Happy Autumn and Happy Doughnut Day (read below, come to the CSA, and you’ll see why if you don’t know already 😊)!
It’s now TOO cold to leave your CSA Shares in your
car for any more than a short amount of time. If the temps are below 35
degrees, you don’t want your CSA Shares to freeze. When fresh veg get frozen
incorrectly (they need to be blanched before freezing), their cell walls will
burst and when they get defrosted, they can be unappealing to eat (forget about
raw in salads).
This email includes…
- What you need to know
- We’re having an Exchange
Table this week
- Vote NOW and vote OFTEN
- Green Thumb Farm farm
stand closing sale and winter schedule
- With the recent
hurricanes in the Caribbean, now might be a time to consider making a
donation to World Central Kitchen and other groups
- Happy Doughnut Day!
- Celebrate Chef Jacques
Pepin’s 90th birthday!
- Click activist
- Giving Tuesday has past,
but I imagine any time before the 1st of the year works too 😊
- The answer to the
questions…What do I do with all these Radishes, what are they good for,
and are there any contraindications in terms of eating them (including the
Radish tops/leaves)?
- Do you like or use
Cinnamon? If so, read this…
- It’s not all bad news
- For all you creative
types out there 😊
- Crispy Winter Squash
Fries with Tahini Yogurt Sauce Dip (who doesn’t like some Fries???)
- What we actually got
last week
- Contests (updated)!
- And now, for something
completely different…
*Anything in any of our CSA emails not directly related to
the functioning of the CSA, feel free to take or leave at your discretion, and
anything related to health issues always consult with your physician(s) before
taking ANY action (including a change in your diet).
- When packing up your CSA food, start at the left side
of the long table and work your way to the right and go out the garden
door. Why? We set out the food to be packed in that order so the heaviest
food items will be on the bottom of your bag, and your food won’t get
squished (another way to make your food go bad faster), and if you
separate the wet from the dry foods you’re doing pretty good on having
your food last longer! 😊
- When you get your food home, if it’s in a plastic bag
take it OUT of the plastic bag and store elsewhere…even if it’s in another
plastic bag (the original bag will be too wet and your food won’t be happy
there for long)
- Plan on using your food in the order of how long it
will reasonably stay fresh.
Before you leave the house…BRING BAGS
to pack up your food (CSA members are responsible for packing up their own
shares) – canvas/plastic/paper…bring whatever suits your fancy. The CSA does
NOT provide bags for CSA members.
Time – 3:30pm to 7:30pm
Place РSky Room Caf̩ in the Cinema Arts
Centre at 423 Park Ave, Huntington
Parking – park in the all the way around at
the back of the building by the day care center (you’ll see a fenced in
playground area with a sandbox)
When you arrive at the CSA –
- Check in at the sign-in desk with our friendly CSA
worker
- Read the Wall Chart that tells us every week what we’re
getting, how much we’re getting, and what the farm charged us for it…some
weeks it’s take one of everything but…SOME WEEKS IT’S NOT!!! So you have
to make sure you read the Wall Chart every week, and not assume anything.
You can also ask your fellow CSA members that are working that day what
the story is for the day (they should have name tags on).
Before you leave the CSA – Make sure you have
everything on the list (like the story of the 3 bears…not too much, not too
little, but just right 😊)! If you get to talking
with people, have kids with you, etc., it can be easy to be distracted and if
you get home and find out you don’t have everything that was on the list,
you’re out of luck because at 7:31pm the food is donated to a local food organization
(Community Solidarity…read more about them in the CSA Events email under
Tuesdays) that’s waiting to pick it up and get on their way.
Interesting piece about spring greens (out of the 14 listed,
we get 12 of them with our CSA…watercress nutritionally and botanically similar
to Curly Cress/Peppercress) and detoxing…
http://www.nourishingmeals.com/2012/03/detox-with-spring-greens.html
Week #28 – last week till June 2026!
