10.12.16 Wisconsin Grown | Part 23

This week, I realized that we’re seriously nearing the end of our CSA run. One more box after this week, and we’re done. Our garden has yielded its last few peppers, and is ready to be buttoned down for the winter. We’re still making trips to the farmer’s market, but these days, it’s primarily to feed our apple fix. The end of the growing season is staring us in the face. What can we do but make the most of it?

I myself am taking full advantage of this cooler weather, and the abundance of roots, apples, and hearty leafy greens that comes with it. Earlier this week, in celebration of our ample veggie stock (and definitely not because I didn’t manage to cook nearly as much as I had planned last week and had lots of veggies on hand), I cooked up a fall feast. We ate all of the things - harissa roasted root vegetables, pan fried chicken thighs, garlicky sauteed beet and rutabaga greens with bacon, wild rice pilaf, and caramelized shallot biscuits. This is why I love fall.

I’m sure we’ll be cooking plenty of delicious things as well with this week’s CSA goodness. Here’s what we’re planning on for this week:

This week marks our first CSA Sweet Potatoes, and yep, I’m pretty excited. The only trouble with sweet potatoes is deciding whether to go the savory route ala this Chile Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Cilantro Rice, or go the sweet route and whip up a batch of Sweet Potato Bourbon Pancakes. Decisions, decisions.

We’re also seeing the first appearance of Butternut Squash in the CSA share, which is great, because I’ve been looking forward to some Thai Butternut Squash and Peanut Soup.

We’ve got plenty of Broccoli again, which is totally fine with me. It’s one of the few veggies everyone in our house truly enjoys eating. I’m thinking this particular bunch is slated for this Charred Broccoli and Lentil Salad from Food52.

I must admit, most of the time, when I come across Turnips, my mind totally blanks on what to cook with them. But I have to say, I’m actually getting excited about them after coming across Things I Made Today’s Mashed Turnips with Goat Cheese and Leeks. And with plenty of Leeks in the box as well, I think we can definitely make that happen.

Lots of lovely Carrots - another favorite in our household - makes me want to cozy up with a big pot of this Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Stew and a big pot of hot tea.

One of my favorite uses for Green Bell Peppers is as part of the renowned “Holy Trinity” of Cajun cooking. This mixture of chopped bell peppers, onions, and celery forms the base for many quintessential cajun dishes. Dishes like Shrimp Etouffee. I like to add a healthy dose of Garlic to my etouffee as well; luckily we have plenty to work with.

This week’s box brings with it another big beautiful bunch of Lacinato Kale, and plenty of fresh Thyme, both of which are going to be used to make a warming pot of this Chicken, Kale, and Wild Rice Soup.

We are well stocked with Farmer’s Market Apples for the foreseeable future, which is always good in my book. We’ll be eating as many as we can plain, making more apple sauce, and of course, whipping up a batch of Sweet and Spicy Apple Chutney. And there will still be more. Which is cool, because Smitten Kitchen has about a million great ideas for other delicious things to do with them.