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September 28th, 2026 Newsletter
BOX CONTENTS FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 28 - OCTOBER 3:
1 bu Tokyo Turnips
1 lb Pomegranates
1 pc Dark Belle Watermelon
1 bu Genovese Basil
1 pc Cantaloupe
1.50 lbs Early Girl & Heirloom Tomatoes
Farm Notes:
We started transplanting our green, red, and magenta chard this week! The first planting is always a little challenging because of the heat. Not all of the plants make it and the ones that do are too small to go through the transplanting machine. This means we have to plant them by hand…yesterday we planted 10 beds!
Later in the season when things cool down, the next plantings have a much better survival rate and really start to thrive. Fun fact: instead of tossing out the little ones that aren’t quite ready for the field, we actually keep some of them in the greenhouse and harvest from there too!
Thank you,
Evelyn Cordova
RDF Bookkeeper
Exciting/New in your box this week:
Tokyo Turnips:
RECIPE LINKED BELOW Mild and sweeter than your average turnip. They’re great roasted, sautéed, or steamed but don’t be scared to try them raw! They’re juicy and crunchy, which makes them perfect for salads or simply snacking on them. The greens are tender and can be used fresh in salads, though are especially good tossed into sautés or cooked with meats to soak up extra flavor.
Pomegranate:
Sweet and tart with juicy, tangy seeds. Delicious eaten fresh, sprinkled over salads, stirred into yogurt, or blended into smoothies. If you’ve ever struggled to get the seeds out, check out this video for an easy extraction method!
Dark Belle Watermelon:
Sweet, juicy, and refreshing with a crisp texture. Delicious eaten chilled, blended into agua fresca, or added to fruit salads.
Genovese Basil:
Extremely fragrant and full of flavor. Their tender leaves are often used raw. Lightly torn into salads, sprinkled over pizza and pasta, layered into sandwiches, or blended into pesto.
Cantaloupe:
A refreshing melon with a mild sweetness and soft, juicy texture. Enjoy it sliced fresh, added to fruit salads, blended into smoothies, or paired with yogurt and granola. Looking for more cantaloupe inspiration? Check out this website for more ideas!
Early Girl Tomatoes:
A classic everyday tomato with a balanced sweet-tart flavor and juicy texture. Perfect for slicing into sandwiches, adding to salads, or roasting.
Heirloom Tomatoes:
Heirloom tomatoes are grown for flavor rather than uniformity, so they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors! Their soft texture and rich, complex flavor make them especially delicious fresh with a sprinkle of salt, layered on toast, or used in summer salads like Tomato & Halloumi Panzanella.
The Annual Pumpkin Party
It’s that time of year again! Join us for an afternoon at the farm. We’re having a relaxed, potluck-style picnic followed by a tour of the farm, pumpkin picking, and a few other activities for the kids! This event is free for our CSA members and their guests, so feel free to bring your family and friends!
Please RSVP so we can get an idea of how many people will be joining us. We hope to see you there!
Sautéed Tokyo Turnips
Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins | Servings: 4 people
Ingredients:
1 bu Tokyo turnips
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
salt
ground black pepper
Instructions:
1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut greens from turnip bulbs, leaving a small portion of stem (less than 1/2 inch) attached to each bulb. Wash leafy greens and turnips well of any sand. Peel turnips. (You can also leave the turnip skin on, as it's edible, in which case, just wash and scrub them extra well.) Slice each turnip pole to pole into 4 to 6 wedges of 1/2 inch thick each.
2. Add leafy greens to boiling water and cook just until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs or a spider, transfer greens to cold water to chill, then drain, squeeze out excess water, and chop into small pieces.
3. Heat oil in a cast iron, carbon steel, or stainless steel skillet over high heat, just until the first wisps of smoke appear. Add turnip wedges, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until well browned in spots, about 3 minutes; lower heat if turnips threaten to burn.
4. Add chopped greens and toss to combine, cooking just until greens are warmed through, about 1 minute longer. Drizzle with fresh oil, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Check out our Instagram @riverdogfarm where we share images of the crops, farming, re-posts of your farm fixings photos and videos and provide market/CSA updates!