Greetings CSA Members,

Thunder boomed on Saturday while I stood, hopping from one foot to the other, attempting to stay dry while standing out in the pouring rain at the Farmers’ Market and yesterday, the frost was so thick that I served tea to keep everyone happy before battling the cold greens out in the fields. But the sun broke through the fog and the day proved to be beautiful. This is the final week for the 2009 CSA season. Brian and I hope that you have enjoyed your shares each week and will want to join back up again for the 2010 season. I will send you all a memo and membership agreement form within the next few weeks to update you about next season.

We will still be very busy harvesting the rest of the potatoes, beets, leeks, and greens so that we can meet you in Troy, Saratoga, or at the farm for the Winter Vegetable Boxes. All of the information is on our website including the order form. I have attached the information as well as the order form to this email. 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.

Enjoy your share this week - Justine

In your share, you will most likely find: Potatoes, Leeks, Brussels Sprouts or Cabbage, Fennel or Celeriac, Broccoli Raab or Bok Choi or Chinese Cabbage, Lettuce or Spinach, and a bag of Carrots, Radishes, and Beets.

Cornmeal Crust Pizza with Greens and Ricotta

Crust:
1 package (1 1/4 ounces) active dry yeast (1 scant tablespoon)
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons milk
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups stone-ground cornmeal, plus more for pan

Toppings:
1 bunch (12 ounces) Broccoli Raab, Bok Choi, Chard, or Chinese Cabbage
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

To make crust: Combine yeast with 1/2 cup warm water; stir with a wooden spoon until dissolved. Stir in 1 cup flour (mixture will become thick and stiff). Cover with plastic wrap; let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Add oil, milk, salt and 1 cup warm water. Slowly add remaining flour and cornmeal. Mix into a soft dough. Knead 15 minutes, until sticky.

Form dough into a ball. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough, knead a few times and reshape into a ball. Return to bowl, cover and let sit until nearly doubled, about 40 minutes. Divide into 4 balls; reserve 2 for later use.

To make toppings: Chop stems, tear leaves; set aside, separated. Sauté in olive oil the garlic. Cook until golden, 2–3 minutes. Add greens and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 450°. Using your hands, stretch a ball of dough into a disk; using a rolling pin, roll into a thin 10-inch circle. Transfer to a heavy baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Repeat with other ball of dough. Divide greens evenly between the 2 pizzas, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Crumble ricotta over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through cooking. Sprinkle with sea salt and red pepper flakes before serving.

Risotto with Fennel and Leeks

2 ½ cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
2 Tbl Olive Oil
2 c Thinly Sliced Leeks, well washed
2 c Chopped Fennel Bulb
6 oz Arborio Rice
1/2 c Dry White Wine, (4 Oz)
2-3 Tbl. Parmesan Cheese
1-2 tsp. Butter
Freshly Ground Black Pepper,

In medium saucepan, bring broth to a boil; reduce heat and keep at a simmer. Place another medium saucepan over medium heat 30 seconds. Add leeks and fennel and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes, until softened. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes, to coat rice thoroughly. Add wine and 1/2 C broth; cook, stirring constantly, until liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1/2 C at a time, stirring constantly until each addition is absorbed before adding more broth. Risotto is done when creamy and tender.

Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts (101cookbooks.com)

“This is the only way to eat brussels sprouts: cut in half and cooked until deliciously tender inside and perfectly brown and crusted on the outside.

Using brussels sprouts that are on the small size and tightly closed work best. You can finish these with many different types of cheese but I tend to go for Parmesan when the weather is good. I trade that in for heavier cheeses like Gruyere or Gouda in colder weather. I finished them off with some toasted hazelnuts the other night - delicious!” (Heidi)

24 small brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
Fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top and gently rub each half with olive oil, keeping it intact (or if you are lazy just toss them in a bowl with a glug of olive oil)..

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Don't overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they're tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese. While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are exponentially tastier if popped in your mouth immediately. Serves 4.

Pasta with Leeks and Raab (Any Cooking Green could be used as well)

1 lb. penne or other pasta
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 leeks, halved and cut 1/2" crosswise slices
1 bunch broccoli raab, stems trimmed and chopped in 1/2" pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 c. Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

Boil large pot of water and add salt. When it reaches a rolling boil, add 1 lb. penne pasta.
In deep sauté or frying pan, sauté garlic and leeks in olive oil. When leeks start to wilt, add raab and sauté till stems are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
When pasta is al dente, drain and put in serving bowl. Top with vegetables, sprinkle with some of the cheese and serve the remainder alongside.

