Often used to season pork and poultry, Sage is a slightly peppery herb that is more versatile than many realize. Fry the leaves in olive oil, chop and add to squash soup to add a totally new depth to the dish. Combine chopped sage with shallot and pork sausage as a tasty addition to your Thanksgiving stuffing recipe. One of my favorite dishes is chopped sage, butter and chopped toasted pecans tossed with linguine. Below is a sage pesto recipe I came up with a few years back. Note this freezes well!

Sage Pesto

In June of this year a top 11 list appeared in the New York Times titled "The 11 Best Foods You Aren't Eating". Guess which food was number one! Honestly, I think a lot of people aren't eating them because they imagine that there is a lot of effort involved or they have had them prepared in a way that is unappealing to them. Maybe you had them too sweet or perhaps yours (or, dare I say, Grandma's?) lacked savory flair.

Honeyed Beet Quinoa Summer Salad
from Fresh from the Farm and Garden by The Friends of the UCSC Farm and Garden

Jerusalem Artichokes:  Native to America

Jerusalem artichoke is a native North American tuber and it has been a staple food in the diet of North American Indians for centuries. They are neither from Jerusalem nor are they artichokes.  They are actually related to the sunflower family.  The name "Jerusalem" is derived from the Italian word girasole, meaning "sunflower" and they are sometimes called "sunchokes".  The vegetable has a sweet, nutty flavor and crisp texture.

Thanks to CSA member Samantha M. for passing on this recipe:

Mashed Potatoes with Turnips

2 lg. turnips, peeled and cut into chunks
4 lg. potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
2 tbsp. of butter
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper