This week your basket contains: Florence fennel, sweet peppers, leeks, BRUSSELS SPROUT TOPS, spinach, potatoes, beets, and broccoli.

PUMPKIN PICK-UP WEEKEND is planned for October 23^rd and 24^th 11:00 to 4:00.  Come on out to pick up your jack-o-lantern, decorative gourds and corn stalks.  We’ll be making individual pizzas for each family/group (including pumpkin pie pizza) and giving tours of the farm.  We will also be conducting a guess-the-weight-win-the-pumpkin contest each day.  We do ask that you WEAR A MASK while on the farm (except while eating or when adequately separated from all except those in your immediate party).  We will have plenty of masks available along with hand sanitizer and our fully equipped bathroom is always available.

Florence fennel pairs very well with fish.  We often slice it thinly and bake it under a filet of fish like halibut.  This tuna dish is also a very tasty way to serve your fennel.

LINGUINE WITH FENNEL AND TUNA

1 lb. linguine

2 medium fennel bulbs

3 Tbs. olive oil

3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

2 Tbs. capers

2 6-oz. cans solid light tuna

salt and pepper

Cook the pasta according to package instructions.  Drain and return to pot; reserve ½ cup pasta water.  Trim the fennel bulbs, reserving ¼ chopped fronds.  Quarter, core and thinly slice bulbs crosswise; cook in 1 Tbs. of the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat until golden, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.  Add to pasta along with fronds, lemon juice, capers, 2 Tbs. of the olive oil, and the reserved pasta water.  Season with salt and pepper.  Flake in the tuna.  Gently toss.  Serves 4-6. From Everyday Food  October 2003.

Brussels sprouts tops are one of those things that you only find in CSA baskets and are a by-product of how Brussels sprouts are produced.   The sprouts we all know (and love!) form on the stalk at every leaf joint. Because the growing point of the plant (the Brussels sprout top) puts out a growth inhibiting hormone (this is true for all plants) the developing sprouts closer to the top grow more slowly than those closer to the bottom of the stalk.  By taking off the top we eliminate the growth inhibitor and get more uniform sized sprouts along the whole length of the stalk.  Rather than discarding the tops, we send them along to you to enjoy.  They can be used like kale or collards and have a lovely Brussels sprout flavor.  They make an excellent green to add to stir fry.  If you are like me, it is easy to get bored with stir fry if you don’t have a line up of different sauces to vary your flavors.  This sauce is one of my favorites.

SESAME GINGER STIR-FRY SAUCE

4 Tbs toasted sesame seeds

2 Tbs lemon juice

1 Tbs grated ginger

4 Tbs soy sauce

3 Tbs rice vinegar

1/4 cup veg. or sesame oil

hot pepper oil (optional)

2 cloves garlic, minced

Whisk together oil, lemon juice, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, sesame seeds, and hot pepper to taste.  Pour over stir-fry when all ingredients are cooked and mix well.

BEET AND BROCCOLI SALAD

A great salad can be made with beets and broccoli. We steam the broccoli and beets together with the sliced beets on bottom.  Generally, when the broccoli is done (i.e. just turned dark green and starting to get tender) the beets are also done.  We then toss them in a simple vinaigrette and serve them either warm or cold.  This vinaigrette is the one we use:

VINAIGRETTE

1 clove garlic

1 tsp salt

3 Tbs red wine vinegar

1 tsp wet mustard

5 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

black pepper

Press garlic into the bottom of  your salad bowl.  With a fork, mix well with salt until it forms a paste.  Mix in vinegar and mustard until salt is dissolved.  Whisk in olive oil to make an emulsion.  Add black pepper to taste.  These proportions are in no way set in stone.  You should experiment to find the proportions you prefer.  Also, other spices, herbs and vinegars can be used to vary the dressing.