Learn to lacto-ferment your veggies!

Hello everyone,

A while back I posted a entry on how to preserve your veggies. In that post, I mentioned my favorite method, lacto-fermentation, and listed some resources to get you started. If you would like to learn about this easy, wonderful, delicious and nutritious method of preservation you have a wonderful series of opportunities coming up. Below is a re-posting of a notice from the Regional Farm & Food Project for an upcoming workshop in lacto-fermentation. If you can't make it to this date, you might still want to contact them because additional workshops are taking place at other dates. Bonus: they are using Denison Farm veggies in these hands-on workshops.

This is the time of year that I really get into making my fermented veggies. I made a batch of green beans and onions at the end of summer, just finished a batch of curry kraut and just tonight, I started some ginger carrots. I encourage you to give it a try!

Happy fermenting!

The Art of Lacto Fermentation With Louise Frazier - Part 1

When:
Saturday, November 14, 2009 from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM (ET)

Where:
Triform Hall
160 Water Street Rd
Hudson, NY 12534

Hosted By:
Regional Farm and Food Project

The Regional Farm & Food Project is a member supported, farmer focused, non-profit serving the greater Hudson-Mohawk Valley food shed of New York State.

Register for this event now at :
http://regionalfarmandfoodfermentation-rss.eventbrite.com

Event Details:

We are very lucky indeed to have Louise Frazier, one of the country’s leading authorities on Lacto Fermentation, living in our region and teaching this workshop at the Phoenix Center on the beautiful farm/campus of Triform. This method of food preservation is used all over the world and is almost as old as the practice of agriculture, it can be a significant component of healthy longevity.

The Art of Lacto Fermentation workshop can be taken individually or in combination with Simple & Good Whole Grain Cookery. Each class stands alone, Part 1 will focus on tradition fermentation techniques, Part 2 will incorporate what was covered in Part 1 but will focus on the seasonal use of food with an emphasis on delicious whole grains. in combination with lactofermented vegetables. We have deeply discounted the ticket in the hopes that you will be able to attend both.

Louise Frazier, Author of LOUISE'S LEAVES, Around the Calendar With Local Garden Vegetables, a vegetable-herb + whole grain cookery chart, conducts cookery workshops emphasizing seasonal vegetables, complementary herbs, and whole grains. She operated a vegetarian restaurant in Cologne, Germany, then helped develop Sunways CSA Farm in Massachusetts, and in 1990 traveled to Sweden on a grant from the Biodynamic Association of America to learn first-hand the art of Lactic-acid fermentation of vegetables.

Additional directions: Turn into campus/farm on Triform Rd, take the first right and follow to end, bear left, look for Phoenix Center. Click here for a campus map: http://triform.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/triformmap.jpg.

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These workshops are deliberately designed to be low tech and home-scale and emphasize hands-on-learning so that you can easily incorporate these kitchen arts into your daily or weekly routines. All food demonstrations will send you home with lots of information and samples, when possible. Please peruse the entire schedule - you may want to take more than one!

Annual RFFP membership is $50 and will discount all upcoming events and classes. Discounts are offered for farmers, students and seniors of $30 and $60 for both, please use the info email to inquire. We are trying to keep these events as affordable as possible without compromising our teaching staff or materials. We are keeping these classes small and they will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Any questions, please contact info@farmandfood.org.

Greetings CSA Members,

This week I have plans to fill this CSA Memo with recipes and not stories. However, I was given a great quotation with which I will leave you as food for thought. I hope you have a lovely and warm week. I know that our crew is delighted to have fingers that actually function as they bag the vegetables for you!

Take good care - Justine

World Food Day - Organic Is the Answer to Food Security

"Organic agriculture puts the needs of rural people and the sustainable use of natural resources at the centre of the farming system. Locally adapted technologies create employment opportunities and income. Low external inputs minimize risk of indebtedness and intoxication of the environment. It increases harvests through practices that favor the optimization of biological processes and local resources over expensive, toxic and climate damaging agro-chemicals...in response to a frequently asked question: Yes, the world can be fed by the worldwide adoption of Organic agriculture. The slightly lower yields of Organic agriculture in favorable, temperate zones are compensated with approximately 10-20% higher yields in difficult environments such as arid areas."