December 11, 2025
- Squash, Winter
- Radishes, Winter: Mix – 1 bag
- Beans: Black Turtle Bean (dried) – 1 bag
- Carrots – 1 bunch
- Broccoli – 1 head
- Collards – 1 bunch
Total Items: 6
Herb Share – December 1A
Peppers, Hot: Thai (dried) AND Sage
2.We’re having an Exchange Table this week
- Click on “FOOD”, and
then click on “Farmstand”, and then (I hope 😊) click on “Green Thumb
Farm”, and if this is your first time voting, they will ask for your email
address and info to register.
- I then clicked on “All
categories” (I think 😊) on the top of the page
to get to the start and clicked on “Arts and Entertainment” and then
clicked on “Movie Theater” and then clicked on “Cinema Arts Centre” (the
place that is gracious enough to give our CSA a home 😊).
So click here, and vote now and vote often 😊
https://www.bestoflongisland.com/
You can vote daily (vote often 😊)
from now till December 15th.
Our CSA farm, Green Thumb Organic Farm, will be closing its
farm stand for regular hours/business on Sunday, December 7th. There
will be a sale at the farm stand from Friday, November 28th to
December 7th. If you want more info, call the farm at 631-726-1900
between the hours of 9:30am and 4:30pm. If you’re going on Sunday, December
7th, I’d call to check on when they’ll be closing (it’s usually earlier than
normal).
THEN…Green Thumb Farm will be doing an 8 week CSA Winter
Share from Saturday, December 6th to Saturday, January 24th for $180
if paying cash, and $200 if paying by credit card. If you’re interested in
signing up, it has to be by Wednesday, December 3rd (or till they
fill up). HOWEVER, you have to go to the farm in Water Mill to pick up your CSA
Winter Share. Since people will be coming to pick up their CSA Shares anyway,
the farm stand will be open as well and the schedule for that will be Saturdays
from December 13th to January 24th from 10am to 2pm.
Again, call the farm if you want more info at 631-726-1900.
5.With the hurricanes in the Caribbean, now might be a
time to consider making a donation to World Central Kitchen (and some other
options)
I’ve heard they were already in
Jamaica before the hurricane started, in order to be ready for what was to
come.
Any time of the year is a good
time to donate to this organization that provides hot meals all around the
world, to those in need after natural disasters and during times of war.
If you’re not familiar with World Central Kitchen, founded
by Chef Jose Andres, you can watch a video about it here…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gphj_VaXL0
There are various ways to make donations so check them out
here…
Other options here…
https://weather.com/news/news/2025-10-30-hurricane-melissa-how-to-help
This week is the last week of our 28 week CSA season! In
celebration of another year of Green Thumb CSA – Huntington (29 years so far,
and the first CSA in this neck of the woods 😊), this is also Doughnut
Day.
It started in 2020 when the world closed down in mid-March,
and we had to figure out if we were having a CSA at all, and then how to have
it and be responsible and safe. Well, I put my thinking cap on and puzzled out
the best ideas I could come up with looking at all the data available as it
came out (ended up with handwashing, distancing, mask wearing, and keeping a
minimum amount of people in the Cinema at one time). We had no illness
breakouts due to being at the CSA, and all our CSA members managed to survive
the year. So as the year closed out I thought to myself…we all could use a
really good Doughnut! So, I went to Long Island City (closest to Huntington) to
get the best Doughnuts in the world (not just my opinion…the NY Times has
referred to Doughnuts from Doughnut Plant as “Doughnuts of the gods”) and the
first Doughnut Day was born.
We will have a Doughnut Concierge to help you figure out
what’s what (there will be a written menu with the names and descriptions of
all the Doughnuts), and they will bag up your Doughnut for you.
