Carrots---Nice orange carrots to get you through a week or so.
Brussel Sprouts---A treat for sure. Just steam them up until tender; only a few minutes. They are also good sautéed in a bit of oil or and garlic. You may want to cut them in half first if you do that.
Fennel----Sauté up sliced fennel (the bulb part) in oil and garlic or shallots until tender. You will want to add a bit of water, cover and simmer until very tender. Yum. You can also slice off pieces and put into salads.
Italian Cabbage---This is Red tinged Savoy. The seeds came from Italy and Lee saw fields of them when she was there. Quite beautiful. Cut up and sauté up in "you know what." Put some into soup or make a cabbage and carrot or beet soup.
Onions---If you don't need onions now, you certainly will before spring. These will store.
Pumpkin---If you try the soup recipe below (or if you don't) you need to cook the pumpkin. Cut in half, scoop out seeds and bake at 350 for between 45 minutes and an hour, until tender. Then put into food processor to make nice and smooth.
Black Beans---These are the 2005 vintage. Do a quick soak: Rinse well and put into a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, cover and turn off for at least an hour. Then drain the water, and if you do the recipe, put back into the pot, add new water and simmer until tender. Then add to the soup. Another soup idea, from Karen Alves (whose granddaughter, Lily, won the pumpkin pie contest) is to do this: Make a nice broth or as a last resort use the boxed broth. Add to that some nice roots you may have left over and chunks of pumpkin. When everything is tender, add the tender beans and any spices you may like. Thanks, Karen.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup
Adapted From "30 Minute Meals" by Rachel Ray of the Food Network

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil,
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cups canned or packaged vegetable stock
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained (you'll use the fresh ones)
2 cans (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (fresh puree)
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon curry powder,
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt
20 blades fresh chives, chopped or snipped, for garnish

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add onion. Sauté onions 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, black beans and pumpkin puree. Stir to combine ingredients and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in cream, curry, cumin, cayenne and salt, to taste. Simmer 5 minutes, adjust seasonings and serve garnished with chopped chives.








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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.