Fall #1/10: Fall Begins With Broccoli, Beets, Fennel & Acorn Squash
Happy Fall, Y’all!
We’re switching over to our Fall CSA Season & Hours this week. The farm will be open on Tuesdays 12-6pm and Wednesdays from 10am-5pm from now through December 9th, and we're looking forward to sharing another great season with our CSA Members and local customers! (No Saturdays until next Summer, though). Remember—you don’t have to be a CSA Member to shop at our Farm Stand, and it will still be stocked with an array of organic seasonal produce and local foods. Every Fall, we look forward to providing an opportunity for people to taste and cook with a variety of Winter Squashes, Pumpkins, Pears and Apples at their peak. And I really mean it—there are THIRTEEN varieties of Organic Washington Apples available at the Farm Stand this week, many of which are heirloom varieties that we only get to enjoy for a short window each Fall. So, if you’ve been craving the sweet snap of a new-crop Apple, you’ll want to get over here.
We're starting our Fall CSA season with a big and bright Beet harvest (Red, Golden & Candy), more Broccoli, and is often our custom, the humble yet mighty Acorn Squash. We like to ease into Fall with Acorns, because they're a manageable weeknight serving size, they're versatile, and they have a nutty flavor that you can take in both sweet and savory directions. Acorns don't have the hard exterior of the longest storing varieties, but that's why we enjoy them sooner as opposed to later. They can be served stuffed, or even roasted in wedges or rounds, and eaten with the skins on. (Permission to not peel, granted...and encouraged!) You can even toast up the seeds like you would with a pumpkin. We’ve also got a batch of big aromatic Fennel bulbs on the harvest list today, and I’m stoked that it will overlap with Beets and Apples. If you're on the fence about Fennel, or the flavor seems too intense, I recommend cooking or caramelizing it with another aromatic vegetable like onion or garlic. It mellows the flavor while bringing a really incredible sweetness to a meal. You can also roast it up, nice and crispy, as a flavorful topping for your first squash soup of the season, a la Alice Waters. Though we’re a little sad to watch Summer fade out, the fields are giving us a lot to be excited about for the months ahead. I hope you'll scroll down for the first of many weekly selections of recipes to help you make the most of season at hand.
Many Thanks,
Katie
PS: If you're taking the Fall off from the CSA but intend to return for a future season, be sure to keep an eye peeled for a Priority Registration Link in early November.
IN THE FARMSHARES THIS WEEK:
CSA: Last chance to pick flowers!
Broccoli
Shishito Peppers
Fennel
Acorn Squash
Spitzenberg & King David Apples
RECIPES & SEASONAL TIPS
SHEET-PAN CHICKEN WITH APPLE, FENNEL & ONION - Colu Henry
ROASTED FENNEL & BEETS - Dishing Up the Dirt
CHERRY TOMATO & BUTTER BEAN SKILLET WITH CARAMELIZED FENNEL - Feasting at Home
BROCCOLI APPLE SALAD WITH CREAMY ALMOND DRESSING - 101 Cookbooks
STUFFED ACORN SQUASH WITH FENNEL & APPLES - Brooklyn Supper
SAUSAGE & APPLE STUFFED ACORN SQUASH - Tasty
MAPLE ROASTED ACORN SQUASH - Ina Garten
ACORN SQUASH SOUP - Love & Lemons
SUZANNE GOIN’S SPICY ROASTED FENNEL & SQUASH SOUP - The Amateur Gourmet