-International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements World Food Day, October 12, 2009

This week in your share, you will most likely receive: Lettuce, Shallots, Butternut Squash, Braising Greens, Bunched Turnips or Potatoes, A Bag of Beets, Carrots, and Radish, Sage, and Sweet Potatoes..


Baked Butternut Squash Fluff

Cut squash in half longways and scoop out seeds (you can roast these w/ salt, pepper and cayenne). Roast in the oven until soft, let cool slightly and scoop out the meat into a bowl. Add one or two eggs (depending on how much egg you like), some milk (not too much), a touch of ground/grated ginger, cinnamon and honey (2 T). Mix with a hand mixer to "fluff", spread in a small (no bigger than 9x13) baking dish and top with walnuts and a touch of brown sugar (for a nice crunch). Bake until nuts begin to brown. You can also add grated coconut to the topping - yum.

Radish Butter
1 bunch radishes
1/4 softened butter
Salt, to taste
Grate radishes and stir into softened butter.

This is delicious spread on bread and eaten as is, or be adventurous with other toppings.

Baby White Turnip Salad With Toasted Pecans And Bacon

4 small white turnips with their greens attached
1/4 c. pecan halves or pieces
3 oz. bacon
2-4 scallions, sliced on the bias
Salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Remove the greens from the turnips. Tear the leaves with your hands into medium to large pieces and set aside.
3. Slice turnips as thin as possible (use a mandoline if you have one). Put into a bowl of iced water.
4. Toast the pecans in the oven just until they start to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
5. In a non-stick pan, sauté the bacon until crunchy on the outside. Remove from the pan and set aside, reserving the fat.
6. Prepare a simple vinaigrette: combine vinegar with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in about 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil. Set aside.
7. Heat the bacon fat in the same pan. Once hot, add the scallions and sauté until tender. Add greens to the pan, season with salt and just a splash of balsamic vinegar and cook until they are wilted.
8. Remove the sliced turnips from the iced water bath; dry them with a kitchen towel and toss with the vinaigrette.
9. Arrange the turnip slices and their greens in a mound and sprinkle bacon and pecans on top.

Sweet Potatoes, Apples, and Braising Greens

3-4 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 baking apples, such as Northern Spy or Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and cut into quarters
6 cups loosely packed braising greens, stems removed and torn into 2-inch strips
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.

Carrot Cake with Maple-Cream Cheese Icing

(Bon Appétit | September 1999)

Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
3 cups grated peeled carrots
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger

Icing

10 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
12 walnut halves (for garnish) – Arrange walnut halves around the top edge of the cake.

For cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Butter and flour paper; tap out excess flour. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots, walnuts and ginger. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Peel off waxed paper; cool cakes completely.

For icing:

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat at low speed until well blended. Beat in maple syrup. Chill until just firm enough to spread, 30 minutes.

Butternut Squash with Shallots and Sage

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (3/4 cup)
1 (1 3/4-lb) butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and
cut into 1/2-inch cubes (4 cups)
1/2 cup chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook shallots and squash, stirring, until shallots are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add broth, brown sugar, sage, and salt, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar, pepper, and salt to taste.

Greetings CSA Members,

Well, we arrived at another milestone for the season this week – the first major frost. This first frost seemed to be celebrated by the crew. Walter was playing Reggae as he sharpened knives, Jeannine baked a ginger cake, and each member of our hearty crew was able to pull the covers up over their heads for an extra 2 hours while the ice thawed into huge droplets of dew, glittering under the yellowing leaves.

Enjoy your share this week and stay warm - Justine

In your share, you will most likely find: Potatoes, Broccoli, Leeks, Bok Choi, Celeriac, Lettuce or Lettuce Mix, Cabbage, and Cilantro.

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.

Above ground, celeriac 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.

When peeled and cooked, this ugly duckling vegetable will become a true culinary swan.

Potato, Leek, Celeriac, and Greens Soup

1 Bunch Leeks (approx. 3-4)
6 Large Potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
1/3 – 1/2 Celeriac Root – washed and peeled
1/2 lb. Cooking Greens, washed and cut into small pieces – Bok Choi will be perfect!
5-6 cloves Garlic, minced
2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2-3 Tablespoons Butter
4-6 cups Water (enough to cover the potatoes and leeks)
¼cup cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat Oil and Butter in the bottom of a large soup pot. Slice thinly the leeks, add to the heating oil and butter and cook until tender and translucent. Add the potatoes and garlic and sauté until the potatoes begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add a bit more oil, if needed.

