November 21, 2024 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Escarole

 

What's In The Box

Italian Garlic:  Garlic confit is when garlic is slowly cooked in oil as a means of preservation. The resultant garlic is sweet, silky, and mild in flavor. Check out this week’s recipe suggestion for garlic confit!

 

Red & Yellow Onions: Both red and yellow onions may be caramelized, making them sweet, silky and delicious! Incorporate them into baked goods, pasta dishes, quiche, pizza, add them to sandwiches, etc.

Sweet Potatoes: Use this week’s sweet potatoes in sweet or savory dishes. It is best to store them at a temperature of 55-65 degrees. And before you add too many marshmallows, brown sugar, or maple syrup to them, taste them first! You may be surprised by the natural sugars they contain!

Brussels Sprouts: Brussels sprouts may be eaten raw or cooked. When cooking, take care to not overcook them, as that is when their flavor and texture fades to a state that is not so delightful. When cooking, they should be bright green and fork tender or al dente. The size of the sprouts may vary on the plant, but whether they are small or large, they are all edible! Larger sprouts are great for shredding or slicing thinly for slaws and salads. Smaller sprouts are great because they can be cooked whole and require minimal preparation.

Celeriac: Also known as celery root, this humble root vegetable offers a subtle celery flavor to winter salads, slaws, stews, and roasted root blends. Cut the celeriac in half or quarters to make it easier to peel. Using a paring knife, trim away the outer skin and root base to reveal a solid, white interior. Once peeled, celeriac may be shredded or shaved and used in salads and slaws or cut it into chunks or slices and add it to roasted root blends, root mash, stews, gratins, or soup.

 

Rainbow Carrots: This week we are adding some additional color to the box with this festive blend of rainbow carrots including orange, purple and yellow! These tricolored carrots make a beautiful roasted carrot blend or a fresh salad.

 

Lacinato Kale: Sweetened by the frost, this is the final lacinato kale for the season. We’ve harvested the youngest leaves on the plant from the very top, hence the short, stout bunches. Use this kale in winter slaws or salads or add it to hearty soups and stews.

Autumn Frost Squash: Autumn Frost is a more decorative version of its cousin, the butternut. This variety may be used interchangeably in any recipe calling for Butternut as you’ll find the flesh has the same color, consistency and flavor as butternut. We have found this squash to be sweet and delicious while also having good long term storage potential!

Purple Viking Potatoes: We saved this variety for the pre-Thanksgiving delivery in case you are looking for a tasty potato to use for mashed potatoes. Along with russet potatoes, Purple Viking potatoes are our favorite variety for mashed potatoes with their white flesh and slightly starchy texture. This variety is actually an all-purpose type of potato, adapting well to mashed potatoes while also being a great option for roasting and soups. The skin is purple with splashes of pink while the flesh inside is pure white.

 

Escarole: This vegetable resembles a head of leaf lettuce, but it is actually a bitter green in the chicory family. Read more about this vegetable in this week’s feature article. And don’t be deterred by the description of “bitter.” We intentionally harvest escarole late in the season after it has been through several frosts as the cold treatment makes the flavor more mild and well-balanced. You may notice some browning on the edges of some of the leaves. This is a touch of frost damage. Simply remove that portion of the leaf before using.

Beauty Heart Radishes: This radish is a winter storage radish with a creamy colored skin that often has green around the top. When you cut it open, you’ll find a vibrant pink interior. Peeling is optional, but some find the radish to be more mild when peeled. While often eaten raw, it may also be roasted.

Green Kohlrabi: Add some crunch and juicy freshness to your winter meals with this storage kohlrabi! Store it in the refrigerator in a plastic bag to prevent dehydration. If it does get a little soft, don’t throw it out! Rather, use it in soups or stews. It also makes a tasty winter gratin either solo or with potatoes or other root vegetables. Of course, it may also be used as the base for a raw salad or slaw.

Recipe Suggestions & Inspiration For This Week’s Box Contents

Sicilian Garbanzo and Escarole Soup

Pasta with Escarole

Warm Escarole, Egg & Bacon Salad

Wilted Escarole with Feta, Walnuts & Honey

Escarole & Goat Cheese Pizza with Honey-Toasted Walnuts

Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes

Garlic Confit Crispy Roasted Potatoes

Butternut Squash, Onion Confit and Gruyere Cheese Galette

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Confit

Sweet Potato Confit

Turkey & Brussels Sprouts Club Sandwich

Brussels Sprouts & Kale Salad with Beauty Heart Radishes, Pickled Dates & Onions (aka Make Ahead Holiday Salad)

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples, Hazelnuts & Brown Butter Vinaigrette

Thanksgiving Lentil Salad with Roasted Squash & Garlic-Sherry Vinaigrette

Brown Butter Butternut Squash Pasta Salad

Cheesy Brussels Sprouts Bread Pudding

Roasted Carrot Hummus

Carrot Pie with a Pecan Crust (Dessert)

