Happy Autumn (and night of the last Supermoon of the year, which we might be able to see about 6:15pm IF the skies are not cloudy)!
It’s now cold enough to leave your CSA Shares in your car
for short amounts of time. HOWEVER, now the concern is it not being TOO cold.
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).
Important…if you ever send anyone to the CSA
to pick up food for you, please tell them to BRING BAGS (and make
sure at least one of them is plastic for the wet foods so you don’t get the dry
ones wet which would not be a good thing…will make the foods that don’t want to
be wet rot faster)!
- 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
- Watch FREE masterclass
on preventing and reversing Type 2 diabetes
- Celebrate Chef Jacques
Pepin’s 90th birthday!
- Giving Tuesday was this
past Tuesday but I imagine any time before the 1st of the year
works too 😊
- Click activism
- For all you creative
types out there 😊…
- 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).
- Bring at least TWO bags to the CSA EVERY WEEK
for wet and dry food items (and never the twain should meet)
- 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.
CSA words to live by…when trying any new food you’ve
never eaten before…START SLOW!!! Read up about it (make sure it doesn’t
interfere with any medications you might be taking or any health conditions you
might have), see what traditional/conventional ways it’s prepared (cultures
that have been eating certain foods for many years basically have a good idea
what they’re doing, and we can learn from that), try a small portion, see how
your body/digestive system reacts, and proceed from there. Then try preparing
in different ways and see what you come up with, and feel free to ask for
suggestion/info/recommendations!
Paraphrased wise words by a nutritionist that I read (and
don’t remember where I read it or who said it), BUT it’s pretty smart info
regarding eating seasonally in our part of the globe…
Spring… is all about detoxing (what we get
from the CSA at this time is a lot of green things that are really good to help
clean us out from whatever we accumulated during the winter)
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
Summer is all about being hydrated (the
popular summer foods are all full of water…Tomatoes, Lettuces, Summer Squashes,
etc.)
Fall/winter is all about storing energy (we
get all the dense vegetables…Sweet Potatoes, Winter Squashes, etc…. that are
energy powerhouses to fuel us through the winter) to get you through the winter
to make it to…Spring!
Week #27
December 4, 2025
- Squash, Winter
- Sweet Potatoes – 1 bag
- Beans, Shelling: Cranberry – 1 bag
- Fennel – 1 bunch
- Radicchio – 1 head
- Mizuna – 1 bunch
Total Items: 6
2.We’re having an Exchange Table this week
Why don’t we have one all the time? We don’t have enough CSA
Members, and enough Working CSA Members, to schedule this. Maybe next year (if
every CSA Member got one other person to join the CSA we might be in good
enough shape to do this every week).
Nope, not talking about doing something a little late or
illegal 😊, but talking about the yearly Best of Long
Island event.
There are a TON of things to vote on, but the two of them
I’ve just voted for, and am mentioning to you are…
- 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 😊).
And then am flabbergasted to see that neither Sriphraphai
(the best Thai restaurant on Long Island), nor Thai USA (the place that has
hosted our CSA Bitter Melon dinner for the past several years and my personal
local fave) are included (but then again, I may not have nominated them…must do
that next year).
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.
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 program is being hosted by Ocean Robbins, founder of
The Food Revolution Network, and Brenda Davis, RD, author of Kick Diabetes
Essentials and The Kick Diabetes Cookbook. FYI – this will be focused on a
vegan diet. Other vegan doctors who have written book on a vegan diet and
diabetes are Dr. Joel Fuhrman (The End of Diabetes) and Dr. Neal Barnard (Dr.
Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System
to Reversing Diabetes Without Drugs).
If they’re talking about eating a lot of vegetables, my
guess is the word “organic” might get in there somewhere 😊.
You have some choices of the day and time to view this
event. It will be Thursday, December 4th and Friday, December 5th.
