Welcome to the 26th and final share of the Pitchfork & Crow 2020 Summer CSA!  Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Redarling Brussels Sprouts
• Lacinato Kale
• Spinach/Tatsoi/Red Lettuce Mix
• Mustard Greens – Slightly spicy leaves that punch up salads. We love to wilt them in brothy soups.
• Carrots
• AmaRosa Fingerling Potatoes -Red inside and outside, these fingerlings are tasty boiled, baked, and make colorful chips.
• Garlic
• Yellow & Red Onions
• Sage
• Celery – Just a few stalks for everyone this time. We’d hope to share full heads one more time, but a pesky gopher had another idea.
• Pie Pumpkin
• Butternut Squash
• Corn Flour – – We grow a dent corn that grinds partially into flour and partially into polenta when milled. Last week you got the polenta and this week is the flour. You can use this flour in any recipe calling for corn flour or cornmeal. We like to use this corn flour for perfect cornbread and it has been excellent for fried green tomatoes.

As we wrap up the 2020 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 seasonal vegetables for the past six months. Thank you for showing up week after week. We know this has been an especially difficult year for many of you and we appreciate your willingness to make the CSA a part of your lives.

Here are some season stats: This year each share consisted of an average of 16lbs per week for 26 weeks. That’s 417lbs of organic vegetables for each share over the season. All combined Jeff and I distributed approximately 42,500lbs of produce this season. Through our partnership with the Linn Benton Food Share, over 6,500lbs of those organic vegetables went directly to the Lebanon Soup Kitchen, Lebanon food pantries, and the Lebanon Gleaners. Not bad for a two-person operation, if I do say so.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this past season as much as we have. We know the CSA can seem overwhelming at times but hopefully you’ve found a rhythm to the season and had some fun in the kitchen along the way. Though we’re focused on growing and harvesting the best vegetables we can, the magic really happens in each of your kitchens as you prep. and cook and eat them. Thanks for taking our vegetables on your kitchen adventures!

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, either in person or virtually. As you ponder your options, 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 of 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 2021 Summer CSA! Hopefully you’ll consider joining us for another round of local, seasonal, organic vegetables.

Have a happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the vegetables! We’ll see Winter CSA members on December 15th & 16th for the beginning of the Winter season.

Your farmers,
Carri Heisler & Jeff Bramlett

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Simmered Greens with Cornmeal Dumplings

• 1 (1-pound) piece slab bacon
• 3 quarts water
• 3 pound mixed greens such as collard, mustards, and turnip
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup whole milk

Score bacon 2 or 3 times (do not cut all the way through), then simmer in water in a wide 6-quart pot, covered, 1 hour.

Discard any coarse stems from greens and coarsely chop leaves.

Add greens, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to bacon and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then blend in butter well with your fingertips. Stir in milk until just combined. Let dough stand 5 minutes.

With wet hands, roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls.

Gently place dumplings on top of greens. Cook, covered and undisturbed, over low heat until greens are very tender and silky and dumplings are puffed and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Discard bacon. Season with salt and pepper.

From Epicurious.com via Gourmet by Edna Lewis, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/simmered-greens-with-cornmeal-dumplings-241202

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Potato, Greens, and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

• 1 1/3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 medium)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/3 cups (packed) coarsely grated hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese (5 to 6 ounces)
• 1 1/3 cups jarred salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)
• 4 2/3 cups coarsely chopped stemmed mustard greens (from 1 bunch), divided
• 4 8-inch-diameter flour tortillas
• 3 ounces chilled fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
• Olive oil

Place baking sheet in oven and preheat to 275°F. Steam potatoes until tender, about 8 minutes. Place in large bowl; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Toss to coat. Cool potatoes 15 minutes. Mix in Jack cheese. Meanwhile, blend salsa and 2/3 cup (packed) greens in mini processor until greens are finely chopped.

Arrange tortillas on work surface. Divide remaining greens between bottom half of each. Top greens with potato mixture, then goat cheese and 2 tablespoons salsa mixture for each. Fold plain tortilla halves over filling, pressing to compact. Brush with oil.

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 2 quesadillas, oiled side down, in skillet. Brush tops with oil. Cook until quesadillas are brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to sheet in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 quesadillas.

Cut each quesadilla into 3 or 4 wedges. Serve with remaining salsa.

From Epicurious.com via Bon Appétit, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/potato-greens-and-goat-cheese-quesadillas-241607

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Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts and Pine Nuts

• 3/4 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
• 1/2 pound dried egg fettuccine
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts

Slice Brussels sprouts in a food processor fitted with slicing disk.

Cook fettuccine in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat butter and oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook pine nuts, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then sauté over medium-high heat until tender and lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta and add to skillet, tossing with enough reserved water to moisten.

From Epicurious.com via Gourmet by Maggie Ruggiero, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/fettuccine-with-brussels-sprouts-and-pine-nuts-240591

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Winter Squash Soup with Gruyere Croutons

1. Soup
   • 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter
   • 1 large onion, finely chopped
   • 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
   • 3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
   • 4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
   • 4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds) (or another winter squash like pie pumpkin)
   • 1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
   • 1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh sage
   • 1/4 cup whipping cream
   • 2 teaspoons sugar
2. Croutons
   • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
   • 24 1/4-inch-thick baguette bread slices
   • 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
   • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
   • 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage

For soup:

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream and sugar; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)

For croutons:

Preheat broiler. Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange bread, buttered side up, on baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Turn over. Sprinkle cheese, then thyme and sage over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with croutons and serve.

From Epicurious.com via Bon Appétit, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/winter-squash-soup-with-gruyere-croutons-2997

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