We're pushing your "food-know-how" this week. You might see a few items that you're unfamiliar with, but just keep reading to get preparation tips and recipes to try.

This week, each bag will have a stalk of Brussels sprouts, a head of cauliflower, a half-gallon of Apple Cider, a bunch of carrots, a pound of green beans, a quart of concord grapes and a bulb of celeriac (a.k.a. celery root.)

Let's start with the Brussels sprouts-- maybe you didn't know that they grow on a stalk! Use a sharp paring knife to slice off the sprouts. Remove the outermost leaves of the small cabbage-like head. Quick and tasty prep: cut the head in half (down the center so the halves are the same) and using that small knife, slice a tiny slit in the bottom of the root. Steam or blanch for 7-10 minutes, toss in oil (or bacon grease, or butter) and roast at a high heat or cook in a skillet on the stove top till done. The bitterness pairs well with sweet, so you can add a splash of balsamic, honey or maple syrup at the end.

Cauliflower- the greens are edible, just like broccoli leaves, kohlrabi leaves or kale. Blanch or sauté. Turn the head of cauliflower upside down on your cutting board and carefully cut out the center stalk like a cone. The florets should drop away. One of my favorite ways to cook them is to roast for just a few minutes at a high heat to soften slightly, then add them to a high-sided covered skillet with about a 1/3-1/2 cup flavorful chicken broth. Cook till easily pierced with a knife. Cauliflower also steams and roasts easily--really versatile veggie.

Apple cider you can drink it straight (or mixed!), or use it when braising tougher cuts of meat.

Carrots you can slice and snack or use at the base for rich stews (along with finely chopped onion & celery.) They also make a great soup.

Green beans- clean, then snip off the ends. Steam for a few minutes, then just like the Brussels sprouts you can roast or pan fry in a little oil. For some other fun preparation ideas, scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter for recipes.

Concord grapes have a thick skin and a seed. They're great for snacking, cooking into jam or roasting (check out this collection of recipes from HuffPost.)

Celeriac is also known as Celery Root and that is what it is-- the root ball of a type of celery (thinner and more bitter than the celery you'd buy in the store.) If the celery greens are attached, they make an EXCELLENT addition to a simmering broth or stock-- tons of flavor. Prepare the root ball just like kohlrabi-- slice off a circle from the bottom of the ball and discard. Carefully working your way around the rest of the ball with the flat side down on the cutting board, slice away and discard the gnarly outside. The inside of the bulb is soft and flavorful and can be eaten raw (try shredding in a salad), or even better as an addition to soups.

Everyone will also get a choice of dried beans-- a 1# bag of either Navy, Red Kidney, Pinto or Black. Available options will be listed at your stop. If you have never cooked with Dried Beans before, check out Parker's Guide to Dried Beans.

The Omnivore Shares will all get a ham hock to add tons of flavor to soups. If you are watching your sodium intake, soak the ham hock overnight in cold water and either discard or save it as a broth/stock. The Vegetarian/Vegan Shares will all have a 2.5# bag of Roma tomatoes instead.

Larges, you'll be getting a head of broccoli, a pound of ground beef, 5 or 6 apples (Cortland & Golden Delicious), a pair of sweet peppers and the Roma tomatoes as well. Instead of double tomatoes, the Large Vegetarians will get a butternut squash and a quart of canned peaches instead of the ground beef.