To register, click here…
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
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…
A.Turns out the government approval for RoundUp (glyphosate)
was based on fraudulent information saying it was safe, provided by the company
that made it (Monsanto/Beyer). Click here to read more about this, and let our
government know you want it taken off the market…
https://toxinfreeusa.org/take-action/ban-glyphosate/
B.I know this is about the UK, but no one deserves to have
food grown using sewage sludge so click here to read more and sign…
C.Tell your state legislators to ban toxic PFAS (forever)
pesticides. To read more and sign…
https://advocacy.organicconsumers.org/page/53935/action/1?chain
10.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…
Week #26
November 26, 2025
- Squash, Winter: Pharsi – 1 - $5.00
- Rutabagas* – 1 bag (2 1/2 lbs.) - $5.00
- Beans: Black (dried) – 1 bag (.35 lbs.) - $3.50
- Broccoli, Sprouting: Purple** – 1 bunch - $5.00
- Kale: Redbor – 1 bunch - $5.25
- Sage: Purple – 1 bunch - $4.50
Total Items: 6
Total Amount: $28.25
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 $5.25 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 $94.50 more food than what we paid). We seem to
always get at least one CSA share’s worth of food every year (we’re up to 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! 😊
Herb Share – November 2B
Rosemary AND Thyme
*Rutabaga info…
EASY recipe…Roasted Rutabagas in Brown Butter…
FIVE different ways to prepare Rutabagas (Rutabaga Fries are
pretty good 😊!) with a LOT of good recipes…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/five-ways-to-eat-rutabaga-74280331/
**Broccoli, Sprouting: Purple- Soak this like
regular Broccoli
What is it, how to store it, what to do with it, and a
recipe…
https://www.hartwoodfarm.com/sprouting-broccoli
Another good article about Purple Sprouting Broccoli and an
EASY recipe for roasting it…
https://www.joskitchenlarder.com/purple-sprouting-broccoli/
Another EASY recipe… Garlic Sesame Purple Sprouting
Broccoli…
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/283835/garlic-sesame-purple-sprouting-broccoli/
And this recipe just sounds delicious…Charred Purple
Sprouting Broccoli with Caper Basil Tahini Sauce…
12.Contests (updated)!
- 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
- Win a free registration
to the NOFA-NY Winter Conference (valued at $270) by submitting a photo to
be featured on the cover of the 2006 Winter Conference Program. For more
info and to submit your photo(s)…
https://nofany.org/2026conference/photo-contest/
13.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.
Creative crafts project and some are food related so, why
not? 😊
*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
Thursday, December 4th and Friday, December
5th
Tackling Type 2 Masterclass (online)
FREE
To select the day and time to watch, and to register…
This program is being hosted by Ocean Robbins, founder of
The Food Revolution Network, and Brenda Davis, RD, author of Kick Diabetes
Essentials and The Kick Diabetes Cookbook. FYI – this will be focused on a
vegan diet. Other vegan doctors who have written book on a vegan diet and
diabetes are Dr. Joel Fuhrman (The End of Diabetes) and Dr. Neal Barnard (Dr.
Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System
to Reversing Diabetes Without Drugs).
If they’re talking about eating a lot of vegetables, my
guess is the word “organic” might get in there somewhere 😊.
Thursday, December 4th
1pm to 3:30pm
42nd National Pesticide Forum (online)
The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: advancing
holistic solutions aligned with nature
FREE
To register…
My guess is that if you can’t watch this event live, you’ll
get info as to where to see it after the fact. This will be a scientific
exploration of how petrochemicals are linked to the crisis in breast cancer and
pediatric cancer, and the problems of using of sewer sludge as fertilizer
(which they now can and do use, if you’re not buying certified organic foods).
6pm
Otherside Wine Bar
149 Glen St., Ste. #2
Glen Cove
FREE (?)
For more info…
CSA Member, Katherine Caldwell will be a guest performer
along with Chuck Silverstein and His Fertile Imagination. Reservations
suggested.
Saturday, December 6th
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.
Tuesday, December 9th
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 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.
###
