CSA Week 10

Vegetable List

Brussel's Sprouts
Some Kind of Cabbage
Mokum Carrots
Rainbow Chard
Champion Collards
Eggplant'o'rama
Lacinato Kale
Red Russian Kale
Muir Head Lettuce
Ailsa Craig Sweet Onions
Bell Peppers
Hot Peppers
Sungolds
Tomatillos
Tomatoes
Some Kind of Zucchini and/or Summer Squash
PYO Herbs, Flowers, & Husk Cherries

Notes from the Farm

There is little more we can do this season... we've done the thing.
There are still some July planted crops waiting to come in, and most of the main season veggies are in full swing, but really, the cards are dealt and we're just playing out the hand.
It's a great feeling when September comes. There is an amount of quiet relief, thoughtful reflection, in September. You see, we're still in it, we still remember the summer, the spring... When mid-October gets here, something happens, there's a great Etch-a-sketching of our minds and memories and we have to strain to remember what actually happened in that season... as if when the season is over, it gets filed with all the other seasons into long term memory of farm... a layered mess of experience, uncategorized joys and pain. But September is for the now... the what happened, the why, the oh-wells...
The light hits differently in September... the mornings are slower (and darker)... the air feels less buffered. I welcome September and all it's nostalgic weight... maybe my 5th favorite month of the year... maybe.

Recipes

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Apple

3 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
4 pints Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 apple, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices, each slice halved crosswise
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange bacon in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until browned, 10 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts in a single layer; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until they begin to brown, about 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, and toss in apple. Return to oven; roast until Brussels sprouts are browned and tender and apple has softened, 10 to 15 minutes.
Toss vegetables with vinegar, and serve immediately.

Cashew-Chickpea Salad With Cabbage Slaw

Cashew-Chickpea Crunch
2 tablespoons creamy cashew butter, such as Fix & Fogg
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white or yellow miso
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (from a 1 ½-inch piece)
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
1 cup raw cashews, coarsely chopped (5 ounces)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds

Salad
¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger (from a 1-inch piece)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
5 cups finely shredded Savoy or red cabbage, or a combination
5 medium radishes (2 ounces), trimmed and julienned (¾ cup)
½ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves and thin stems, coarsely chopped
6 small mandarin oranges (about 12 ounces total), peels and pith removed, separated into segments

For the Cashew-Chickpea Crunch: Preheat oven to 425°F. In a bowl, whisk together cashew butter, olive oil, miso, tamari, and ginger. Add chickpeas, cashews, and sesame seeds; toss to combine. Spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until crunchy and golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
For the Salad: Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add cabbage, radishes, and cilantro; toss to coat. Fold in mandarins and season. Serve salad topped with chickpea crunch.

Swiss Chard Frittata

Tomatoes
24 cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon light-brown sugar
¼ teaspoon coarse salt

Frittata
18 large eggs
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large white onions, halved and sliced crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices
6 to 8 ounces Swiss chard, stems sliced thin, leaves sliced into ribbons
¾ cup cow's milk feta, crumbled

Preheat oven; prepare tomatoes and roast:Preheat oven to 325°F. In a 9-inch pie plate, place tomatoes and garlic cloves. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thyme, light-brown sugar, and salt. Drizzle over tomatoes and garlic and bake in the oven until tomatoes are wilted and caramelized, 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside.

Increase oven temperature; beat and season eggs:Increase oven temperature to 425°F, with the rack in the upper third of the oven. Lightly beat eggs in a large bowl with a whisk. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
Cook onions:In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Add chard stems, then leaves:Reduce heat to medium and add chard stems; cook until tender, 3 minutes. Add the chard leaves and stir to combine. Cook until wilted, about 1 minute.

Add egg mixture and cook:Pour egg mixture into skillet. Cook, using a heatproof spatula to gently stir and push eggs from edges to center of pan so runny parts run underneath, until eggs begin to set, about 2 minutes.

Scatter tomatoes and feta over top; bake:Scatter cooked tomatoes on top of the frittata and evenly distribute feta cheese on top. Transfer frittata to oven and cook until top is set and has puffed slightly, about 15 minutes.

Remove frittata from pan; slice and serve:Gently run a spatula around the edges and underneath the frittata and carefully slide out of the pan onto a cutting board. Slice into wedges and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.