What's In Your Basket?

Delicata Winter Squash
Baby Pam Pie Pumpkin
Sangre, Yukon Gold and Yellow Finn Potatoes
Red Beets
Rainbow & Nelson Carrots
Tadorna Leeks
Celeriac
Parsnips
Shallots
Kale
Escarole
Brussels Sprouts

Produce Tips - How to Eat It, Cook It and Keep It!

It’s the big finale this week! Fortunately, with the exception of the escarole (that green lettuce-looking thing), everything in your basket is something you’ve seen at least once before this season. We’ve tried to load you up with all kinds of goodies that can become part of your Thanksgiving dinner next week: potatoes, celeriac, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, pie pumpkins, shallots and more. We’ve been adding Thanksgiving-inspired recipes to the Recipe Exchange, so take a gander and get adventurous on Turkey day. Instead of plain old mashed potatoes, try the Celeriac and Potato Puree. Forget the canned pumpkin filling and go for the real thing with a fresh, homemade pumpkin pie. See how close you can come to convincing the Brussels sprouts hater in your family that they might just be a Brussels sprouts lover - with the Brussels Sprout Hash with Caramelized Shallots. And try a new spin on stuffing with the Cornbread Dressing with Roasted Fall Roots. If you want to take it even farther, check out the epicurious.com Thanksgiving Headquarters for a smorgasbord of gourmet, seasonal recipes that will add some new flair to Thanksgiving dinner.

And as for that escarole in your basket, if you thought it was lettuce and tried to make a regular old salad with it, you might have grimaced at the bitterness. Escarole is in the chicory family, right along with radicchio and endive. Although it’s not sweet like lettuce, it does have an amazing array of uses in the kitchen – everything from raw salads to soups to wraps to sautees. In the spirit of choosing your own adventure, follow this link to dive into dozens of escarole recipes.

Store it as you would lettuce, in a plastic bag in the fridge.
 
On the Farm…
It seems entirely fitting that the Harvest Basket season is ending on the sweet note of Thanksgiving. Partly because we love to imagine Valley Flora food spread thick on your table next week, feeding your family and friends from near and far. Hopefully this will be one of the most local, seasonal Thanksgivings you've ever enjoyed. And hey - if you're traveling out of town to join loved ones elsewhere, don't leave your veggies behind! I'll be packing a suitcase of Brussels sprouts and shallots for my Dad to lug back to the Bradbury family Thanksgiving gathering that I'm missing in Chicago next week. No need to experience veggie separation anxiety when you can stuff the spuds right in there next to your toothbrush and clean undies. Seriously.
 
But feasting and veggie smuggling aside, Thanksgiving is also the perfect opportunity for us to say a giant thank you for being a part of the farm this season. We’ve loved feeding you, we’ve loved getting to know you, and we’re deeply grateful for your support.
 
And try as we might, we just can't seem to kick this crazy farming habit of ours. No doubt the vegetables will once again be bossing us around and running our lives next year, same as always. We hope you'll be there to eat them with us and once again share in the harvest.

And now, a word from your Thanksgiving Day turkey:

A Turkey Speaks

I have never understood
why anyone would
roast the turkey
and shuck the clams
and crisp the croutons
and shell the peas
and candy the sweets
and compote the cranberries
and bake the pies
and clear the table
and wash the dishes
and fall into bed
when they could sit back
and enjoy a hamburger.

~Author Unknown

Happy Feasting from the Valley Flora Posse
Zoë, Abby, Bets, Blake and all the critters...