Greetings CSA Members,

    We have arrived at the final distribution for the 2008 season without too many calamities and with this the final share of the season, we want to say thank you for your on-going support and to send our warmest wishes for a cozy winter ahead. We will still be very busy harvesting the rest of the potatoes, beets, leeks, and greens so that we can meet you in Troy or at the farm for your Winter Boxes. Remember to look on our website for an order form. We will also be at the Troy and Saratoga Markets for at least the next few months. When the snow starts to fall heavily, we will be heading inside to the office, starting on the paper work of creating crop plans, placing a plethora of orders for seeds, nutrients, compost, potting mixes, parts, and perhaps deciding on a new tractor!  
    Brian and I thank you so very much for the support, encouragement, and the feedback with which you have provided us. Your kind words and gestures help make a long, hard day that much easier. We are looking forward to providing you in the Spring with another 22-week season of vegetables. Until then, stay warm and take good care. Enjoy one last poem from Mary Oliver.

     Song For Autumn

    In the deep fall
        don’t you imagine the leaves think how
    comfortable it will be to touch
       the earth instead of the
    nothingness of the air and the endless
       freshets of wind? And don’t you think
    the trees themselves, especially those with mossy,
       warm caves, begin to think

    of the birds that will come – six, a dozen – to sleep
       inside their bodies? And don’t you hear
    the goldenrod whispering goodbye,
       the everlasting being crowned with the first
    tuffets of snow? The pond
       vanishes, and the white field over which
    the fox runs so quickly brings out
       its blue shadows. And the wind pumps its
    bellows. And at evening especially,
       the piled firewood shifts a little,
    longing to be on its way.

This week in your share, you will most likely find some combination of the following:

Celeriac, Cabbage, Fingerling Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, Beets and Carrots, Collard Greens or Kale, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, and Lettuce Mix

Thank you for enjoying this wonderful season with us - Justine

Greet celeriac, the unsung frog prince of winter vegetables. Pare off its warty exterior and you'll uncover the royal vegetable within: a perfect, ivory-fleshed, winter alternative to potatoes and other starches. It is surprising that a vegetable that is so delicious, wonderfully hearty and eminently storable -- and makes such a boldly verdant show in the garden -- is practically unrecognized in the try-anything United States.
In Europe, however, celeriac is a historic favorite. The vegetable's most classic employment is in the cold French salad celerie remoulade, in which the root is peeled, grated, "cooked" in lemon juice (or blanched briefly in acidulated water) to lose a bit of its rawness, then dressed with a mustardy mayonnaise. Celeriac is cousin to anise, carrots, parsley and parsnips, some of which are bred for their edible stalks and tops, others for their edible roots. Celeriac is a celery variety refined over time to produce an increasingly large, solid, globular root just below the soil surface.
Also known as celery root, knob celery and turnip-rooted celery, celeriac developed from the same wild species as did stalk celery. It had medicinal and religious uses in many early civilizations, including those of Egypt, Greece and Italy. While what the early Greeks called selinon is mentioned in Homer's Odyssey in 800 B.C., celeriac did not become an important vegetable until the Middle Ages. It was first recorded as a food plant in France in 1623, and was commonly cultivated in most of Europe by the end of the 17th century.
Admittedly, celeriac does have a couple of slight drawbacks. If you are going to grow it, it is a rather long-season plant, clocking in at about 112 days from seeding. It's also rather odd-looking. Aboveground is a gorgeously symmetrical crown of green, celery-like growth radiating from the central knob to about 12 inches. However, pull up this pretty green crown and what you unearth looks like a troll's orb of warts and roots.
Do not be dissuaded. When peeled, celery root's creamy white flesh resembles that of a turnip and tastes like a subtle blend of celery and parsley. Additionally, half a cup contains only 30 calories, no fat and provides an excellent source of dietary fiber. This time of year, celeriac can be a perfect non-starch substitute for potatoes in a warming meal, and can be prepared in a similar way. Mashed, shaped into batons and boiled, or even French fried, celery root can provide a winning accompaniment to a fresh green vegetable or salad and anything roasted or grilled.
I find a paring knife, rather than a peeler, works best for peeling the root. Shave downward with the blade in broad strokes to remove the thick skin. Drop the peeled bits into a bowl of acidulated water (water into which some lemon juice has been squeezed) immediately after cutting to prevent discoloration. Even if you are planning to fry or bake the celeriac later, parboiling it first for 5 or 10 minutes in acidulated water will soften its raw edge.

Boiled Celeriac with Butter and Herbs

1-2 large celery roots, peeled
Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus extra for acidulating water
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick) and salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped parsley, chives, tarragon, mint, lemon balm or basil (you can pick one or use two in a savory combination)
Fill large bowl with water and add lemon juice. Add celery root as it is peeled. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut peeled celery root into three or four thick slices, then cut each slice into three or four fat sticks, returning them to their bowl of acidulated water after each step.
Shape the sticks into "batons" by shaving off the square "corners" and pointing the ends (like sharpening a fat pencil) with a paring knife. Place the batons in the boiling water. Add juice of half a lemon. Bring water back to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until batons are soft but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Add butter, herbs of choice, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat through before serving.

French-Fried Celeriac

 3 large celery roots, peeled            
Juice of 1/2 lemon    and   3 cups vegetable oil
Juice 1/2 lemon into a big pot of water and put it on to boil. Peel the roots, cut them into 1/4-inch slices, then into 1/4-inch sticks, and put them in a bowl of acidulated water.  Add celeriac to the pot of boiling water and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain and dry well.  In the same pot or a deep-fryer, heat the vegetable oil until smoking (about 350 degrees) and start deep frying in batches until golden. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Reheat in the oven before serving.

Ginger Beef and Kale  (Collard Greens will work just as well)

1 lb of fillet mignon slices thin.
2 tablespoons of finely grated ginger.
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1 medium onion grated
1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika
2 dried chilies (crumbled)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil.
1 bunch kale (or 1 1/2 lbs).
1/2 cup beef stock
1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Mix beef with ginger, garlic, onion, paprika, chilies and salt. Heat oil in skillet over med-high heat , add beef and other things, and cook until light brown (2-3 minutes).
Stir in kale and cover, lower heat.  Cook until wilted.
Raise heat to med-high again and add beef stock and cook for one minute, add pepper and serve.