WILD HARE WEEKLY SPRING 3/12
Greetings from the farm! There’s a sense of urgency now that the temps have come up. The Sugar Snap peas are “up” in more ways than one—we suspend the trays above our greens in the greenhouses every Spring so that hungry critters don’t devour them before we do. And beyond the peas, there are all kinds of greens and beets and things that are going to want to be out of trays and into the soil before we know it. Since it was time to make a little more room in the field, Mark and Luis dug the remaining bed of Parsnips today, making way for an afternoon of plowing and forward momentum. Like us, our friends Amy and Agustin of Four Elements Farm were looking to move some of their overwintered baby Collards this week. Ours are looking pretty tasty as of this morning too, so with our powers combined, we’ll have some overwintered leafy greens on the table this week. I love quick sauteed Collard Greens—they’re like Cabbage’s robust cousin that can hold up to all kinds of flavors—pepper, vinegar, ginger and peanut. Yum! Meanwhile, Parsnips are one of our more covetous root vegetables this year. They look like creamy white carrots, but their flavor is sweeter and more intense than carrots. And like so many things that have overwintered, they taste extra yummy this time of year. My rule of thumb still holds true in late March—a little of frost and a bit of heat make hardy vegetables nice and sweet. So whether you turn them into oven fries, or grate them up into a breakfast hash over the weekend, I hope you’ll find them a delicious treat.
Best,
Katie
IN THE FARMSHARES THIS WEEK:
Baby Collards—almost too pretty to eat…almost.
Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Parsnips
Baby Collards
Onions
Garlic
Fuji Apples
A seedling’s eye view of the hothouse from the weekend: Lunchbox Peppers, Chiles, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Tomatillos almost ready to pot up.
SEASONAL RECIPES, TIPS & INFO
Purple patch: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's purple sprouting broccoli recipes - The Guardian
ROASTED BROCCOLINI & LEMON WITH PARMESAN
Alison Roman
1 lemon, halved crosswise, seeds removed
4 garlic cloves, smashed
2 bunches broccolini, ends trimmed (or 1 pound broccoli, thinly sliced lengthwise, stem and all)
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup finely grated Parmesan
CONTINUE TO RECIPE
ROSEMARY PARSNIP FRIES
Andrea Bemis via Barre3 Magazine
2 lbs. parsnips, cut into 3-inch by ½-inch strips
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 ½ Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
Pepper, to taste
CONTINUE TO RECIPE
CRISPY LEEK & PARSNIP SOUP
Cook for your Life
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups diced parsnips
1 cup diced celery
1 cup chopped leeks, green tops reserved
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
1 can white beans, drained
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
CONTINUE TO RECIPE
PARSNIP CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
The Kitchn
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more for greasing the pan
1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups peeled, grated parsnips (about 2 medium)
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) peeled, finely grated fresh ginger
2 ounces chopped pecans (about 1/2 cup), optional
1/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
CONTINUE TO RECIPE
COLLARDS WITH COCONUT & PEANUT BUTTER
Optional Kitchen
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger (from a roughly 3″ x 1″ piece)
2 Tbsp chopped garlic (from 4–5 cloves)
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk
3 Tbsp natural peanut butter (ideally just one ingredient: peanuts)
1 lb collard greens, chopped and rinsed (and stemmed if you like)
Cooked long-grain rice, to serve
Pepper vinegar or a vinegary hot sauce (Tabasco, Crystal, etc.), to serve