Welcome to the 5th share of the Pitchfork & Crow 2024/2025 Winter CSA! Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Lettuce Bites – Here’s some tiny green and red romaine heads for February salads or wraps or sandwiches etc.
• Radicchio (aka Chicory) – We’ve got the pink Rosalba and speckled green castelfranco to choose from this week. Great for robust winter salads with punchy dressings and nuts and strong cheese and citrus. Holds up to a little warming too. We’ll eat it under oven baked salmon, rice, and creamy dressing for a quick dinner. Soaking in ice water or light cooking can help reduce the bitterness if needed. Click here for some tips if you think radicchio and chicories bring too much bitter to the table.
• Green Cabbage – Sweet green cabbage, great raw or cooked.
• Lacinato Kale
• Brussels Sprouts – We took these off the stalks and cleaned them up for you this time. We tried to cull any bad sprouts, but keep an eye out for any we may have missed. We usually just cut the sprouts in half, toss with a little oil/salt/pepper, and roast at 400 degrees for ~20 minutes.
• Purple Daikon Radishes
• Winter Kohlrabi – Don’t be afraid of the giant winter kohlrabi.  It’s delicious and wants to be eaten up raw, or fermented, or roasted, or in a latke-like kohlrabi pancake situation.
• Carrots
• French Fingerling Potatoes
• Purple Bunching Onions
• Yellow & Red Onions
• Garlic
• Mixed Winter Squash – Choose from a mix of butternut, kabocha, and acorn squashes this week. Want to know more about these winter squash varieties? We’ve got a page on our site for that! Check it out for squash details and recipe ideas.
• Dried Apples – These are organic apples we purchased through the produce store down the road, 4 Seasons Farmers Market. We dried them here at the farm.

Summer CSA sign-up time has arrived! We hope you’ll join us for a summer and fall of local, seasonal, and organic vegetables. Find all the details over on the Summer CSA page. 

Past members can find a link to the sign-up form in their email and we’ll be opening it up to new members on Feb. 15th. After opening sign-ups to previous members on Feb. 1st we’re now 76% full for the upcoming season so reserve your spot now if you know you want to join us this summer. – (Many thanks to those who have already signed-on for the upcoming season. We appreciate your enthusiasm and support!)

And just like that, here we are halfway through the Winter CSA. We’ve made it through the darkest days of the season and we’re marching a little closer toward spring each day. Thankfully the valley snow that keeps showing up in the long range forecasts hasn’t materialized, though last night’s twenty degree low was lower than we’d like to see. A glance up at the hills to the east suggest snow isn’t that hard to find for anyone inclined to seek it out. For the sake of the future cauliflower and broccoli and other tasty plants in the field, let’s hope it stays up in the hills.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, the rhythm of the winter season is different than the hectic, too-full schedule of the summer. We’re currently enjoying the space in the days to prioritize the second cup of coffee in the morning while we wait for things to thaw, and the early quitting time for Jeff and Nugget to have enough daylight to head to the river for Nugget’s evening swim. We’ve been keeping busy drying apples and pruning orchards and harvesting cabbages and Brussels and cutting back willow and processing Summer CSA sign-ups and doing the things that need doing. I can feel the work of the season ahead looming, it’s time to start tomatoes this week for instance, but it’s nice to lean into the luxury of winter while we still can.

In the weeks ahead we’ll be evaluating field crops once the cold snap snaps and we’ll be transplanting the first starts of the year into a greenhouse for April greens. We’ll continue on to the final orchard for pruning and we’ll work on gathering the off cut branches. We’ll get the tomatoes started, followed quickly by the summer onions. We’ll likely fill up the Summer CSA memberships. We’ll dry more apples. And we’ll visit the river and savor the morning coffee, because before we know it things are going to get real busy around here.

Enjoy the vegetables and we’ll see you here again in two weeks!

Your farmers,
Carri Heisler & Jeff Bramlett

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Marinated Kohlrabi (In the Style of Artichoke Hearts)

5 medium-sized kohlrabi, outer stems and leaves removed
Salt
2 cups olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 large clove of garlic, cut in half
1 pinch dried chili flakes
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 strip of lemon zest, taken using a vegetable peeler
Juice of 1 lemon

