Our 2012 CSA sign up is open! Click here to reserve your share now. 
This year members that pay in full by check by the end of February receive an early sign up discount. Also, we have finally gotten a lovely Penn’s Corner grocery tote printed. CSA members can purchase the $12 bag at the discounted rate of $10. If you would like one just email karlin at csa@pennscorner.com. We can deliver them to CSA pick up locations.
Penn’s Corner farmers and staff are gearing up to attend the 21st annual Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) Farming for the Future conference. The PASA conference is one of the most inspiring events that we attend all year. Sharing notes and the company of the amazing cast of characters in the sustainable agriculture community of Pennsylvania is just the kind of charge that we need in February to build up proper steam for the coming spring. Our hope this year, as always, is that we bring back knowledge and inspiration that we can harness to improve the service that we provide to you.
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THIS WEEK’S HARVEST
Tuesday
~3# sweet potatoes, Pucker Brush Farm, CNG
~pea shoots,Pucker Brush Farm, CNG
~ 1# Chinese red or white radishes, Clarion River Organics, OG
~1 dozen free range eggs, Clarion River Organics
~1# carrots, Clarion River Organics, OG
~ 1# red onions, Blue Goose Farm, CNG
~ head green cabbage, Blue Goose Farm, CNG
~ micro greens/baby lettuce mix, Crighton’s Farm
~ 3# Fuji apples, Dawson’s Orchards
~ 1/2# Buttercup cheese, Hidden Hills Dairy
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OG- Certified Organic CNG- Certified Natural Grown
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Adapted from All About Braising, by Molly Stevens
This recipe is simple and what comes of it is perfect winter, comfort food. Enjoy! Skip the egg if you like.
1 medium head green cabbage, about 2 pounds
1 large yellow onion, sliced into rough 1/3-inch slices
1 large carrot, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
¼ cup good-quality chicken stock, or water
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 egg, poached
Salt to taste
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and position a rack in the middle of the oven.
Peel off and discard from the cabbage any bruised or messy outer leaves. Give the cabbage a quick rinse under cool water, and dry it lightly. Cut it into 8 wedges, and trim away some of the woody core, leaving enough to hold each wedge intact. Arrange the wedges in a 9 x 13 baking dish. They may overlap a little, but you want them to lie in a single—if crowded—layer. If they don’t fit nicely into the dish, remove one wedge and set it aside for later use in a quick sauté, salad, or soup.
Scatter the onion and carrot over the cabbage, and pour the stock and oil over the whole mess. Season with a couple pinches of coarse salt, a couple grinds of the pepper mill, and the red pepper flakes. Cover the dish tightly with foil, and slide it into the oven. Cook the vegetables for 1 hour; then remove the dish from the oven and gently turn the cabbage wedges. If the dish seems at all dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Cover the dish, and return it to the oven to cook until the vegetables are very tender, about an hour more.
When the cabbage is completely tender, remove the foil over the baking dish, turn the oven up to 400 degrees, and continue cooking until the vegetables begin to brown lightly on their edges, another 15 or so minutes.
Serve warm, topped with a poached egg and sprinkled with plenty of good, flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Note: The cabbage keeps well in the fridge for a few days, sealed in an airtight container.
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Penn’s Corner Farm Stand is Year-Round 
Interested in supplementing your CSA with even more great local food?? Penn’s Corner has pre-order, online Farm Stands have many of the same great products that appear in your CSA each, plus more! With pickup locations in Squirrel Hill, Mt. Lebanon and Lawrenceville, anyone is welcome to place an order. Our Farm Stands run year round and offer a variety
of farm-fresh items including produce, meats, cheeses, bread, mushrooms, pasta and more. Check out our Farm Stands here!
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The baking times are approximate; it depends on how thick you cut the wedges or rounds of sweet potatoes. Try to cut them evenly so they all cook at about the same rate. For best browning results bake only one sheet at a time. Why the sugar? To help with the caramelization and to intensify the sweetness of the fries, but you can easily leave it out if you want.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes, about 3 large ones
- 1/4 cup olive or other vegetable oil
- 1-2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1-2 Tbsp spice or spice combination of your choice: chipotle powder, smoked paprika, Chinese five-spice, pumpkin pie spice, garam masala, Cajun seasoning, etc.
Method
1 Preheat oven to 450°F. (For more crispiness, preheat your oven to 500°F.)
2 Peel the sweet potatoes and cut off the ends. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and then, if they are very long, in half crosswise. Cut each piece into wedges. Alternately, you can slice the peeled sweet potato into disks either with a mandoline or a sharp knife.
3 Put the sweet potatoes into a large bowl and add the oil. Mix well to combine. Sprinkle with salt, sugar and spices of your choice. Use your hands to mix well, so all pieces are coated with oil and spices.
4 Spread the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a baking sheet; the oil they are coated with should keep them from sticking to the pan. If you are trying to cut fat, reduce the oil to 2 Tbsp and use a non-stick coating on the baking sheet. (Note: a commenter has recommended putting them on a wire cooling rack on top of a baking sheet, so that the oven air circulates around the sweet potato pieces and you don’t have to turn them in the next step. Another commenter recommends preheating the baking sheet, to help the fries get crisp.)
5 Bake for a total of 25 to 30 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn over all of the sweet potato pieces. Return to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until they are well browned. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Yield: Serves 4-6 as a side dish.
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