Braising Greens are a Wintertime staple for our farm.  A mix of various types of Kale, Collards, typically Chard and a few other odds and ends that put on smaller, sweet little leaves heading into the cold months are a versatile component of many salads, soups, smoothies and frittatas between now and Spring.  And you wouldn’t know it by looking at the pristine basket you see above, but this year’s crop of greens has really taken a hit thanks to the infamous January deep freeze.  By Mark’s estimation, about ¾ of the leaves out there in the Kale, Collards, Cabbage and Brassicas are damaged by at least 10%--which is his way of letting us know the plants are alive but most of the existing growth is toast and that it took a whole lot of fussy harvesting to arrive at this week’s Braising Mix.   What we’ve got looks and tastes fantastic, and the crew has done a phenomenal job of making something beautiful of a harvest day that was otherwise a real pain.  But, it just might be that the plants have given us all they’ve got for now, and we may have to wait and see what these plants give us in terms of flowering Raab by early Springtime.  Thankfully, there we have plenty of lovely Winter vegetables stored up, like Purple Daikon and Autumn Frost Squash, to counteract any dearth and drear. Ditto, seasonal organic citrus that is making its way into the farmstand—Tangerines, Blood Oranges, Meyer Lemons and specialty varieties of Navel Oranges are at their peak.  And after several weeks of patient waiting, I have picked up fresh batch of ferments from Olykraut, so come on by and stock up!

Take Care,
Katie

IN THIS WEEK’S FARMSHARES:

• Braising Mix

• Purple Daikon Radish

• Pink Lady Apples

• Autumn Frost Squash

• Shallots
  

AT THE FARMSTAND THIS WEEK

RECIPES & SEASONAL TIPS

APPLE & CHEDDAR CRISP SALAD
Smitten Kitchen

• 1 small shallot, minced

• 3 tablespoons (45 grams) apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon smooth dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) mayonnaise or Greek-style plain yogurt

• 6 tablespoons (80 grams) olive oil

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  CRISPY STUFF

• 1 cup (115 grams or 4 ounces) sharp cheddar, coarsely grated

• 1 cup (85 grams) sliced almonds

• 2 tablespoons (15 grams) powdered sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

  ASSEMBLY

• 5 ounces (140 grams) kale leaves, any variety, cut into thin ribbons

• 1 large crisp apple, halved, cored, and cut thin

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

FAVORITE KALE SALAD
WITH LARGE BATCH SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE
Alexandra’s Kitchen

• a large hunk of bread, to yield 1.5 to 2 cups lightly packed fresh crumbs, see notes

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  FOR THE LARGE-BATCH SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE:

• 3 to 4 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped

• 1 cup white balsamic vinegar

• 1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 1/3 cups extra-virgin olive oil

  FOR ASSEMBLY:

• Tuscan kale, however many heads you need, stems removed, leaves finely chopped

• grated Parmigiano Reggiano

• toasted bread crumbs, optional

• shallot vinaigrette to taste

• freshly ground black pepper

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

THE UNEXPECTEDLY AWESOME
RADISH & APPLE SALAD
Not Quite Nigella

• 1 bunch radishes (around 300g/10.6ozs bulbs only)

• 1 apple (I used a Pink lady apple)

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

• 1/2 clove garlic, finely grated

• 1/2-1 teaspoon sugar (depending on taste)

• 2 tablespoons chopped chives

• Salt and pepper

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

RISOTTO WITH ROASTED WINTER SQUASH
Martha Rose Shulman

• 1 pound winter squash (about ½ of a good-size butternut, for example), such as butternut, banana or hubbard, peeled, seeded and cut in ½ inch dice

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 7 to 8cups vegetable or chicken stock, as needed

• 1 small or ½ medium onion

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed

• Salt to taste

• 1½ cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice

• ½ cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

• 1 to 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (¼ to ½ cup), to taste

• 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• Freshly ground pepper

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

KALE PAD THAI WITH DAIKON RADISH
Anya Kassoff

• 1 tablespoon almond butter

• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste or tamarind sour soup base (see Note)

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 2 limes, juiced

• 1 tablespoon tamari

• 1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil

• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• One 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped

• 1 stalk lemongrass, very finely chopped (optional)

• 2 to 3 large kale leaves, chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces

• Sea salt to taste

• 6 ounces pad thai rice noodles

• 1 small daikon radish

• 1 cup mung bean sprouts

• 1/2 cup toasted cashews

• 1 cup basil leaves, torn

• 1 cup cilantro leaves

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

DAIKON RADISH CUCUMBER SALAD
This Healthy Table

• 2 Daikon radishes

• 1 English cucumber

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

• 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• ½ teaspoon white sesame seeds

• ½ teaspoon black sesame seeds

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

FRENCH APPLE CAKE
Once Upon a Chef

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off1 teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• ⅔ cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling over cake

• 2 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 tablespoons dark rum

• 2 baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch cubes (3½ - 4 cups chopped)

• Confectioners' sugar (optional), for decorating cake

CONTINUE TO RECIPE