Each CSA Member gets to choose ONE (1) Doughnut, but if
you’re working at the CSA you get to choose TWO (2). There are advantages to
putting in hours at our CSA 😊. If you have young’uns
that you bring to the CSA, we can’t really refuse them if you think it’s ok if
they have one 😊. We will have vegan and gluten-free options
for those who require them. If you eat vegan or gluten-free and you’d like your
Doughnut put aside for you, let me know (to make sure they don’t all get
snagged before you get to the CSA).
These Doughnuts are not certified organic BUT they’re made
without preservatives, dough conditioners and any number of nasty things often
in commercial baked goods. AND the fruit used is often from the Union Square
Greenmarket and the flavors are mostly seasonal and not available all year
long. They’re also supporters of local and small farms. You can read more about
this background of Doughnut Plant here…
https://www.doughnutplant.com/our-story/
The owner is a nice Jewish boy turned Hare Krishna…
https://www.saveur.com/article/Kitchen/The-Profile-Mark-Isreal-of-Doughnut-Plant/
Besides Long Island City in Queens, they have locations in
downtown Brooklyn, Grand Central Station NYC, the Lower East Side NYC and
Williamsburg BK (used to have more locations in NYC and 9 in Japan but the
pandemic took care of that ☹). You can get these Doughnuts
mailed to you through Goldbelly BUT there are certain varieties you can’t get
delivered because of potential spoilage and quality issues (none with any
fillings).
If you’re not a fan of Doughnuts, or it’s not something you
wish to consume for any number of reasons…no problem, as any leftovers will be
donated to Community Solidarity (the group we donate any leftover CSA food).
7.Celebrate Chef Jacques Pepin’s 90th
birthday!
Chef Jacques Pepin will be turning 90 on December 18th
of this year. In celebration of this event, his organization, The Jacques Pepin
Foundation, is recommending that people will made a donation in honor of Chef
Pepin’s birthday OR have a dining event and use it as a fundraiser for his
organization. To learn more about the Jacques Pepin Foundation…
How to host a Home Cook Celebration fundraising event/dinner
and to register…
AND here’s the “Start-to-finish Hosting Toolkit”…
https://www.celebratejacques.org/host-an-event/in-home/in-home-dinner-party-guide/#hosting-guide
Fun fact…did you know that Chef Pepin was asked by President
JFK and Jackie to be the White House chef, but he turned it town to be the R
& D Director for Howard Johnson restaurant chain for 10 years??? True that 😊!
Chef Pepin never had a sweet version of Pumpkin (like
Pumpkin Pie) till he came to the USA so here’s Jacques’ recipe for his Pumpkin
Gratin using canned Pumpkin…
Best canned Pumpkin according to the gang at Serious Eats
(and they’re all certified organic…YEAH! 😊)…
https://www.seriouseats.com/canned-pumpkin-taste-test-8749457
8.Click activist
Join me in Telling State Legislators to Ban Bayer & ChemChina's
Carcinogenic Pesticides! It's official. The two pesticides we're exposed to the
most are both "probable human carcinogens" according to the World
Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer. The
number-one, glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup (now owned by
the German company Bayer), has held this dubious distinction since 2015. Now,
the number-two, atrazine, used in Syngenta (ChemChina)'s AAtrex, has also been
given this designation. This explains the mysterious rise of cancer among young
adults in the Corn Belt. To read more and let your legislators know you’re not
happy about this click here… https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://advocacy.organicconsumers.org/page/91718/action/1?chain___.YXAzOmphaXNuZnI6YTpvOjY1NGJkNGExNDI5ODljNGJlNTViM2Y3Mjc2YjhjNzNkOjc6Yjk1MjpiZTU5Y2FkYjgyMjhmNjg2NTRlMDcyOWM1NWQ0NGM1ZDEzMTZkZjIyYTAzZDkwNGNjMjc5MDg3ZjIwYjU0OGM4OnQ6VDpG
9.Giving Tuesday has past, but I imagine any time before
the 1st of the year works too 😊
A.Cinema Arts Centre…they are kind and community
minded enough to give our CSA a home
To become a member or donate a number of different ways
(even just going to the movies helps support the Cinema 😊)…
This time of year, you could buy gift cards for your
friends, family, co-workers so they can go to the movies, AND munch on the best
movie Popcorn on Long Island (it’s organic, and yours truly is the one who got
the Cinema to start selling certified organic Popcorn 😊),
AND support the Cinema Arts Centre at the same time…
https://cinemaartscentre.org/get-involved/gift-ideas/
To become a member…
https://cinemaartscentre.org/get-involved/become-a-member/
To donate…
https://cinemaartscentre.org/get-involved/donate/
Many other ways to support the Cinema…
https://cinemaartscentre.org/get-involved/giving-opportunities/
B.NOFA-NY (the Northeast Organic Farming Association
New York Chapter)
This is the organization that certifies farms organic in New
York State and they did this LONG before the federal government got involved
AND will continue to do so if anything happens on the federal level.
