Summer CSA Share – #26

Welcome to the 26th share of the Pitchfork & Crow CSA!  Here’s what’s in the share this week:

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.

Somehow we’ve made it to the penultimate share of the season, and of the farm.  Just one more share to harvest and distribute before we end the CSA chapter of Pitchfork & Crow.  Admittedly it’s bittersweet, all these endings.  I’ve been trying to be “present” and “in the moment” for these final days in this work.  Although I still do not know what the future holds next, I know it could never be as fulfilling and tiring and all-consuming as farming has been.

This week’s stormy weather has felt like the perfect accompaniment to this time on the farm.  Gorgeous sunshine one minute, dark rain clouds the next, and gusts of wind that could knock you over.  As the winter looms ahead with its long dark nights and unpredictable weather, this feels like the right time to be wrapping up loose ends and hunkering down for a bit as we contemplate what’s next.

As we plan for the final share, we want to make sure you know we’re offering up custom bulk harvests.  Need more squash for the winter months?  Looking for vegetables for your Thanksgiving meal?  Click here to check out the details.  We’ll have orders at next week’s CSA pick-up and local Lebanon folks will need to pick-up at the farm.  Please note that orders must be emailed to us by Sunday Nov. 19th.

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

Your farmers,
Carri Heisler and Jeff Bramlett

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Very Versatile Baked Beans with Cabbage

  • 1 pound dried medium or large beans, soaked at least 4 hours in plenty of water, drained
  • 11 garlic cloves, 5 smashed, 6 sliced
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 medium white onions, thinly sliced, or a combination of onions and fennel bulbs (about 3 cups)
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 medium head savoy cabbage, cored, cubed (about 8 cups)
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
  • 1 bunch parsley, dill, or cilantro, finely chopped

Cover beans, smashed garlic, and bay leaves with about 1″ water in a large pot. Add 3 Tbsp. oil. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and bring to a simmer. Cover pot partially and cook, adding more hot water as needed to keep beans covered, until beans are nearly done. Add large pinches of salt to taste toward end of cook time, which will vary depending on the bean; start tasting after about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cover.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat remaining 3 Tbsp. oil in a Dutch oven or large ovenproof dish over medium-high. Add onions, red pepper, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are reduced and beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add sliced garlic and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Add wine and cook until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add cabbage and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, crushing with a wooden spoon or cutting with scissors into coarse chunks. Add beans and their liquid, then cover with water until beans and vegetables are just submerged; season to taste with salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.

Bake beans 1 hour and 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until liquid is slightly reduced and beans are completely tender, 15–30 minutes more. Let cool slightly to thicken, then stir in parsley just before serving.

From Epicurous by Lukas Volger, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/very-versatile-baked-beans-with-cabbage

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Winter Squash Mash

  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 2 3/4- to 3-pound kabocha squash, halved crosswise, seeded
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil inside each kabocha squash half and brush to coat. Place squash halves, cut side down, on prepared baking sheet. Roast until squash is very tender when pierced with knife, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool slightly. Scoop out squash flesh into bowl and mash until almost smooth.

Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and stir 1 minute. Add butter mixture and 1 cup broth to squash and mash until smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Add more broth if desired and rewarm in microwave before continuing.)

Stir 2 tablespoons parsley into squash. Sprinkle squash with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and serve.

From Epicurous via Bon Appétit, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/winter-squash-mash-230946

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Seared Rainbow Chard with Leeks

  • 2 (1-lb) bunches rainbow chard or red and green Swiss chard
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Cut stems from chard (if leaves are large, cut out coarse portions of rib), then cut stems crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Stack chard leaves and roll into cylinders. Cut cylinders crosswise to make 1-inch-thick strips of leaves.

Heat butter and oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté chard stems and leeks with sea salt and pepper to taste, stirring occasionally, until slightly soft, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add chard leaves and continue to sauté, stirring frequently, until wilted. (If greens begin to brown before they wilt, sprinkle with a few drops of water.)

From Epicurous via Gourmet, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/seared-rainbow-chard-with-leeks-103721

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