What’s In The Box? September 15-21

Fall Color
Even as the sunshine continues to peek through occasionally, a new season is beginning to take hold, with crisp, clear mornings, chilly evenings and a wealth of colorful new produce options—from lovely ripe pears and bright carrots to rainbow Swiss chard. Thus, this week’s box embraces the crisp, soulful flavors of early fall as they converge with late summer favorites like heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers. Also on board to help you craft a satisfying supper: rustic rigatoni pasta, chicken Italian sausage and Gruyère cheese bread, plus French red wine. Enjoy!

Here’s what you’ll find in your box this week:

Lagana Foods Rigatoni

Created by local chefs Ethan Stowell and Kaela Farrington, Lagana Foods’ pastas are hand-crafted using semolina flour and water, then cut to shape with Old-World bronze dies to give the dough an intentionally rustic appeal. This week, try this tube-shaped pasta tossed with chicken Italian sausage, sautéed sweet peppers and beautiful rainbow Swiss chard—see recipes for details.

Double DD Meats Chicken Italian Sausage

Family owned and run since 1955, Mountlake Terrace’s Double DD Meats butcher shop only carries naturally raised meats, including this week’s chicken sausage spiced with fresh herbs and traditional Italian flavors.

Gruyère Cheese Bread

Made in nearby Snohomish by our favorite bakery, this freshly-baked loaf balances sweet, nutty Gruyère cheese with a light, crisp crust. Absolutely delicious toasted or re-warmed in the oven—just sprinkle with a few drops of water and bake at 350° for about 15 minutes.

Westward Blue Cheese

Similar in style to a gorgonzola, this creamy soft cheese boasts a gorgeous marbled center and flavorful bite, making it a beautiful complement to this week’s fall pears.

Domaine de Beausejour Chinon 2014

This Loire Valley red is crafted from Cabernet grapes and boasts a beautiful black cherry color. Supple and well-rounded on the palate, it also features notes of cherries, tobacco and fresh thyme.

Farm Fresh Eggs

Our small flock of heritage breed laying hens gives us fresh eggs in beautiful shades of brown and green. With shorter days that signal the coming of fall, the girls are up with the sun to roam the outdoors where they still enjoy the warm afternoons. Bedtime is coming much earlier now, as we see them heading into their house to roost as the sun is going down.

Housemade Chicken Stock

Made from roasted Bella Luna chickens, this flavorful stock is simmered slowly for hours with carrots, onions and celery and seasoned with a dash of sea salt.

Fresh Orchard Fruit

Apples and pears from the trees at Bella Luna and grapes from our Grape House.

Seasonal Organic Vegetables

This week’s produce selection also includes mixed heirloom tomatoes, sweet red peppers, Walla Walla onions, rainbow Swiss chard, celery, pink beauty radishes, cucumbers and mixed summer squash.

Seasonal Organic Greens

Treviso radicchio, spicy salad mix and red butter lettuce.

Fresh Garden Herbs

Parsley, rosemary, garlic, oregano, sage and thyme.