In February, leafy things are precious in few. Seeing a crop through from seed to harvest takes extra work, extra time, and a bit of sheer luck. We had two of those things this year, depending on how you look at it. There’s a good-sized little Turnip at the end of those tufts of green, but unfortunately, the roots split and went soft with the infamous January deep freeze. Though the roots are toast, they provided just enough sustenance to keep their beautiful greens alive though—and now Kelly and David are keeping the dream alive this week, carefully harvesting what survived of these rotations of mixed greens in our tunnels. There’s a little bit of Bok Choy to go with the Turnip Greens, along with a bit of Mustard and a little Spinach too. Just enough for you to wilt or blanch for a little side dish like this Goma-ae, to flavor a soup, chop or sauté.
By now, we’ve cycled through so many roots and fruits of Winter, and this week, in addition to some juicy pears and frozen blueberries from Sunrise, the CSA will get to choose their roots from a full on assortment. So, whether you’d like to rinse and repeat your go-to root soup, mix and/or mash, roast up a rainbow on your sheet pan or shred up a slaw, give it a go. If you could use a dose of mid-season inspiration, the recipes I’ve assembled this week have been weekday winners in our house—they’re the kind of recipes I turn to when our family is sooooo tiiiiiired of roooots and squaaaaash. Yes, sometimes it means Breakfast-for-Dinner, and on a cold morning, I might even have a warm bowl of soup to start my day. When its good, its good!
The hens are still coming up short on Eggs this week, so once again, we’ll be asking folks with egg shares to swap theirs out for store credit if possible. This is a temporary inconvenience and we thank you for your understanding and willingness to help. In related news, the young flock will be making its way out into the field at the end of the week in anticipation of them starting to lay (which means that very soon, we’ll have the opposite problem. Yay, farming!)
Have a great week,
Katie
IN THIS WEEK’S FARMSHARES:
Choice of Roots
Yellow Onions
Stir Fry Greens
Frozen Blueberries
Pears
RECIPES & SEASONAL TIPS
ROOT VEGGIE TACOS WITH CILANTRO SALSA VERDE
Ashley Marti
1 bunch carrots
2 large turnips
1 medium celery root
1 medium parsnip
3 Tbs. olive oil
½ tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
1 bunch cilantro
½ fresh red chili pepper (cayenne, jalapeño, and cherry bomb are all great)
Salt, to taste
1 lime (plus more lime quarters for squeezing on top)
8 corn tortillas
¼ head red cabbage (thinly sliced)
¼ cup toasted peanuts
4 scallions (cut into thin rings)
OVEN ROASTED SALMON & VEGETABLES (SQUASH & RUTABAGA!)
Ricardo Cuisine
1 lb (450 g) rutabaga, peeled and cut into sticks
3 tbsp (45 ml) vegetable oil
1 lb (450 g) butternut squash, peeled and cut into sticks
1 lb (450 g) salmon fillet without skin, cut into 4 pieces
1 tbsp (15 ml) maple syrup
1 cup (250 ml) plain yogurt
2 tbsp tarragon leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard
2 1/2 cups (625 ml) cooked quinoa, warm (see note)
LUNCHBOX HARVEST MUFFINS
Melissa Clark
140 grams (1⅛ cups) whole-wheat pastry flour
5 grams (1 teaspoon) baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
½ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
70 grams (⅓ cup) packed dark brown sugar
1 small apple, grated, and juices reserved (½ cup)
½ cup grated carrots or butternut squash or parsnips
½ cup grated zucchini or beets
55 grams (⅓ cup) raisins
40 grams (½ cup) unsweetened shredded coconut
VANILLA BROWN BUTTER PEAR BAKED OATMEAL
Ambitious Kitchen
¼ cup butter
2 eggs
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 ¾ cups unsweetened almond milk (or any milk of choice)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 small to medium ripe bartlett pears, diced (about 1 ½ cups diced pears)
¼ cup finely diced walnuts (or sub pecans)
MISO-BRAISED PARSNIPS
Tasting Table
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ½ ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
3 tablespoons gochujang
½ lemon, juiced
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ cup white (shiso) miso
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
8 large parsnips, halved or quartered
LEMON-RICOTTA PANCAKES WITH BLUEBERRY SYRUP
Genevieve Ko
¾ cup/102 grams all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon fine salt
¼ cup/50 grams granulated sugar
1 lemon
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
¾ cup/170 grams whole-milk ricotta
¼ cup/61 grams buttermilk, preferably whole milk
2 tablespoons/28 grams unsalted butter, melted, plus room-temperature butter for cooking and serving
ROASTED WINTER ROOT VEGETABLE SALAD
Running to the Kitchen
1 large beet
1 large golden beet, or use a large carrot
1 large parsnip
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup 4 oz. pecan halves
1/4 cup dried cranberries
4-5 leaves fresh sage, minced
1 sprig rosemary, minced
2 ounces blue cheese crumbles