December 19, 2024 - This Week's CSA Box Contents and Recipes

 

What's In The Box

Shallots or Yellow/Red Onions: This week your box will contain either shallots or yellow/red onions, packed in a paper bag. Shallots have pink skin and are more elongated in shape. They are excellent in egg dishes, sauces, vinaigrettes, etc. Some of the yellow onions are smaller, perfect for cooking whole or cutting in half and adding to pot roast or other braised dishes. Store onions and shallots in a cool, dry location in the paper bag we’ve sent them in. If you notice any sprouts starting to form, remove the sprout and use the remainder of the onion.

Italian or Porcelain Garlic: While this year’s garlic crop was not the best we’ve ever seen, we’re grateful to have had enough to make it through to the very last box. This week we’ve packed your garlic in a small paper bag, which is appropriate for storing it in until you’re ready to use it. 

Sweet Potatoes: Store your sweet potatoes in a cool location and out of direct sunlight. If you want to maximize your yields and save some time, consider baking them all at once. Remove the cooked flesh from the skin and purée it in a food processor. Freeze the pureed sweet potatoes in smaller amounts. You can use the puree for baked goods, heat it up with a pat of butter for a side dish, or use it to make sauces, desserts or as a base for pizzas or quesadillas!

Orange Carrots: Store your carrots in the plastic bag we’ve portioned them in. These carrots will store for several months, so don’t be in a rush to eat them all! The longer you store them, they may start to grow some roots on the surface and/or you may see some browning on the skin. Regardless of these changes, the carrots are still good and just may need a little extra scrubbing and/or peeling. 

Tetsukabuto Squash: This winter squash is dark green in color and more round in shape. It’s name means “Iron helmet” in Japanese. It is a cross between a butternut squash and kabocha squash. We selected this squash specifically for this point in the season as it is known to have strong storage potential. The flavor also gets better with time as the sugars become more concentrated. The flesh is moist, rich and a golden yellow color.

Purple Viking or Russet or German Butterball Potatoes: As we wash the final bins of potatoes from storage this week, we’re grateful for this year’s potato crop. Yields were strong and storage was solid. Your box will contain one of these three varieties. Keep them in a cool, dry place and away from light. We recommend you enjoy them within the next few weeks for optimal quality.

Beauty Heart Radishes: This winter storage radish is also referred to as a “watermelon” radish, due to it’s beautiful bright pink flesh and green outer edge.  Peeling is optional, but the skin does have more of that “radish bite” in it. If you prefer a more mild radish flavor, we suggest peeling them.  Enjoy this radish in salads, stir-fry, ramen bowls, or just eat thin slices of it as a snack.

Celeriac: This humble vegetable is round and knobby. Peel away the outer skin and you’ll find a solid white interior. Use this root vegetable in raw winter slaws and salads, add it to soups and stews, roast it, or add it to root mash creations.

Green Kohlrabi: We harvested these back in late September, and they are still as crispy and juicy as the day we brought them in! The exterior appearance is not as pristine as it was at harvest, but only the exterior is affected. You may notice some browning in the areas where the scales were located. This is where the leaves grew from the kohlrabi, which is a swollen stem which grows above the ground. It is not a root vegetable. If you’re not sure what to do with it, check out the recipe inspiration in this week’s Cooking With the Box!

Parsnips: We’re not sure what happened this year, but Mother Nature got creative with the shapes of this year’s parsnip crop! While these parsnips may not be “picture perfect” per the world’s standards, once you cut them up you won’t even know they were a little odd shaped to start with. Use them in root mash, soups, roasted root blends, and even baked goods! Peeling is optional.

Red Beets: Store beets in the refrigerator in the plastic bag we’ve portioned them in for you. You may cook them with or without the peel, depending upon the intended use. While you may eat beets raw, they most often are cooked.
 
