Welcome to the first 2020/2021 Winter share. Thanks for choosing our vegetables to grace your tables this fall… winter… spring… the season we call winter tends to drag itself out, doesn’t it? Each month, I hope that you will see your winter share as a re-setting of sorts for yourself and anyone you share food with as you get replenished with winter staples.

If this is your first time getting a CSA share with us- a special welcome! In times of uncertainty, thank you for plugging into something local. If this is your twentieth share with us, or some number in between, thank you for coming back for more. And, if you had a summer share with us… you can go ahead and use that one last carrot you’ve been hoarding–I speak from experience.

The end of last season’s Winter share felt smothered in uncertainty. The start of this one feels similar. We are facing a long winter with more uncertainty. In the midst of all the challenge and trouble, I hope you can find ways to lean into any and all of the things that feel positive and bring you joy. Maybe finding new ways to use your CSA share, or creative ways to share food with others in a safe way will be a focus this season.

Trepidation, shaken, not stirred, seems to be on the drink menu for our country, and world, this year. I’m not a linguist, but trepidation has always felt like a word of movement to me. I suppose one could sit in trepidation, though I think of it pairing with “walking forward in -” or “moving through with -“.

Whatever comes in these winter months, I hope that in moving forward, with whichever emotions we bring, we can work in our own day-to-days to bring healing and to make manifest a world with more possibility for everyone.

For the farm crew,

Karin

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In your share this month:
Brussels Sprouts – Beets – Green Cabbage – Carrots – Celery* – Delicata and Kabocha Winter Squash – Onions – Red and Yellow Potatoes – Turnips

A note on the celery in today’s share: this crop was one of the things that we harvested half-frozen in the snow a few weeks ago, and it was the least able to cope with that kind of abuse. It’s not in great shape and we debated not sending it at all, but in the end decided that we would let members make the call of whether they can use it or not. It wouldn’t fit in the regular boxes, so look for the gray harvest bins nearby. This is a new-ish crop for us, and when it works well the flavor is amazing so we hope it’s worth your patience at times like this when it’s below our normal quality standards.

Brussels Sprouts – From the Crowded Kitchen

• 3 ½ lbs. brussels sprouts, peeled
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tbsp fine kosher salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper

Maple Mustard Dressing:

• 2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ⅛ tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. 
2. Wash and thoroughly dry brussels sprouts. To prep brussels sprouts, slice off the woody, tough stem, then use your hands to peel off the leaves. You may have to trim the steam again as you work towards the interior. See blog posts for photo tutorial! 
3. Toss leaves with olive oil, salt and pepper and transfer to 2 large sheet pans. Roast for 30-35 minutes total, stirring well half way through cook time and again at 25 minutes. For even cooking, switch bottom and top trays halfway through cooking. Keep a close eye on the oven as oven times may differ. 
4. Meanwhile, whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth. 
5. Remove brussels sprouts from oven, transfer to a large bowl and toss with dressing. Serve warm. 

Lemon Tahini Dressing for roasted veggies (or whatever!)

• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 juice and zest of lemon
• 1 clove garlic grated
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ~¼ cup hot water
• ¼ cup parsley minced

In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice/zest, garlic, and salt. Slowly add in the hot water until desired consistency is reached. Stir in parsley and toss on roasted vegetables!