 hours
20 to 24 pounds — 10 to 12 hours
A turkey thawed by the cold water method should be cooked immediately. After cooking, meat from the turkey can be refrozen.
We know everyone is busy recouping and volunteering while we recover from Super Storm Sandy, but just want to remind you that the Lewis Waite FarmORDER DEADLINE for Thanksgiving turkeys is MONDAY NOV 5th.
Deadline Extended to November 9th!
The following are ordering (and turkey thawing) directions from Lewis Waite Farm:
Order by Nov 5th at midnight to be guaranteed a bird.
We always buy a few extra, but you’d be stuck with the sizes we have on hand!
Your pickup day: Thursday, 11/15
Your pickup time: 5-8 pm
Your pickup location: same as usual, at the Sunnyside Community Center
How do I order?
Login to www.csalewiswaitefarm.com. If you do not have a profile, use the link above for login instructions. Click Place An Order. Choose the date closest to Thanksgiving from the menu bar. Click on the Product Type menu bar and scroll down for Thanksgiving Turkey from the farm of your choice (see below for farm descriptions). Choose the size, add any special notes. Click Check Out and then Complete Your Order. Make sure you get an email confirmation of your order! If you didn’t get one, we didn’t either!
Veg Share*
Butternut Squash – 1 piece
Green Kale – 1 bunch
Escarole – 1 head
Radicchio – 1 head
Broccoli – 2 pieces
Fennel – 2-3 pieces
Dill OR Cilantro – 1 bunch
Spinach – 1 large .75lb bag
Bonus! Garlic seconds – 1 or 2 small pieces (Some garlic is missing a clove or two. We are using up the slightly damaged garlic which still has many good quality cloves. The brown discoloration on some of the cloves is just on the surface and is cosmetic, although you may want to cut it off before using.)
*Contents of the share may fluctuate over the week
Lewis Waite Farm CSA Extras
Pick up your Lewis Waite orders today! Forgot to place an order? The next deadline is October 28th for delivery on November 1st. Please place your orders for Thanksgiving Turkeys by November 5th to be guaranteed a bird!!
Join us at our farm's annual CSA Harvest Festival THIS SUNDAY! Image via GEOF
Veg Share*
Butternut Squash – 1 or 2, depending on size
Green Cabbage – 1 head
Cilantro – 1 bunch
Baby Arugula – 1 bag
Green Batavian Lettuce OR Green Kale OR Toscano Kale – 1 bunch
Red Russian Kale – 1 bunch (Best variety to enjoy raw in a salad!)
*Contents of the share may fluctuate over the week.
Fruit Share
Mix of Red and Golden Delicious (Notes on fruit: The apples should be stored in the refrigerator to keep them crisp.)
Milk Not Jails Dairy Share
Weekly dairy share pick up
A few friendly reminders & updates:
CSA Harvest Festival – Sunday, October 14
The farm’s annual Harvest Festival is THIS SUNDAY! Hayride Tours, Walking Tours, Cooking Demos, Live Music, Animal Shearing, Kids Events and lots more!
The Festival is FREE for all CSA members and their guests. You are welcome to meet us there —or— SIGN UP to ride the bus with us (if riding the bus, you must SIGN UP and please bring $5 per person to help pay for bus expenses).
Lewis Waite Farm CSA Extras
The next Lewis Waite order deadline is Sunday, October 14th for delivery on October 23rd. Anyone, not just CSA members, can order these products and pick up from our CSA. They have an amazing selection of items, all produced by small local farms. Please place your orders for Thanksgiving Turkeys by November 5th to be guaranteed a bird!!