To become a member (you don’t have to be a farmer to join 😊…I’m
a member 😊)…
https://nofany.org/about-us/become-a-member/
To donate…
https://nofany.app.neoncrm.com/forms/donate
C.Community Solidarity (the group that gets any food
from our CSA that’s left over at the end of the night)
To donate…
https://www.communitysolidarity.org/donate/funds
And if you don’t want to donate cash, if you look under
their “donate” listing, you’ll see the take donations of food, clothing. school
supplies, toys, plants/seedlings/garden tools/gardening books, books, bicycles,
flowers AND your time (if you volunteer AND if you’re a doctor or nurse can
volunteer to help with medical care)
D.NRDC (National Resources Defense Committee)
This is an environmental group consisting of scientists,
activists, lawyers and others to make sure we have clean water, clean air and
healthy communities.
To learn more about NRDC…
To donate…
E.World Central Kitchen…this is Chef Jose Andes’
group that feeds those in crisis all over the world (which DOES include the
United States)
To learn about their work…
https://wck.org/story/?utm_source=googlesearch&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=gteoy-givingtuesdaywck
To donate…
10.The answer to the questions…What do I do with all
these Radishes, what are they good for, and are there any contraindications in
terms of eating them (including the Radish tops/leaves)?
Unfortunately, there’s NEVER one article that has all the
info OR explains everything having to do with even one particular piece of
information SO, here’s a bunch of good articles with answers to the above
questions…
Because one of the health benefits of Radishes is that it
contains sulforaphane, DO NOT MICROWAVE THEM! It only takes one minute of
microwaving to turn Radishes from an anti-cancer food to…you might as well be
eating wood (wood is not anti-cancer if you eat it to the best of my knowledge 😊).
Are Radishes good for you? Spoiler alert…yes, they really
are 😊! Good suggestions for how to use them…
8 health benefits of eating Radishes…
https://www.verywellhealth.com/radishes-7495441
In addition to everything else, they talk about
contraindications regarding eating them…
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/health/nutrition/top-5-health-benefits-of-radishes
Also talks about possible side effects of eating Radishes…
https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-radish
Even Vogue is on the Radish bandwagon 😊!
https://www.vogue.com/article/radish-benefits
11.Do you use or like Cinnamon? If so, read this…
If you want to make quick work of this long article, scroll
to the bottom to see what brands to buy (but you might want to scroll the
article regarding baby foods with Cinnamon in it)…
https://mamavation.com/food/cinnamon-lead-cadmium-glyphosate.html
12.It’s not all bad news
Industry funded (Monsanto/Bayer) study of RoundUp/glyphosate
saying it’s safe has been retracted…
https://www.foodpolitics.com/2025/12/https-www-foodpolitics-com-2025-12-28064/?lctg=319752165
13.For all you creative types out there 😊…
The terrific environmental group, Beyond Pesticides, is
looking for photos, drawings, paintings, and writing (poetry/articles) about
your garden, favorite flower or bug, etc., to be featured in the next issue of
Pesticides and You, social channels, website, Daily New Blog, etc. For more
info and to submit…
14.Crispy Winter Squash Fries with Tahini Yogurt Dip (who
doesn’t like some Fries???)
