CSA Newsletter Week 12

Vegetable List
BEETS!
Mokum Carrot
Swiss Chard
Fairy Tale Eggplant
Lacinato Kale
New Red Fire Head Lettuce
San Marzano Tomatoes
Tomatoes
Honeynut Squash
Jester Squash

Notes from the Farm Fall I guess... tomorrow I guess... one of the least arbitrary of all the arbitrary days we mark in the calendar. Even light, even dark... just even. All of the quarterly daylight extremes mean something, something in their evenness, their abundance (dark or light), something in the symmetry of time. It gets hard to grow food after the fall equinox. It can be done, and we do it, but it's a bit of a struggle. What is easy about the balanced light is knowing when to work and when to rest. In season, we can go hard, we run a little hot and we push every bit of daylight... farming as an addiction. This time of year, while every now and again I'll start harvesting by tractor light, we sleep a little later, because, for us, daylight matters. Night and day, are the same as an exhale and inhale... we inhale for a deep dive all day, and exhale as we come up in the evening to catch our breath. This time of year, the dives aren't nearly as deep, and the time treading with our heads above water, watching the stars, the sky, is longer. It's easy to see the farm is wearing our for 2021... doesn't mean we don't have food, but it does mean that in the near future, it'll be time to plan for our next whack at the attack.
Recipes Honeynut Squash, Leek, and Brie Gratin
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for dish
2 medium leeks, sliced into thin rounds, well washed (2 1/2 cups) K
osher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
6 no-bake lasagna noodles (4 ounces), broken roughly into thirds
1 honeynut squash or 1/2 butternut squash (10 ounces), peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 ounces Brie, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 1/3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, such as Swanson
1/3 cup heavy cream Salad greens, such as romaine and endive, for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees; butter a 10-inch, 1 1/2-quart gratin dish. In a skillet, cook 2 tablespoons butter, leeks, and a pinch of salt over medium-high heat, stirring, until soft, 8 minutes. Add vermouth; cook until mostly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. In another pan, melt remaining butter. Toss with panko; season with salt and pepper. Scatter half of pasta, leeks, squash, and cheese in gratin dish. Season with salt and pepper; repeat with remaining half of each. Pour broth and cream evenly over top; cover with parchment-lined foil and bake until squash is tender, 25 minutes. Sprinkle panko mixture over gratin. Bake, uncovered, until golden and bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes; serve with greens.

Eggplant Meatball Casserole
1 eggplant (1 pound), stemmed and cut in
4 3/4-inch planks Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 1/3 cups fresh breadcrumbs, preferably from a hearty Italian loaf
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (1 1/2 ounces)
1 small garlic clove, minced plus 2 cloves thinly sliced
1 large egg white
1 can (28 ounce) whole plum tomatoes, pulsed in food processor Red pepper flakes
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced into 12 thin squares

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt, place in a single layer around a colander set over a bowl, and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse eggplant, drain, and squeeze dry, pressing out excess moisture and patting with paper towel. Removing excess moisture helps make it easier to roll the balls. Meanwhile, spread 1 1/3 cup breadcrumbs in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until dried and just turning golden, 5 minutes. Let cool. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10 inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the eggplant in a single layer; cook, flipping one time, about 5 minutes. Transfer to colander. Repeat adding another tablespoon of oil and second half of eggplant. If pan gets too hot, adjust heat. Wipe out pan. Let eggplant cool slightly in colander. Transfer eggplant to a food processor, discarding any extra juices that drained out. Add toasted breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and minced garlic. Pulse until mixture is a chunky paste, about 6 pulses. Transfer to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in egg white. Chill until cold, about 30 minutes. Form mixture into 12 balls, coating the outsides with remaining breadcrumbs to help shape the balls. Chill at least 1 hour until firmer and cold and up to overnight. Best results with an overnight chill. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 10 inch enameled cast iron casserole or cast iron skillet over medium-high. Add meatballs working in two batches; cook, turning carefully with a spoon to help retain shape, until browned all over, about 6 to 7 minutes. If pan gets too hot, adjust heat. Transfer to a plate. Add remaining tablespoon oil and sliced garlic; stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, a large pinch of red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt; bring to a boil. Return meatballs to pan; spooning sauce over to coat. Bake until sauce is slightly thickened, 18 minutes. Remove casserole from oven. Set oven to broil. Top each meatball with a piece of mozzarella; return to oven. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden in spots, about 3 to 4 minutes.