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Localvore Members
& Regular Veggie Only Share Members
take a LIGHT GREEN/TAN BAG
This week your bag will contain:
Mesclun, Potatoes, Beets, Chard,
Parsnips, Onions, Mustard Greens, Radicchio
And OUT of the bag:
Winter Sweet Squash
Localvore Offerings Include:
Gleasons Pastry Flour
Butternut Farms Maple Sugar
Tangletown Eggs (Wednesday Deliveries Only)
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Half Veggie Only Members
take a YELLOW BAG
containing:
Mesclun, Potatoes, Head Lettuce, Red Chard,
Parsnips, Onions
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Thanksgiving Schedule Update
Thanksgiving week, we will be delivering shares one day earlier than usual, to accommodate your cooking and travelling plans. Keep this in mind and let us know at least a week in advance if you need to turn off your share.
Remember, you can also share with a friend, or donate your veggies to the food shelf!
Tell your friends and family: We still have all share types available!
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Around the Farm
As cold weather sets in and the days become noticeably shorter, we might feel the urge to move inside, huddle for warmth, and prepare ourselves for the long, dark winter ahead. It's almost easy to forget what a beautiful time of year this is, making for some of the best days outside. We have been busy harvesting greens from our high tunnels in the low afternoon light and the cool, crisp air. Chard, mustards, lettuces, and more. It's perfect weather for some of these crops, which can be damaged by the mid-summer sun pounding down. Sometimes it seems like they're breathing a big sigh of relief, now that they're experiencing true fall weather.
I recently learned about the Norwegian town of Tromso (maybe you've heard of it too) where the sun doesn't rise above the horizon for part of the winter. And yet, the people of Tromso are just as happy as those who experience a warm, sunny climate year-round. Research has shown that it's all about their mindset; they enjoy the beauty of the winter landscape, even without the sun, and their daily activities revolve around creating community and koselig, a "sense of coziness." On the farm, we're excited for fall and winter too- the coming months are the best time of year to share wholesome, warm meals with family and friends, and to get outside to enjoy the beauty of our Vermont landscape.
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Storage and Use Tips
Mesclun - This week's mesclun is a diverse mix of lettuce, claytonia, mizuna, tatsoi, and more. Will make amazing salads. Store in the crisper drawer of your fridge for 3 to 7 days.
Peter Wilcox Potatoes - Peter Wilcox potatoes are in your share this week! Wilcox potatoes are beautiful purple potatoes. They are nicely textured, firm but not waxy, and wonderful whether roasted, boiled, or sliced into wedges or fried. They have a full earthy flavor that hints of hazelnuts. For best visual and nutritional effects, leave the skin on while cooking.
Red Chard - Red stemmed chard, a relative of beets, is packed with nutrients and has a mild but unique flavor. Chard works great as a spinach substitute but needs to be cooked down a bit longer. It also works well in soups and stews, or sauteed as a side.
Parsnips - Although these roots look a bit like white carrots, they are distinctly different, with a slightly sweet but with a more starchy and earthy taste. Peel larger parsnips, and cut out the core if it seems woody. The parsnip is usually cooked but can also be eaten raw (I would recommend roasting). Refrigerate unwashed parsnips in a loosely wrapped or perforated plastic bag for up to two weeks. This means you can save them for Thanksgiving and treat your family to this special vegetable!
Onions - So many great meals start with sauteeing chopped onions (including Thanksgiving stuffing next week!). Store onions in a cool dry spot until use.
 Head Lettuce - Half shares will have tender head lettuce this week. Pat dry and store in your fridge for 3 to 7 days. Great for salads, on sandwiches, or as wraps for quinoa or chicken salad.
Beets - Red beets will be in the full share this week. Great shredded on salads, or roasted. Will work great with next week's sweet potatoes in a roasted medley if you wanted to hold onto them.
Asian Greens - Full shares this week will see pak choi or mustard greens in their share. Pak choi (also called bok choi) is slightly sweet, succulent, and tender. It's amazing raw in salads or as a side, and can also be lightly steamed or braised for a variety of dishes. Mustards, on the other hand, have a spicy bite to them that is vaguely reminiscent to the condiment you know. They become milder when cooked (try them in place of spinach in a ricotta dip, or braised with carmelized onions over pasta). Store in the fridge up to one week.
Radicchio - Full shares will see this small, red and white head. This lettuce relative is actually a chicory, which has a bitter punch of flavor. Radicchio makes a great addition to salads for a pop of color and a contrast in flavor. You can also use the leaves as a base for hors d'oeuvres, or sauté them for a side dish. Pairs well with full-flavored cheeses, balsamic vinegar, and honey.
Winter Sweet Squash - Winter Sweets (in the full veggie share) are a kabocha variety that, as the name suggests, have a very sweet, bright orange flesh. When roasted, they have a somewhat dry, flaky flesh that is surprisingly hearty; nutty and irresistable. These squash can be stored for a while under the right conditions (about 50 degrees).
