Happy Fall, Y’all!  Summer may be officially over, but Wild Hare Organic Farm will be open on Tuesdays 12-7 and Wednesdays from 10-5 from now through December 13th, and we're looking forward to sharing another great season with our CSA Members and local customers! (No Saturdays until next Summer). If you're taking the Fall off from the CSA but intend to return for a future season, be sure to keep an eye peeled for a Priority Registration Link in early November.  

Every Fall, we look forward to providing an opportunity for people to taste and cook with an ever-expanding variety of Winter Squashes, Pumpkins, Pears and Apples at their peak.  Though it is a season of comfort foods, I find that Fall above all other times of year tends to both force and allow Mark and I to bust out of some culinary ruts and try new things. The urgency of Summer is something that I don’t miss in Fall, and the shorter days mean we have a little more permission to stay in and try new recipes and methods around our meals. Cooking is truly edu-tainment at its best!

And I’ve got to say—Fall is off to a pretty lush and green start. The crew has harvested a big round of our Celery, bunched Tokyo Turnips from the Greenhouse and brought in a round of the smaller Broccoli side shoots today, and we’ll pick Lettuce in the morning. As many of you know, these little white Turnips are a nice little “shoulder season” treat—steamed, braised or sliced up raw in a salad. Those greens are tasty too, sauteed or even pureed into a pesto. Overall, we're all really excited about this week's harvest offerings, and as usual, I'm sharing a great collection of recipes to help you get started, so scroll on through.

And first up for the Winter Squash—the small but mighty Acorn. We typically begin with Acorns every year, because they're a manageable weeknight serving size, they're versatile and have a nutty flavor that you can take in both sweet and savory directions, and they can be served stuffed or even roasted in wedges or rounds and eaten with the skins on. You can even toast up the seeds like you would with a pumpkin. (When sliced horizontally, they take on a petal shape that is pretty cute to boot.) Though they’ll keep for several months, Acorns have a shorter storage life than some of the other squashes we’ll enjoy this year. The same can be said for the Apples we’re sharing this week—they’re novel and highly seasonal. We’ll have more of those cider-esque Spartans as well as some great big greenish-gold Mutsu (also known as Crispin), which are phenomenal sliced up for baking or fresh eating.

As always, if you’re a CSA member and have trouble (planned or otherwise) making your scheduled pickup we can arrange for an alternative option at the farm after hours on Tuesday or Wednesday if you give us a heads up during business hours.  Just text or email the farm, and we can come up with an option for you.   Ditto if you’re feeling under the weather! Vacations and planned absences are a great opportunity to send a family member, neighbor, or friend in your place, or if you'd like, we can donate your share to someone in need.

Thank You,
Katie

IN THIS WEEK’S FARMSHARES:

• Lettuce

• Hakurei Turnips

• Acorn Squash

• Celery

• Broccoli

• Shishito or Lunchbox Bell Peppers (Large Shares)

• Spartan and/or Mutsu Apples

AT THE FARMSTAND THIS WEEK

SAUSAGE & APPLE STUFFED ACORN SQUASH
Tasty

2 small acorn squashes, or 1 large
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ lb sausage
1 apple, chopped
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup parmesan cheese 

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

MAPLE-ROASTED ACORN SQUASH
Ina Garten

3 acorn squash, unpeeled, halved through the stem, and seeded
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus extra for serving
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Flaked sea salt, such as Maldon, for serving 

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

ROASTED SQUASH WITH SPICED PISTACHIOS
Alison Roman

 1 winter squash, such as kabocha, acorn, or red kuri, washed and sliced into 1 1/2-inch-thick wedges (1 1/2 to 2 lbs.)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter 
¼ cup raw pistachios, finely chopped
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch crushed red pepper (optional)
Flaky sea salt
1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt 

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

CHICKEN UDON SOUP WITH ACORN SQUASH & CABBAGE
Tried & True

6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
8 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
12 ounces fresh or dry udon noodles or soba
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon mirin
1 small acorn squash
½ small head of Napa cabbage
4 scallions 

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

JAPANESE TURNIPS WITH MAPLE-MISO BUTTER
Sunset

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 tablespoons mild white miso
3 pounds small (1 to 2 in. diameter) Japanese turnips (aka Tokyo or Hakurei turnips) with their greens
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons maple syrup

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

STOVETOP APPLE CRISP FOR TWO
Iowa Girl Eats

2 Tablespoons butter or vegan butter
2 Tablespoons brown sugar or coconut sugar
1-1/2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
scant 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup sliced almonds
For the Apples:
2 Tablespoons butter or vegan butter
1 Tablespoon brown sugar or coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 medium-sized Granny Smoth apples, peeled then cut into bite-sized pieces (~2 cups)
Ice cream or whipped cream for topping (optional)

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

GREEN APPLE & CELERY SALAD
WITH WALNUTS & MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
Kate Gilliam & Cory Mason

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
5 teaspoons honey
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large bunch celery with leaves
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, cored; each quarter cut into 2 wedges, then thinly sliced crosswise into triangle shapes
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped

CONTINUE TO RECIPE