In the CSA Share this Week:

• Purple Brussels Sprouts
• Carrots
• Rosemary and fresh Bay Leaves
• Shallots
• Parsnips
• Yellow Potatoes
• Rosalba Radicchio
• Butternut Squash
• Lacinato Kale

Thanksgiving Reprise

This week's share contains our standby collection of Thanksgiving vegetables, with a few new guest appearances (fresh bay leaves, pretty-in-pink Rosalba Radicchio, and Lacinato Kale). We had intended to give out a big beautiful head of Winter Crisp Lettuce but the violent hailstorm on Sunday night shredded all of our remaining head lettuce (and spinach) in the field. Fortunately our most tender and beloved of radicchios - Rosalba - survived. Many, many layers of her Barbie-pink leaves had to be peeled away - discarded into pink-petticoat-drifts in the field - but she was mostly unscathed underneath, phew. 

It's been a rowdy week, ticking most of the boxes for late fall/winter weather drama here on the southcoast: hail, high winds, heavy rain. We lost the plastic on one of our greenhouses to 70 mph gusts last night, and the film on a newly-planted strawberry bed took flight, but all in all we weathered the "cyclone bomb" alright. (The new meteorological terminology cracks me up: same old Curry County weather, brand new, headline-worthy name). If you are new to the area, welcome to "normal" on the Southcoast! 

And if you are new to CSA this year, you might not question the arrival of your Thanksgiving produce a week early (I know, all you old dogs are probably feeling out of sorts seeing those ugly Valley Flora parsnips in your tote with Thanksgiving still a week off). That's because (BIG REMINDER), there is NO CSA DELIVERY NEXT WEEK on Wednesday 11/27 or Saturday 11/30. Our kids have the whole week off from school, we have two dozen family members visiting from Saturday to Sunday, and we've finally decided after fifteen years that it's not that much fun to pack all 140 CSA shares, the farmstand orders, and the wholesale orders in 2 days instead of 5 in order to give ourselves and our crew a break on Thanksgiving day! So a Thanksgiving holiday it is for your farmers, in the fullest, most British sense of the word. I think I could get used to this.

Most of your produce this week has a long fridge life (keep your shallots and squash on the counter). Which means that if you want to hoard it for next Thursday's feast, go right ahead! Might I recommend one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes that will utilize your parsnips (those especially ugly white roots in your share...do give them a chance, with the help of a vegetable peeler):

Roasted Winter Squash and Parsnips with Maple Syrup Glaze and Marcona Almonds

We also loaded you up with extra spuds for mashing, and a bag of aromatics (rosemary and bay) for roasting/baking/soup-making.

We're wishing all of you a Thanksgiving full of grace and good food, and sending you our deepest gratitude for your commitment to the farm and the CSA this season. We wouldn't bother growing those ugly parsnips if it wasn't for all of you (wink, wink). :)

AND, don't forget that we'll be back in your life the week after Thanksgiving for ONE LAST CSA DELIVERY the week of December 2nd! Week 28 of 28, not to be missed!

Mark your Calendars: Final CSA Pickup for the Season:

• Wednesday 12/4, Coos Bay and the Farm
• Saturday 12/7, Port Orford and Bandon

Thank you all!