Welcome to the 17th share of the Pitchfork & Crow 2024 Summer CSA! Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Lettuce Mix
• Brussels Sprouts Tops – We snap the tops off our Brussels sprouts to help the plants focus on making sprouts. At some point we realized these tops are really tasty and we should all be eating them. Treat them like kale in the kitchen.
• Napa Cabbage
• Broccoli or Cauliflower
• Cilantro
• Storage Onions – We’re still working through those giant onions from our overwintered harvest.
• Garlic
• Mixed Cucumbers – Green and yellow slicers and a handful of lemons.
• Zucchini – Lots of green zucchini and a handful of yellow summer squash, yellow zucchini, and light green Mexican zucchini too.
• Sweet Corn – We’re nearing the end of the sweet corn train this season. Enjoy the small ears while we’ve got ’em.
• Jalapeno Peppers
• Poblano Peppers – Mild chile peppers often used for stuffing but delicious in other dishes too.
• Sweet Peppers – Mixed bell and Italian roasting peppers of varying colors. These varieties ripen to red or yellow.
• Tomatillos
• Mixed Cherry Tomatoes & Slicer Tomatoes – We’re using a lot of the pint boxes for tomatoes and would appreciate it if you could leave them behind or return them for another go around. Thanks!
• Asian Pears

When the news of the world seems especially chaotic it’s helpful to focus on the work of the farm, appreciate this place, in this now, and dig in. The progress can seem slow here compared to the whirlwind pace happening just outside the farm gate. The traffic on the highway suggests people are in constant motion, needing to get places, be somewhere else, hurrying along. Mostly we find that we just need to be here tackling the next thing on the list. It’s quite the dichotomy.

On Saturday evening, as Jeff was finishing prepping field houses for planting, I managed to get the drone up in the air to capture a glimpse of the late September farmscape. It’s been almost a month since we turned on the solar system and I wanted to get a photo of the panels. But it’s also a good snapshot of the season and of this life.

In those photos I can see so much of the work we’ve done in the past six months, six years, twelve years. The annual plantings, the solar system, the house, the greenhouses and barn. And so much of the work ahead of us in the next month, the next year, and beyond. The winter squash and potatoes to harvest, the cover crop to seed, the garlic to plant, and what’s the next infrastructure project? It’s easy to get lost in the every day tasks in front of us. But there’s the bigger picture too and we’re sure lucky to get to do this work for the long haul in this place.

This past week was a lot of errands and catching up. There was the trip to the very top of the landfill (a first, and hopefully last) and then the trip to procure cover crop seed and CSA supplies including pint boxes and plastic bags. Then Jeff prepped field houses while I caught up on accounting and budgeting and what else? On Sunday we managed to get those field houses planted with lettuce and spinach and bunching onions and bok choy and cilantro. The tasks of the season continue.

In the week ahead we’ll be undertaking the winter squash haul-in. By the next time we meet we’ll have cleared the winter squash from the field, having counted each one, and we’ll know just how many we have to share with you through the the final months of the Summer CSA and into the Winter season. It will be heavy, and dusty, and miraculous. We’ll be glad when it’s done.

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:

Chinese Chicken Salad

• For the chicken:
• 2 quarts water
• ¹/₂ tablespoon sea salt
• 1 star anise
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorn
• 1 head garlic, sliced in half
• One 1-inch piece ginger, crushed with the side of a knife
• A few sprigs cilantro
• 1 scallion, cut into 3 to 4 pieces
• 2 large chicken breasts (about 1 pound)

• For the salad and dressing:
• 1 napa cabbage
• 1 medium carrot, cut into matchstick-size slivers on a mandoline
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts
• 1 cucumber, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch moons
• 2 scallions, both the white and green parts, cut thin on the bias
• ¹/₃ cup matchstick-sized slivered radishes
• 4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• ¹/₂ cup whole cilantro leaves
• ¹/₂ cup whole mint leaves (optional)
• ¹/₂ cup whole Thai basil leaves (optional)
• ¹/₄ cup toasted sesame seeds
• ¹/₄ cup crispy fried shallots (optional)

