Welcome to the 9th share of the Pitchfork & Crow 2025/2026 Winter CSA! Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Lettuce Mix
• Spinach
• Cabbage
• Bok Choy – We’d hoped these might wait until the next share, but alas they are beginning to bolt.
• Overwintered Cauliflower
• Purple Sprouting Broccoli – We know we’ve turned the corner on winter when the PSB shows up. If you’re new to this one, just treat it like broccoli but eat the stems and leaves too.
• Radishes
• Carrots – The very last of the winter carrots from storage.
• Yukon Gem Potatoes
• ‘Blush’ Red Onions – We ask a lot of our storage crops. We harvest them in early fall and then let them sit and wait and wait until they make an appearance in the share. That’s to say, eat your alliums before they sprout because spring is here.
• Purple Bunching Onions
• Tetsukabuto Winter Squash – A rare cross between butternut and kabocha = the best of both worlds!
• Corn Flour – 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 flour and next week we’ll share the polenta. You can use this flour in any recipe calling for corn flour or cornmeal. We like to use it for perfect cornbread.
• Dried Apples – Wanting to extend the dried apple train we purchased some apples from Washington through the 4 Seasons Farmers Market store just down the highway. They are certified organic Fujis and dried by us.

Spring is springing here on the farm. It’s sunny, no it’s rainy, but here comes the wind, but now it’s calm and 70 degrees again. The pears are in full bloom though, and the turkeys are gobbling in the distance, and the plants are all putting on a burst of growth every time the sun comes out. There’s no doubt that we’ve turned the corner on winter, now it’s just dealing with whatever spring tosses our way.

The weather has cooperated enough recently to get our first field planting underway. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale are now all in the ground and we’re counting the days until Summer CSA shares. We’re happy to report that, unlike last year, we’re not dealing with major tractor woes. Undertaking the start of the planting season with working machinery sure makes things less stressful!

Two weeks ago I noted our upgraded table outside of the propagation house. Above are a couple of photos of how we use this table. Before heading to the field with plants for transplanting we pop the plants to make sure they easily release from the plug trays. Some ingenious farmer/inventor came up with this concept of pegs on a board that align with the holes in the bottom of the trays and we’re glad they decided to sell the tool. It takes some time to pop each tray but it speeds up the time in the field with the tractor running.

In addition to the field planting we also managed to fill up a greenhouse with tomato plants. Not shown is the drip irrigation and t-posts for trellising that went in after planting. Tomatoes are a big production around here and we’re glad to have them in the ground.

In the past couple of weeks, other than transplanting, we’ve been keeping busy with all the spring chores. There’s been mowing and irrigating and opening greenhouses and closing greenhouses and prepping greenhouses for planting and weeding inside and outside greenhouses.

Looking ahead we’ll be busy preparing for the final Winter CSA share of the season. It’s also time to get potatoes chitting ahead of planting, where we get them out of cold storage so the eyes begin developing. We’ll be doing lots of propagating and more transplanting in the field. And those tomatoes and the peas all need trellising. Things are getting busy!

Enjoy the vegetables and we’ll see you here again in two weeks for the final share of the Winter season!

Your farmers,
Carri Heisler & Jeff Bramlett

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Crispy Chicken Salad with Spinach, Cauliflower, & Pickle-Brine Dressing

• 1 pound chicken breasts or tenders
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, divided
• 2 cup panko or dried bread crumbs
• 1/4 head (about 4 ounces) cauliflower
• 6 ounce spinach (or another tender green)
• 6 tablespoon pickle liquid from any pickle except bread-and-butter (too sweet)

Place the chicken between two pieces of cling film or parchment and pound to an even thickness—ideally about ½ inch thick—with a mallet, rolling pin, or empty wine bottle. Schmear the pounded breasts with ¼ cup of mayo installment, then press the bread crumbs into all sides.

In a large frying pan, heat a couple big glugs of neutral oil over medium heat. Pan fry the chicken breasts until cooked through and golden all over—about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate or rack to cool.

With a sharp knife or mandolin, shave the cauliflower into wafer thin cross sections. Combine the spinach and cauliflower in a large bowl.

