Lettuce---Lettuce is something we have a lot of right now! Make a few nice salads.
Rutabaga---The large, purple topped, cream colored bottom, root. These are good! Make the roasted roots. It is simple and is a good meal for a couple of days.
Parsnips----Tapered, cream colored…. also wonderful alone, mixed with potatoes or with all the roasted roots.
Beets ---RED! Throw in with the roasted roots for a nice red color.
Salsify---The hairy root. Oh so wonderful! Peel and put in with the roasted roots. They oxidize (brown) quickly. If that bothers you, put into acidified (lemon) water while you're cleaning all the other roots.
Potatoes---Blue ones. These roast up really nice, so chop a few up and put in with the roots.
Onions---Speak for themselves. Throw one in with the roots.
Kale ---Russian Red. Kale is really sweet and now it should be even more so since we have had a couple of frosts. Clean and sauté up with some onion and garlic if you have any left. Eat as a side dish or cook up with the spaghetti squash and/ or add some to the beans. Kale is a great addition to beans.
Spaghetti Squash---This is the winter squash that is noodley, like spaghetti. Some people make spaghetti sauce and put it over the baked "noodles." I have always baked it and then sautéed the "noodles" with whatever vegetables I have handy. In this case I would go with some onions and garlic and a bit of kale and cook it all together. Add a bit of butter or cheese. To do anything you have to bake it first: cut in half and bake in a pan with a bit of olive oil until tender like a baked potato. Then proceed from there.
Black Beans---The 2005 harvest! These cook up pretty quickly. Do a quick soak: Clean and put in cold water covered with plenty of water. Bring to a boil, turn off heat, cover, and let sit at least an hour. Then proceed with any recipe but don't add salt until they are tender. In this instance, for my suggestion I would add the beans to onion and garlic (of course) with a bit of broth or water and chipotle or chile powder. Cook until almost tender and add some chopped kale.

Roasted Roots Thai Style
Submitted by Sarah Yardley, loosely adapted from the New York Times

1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil

4 peeled shallots or 1 onion, quartered
8 to 12 cloves garlic
Any combination of roots such as parsnips, rutabaga, salsify, beets, carrots, spuds, etc, cubed
1/4 cup green, yellow or red curry paste or to taste or 1 tablespoon chile paste or to taste or cayenne to taste

1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter*

1 tablespoon soy sauce
Chopped fresh cilantro, mint and/or Thai basil leaves for garnish.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place a deep ovenproof skillet or casserole over medium heat and add all but a tablespoon of oil. A minute later, add all vegetables; sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir. Put pan in oven and roast, stirring once or twice for about 45 minutes to an hour until everything is tender and beginning to brown.
Put remaining oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add curry paste and stir; whisk in coconut milk, peanut butter and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Keep warm.
When roots are done, stir in coconut milk mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more soy sauce or curry paste if necessary. Garnish with herbs and serve hot or warm.
*Sarah used tahini instead of peanut butter and says it's great.








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EGGS---Lee's chickens are starting to lay their eggs! Hooray. These beautiful and delicious eggs are available at the Farm Stand. Better watch out, though: the customers at the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market would take them all if we'd let them. You all get priority! Come check them out and see what a really fresh egg looks and tastes like.

GE FREE SONOMA COUNTY NEEDS YOUR HELP: Lawn signs will be available this week for those of you who would like to show your support for the initiative calling for a 10 year moratorium on genetically modified plants and animals which is on the November ballot. If you would like one you can give me a call at 837-8366. Thank you. We really need to get the word out about the importance to small family farmers that this moratorium pass. For more info you can go to gefreesonomacounty.org. Thank you so much.






Calling all loyal CSA members. We would love to put your recipes in the Menu. If you have anything that you'd like to share, please e-mail me at evie@tierravegetables.com and most likely your recipe (or comment) will make its way to this little Menu.