CSA Week 16

2 weeks left! Your final share will be the last week of October. Please remember to round up and return any CSA bags you have at home.*

In your share this week:

Potato
Yacon
Cabbage
Gills Golden Pippin Acorn Squash
Green Chilis

Full Shares Only:
Beets or Cauliflower
Carrot
Cucumber

Half Shares Only:
Broccoli or Beets or Cauliflower
Zucchini

If you didn’t happen to do your morning workout, we’ve got you covered! Your monster share is here. We weighed a box with two full shares and it came in at 33lbs, 15lbs a piece! This is possibly our heaviest share of the year and we hope you enjoy all the goodies inside.

You all have an old Oregon-bred acorn squash variety called Gill’s Golden Pippin. We find it is more like a Delicata in flavor than a typical acorn, and its small size makes it easy to portion. The skins are tender and tasty, so I wouldn’t bother peeling them. Typically I slice them in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. I either roast the halves face down in a pan with a bit of water (375 until a fork goes through easily, about 30 minutes), or slice them into half-moons, toss with oil, and roast them on a sheet pan until they are soft and caramelized. Store them at room temperature or use them as a decoration until you’re ready to eat them.

We’ve got some bigger-than-your-head sized purple cabbages! We’ve been watching these red cabbages size up in the field, and they’re finally ready. The largest we weighed was around 8.5 pounds. Some we cut in half because most of you probably don’t want 8+ pounds of cabbage. Fortunately, these delicious cabbages are great keepers and will store in your fridge for several weeks if you don’t use them right away. They are good braised, shredded for coleslaw, fermented into sauerkraut, or any other way you like to use fresh cabbage.

If you are a returning CSA member, you may remember yacon. But if you are a new member, this may be a whole new vegetable for you. Yacon (pronounced yah-CONE) is a member of the sunflower family from the Andes. This is the tuberous vegetable that looks like a sweet potato, oblong with dark skin. I strongly recommend eating it raw: it is sweet, crunchy, and juicy. Think of jicama, asian pear, or even a cucumber. We most often slice it up and eat it plain as a refreshing snack or side dish, it’s especially good with a squeeze of lime juice. Think of yacon more like a carrot than a potato; it should be stored in a plastic bag in the fridge. It will dry out and soften if left on the counter for long.

The skin is edible; it’s earthy and somewhat bitter. I like the balance with the sweet interior, but you can peel it if you prefer. Yacon browns soon after cutting, you can toss it with a bit of lime or lemon juice to keep it white. It can also be cooked, but I honestly haven’t found a way to cook it that’s much good, and it’s so delicious raw that I gave up trying. Some people like to juice it (we recommend peeling it first).

Here is a link to a more in-depth article about yacon in Mother Earth News. One thing worth noting is that yacon’s sweetness is from inulin, which makes it extremely low in calories and a better choice for diabetics.

Enjoy your share!

Herb-Roasted Parmesan Acorn Squash

From The Real Food Dietitians. Many folks know to cook acorn squash with brown sugar and raisins, but I prefer a more savory preparation like this. They call for ghee, but I usually use olive oil.

● 1 large acorn squash (or 2 small)
● 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
● 2-3 Tbsp. fresh herbs or 1 tsp. dried (suggest: thyme, sage, rosemary, or oregano)
● 1 Tbsp. ghee, melted, or olive oil
● 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
● 1/4 tsp. sea salt + more to taste
● 1/8 tsp. black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Then slice each half into ½ inch half moon slices. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.
3. Transfer to a large sheet pan and bake 25 minutes or until squash is cooked through and parmesan cheese is crispy and slightly brown.

Braised Red Cabbage with Caraway Seeds

From The Farm to Table Cookbook by Ivy Manning. She says: This is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. Add peeled apple wedges to the pan to sweeten the dish, if you like. This recipe can easily be halved. You can make the recipe vegetarian by replacing the bacon with 4 tsp of vegetable oil.

2 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 2 ½ pound head red cabbage (12 cups sliced)
2 tsp caraway seeds
¼ c red wine vinegar
¼ c chicken stock or water
1 heaping Tbsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper

1. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Saute the bacon until the fat renders and the bacon beings to crisp. Add the onion and cook until it becomes translucent, about 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, carefully halve the cabbage. Cut each half into 2 pieces and cut away the tough white core in the center of each piece. Thinly slice the cabbage.
3. Increase the heat to medium high and add a few handfuls of cabbage to the pan; stir with tongs and cover. Cook until the cabbage is slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Continue adding cabbage and wilting until all the cabbage fits in the pan.
4. Add remaining ingredients. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, about 30 minutes. The cabbage can be kept warm over low heat for up to 1 hour before serving.