Maple & Mustard Roasted Root Vegetables

Sweet Potato Dump Cake

Sweet Potato Coconut Soup with Thai Curry 

Loaded Sweet Potato Casserole

Red Wine Caramelized Onions

Caramelized Onion & Bacon Dip

Kohlrabi Remoulade

Kohlrabi & Apple Slaw with Hazelnuts

Watermelon Radish Toast with Miso-Honey Butter

Potato & Celeriac Gratin

30 Best Celeriac Recipes

Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Honey, Thyme & Whipped Feta

Shaved Rainbow Carrot Sesame Salad

Brown Butter Butternut Rolls

Butternut Squash & Spice Cheesecake

Orecchiette with Roasted Butternut Squash, Kale, and Caramelized Onions

Toasted Turkey, Brie & Caramelized Onion Sandwich

Vegetable Feature: Escarole

Escarole is in a family of vegetables called chicories which also includes radicchio. Escarole has a pretty long growing season and some years it’s hard to get them to full size.  However, with our warm fall this year, we had no trouble getting them to full maturity.  In fact, they were so big we had to trim them down to fit in the box!  Escarole holds an important place in our season as it is a cold-hardy green that is best suited for growing in the fall and is sturdy enough to be able to take some frosty, cold nights, unlike lettuce for instance.  In fact, we don’t even think about harvesting escarole until it’s had some chilly nights! The flavor changes dramatically after they’ve had cold treatment. This green does just fine uncovered when freezing temperatures are in the low 30’s and high 20’s, but it can sustain some damage when we get a hard freeze. Most years we do cover this plant to protect it from freezing too hard on those really cold nights. You may see some browning on the edges of the leaves.  This is a bit of frost damage, but we ask that you just trim that part away as the frost is what makes it tasty!

Escarole resembles a head of green leaf lettuce, but it does have some distinct differences.  First of all the leaves are more broad and a bit more thick when compared to leaf lettuce.  The center of a head of escarole and the portion of the leaves near the base are generally blanched to a light yellow or white.  While all the leaves are edible, these light colored center leaves tend to be the most tender and mild flavored.  As such, this is the portion of the plant you may wish to prioritize for eating raw and save the darker outer leaves for cooking.

Storage Tips: Store escarole in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until ready to use. When you are ready to use it, separate the leaves from the base and wash well in a sink of cold water. If you are using the escarole for a raw salad, shake or spin off excess water to dry the leaves. If you are cooking it or adding it to soup or stew, it’s ok if there is still some water on the leaves.

Preparation & Usage: Escarole may be eaten raw or cooked. When eaten raw, the bitterness is going to be more pronounced, however we think you'll find this year's escarole to be quite mild and pleasant both raw and cooked.  Cooking does mellow the bitterness and accentuates the sweet qualities. It’s also important to note that different ingredients help to balance the flavor of escarole, both raw and cooked. Fatty ingredients such as sausage, prosciutto, bacon, duck, hard cheese, olive oil, olives and nuts such as pine nuts and hazelnuts provide a nice counter balance to the bitterness of escarole. Acidic ingredients also perform similarly, which is why you’ll often see recipes for escarole that include vinegar or fruit such as apples, citrus, pears, persimmons and pomegranate. Of course it also makes sense to pair escarole with other fall vegetables such as garlic, onions, beets, potatoes and winter squash. Escarole is a popular used more in Italian cuisine where it is often used in soups or sauteed and/or braised along with white beans, lentils, pork and garnished with a variety of cheeses.

There’s a classic preparation for escarole that some Italian cooks call Scarola Affogata, which means “smothered escarole.”  In this dish, garlic is sautéed in olive oil until golden, then chopped escarole, salt and red pepper flakes and seasoning are added to the pan.  The greens are cooked until they are soft and tender.  This is then served as side dish, or you can use the greens for another purpose, such as on top of a pizza or slathered on a piece of thick, crusty bread.

 Escarole, Bacon and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad 

This is a delicious late fall/early winter entrée salad. It’s hearty enough to stand alone, or serve it alongside a bowl of soup.  The salty bacon, sweet apricots or dates and roasted squash are a nice balance to the slightly bitter escarole. The addition of either pepitas or almonds adds texture contrast to the silky escarole and squash. While this recipe calls for bacon, you may choose to exclude this ingredient and opt for a vegetarian option and the salad will still be delicious and “complete.”  If you do include the bacon, adjust the amount to your liking. And for one final optional suggestion, while I chose to use dates in my salad, any dried fruit would be a nice addition and dried cranberries in particular would be a nice alternative.