1. To the water, add the salt and all the aromatics and bring up to a boil. Drop the chicken breasts in, stir, and let just come back up to a simmer. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit, covered in the pot at room temperature, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, pull the chicken out and set aside to cool. You can strain the water and save it for a tasty soup addition another day or you can throw it all out.
2. Meanwhile, shred the napa cabbage by cutting the head in half and then slicing into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-wide ribbons. Toss with the carrots, sprouts, cucumbers, scallions, and radishes. Whisk the dressing ingredients—sesame oil, lime juice, and dark soy sauce—together and pour over the vegetables.
3. Using your hands, shred the cooled chicken and add to the salad. If you want, you could let it all marinate together for about 15 minutes or so. When you are ready to serve it, add in the herb leaves and the sesame seeds and toss together. Serve garnished with the crispy fried shallots

From Food52.com by Sara Jenkins, https://food52.com/recipes/61599-chinese-chicken-salad

Vegan Slow-Cooker Tomatillo Stew

2 medium jalapeños (halved and seeded for less heat, if you prefer)
8 ounces canned diced green chiles
¹/₂ pound (about 5 medium) tomatillos, husked and washed, quartered
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Kosher salt
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed well
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed well
Crushed corn chips, for serving
Freshly chopped cilantro, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving

1. Combine jalapeños, green chiles, tomatillos, and cilantro with 1/2 cup vegetable broth in a blender and puree until smooth. Scrape mixture into the bowl of a slow cooker.
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes, then add cumin and season with salt. Scrape mixture into the bowl of your slow cooker. Alternatively, you can skip this step and add all ingredients (including the oil) into the slow cooker—you won’t get as much depth of flavor, but ultimately it will all be fine and taste great.
3. Stir in remaining broth and beans. Season with more salt. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 5 to 6 hours.
4. Take the lid off the slow cooker and use a potato masher to mostly crush the beans and thicken the stew. Stir and cook on high for another 15 minutes.
5. Divide soup into bowls and serve topped with crushed chips and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

From Food52.com by Rebecca Firkser, https://food52.com/recipes/82797-vegan-crockpot-tomatillo-stew-recipe

Charred Corn Salad with Quick Pickles and Lime Dressing

2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
³/₄ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste, divided
6 allspice berries
10 peppercorns
¹/₂ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large red onion, ends trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch-thick slices
2 ears sweet corn
2 limes, peel and pith cut off and discarded, quartered
1 large clove garlic, smashed, peeled, and chopped
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
¹/₃ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 head lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 to 3 nectarines, pits removed, and sliced thin

1. To prepare quick-pickled onions, combine apple cider vinegar, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, allspice, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan. Set over medium-high heat. When mixture starts to steam and sugar has dissolved, add sliced onions, pressing a bit to make sure all slices are immersed. Steep in the brine for 10 minutes. If working ahead, place onions and brine in a wide mouth jar, cool to room temperature, then seal and refrigerate. (If you don’t have time to make ahead, they’ll still be delicious.)
2. Fill a sink with cold water and soak the corn, husks and all. (This step isn’t absolutely necessary, but it helps to plump the kernels.)
3. Prepare a hot grill.
4. Shuck corn and set over hot coals. Cook each ear until nicely charred, rotating a quarter turn every 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside to cool, then slice kernels from the cob and sprinkle with sea salt.
5. To prepare dressing, combine the lime, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, and sherry vinegar in the pitcher of a blender. Pulse to break down limes, scrape the sides, then turn blender to low. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add a pinch or two of sea salt, as needed.
6. Toss lettuce with several tablespoons dressing and arrange in a large serving bowl. Scatter over the quick-pickled onions and nectarine slices. Top off with corn kernels and a generous drizzle of lime dressing, and toss gently. Finish with several twists of black pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Serve immediately.

From Food52.com by Elizabeth Stark, https://food52.com/recipes/37154-charred-corn-salad-with-quick-pickles-and-lime-dressing