CSA Week 13

Vegetable List

Brussels Sprouts
Mokum Carrots
Swiss Chard
Large Eggplant of some kind?
Fairy Tale Eggplant
Vates Kale
Muir Lettuce
Green Bell Peppers
Red Bell Peppers
Hotties! Aji, Poblano, Green Chile, Habanero, and Jalapenos
Conservor Shallots
Winter Squash! Butterkin, Delicata, & Honeynut
PYO Herbs
PYO Flowers

Notes from the Farm

This is the week when we can touch the horizon... from our chair out front of the Farmstand, after a long day, a long day that is a long season, a long season that has been a long life of farming... this is what it's all about.
Fall is the most nostalgic time of year, we're not done, we've done a lot, but the space that exists is real. It's all real.
Fall is for lovers, for dreamers... fall is for all of us that like to sit in our chairs out side of our farmstands and fiddle with our memories... who like to twist our memories in new and juicy ways... who like the quiet of alone and space, the low light, the hot afternoon and love the cool cool mornings.
Sitting here, I can see it all. I see the end, I remember the beginning, I think about the smiles and the hurt and the exhaustion and the sweat and the accomplishments... so many laughs... and lots of hurt.
All I ever want is to nail a farm season... it's an impossible task, there is so much to screw up, so many mistakes and forgotten chores and things that just get put on the mañana pile... but nailing a farm season, getting a perfect one, isn't totally possible... it's a series of mistakes, good mistakes, mistakes to be celebrated... an agricultural kintsugi.
And those mistakes make me love it, and love the farmers, and the season.
It's hard to not love it all... sitting here, outside my farmstand, with my hands deep in the horizon.

Recipes

Spiced Roasted Carrots and Onion

½ teaspoon ras el hanout
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound large carrots (about 4 total), peeled
1 small red onion (5 ounces)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450°F. In a large bowl, whisk together ras el hanout, honey, and oil. Cut carrots in half lengthwise, then again crosswise. (If there are extra-thick pieces, halve them again lengthwise, so all are about the same size.) Cut onion in half through its root, then
cut each half lengthwise into thirds, making sure to keep root intact. Toss carrots and onion with oil mixture; season with salt and pepper.
Spread vegetables in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet, cut-sides down. Roast, undisturbed, until cut sides are golden brown and vegetables are tender, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool completely, then serve, or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days. (Return to room temperature or gently rewarm before serving.)

Honeynut Squash, Leek, and Brie Gratin

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for dish
2 medium leeks, sliced into thin rounds, well washed (2 ½ cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup dry vermouth
⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
6 no-bake lasagna noodles (4 ounces), broken roughly into thirds
1 honeynut squash or ½ butternut squash (10 ounces), peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch slices
4 ounces Brie, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 ⅓ cups low-sodium vegetable broth, such as Swanson
⅓ 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.


Spicy Squash Salad With Ginger-Lime Dressing

½ small butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, halved, and cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 small acorn squash (1 pound), peeled and cut into ¾-inch wedges
Coarse salt
¼ cup very thinly sliced shallot
¼ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup safflower oil
1 to 2 red Thai chiles, thinly sliced (2 teaspoons), ribs and seeds removed if less heat is desired
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger (from a 2-inch piece)
⅓ cup packed thinly sliced fresh basil, plus more for serving
¼ cup packed thinly sliced fresh mint, plus more for serving
8 cups mixed lettuces, such as Boston, Bibb, and lolla rossa or baby red leaf, for serving

Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in large pot with a steamer insert or colander. Add squashes and season with salt. Cover and cook until just tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer, in a single layer, to a baking sheet and let cool about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine shallot and lime juice in a small bowl and let stand 10 minutes.
Whisk oil, chiles, and ginger into shallot mixture.
Toss squash with 1/2 cup dressing and herbs. Season with salt. Toss lettuces with 2 to 3 tablespoons dressing; season with salt. Arrange squashes and lettuces on plates. Serve, topped with more herbs and drizzled with remaining dressing.