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.