Yield: 4-6 servings

ROASTED SQUASH:

3 cups butternut or autumn frost squash, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

SALAD:

1 head escarole, cleaned and roughly chopped

½-1 pound bacon, cooked and finely chopped

½ cup dried apricots or dates, thinly sliced

¾ cup roasted and salted pepitas or almonds (chopped)

VINAIGRETTE:

1 shallot or small yellow onion, minced

2 Tbsp minced flat leaf parsley or 1 Tbsp dried parsley

2 Tbsp stone ground mustard

2 Tbsp honey

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

Salt, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Toss the squash with the olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Roast the squash for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown and fork tender. Set aside to cool.
2. In a small bowl combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette except for the oil. Stir to combine, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil, and stir vigorously to incorporate the oil. Season to taste with salt. 
3.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the escarole, bacon, apricots/dates and a bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the top and gently toss to coat. You want to use enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the escarole leaves. Serve immediately topped with the roasted squash and roasted pepitas or almonds.

Recipe borrowed and slightly adapted from www.heatherchristo.com.

November 7, 2024 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Brussels Sprouts

 

What's In The Box

Yellow Onions: Store onions in a cool, dry location until you are ready to use them. If they show signs of sprouting, prioritize using that onion and remove the sprout from the center of the onion when you cut it open.
 
Missouri Porcelain Garlic: This garlic is characterized by larger cloves, but fewer per bulb. These plump cloves are great when poached in olive oil, also known as confit. The garlic softens and becomes sweet and caramelized while the oil is infused with garlic essence.
 
Evangeline & Vermillion Sweet Potatoes: Every year of farming brings new challenges and opportunities to learn. We realize this week’s sweet potatoes are not perfect and have some defects. We are trying to figure out how to remedy this issue in the future as well as evaluate whether this issue is a reflection of the variety or irrelated. Next week we will be moving into our tried-and-true variety, Covington. We are hoping for better results. In the meantime, check out this week’s recipe suggestions for a smattering of diverse sweet potato recipes ranging from desserts to tostados and stew.
 
Brussels Sprouts: This week’s boxes contain 1.5# of Brussels sprouts! Despite what you may see in stores, Brussels sprouts come in a wide range of sizes. Larger sprouts that are more soft and open grow at the top of the stalk. As you descend down the stalk, the sprouts get smaller and are typically more dense. All are usable! When cooking Brussels sprouts, it’s best that all are similar in size. If they are not naturally similar, cut them into halves or quarters.

Orange Carrots: Carrots are an important part of our diet for much of the season, but we rely on them for important nutrients and culinary contributions especially in the winter! Incorporating them into your diet throughout the week is health insurance! Challenge yourself this winter to see how many different ways you can find to incorporate carrots into your meals!

Butternut Squash: Butternut is possibly the most popular variety of winter squash in the US and a quick search on the internet will turn up thousands of recipes! Store this squash at room temperature or in a cool environment between 45-55°F for optimal shelf life. You can either bake it with the skin on and scoop the flesh out after it’s cooked or peel it prior to cooking.

Red Beets: Beets are an excellent food to support healthy liver function and detoxification. They are also sweet, flavorful and create beautiful meals with their vibrant red color!

Tat Soi: You can identify this vegetable by its dark green, rounded spoon-shaped leaves and light green ribs that connect the leaf to the base of the plant. Tat soi is in the same family along with Bok choi and may be used interchangeably in recipes. Use both the ribs and the leaves, raw in salads or cook it by lightly sauteing or stir-frying.
 
Purple Daikon Radish: These beautiful little daikon radishes carry the purple color through to the inside of the daikon, streaking the inner white flesh. Enjoy purple daikon in any way you would use white daikon, in salads, stir-fry, pickled or as a condiment.

Green Boston or Red Magenta Head Lettuce: We are in our final harvest of head lettuce for the season. Your box will contain either a Green Boston lettuce or our Red Magenta summer crisp. There is a lot of lettuce in these heads, so get ready for salads and wraps this week!

Green Savoy Cabbage: This week’s cabbages are cute little compact heads, harvested several weeks ago ahead of a hard frost. Enjoy raw in slaws or cook it into soups, sautéed, etc.

Recipe Suggestions & Inspiration For This Week’s Box Contents

Brussels Sprouts Hash with Pears and Eggs

Brussels Sprouts Pakora (Fried with a chickpea breading)

Hoisin Glazed Brussels Sprouts

Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Pizza

Brussels Sprouts Tacos

Brown Rice & Sweet Potato Salad

Chicken Salad Wraps with Fresh Lettuce

Fall Harvest Cobb Salad

Korean Spicy Daikon Radish Salad

Winter Panzanella Salad with Butternut Squash and Brussels sprouts

Sweet Potato Crumb Bars

Sweet Potato and Refried Bean Tostados

Spiced Peanut and Sweet Potato Salad

African Peanut & Sweet Potato Stew

Moroccan Beet Salad

36 Beet Recipes Loaded with Nutrients and Perfect for Winter

Roasted Beets with Pistachios and Thyme

5-Spice Pickled Carrots

Cardamom Spiced Carrot Cake

Carrot Gnocchi

Crunchy Japanese Cabbage Salad with Miso Ginger Dressing

Garlic Confit

Onion Jam

15 Minute Sesame Ginger Noodles with Tat Soi

Spicy Ginger Pork Noodles with Bok Choi (Tat Soi) 

Bok Choi (Tat Soi) Salad with Sesame Almond Crunch

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

Spiced Butternut Squash & Lentil Soup

Vegetable Feature: Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts look like little heads of cabbage, and while they are in the same family, they are not the same thing. They grow on a tall, thick, sturdy stalk that can get to be as tall as 4 feet. The sprouts spiral up the stalk and are shaded by a tuft of leaves at the top, but also down the stem. The leaves on the top of the plant closely resemble collards and can be eaten similarly.

