We pre harvested lettuce, chicories, broccoli, and cauliflower yesterday afternoon. The heavy frost and smoke cover has made it so that the frost takes even longer to melt and prolongs the harvest day. We are so grateful for the coming rain and the pattern change it will bring. The air has been so dry that the moisture in the plant’s leaves has evaporated, leaving them limp and leathery. The small amount of fog we have had this weekend has helped and the rain will bring necessary relief to all.
With the coming rain, we are planting the last seeds: wheat and rye, as well as putting equipment away and cleaning out the fields. The two chicken coops are being pulled in. We also started our winter project of revamping the greenhouse: first cleaning out all of the weeds, then laying down a better weed barrier, and recovering it with new plastic.
This week’s pick list:
Lettuce
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Onions
Beets
Chard
Cabbage
Radishes
Leek
Carrots
Frisee, Escarole, Sugarloaf, and Radicchio
Garlic
Kale
Turnips
Potatoes
Cauliflower
Winter squash
Rutabaga
Parsnip
Parsley
Fennel
Scallions
Celery
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pears and Pistachios, from food52.com
1 pound brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 grinds black pepper
1 Bosc pear, halved lengthwise and cored
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, chopped coarsely
Juice of 1/2 large lemon
Preheat oven to 425°F. Place the prepared brussels sprouts on a baking sheet and pour on the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix with clean hands. Place the pear halves, cut sides-down, on the baking sheet, making sure there is enough oil to coat their cut surfaces.
Roast the brussels sprouts and pear for about 20 minutes. Then turn the brussels sprouts with a metal spatula so that both sides will get caramelized. Check the pear—it many not be caramelized at this point.
After another 10 minutes, turn the brussels sprouts again. Flip the pear. Reduce the oven heat to 375°F.
Add the pistachios—you just want to heat them up and toast them slightly.
After 5 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Squeeze lemon juice directly over all the ingredients. Use your spatula to chop up the pear halves. Toss everything thoroughly, check the seasoning, and serve on a platter or in a bowl.