the hungry bambino

Saturday was our last CSA delivery for the year and that makes me really sad. It was our first year with Driftless Organics and I couldn’t have been more pleased. The vegetables were gorgeous and the newsletters and recipes were informative and delicious. Can’t wait until next year!

Root vegetables are the theme for the week, and they will be our constant companions throughout the long Wisconsin winter. The DCFM winter market starts in mid-November and they will have some greens available, but those hardy root veggies and squashes will be the mainstay of our local diet for the duration. That’s not a bad thing! This delicious and versatile group can handle the heat of chiles, the earthiness of dried spices and the pungency of cheese. Toss any of them with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and throw them in a hot oven for 20-30 minutes and you’ll have something magically sweet and caramelized and utterly satisfying be it tossed with pasta, served as a side dish or featured as the main course.

In our last CSA box:
Butternut Squash
Carnival Squash
Carrots
Chioggia Beets
Fennel
Garlic
Jalapeno Peppers
Lacinato Kale
Lettuce
Onions
Parsnips
Red Cabbage
Red Potatoes
Sweet Red Bell Pepper
Sweet Potatoes

Menu: Week of 25 October 2009
Sunday: potato, garlic and rosemary pizza with a whole-wheat crust topped with radish sprouts vinaigrette
Monday: curried apple and squash with whole-wheat couscous, pine nuts and sultanas
Tuesday: chicken thighs braised in West African peanut sauce
Wednesday: eggplant and sweet pepper caponata sandwiches with fresh ricotta served with parsnip fries
Thursday: Middle-Eastern roasted carrots and Chioggia beets in a shallot vinaigrette with hummus and whole-wheat naan
Friday: sausage and pepper pizza with a whole-wheat crust