Transplanting Brussels Sprouts

Preparation & Usage: Brussels sprouts can have a strong cabbage-like flavor which can either be good or not so desirable. DO NOT OVERCOOK THEM! When the color fades from bright green to a dark olive color, the flavor fades too. Overcooked Brussels sprouts go from crisp & tender to soft and mushy in texture and their sweetness is traded for a strong, unpleasant flavor with a pungent smell to accompany it. Larger sprouts should be cut in half or par cooked if left whole. Smaller sprouts may be left whole or cut in half. When you are ready to use them, simply trim the end and remove any spotty leaves. Rinse and then you are ready to use them. They can also be shredded by cutting them in half and putting the cut side down and slicing them thinly with a knife. Brussels sprouts may be sautéed, roasted, or lightly steamed just until the color is bright and they are tender to slightly al dente. While most frequently eaten cooked, Brussels sprouts may also be eaten raw.

Brussels sprouts pair well with smoky and salty foods including bacon, ham, aged or sharp cheese, and blue cheese.  Additionally, preparations often include mustard, walnuts, pecans, lemon juice, onions and garlic.

Brussels Sprouts ready to harvest

Storage Tip: Store your Brussels sprouts in the fridge in the bag we packed them in. You should open the bag a bit though and let them breathe.

Health & Nutrition: They are high in fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and K and are packed full of powerful, cancer-preventing properties as well.  Brussels sprouts also contain nutrients that can attack and kill cancer cells!

Growing Information:  Frost and cold temperatures contribute significantly to the eating quality of Brussels sprouts.  After a frost, the flavor of the sprouts is sweet, slightly nutty and pleasant.  California is a major Brussels sprouts producer for the United States.  While Brussels sprouts do grow well there, there are many who are of the opinion that the mild California coastal climate just isn’t quite cold enough for Brussels sprouts.  Thus, consider yourself lucky that you live in Wisconsin & Minnesota where we can grow some delicious, sweet sprouts!

 Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Bacon, Caramelized Onions & Honey Mustard Drizzle

Yield:  4 servings

Photo from www.sweetsavoryandsteph.com

This recipe was borrowed and adapted from  www.sweetsavoryandsteph.com who originally named this recipe “The Best Brussels Sprouts Ever!”  This dish is a tasty combination of flavors and textures, balancing crispy bacon and silky shallots or onions, savory bacon & Brussels sprouts with a sweet honey mustard sauce. You may also wish to add a few cloves of minced garlic to this recipe or a few pinches of smoked paprika for a little extra zing. Enjoy this recipe as a side dish with any meal, including breakfast! This is also one to consider for your Thanksgiving menu!

12 oz Brussels sprouts (about 3-4 cups)

2 shallots or 1 medium yellow or red onion

½ pound bacon

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp honey

1 ½ tsp maple syrup

Vegetable oil, as needed

1. Cut the bacon into small dice pieces.  Heat a medium to large sauté pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the bacon to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, or until it is crispy and the fat has rendered off.  Remove the bacon from the pan using a slotted spoon. Leave the grease in the pan.
2. While the bacon is cooking, slice the shallots or onions thinly. Once the bacon bits have been removed from the pan, return the pan back to the burner and add the shallots/onions. Cook the onions for 10-15 minutes over medium heat until they are soft and caramelized, stirring often while cooking. 
3. While the onions are cooking, prepare the Brussels sprouts by cutting into halves or quarters, depending upon their size.
4. Once the onions are nicely caramelized, push them to one side of the pan. If the bottom of the pan looks dry, add a little bit of vegetable oil to the pan, enough to have a light sheen on the bottom of the pan. Add the prepared Brussels sprouts and season with salt and black pepper. Cook over medium heat for 8-12 minutes, or until the sprouts are browned on the cut sides and tender to your liking. You will need to stir the sprouts periodically, mixing the onions in with the sprouts. The steam being released from the sprouts as they cook will likely be enough moisture to cook the sprouts, but you can also add a little water to the pan if needed to help steam them. 
5. While the sprouts are cooking, combine the Dijon mustard, honey, and maple syrup together in a small bowl. Set aside.
6. Once the sprouts are cooked to your liking, add the crispy bacon bits back to the pan and stir. Remove from heat.
7. To serve, put the Brussels sprouts on a serving platter and drizzle with the honey mustard mixture. 

October 31, 2024 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Red Mizuna

 

What's In The Box

Red Mizuna: You can identify this item by its dark burgundy/purple leaves that have green stems and serrated leaves. Mizuna is related to mustard and has a spicy bite to it. This is our favorite time of the year to enjoy this vegetable, after it’s been kissed by some frost which balances the flavor. At this stage, it is best used as a cooking green. Read more about this vegetable in this week’s feature article.

 

Yellow Onions: The key to caramelizing onions is patience! Sauté them in a pan with a large surface area over medium to medium low heat and stir periodically to keep them from getting crispy brown. As they cook, the moisture will evaporate from the onion (as evidenced by steam rising from the pan), thereby concentrating the natural sugars in the onion which give caramelized onions a sweet flavor.

 

Italian Garlic: Roasted garlic makes a bold and tasty base for a salad dressing that would be great on this week’s Red Magenta Summercrisp head lettuce! Recipe suggestions for this as well as roasted garlic sauce are below.

 

Sweet Potatoes: This week your box will contain either Bayou Belle or Evangeline sweet potatoes. Both are orange fleshed varieties. Roasting sweet potatoes is a great way to enhance the natural sweetness of the sweet potato. They may be eaten on their own, or add them to a salad, mix them in with grain bowls, or turn them into soup.

 

German Butterball Potatoes: This variety of potatoes is known for its creamy “buttery” gold flesh. It is a waxy variety that is a great choice for making au gratin potatoes, roasting, or for making chowder.

Black Futsu Pumpkins: This is a Japanese squash variety that has the shape of a pumpkin, with brownish skin and golden flesh. If roasted, the skin gets crispy and is edible. You can also cut the squash in half and bake it, either with a filling or just scoop the flesh out of the shell once cooked.

Jester Squash: This is the variety in this week’s box that is oblong in shape and has yellow, orange and/or green markings against a cream/yellow background. This squash is similar to a delicata but has much longer storage potential. The flesh is light yellow in color, sweet and flavorful.

 

Orange Carrots: Shredded carrots are a handy item to have on hand. Use them to put together quick vegetable salads or add to stir-fry, noodle dishes or baked goods.

 

Green Curly Kale: Notice how the flavor of kale changes (sweetens) from summer to fall after it is “kissed” by frosty nights! Use this week’s kale to make a massaged kale salad or add it to soup.

Red Magenta Lettuce: This week’s gorgeous head lettuce is a red summercrisp variety that resembles redleaf lettuce, but with more crunch factor! Wash and dry the leaves well before using them as the base for a tossed salad.

 

Green Kohlrabi: The kohlrabi in this week’s box is a different variety in comparison to the ones we grew in the spring. These kohlrabies are intended for long-term storage, and we’ve found they will store for several months! This is a great vegetable to use in winter salads and slaws, allowing us to enjoy a fresh, crispy, crunchy, refreshing vegetable throughout the winter when we no longer have fresh vegetables coming in! Store it in the refrigerator in a plastic bag to keep it from getting soft. Peel it as you would peel an apple, then use the solid, inner flesh to make salads, slaws, stir-fry, or just simply eat it raw with salt, chili powder and a touch of lime juice!

Red Cabbage: These densely packed heads may be on the small side, but you will likely be surprised at how much you get out of this vegetable if finely sliced! Enjoy it raw in a salad or braise it with apples and fennel.

Recipe Suggestions & Inspiration For This Week’s Box Contents

Simple Mizuna Salad with Radishes

Garlicky Roasted Potatoes with Wilted Mizuna and Bacon Gremolata

Congee with Chicken & Greens

Curried Lentils & Sweet Potatoes with Greens & Hazelnuts

Shredded Carrot Salad with Lemon and Feta Cheese

Shredded Carrot Salad with Apple & Lime

Super-Easy Sesame Soba Noodles with Shredded Carrots & Red Cabbage

Massaged Kale Salad with Apples & Cranberries

Roasted Garlic Caesar Salad

5-Ingredient Creamy Garlic Sauce for Chicken or Pasta

Creamy Roast Garlic & Lemon Pasta Sauce

Sweet Potato & Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas and Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing

Roasted Sweet Dumpling (sub Jester) Squash with Brown Butter

Simple Lettuce Salad (That Tastes Amazing!)

