I don’t know how else to say it…I’m having a lousy Monday. (Maybe you are too). But case of “The Mondays” aside, I was able to make a wonderful pot of soup to share with my little Italian grandmother today, with Escarole no less, which is one of her favorites and mine. We couldn’t have asked for better timing on that crop in the field, because she’s celebrating a birthday, and the ten minutes or so that I spent rinsing and chopping the leaves, dicing an onion, three cloves of garlic and two tiny carrots to sauté in olive oil offered as much peace as I could have asked for. I added a can of white beans to the vegetables in the, along with a scattering of salt, black pepper and a pinch of chili flakes before adding the chopped up Escarole and a quart of Chicken Stock, simmering the liquid and wilting the leaves down for a few minutes. I like to squeeze half a lemon over the top of the pot, and it should go without saying that each bowl gets topped with as many heaping tablespoons of Pecorino or Parmesan as the eater would like. It is a simple soup that tastes like the sum of its parts, and it hit just right on a drizzly day (My grandma thought so too). I hear folks toss around the phrase, “food is medicine” quite a bit, but I will argue that there are times when the preparation—the chopping, the aromas, the stirring, the waiting—can do as much good as the finished meal does. At least it does for me sometimes, which is why I’m extra thankful that this week’s harvest centers around some crops that have very special places in our hearts and in our fields that I hope will give you a moment or two of solace in between meetings, practices, and all of the other trappings of life.

This week, in addition to this wonderful Escarole, the crew has harvested Leeks and big beautiful Celery Root, which makes the BEST soup. I also sneak it into all kinds of dishes throughout the cold months-- boiled and mashed with or without potatoes, grated into slaws, shaved into salads--even breakfast hash or "zoodles" for stroganoff.  It is a real treat to enjoy clean and crisp aroma from a root. On the Winter Squash front, we're sending Delicata Squash out this week.  As I've shared before, Delicata has been coined the "Lazy Cook’s Winter Squash," and for slackers like me who never peel a darn thing and live for the simple joys of the Sheet Pan Dinner, Delicata is a weeknight godsend.  With all of these leafy greens rolling around, it is worth noting that roasted wedges of Delicata are delicious salad components.  We love them sliced and roasted up as Oven Fries, and they can be split into "boats" and stuffed with your favorite fillings.  It is pretty much the closest thing to Zucchini that we can get outside of Summer, so take a breath, chop up some vegetables and let your oven do the rest.  

Take Care,
Katie

IN THIS WEEK’S FARMSHARES:

• Celery Root

• Escarole

• Delicata Squash

• Leeks

• Potatoes and/or Tokyo Turnips

• Empire or Melrose Apples

AT THE FARMSTAND THIS WEEK

CELERY ROOT & APPLE SALAD
Gourmande in the Kitchen

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• 2 Tablespoon apple cider or white wine vinegar 

• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and 2 Tablespoons walnut oil 

• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

• 1 medium celery root

• 1 medium tart apple (like granny smith or fuji)

• 4 medium celery stalks

• 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ a large lemon)

• 2 Tablespoons, fresh celery leaves, finely chopped

• ¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

• ¼ cup/ 28g walnuts, toasted

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

POTATO & CELERY ROOT GRATIN WITH LEEKS
Once Upon a Chef

• 3 cups heavy cream

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1 sprig thyme plus 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, divided

• 3 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise

• Kosher salt

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, very thinly sliced crosswise (1/8" thick)

• 1 pound celery root, peeled, very thinly sliced crosswise (1/8" thick)

• 2 cups grated Gruyère

• Freshly ground black pepper

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

ESCAROLE SALAD WITH APPLES, PECANS & BLEU CHEESE
Maria Helm Sinskey

• 6 ounces pecans, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon minced shallot

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1/4 cup canola oil

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground pepper

• One 1 1/2-pound head of escarole—dark green leaves discarded, remaining leaves torn into bite-size pieces

• 5 celery ribs, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

• 2 Pink Lady or Honeycrisp apples—halved, cored and sliced inch thick

• 1/2 pound Point Reyes or Maytag blue cheese, crumbled (2 1/4 cups)

CONTINUE TO RECIPE