Greetings CSA Members,

As we were setting up tables, cutting flowers, stirring chili, piling bales of straw onto the wagon, the CSA volunteers, Errol and Walter (our 2 wonderful Jamaican crew members, returning for yet another season), and Brian and I were all wiping the sweat from our brow. Then by the time 3:30 rolled around, we all put on fleece jackets and went shivering across the river on the wagon ride. The beet ice cream was a smashing success (for some!) and the cake, beautifully decorated with exquisite marzipan vegetables, leaves, and chickens, tasted delicious – as did all of the potluck dishes brought to our annual gathering. We danced to the music of John and Vonnie Estes while Paul Rosenberg called several circle and contra dances for young and old alike. Thank you to one and all who helped make this year’s event so lovely. Here is another of Mary Oliver’s poems from her collection entitled: New and Selected Poems – Volume 2. Hope you enjoy it.

Take good care – Justine

This week in your share, you will most likely find:
Leeks, Braising Greens, Shallots, Nicola Potatoes (yellow-fleshed, all purpose), Green Beans, and then some mixture of: Chinese Cabbage, Broccoli, Bok Choi, and/or Turnips
     
                  Beans
They’re not like peaches or squash.
plumpness isn’t for them. They like
being lean, as if for the narrow
path. The beans themselves sit quietly
inside their green pods. In-
stinctively one picks with care,
never tearing down the fine vine,
never not noticing their crisp bod-
ies, or feeling their willingness for
the pot, for the fire.

I have thought sometimes that
something ---I can’t name it  ---
watches as I walk the rows, accept-
ing the gift of their lives to assist
mine.

I know what you think: this is fool-
ishness. They’re only vegetables.
Even the blossoms with which they
begin are small and pale, hardly sig-
nificant. Our hands, or minds, our
feet, hold more intelligence. With
this I have no quarrel.

But, what about virtue?

Potato Leek Soup

3 tablespoons butter
2-3 leeks, carefully cleaned and thinly sliced
1 medium or large onion, chopped (shallots would be an excellent substitute)
5-7 potatoes, thinly sliced
3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (or enough to barely cover potatoes)
1/2  cup cream (I use goat’s milk, cream or nothing at all, depending upon how creamy the potatoes were)
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat then add onions and leeks. Cook, stirring, until onions are limp and just slightly brown.
2) Add sliced potatoes to saucepan then pour in enough broth to just barely cover the potatoes. Continue cooking over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Using a potato masher, mash and stir potatoes until desired consistency is reached. As you mash the potatoes and the soup thickens, turn down heat and stir frequently with a large spoon to prevent scorching on the bottom.
3) Add one cup of heavy cream (or more if you desire) and salt and black pepper to taste. Cook 15 minutes more over low heat, stirring frequently, then remove from heat and serve.

**Make sure to clean leeks thoroughly and slice only the white and light green part of the leeks.
**You don’t need to peel the potatoes as the peels add to the rustic texture of the soup. But make sure to scrub them thoroughly and remove any obvious blemishes before slicing.
** Before adding the cream, you can add braising greens (cleaned and chopped) to the potato mixture to cook.

Sweet Potatoes, Apples, and Braising Greens
    Traci Des Jardins  (Jardiniere)
Makes 10 servings

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into quarters, then cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 3 tablespoons melted
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into quarters
3-5 cups loosely packed braising greens  -  stems removed and chopped
     (Kale, Collard Greens, Swiss Chard, or spinach work as well)
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F.
On foil-lined baking sheet, toss potato slices with 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake until cooked through and slightly caramelized, about 20 minutes. Keep warm.
In heavy medium skillet over moderate heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add apples and sauté until tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Keep warm.
In heavy large pot over moderate heat, combine remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons water. Add greens and sauté, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Lower heat to moderately low and add sweet potatoes and apples. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in parsley, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Serve hot.
(I found this recipe online and thought that I might try it with either Rose Gold or Nicola Potatoes. Winter Squash might be a good substitute for the sweet potatoes as well.)