Brussels Sprout Tops & Taco Tuesday Winter Veg Style

unnamed (2).jpg

In the CSA share this week: 

  • Brussels Sprout Tops
  • Russet Potatoes
  • Leeks
  • Delicata and/or Gold Nugget Squash
  • Choose a Root
  • Bosc Pears

EXTRAS TO PICK THIS WEEK (FREE TO ALL SHARE MEMBERS):
UPICK for Herbs only from here on until Spring.  

 

 

Hello All,

On Friday night, Mark and I joined the wonderful people at PCC Farmland Trust for a farm-centric happy hour hosted by Patagonia and Hot Cakes of Ballard.  In addition to all of the lovely flannel, and the scrumptious molten chocolate cake, we were surrounded by folks who love farms and want to keep them farming.  Even Patagonia's beer on tap was made of Kernza, a perennial wheat that is a major soil builder.  It was that kind of night.  Thank you so much to those of you who stopped by to visit, share, donate and/or give your time.  Hazel managed to dance the night away, and she's looking forward to doing it again when we co-host a summer kickoff event right here atWild Hare in June.  I'll keep everyone posted as details firm up.  

The only dancing we're doing today is on account of rain.  It is sure getting soggy out there for this week's harvest of Brussels Sprout Tops.  If you haven't enjoyed the leafy tops of a Brussels Sprout plant, and even if you have I guess, you're in for a real Winter treat this week.  Imagine all of the flavors of a brussels sprout in big-leaf form.  I've taken a liking to raw brussels sprout dishes, and while I love the way they taste, I don't necessarily like the work that goes into shredding or shaving tiny sprouts.  The sprout tops on the other hand give you all of the sprout flavor in a larger flat leaf that you can roll up, slice, shred, chiffonade or what have you.  Mark and I really enjoyed a salad when we were out the other night that was made of shaved sprouts, quinoa and curry-pickled turnips.  I'm going to attempt copying it at home with the big leaves instead.  If raw isn't your thing, you can cook like a collard if you want.  But one of my favorite ways to enjoy them, which Hannah of  Two Kitchen Collision devised, has you use the leaves as wrappers for a tiny quinoa tacos (recipe below).     I've included the recipe, as well as a few other ideas for using winter vegetables to revamp Taco Tuesday in the recipe section below.  Even when my family thinks they couldn't possibly eat another roasted squash or root, tortillas have a way of changing their minds.  Or somehow, on the reverse, stuffing typical taco fillingsinto a squash or leafy green seems to do the trick.  

Have a Great Week!
Katie

 

HARVEST HIGHLIGHTS &
WHAT'S IN STOCK AT THE FARMSTAND
CSA Members receive a 10% discount on most items at our farmstand

HARE-RAISED:  

  • Salad Mix (limited)
  • Celeriac 
  • Carrots
  • Greens
  • Eggs 
  • Winter Squash

FROM BEYOND THE FARM:

  • WA Organic Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Opal, Fuji, Gala, & Melrose Apples.  Concorde & Bosc Pears
  • Organic Broccoli, Fennel, Roots & Cabbage 
  • NW Organic Roots, Potatoes & Onions 
  • Organic Fruit: Blood Oranges, Cara Cara Navel Oranges, TDE Tangerines, Red Grapefruit, Meyer Lemons, Bananas, Limes, & Lemons.
  • Olykraut, Essential Baking Co. Artisan Breads, Grounds for Change Coffee
  • Jody's Honey--in stock!
  • Dates, Ginger, Nuts, Sweet Potatoes and Dried Fruit

SEASONAL RECIPES

KALE & BRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD WITH
WALNUTS, PARMESAN & MUSTARD-LEMON DRESSING
Once Upon a Chef
 
For the Salad
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved and thinly sliced
1 pound Tuscan or curly kale (about 1 large bunch), thick center rib removed, leaves thinly sliced
1 cup coarsely grated or chopped Parmigiano Reggiano
For the Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from about 2 lemons
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots, from one large shallot
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 
CONTINUE TO RECIPE
 
