10/22/25 Produce Notes & Recipes
This week’s newsletter is focused on what’s in our box.
This Week’s Box
Little Gem Lettuce (Longer Table)
Brussels Collards (SR) OR Curly Kale (WC)
Eggplant
Kohlrabi
Green Tomatoes
Herb: Parsley (SR) OR Basil (WC)
Asian Pears & European Pears
Family: Cauliflower
Elizabeth jumped the gun this week and made a mistake… we still have more summer produce for your boxes and will have Delicata for you NEXT week. I apologize. I really do try to make the Friday list be as accurate as possible.
We are in a lettuce gap right now and have some lovely Little Gems from Farmer Will and his crew at Longer Table. Sometimes it takes a a community and we love supporting our other farms.
What we do have for you is the very last Tomatoes of the season. They are GREEN intentionally. There are two things you can do with them. You can cook them as green tomatoes. Think “Fried Green Tomatoes” (although I personally prefer baked). You can also just fry lightly without cornmeal as a side. Or you can baby them on your counter and they will ripen and you can enjoy them then. They will certainly not have the mid-summer flavor but they are still better than grocery store.
Baked Green Tomatoes (allrecipes.com)
1 c cornmeal
1 Tbs dried dill weed
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
5 medium green tomatoes, thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a medium baking sheet.
In a small bowl, mix the cornmeal, dill, salt and pepper. Dip tomato slices into the mixture, coating both sides. Arrange coated slices in a single layer on a medium baking sheet.
We have the last of our Eggplant and we have enough for everyone!! Enjoy this last burst of summer.
Likewise this is the end of a Parsley and Genovese Basil rotation and it will be the last of our Basil for the year! It’s been a really good one.
The Kohlrabi in todays box is so water filled an luscious they are busting at the seams. Our family enjoyed one this week and I think it was one of the best I’ve ever had, butter, crunchy and slightly sweet. They just love growing in fall!! We had ours cut up into sticks and dipped in hummus but I also love it grated or cut with mandolin on a lettuce salad or as a salad. By itself it works like a coleslaw. It also goes great on beans and rice or tacos.
5 Ways to Eat Kohlrabi (thektchn.com)
1. Eaten Raw: When raw, kohlrabi is slightly crunchy and sweet. Toss them in a salad, make a slaw out of grated kohlrabi, or on their own with a drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt.
2. In Soup: While kohlrabi can be thrown into a basic chunky vegetable soup, we particularly like it in a creamy, pureed soup with mild spices so that sweet kohlrabi flavor can really shine through. Kohlrabi can be added to recipes for Cream of Potato, Cream of Broccoli, and even Cream of Mushroom soup!
3. Made Into Fritters: This is a great way to get kids to eat their kohlrabi! Shred it and mix with an egg and a few tablespoons of flour or breadcrumbs. Heat oil or butter in a skillet, drop on small mounds, and flatten slightly with your spatula. Turn after a few minutes, and serve when both sides are crispy.
4. Roasted: Like most other vegetables, when roasted in the oven, the outside of the kohlrabi caramelizes, and the flavor sweetens and mellows.
5. Steamed: This is kind of a cheat-suggestion because kohlrabi can be used in literally anything once steamed. We throw steamed kohlrabi into frittatas, stir-fries, and pasta dishes. We also like to puree it with a little cream and simple spices. There are even recipes for stuffing steamed kohlrabi into empanadas and calzones!
Shaved Kohlrabi and Kale Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing (HungrybyNature)
For the dressing:
2 Tbs tahini
2 Tbs water
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the salad:
3 small kohlrabi
6 c torn kale
Top with: slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, etc.
Trim and peel kohlrabi. Thinly slice the kohlrabi and set aside. Use a mandolin if you have one. I didn’t so I just sliced it as thin as I could.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dressing and whisk until combined.
Add torn kale to the dressing and massage.
Add kohlrabi and toss to combine.
Top with slivered almonds and sunflower seeds.
Bunching Greens this week continue to be a rotation. We have so many on the farm right now that are autumn luscious. We have small crops of Red Russian and Curly Kale so have them on a long rotation with some of our more bountiful Brussels Greens, Rainbow Chard and Rainbow and Toscano Kale. And if you’re not getting enough, make sure to sign up for our Bunched Greens Share for an extra bunch a week.
This week we have Curly Kale as we call it but technically it’s a green WinterBor kale. This is a very sturdy kale that’s great if massaged for salads but also holds up well. It’s also fantastic in holding seasoning if you want to make Kale Chips and cover in
We also have Brussels Greens, which are sturdy like the Curly Kale. They can also make great chips. 2 weeks ago West County had them. I did a little write up on Brussels Greens, please do look back to that when West County had them. This week Santa Rosa has them and here’s a more full recipe from a long time CSA member who loves them.
Brussels Sprout Leaves with Cheesy Polenta and Crispy Fried Eggs (via CSA member Riddlington)
8 fresh Brussels sprout leaves, washed, stacked, then cut into 1/4 inch ribbons
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 c thinly sliced red onion
1 c cornmeal/corn grits for polenta (not instant)
3 c water
2/3 c ricotta (optional)
1/4 c grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/4 c whole milk (optional)
eggs (at least one per person)
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a 1 quart lidded pot, then add 3/4 tsp of sea salt. Add cornmeal and stir well with a wooden spoon, then lower heat to a simmer and cook uncovered. Stir occasionally until cooked through, ~ 10-20 min. When cooked to your liking, add ricotta (optional) and Parmesan and stir well . Cover and hold on the lowest setting until ready to serve. If it gets too thick, stir in some milk before serving.
Heat 12″ sauté pan over medium heat and add 2 Tbs olive oil. Add red onion and sauté until it starts to become translucent, ~ 2-3 min, then add the garlic and stir for 1 min. Add sliced Brussels sprout leaves and stir well. Add 2 Tbs water, salt and pepper, and cover with a lid to wilt the greens. Lift the lid and toss the greens every few minutes until they’re limp and tender, but have not lost their color, about 10-12 min.
Heat 1-2 Tbs olive oil over med heat in a heavy 12″ skillet. When hot, add eggs one by one, adjacent to one another. Your pan may only hold 3-4 eggs, requiring you to work in batches, or add a second skillet. Salt and pepper the eggs and cook until the whites are solid and crispy on the edges and the yolks are still liquid. Remove from the heat and cover briefly with the skillet lid if you’d like the centers to set up some more.
Assemble the dishes by spooning polenta onto each plate or bowl, adding a mound of sautéed Brussels sprout leaves, and topping with an egg. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately. Encourage everyone to break the yolk and use it as a sauce.
A last note that Family has very large Cauliflower! This is a new variety that we’re excited about. Huge heads, We had one clock in at 5 lbs today! So not appropriate for Classic Boxes.
Extra Shares
Flower Share: Last Bouquets going out to all HALF West County Members and then we are done!
Lettuce Share: Lettuce Leaf Mix 🥬
Bunched Greens Share: Rainbow Chard
Summer Pint Share: Sungold Cherry Tomatoes (LAST PINT SHARE)