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

• Purple Brussels Sprouts
• Arugula
• German Butterball Potatoes
• Cooking Greens Mix – AKA Braising Greens, a mix of 3 types of kales, chard, and handful of collards and purple Brussels sprouts leaves. Not sure what to do with cooking greens? Check out the last recipe at the bottom of the page for inspiration.
• Shallots
• Sweet Potatoes! – Sweet potatoes are ubiquitous these days but they’re still a treat for us as we haven’t figured out how to grow them at scale yet.
• Broccoli Bits – The last of this season’s broccoli, enjoy the stems and leaves cooked along with the the florets.
• Celery
• Pie Pumpkin
• Mixed Delicata and Acorn Squash
• Sage
• Farm Apples
• Corn Flour or Polenta (aka Corn Grits) – We grow a dent corn called Cascade Ruby Gold that grinds partly into flour and partly into polenta. The flour can be used in most recipes calling for corn flour or cornmeal. The polenta can be cooked like store-bought coarse polenta, and we’ve had luck with it in our rice cooker using the same 1 cup to 2 cups of water cooking ratio. If you aren’t going to use it quickly we suggest storing it in the freezer for maximum freshness. Here are a couple of recipe suggestions: ‘Polenta “Pizza” with Crumbled Sage‘ and ‘Golden Yellow Corn Bread‘

As we wrap up the 2019 Summer CSA season and also celebrate Thanksgiving this week I wanted to take a moment to say thanks. Thank you for supporting our farm this season, thank you for choosing to eat local and season vegetables for the past six months, thank you for showing up week after week.

We fully understand how unique and challenging the CSA can be. We ask you to pledge your support before the vegetables are ready to be harvested. We ask you to eat from what we grow and harvest for you. We ask you to add a stop to your already busy schedule each week for months. It’s amazing you were willing to sign-up in the first place. But we’re sure glad you did. This thing wouldn’t work without you! You actually are the community in community supported agriculture!

Because we take a short break between seasons most of you will be headed to the produce department of the grocery store sooner than later. As you stand there, experiencing all the choices in the world, we hope you’ll take a bit of your CSA experience with you. Hopefully you’ll be more curious to know where that produce was grown, not just what country but what farm? How far did it travel? Is it seasonal? What were the growing practices? Who were the people that grew and harvested it?

We’ll see some you in a few weeks for the start of the Winter CSA. We’re excited to see what the winter season has in store for us and hope you are too! For everyone else we hope you have a fantastic winter! You’ll be hearing from us in early January as we gear up for the 2020 Summer CSA! Hopefully you’ll consider joining us for another round of local, seasonal, organic vegetables.

Enjoy the vegetables and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! We’ll see Winter CSA members in three weeks for the first winter share!

Your farmers,
Carri Heisler and Jeff Bramlett

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Silky-Coconut Pumpkin Soup

• 3 to 4 shallots, unpeeled
• 1 1/2 pounds pumpkin (untrimmed), or butternut squash or 1 1/4 pounds peeled pumpkin
• 2 cups canned or fresh coconut milk
• 2 cups mild pork or chicken broth
• 1 cup loosely packed coriander leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce, or to taste
• Generous grindings of black pepper
• 1/4 cup minced scallion greens (optional)

In a heavy skillet, or on a charcoal or gas grill, dry-roast or grill the shallots, turning occasionally until softened and blackened. Peel, cut the shallots lengthwise in half, and set aside.

Peel the pumpkin and clean off any seeds. Cut into small 1/2-inch cubes. You should have 4 1/2 to 5 cups cubed pumpkin.

Place the coconut milk, broth, pumpkin cubes, shallots, and coriander leaves in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the salt and simmer over medium heat until the pumpkin is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Taste for salt and add a little more fish sauce if you wish. (The soup can be served immediately, but has even more flavor if left to stand for up to an hour. Reheat just before serving.)

Serve from a large soup bowl or in individual bowls. Grind black pepper over generously, and, if you wish, garnish with a sprinkling of minced scallion greens. Leftovers freeze very well.

From Epicurious.com via Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/silky-coconut-pumpkin-soup-keg-bouad-mak-fak-kham-104372

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Turkey Cutlets with Brussels Sprouts and Dried Cranberries

• 1 to 1 1/4 pounds turkey breast cutlets
• All purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 large shallot, sliced
• 8 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, quartered through root end
• 3/4 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
• 11/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon butter

Sprinkle cutlets with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle cutlets with flour, shaking off any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add cutlets to skillet and sauté until cooked through and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to platter; tent with foil to keep warm.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to same skillet. Add shallot; stir until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add brussels sprouts, broth, cranberries, and sage; cover and cook until brussels sprouts are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Add butter; stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon brussels sprout mixture over turkey cutlets and serve.

From Epicurious.com via Bon Appétit, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/turkey-cutlets-with-brussels-sprouts-and-dried-cranberries-356351

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Sweet Potatoes, Apples, and Braising Greens

• 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into quarters, then cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 3 tablespoons melted
• 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3 medium baking apples, such as Sierra Beauty or Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and cut into quarters
• 6 cups loosely packed braising greens such as kale, chard, or collard greens, stems removed and torn into 2-inch strips
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F.

On foil-lined baking sheet, toss potato slices with 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake until cooked through and slightly caramelized, about 20 minutes. Keep warm.

In heavy medium skillet over moderate heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add apples and sauté until tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Keep warm.

In heavy large pot over moderate heat, combine remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons water. Add greens and sauté, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Lower heat to moderately low and add sweet potatoes and apples. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in parsley, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Serve hot.

From Epicurious.com via Epicurious by Traci Des Jardins, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/sweet-potatoes-apples-and-braising-greens-240487

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