 
SHAVED BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD
WITH DELICATA SQUASH
Edible Seattle
 
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium delicata squash (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/4-in slices
1 small red onion, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-in slices
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups einkorn berries, rinsed
2-ounce chunk pecorino cheese
1/3 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and shaved on a mandoline
1/3 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
2/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
kosher salt
freshly-ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
 
 
 
ROOT VEGGIE TACOS
WITH CILANTRO SALSA VERDE
Andrea Bemis for Barre3 Magazine

1 bunch  multicolored carrots
2  large turnips
1 medium  celery root
1 parsnip
3 Tbs.  olive oil
½ tsp.  cumin
1 tsp.  whole coriander seeds (crushed in mortar and pestle or spice grinder)
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)
CONTINUE TO RECIPE
 
BRUSSELS & QUINOA TACOS
Two Kitchen Collision
 
1/4 of an onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green chili or 1/2 jalapeno, minced
2 cups quinoa, cooked
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tomato, diced
Cilantro
Avocado Lime Sauce
8 Brussels leaves (any type of green will work, collard, Swiss chard, broccoli...)
 
CONTINUE TO RECIPE
 
DELICATA SQUASH TACOS WITH BLACK BEANS
Naturally Ella

1 small delicata squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon adobo seasoning
Black Beans
1 cup black beans with liquid
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon Salt
4 to 6 tortillas, warmed
1 ounce crumbled goat cheese
minced cilantro
minced red onion
lime juice- for serving
 
CONTINUE TO RECIPE

SWEET POTATO, PEAR & LEEK SOUP
WITH SPICED CROUTONS
Floating Kitchen
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
1 cup thinly sliced leeks
1 pear, cored and chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
4 cups vegetable stock
About 1 cup Almond Milk
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
4 cups cubed bread (a rustic Italian or French loaf works best)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4. tsp. paprika
1/4. tsp. ground ginger
1/4. tsp. garam masala
1/4. tsp. black pepper
CONTINUE TO RECIPE

Starting the year with the salad that started it all

unnamed (1).jpg

In the CSA shares this week: 

  • Turnips
  • Parsnips
  • Kale
  • Carrots
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Cameo and/or Melrose Apples
  • Frozen Blueberries

EXTRAS TO PICK THIS WEEK (FREE TO ALL SHARE MEMBERS):
UPICK for Herbs only from here on until Spring.  

A little over a week ago, Mark passed an article from the Times my way entitled "Seeing Kale With New Eyes."  Mind you, we're in the throes of envisioning twelve months of crops in succession for the year ahead, and Kale is one of those greens that we're constantly trying to decide how much more we bump up our numbers, or if (gasp) 2018 is the year that folks will decide they're over it.  It diminishes in popularity over the Summer; however, in January, I always wish I had more, so it'll probably win us over on those grounds alone.  I happen to love Kale, and I fell for it in 2007.  That was technically the first year that vegetables paid my bills, and I spent hours calling around to kitchens all over the boroughs to catch chefs between the hours of lunch and dinner services each day.  In all of my years of schooling, that year I confronted the steepest of learning curves and some pretty tough customers (and some incredibly kind ones too).  But, in hindsight, it was a thrill--one that I have been chasing ever since. In talking to chefs about their menus, I gleaned some great ideas for how to use vegetables that Mark and I would valiantly try to replicate at home with varying success.  In particular, I loved to learn that the dark narrow leaves of Cavalo Nero (and all of its names Black Cabbage, Italian, Toscano, Lacinato, or most charmingly, Dinosaur) made an awesome raw salad green, thanks to the chefs at Il Buco who introduced me to the Kale Caesar and Joshua McFadden who is said to have brought Kale salads into our national consciousness.  And when there was a gap, crop failure, or bout of insect damage, I learned the more difficult way just how much people could love Kale.   Last year, McFadden published a really great book entitled Six Seasons:  a New Way with Vegetables, which has claimed a high rank among the stack of books that Mark and I turn to as we prepare for year four.  And while we're planning to bump up our Kale numbers so that there is a bit more for us to enjoy this time next year, I'm super thankful that our friends Amy and Agustin from Four Elements Farm had bunches of Kale to share with our CSA this week while what remains of ours is teeny tiny.  Kale Salad Kismet!