Veggie Storage and Use Tips are on our website too, so please bookmark the recipe and storage tip section. I am sure you will find it useful.
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Changes to Your Delivery?
If you will be away some upcoming week, and need to make changes to your share delivery, let us know at least 1 week before the change. You can have your share donated to the Food Pantry, or you can skip your share delivery and you will retain a credit on your account toward the purchase of your next share.
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Localvore Lore
Thanksgiving is on our minds this week for the Localvore share! We wanted to bring you some special local products that you can start baking with to prepare for next week.
 Gleason Grains' Lemon Fair Pastry Flour is coming to you as a practical yet special treat before Thanksgiving. Ben Gleason in Bridport has been growing exceptional winter and spring wheat for over 20 years, which he harvests and mills into whole wheat flours. This pastry flour is sifted to remove a small percentage of the bran, making it a wonderful flour for pastry and cakes.
Butternut Mountain Farms Maple Sugar is another local Vermont treat for cooking and baking with this week. This granulated form of maple sugar stores well and has a robust maple flavor that makes it versatile and special. It's made by evaporating the water out of maple syrup. It can be used in baking (great in crumble-top pies), or in a dry rub for chicken or pork.
 We are distributing Tangletown Eggs to Wednesday pickup sites this week, which Thursday sites got last week. Those hens are doing their best, and it takes time to produce all of the eggs we need for a CSA distribution. At Tangletown Farm in West Glover, Lila Bennett, David Robb, and their kids raise pasture-based hens on their land, and feed them Vermont grains and vegetables. These chickens have mobile coops to keep the pastures and their diets lush and healthy. And as you know, they are return borrowers from VFF!
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Recipes
Roasted Carrots & Parsnips with Shallot & Herb Butter
A great Thanksgiving side next week, to use with the carrots coming in your share. Or, substitute beets or even potatoes for carrots.
 5 large carrots (about 1 lb.), peeled
4 large parsnips (about 1 lb.), peeled
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2 Tbs. minced shallot
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh chives
1-1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1-1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.
Cut the carrots and parsnips into 2 x1/4-inch matchsticks. Put them in a large bowl; toss with the oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and toss again. Transfer the vegetables to a 10x15-inch Pyrex dish and roast, stirring every 15 min., until the vegetables are nicely browned, 40 to 45 min.
Meanwhile, combine the butter, shallot, chives, rosemary, thyme, and garlic in a small bowl and stir well. Add the butter to the roasted vegetables and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Grilled Radicchio and Fontina
This recipe is a great starting point for learning to love radicchio, an Italian specialty. You can cut the bitterness further by adding honey to the vinaigrette, or substituting your favorite cheese for fontina (blue cheese, perhaps?). I recently enjoyed a similar radicchio dish where the grilled wedges were then wrapped in prosciutto, topped with a béchamel sauce and rosemary, then baked. Use your imagination, and enjoy!
 One 10-ounce head radicchio
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup (3 ounces) finely grated fontina
Keeping base intact, quarter radicchio so head opens out into four wedges. Combine vinegar, salt, pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano. Whisk in oil. Brush half the vinaigrette over and into cut radicchio.
Place a grill pan over medium heat. Place radicchio, cut-side down, on the pan. Cover radicchio with a metal bowl. Cook 2 to 4 minutes, until leaves start to soften. Turn radicchio over. Tuck some of the grated cheese into leaves, separating layers a little; sprinkle some more cheese over surface, leaving a little for garnish. Cover, and cook on low heat until outer leaves are soft and cheese has melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to serving platter, drizzle with remaining half of the vinaigrette, 1/2 tablespoon oregano, and cheese. Serve with lemon wedges.
Pasta with Caramelized Onions and Bitter Greens
You can use chard, Asian greens, mustard greens etc. in this simple yet satisfying weeknight meal.
 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 medium onions, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rings
1 teaspoon sugar
4 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade) or water
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound fettuccine
1 head chicory (curly endive), mustard greens, kale, or arugula, washed, with tough ribs removed and leaves torn into pieces
Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sugar and cook, stirring once or twice, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Turn heat to low; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 10 minutes.
Remove half the onions and set aside. Add broth or water to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat, scraping bottom of pan, for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook pasta in boiling salted water until a little underdone, and drain. Add to broth; simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add greens; cook, covered, until wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in additional tablespoon of butter, if desired. Divide among 4 shallow bowls, garnish with reserved onions, and serve.
Classic Single Pie Crust
This recipe from King Arthur is easy, and can be made in advance for your pies next week! This recipe yeilds one single pie crust; double to have enough for a top crust.
 1 1/2 cups Pastry Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons shortening
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 to 5 tablespoons ice water
Whisk together the flour and salt.