This recipe calls for Acorn or Carnival Squash so if you
still have one of these hanging around, here you go 😊(you
can also use Delicata or any Winter Squash with a thinner edible skin)…
And if you’re not a fan of Tahini or want to try some other
dips, there’s other dip recipes included (they all looked pretty good to me 😊).
Week #27
December 4, 2025
- Squash, Winter: Acorn AND Carnival– 1 of each kind -
$5.25
- Sweet Potatoes – 1 bag (2 lbs.) - $5.25
- Beans, Shelling: Cranberry (dried) – 1 bag (.35 lbs.) -
$3.50
- Fennel – 1 bunch - $5.25
- Radicchio: Chiogga – 1 head - $5.00
- Mizuna: Red – 1 bunch - $4.75
Total Items: 6
Total Amount: $29.00
We pay our farm $23 per week for our CSA share…some weeks we
get a bit more, some a bit less. This week, it was $6 over $23.00. Doesn’t
sound like a whole lot, but it adds up over the course of the CSA season (at
the moment it’s a total of $100.50 more food than what we paid). We seem to
always get at least one CSA share’s worth of food every year (we’re over FOUR
SHARES worth) that we didn’t pay for…some years two, and last year it was
almost four weeks worth extra, so we’re talking almost $80 worth of food we got
gratis…it’s all good! 😊
- Get two chances to win
$5,000 courtesy of the Food Network (they ask you a question but even if
you get it wrong you can still be entered 😊), and then again at
Food.com…
https://www.foodnetwork.com/sponsored/sweepstakes/piece-of-the-pie
Contest ends January 6, 2026
- Get a chance to win
$5,000 from the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship…
https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/holiday-baking-championship/giveaway?xp=sistersite_tlc_sweeps_page
Contest ends December 22, 2025
17.And now, for something completely different…
If you don’t know why I’m using this phrase, click here (or
even if you do you might want to take a peek 😊)…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bF-rpJz2CA
This was a catch phrase on the BBC tv show Monty Python’s
Flying Circus.
Another incredibly adorable adventure of Black Cat Jiji and
friends (Kitteh, Doggo, White Cat, and Groundhog), and this time they’re
cooking and eating Bacon and Eggs, and Pizza (Pepperoni and Veg)…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOAQbj2HHZ4
*Please keep in mind that any events or services listed do
not indicate a direct endorsement from Green Thumb Organic Farm or Green Thumb
CSA – Huntington
Friday, December 12th
7pm
10pm to midnight (dumpster diving Secret Santa adventure
included with $20 ticket)
Community Solidarity Holiday Party
Nautilus Roasting Co.
1000 New York Ave
Huntington
$10 in advance or at the door up with a toy to donate/$20 at
the door with no toy donation
For every $5 you spend buying Coffee, Tea and snacks, you’ll
get a free raffle ticket to win $100+ worth of goodies! There will be music,
henna body painting, an ugly Xmas sweater contest with prizes, a “glitter &
glam” bar (don’t know exactly what that is 😊). Since this is a
Community Solidarity event, the food will be vegan and will have
vegan/gluten-free options. For more info about the Dumpster Diving, ask when
you get there (2 teams given general area and have to find dumpsters to dive
into and whoever comes up with the best booty wins a title and has cool stuff
and hopefully, has had a good time).
Saturday, December 13th
10am to 1pm
Holiday Makers Mart
HOG Farm
319 Beaver Dam Rd
Brookhaven
FREE
For more info…
Cool stuff to buy, food (pizza by Chef Clemente), live
music, good times.
10am to 2pm
Green Thumb Organic Farm
829 Montauk Hwy
Water Mill
631-726-1900
Farm stand is open since people are coming to pick up their
CSA Winter Shares.
