Welcome to the 10th week of the Pitchfork & Crow Winter CSA! Here’s what’s in the share:

• Arugula
  
• Garlic
  
• Leeks
  
• Salad Mix
• French Breakfast Radishes
  
• Red Ursa Kale
  
• Cauliflower
• Collard Rapini – Like the purple sprouting broccoli, you can eat the stems, leaves, and florets of the rapini.  Collard rapini is our very favorite!  Check out the P&C CSA Member Facebook group if you’re looking for some rapini inspiration.
  
• Sunchokes (aka Jerusalem Artichokes) – These are roots of a sunflower variety.  We enjoy them shredded and sauteed but they’re good raw, roasted, and in soups too.  Please note that they contain high levels of the carbohydrate inulin, which is difficult for some folks to digest.
  
• Spinach
  
• Spring Onions
  
• Purple Sprouting Broccoli – Eat the florets, eat the leaves, eat the stems, eat it up yum!

The farm has burst into blossom this past week or so.  The pears, apples and lone cherry tree are all blooming.  It sure feels like spring here!  Although the return of the more typical rainy spring weather patterns has us antsy and constantly checking the weather for the next window of dry days, the flowering fruit trees can’t help but make us smile.

The fruit trees aren’t alone in their flowering quest.  Many of the overwintering vegetables have decided it’s time to go to seed, including the collard rapini in this week’s share!  The photo above is of a kale seed crop we’re currently growing for our friends at Adaptive Seeds.

Deciding to grow a Brassica seed crop like kale means signing up for major rapini management to avoid crossing pollination.  For instance the kale crop we’re growing will cross with some other kales, cabbages, collards, and broccoli, all of which are also in various stages of flowering.  We love to eat the rapini from these plants and hate to mow them when they’re at the height of tastiness.  We try to visit the Brassica patch each day to cut back any potential flowering stems that might contaminate the kale seed purity.  It’s worth the effort for a good seed crop and we hope you think the rapini is worth the effort too!

This past weekend we made some minor improvements to our “Chicken Courier” and brought home 30 chicks to re-start our layer flock.  There’s a mix of Golden Laced Wyandotte and Ameraucanas for those who are curious about chicken breeds.  They won’t begin laying for some time, but it’s fun to have chickens on the farm again.  We began with backyard chickens back in 2006 and had chickens of varying numbers ever since until the past fall when we made the decision to start over with a new flock because they were eating their eggs.  We’re looking forward to having fresh eggs available again!

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:

Steak Salad with Horseradish Dressing

Horseradish dressing:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Steak salad:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1-pound rib-eye, flank, or skirt steak
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 12 ounces fingerling potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 English hothouse cucumber, thinly sliced
• 6 radishes, cut into thin wedges
• 2 cups greens (such as arugula or torn Bibb lettuce leaves)
• Pickled Red Onions

For horseradish dressing:
Whisk sour cream, horseradish, chives, honey, and vinegar in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

For steak salad:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat. Season steak with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until cooked to desired doneness, 5-8 minutes per side for medium-rare rib eye, about 4 minutes per side for flank steak, or 3 minutes per side for skirt steak. Transfer meat to a plate and let rest for 10 minutes.

While steak rests, wipe out skillet and heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, season with salt, and cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 8-10 minutes.

Slice steak and serve with horseradish dressing, potatoes, cucumber, radishes, greens, and Pickled Red Onions.

From Epicurious via Bon Appétit, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/steak-salad-with-horseradish-dressing-51149200

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Jerusalem Artichoke and Arugula Salad with Parmesan

• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 pound Jerusalem artichokes, trimmed, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 5-ounce bag arugula
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved

Whisk orange juice, vinegar, and mustard in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Combine Jerusalem artichokes, arugula, and Parmesan in large bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat. Divide among 6 plates and serve.

Test-kitchen tip: Because Jerusalem artichokes discolor quickly, peel and slice them just before serving.

 From Epicurious via Bon Appétit, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/jerusalem-artichoke-and-arugula-salad-with-parmesan-230920

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Fettucine Carbonara with Fried Eggs

• 8 large eggs
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta (Italian bacon), finely chopped
• 12 ounces egg fettuccine
• 1 medium bunch broccoli rabe rapini),* cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Whisk 4 eggs, both cheeses, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl; set aside. Cook pancetta in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to small bowl. Reserve skillet with drippings.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender (about 3 minutes less than package directions); add broccoli rabe. Cook just until broccoli rabe is crisptender and pasta is tender, about 3 minutes longer. Drain pasta-broccoli rabe mixture, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Return hot pasta-broccoli rabe mixture to pot (off heat). Immediately add egg-cheese mixture, pancetta, and 1/4 cup hot cooking liquid; toss to combine, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls to moisten as needed. Season to taste with salt and more pepper, if desired. Cover to keep warm.

Heat skillet with drippings over medium heat. Crack remaining 4 eggs into skillet; sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until whites are opaque, about 2 minutes. Carefully turn eggs over; cook just until whites are set but yolks are still soft, about 1 minute longer. Remove from heat. Top pasta with eggs and serve.

* A vegetable with clusters of tiny broccoli-like florets; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

From Epicurious via Bon Appétit, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/fettucine-carbonara-with-fried-eggs-351015

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