Welcome to the 18th share of the Pitchfork & Crow 2023 Summer CSA! Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Savoy Cabbage
• Lacinato Kale
• Broccoli or Purple Cauliflower
• Fennel
• Yellow Onion
• Garlic
• Chioggia Beets – An Italian heirloom variety also known as bullseye beets.
• Ostergruss Rosa Radishes – A German variety of mild long pink radishes.
• Sweet Corn – We eeked out a couple more ears of corn!
• Mixed Cucumbers – Including green and yellow slicers.
• Mixed Zucchini & Summer Squash – Choose from green, yellow, and light green Mexican zucchinis.
• Mixed Sweet Peppers – Mixed Bell and elongated/pointy Italian Frying Peppers, different shapes but similar in taste and use. Some with more color than others (these varieties ripen to red and yellow) but all are sweet with no heat.
• Jalapeno Peppers
• Poblano Mild Chile Peppers – Classic stuffing pepper for chile rellenos but also tasty chopped up in other dishes
• Asian Pears

Welcome to fall! We’ve got rainstorms lined up in succession as we mark the official transition to fall after passing the autumnal equinox last weekend. Seems about right. Yesterday was the first rainy harvest day of the season and thankfully it was a gentle re-introduction to all things wet and muddy. With rain gear and rubber boots at the ready, we stayed well protected and mostly dry.

The past week has been all about trying to decide what was most important to get done ahead of the rain. We managed to get the dry corn in to finish drying in the prop house and continued the fruit harvest; apples this week. Jeff cultivated and then covered the chicories to avoid further damage from deer and turkeys. And we started getting some gravel delivered to fend off the muddiest parts of the farm road, which haven’t been graveled in several years.

In the week ahead we’ll be pushing forward with more fall harvest tasks. It should dry out enough to begin digging potatoes and we’ll be harvesting more apples for winter drying and for cider pressing at the upcoming CSA member farm visit. And we’ll be turning our attention to the big winter squash harvest soon. With a single greenhouse to get planted with lettuce and spinach this week we’ll mostly be busily stockpiling the harvest for fall and winter eating. How is it nearly October?

Enjoy the vegetables and we’ll see you here next week!

Your farmers,
Carri Heisler & Jeff Bramlett

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Shaved Cauliflower, Fennel, and Beet Salad with Parmesan Dressing

• Parmesan vinaigrette
• ¹/₄ cup freshly ground (or finely grated) parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
• Pinch kosher salt

• Salad
• ¹/₂ head of cauliflower
• ¹/₂ bulb of fennel (cut lengthwise, stem still attached)
• 2 small beets, preferably red and golden, peeled
• Kosher salt
• Ground or finely grated parmesan, for garnish

Parmesan vinaigrette

Combine the parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt in a jar with a lid. Close and shake, shake, shake until creamy and emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Salad

Break the cauliflower into big florets. Shave on a mandoline into 1/8”-thick slices—if they’re too thin, they’ll fall apart—directly into a large bowl. Halve the fennel half, lengthwise, leaving the stem attached (this ensures pretty fennel cross-sections). Shave each fennel quarter on the mandoline into paper-thin slices, directly into the bowl. Shave each beet on the mandoline into paper-thin slices, directly into the bowl. Sprinkle with a couple big pinches of salt and toss gingerly with your hands.

Dress the salad—you’ll use all of the vinaigrette—and toss again with your hands. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary. (This can keep in the fridge for a couple hours.) Shower with more ground parmesan just before serving.

From Food52.com by Emma Laperruque, https://food52.com/recipes/74830-shaved-cauliflower-fennel-and-beet-salad-with-parmesan-dressing

Jalapeno-Apple Slaw with Honey Lime Vinaigrette

• 1 ¹/₂ tablespoons honey
• 1 ¹/₂ tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1 ¹/₂ tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• ¹/₂ teaspoon himalayan sea salt (optional)
• 2 large jalapeños – cut in half moons
• 1 medium bell pepper – red, orange, yellow or a combination of colors (using mini-bells)
• 1 very large Granny smith apple (preferred) but pink lady adds a delicious tart flavor, too (or perhaps an Asian pear?)
• 2 green onions
• 7 ¹/₂ cups finely sliced cabbage

Finely slice the cabbage and cold water rinse. Drain well or send through a salad spinner; set aside, until needed.

In a salad bowl, prepare the vinaigrette; mix together the honey, rice vinegar, oil, lime juice and salt. Whisk together until smooth and saucy, set aside.

Core and thin slice the apple; add to the vinaigrette, coat all slices to prevent browning.

Chop the green onions, jalapeños and bell pepper. Add to the apples, stir to coat ingredients.

Add the well drained cabbage. Toss to coat.

Chill at least 1 hour or long enough for all ingredients to incorporate.

From Food52.com by LAPADIA, https://food52.com/recipes/8746-jalapeno-apple-slaw-with-honey-lime-vinaigrette

Sheet Pan Broccoli and Chorizo Salad with Tortilla Chip Gremolata

• ¹/₂ pound (about 2 links) uncooked Mexican chorizo, removed from casings and torn into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 ¹/₂ tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling over tortilla chips
• 2 pounds broccoli (about 2 large or 3 small crowns), cut into bite-sized florets
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 pinch kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• ¹/₂ cup black olives (I like using the canned large, pitted variety)
• 2 cups crushed tortilla chips, about 1/4- to 1/2-inch in size (a mix of sizes is nice!)
• 1 ¹/₄ cups cilantro (leaves and tender stems), divided
• 1 lime, juice and zest reserved
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
• ¹/₂ cup crumbled cotija, crumbled queso fresco, or shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 handful other toppings of choice (like thinly sliced radishes, sour cream, guacamole or sliced avocado, your favorite salsa)

Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a parchment-lined sheet pan in the oven while it heats. The hot pan will help the chorizo to get nicely browned.

Working quickly, transfer the chorizo to the preheated sheet pan in a single, even layer. (Careful, the pan will be hot!) Drizzle the chorizo with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast for about 5 minutes, or until the chorizo is starting to brown and render its fat (set a timer).

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine broccoli florets and the olives with cumin and 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss.

When the timer for the chorizo goes off, add the broccoli mixture to the sheet pan, stirring a few times to coat the broccoli in the chorizo fat. Roast for 15 more minutes. (Taste a piece of broccoli; if it isn’t approaching tender, return to the oven for a few more minutes before proceeding to Step 6. Season with a little more salt and pepper, if needed.)

Meanwhile, make the tortilla chip gremolata: finely chop 1/2 cup of the cilantro (saving the remaining 3/4 cup for tossing in at the end). In a small bowl, combine crushed chips, green onions, lime zest, and cilantro. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil; stir into cohesive.

Sprinkle the tortilla chip gremolata evenly over the broccoli and chorizo, and return the pan to the oven for 2 more minutes to toast the chips.

Remove pan from oven. Immediately squeeze the juice from half a lime over the dish. Let cool for a few minutes, then toss in remaining cilantro (roughly chopped) and cheese. Serve with toppings of choice: radishes, sour cream, etc.

From Food52.com by EmilyC, https://food52.com/recipes/82725-broccoli-salad-recipe-with-chorizo-tortilla-chips