Wild Hare Organic Farm

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Pretty Pink Radicchio, Sweet Red Beets & Winter Citrus at its Peak!

Katie Green

Who’s read for something PINK?! I sure hope you are, because we managed to rescue a section of our Winter Radicchio patch for this week with you in mind. Chicories like these are a true Winter delicacy. These varieties stand up to cold in ways that lettuce could never, and uncannily, they brighten in hue as the temps drop. However, they’re not totally impervious to frost, so we’ve had our work cut out for us, knowing that the temps have been dropping into to the low twenties and potentially teens this week. Sheesh. So, what you’re looking at is a real labor of love—a stunning mix of assorted varieties of Radicchio that have been hand harvested, hand sorted and mixed by your farmers so that you can have a bit of something that looks sweet but is deliciously bitter this week—pretty much has Valentine’s Day written all over it, no?

Luckily, where there is bitterness, there’s room for sweetness (OK,and saltiness too!). Thanks to diligence, patience, and waiting for just the right window, we’ll have Red Beets to go with those pretty little leaves, thanks to Farmer Claire who has seen them through from harvest to wash and prep. And you know what goes particularly well with both Beets and Chicories? Winter Citrus! That’s what. Between the Blood Oranges, Meyer Lemons, Cara Cara Navels, Grapefruit and Tangerines we’ve got on hand at their peak, the timing could not be better to enjoy something really simple but very special. The tangy citrus/deep earthy flavor combination is a winner, and as a bonus, all of that Vitamin C helps our bodies absorb the Iron that we get from eating Beets.

On a side note, I couldn’t help but be wistfully charmed by the fact that we’re sitting on hundreds of pounds of Red Beets, ready to rock, when I heard about Tom Robbins’ passing yesterday. Like some of you out there, I happened upon a well-loved paperback edition of Jitterbug Perfume in my twenties, and I think about the opening lines several times a year, whenever there’s a bin of beets around. Robbins wrote, “The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious.”

With that, I look forward to seeing you at the farmstand this week for a really tasty one. Unbearably cold as it may stand to be in our little barn, we love being your farmers—frivolous, serious and everywhere in between.

XO,
Katie

IN THIS WEEK’S FARMSHARES:

  • Winter Chicory Mix

  • Shallots

  • Red Beets

  • Carrots

  • Cosmic Crisp Apples

KATIE'S WINTER CHICORY SALAD WITH CITRUS & ONION VINAIGRETTE

  • 1/2 lb Winter Salad Greens, washed and cut or torn into bite sized pieces

  • 3 Oranges (I used a mix of 2 Cara Cara Navels and 1 Blood Orange)

  • 1/2 Red Onion, sliced thin

  • 1 Shallot, minced

  • 1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds (optional, but I really like them)

  • 1 T Wine or Sherry Vinegar

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • Olive Oil

Place Fennel Seeds, minced Shallots and a pinch of salt and a couple healthy grinds of pepper into a small bowl.  Muddle with a spoon for a bit and then juice one orange into the bowl.  Add your vinegar and then submerge your sliced Red Onions.  Set aside to marinate a little while you do the next steps.  

Place prepared salad greens in a large bowl.  Using a sharp knife, peel the pith and rind from the remaining two oranges.  Cut each orange in half crosswise, and then into bite-sized segments. Scatter oranges over prepared greens in a large bowl. 

Then, make the dressing.  Using a slotted spoon, strain the red onions from the small bowl, adding them to the salad bowl while reserving the remaining liquid and seasonings.  Whisk about 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil into the small bowl of seasoned juice/vinegar until emulsified. Taste and add Salt to your liking.  Toss with the prepared salad ingredients and top with a few grinds of pepper if you'd like.