Best,
Katie

WHAT'S IN STOCK AT THE FARMSTAND
CSA Members receive a 10% discount on most items at our farmstand

HARE-RAISED:  

  • Salad Mix (limited)
  • Celeriac 
  • Carrots
  • Parsnips
  • Eggs 
  • Winter Squash

FROM BEYOND THE FARM:

  • WA Organic Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Opal, Fuji, Gala, Melrose & Winesap Apples
  • Organic Broccoli, Fennel, Roots & Cabbage 
  • NW Organic Roots, Potatoes & Onions 
  • Organic Fruit: Blood Oranges, Cara Cara Navel Oranges, Meyer Lemons, Bananas, Limes, & Lemons.
  • Olykraut, Essential Baking Co. Artisan Breads, Grounds for Change Coffee
  • Jody's Honey--in stock!
  • Dates, Ginger, Nuts, Sweet Potatoes and Dried Fruit

SEASONAL RECIPES

TURNIPS WITH YOGURT AND TOMATOES
Excerpted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian by Saveur

1 1⁄2 cups plain yogurt
Salt
6 medium turnips, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1⁄2" cubes
3 tbsp. peanut or canola oil
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1⁄2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tomatoes, peeled, cored, and chopped (Katie's note--canned perfectly acceptable when fresh are out of season for this recipe)
1⁄4 tsp. cayenne

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

KALE AND PARSNIP QUINOA BOWLS
Dishing up the Dirt

2-4 medium sized parsnips, cut into 1/4 inch pieces, 
1 bunch of curly kale (or any type of kale/green) tough stems removed and cut into bite size pieces
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Oil of choice for cooking (I used grapeseed oil)
Salt and pepper

For the dressing:

1/4 cup tahini
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 TBS pure maple syrup
1 TBS low sodium tamari
2 TBS rice wine vinegar
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup water

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

ROOT VEGETABLE SOUP
Melissa Clark, NYT Food

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion or 2 leeks (white and light green part only), chopped
2 to 3 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 rosemary or thyme branches
2 bay leaves
3 ½ pounds mixed root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, celery root, turnip, rutabaga, sweet or regular potato), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed
½ teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
 Juice of 1/2 lemon, more for serving
 Extra-virgin olive oil
 Flaky sea salt
 Crushed Aleppo, Urfa or other chile flakes, optional
 Grated Parmesan or pecorino, optional

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

BLUEBERRY DUTCH BABY PANCAKE
Averie Cooks

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups frozen blueberries (add them frozen, do not thaw first; fresh may be substituted, possibly reducing baking time by a few minutes)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch salt, optional and to taste
confectioners’ sugar for dusting or jam for serving, optional

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

VEGAN DUTCH BABY
WITH CARAMELIZED APPLES & PEARS
Heart of a Baker

tablespoon coconut oil
⅓ cup almond milk
7 ounces silken tofu
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping:
1 apple, sliced
1 pear, sliced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons coconut oil
Powdered sugar, for dusting

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

SKILLET ROAST CHICKEN
WITH PARSNIPS, FENNEL & SCALLIONS
Bon Appetit

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 3½–4-lb. chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 fennel bulb, sliced lengthwise ½” thick
2 large parsnips, peeled, sliced ½” thick on the diagonal
1 bunch scallions
3 wide strips lemon zest
Lemon wedges (for serving)

CONTINUE TO RECIPE