Add the water and grate the celeriac into the potato/leek mixture. Cook over medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Either hand mash or puree mixture in a blender (I prefer some chunks, so I use a hand masher). Add the greens (Bok Choi, for example) and cook for another 15 minutes. Add more water if needed.

Just before serving, add the cream, salt and pepper.

White Pizza With Potatoes and Leeks

Pizza Dough:

1 cup warm water
Pinch of sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour (1 cup of which can be whole wheat)
2 tsp. Kosher Salt
2 Tbl. Olive Oil

Pour water into a medium size bowl. Add sugar and sprinkle yeast over the top. Let sit in a warm spot until the mixture is bubbly and active, about 8 minutes.

Combine flour and salt and then add to yeast mixture. Add olive oil and mix until blended. Transfer onto lightly floured board and knead 10 to 12 times or until dough is smooth and elastic. Add additional flour if mixture is too sticky. Shape the dough into a ball. Transfer dough to a greased bowl. Turn dough to coat. Cover with a towel and leave in a warm place until dough has doubled in size – approx. 1 hour.

Punch dough down and knead 3-4 times. Form one large ball, ready to use for cookie sheet.

Pizza:

1 large ball of pizza dough
6 oz. Mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
3 oz. Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
1-2 medium potatoes, very thinly sliced
1-2 leeks, rinsed and thinly sliced
2 tsp. Rosemary
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tbl. Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.. Roll out pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to form an 11-inch square. Transfer to a cookie sheet or pizza pan, lightly dusted with cornmeal.

Arrange the mozzarella over the dough. Scatter half of the Parmesan cheese over the pizza. Arrange the potato slices in overlapping rows over the cheese. Scatter the leeks over top. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and rosemary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; drizzle with olive oil.

Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly – 16-18 minutes. Transfer to cutting board; slice immediately and serve hot.

Irish Potato and Cabbage Stew

Serves: 4

3 medium sized potatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 cups of chopped cabbage
2 tbsp. of flour
6 cups of water
1⁄2 tsp. of salt
1⁄2 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 cup of chopped parsley

Dice the potato, onion, celery, and carrot.
Chop the cabbage.
Add the water, celery, onion, cabbage, potato, and carrot to a pot.
Bring the water and veggies to a simmer and allow this to cook for 30 minutes.
Put the flour in a mixing bowl.
Take 1⁄4 cup of the liquid from the pot and combine it thoroughly with the flour.
Stir this flour mix back into the pot.
Allow this to simmer for another 10 minutes.
Chop the parsley. Remove the stew from the heat. Add in the salt, pepper, and parsley.

Greetings CSA Members,

Including this week’s delivery, we have 4 weeks remaining in the 2009 CSA season. It is difficult for me to believe that those long dark nights and cold wintry mornings are within our reach – seems a bit too soon, wouldn’t you agree? We will offer a winter Vegetable Box this season. Pick-ups will be at the Troy Market and at the Farm on the following dates: 11/7, 11/21 and 12/5, 12/19. The order form will be on the website by October 20th. Please contact me if you have any specific questions. But for this week, there is no goat story or weather to be reported. You are in luck. Eileen Hebert (A Massage Therapist and farm crew member) has beautifully written a piece for your reading pleasure. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I arrive at the farm on this overcast October day with the cobwebs of sleep still hanging in my brain. Ruby, the Denison’s Australian Shepard, comes bounding over to greet me, barking a hello, as she wiggles with excitement. Today is Wednesday, and this morning will be devoted to the CSA pack-up, an event that I have participated in for over a year, and still thoroughly enjoy. Today the “crew” will be counting, bagging, sorting, washing, and eventually packing the vegetables and fruits that we’ve harvested over the last few days on the farm. We will be weighing and measuring exact quantities, carefully calculating parts per person; tying bags, lugging totes and bins, checking and rechecking allotments; assigning packers to corn, broccoli, or cabbage; forming assembly lines, pulling and pushing boxes down the line, and performing final inspections before closing, labeling, taping, hoisting, and loading each box.

On occasion, the members of our farm crew increase in number, like during the summer when Brian hires on extras from the ranks of college students set free from the halls of academia for the summer. This summer, for example, our staff included Sara, Lauren, Holly, Wes, Elena, and the Denison’s daughter, Maggie. All, except Holly, who elected to stay on part-time until November, have returned to school now. Sometimes, CSA members who have bought “working shares” will be available to help pack the CSA boxes on Wednesdays. This is a special treat for us, as we get to meet some of the individuals who help to support the farm. And inevitably, these members come away with a new appreciation for the amount of work that goes into orchestrating CSA packing and distribution. Somehow, being part of that work, even for a day, lends a sense of accomplishment and meaning that enhances their share that week.