In a separate container combine the remaining 3 tablespoons of mayo with the pickle liquid and shake to make an even dressing. Pour half the dressing over the spinach salad, adding a pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper, then toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired and then transfer to a serving platter or individual plates.

Cut the chicken breasts into ½-inch thick strips and sprinkle on top of the salad.

From Food52.com by abraberens, https://food52.com/recipes/83071-crispy-chicken-salad-recipe-with-pickle-dressing

Wintry Corn Bread Pudding

• 1 10-ounce package frozen winter squash purée, thawed (or substitute 1 cup homemade)
• 1 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 2 large eggs. beaten
• 1/2 cup stone ground yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or 1/8 teaspoon cayenne)
• 1/2 cup Gruyère cheese, shredded
• 1 large leek. washed and thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 3 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 cup dry bread cubes (or irregular chunks), thick crust removed

Heat oven to 350º F with a rack near the middle.

Combine winter squash, half-and-half, and eggs in a small bowl or large glass measure. Set aside. Combine cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, baking powder, black pepper, aleppo or cayenne pepper, and Gruyère in a large bowl. Set aside.

Heat half of the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once the foaming has subsided, add the leek slices and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook until soft and just starting to brown, stirring occasionally. Add the thyme and cook until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. When leeks are almost done, add the squash mixture to the cornmeal mixture. Scrape the leeks into the squash and cornmeal mixture (it’s okay if there are a few stragglers left in the pan).

Add remaining butter to the skillet and return the skillet to medium-low heat.

Stir together the leek, squash, and cornmeal mixture until combined. Fold in the bread cubes, and adjust salt to taste. Pour into the skillet. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

From Food52.com by hardlikearmour, https://food52.com/recipes/19800-wintry-corn-bread-pudding

Scallion and Coconut Rice with Pork

• 4 large scallions, thoroughly washed, trimmed just above root
• 3 tablespoon canola oil, divided
• 3/4 pound ground pork
• 1 tablespoon good quality fish sauce (like Red Boat or Three Crabs)
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/4 cup medium grain Calrose rice
• 1 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 3/4 cup coconut milk (shake can before opening)
• 1 head of baby bok choy (optional), end trimmed, leaves separated, washed, and sliced crosswise
• 1 wedge of lime, for finishing

Prep scallions by slicing 1/3 cup of white and light green parts. Thinly slice dark green part of scallions for 3/4 cup, divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup. Set aside.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of canola oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or similar pot. Add ground pork, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and 1 tablespoon of minced ginger and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. When meat is no longer pink, add fish sauce and cook for another minute or two, stirring. Transfer meat to a bowl and cover with foil.

Add 1/2 tablespoon canola oil to pot, followed by remaining 1 teaspoon of garlic, 1 teaspoon of ginger and 1/3 cup of sliced white and light green scallions. Cook, combining with wooden spoon, until fragrant, about a minute. Add rice and stir to coat, until rice is shiny. Add stock and coconut milk, stir to combine and cover. When rice begins to bubble, turn heat down to simmer. Set your timer for 20 minutes.

While rice is cooking, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add 1/2 cup of sliced dark green scallions. Crisp up scallions by stirring frequently, remembering that they will go from crisp to burned in a second. Since they are dark, you won’t have as obvious a visual clue as with onions or shallots; I usually rely on smell. Once they start to smell dark and smoky I start to look for golden brown charred edges and begin to remove onions by the forkful to a paper towel lined plate until they are all done. It’s not the most delicate maneuver but they are delicious and worth it.

If you are using the baby bok choy, add it to the still hot skillet once you’ve removed the crispy scallions. Cook in scallion oil until leaves are wilted and stem begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

When timer goes off, remove lid from rice pot and give mixture a stir. Rice should be perfectly cooked, plump, and almost risotto like, though without the extra liquid. Stir in reserved pork, crisped scallions, remaining 1/4 cup sliced dark green scallions, and bok choy if using. Finish with a squeeze from a lime wedge. Serve immediately and enjoy.

From Food52.com by gingerroot https://food52.com/recipes/27978-scallion-and-coconut-rice-with-pork