All the vegetables were not quite processed and ready to be photographed by the time I needed to leave the farm today so I wasn’t able to take a basket photo, sorry! Here is a list of the veggies in your box this week…

• Lacinato kale
• Chard
• Brussels Sprouts
• Carrots
• Beets
• Leeks
• Bosc Pears
• Hubba squash
• Lettuce

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

* All members for the 2014 season will be receiving the Late Season post today…WordPress does not have a simple way to search for and omit email addresses once they have been added. If you prefer not to receive these posts, please just scroll down to the bottom of your email and unsubscribe…we apologize for the inconvenience.

*Next week is the last week of the extended season! If you happen to have any stray CSA boxes that you accidentally took home, please bring them to your drop site this week or next…we really appreciate it!

*Also, if you would like to order tomato sauce or strawberry jam, this will be the last time to do so and have it delivered to your drop site. Even though the CSA is ending for the year, we will still be at our Portland Farmers Market locations for a few more weeks so you can order sauce and jam to be delivered to the markets for pick up. The holidays are approaching and sauce and jam make a great local gift!

*This Sunday, November 16th is the Fill Your Pantry bulk buying event at the Lane Events Center, hosted by the Willamette Farm and Food Coalition.  We will be there! You can click here for more information.

VEGETABLE HANDLING AND PREPARATION TIPS

BRUSSELS SPROUTS:  Brussles sprouts keep longest if they are left attached to the stalk, but if you are short on refrigerator space, snap off the sprouts and store them unwashed in a closed plastic bag in the veggie bin. Even when they are left on the stalk they should be wrapped in plastic to prevent wilting. Their flavor is sweetest right after harvest, so try to use them within a few days.

Cooking: If you haven’t done so already, snap Brussels sprouts off the stalk and remove any loose or discolored leaves. Trim the base of each sprout and cut a shallow X in the stem end to speed cooking. Rinse the sprouts in cool water.

The key to using Brussels sprouts is cooking them enough, but not too much. As with full-size cabbage, overcooking Brussels sprouts evokes an unpleasant, sulfurous smell that makes people run for cover. Ideally, sprouts should be tender enough to yield when pierced with a fork but not so soft that the fork sinks right in.

• Roast Brussels sprouts: first boil the sprouts until just tender, 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size. Drain, then coat lightly in olive oil, lace in a roasting pan and roast in a 375° F oven until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Steam and boil Brussels sprouts, but maintain a close eye on them and check with a fork often.
•  Slice Brussels sprouts to about 1/3 inch thick and stir-fry them with onions and ginger.

*This information was found in Farmer John’s Cookbook The Real Dirt on Vegetables

RECIPES!

Honey Roasted Bosc Pears from health.com

Brussels Sprouts Sliders from nytimes.com

Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Apple Salad from loveandlemons.com

more Brussels Sprout recipe ideas from epicurious.com

NEWS FROM THE FIELD It could not have been a colder, wetter, morning here on the farm! The crew braved the harsh conditions to bring you a beautiful box of vegetables this week, and we are so grateful! I went up to the barns to see if I could take a few photos of these hard working folks, but it was such a dark and gloomy day, it was hard to capture!

Katie and Andrea were polishing and counting out the beautiful bright orange Hubba squash, and DJ was bagging your carrots and beets. I also got a chance to see Kevin and Emma washing your lettuce, here’s a photo of Kevin, bundled but cheerfully washing…

The rain hardly gave up all morning, so I wasn’t able to take any pictures of the harvest out in the fields today, but luckily I was out on the farm a few weeks ago and was able to take some shots of the always impressive field of greens. These hardy brassicas were glowing with a fine layer of beaded morning dew, and I couldn’t resist capturing them in their splendor…they really were glowing!

It’s hard to believe that next week is already the last week of the 2014 CSA season. The weather today really makes me realize that winter is knocking on our door, and warm summer days seem so long ago already.  Although long, cold winter days and evenings seem a little daunting this time of year, the way time flies by, we will be getting ready to plant the first seeds in the greenhouse before we know it. Right now it’s time to reflect on the season, cozy up to the fire, and fill our bellies with hearty soups, root bakes, leafy greens, and sweet pears… we hope you all stay warm and dry, and enjoy the food from the farm this week.

-Sara