Kitchen Sink Share!

Our last share of the season is a big one! We've got all the good stuff in here--classic fall root veggies, long-holding storage crops, another winter squash, plus a big mess of greens, including some we haven't seen since the spring. The last of the Weir River veggies will hold you over for quite a while!

Now that the temperature's been dropping into the 40's (and lower!) at night, our carrots, beets, and leafy greens are starting to sweeten up. Veggies do this cool trick of increasing the sugar content of their cells in order to prevent being frozen during cold nights. It protects them AND benefits us!

Don't forget our CSA Harvest Celebration: Yoga and Potluck Feast next Thursday, Oct. 30th: 5:30 for yoga, 6:30 for potluck at the Yellow House. Come to either or both, no RSVP necessary. We'll be upstairs in the Yellow House for yoga class and down in the CSA room for the potluck. If your last name is in the first half of the alphabet, please bring a salad, soup, or appetizer; names in the last half of the alphabet, please bring an entree dish or dessert. We'll toast the harvest and say goodbye to our fabulous farm apprentices, Joe and Sophie, who are on to new adventures at the end of the month.

Joe and Sophie planting spinach back in April

Our great CSA season this year wouldn't have been possible without the help and hard work of so many, starting with our vital soil microbial community. Our soil food web is the base that supports and nourishes our crops as they industriously convert sunshine into food day in and day out. Our crops support and are served by our honey bees and many native pollinator species, and our insect defense force of parasitic wasps and predatory beetles and nematodes. Our fabulous field crew worked tirelessly no matter what the weather to bring out the best in our crops in the field and bring in the best of our crops for harvest. The diverse talents and cheerful work of so many of our CSA members and volunteers made me so grateful to be a part of the ecology of this beautiful place. I hope you're as proud of it as I am. Thank you.

In your share this week: Brussels sprouts!!, carrots, watermelon radishes, leeks, beets, onions, garlic, lettuce, kale, spinach, chard, bok choy, potatoes from Moraine Farm, and butternut squash from Langwater Farm, plus a Pick Your Own herb bonanza: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (and chives even though they got no love from Simon & Garfunkel). See you next season!

Recipe of the Week

Wondering what to do with the watermelon radishes? I usually cut them into wedges and add to them to my roasted root medley along with beets and carrots and onions and maybe a winter squash. You can also roast them on their own--wedge them, drizzle and toss with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, spread on a metal cookie sheet and roast at 375F, turning every 15-20 minutes. They roast in 30-60 minutes, depending on how fat the wedges are.
Roasting is also my favorite way to serve Brussels sprouts-- Ina Garten aka the Barefoot Contessa has a simple recipe here.
Several years ago I did some WWOOFing for a woman whose previous career had been camp cook for an African safari company. She taught me this kale recipe that she had picked up working there. It's easy and a nice twist on the standard sauteed kale that I make so often.

Peanut Butter Kale

Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup peanut butter
1-2 Tbs Braggs amino acids
1/4 tsp cayenne or chili powder (more if you like spicy)
1 bunch kale, washed, rib removed, and leaves torn roughly
salt to taste

In a large saute pan, saute the onions and garlic until translucent. In a small bowl, make the peanut butter sauce. Add hot water (start with 1/4 cup) until the peanut butter has a consistency slightly thicker than cake batter. Stir in the Braggs and the cayenne/chili powder and set aside.
Add the kale to the saute pan and cover the pan for a few minutes to help wilt the kale. Once the greens have wilted, stir in the peanut butter sauce and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve immediately.