Mama Kathy’s Potato & Onion Chowder

Creamy Cider & Black Futsu Pumpkin Soup

Maple Sage Roasted Black Futsu Pumpkin

Red Cabbage Taco Slaw

Pork Chops with Red Cabbage & Apples

Chili Dusted Kohlrabi Fries

Chili-Lime Kohlrabi Salad

Vegetable Feature: Red Mizuna

Red mizuna is a stunning “green” that has dark burgundy/purple leaves with green stems. The shape of the leaf is unique and has distinctly serrated edges. You may not realize this, but this is not the first time you’ve had this green in your box!  We actually plant red mizuna in the spring and fall as one of our baby “greens” selections that we use in our salad mix and/or sauté mix.  We like to include red mizuna in our salad mix because it is beautiful and adds nice color contrast, but also because its spicy flavor is a nice complement to the mild lettuces. Sometimes we have a crop that grows faster than the lettuces they were intended to be paired with, and when that happens, we have the opportunity to let it grow to full size and harvest it as a bunching green.  Such is the case this week. 

Red Mizuna is similar to mustard greens or arugula, with a distinctly spicy flavor profile.  We like to enjoy mizuna as well as mustard greens and arugula in the cool parts of the season when the spicy flavor of the green is more well-balanced. When grown as a baby green, red mizuna is tender and may be eaten raw. When grown to full size, it may still be eaten raw, but you may find the texture to be a bit more coarse.  As such, full-size mizuna is best used as a cooking green, however it doesn’t require a very long cooking time.  It may be added to soups, stews, stir-fry, noodle dishes, etc., but do so at the very end as it just needs enough time to wilt down which softens the leaf. 

Preparation & Usage: Remove the twist tie from the bunch and remove any damaged leaves.  Wash well in a clean sink of cold water. Shake off excess water or spin the greens in a salad spinner before using. Trim off the lower 1-2 inches of the stem and then roughly chop the remaining leaf and stems into bite-sized pieces or into whatever size is desired.  

Storage Tips:  Store red mizuna in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.  It is best used within a week for optimal quality.

Health & Nutrition: As with other vegetables in the brassica family, red mizuna is strong in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals which support overall health and well-being.  As Farmer Richard says, “Eat your greens every day!”

 Red Lentils with Winter Squash & Greens

Yield:  4 servings

This is a recipe we published in our newsletter back in 2015 in a week when we included red mustard in the box. I remembered how good this combination was and it’s equally good with this week’s red mizuna!  The spicy flavor of the mizuna is a nice complement to the more subtle flavors of the lentils and squash. This recipe is a layer of flavors with the addition of the ginger, turmeric, cumin and mustard seeds.  If you don’t have access to fresh lemongrass, you may choose to add lemon zest and/or juice to the recipe.

1 cup red lentils

3 Tbsp olive oil

¼ cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 inch fresh ginger, minced

¼ tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp salt, plus more as needed to taste

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds (optional, but highly recommended)

2 Tbsp fresh lemongrass bulb, minced

1-2 pinches of dried red pepper flakes

5-6 cups water

1 cup diced kabocha or butternut squash

1 bunch red mizuna, mustard greens or other bunching greens, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces

Fresh lime and cilantro, to garnish

Cooked basmati rice or potatoes

1. Rinse the lentils well using a mesh strainer.
2. Heat a skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the olive oil is shimmering, add the onions & garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes, then add the lentils, ginger, turmeric, salt, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, lemongrass, and the dried red pepper flakes.  Stir to combine, then add 3-4 cups of water, or enough water to bring the level of liquid over the lentils by about ½-1 inch.
3. Cover and bring to a simmer.  Once the lentils are simmering, remove the cover, and add the squash. Continue to simmer until the squash is tender, the lentils are soft, and the mixture looks smooth. You may need to add an additional 1-2 cups of water during the cooking time.
4. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the greens. Simmer for just a few minutes more until all the greens have wilted into the lentils.
5. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve alongside cooked basmati rice or boiled potatoes. Garnish with a squeeze of fresh lime and chopped cilantro.

Recipe adapted from a recipe originally published by McKel Hill for her blog, www.nutritionstripped.com.

October 24, 2024 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Daikon Radishes

 

What's In The Box

Porcelain Garlic: This week’s garlic selection is one of our porcelain varieties that we call “Missouri,” named as such because we got the original seed stock from a guy in Missouri! This garlic is characterized by white skin and large, flavorful cloves.

Red Onions: We’re rolling out the “Red Carpet” for this week’s onion selection! Yes, that’s the name of this week’s red onion! Seed names…one never knows the story behind them. We selected this variety because it is said to be a strong producer and has thick skin which enhances its storage-ability. We also like that the red coloring on the rings extends into the center of the onion!

Red Russian Kale: We plant this variety of kale as one of our “greens” selections for our salad mix, but the greens sometimes grow faster than the lettuce and if the timing doesn’t work out….the greens get to be too big to go with the lettuce varieties. When this happens, it opens the door to harvest this selection as a larger leaf bunched green! This is a great sauté green, wilted down with garlic, ginger and onions and seasoned with just a touch of toasted sesame oil and soy sauce!

Baby Bok Choi: This green is a staple crop for our farm, and one we plant for twenty or more weeks from early spring to late summer! We are down to our final two crops, so we wanted to give you one more opportunity to enjoy this green. You may eat it raw or lightly cooked.

