Field-grown Lettuce Mix…in November?! It sure feels like an Autumnal miracle, but we’ve got Salad Mix for the Fall CSA and for sale at the Farm Stand this week. I think that a Pear, Gorgonzola and Mesclun Salad might be in order. I can’t recall a year without frost before November, but here we are…blustery but warm enough, waiting and wondering when a frost will come and sweeten our Parsnips so we can dig them up and share them with you all. But until then, we’ll enjoy the delicious novelty of what is still leafing and sprouting out above ground.

I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to a dose of joy in the form of something bright, sweet and round this week. Thank goodness for Pumpkins. The little edible pie Pumpkins that we grow every Fall are adorable, and I will admit, they’re worth every bit of adoration.  Smaller in size than the big decorative carving types, these cute little orange babies are often called Sugar Pumpkins, because they're naturally very sweet and are the basis for many seasonal baked goodies.  But, don't think you have to bust out a pie to make them worthwhile. You can still enjoy Sugar Pumpkins in savory ways too.  If you’ve been here a while, you know exactly where I’m taking this, and if you’re new, I'm about to change your life with two words: Pumpkin Chili!  I will share Chef Aaron Hutcherson’s recipe every October until the internet collapses, because it is a collective favorite, hands down. Members of the CSA have been murmuring about it over the past couple of weeks, and one family made plans weeks ago to pick up their farm share on the way home from the airport in order to make sure that Pumpkin Chili is bubbling away for Halloween supper. So, be sure to scroll through for a bit of meal-planning inspiration.