Tuesday, December 16th
10am to 11am
Tai Chi class
Cinema Arts Centre
Sky Room Café
423 Park Ave
Huntington
FREE
Join teacher Roger Sencer in this free Tai Chi class that’s
been held at the Cinema Arts Centre for a number of years. All levels welcome.
6pm to 8pm
Eric Eaton & Friends
Stella Blue
188 New York Ave.
Huntington
FREE
For more info about Stella Blue (it has new owners)…
https://stellabluebistrony.com/
CSA member Eric Eaton has started a singer/songwriter series
at Urban Coffee but has moved to Stella Blue! This will be an almost weekly
event (except not the first Tuesday of the month when it will be poetry night).
It’ll be an evening of home-brewed songs and home-brewed Coffee 😊.
Eric will be playing songs of life, love, hope and peace. So, come on down and
grab some refreshments for your taste buds and ears!
7pm – Volunteers
8:15pm – Drive-thru distribution
Huntington Food Share
Community Solidarity
Fairground Ave. & 6th St.
Huntington Station
FREE
For more info…
https://communitysolidarity.org/foodshares/huntington
To volunteer…
https://communitysolidarity.org/volunteer
Or to make a donation (they REALLY need a new truck)…
https://communitysolidarity.org/donate/funds
Community Solidarity (formerly Long Island Food Not Bombs)
is an amazing group, doing much needed good works. These are the folks our CSA
donates food to (and have for the last several years). If you’d like to
volunteer, make a donation (they REALLY, REALLY need a new truck), or have need
of their services (or know people who might)…get in touch/get information via
their website (listed above).
They also need/accept donations of the following…Bicycles,
Books, Clothing, Flowers (good for general mental health…taking care of the
mind AND the body), Food, Medical Care (is there a Doctor or Dentist in the
house? 😊), Plants/Seedlings, School Supplies, Toys
and more. For details on donating items, please go to the Home Page, scroll to
Donate, and read the appropriate listing (and scroll to Material Goods to see
the topics not initially listed)…
https://communitysolidarity.org/
Here’s founder Jon Stepanian’s TED Talk (TEDxNYU) on
Community Solidarity and Hunger Relief…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v76MyFuXfqc
Saturday, December 20th
10am to 2pm
Green Thumb Organic Farm
829 Montauk Hwy
Water Mill
631-726-1900
Farm stand is open since people are coming to pick up their
CSA Winter Shares.
Saturday, December 27th
10am to 2pm
Green Thumb Organic Farm
829 Montauk Hwy
Water Mill
631-726-1900
Farm stand is open since people are coming to pick up their
CSA Winter Shares.
Saturday, January 3rd
10am to 2pm
Green Thumb Organic Farm
829 Montauk Hwy
Water Mill
631-726-1900
Farm stand is open since people are coming to pick up their
CSA Winter Shares.
Friday, January 9th and Saturday, January
10th
NOFA-NY Winter Conference
SUNY Purchase College
735 Anderson Hill Rd
Purchase
$270 (both days)/$150 (one day price)
For more info and to register (keep checking back to get the
latest info)…
https://nofany.org/2026conference/
This is about a one hour drive from Huntington so depending
on the weather, I might actually go…though I might or might not commute (too
soon to tell 😊).
Saturday, January 10th
10am to 2pm
Green Thumb Organic Farm
829 Montauk Hwy
Water Mill
631-726-1900
Farm stand is open since people are coming to pick up their
CSA Winter Shares.
Saturday, January 17th
10am to 2pm
Green Thumb Organic Farm
829 Montauk Hwy
Water Mill
631-726-1900
Farm stand is open since people are coming to pick up their
CSA Winter Shares.
Saturday, January 24th
10am to 2pm
Green Thumb Organic Farm
829 Montauk Hwy
Water Mill
631-726-1900
Farm stand is open since people are coming to pick up their
CSA Winter Shares.
###