Green Boston Lettuce: We covered these lettuces to protect them from last week’s frosty mornings. This variety is known for having soft, tender leaves. Use the leaves to make lettuce wraps or use them as the base of a salad, dressed with a light vinaigrette.

Cilantro: We are very close to the end of the season, but wanted to squeeze in one more cilantro delivery before the season comes to a close. Cilantro is a versatile herb that is used across the world in many cuisines from Mexico to Asia.

Orange Carrots: Soup season is upon us and carrots are a staple soup ingredient! Check out this week’s recipe suggestions for several tasty, nourishing soup options!

Peter Wilcox Potatoes: This week’s potato variety is the nutrient and flavor packed Peter Wilcox! Characterized by dark purple skin and gold flesh, this potato was bred for higher nutrient density and flavor. This variety has waxy flesh making it most appropriate for pan-frying, roasting, adding to soups and stews and gratin.

Butterkin OR Butternut Squash: This week's boxes will contain either Butterkin or Butternut squash, which may be used interchangeably in recipes. Butterkin squash is a hybrid variety that has the shape of a pumpkin with skin and flesh that resembles a butternut. Butternut squash....well it's the most well known squash of all winter squash varieties!

Parsnips: Parsnips resemble carrots in shape but have a distinct flavor all their own. Parsnips are a great addition to fall and winter soups, stews and braised dishes, but can also make an appearance in baked goods or simply sauté them.

Purple Sweet and/or LA-100 Orange Sweet Potatoes: We are kicking off sweet potato season with two new varieties we trialed this year. All boxes will contain purple sweet potatoes. Some boxes may contain a small amount of LA-100 orange sweet potatoes as well. Read more about our sweet potato trials in this week’s Farm Update in the email. Sweet potatoes are actually now being referred to as a “superfood,” and purple sweet potatoes in particular are packed with powerful antioxidants. See this week’s recipe suggestions for some tasty purple sweet potato recipes!

Red Daikon Radish: We like this variety of red daikon both for it’s vibrant, gorgeous red color as well as it’s smaller size which makes it more manageable to use! There is no need to peel this daikon as the exterior skin is thin. Use daikon raw in salads or pickled as a condiment. It may also be cooked in stir-fry or stew!

Recipe Suggestions & Inspiration For This Week’s Box Contents

Simple Steamed Purple Sweet Potato

Stuffed Purple Sweet Potatoes with Crispy Chickpeas and Turmeric Tahini

Chickpea Free Purple Sweet Potato Hummus

Purple Sweet Potato and Cashew Butter Candy

Gluten Free Sweet Potato Muffins

Purple Sweet Potato Curry

Parsnip Oatmeal Chocolate Cherry Cookies

20 Ways with Parsnips

Spiralized Daikon & Sweet Potato Noodles with Spicy Korean Tofu

Creamy White Bean Soup with Kale and Gremolata

Squash & Chickpea Moroccan Stew

Chinese 5-Spice Roasted Butternut Squash Soba Noodles with Kale

Vegetarian Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas with Mole Sauce

Instapot Chicken Soup with Parsnips

Carrot & Parsnip Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup with Parsnips & Dill

Caramelized Pork Bahn Mi with Pickled Carrots & Daikon

Caramelized Onion Burger with Balsamic Mayo

Mexican Pickled Onions

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Miso Soup with Bok Choi, Carrots & Noodles

Oven Braised Beef Stew with Carrots, Parsnips & Kale

Maple Butter Roasted Butterkin Squash with Hot Chili Oil

Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes with Butternut Squash

Vegetable Feature: Daikon Radishes

Daikon radishes have a variety of different common names depending on the culture it is being used in, such as Japanese radish, Chinese radish or simply winter radish. They are a mild flavored winter radish that are extremely popular in Asian cuisines.  Their crisp, juicy texture is complemented by a sweet, slightly peppery bite.  We grow three different types of daikon including the traditional white daikon along with purple and red varieties.  Although the typical white daikon will measure between 15-20 inches in length, certain varieties can grow to be 36 inches long!  The purple and pink varieties are slightly smaller than the white variety we produce.  The purple variety has a stunning lavender skin and flesh while the red variety has red skin and white flesh.  We find daikon to have a slightly sweet and spicy flavor that is more mild than spring radishes, especially if the daikon has gone through some cool nights.  In its raw form, the flesh is very juicy and crunchy.  When cooked, the flavor becomes more mild and the texture becomes tender, similar to a cooked turnip.  If you are a radish lover, you’ll likely prefer them raw.  If you’re still learning to like radishes, you may find them more to your liking when cooked.

Preparation & Usage: Daikon radishes have edible skin, but most often a thin layer is peeled away before use.  Pickling and stir-frying are the most predominant methods of preparing daikon radishes, and they are perfectly good to eat raw as well as in slaws or as garnishes dressed with a simple vinaigrette.  Daikon radishes may also be roasted or sliced thinly and made into vegetable chips, either baked or fried.  We enjoy daikon radishes in fall and winter stir-fries, cabbage slaw and braised meat dishes.

