Welcome to the 25th share of the Pitchfork & Crow CSA!  Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Parsnips
  
• Brussels Sprouts
  
• Popcorn – You can knock the kernels off the cob and into a paper bag and pop this in the microwave.  We’ve had fun watching them pop on the cob too!  Most often we’ll use these directions and pop it on the stovetop.
  
• Sunchokes – 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, but is thought to be a good alternative for diabetics looking to avoid starch.  Here’s a post about how one fellow CSA member learned to love the sunchoke.
  
• Broccoli Side Shoots
  
• Garlic
  
• Superschmelz Kohlrabi – This variety description says it all.
  
• Collards
• Onion
• Poblano Peppers
• Candystick Delicata Winter Squash
  

P&C Pork Combo Packs –  We didn’t sell all of the available pork last month, so now you’ve got a second chance to buy P&C pork, this time in smaller quantities!  We’ve put together two sizes of combo packs that include bacon, sausage, pork chops, and roasts.  Click here for all the details and send us an email at farmers@pitchforkandcrow.com if you’d like to buy a combo pack.

I came across a note yesterday where I had written “Nov. 5th – 10 hours of daylight”.  Given that it was the sixth of November, the scribbled message caught my eye.  What had I missed?  But quickly realized I hadn’t missed anything, it had just begun.  The winter gardening guru Eliot Coleman calls it the Persephone days, when the daylight drops below 10 hours a day and most plants stop actively growing.  There are variations on the story of Persephone, but she is definitely associated with the seasonal cycles of life and death.  These dark days are representative of her time in the underworld.  Quite a dramatic name for a phenomenon most of us don’t readily recognize.

The implications of days with less than 10 hours of daylight are clear when you’re striving to grow plants through the winter months of course.  For us November 5th marks the day we should have had our winter crops grown to the appropriate overwintering stage.  The winter radishes and cabbages should be fully grown, the overwintering cauliflower should be large enough to fully mature come spring but not so large that the plants succumb to the winter weather ahead.  It’s amazing what we can grow through the winter months here in our generally mild climate.  Given a little forethought and the right varieties for cold weather growing, we can eat locally and seasonally right through the Persephone days.

Enjoy the vegetables and we’ll see you next week!

Your farmers,
Carri Heisler and Jeff Bramlett

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Citrus Collards with Raisins Redux

Coarse sea salt
2 large bunches collard greens, ribs removed, cut into a Chiffonade, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

In a large pot over high heat, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoons salt. Add the collards and cook, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened. Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water to cool the collards.

Remove the collards from the heat, drain, and plunge them into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking and set the color of the greens. Drain by gently pressing the greens against a colander.

In a medium-size sauté pan, combine the olive oil and the garlic and raise the heat to medium. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the collards, raisins, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add orange juice and cook for an additional 15 seconds. Do not overcook (collards should be bright green). Season with additional salt to taste if needed and serve immediately. (This also makes a tasty filling for quesadillas.)

From Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine, Bryant Terry

Also available here: http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/recipes/sides_citrus_collards.shtml

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Parsnip Puree with Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

• 3 pounds parsnips, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3/4 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 10 ounces Brussels sprouts
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons water

Cook parsnips in a 5-to 6-quart pot of boiling water with 1 tablespoon salt, covered, until very tender, 15 to 20 minutes, then drain.

Purée hot parsnips with butter, milk, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt, then transfer to a serving dish and keep warm, covered.

Meanwhile, remove and reserve all but smallest leaves from Brussels sprouts, trimming stem ends as necessary.

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook leaves, tossing occasionally, until browned in patches, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water and cook, tossing, until leaves are slightly wilted and water has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and scatter leaves over parsnip purée.

From Epicurous via Gourmet by Shelley Wiseman, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/parsnip-puree-with-sauteed-brussels-sprouts-leaves-350640

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Shaved Kohlrabi with Apple and Hazelnuts

• 1/2 cup blanched hazelnuts
• 2 medium kohlrabi (about 2 pounds total), peeled, thinly sliced on a mandoline
• 1 tart apple (such as Pink Lady or Crispin), peeled, cored, thinly sliced on a mandoline
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup torn fresh mint leaves, plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces Pecorino di Fossa or Parmesan, shaved (about 1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.

Toss kohlrabi, apple, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vinegar in a medium bowl; season with salt. Add 1/2 cup mint and gently toss to just combine.

Toss toasted hazelnuts and oil in a small bowl to coat; season with salt.

Divide kohlrabi salad among plates and top with seasoned hazelnuts, Pecorino, and more mint.

DO AHEAD: Hazelnuts can be toasted 1 day ahead; store airtight at room temperature.

From Epicurous via Bon Appétit by Ignacio Mattos, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/shaved-kohlrabi-with-apple-and-hazelnuts-51214700

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