“The truth is that we never conquered the world, never understood it; we only think we have control. We do not even know why we respond in a certain way to other organisms, and need them in diverse ways so deeply.”
- Edward O. Wilson

What’s in the box this week: (content differences between Family and Small Shares are underlined and italicized; items with a “+” in Family Shares are more in quantity than in Small)

Family Share:
Apples
Broccoli +
Carrots
Cucumbers or summer squash
Green beans +
Kale or chard
Lettuce +
Mustard greens
Potatoes
Radishes or cilantro
Scallions
Tomatoes
Winter squash (Butternut)

Small Share:
Apples
Broccoli
Carrots
Green beans
Kale or chard
Lettuce
Potatoes
Radishes or cilantro
Scallions
Winter squash (Butternut)

Extra Fruit Option:
Apples, pears, and strawberries

CALENDAR

Nov. 15/16
Last shares of the season!

Nov. 29
First Winter Share delivery

Overwhelmed by the bombardment of negative news and information just before the election I have this feeling of paralysis, witnessing a spectacle of political chaos and a system that is completely out of touch and out of control. Although one might question the integrity of the election process and how much of a difference one vote can really make, I can't help but be an optimist when I see so many people around me searching for ways to live a life that integrates with and respects the earth and its cohabitants. It may seem like a small step, but I see a CSA share as an opportunity to slow down our ever-accelerating lifestyle of obligations and commitments. I know it will take time to clean, prepare and cook the kale, carrots, green beans, and potatoes in this week’s share, however watch what happens in a moment when we are slowing down. Suddenly we appreciate the lifecycle of these crops that started from a tiny seed or tuber. The potatoes we planted in the spring come from an organic potato farm in Colorado and have been in the ground for over 4 months; the kale was sown and transplanted by hand; the carrots (which are still sizing up) have been carefully watered to ensure good germination, as well as weeded and thinned to ensure they will develop a nice size. Green beans, as you well know, are the most difficult when it comes to picking: each bean is carefully plucked from the plant so as not to damage the flowers and other tiny baby beans still developing. I love to pay attention to the texture, smell, shapes, and colors of vegetables; like a piece of art they stimulate all my senses.

Field Notes from Farmer Tom
The majority of next season’s strawberry plants are on hand but in cold storage, since they need a certain amount of chilling before being planted out into the field. This is really important, in order to ensure that the plants are productive and vigorous over the course of next season. We are currently preparing two acres of raised beds and will be planting approximately 55,000 plants over the next two weeks. With last week’s rain we also have the ideal planting conditions for next year’s fava beans and all our winter cover crops. I was hoping to give everyone cabbage and cauliflower in the last shares of the season, however they will probably not mature in time. So it looks like the winter shares will benefit, by having bountiful amounts of these two crops towards the end of November.

Notes from Debbie’s Kitchen . . . . . . . . Have a recipe you’d like to share? Contact Debbie.
This week, a few tried and true favorites, and a few of my own. - Debbie

Debbie's Green Bean, Winter Squash and Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce
This is really very easy. Serves 2-3, or more if you increase the ingredient quantities.

6 to 8 fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large delicata squash, peeled, seeded, cut lengthwise into quarters, then crosswise into half-inch chunks
A bunch of green beans, stem end cut off, then cut into short segments
Half an onion, thinly sliced
1 uncooked Italian sausage
about 1 C chicken broth or stock
½ tsp. fennel seed
olive oil and salt

In a large skillet, start sautéing onion and fennel seed in some olive oil over medium-high heat. Squeeze sausage out of its casing into pan, and break apart with a wooden spoon. Cook a few minutes, until sausage is well broken up and cooked through. Add squash pieces, stir to distribute. Sprinkle in some salt. Add tomatoes, green beans and broth, then cover and cook over medium heat about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. At about the 20 minute mark, start your pasta water. Once the squash is cooked through, uncover the sauce and keep cooking to reduce liquid until it’s reached the desired consistency. Serve over cooked pasta and pass the parmesan cheese and grater!

Spicy Sardine & Broccoli Pasta
(originally run in 1999, Week 28)

I make this recipe often. It is one of my husband’s and my favorites!

