One more share after this week.
Last share dates—Oct.29, and Nov.2

Pumpkins are an important winter vegetable for the seasonal eater, providing the greatest vitamin A of all common fruits and vegetables. They are also high in iron, potassium and phosphorous. Don’t forget to prepare the seeds! They offer excellent nutrition as well. Pumpkin seeds are a great snack. Scoop out seeds, rinse in colander, separating stringy stuff. Pat dry and put in bowl with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and a minced clove of garlic. Marinate for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry again. Bake at 250 degrees for 50-60 minutes, stirring once or twice. Allow to cool and crisp up.
I often include nutrition information in the CSA news. It seems interesting, and helps describe new things to you all. But the funny thing is, no one really knows anything about how nutrition actually works.

I mean, of course, some scientists know some things, and many food cultures around the world are full of customs and rules to help us eat well and be healthy. Michael Pollan tells the story in his latest book, In Defense of Food, of how much and how little scientists and doctors understand about how nutrition really works. The story is always changing, with new breakthroughs every day. But the great mystery (great as in large, great as in fantastic) is the relationship between whole foods and whole people and how we get together to create vitality and well being. I think that when scientists finally make the big discovery, the answer will have a lot to do with taking pleasure and delight in our meals. And what could be more delightful than a creamy steamy bright orange pumpkin soup this week? Winter squash are so simple, so satisfying, so perfect for this time of year. The grand scheme of things is perfectly ordered to provide for us just what we need at the time we need it. Fall colors lift the spirits as we say goodbye to all our warm blessings of summer. Sure we have to put on a scarf and coat, but look at the rewards in the beauty all around us.


My goodness it was fun taking your calls and signing you up for those few winter shares. It felt like a radio call in contest. “You are lucky caller number three!” You win seven more weeks of farm food. To all the rest of you who did not call or sign up, so sorry. But as a consolation prize, you can still visit us at the farmers market and pick out exactly what you want.
Dear everyone, thank you so much for sharing our harvest season with us. Thank you for supporting our farm and our family with your food dollars. Thank you for using your pocketbook to vote for urban agriculture and sustainable delicious food. We love our CSA members!

Celeriac, also known as celery root, has an obvious but unusual kinship to the common celery. I am fairly certain that the creators of the Harry Potter movie based the mandrake roots on it. Its stalks and foliage are similar to those of celery and are edible. However, the celeriac is cultivated for its edible bulbous root crown. Do not be put off by the celeriac’s rough exterior. Inside, a surprisingly delicious and versatile vegetable waits to be added to your culinary repertoire. Celeriac has an excellent crisp texture raw or cooked, and super concentrated celery flavor enhancing its usefulness as both vegetable and seasoning. Slice off stalks at the root crown. Soak the root in warm water to loosen dirt in the crevices, then scrub thoroughly with a stiff brush. Bake celeriac in its skin at 350 degrees for one hour. Peel and prepare as needed. Enjoy its full flavor simply topped with butter. Boil and mash for a rich creamy soup base. Boil and mash with potatoes.


Celeriac and Apple Salad – Victory Garden Cookbook

1 pound whole celeriac
1/2 cup orange juice
3 firm tart apples
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
salt and freshly ground pepper

Peel and cut celeriac into matchstick pieces. Toss with orange juice until coated. Peel, core and chop apples; mix with celeriac. Marinate 10 minutes, turning often, then strain, reserving juices. Place mayonnaise in large bowl and, little by little, add orange juice marinade until thinned to the point where it coats a spoon thickly. Beat smooth and combine with the drained celeriac, apples, celery, and nuts. Marinate 2 hours, season with salt and pepper, and serve. Makes 5 cups.