Today, there will be twelve of us, Brian, Rebeca, Eric R., Ben, Eric O., Bonnie, Julie, Fidelia, Errol, Walter, Tim and myself assembling in the barn to perform the myriad tasks associated with CSA packing. For many of us, it is a routine we know well, and we are, for the most part, efficient and accurate, all hands working at a pace and rhythm that resembles a colony of worker drones, each one performing a specific task and handing it off to the next in line. We are typically well synchronized and coordinated, but there is never a sense of boredom or drudgery. Our tasks, though menial in nature, are never relegated to the realm of the merely perfunctory, or subject to militaristic regimentation. Instead, we often crack jokes, tease and mildly harass one another, share stories and opinions, sing and dance, and otherwise keep the mood and our spirits light. While we are packing, I like to think about our interconnectedness with the plants and the earth, and the members whose bodies and minds we nourish. I like to think that we infuse the produce in each box with our spirits and this sense of interconnectedness, and that this infused essence is released upon cooking and consuming the contents.. A little “something extra” that we pack each Wednesday morning to be delivered to the CSA members of Denison Farm. (Eileen Hebert)

Have a great week – Justine

This week in your share, you will most likely find: Butternut Squash, Broccoli or Cauliflower, Mesclun or Lettuce, Tomatoes or Tomatillos, Chinese Cabbage or Broccoli Raab, Sweet Potatoes, Bunched Turnips or Red Onions, Scallions, and Cilantro or Parsley.

Chinese Cabbage/Broccoli Raab, Carrot and Broccoli/Cauliflower Stir-Fry

1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 1/2 teaspoon peanut oil

1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger

1/2 cup thinly sliced Chinese cabbage

1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots

1/2 cup broccoli florets, blanched and cut into small pieces

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1. Heat a skillet or wok large enough to accommodate all the ingredients over medium-high heat.

2. Add the garlic, peanut oil and ginger, and stir quickly for 30 seconds.

3. Raise the heat to medium-high/high. Add the cabbage, then the carrots, then the broccoli, stirring quickly after each addition. Season with pepper.

4. Add the soy sauce and cook until the vegetables are slightly tender.

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup (looks delicious, but I haven’t tried this – send me your comments)

1 butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped

1 yam or sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped

2 pears (bosc works well), cored and roughly chopped (not overly ripe)

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup coconut milk

6.5 cups vegetable broth

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 to 1 inch ginger root, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and pepper

1. Combine squash, sweet potato, cinnamon stick, and ginger in a soup pot. Add 6 cups vegetable broth (save 1/2 cup for later), bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

2. While vegetables are simmering in soup pot, cook onions in olive oil in a pan over medium heat - about 5 minutes or until caramelized.

3. Add chopped pears and 1/2 cup vegetable broth to onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until broth is reduced; then add pears and onions to soup pot..

4. When squash and sweet potatoes are tender (takes about 25 - 30 minutes), add coconut milk. Remove from heat and take out cinnamon stick.

5. Use a food processor, strong blender, or a hand-held blender to blend all ingredients together until smooth. If you use a food processor or blender, you may have to do this in batches.

6. Add sea salt and pepper, to taste..

Salsa de Tomate Verde (Green Salsa)

1-2 Jalapeno peppers

½- ¾ pound Tomatillos

1 -2 cloves Garlic

1 Tablespoon Vinegar

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup chopped Cilantro

1/3 cup chopped Onion

1 Avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed (optional)

Place the Jalapenos in a large saucepan of boiling water. After 5 minutes, add the tomatillos.

After about 3 minutes, remove the jalapenos and tomatillos and drain.

Puree the jalapenos, tomatillos, garlic, and vinegar in a blender.

Add the salt and cilantro and blend for 2 short cycles.

In a bowl, combine the puree, avocado, and onion.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Greetings CSA Members,
Oh my gosh - I would have given you all a heads up if I had known that you would be receiving tomatillos. If you want a good Salsa Verde recipe, go to our website:
www.denisonfarm.com
and click on recipes - scroll down to T and you will find a few recipes for tomatillos. My daughter Maggie says that you can just eat a tomatillo as you would an apple. I prefer to throw them into a stir-fry or make a sauce with them to marinate chicken.
Have fun - Justine