winter csa share – week 1 {december 5}

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

Here’s what’s in the share:

Garlic
Leeks
Carrots + bonus Parsnips – Our parsnips didn’t germinate well but we were able to eek out enough for a taste!
Green Cabbage – rescued from the frozen field, we’ve got our fingers crossed that these won’t be the last of this season’s cabbage…
Mountain Rose Potatoes – Red on the outside, red on the inside! good mashed, baked, or fried
Sugarloaf Chicory – the sweetest of the sometimes bitter chicories we’ve found, eat it raw dressed in a salad or braised to tone down the bitter
Jimmy Nardellos Sweet Peppers – We’re nearing the end of our stash of peppers, so enjoy them while you can!
Acorn Winter Squash
Dried Apples – We grew them, we dried them, we hope you like them!

harvest light

Welcome to the first share of the 2013/2014 Winter CSA! We’re excited you chose to join us for the next 5+ months of seasonal vegetables. Most of you are continuing on from the summer CSA but we do have a handful of new folks joining us for the first time. We’re looking forward to the season ahead and hope you are as well.

Earlier this week we sent out a reminder email to all Winter CSA members. We included a list of important dates for the upcoming season including the every other week Thursday pick-up dates. Please be sure to add those dates to your calendar for future reference and be sure to let us know if you didn’t receive the reminder email.

Not sure where to meet us? There’s a map and directions on the Winter CSA page!

early harvest

As we begin the Winter CSA season we’re well aware of the winter weather taking hold of the region this week. We’ve been doing a little extra harvesting, but our cooler space is limited this early in the season. We’re hoping the cold temperatures won’t damage too many crops in the field. Needless to say, we’d prefer to have a little better weather for the start of this season.

We hope you’re all staying safe and warm during these cold nights. It looks like this weather is here to stay a little longer. Let’s hope we’re all a little warmer next time we meet.

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

Your farmers,
Jeff Bramlett and Carri Heisler
.

Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Roasted Cabbage with Bacon

1 large head green cabbage, outer leaves removed
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices thick bacon

Heat the oven to 450°F. Cut the cabbage into quarters and slice the bottom of each quarter at an angle to remove the stem core. Cut each quarter in half again so you have eight wedges. Lay these down on a large roasting pan or baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Cut each slice of bacon into small strips and lay on top of the cabbage.

Roast for 30 minutes, flipping the cabbage wedges once halfway through. If the edges aren’t browned enough for your taste after 30 minutes, put them back in for five-minute increments until they are.

Serve immediately; the wedges cool down fast.

From The Kitchn, via Faith Durand http://www.thekitchn.com/easy-winter-recipe-roasted-cab-105338

Acorn Squash Enchilada Sauce

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

If autumn were an enchilada sauce, it would taste like this. Feel free to substitute another fall squash in place of the acorn squash.

Ingredients

3/4 c. roasted acorn squash, pureed

1/2 c. chicken stock or vegetable broth

2 tbsp. greek yogurt or sour cream

2 tbsp. sweet onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. vinegar

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. cilantro, dried

1/2 tsp. sea salt

2-3 jalepeno sliced, jarred

1 clove garlic

Instructions

Add ingredients to a high-powered blender or food processor.
Process until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Add a tablespoon more of stock at a time to thin sauce if necessary.
Pour over enchiladas. (I stuffed these with sautéed onions, kale, black beans, monterey jack, and rotisserie chicken.)

Notes

• Need acorn squash roasting instructions? Try this method and reduce roasting time to 30-40 minutes.

• If you happen to have any leftover sauce, it’s great poured over a quinoa or rice bowl.

From The Faux Martha, http://www.thefauxmartha.com/2013/11/13/acorn-squash-enchilada-sauce/

Cider Glazed Roasted Root Vegetable Stew

1 Cup Yukon Potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 Cup Parsnips, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 Cup Carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 Large Leek, cleaned thoroughly and sliced thinly into half-moons
1 Cup Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 Cup Rutabagas, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 Head of Garlic
1 Cup Apple Cider
3 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter, unsalted
4 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock, or Water
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tablespoon Fresh Chopped Thyme
1 Tablespoon Fresh Chopped Sage
Salt and Pepper, to taste

*Also throw in winter squash, Brussels sprouts, or other such veggies you have lurking about.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the top third of the head of garlic. Sprinkle a little oil on top of the exposed cut and loosely wrap the garlic in foil. Place garlic in oven to roast.

In a large bowl, toss the potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and rutabagas with 3 tablespoons of oil. Spread the vegetables evenly onto a cookie sheet and place in oven. Roast for approximately 15 minutes.

In a large, heavy pot, melt the butter. Add the leeks and saute for about 3 minutes. Add the roasted root vegetables and apple cider. Continue to cook until cider has reduced by half.

Add the stock or water, thyme, bay leaves, and sage. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for another 10 minutes.

Remove garlic from oven. Garlic should be soft and aromatic. Squeeze the garlic from the bulbs into a small bowl. Mash the garlic well with a fork. Stir the roasted garlic into the stew.

Season stew with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

From About.com via Brett Moore, http://gourmetfood.about.com/od/appetizers/r/roastvegstew.htm