Welcome to the 21^st week of the Pitchfork & Crow CSA!

Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes
• Artichokes
• Broccoli
• Potatoes – German Butterball
• Carrots
• Radishes
• Rutabaga
• Sweet Peppers
• Salad Mix
• Garlic
• Delicata Squash
• Bonus: Flowers – sunchoke flowers, zinnias, and thai basil

At last week’s pick-up several folks asked how many weeks we had left in the CSA season, thinking it might be over at the end of October.  To remind everyone, this is week 21 of 27 weeks in this year’s CSA season, so we’ve still got a month and a half in front of us.  We’ll be seeing you each Tuesday through the week of Thanksgiving in November for CSA pick-ups.

This week we bring you the first of the fall vegetables.  Rutabagas and winter squash are both making their first appearance of the season.  We love the hearty vegetables of this season and hope you appreciate them as well.  The unpredictable weather outside suggests to us that it’s time for more indoor time accompanied by oven roasted roots and long-simmered soups and stews.  Fortunately this week the tomatoes and peppers are still available for adding a little extra something to those heartier meals.

We’re also including a bouquet of mixed flowers this week.  We topped our sunchokes (aka Jerusalem artichokes) in an effort to get the plants to focus on the edible tubers underground.  Rather than waste the fun sunflowery stems, we decided to pass them on for you to enjoy.  Most of these bouquets also include some thai basil and zinnia blooms, both of which are edible if you’re feeling adventurous.

As Halloween approaches at the end of the month, we’d like to invite everyone out to the farm for the final on-farm event of the season on Sunday, October 16^th.  The pumpkins are mostly orange and we welcome you to come choose your jack-o-lanterns from our pumpkin patch!  We’ve included event details in the weekly e-mail, but be sure to let us know if you need further information or have any questions.

Enjoy this week’s vegetables!

Your farmers,

Jeff Bramlett and Carri Heisler

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Pork and Root Vegetables Burritos with Chili Colorado

Sauce

• 3 ounces dried ancho chilies* (about 6 large), stemmed, seeded
• 2 pounds red bell peppers

• 2/3 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño chilies
• 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• *available at Latin American markets and some supermarkets.

Filling

• 2 1-pound pork butt strips
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled russet potatoes
• 2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled rutabagas
• 2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled banana squash

• 8 10-inch-diameter flour tortillas
• 8 tablespoons chopped cilantro

For sauce:
Place ancho chilies in bowl. Cover with hot water; let stand until soft, about 1 hour. Drain. Coarsely chop chilies. Char bell peppers over flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Wrap in paper bag. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed and quarter peppers.

Puree ancho chilies, bell peppers, chicken broth, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño chilies, balsamic vinegar and cumin in processor. Season with salt and pepper.

For filling:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Cover pot; place in oven and roast pork until tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool pork; chop coarsely. (Sauce and pork can be made 1 day ahead. Chill.)

Melt butter with 2 tablespoons oil in another heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add potatoes and sauté until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in rutabagas and squash. Cover pot; reduce heat to medium-low and cook until all vegetables are tender, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes. Season filling to taste with salt and pepper.

Butter large baking pan. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 flour tortilla to skillet and cook until beginning to brown, about 45 seconds per side. Transfer to plate. Spoon 1/2 cup pork in 4-inch-long log down center of tortilla. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce over pork. Top pork with 1/3 cup vegetable mixture. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce over vegetables. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cilantro. Fold tortilla sides over filling, then roll up to enclose completely. Place seam side down in prepared baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Cover with foil. (Burritos can be prepared 6 hours ahead; refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake burritos (covered) until hot, about 30 minutes. Serve burritos with remaining sauce.

From Epicurious.com via Bon Appetit, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pork-and-Root-Vegetables-Burritos-with-Chili-Colorado-2456

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Mashed Potatoes with Rutabagas and Buttermilk

• 1 1/2 pounds rutabagas, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 3/4 cup (or more) buttermilk

• Chopped green onion tops or chives

Cook rutabagas in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 20 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer rutabagas to strainer. Press gently to release any excess liquid.

Add potatoes to same pot of boiling water; cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well. Return potatoes and rutabagas to same pot. Add butter; mash well. Add 3/4 cup buttermilk; mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Stir over low heat to rewarm, adding more buttermilk by tablespoonfuls, if desired.)

Transfer potatoes to bowl. Sprinkle with green onions and serve.

From Epicurious.com via Bon Appetit, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mashed-Potatoes-with-Rutabagas-and-Buttermilk-15635

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Carrots and Rutabaga with Lemon and Honey

• 1 1/4 pounds rutabagas, peeled, cut into matchstick-size strips
• 1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into matchstick-size strips

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

Cook rutabagas in large pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes. Add carrots and cook until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Drain.

Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add lemon juice, honey, and peel. Bring to boil. Add vegetables; cook until glazed, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Mix in fresh chives.

From epicuious.com via Bon Appétit, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Carrots-and-Rutabagas-with-Lemon-and-Honey-105812