In the Harvest Basket this Week:

• Brussels Sprouts, on the stalk
• Leeks
• Delicata Squash
• Carrots
• Sweet Peppers
• Bunched Spinach
• Head Lettuce
• Shinseiki Asian Pears

On Rotation:

• Cauliflower

Asian Pears!

We are certainly rounding the corner into deep Fall, with the weather trending chilly and wet and the food listing towards the dense and durable. This will likely be the final week of sweet peppers (sniff, not sure how I'll carry on without a fridge stuffed full of those sweet snackers). The sugary consolation prize is this week's Asian Pear, a variety called Shinseiki. For years I was convinced this was a dud variety - not very flavorful, kinda meh. I even considered cutting the trees down and replacing them with something else. One year I just didn't pick them - what was the point? - and then noticed that they were still clinging steadfast to the tree in November. I went out to the orchard and sampled one, only to discover a beautifully bronzed pear - sweet, juicy, and pretty dang good! The epiphany was that I had been picking this variety too soon, before they'd developed their full flavor potential. There's always some gusty storm in October that threatens to knock all the Asian pears to the ground, hence a premature scurry to harvest any fruit hanging on the trees. Well, lo and behold, Shinseiki knows how to hang on through high winds so it can ripen to its full, yummy, November goodness. It's also a reliable fruit-setter, which means we usually have a good crop (and often have to thin it in the early summer because it over-sets fruit). Not a bad problem to have when it means fresh Asian Pears in November!

Delicata!

Also new and sweet this week, Delicata Squash! This is probably our most beloved winter squash variety of all, due to its fantastic flavor and ease of prep in the kitchen. It's one of the few squash varieties with skin thin enough to eat, so if you dread peeling your squash before baking/roasting, no need with this one. That said, it's pretty easy to strip them down with a regular veggie peeler if you want a smoother eating experience (my preference). We often make "Delicata boats" the centerpiece of dinner - cut in half, scoop out the seeds, bake face down on a cookie sheet with some water in it (to create steam) at 400 degrees until soft. You can enjoy them plain, with melted butter, or fancy it up with any kind of stuffing: meat, grains, sauteed veg. Our other go-to prep is "Delicata smiles:" peel (or not), cut in half, scoop out the seeds, cut into half-moons, toss with olive oil and salt, and roast at 425 until soft and slightly browned (flip and stir with a spatula occasionally to get all sides browned).

If you want to take it to the next level, this is a fantastic recipe that knocked our socks off last year (and which we had for dinner last night, and lunch leftovers again today - hooray!). It'll use any kind of winter squash, or a mix of types, and you can sub spinach for kale if you want to make it with what's in your share this week: Winter Squash and Kale Pasta 

Brussels Sprouts!

And finally, those Dr. Seuss-inspired stalks of Brussels sprouts! If you don't have much fridge space, I recommend snapping the sprouts off the stalk and storing them in a plastic bag in your fridge. Like a tiny cabbage, they'll keep for weeks, but why wait?! I know, there are some people out there who have reasons - they think they hate Brussels sprouts - and that's most likely due to the fact that they've only ever had them boiled or steamed, and probably overly-so. Overcooked grey Brussels sprouts are indeed bleh! So instead, roast! The magic formula of high heat + fat + salt + VF veggies works wonders on Brussels. We usually cut them in half first, toss with olive oil and salt and roast at 450 on a sheet pan until they get crispy-browned. Or peruse this collection of recipes to get other inspiration: 42 Best Brussels Sprout Recipes Even Haters Will Love. There's something for everyone in that smorgasbord of recipes.