Welcome to the 1st week of the Pitchfork & Crow Winter CSA!

Here’s what’s in the share:

• German Butterball Potatoes
  
• Spinach
  
• Broccoli
  
• Yellow Carrots
  
• Leeks
• Lacinato Kale – kale chips anyone?
  
• Butternut Winter Squash
  
• Dried Apple Slices – We grew ’em and then we dried ’em!
  

Welcome to the first week of the Winter CSA!  Let’s get started on this winter vegetable adventure!  Actually, you’ll notice that the share looks awfully similar to the last few weeks of the Summer CSA.  Things haven’t changed much in the last week as far as what veggies are ready here at the farm, but we do anticipate a big shift by the time we get to the end in early May.  Hopefully you’ve all signed on for the Winter share because you’re enthusiastic about winter veggies, like roots and greens, and you’re ready to dive into eating seasonally year-round.  Let’s see where the next six months of local, seasonal food takes us!

In addition to harvesting winter veggies we’ve got a lot of on-farm projects lined up for our winter season.  First on our list is a new greenhouse, which Jeff ordered just today!  It should arrive in a couple of weeks and then the construction begins.  In the meantime we need to decide just where it should live and begin prepping the site.

We also still have plenty of cleaning up from the past year, such as deconstructing tomato and pole bean trellising.  Big winter projects we hope to get through include thinning and pruning the orchards and removing the 2 acres of unproductive berries.  We’re looking forward to being able to maintain more ground efficiently and to have more open space for crop rotations.  Of course we have some fun projects on the list too.  This past weekend Jeff built a market basket storage trolley!  It’s space-saving, practical, and well, fun.

We’re glad to have you 17 intrepid shareholders (some of you are sharing so we’ve actually got 21 intrepid families!) along for this inaugural winter season!  We can’t tell you how much we appreciate your support!

Enjoy the vegetables and we’ll see you in two weeks!

Your farmers,

Jeff Bramlett and Carri Heisler

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Kale Chips

1 large bunch of kale (or 2 small bunches in my case)
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
~ Kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Wash the kale thoroughly and pat completely dry with towels or in a salad spinner. Tear the kale into bite sized pieces, leaving out the inner stalk.
3. In a small bowl mix together the oil, vinegar, and a few dashes of salt. Pour the oil mixture over the kale and using your hands or a pair of tongs, toss gently to combine.
4. Spread the kale onto the baking sheet in a single layer. It may be necessary to do this in several batches. Sprinkle the kale with a bit more salt.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, turning once about halfway through.

From Culinate, via Katie Hickey, http://www.culinate.com/user/Katie+Hickey/recipes/sides_and_salads/kale_chips

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Kale and Potato Frittata

3 cups coarsely chopped kale (remove ribs), about ½ bunch
½ lb. potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 small onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
9 to 10 eggs
¼ cup grated Pecorino cheese
3 Tbsp. olive oil
~ salt
~ pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Beat eggs and cheese in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium. Add onions and potatoes. Cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes begin to brown and are just cooked through. Add garlic, saute briefly. Begin adding kale, a cup at a time. Stir, let the kale wilt, then add the next cup. Cook until all the kale is wilted and is a bright green.
4. Turn off heat, add salt and pepper to taste. Add eggs, turn heat back on to medium. As the eggs begin to set, use a spatula to lift up the mixture around the edges of the pan and allow the eggs to flow underneath. Cook until the eggs set on the edges but the middle is still runny. Place skillet in oven and bake until the frittata is slightly browned and puffy, about 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let cool for five minutes. Carefully slide frittata onto a serving plate. If the frittata is sticking to the skillet just serve from the skillet. The skillet will be hot so use an oven mitt or potholder.

From Culinate, via Hillsdale Farmers’ Market, http://www.culinate.com/market/hfm/recipes/recipes_by_season/kale_and_potato_frittata

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Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Nutmeg

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter (½ stick)
1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
1 butternut squash (3 lbs), peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes (about 6 cups)
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium cooking apples, such as Northern Spy or Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 small Yukon Gold or other all-purpose potato, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp. (scant) ground nutmeg
~ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream (optional)

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the squash, carrots, apples, potato, bay leaf, nutmeg, 4 teaspoons salt, and a scant ¼ teaspoon pepper, as well as 6 cups of water. (The water should be at least 1 inch or so above the vegetables; if not, add more.) Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the carrots are fall-apart tender.
2. Remove the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, a food processor fitted with a metal chopping blade, or a regular blender, purée the soup until smooth, working in batches if necessary. If you cooked the soup long enough, there will be no need to strain it. If not using the cream, adjust the seasoning and serve. If using cream, stir in the cream and bring the soup back up to a simmer. Cook for a couple of minutes. Adjust the seasoning (you’ll need another teaspoon or so of salt and more pepper) and serve.

Notes:

Advance Prep: The soup can be made a day or two in advance, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. If made with cream, a skin may form on top as it reheats. Simply stir it back into the pot.

Leftovers: Made without cream, the soup will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator; made with cream, it will last for one week. The soup can also be frozen for up to four months.

From: Culinate, via Kitchen Sense by Mitchell Davis, http://www.culinate.com/content/2606/Butternut+Squash+Soup+with+Apple+and+Nutmeg