If you want to let the FDA know your feelings about their new food safety regulations, there is still time.

Last week's newsletter included a list of suggested comments, but feel free to add your own. 

Commenting on the rules is easy.  Just go to the comments website  and enter your information and comments. The comment period ends November 15.

We had fairly disastrous crop of storage onions this year; the onions we plant in the spring and harvest at the end of summer.  We normally like to keep them in your boxes until late December, but we barely made it halfway this year.

As a result, we have started digging our Leeks early.  Leeks are our "winter onions", harvested fresh from October through the end of March.  They love the cool and wet winters here, and they are a perfect culinary fit with our other cool season crops:  greens, carrots, broccoli, etc.

Leeks are mostly known for their contribution to soup, and it is true that they benefit from long, slow cooking in liquid since they have a very low water content compared to onions.  But they can be substituted directly in almost any recipe for onions, as long as you take care to cook over lower heat or add a little liquid to avoid burning them.

Unlike onions, you don't need to peel leeks before using.  But you do need to clean the dirt that collects inside them while they are growing.  This is how I do it:

1)  Cut the leaves off where they meet the stem:

The leaves are tough and strong tasting, and are generally not much good for eating.  If you happen to be making stock, however, they will add lots of flavor.

2)  Cut an "X" down into the part of the stem closest to the leaves:

3)  Rinse the cut section to remove silt:

To prepare the leeks for cooking, you can chop them across the stem into half rounds.  Or you can slice the whole leek lengthwise, cut the halves into 1-2 inch lengths and then thinly slice them.  This allows for more of the surface area of the leek to touch the cooking surface and works best if you are going to saute or roast the leeks rather than using in soup.

Our field of salad greens has finally come into its own and we're harvesting the first Mixed Salad this week:  a simple combination of lettuce, spinach and arugula.  With nice cool weather to harvest in, the greens are high quality but as always we recommend that you use them within 4 days.

Pink Lady Apples from our local grower and neighbor Coco Ranch are in your boxes today.  They didn't have a very good crop this year, but we have told them we will take whatever they have.

In case you are wondering about citrus, our Satsuma Mandarins are ripening ahead of schedule this year and we expect to start harvest soon.  You may see some in your boxes as soon as next week.

Recipe: Sweet Potato "Enchiladas"

Collard Greens are a super-healthy alternative to tortillas in this recipe.  You can use canned enchilada sauce but making your own isn't that difficult.  This recipe takes some time to prepare.

Clean and dice 2 leeks.  Saute in 2 T. olive oil until tender.  Add 1 C. vegetable broth along with 2 C. peeled, diced sweet potatoes, 2 C. chopped green beans and 1 minced clove of garlic .  Simmer on low heat until tender.  Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, wash 1 bunch of collard greens and remove the center stems.  Blanch or steam the leaves very briefly to soften them up, then rinse in cool water.

Grate 1 C. sharp cheddar or jack cheese.

One at a time, place the collard leaves in a casserole dish and put 2-3 T. of the sweet potato mixture and 1 t. of grated cheese onto them, then roll up as you would a tortilla.  The edges should be facing down when you are done.  When you are done, the dish should be packed fairly tight.

Pour enough enchilada sauce over the collard to fill the pan about 1/2 inch deep.  Sprinkle additional grated cheese over the top if you like.

Bake at 350 degrees until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is browned, about 25 minutes.


Heat 1 T. olive oil in a small saucepan and add 2 T. white flour.  Cook over very low heat until it just begins to brown.  Add the pureed chiles and stir to combine.  Thin to the desired consistency with vegetable broth or water, and season with salt.