Welcome to the 18th week of the Pitchfork & Crow CSA!

Here’s what’s in the share:

• Baby Summer Squash
  
• Small Red Torpedo Onions
• Shishito Peppers – the sometimes hot peppers from Japan – best blistered with a little salt!
  
• Sweet Red Peppers –  lipstick and stocky red roasters again
  
• Potatoes – reds, whites, and purples this week!
  
• Slicing Cucumbers
  
• Kale – it’s ‘choose your own kale adventure’ this week.  Pick from Tuscan, Madeley, or Red Ursa
  
• Parsley
  
• Kohlrabi
• Tomatoes – a pint of cherries and an heirloom slicer
  
• Asian Pears
  

First off, I promise this is the week we’ll be getting back to everyone who e-mailed about the winter CSA program.  Rest assured that if you’re currently in the CSA and you’ve already e-mailed us about it, you’ll have a spot if you want one.  We appreciate your patience and the official details will be forthcoming.

Remember last week when I gave the rundown of all the projects we’re trying to find time for on the farm right now?  Harvesting the apples, pears, and plums.  Harvesting onions and potatoes.  Bringing in dry beans and flour corn.  Building a storage cooler.  Transplanting late sowings of lettuce and mustards.  We’re working on prioritizing and even made a dent in a few of those projects the week. Thinking about the week though, mostly I’m struck by the things we’re thankful for.

Here’s a list of our gratitudes from the past week:

• Electricity in the Barn – when the days get dark sooner, having indoor lights is a huge plus!
• Barn Space – sure it’s really just organized chaos, but having space for projects indoors is really nice.
• Fantastic Broccoli Planting – we’ve been tending what may be our best broccoli planting in years.  Big beautiful green leaves and minimal weeds!  It gives us proof that we can grow things, and a renewed hope for a field that didn’t seem so happy last year.
• Fruit! – The apples, pears, and plums are a huge reminder that life is sweet!
• Irrigation Pipe and a Dependable Well – having enough pipe has been a lifesaver for us this summer and every time we turn on the water we’re thankful for our well.
• Dependable Market Van – our $750 craigslist find has been super dependable for three seasons now!
• Salem Saturday Market – a solid showing this weekend and checking in with our community of eaters makes it worthwhile every time.
• Tomatoes – our tomatoes have been a little ignored this season, but most varieties are putting on a good amount of fruit like the champs that they are!
• Friends – need I say more?

We’ll feel a lot better once the majority of the storage crops are actually in storage, but we’re trying to take the time in the midst of the busyness to enjoy the work too.  As kids head back to school and schedules shift with extra-curriculars, we know you’re all getting a little busier too.  Hopefully you can take some time to enjoy good vegetables too!

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:

What’s your favorite kohlrabi recipe?  Here are some new ideas for the vegetable folks love to disregard!

Kohlrabi Kalan

Cook
2 noolkol (peel and cube) (aka kohlrabi)
½ tsp black pepper corn (ground or cracked)
½ tsp Turmeric
Salt to taste

Beat 2 cups sour curd and keep aside.

For the kalan gravy
1 cup fresh or frozen grated coconut
2-3 Green chillies (according to taste)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
Grind the above 3 ingredients to a fine paste and keep aside

For seasoning
2 tbsp oil (preferably coconut oil)
1 tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp methi seeds
1 dried red chilies (broken)
Curry leaves

Cook the cut vegetables in 2-3 cups of water in a saucepan along with turmeric powder, black pepper and salt, cook till the vegetables are done and water is evaporated. Make sure the vegetables are not overcooked and mushy. It should be ‘fork tender’, the vegetable is done. Stir in the sour curd to the cooked vegetables and let it simmer until very little yogurt remains as liquid. Now add the coconut-cumin-green chili paste to the above mixture and stir. Keep it on a low heat for 3-5 minutes. Do not let it boil or burn: remove it from the stove top.

Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat, add red chilli, mustard seeds, methi seeds and curry leaves. Allow mustard seeds to sputter and remove from heat. Pour the seasoning over the curry.

From Veggie Cookbook, http://veggiecookbook.wordpress.com/2007/05/04/noolkol-kohlrabi-kalan/

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KOHLRABI & APPLE SLAW with CREAMY COLESLAW DRESSING

DRESSING
1/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon good mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt & pepper to taste – go easy here
Fresh mint, chopped

1 pound fresh kohlrabi, trimmed, peeled, grated or cut into batons with a Benriner
2 apples, peeled, grated or cut into batons (try to keep equivalent volumes of kohlrabi:apple) (try this with Asian pears too)

Whisk cream into light pillows – this takes a minute or so, no need to get out a mixer. Stir in remaining dressing ingredients, the kohlrabi and apple. Serve immediately.

From A Veggie Venture, http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2008/02/kohlrabi-apple-slaw-with-creamy.html

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Quick Kohlrabi Pickles

2-4 small kohlrabi bulbs, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/2″ cubes

Good olive oil (optional)

Rice vinegar (not sweetened, available in Asian grocery stores and some well-stocked supermarkets.  If you don’t have rice vinegar, you could substitute something rather mellow – white wine or sherry vinegar, or even white vinegar with just a pinch of sugar added)

Kosher Salt

Fresh Black Pepper

Place the kohlrabi chunks in the bowl of a lidded, airtight container.  Drizzle with a touch of olive oil, a good splash of vinegar, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.  Replace the lid and shake well.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Place in fridge, shaking occasionally.  They are best after they have marinated for a few hours, and will last about a week, becoming more intensely flavored but still largely retaining their lovely texture.

From Restaurant Widow, http://www.restaurantwidow.com/2006/07/kohlrabi_and_wh.html