1. Set a large pot of water over high heat. When the water is boiling, add enough salt so that the water tastes like the ocean, and reduce the heat so that the water is gently simmering. Add the kohlrabi, and cook them for 30-45 minutes, until they are easily pierced with a fork. When the kohlrabi are finished cooking, remove them from the pot using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a cutting board.
2. Using a paring knife, remove and discard the fibrous outer skin of the kohlrabi. Slice the remaining kohlrabi into bite-size pieces. Season the kohlrabi lightly with salt. Set the kohlrabi aside for a moment.
3. Set a medium-sized pot over medium heat and add the olive oil, along with the garlic, chili flakes, thyme, and lemon zest. When the oil begins to bubble and sizzle, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the flavors to steep for 15 minutes. Add the juice of 1 lemon, and stir to combine. Pour the oil through a fine mesh strainer. Reserve the oil and discard the rest.
4. Transfer the kohlrabi to an airtight container, along with the oil. Allow the kohlrabi to marinate in the refrigerator for 48 hours. As long as the kohlrabi is stored in the refrigerator, fully submerged underneath the oil, it will keep for two weeks.
5. When you are ready to serve the marinated kohlrabi, the oil may be congealed. Allow the kohlrabi to sit at room temperature until the oil becomes translucent again. The marinated kohlrabi is best enjoyed as part of an antipasti platter, served alongside some combination of bread, olives, cheeses, salumi, sundried tomatoes, and roasted peppers.

From Food52.com by Josh Cohen, https://food52.com/recipes/66209-marinated-kohlrabi-in-the-style-of-artichoke-hearts

Carrot and Radicchio Salad with Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette

¹/₂ cup pistachios, toasted, roughly chopped
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small shallot, minced
¹/₄ cup balsamic vinegar
¹/₂ cup diced fresh figs, or 2 large dried figs (see note in step 2)
Kosher salt
2 pounds multi-colored carrots, halved lengthwise
1 medium to large head radicchio

1. Heat the oven to 375° F. Set the pistachios in a heavy, dry pan on the stovetop over low heat to toast. Toast, shaking the pan from time to time, until they smell nutty and fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Make the dressing: Whisk together a half cup of the olive oil, the shallot, vinegar, figs, 2 tablespoons water, and a small pinch of salt. Note: If you can’t find fresh figs, blend 2 dried, de-stemmed figs with the water, salt, and vinegar, then slowly stream in the olive oil with the blender running. Whisk in the shallot separately.
3. Toss the carrots with 1/2 cup of olive oil in a large bowl, season with a large pinch of salt, and spread out on a baking sheet in one layer. Pour 1/4 cup of water over the top. Roast until the carrots have just started to brown and crisp on the edges, about 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Core and roughly chop the radicchio, and place half the leaves in a large bowl.
5. When the carrots are close to done, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining radicchio, and flash-cook until it wilts and begins to brown in places. Transfer to the bowl with the raw radicchio.
6. Add the carrots to the salad bowl, drizzle with a bit of dressing (you will not use it all, so start slow), and toss very gently to keep the carrots intact. Add the pistachios, toss, and taste and adjust for dressing and salt. Serve.

From Food52.com by Kenzi Wilbur, https://food52.com/recipes/35296-carrot-and-radicchio-salad-with-fig-balsamic-vinaigrette

Kale, Cabbage, and Brussels Sprouts Chopped Salad

• For the greens:
• ¹/₂ pound lacinato kale (about one small bunch, or half of a larger bunch)
• ¹/₂ pound curly kale (about one small bunch, or half of a larger bunch)
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts
• 1 pound green cabbage (about half a medium head or a quarter of a large one)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 ¹/₂ teaspoons kosher salt

• For the dressing:
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¹/₄ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon hazelnut oil, optional
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for assembly
• 2 tablespoons toasted pistachios, for assembly

1. Wash and spin dry the kale, and then cut it, plus the Brussels sprouts and the cabbage, in small squares, about 1/4-inch by 1/4 inch. For the kale, it works best to rib the leaves, roll them into fat cigars a few leaves at a time, then chiffonade them. Keeping the slices together and uniform, turn them 90° counter clockwise and make even slices lengthwise, about a 1/4-inch apart. (The same method works for the cabbage.)
2. Halve the Brussels sprouts lengthwise, cut each halve in half, and, with them lying cut-side down on the cutting board, slice them like you would an onion. Don’t stress about technique too much here — the important part is that everything is roughly the same size — if it’s easier for you to just chop and mince like you would a pile of herbs, go ahead and do that.
3. Place all chopped vegetables in a large bowl, add sugar and salt, and massage the greens slightly until they no longer feel raw. This salad will only improve if you do this a few hours ahead of time, but it’s not necessary. (At this point, the salad can sit for up to 2 or 3 days. It will lose water, so be sure to drain before continuing on.)
4. To make the dressing, combine the vinegar, mustard, salt, sugar, and Worcestershire sauce in a blender, and blend until the color lightens and everything is combined. (You can also use a whisk and a strong arm for this.) Slowly stream in the olive oil, and then the hazelnut oil, if using — you’re looking for everything to be thick and emulsified. (This dressing will last for 2 weeks in the fridge.)
5. Add dressing to greens, a few spoonfuls at a time — you want a well-dressed salad but not a soggy one. (Keep in mind you will have leftover dressing, so no need to use it all.) Fold in the sesame seeds and pistachios, and serve.

From Food52.com by Kenzi Wilbur, https://food52.com/recipes/27220-kale-cabbage-and-brussels-sprout-chopped-salad