Winter 2022 CSA- Week of November 30th

Full share: Sugar Dumpling Squash, Yellow Onion, Radish, Beets, Sunchokes, Spinach, Micros

Half share: Sugar Dumpling Squash, Yellow Onion, Radish, Beets, Sunchokes, Spinach

Hello!

Welcome to your fifth week of winter CSA. All of us here at the farm truly hope you are enjoying your goodies so far and are happy to bring you some comfort and freshness this week. For anyone wanting a bit of a cleanse after the holiday, we’ve got spinach, beets, and radishes. Sunchokes are making their CSA arrival this week. For anyone not familiar with this addition, neither was I. I hope you read along and learn with me. Another squash appears this week in the form of our delicious and sweet Sugar Dumpling squash. I’ve got some fun ways to enjoy your farm fare this week. Enjoy!


Notes:

  • Our market stand will remain at its regular hours of 12-6 on Wed until the end of the winter season. If you’d like to come and choose your box, stop by and see us. If you arrive after hours or another day, they are always found in the cold room and labeled with the current week.

  • We have wreaths for sale. $60 for any of our beautiful wreaths this season. Whole farm CSA is entitled to one wreath to take home.

  • Eggs are still not available here at the farm. We will have them available as soon as possible. 

  • Frozen cider is available at any time. Feel free to ask anyone around the farm to grab any jugs you may need. 


What in tarnation is a SUNCHOKE?!

Also known as sunroot, wild sunflower, earth apple, or jerusalem artichoke, these are the tubers of a sunflower. Although they are in the same family as artichokes (and even share a name), they aren’t otherwise related. They also have no background in Jerusalem. They are an American native through and through. Knobby and looking somewhere between a potato and fresh ginger, the sunchoke is nutty and sweet. They aren’t starchy like our old pal potato, and they contain inulin that gives it a pleasing mouth feel. They can be treated as any other root vegetable. They are great simply roasted or sliced thin and fried into chips. A word of warning to you. These tubers don’t like to cook evenly. Some pieces will get soft and others will stay on the firm side. Even parts of the same tuber will cook differently. This is simply in their nature and cannot be altered. For storage I’d recommend keeping them in a bag inside the fridge. Once you are ready to prepare them, check for dark spots or knobs that need to be removed. If you would prefer their flesh to stay white once you’ve cut them, drop them into water with a small addition of vinegar or lemon juice. If the idea of textural issues becomes a concern, I have a recipe that I think will help all of us. Soup seems to be a great place to start with this vegetable. If the recipe below catches your eye, next week’s box will have sunflower sprouts. Enjoy!


Recipe: 

Sunchoke Bisque with Sunflower Oil and Sunflower Sprouts

2 tbsp sunflower seed oil

1 small yellow onion (also in the CSA box)

3 small yellow fleshed potatoes

1 lb sunchokes, scrubbed and chopped

1 celery stock

2 cloves garlic

6 cups water, vegetable stock, or chicken stock

2 bay leaves

milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream, for thinning (optional)

freshly ground pepper

roasted pumpkin seeds, croutons, sunflower sprouts

Heat the oil in a pot over high heat. Add onions, potatoes, sunchokes, and celery. Saute over high heat for around 10 min or until slightly brown, stirring constantly. Add garlic during the last few minutes. Pour in water or stock. Add bay leaves and bring to a boil.

Lower to a simmer and cover. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 25 min. 

Let cool briefly, then remove the bay leaves. Puree soup until smooth. If you have removed the soup to puree, return to the pot and heat gently. Add milk as needed to thin to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Ladle into bowls. Drizzle sunflower oil on the surface of each serving. Garnish with pumpkin seeds, croutons, and/or sunflower sprouts.


Thank you for letting me be part of your week once again. I hope to see plenty of smiling faces in the market this week.

Take care & stay safe, 

Audrey

Jacy Rothschiller