Welcome to the 19th share of the Pitchfork & Crow 2023 Summer CSA! Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Lettuce Mix
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Cilantro
• Yellow Onion
• Garlic
• Carrots
• Hakurei Salad Turnips or Ostergruss Rosa Radishes – Japanese salad turnips or German long pink radishes, both are mild.
• Spaghetti Squash – It’s winter squash season! Check out the recipes below if you’re looking for spaghetti squash inspiration.
• Mixed Eggplant
• Mixed Cucumbers – Including green and yellow slicers.
• 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.
• Shishito Peppers – Known as a roulette pepper, 1 in 10 might be hot. They’re great with eggs, or anything else really, but traditionally blistered in hot oil and eaten with a little salt.
• Bartlett Pears

After some rain here and there it looks like we’ve got a pleasant week ahead before another deluge next week. If the forecast holds we’ll have sunshine and warm temps for Saturday’s CSA member farm visit. The pumpkins are orange for the picking, the apples are ripe for cidering, and our little farmall cub tractor is ready to get in on the tractor ride fun. Check your weekly member email for event details and come on down on Saturday.

Thankfully we managed to finish up the winter squash harvest ahead of yesterday’s rain. We started with the acorn and butternut varieties on Thursday, skipped Friday due to rain (instead we transplanted lettuce, spinach, bunching onions, Napa cabbage, and cilantro into a greenhouse), spent Saturday getting in the delicata, black futsu, spaghetti, and pie pumpkins, then wrapped it up on Sunday with the long pies, tetsukabutos, and kabochas.

It was a long weekend of hauling and lifting and bending over. Now, 15 varieties and 6,960 squash later, the barn is filled with food for the next six months. We more than doubled last year’s dismal squash harvest and we’re feeling optimistic about the possibility of a cold winter ahead. There will be squash!

In the week ahead we’ll be readying the farm for you to visit! We’ll get straw bales for the tractor ride, stage the cider presses, pick more apples, count the carving pumpkins, and update the walking tour farm map. We’ll also hopefully find some time to harvest potatoes and carrots and clear out the tomato house for winter planting. It’s good to set goals, right?

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:

Spicy Miso Eggplant & Broccoli Salad, From Deliciously Ella

• For the Salad
• 2 medium aubergines (eggplants), chopped into bite-sized chunks
• 1 large head of broccoli, chopped into florets
• 1 pinch of Chile flakes
• 1 handful of coriander (cilantro), chopped
• 1 handful of sesame seeds
• Salt and pepper to taste

• For the Miso Dressing
• 4 tablespoons miso paste
• 1 lime, juiced (you’ll use the juice)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated

Preheat the oven to 240°C (464°F, fan 220°C) .

For the dressing, blitz the miso, lime juice, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and some salt and pepper in a blender until smooth. If you don’t have a blender, dissolve the miso paste in a tablespoon of boiling water then stir through the other dressing ingredients.

In a large baking tray, mix the aubergine with the dressing and roast for 30-35 minutes. At this point, remove the tray from the oven and switch the oven over to the grill setting. Mix the broccoli florets with the aubergine, then place the tray back in the oven for another 10 minutes until the broccoli is lightly charred on top and the aubergine is soft and golden.

Once cooked, remove from the oven, place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with the chilli flakes, coriander and sesame seeds before serving.

From Food52.com by Ella Quittner, https://food52.com/recipes/80941-spicy-miso-eggplant-broccoli-salad-from-deliciously-ella

Roasted Cauliflower with Spaghetti Squash and Crisp Prosciutto

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting cauliflower
• 4 slices Prosciutto, diced
• ¹/₂ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, chopped
• ¹/₂ cup grated Grana Padano, or more to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F and place a rack in the middle of oven. Scrub the squash well and pierce the flesh with sharp knife all over. Place it in a shallow baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour. Let it cool.

Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. In a large baking pan, toss cauliflower florets with a few tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until slightly brown and tender, turn them occasionally.

In a large skillet heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat, scatter diced Prosciutto and cook until crisp and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove prosciutto to a plate; set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat and toss sliced garlic, red pepper flakes, and sage; stir and cook for one minute. Remove from heat, combine cauliflower in the skillet.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise with a serrated knife; scoop the seeds and fibrous strings from the center of the squash. Gently scrape the inside of the squash with a fork to shred the pulp into strands. Place the pulp in a large serving bowl, add the garlic-cauliflower mixture, crisp Prosciutto, toss them together, and season with salt and pepper. Before serving, sprinkle grated Grana Padano on top of the dish.

From Food52.com by 3LIZ4, https://food52.com/recipes/7000-roasted-cauliflower-with-spaghetti-squash-and-crisp-prosciutto

Spaghetti Squash with Chiles, Lime, and Cilantro

• 3 pounds spaghetti squash (about 1 squash)
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 1 hot chile, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil or olive oil
• ¹/₂ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, plus more to taste

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Place squash in a buttered baking dish or sheet pan. Use a sharp knife to puncture the skin in several places—this will prevent it from exploding in the oven. Roast for 60 to 75 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool briefly.

Meanwhile, place the onion and chile in a small bowl and cover with 2 tablespoons of the lime or lemon juice. Season with a pinch of kosher salt.

When squash has cooled slightly, cut it in half. Scoop out the seeds and reserve for another use. Drag a fork across the flesh of the squash, pulling up the strands. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. You should have about 3 cups. Season with 1 teaspoon salt. Pour the macerated onion and chiles over top. Pour over 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil and all of the cilantro. Toss and taste. Add more salt, if necessary, and another tablespoon of lime or lemon or coconut oil to taste.

From Food52.com by Alexandra Stafford, https://food52.com/recipes/63142-spaghetti-squash-with-chiles-lime-and-cilantro