Welcome to the 22nd share of the Pitchfork & Crow Summer CSA!  Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Arugula
• Radishes
• Celery
• Leeks
• Cylindra Beets
• Broccoli
• More Broccoli or Cauliflower
• Mixed Sweet Peppers
• Bulgarian Carrot Hot Peppers – Hot, but citrusy, I hear.
• Farm Apples
• Candystick Dessert Delicata Winter Squash – So sweet dessert is in its name!
• Green Tomatoes – The traditional “end-of-summer, clear out the house, see you next year, tomato season is over” treat. Check out the recipe below for Fried Green Tomatoes and maybe re-visit the recipe Chris. A. shared recently in the CSA member Facebook group for fermented green tomatoes and hot peppers. Need more inspiration? Check out the Kitchn for more recipes.

We’ve made it to the final month of the Summer CSA season. We’ve got just four weeks left until we wrap up the 2019 season, celebrate Thanksgiving, and turn our attention fully to the upcoming Winter CSA season. Where did the last five months go? For us it’s been a whirlwind of field work and vegetables and we’re looking forward to the slower pace of the months ahead.

The early fall (nearly winter temps this week!) has resulted in a solid shift away from summer vegetables. We’re saying goodbye to tomato season this week after already leaving behind the summer squash and cucumbers weeks ago. The next month will be filled with all the fall goodness including tasty roots and hardy greens and more winter squash varieties. It’s been a good CSA season for seasonal eating. Hopefully you’ve been enjoying the seasonal variety as we’ve gone from springier shares back in June through all the summer fruits and now shifting to hardier fall fare.

After a couple of months of hunkering down here on the farm and getting through some of the bigger fall harvest tasks I was ready for a hiking adventure. This past week we took an entire day off and headed to the Mt. Washington Wilderness for a lovely walk through the woods. It’s always good to be reminded that there are wild places out there where rodents don’t have to be trapped because they’re eating your celeriac and slugs don’t have to be killed for ravaging the radishes.

The week ahead on the farm will include more bulk harvest of storage crops. After finishing up the potato harvest this weekend we’re looking at apples, beets, celeriac, all of which need to find their way into the walk-in cooler. There’s also some weeding in high tunnels, and now that we’ve officially closed tomato season it’s time to clear out the tomato tunnel. Maybe we’ll even sneak in another day off given this gorgeous weather.

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:

Fried Green Tomatoes

• 4 large, firm green tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup finely ground cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon paprika or pimentón (a Spanish smoked paprika, available at latienda.com)
• 2 eggs
• Vegetable oil

1. Sprinkle the tomato slices with the salt and pepper; set aside.
2. Combine the cornmeal and paprika in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs.
3. Cover the bottom of a heavy skillet with 1/2 inch of oil, then place it over medium-high heat.
4. Coat the tomato slices in the egg, then dredge them in the cornmeal mixture.
5. Fry as many tomatoes as fit comfortably in the pan until nicely browned, about 2 minutes a side.
6. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined platter. Repeat until all the tomatoes are cooked.

From Epicurious.com via Cookie by Victoria Granof, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/fried-green-tomatoes-242647

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Chestnut, Leek, and Apple Stuffing

• 6 cups (1/2-inch) white bread cubes (preferably from a pullman loaf; crust discarded)
• 3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups)
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 celery ribs, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 cups bottled peeled roasted chestnuts (14 to 16 ounces), halved
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.

Bake bread cubes in a large 4-sided sheet pan in upper third of oven until dried slightly, about 15 minutes. (Alternatively, leave out to dry at room temperature 8 to 24 hours.)

Increase oven temperature to 450°F.

Meanwhile, wash leeks.

Melt butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, then cook leeks and celery, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add thyme, apples, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until apples are just tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with bread, chestnuts, cream, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread in a 2 1/2-to 3-quart shallow baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, in lower third of oven until heated through and top is golden, about 30 minutes.

From Epicurious.com via Gourmet by Shelley Wiseman, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chestnut-leek-and-apple-stuffing-350592

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Roasted Beets with Walnut Gorgonzola Dressing

• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds beets, trimmed and halved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bunch arugula, well washed and torn apart

For the Walnut Gorgonzola Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/4 cup light or heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

To roast the beets: Place the beets, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a roasting pan and cook until the beets are tender, about 40 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins and slice the beets.

Place the beets in a medium-sized mixing bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

To make the Walnut Gorgonzola Dressing: Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and, when it is hot, add the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the walnuts and cook until they are browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and when the walnuts have cooled to room temperature, add the onion, basil, vinegar and salt.

Place the Gorgonzola cheese and cream in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth. Transfer to the bowl with the walnuts and mix to combine.

Divide the arugula between 4 to 6 plates and top with equal amounts of beets. Serve immediately with a large dollop of Walnut Gorgonzola Dressing.

From Epicurious.com via The Figs Table by Todd English & Sally Sampson, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/roasted-beets-with-walnut-gorgonzola-dressing-100673

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