This week your basket contains: collards, BEET GREENS, broccoli, tomatoes, BUTTERNUT SQUASH, leeks, lettuce, eggplant, and sweet peppers.This weekend ( October 21^st and 22^nd ) from 11:00 to 4:00 is PUMPKIN PICK-UP WEEKEND.  We set aside this weekend for you to come out to the farm, choose your pumpkin (and other seasonal decorations), do some gleaning (ie picking crops we are no longer including in your baskets) and share a pot luck lunch with other subscribers.  We will press fresh apple cider at 1:00 and 3:00 each day. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BRING YOUR OWN APPLES TO PRESS, we will be on hand to help you with our press. We will also be making pizza (you have to try pumpkin pie pizza!), giving farm tours and in general having a great time.  While we anticipate rain, we have brought all the pumpkins up out of the fields and have several covered spaces so that we can all stay comfortable. We can’t wait to see you then.

Butternut squash is one of the delights of fall.  This recipe is the very first thing we make when we finally get squash again!

BUTTERNUT LEEK SOUP

Here is a wonderfully simple recipe that marries the flavors of leeks and squash. It makes a rich but low-calorie soup that warms you up on wet fall days.  Bake a winter squash (butternut, acorn or Delicata) when the flesh is tender scoop it out and set aside.  Sauté one large or two small leeks in a little olive oil until translucent and tender.  At the same time bring four cups of stock (vegetable or chicken) or water to a boil.  Add the leeks and the flesh of the squash to the stock; season with herbs (salt, pepper, bay, thyme, dill or any combination) and bring to a boil again.  Take the soup off the heat and allow it to cool a bit.  Puree the soup in a blender and serve with sour cream or yogurt garnish.

The recipe below is perfect for collards and any other greens (beet greens, cabbage, Chinese cabbage,  etc).  We absolutely love it.

. SOUTHERN MIXED GREENS

3 lbs greens coarsely chopped

2 ham hocks

1 qt. water

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 med. onion chopped fine

2 Tbs red wine vinegar

black pepper

Trim fat from ham hocks and set aside.  Put ham hocks in heavy saucepan and cover with water.  Add red pepper flakes and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 45 minutes.  Render some of the pork fat in a skillet, add onions and cook slowly until they begin to brown.  Drain and add to ham hock broth.  Simmer until meat begins to fall from bones.  Stir in the greens, cover and cook about 30 minutes stirring and lifting the greens occasionally.  Add vinegar and pepper to taste.  Put meat and greens on a serving plate and serve pot liquor in separate small bowls.  We use the nitrite-free ham hocks from New Seasons. We have also substituted smoked extra firm tofu for the ham hock with good results (you need to use olive oil to replace the ham fat) when we wanted a vegetarian alternative. From Winter Harvest Cookbook by Lane Morgan.

SMOKY TURKISH EGGPLANT CREAM

(Hunkar Begendi)

1 ½ Lbs eggplant

juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbs. butter

3 Tbs. flour

1 cup hot milk

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt

Puncture the skin of the eggplants with a fork two or three times then char the skins on all sides either over coals or under the broiler (the flesh will become quite soft in the process).  Remove the charred skin and any hard seeds then drop the eggplant into cold water to which you’ve added the lemon juice (to preserve the color), and let stand 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan and remove from heat.  Stir in the flour then cook stirring until the flour is golden.  Whisk in the milk and continue to cook stirring until smooth.  Set over low heat and let cook for 5-10 minutes more stirring occasionally.  Drain the eggplant squeezing to remove excess water.  Mash the eggplant with a potato masher then add to the saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring, over low heat.  Stir in the cheese and salt to taste.  Serve hot.