Add the shortening, working it in until the mixture is evenly crumbly.
Add the butter to the flour mixture, and work it in roughly with your fingers, a pastry cutter, or a mixer. Don't be too thorough; the mixture should be very uneven, with big chunks of butter in among the smaller ones.
Add 2 tablespoons of water, and toss to combine.
Toss with enough additional water to make a chunky mixture. It should barely hold together when you squeeze a handful, though the remainder may look quite dry.
Scoop the mixture out onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper, and flatten it out a bit. Take a spray bottle of water, and spritz the dry parts with the water.
Using the parchment or waxed paper, fold the dough over on itself — first from one side, then from the other. You'll find that the dry crumbs are becoming incorporated with the cohesive dough. If there are still dry areas, spritz them with additional water, and fold the dough in on itself again. Keep folding and gathering until just a few dry crumbs remain unincorporated; this should only take a few folds.
Shape the dough into a disk about 1" thick, and refrigerate it for 30 minutes or longer; this resting period allows the flour to absorb the water, making the dough easier to roll out.
When you're "ready to roll," remove the dough from the fridge. If the dough has been refrigerated longer than 30 minutes, let it rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling, to allow the butter to soften up a bit.
Roll the dough to the size needed (about 12" for a 9" pie). Place it in a pie pan, and refrigerate it while you prepare your filling. Fill and bake as directed in your recipe.
Kabocha Squash Cheesecake with Walnut Crust
This sounds like a wonderful dessert to make ahead of time for Thanksgiving! Cheesecake can be frozen or refrigerated if made in advance. Try substituting about ¼ of the sugar with maple sugar for an added maple flavor.
 For kabocha squash filling:
One 3-pound kabocha squash
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons brandy
2 large eggs
For walnut crust:
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing pan ½ cup walnuts,
½ cup packed light brown sugar
11 graham crackers, crushed into fine crumbs, about 1 ½ cups
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
To make filling: Bake squash, halved and seeds removed, face down and covered with foil in a 350 degree oven for about one hour, or until soft. When squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh of the squash into a bowl.
Meanwhile, make the crust: Spread walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven, shaking pan occasionally, about 15min. Coarsely grind walnuts and ¼ cup of brown sugar. Add graham cracker crumbs, lime zest, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and remaining ¼ cup brown sugar. Mix well, add melted butter and mix with your hands until everything is evenly moistened. Transfer mixture to a greased 9-inch pan and press into an even layer on the bottom. Bake crust until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool completely. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees.
Put cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt into bowl of a food processor and process, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl occasionally, until mixture is light and smooth. Add squash and process again, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl occasionally, until smooth. Add brandy and eggs and process just until they are incorporated. Transfer to a bowl and finish mixing with a rubber spatula.
Transfer filling to the cooled crust. Bake until center is set but still slightly jiggly, about 1 hour. Cool completely. Refrigerate six hours or overnight.
Top with homemade whipped cream, sweetened with maple sugar if you have it.
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Share Pick-Up Instructions! Please review.
Whether you are a seasoned CSA share member or new to Good Eats, it's important to review the pick-up instructions before you head out to pick up your share!
Step #1:
Find your name on the Names List - Find your name on the pick-up list and check it off. The first clipboard contains a list of all share members at your site. Note that only one name is listed for each share. If you can't find your name on the list, look for your share partner's name (only one of you is listed). Checking off your name lets us know who has picked up and is extremely helpful in solving any mysteries at the end of the day. If you can't find your name or your share partner's name, please don't take a share! Call or email us and we'll figure it out.
Check your share type on the Names List. Share types are Localvore, Localvore Vegetarian, Half Veggie with Pantry, Half Veggie with Pantry Vegetarian, Veggie Only, Half Veggie Only, Pete's Pantry, Pete's Pantry Vegetarian, or Meat Share. If you are listed incorrectly or have questions, let us know.Step #2:
Pick-Up Instructions - Select your items by following the Pick-Up Instructions. These are posted on a second clipboard or on an attached sheet. Follow the specific item list/instructions to assemble your share. The top section of the pick up list describes what to select for the vegetable only share. The bottom section of the Pick-Up Instructions lists the localvore (non-vegetable) items that Localvore and Pantry members should select.
If you are sharing a share with someone - coordinate with your share-mate to make sure that you DON'T take double the amount of any items. All shares are packed and delivered to the sites are whole shares.
Which color bag do I take?
If you are a Localvore or Veggie Only member take a tan / light green bag shown in the picture, on the left.
If you are a Half share member (with or without pantry) take a bright yellow bag shown in the picture, on the right.
You will also look for "out of bag" items. Localvore/Pantry items will need to be gathered from their respective bins/containers.
The Next Meat Share pickup isn't until December.
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