Welcome to the 2nd share of the Pitchfork & Crow Winter CSA!  Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Napa Cabbage
  
• Magic Molly Purple Potatoes
  
• Mustard Greens
  
• Rutabaga
  
• Spinach and Tatsoi Mix – Mostly mixed varieties of spinach, with a little tatsoi thrown in for fun.  You can eat this mix raw as a salad or saute it up.
• Parsley
• Red Onions
  
• White Russian Garlic – We didn’t grow a garlic crop in 2018 but we did plant garlic this fall to be harvested in 2019.  This garlic is some of the leftover heads I purchased from Vermont Valley Community Farm in Wisconsin as seed stock for planting, but you can use it for cooking.  Yum!
  
• Winter Squash Mix – Choose from Festival Acorn Squash, Gill’s Golden Pippin Acorn Squash, and Candystick Delicata Squash
  
• Dried Plums – Italian prune plums from the farm, dried into a delicious candy-like treat!
  

It’s been a bit of a whirlwind of moving into the new house, hosting family for Christmas, moving the rest of our stuff into the new house, and crop planning here on the farm since we last met.  We’re feeling extremely lucky to get to live in this new house.  After six years of barn living we were certainly ready for some natural light, regular heating, and flush toilets.  I’m mentioning this house stuff because getting a house on this farm would not have been possible without you!  I want you all to know that we very much appreciate your ongoing support as we’ve worked toward this goal.  As we shift our focus to the future and new goals, we hope you’ll stick around to see what’s next for this little farm.

This past weekend we hunkered down for a big 2019 crop planning session.  Did you catch that “we”?  After a year off the farm Jeff’s decided to return to the farm full-time.  We’re getting the team back together for the 10th P&C CSA season.  Just like the farm needs member support, we’ve decided it also needs Jeff at this point.  This is an exciting shift for us, though we’re making this choice knowing there’s always a possibility to make changes again in the future.  We’re making plans for a strong CSA season with some exciting additions that we’ll hopefully announce in the coming months.

Look out for 2019 CSA sign-ups coming at you in the next couple of weeks as we solidify our plans and get the website updated.

This was the first harvest with a new home base.  It was pretty great to have the barn for washing, packing, and storage and then head into the house for a quick lunch, with the raingear and mud left outside on the porch of course.  A little work/home separation!  The evening walking “commute” from the barn to the house was fun too.  This new house is such a cozy little insulated pod and that smoke from the wood stove was awfully inviting.

We’ll be finishing up the farm plan soon, and the 2019 growing season will be underway before we know it.  For now, let’s enjoy the winter vegetables on deck this week.

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

Your farmers,
Carri Heisler and Jeff Bramlett

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Beef and Napa Cabbage Stir-Fry

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (not seasoned)
• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 pound flank steak
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 (1-inch) piece peeled ginger, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 pound Napa cabbage, leaves and stems separated if desired, then cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• Equipment: a well-seasoned 14-inch flat-bottomed wok
• Garnish: chopped scallion

Stir together soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, and cornstarch.

Pat steak dry, then halve lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates immediately. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, swirling to coat, then stir-fry garlic and ginger until golden and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef, quickly spreading pieces in 1 layer on bottom and sides of wok. Cook, undisturbed, 2 minutes, then stir-fry until meat is just browned but still pink in center, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl.

Wipe wok clean, then swirl in remaining tablespoon oil and stir-fry cabbage stems over high heat until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add cabbage leaves and beef with juices, then stir soy mixture and add. Stir-fry until sauce is simmering and slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Discard ginger if desired; season with salt.

From Epicurious.com via Gourmet by Andrea Albin, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/beef-and-napa-cabbage-stir-fry-240958

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Lemon-Paprika Tilapia with Potato-Rutabaga Mash

• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 1-pound rutabaga, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided
• 1/3 cup whole milk, warmed
• 1 to 1 1/4 pounds tilapia fillets
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

Place potatoes and rutabaga in medium saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches; sprinkle generously with salt. Boil until vegetables are tender, about 18 minutes. Drain; return vegetables to pot. Stir over medium heat 1 minute to dry out slightly. Add 4 tablespoons butter; mash to coarse puree. Stir in warm milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle tilapia fillets with salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon paprika. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish and cook until just opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side.

Divide potato-rutabaga mash among plates. Place fish alongside mash.

Add shallots to skillet and sauté until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add white wine and boil until reduced by about half, about 3 minutes. Add parsley, whipping cream, lemon peel, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika; stir until thickened to sauce consistency, about 1 minute. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over fish and potato-rutabaga mash.

From Epicurious.com via Bon Appétit, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/lemon-paprika-tilapia-with-potato-rutabaga-mash-351534

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Roasted Acorn and Delicata Squash Salad

• 1 medium acorn squash (1 1/2 lb), quartered lengthwise, seeded, cut into 1/3″ slices
• 1 medium delicata squash (1 lb), halved lengthwise, seeded, cut into 1/3″ slices
• 2 tbsp plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tsp unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup cooked wheat berries, drained, cooled
• 2 oz small red or green mustard leaves (about 4 cups, loosely packed)
• 2 oz arugula leaves (about 4 cups, loosely packed)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red pearl onions or shallots
• 4 oz aged goat cheese, rind removed, shaved
• 1/4 cup Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Preheat oven to 400°. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Place acorn squash slices on 1 tray and sliced delicata on the other. Toss each with 1 Tbsp oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper.

Place in oven and roast for 30 minutes; flip squash, rotate the trays, and roast for another 10-15 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Whisk vinegar, 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl; stir in wheat berries.

Spread half of greens over a serving platter or bottom of a wide bowl, then add half of acorn squash, delicata squash, pearl onions, goat cheese, and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle with half of dressing; repeat with remaining ingredients and dressing. Toss lightly; serve immediately.

From Epicurious.com via At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen by Amy Chaplin, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/roasted-acorn-and-delicata-squash-salad-51256520

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