Welcome to the 26th and final share of the Pitchfork & Crow 2021 Summer CSA!  Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Cooking Greens Mix – A braising mix of chard, collards, and four types of kale.
• Redarling Brussels Sprouts
• Castelfranco Radicchio Mix – Great for salads with punchy dressings like vinaigrette and toppings like citrus, strong cheese, and olives. You can also cook radicchio to bring out some of the sweetness as in the two recipes at the bottom of this post.
• Cauliflower – Some of these got a little frost damaged this week, but they should still be tasty.
• Celery
• Parsley
• Sage
• Strawberry Paw Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes – We managed to grow a handful of sweet potatoes this season. Even though we didn’t water them well enough and had to re-plant most of them, thus getting them started a month late, and then the deer ate most of the leaves and the gophers and voles ate many of the tubers, we have sweet potatoes! We don’t have many, but some is better than none, right?
• Beets – Choose from red and orange!
• Fresh Onions
• Garlic
• Butternut Winter Squash
• Pie Pumpkin
• Polenta (aka grits) – We grow a flint corn called Cascade Ruby Gold that grinds partially into flour and partially into polenta when milled. This week we’re sharing polenta and last week we shared the flour. You can use this polenta in recipes calling for uncooked polenta or corn grits. We like to cook it in our rice cooker at a 1 cup polenta to 3 cups water ratio. It’s even better if you add some butter and cheese once cooked.

As we wrap up the 2021 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 things have been difficult these past couple of years and we appreciate your willingness to make the CSA a part of your lives.

Here are some season stats: This year each weekly share consisted of an average of 17.65lbs per week for 26 weeks. That’s 459lbs of organic vegetables for each weekly share over the season. All combined that means Jeff and I distributed approximately 51,408lbs of produce this season. Through our partnership with the Linn Benton Food Share, 9,180lbs of those organic vegetables went directly to the Lebanon Soup Kitchen and Lebanon food pantries. 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 many 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! Keep an eye out for an email from us in early January as we gear up for the 2022 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 14th & 15th for the beginning of the Winter season.

Enjoy the vegetables!

Your farmers,
Carri Heisler & Jeff Bramlett

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Cauliflower and Brussels Sprout Gratin with Pine Nut-Breadcrumb Topping

• 1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed, quartered lengthwise through core
• 1 1 1/2-to 1 3/4-pound head of cauliflower, trimmed, cut into small florets
• 2 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 11/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 3 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Fill large bowl with ice and cold water. Cook brussels sprouts in large pot of generously salted boiling water 2 minutes. Add cauliflower to same pot; cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes longer. Drain. Transfer vegetables to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well.

Combine cream, shallots, and sage in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until mixture is reduced to 21/2 cups, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Remove from heat. Cool slightly.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs; stir until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl; cool. Stir in pine nuts and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish; arrange half of vegetables in dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then 1 1/2 cups Parmesan. Arrange remaining vegetables evenly over, then sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups Parmesan. Pour cream mixture evenly over. DO AHEAD: Breadcrumb topping and gratin can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cover gratin with foil. Bake covered 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle breadcrumb topping over and bake uncovered 15 minutes longer.

From Epicurious.com by Lora Zarubin, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/cauliflower-and-brussels-sprout-gratin-with-pine-nut-breadcrumb-topping-350452

Butternut Squash and Roasted-Garlic Bisque

• 2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 3/4 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Rub cut surfaces of garlic with oil. Put halves back together to reassemble heads. Wrap each tightly in foil; bake until tender, about 40 minutes. Cool garlic in foil.

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery; sauté until onions are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add squash, broth and 2 tablespoons sage. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until squash is tender, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, unwrap garlic. Squeeze from skin into small bowl. Discard skin. Mash garlic with fork until smooth.

Stir garlic into soup. Working in batches, purée soup in blender until smooth. Return to pot. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before continuing.) Stir in 1/2 cup cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer soup to tureen. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon cream.

Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sage.

From Epicurious.com, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/butternut-squash-and-roasted-garlic-bisque-104280

Sheet-Pan Roasted Squash and Feta Salad

• 1 large or 2 small acorn or delicata squash (about 1½ lb. total), halved lengthwise, seeded, cut into ¼” slices (or any winter squash really)
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1½ tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 4 slices country bread, cut into 1″ cubes (about 4 cups)
• ½ lb. Greek feta, cut into 1″ cubes
• ¼ cup sherry or red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 tsp. thyme leaves
• 1 head of radicchio or ½ head of escarole, leaves separated, torn into large pieces
• Aleppo-style pepper (for serving; optional)

Arrange a rack in top third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Toss squash, black pepper, 2 Tbsp. oil, and 1 tsp. salt on an 18×13″ rimmed baking sheet and arrange in an even layer. Roast until squash is beginning to brown on one side, 10–15 minutes. Turn squash, then arrange bread and feta over. Roast until bread is lightly toasted and feta is soft and warmed through, 8–10 minutes.

Whisk vinegar, honey, thyme, and remaining 6 Tbsp. oil and ½ tsp. salt in a large bowl until well combined. Add radicchio and hot squash mixture and toss to combine.

Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with Aleppo pepper (if using).

From Epicurious.com by Anna Stockwell, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/sheet-pan-roasted-squash-and-feta-salad

Farro, Radicchio, and Roasted Beet Salad

• 8 1- to 1 1/2-inch-diameter beets, tops trimmed to 1 inch
• Vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups semi-pearled farro or wheat berries
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 2 cups (packed) thinly sliced quartered radicchio (from about 1 medium head)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange beets in single layer in 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking dish. Drizzle with vegetable oil. Cover with foil and roast until beets are tender, about 45 minutes. Cool. Trim beets; peel. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.

Cook farro in large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Drain. Transfer to large bowl. Stir 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and garlic into hot farro. Cool to room temperature.

Cut each beet into 6 to 8 wedges. Add beets, radicchio, onion, and parsley to farro; toss to incorporate evenly. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons vinegar in small bowl. Drizzle over salad. Add feta cheese; toss to coat.

From Epicurious.com by Jeanne Kelley, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/farro-radicchio-and-roasted-beet-salad-359409