Mark decided it was time to top the Brussels Sprouts, which means that we’re in for a true seasonal treat—leafy Brussels Sprout Tops! Out in the field, atop each stalk, you will find an open cluster of leaves that looks kind of like a giant, loosey goosey bloom. And each Fall, we remove those leaves to encourage the plants to divert their energy into producing good-sized sprouts down along the stalks. And guess what? These would-be by-products are a delicacy in their own right. They’ve got all of the frost-sweetened brassica flavor of a Brussels Sprout but in open, big-leaf form.  I've taken a liking to raw Brussels Sprout dishes over the years, and while I love the way they taste, I don't necessarily like the fussiness that goes into shredding or shaving tiny little sprouts.  The tops on the other hand give us all of the sprout flavor in a larger flat leaf that one can roll up, slice, shred, chiffonade or what have you. If raw isn't your thing, you can cook them up like collards, cabbage or any other hardy green you might like. We’re growing a combination of Purple and Green Brussels Sprouts, so you’ll see a bit of each on the tables this week.

This year’s root vegetable harvest began in earnest today.  On a cool, blustery afternoon Claire, Kelly and Mia got the party started with several hundred pounds of Red Beets.  There are more beds to go, but they filled the back bin that you see on that tractor in a matter of hours, and that’s worth applauding.  The work gets heaaaavy this time of year.  Some of those beets will go to the CSA this week, and the rest will be washed, trimmed and bagged up for storage, which is the rhythm we will follow for several weeks until we’ve picked and washed everything that we can fit in our little root cellar. 

Along  with those Red Beets, this is a great week to dip into our stash of Red Kuri Squash. Red Kuri might be the most stunningly orange Winter Squash of them all. It is a teardrop shaped Japanese Hubbard-type that is as bold on the inside as it is outside, and it imparts that same rich orange color and rich nutty flavor to whatever you’re cooking up. Simply put, it is one that I like to show off, and my favorite way to do that is with Alice Waters’ Red Kuri Squash Soup. It is my back pocket recipe for any kind of squash soup, crispy fennel and all. Red Kuri also has a fairly thin skin, so if you’re looking to roast it in gorgeous little wedges, you can get away with leaving the skins on, especially since we’re pulling some of them on the earlier side of the curing process.

Happy Fall, Y’all! Beginning this week, we will be open on Tuesdays 12-7 and Wednesdays from 10-5 from now through December 10th, and we're looking forward to sharing another great season with our CSA Members and local customers. We’re starting the season off with TEN varieties of Washington Grown Organic Apples available in our Farmstand, of which the CSA will be mixing and matching Spartan and King David Apples, which happen to be Mark’s and my favorite varieties of the moment. We’ll be stocking the farmstand tables with this year’s harvest of Winter Squashes, Pumpkins, Roots and everything you need to make nourishing and hearty meals this Fall. If you're taking the Fall off from the CSA but intend to return for a future season in 2026, be sure to keep an eye peeled for a Priority Registration Link in early November.