In Chinese cuisine, daikon radishes are also featured in a variety of soups, braised meat and vegetable dishes as well as baked goods.  A popular Bangladesh dish finely grates daikon and adds it to a mixture of fresh chili, coriander, lime juice, salt and flaked steamed fish in a light and refreshing side dish known as mulo bhorta.  In Korean culture, daikon is often fermented.

Storage Tips: Daikon radishes should be stored, in a plastic bag in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator.  They will last this way for several weeks.  Cut daikon stores well in its raw form, but can produce an odor that is absorbed by other items your fridge if it is not contained in a closed container.

Health & Nutrition:  Radishes are a good source of vitamins A, C and B6 as well as magnesium, calcium and potassium. In traditional Chinese medicine, radishes are used to promote digestion, break down mucus, soothe headaches and heal laryngitis. They are beneficial in helping to cleanse and detoxify the body and it is thought that they help prevent viral infections, such as colds and the flu, when consumed regularly.

Cultural & Historical Background: Radishes are eaten extensively worldwide. Often they are pickled, cured, dried or fermented to preserve them. Historical reports date back to 2000 BC where radishes are thought to have been included in the daily ration, along with onions and garlic, for the people building the Egyptian pyramids.

Additional Fun Facts: The word Daikon comes from Japanese, and literally means “big root!”

 Quick & Easy Pickled Daikon Radish

Yield:  Approximately 1 or 2 pint jars

The author of this recipe describes this pickled daikon recipe as follows:  “Sweet & tangy quick pickled daikon radish recipe with a crisp crunch!  Quick & easy to make and requires no heat, just a refrigerator!”  

Pickled daikon is a common condiment in many Asian cultures, each with its own little twist. This recipe is very easy to put together and once they are made you can just pull them out of the refrigerator and serve them with a variety of dishes.  They are great served alongside noodle and rice dishes, fried chicken or fatty roast pork dishes, sushi, stir-fry or atop a Bahn Mi Sandwich, lettuce wraps or even tacos! I (Andrea) used two medium sized red daikon radishes, thinly sliced, to make one pint of pickled daikon (packed tightly). The pickles are a nice balance of a mild radish flavor, slight sweetness, but not too salty and not too vinegar-y. If you want to add some variety, you could add carrots to the jar as well. 

1 pound daikon radish 

1 Tbsp salt

1 large clove garlic (optional)

1 or 2 dried Thai chili peppers or a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Brine:

½ cup rice vinegar or white vinegar

½ cup + 2 Tbsp hot water

½ cup sugar

1. Wash the daikon radish. Cut it into the shape of your choosing.  You may wish to cut it in half lengthwise and thinly slice it, but you could also spiralize it, cut it into matchsticks, thick sticks, shred it or cube it. Adapt the cut to your intended use.
2. Put the prepared daikon into a bowl and add 1 Tbsp of salt. Massage the salt into the freshly cut radish. Let the radish sit for 15 minutes as it draws out the bitter water.
3. Once 15 minutes is up, rinse the daikon well with cold water and set aside.
4. In a separate bowl or a 2-cup glass measuring cup, prepare the brine. Mix together the vinegar, hot water and sugar.  Stir well until all of the sugar is dissolved.
5. If you wish to add garlic to your pickled daikon, peel and smash a clove of garlic and add it to the brine now.
6. Put the daikon radish into a clean pint canning jar. If you slice it thinly and pack it tightly it will likely all fit into one jar.  If you use a larger cut you may need to put the daikon into two pint jars.  If you are using the dried chili peppers, add them to the jar along with the daikon. 
7. Pour the vinegar brine over the daikon until the liquid covers the daikon and is nearly to the top of the jar.  Put a lid on the jar and close it tightly. Put it in the refrigerator and let it set for a minimum of 2 hours, but preferably 24 hours. 
8. Store in the refrigerator for 1-2 months.

Recipe borrowed from www.pupswithchopsticks.com.

 Spicy Ginger, Carrot & Daikon Radish Salad

This recipe is another simple salad that makes a great accompaniment to stir-fry, rice, or noodle dishes. It may also be served atop grilled fish or chicken or as a side dish to braised or roasted meat.

Photo from www.food52.com

Yield:  4 servings 

1 medium sized daikon radish

2 carrots

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 clove garlic

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

½ tsp sriracha sauce

Toasted sesame oil or sesame seeds, to taste/garnish

1. Prep the vegetables. Use a julienne peeler or box grater to shred the daikon and carrots into 4 cups total.  Place vegetables in a medium size mixing bowl along with ginger and garlic. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and sriracha sauce. Pour over the vegetable mixture and toss to combine. Garnish with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil or seeds.

Recipe adapted from www.Food52.com.