A bunch of broccoli or broccolini, florettes and stems cut into largish but bite-sized pieces
1 tin of sardines, in olive oil
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. oil from tinned sardines
1 tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp. hot red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, crushed
penne pasta

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until done, adding broccoli pieces during the last 3 to 4 minutes of cooking time so they’ll be done at the same time. Meanwhile, combine soy sauce, olive oil, sugar, chilies and garlic in a small bowl or cup. Drain pasta/broccoli well, dump back into pot, break up sardines into it then stir in sauce and mix well. Serve hot, but is also good cold, as a ‘pasta salad.’

Butternut Bisque
(originally run in 1998, week 25) serves 6

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 C finely chopped onion
1 large butternut squash, peeled seeded & cut into 1" chunks
2 med. pears, peeled, cored & cut into 1" chunks
1 med. tart apple (peel, core, etc.)
4 tsp. lemon juice, divided
1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 14.5 oz. can chicken broth (or equivalent of homemade stock)
1 C apple juice
1 C water
1/4 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper

In a medium pan, sauté onion in oil over medium-low heat, 10 min. Add all ingredients except 2 tsp. of the lemon juice, and the pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool slightly. With a slotted spoon, transfer cooked solids to a blender or food processor. Puree until very smooth. Stir back into remaining broth. Stir in remaining lemon juice and the pepper. Heat through.

Deb’s Potato Gnocchi
(that’s pronounced “nyo-kee”)
(originally run in 1998, week 14)

about 1 lb. potatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lg. or 2 sm. egg yolks
3/4 - 1 C flour

Scrub potatoes and boil in their skins until tender (15 - 20 min.). Drain, allow to cool, then mash or rice them. (Note 1: do NOT use a food processor or potatoes become gluey! Note 2: I am a big fan of potato skins -- they're tasty and nutritious, so I leave them on. If you don't care for them, feel free to peel.) Add yolks and salt to mashed potatoes and mix well. Work in about 3/4 cups of the flour, kneading into a dough. Add additional flour to make a firm, smooth dough that does not stick to your fingers. Divide dough into 2 or 3 parts. On a floured surface, roll each into a rope about 1/2" in diameter. Cut into 1" segments. Round up segments with your fingers, then roll under the tines of a fork to create ridges (optional). At this point, you can either cook 'em or freeze 'em. To freeze: place on wax paper on a cookie sheet (close together but not touching) and freeze. Remove from sheets, store in ziploc bags in freezer. To cook: drop into ample boiling salted water (do not crowd them). They are ready when they rise to the surface. Remove w/slotted spoon. Serve any number of ways: with your favorite sauce, with melted butter, minced parsley and parmesan, or with broccoli in a cheese sauce, or...?

Strawberry Carrot Cake
(originally run in 2002, week 23)

for cake:
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 C oil
1/2 C plain yogurt
1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 C water
1/2 C chopped pecans
1 C finely shredded carrots
1 C chopped strawberries (or other tangy fruit like pineapple, kiwi, mango...)

for strawberry-cream cheese glaze:
(or use your favorite cream-cheese frosting)
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp. mashed strawberries
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 C powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt cake pan or two 9-inch layer cake pans. (Note: layer cakes come out most easily if pans are greased, then the bottoms lined with waxed paper, then greased again and floured.) Sift together the first six ingredients. In a separate bowl, blend together the oil, yogurt and brown sugar. At low speed, blend in eggs, then water. To this mixture add the dry ingredients, and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. By hand, stir in the pecans, carrots and strawberries until just blended. Pour batter into the prepared pan(s). Bake the bundt cake for 45 to 55 minutes, or the cake layers for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 7 minutes then remove from pan(s). Cool completely. Frost as desired and refrigerate.

To make strawberry-cream cheese glaze:
Beat softened cream cheese, mashed strawberries and vanilla in a small bowl on low speed until blended. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. That's it!

*Click Here* for a link to a comprehensive listing of recipes from Live Earth Farm's newsletters going back as far as our 1998 season! You can search for recipes by key ingredient. Recipe site is updated weekly during the season.