Butternut Squash or Red Cabbage: This week you’ll receive one of these two items in your box. If you notice your butternut squash has some wrinkles on the skin, please don’t throw it away. The wrinkles are due to a bit of dehydration during storage. The flesh inside is still good, but we recommend using it sooner than later. These red cabbage heads are solid and will hold well in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Recipe Suggestions & Inspiration For This Week’s Box Contents
Carrot Cake Babka
Roasted Carrot & Chickpea Buddha Bowls
Brown Sugar Carrot Cake Crepes with Cream Cheese Filling & Blueberry Sauce
Vinegret (Russian/Ukrainian Beet Salad
Beet Dressed Pasta with Golden Raisins and Poppy Seeds
Vegan Spaghetti & BeetBalls
Small Batch Beet & Cabbage Sauerkraut
Kohlrabi Bistro Salad
Simple Sautéed Kohlrabi with Pistachios and Sage
Kohlrabi Salad with Tomatoes & Sage
Sicilian Kohlrabi Linguine with Thyme, White Wine & Crème Fraiche
Kohlrabi Parmesan Bake
Butternut Squash Lasagna
Brown Rice Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Cranberries
Parsnip Morning Glory Cake
Puréed Parsnip & Cardamom Soup with Caramelized Shallots
Salmon & Parsnip Chowder
Rosemary Garlic Roasted Parsnips
Sesame Chicken & Celeriac Salad
Pizza Bianca with Shaved Celery Root
Celeriac & Peanut Stir-Fry with Ginger, Scallions & Cilantro
Sweet Potato Hummingbird Cake
Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quesadillas
Sweet Potato & Bacon Pizza
Creamy White Chili with Sweet Potatoes & White Beans
One-Pot Coconut Curry Kabocha Squash Soup
Korean-Inspired Braised Kabocha Squash
Thai Pumpkin Custard (with Kabocha Squash)
Watermelon (aka Beauty Heart) Radish Toast with Miso Honey Butter
Beauty Heart Radish Salad with Miso Maple Vinaigrette & Sesame Seeds
Watermelon (aka Beauty Heart) Radish Salad with Orange, Goat Cheese & Pistachios
The Best Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
Crispy Butternut Squash & Sage Wontons
Golden Macaroni & Cheese with Butternut Squash Purée
Crispy Onion Fritters
Brown Rice & Lentils with /Fried Onions
Scalloped Potato Gratin
Classic Spanish Potato Fritters

It's the End of the Season!

Snow covered fields and clear blue winter skies

We have reached the end of our delivery season and we are grateful to be sending you one final box, full of vegetables, to carry you into the new year!  As we embark upon the winter season in the Midwest, seasonal eating can become a bit more challenging. Nonetheless, we encourage you to continue to eat according to what Mother Nature has provided for us, which means meals based on root vegetables, storage onions, cabbage, winter squash and other storage vegetables. As we wrap up the season and sign off, we want to leave you with a few tips and tricks to navigate the next few months of cooking and eating. 

First, embrace this season as an opportunity to be creative! Sometimes we get stuck in a rut when we are eating the same selection of vegetables over and over.  But if we challenge ourselves, there is always a new recipe or preparation technique to try. This week I provided you with a few extra recipe suggestions in the “Cooking With the Box” section. If you get in a rut this winter, refer back to this list as well as the “Cooking With the Box” lists from the past few deliveries. Perhaps one of the recipe suggestions will spark some inspiration or creativity.  

Facebook Group Suggestion

Second, don’t forget to engage with your community!  Our private CSA members, only Facebook Group, will remain active over the winter and we encourage you to participate! If you find a good recipe, post it in the group and share it with other members. If you hit a tough spot and can’t think of anything to cook, query the group and see what others are making.  Winter is also a fun time to get together with friends and families for potlucks. We have one group of CSA members in the Madison area that has been getting together every winter for decades to hold their annual “Root Party.”  Get creative and see what kinds of themed gatherings you might come up with this winter!

Be forgiving….of vegetables that my not look quite as pristine.  Vegetables are living things that continue to change over time. The longer vegetables are in storage, the greater the chance of developing some surface browning or becoming a little dehydrated as evidenced by softness or wrinkling. Over time some vegetables may start to grow some roots or start to sprout. It’s important to check in on your vegetables that are in storage.  If you do start to notice sprouting, it’s time to prioritize using that vegetable.  If you notice a bad spot starting to form, cut that part away and use the remainder before the entire vegetable is affected. If there is surface browning, peel it. If a root vegetable or winter squash starts to get soft or dehydrated, use it in a soup or braised dish or turn it into a root vegetable purée. These applications will rehydrate the vegetables so it may still be used.

View of the River from
our Campsite

And when you think you just can’t eat another carrot, sweet potato, turnip or parsnip, spring will start to unfold.  The snow will melt, the trees will start to bud, and ramps will emerge in the forest signaling the start of spring and the start of a new CSA delivery season! We hope you will join us for the 2025 season. We also hope to see some of you at the farm next year and hope you’ll consider joining us for Strawberry Day, our Fall Harvest Party or even a camping trip on your schedule so you can see where all the magic happens!

Carrot, Oat & Quinoa Breakfast Cookies

Photo Credit: 
  www.loveandlemons.com

These cookies are a convenient and nutrient dense way to start your day. They are not overly sweet and have healthy fats and protein to fuel you through your day. Plus, they are high in fiber, gluten free and dairy free which means pretty much anyone can eat them! And of course, any time you can include vegetables in the first meal of the day we consider it a bonus!

Yield:  12 large cookies

1 cup oat flour (See Note Below)

1 cup rolled oats

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp sea salt

½ cup cooked quinoa

1 cup finely shredded carrots

2 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 5 Tbsp warm water

½ cup almond butter

¼ cup coconut oil, melted 

½ cup maple syrup

½ cup nuts and/or seeds

½ cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the oat flour, the remaining 1 cup whole rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt.  Fold in the cooked quinoa and then the shredded carrots, stirring until the carrots are completely coated with flour.
3. In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed and warm water and set aside to thicken for about 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the almond butter, coconut oil, and maple syrup and stir well to incorporate. Stir in the flaxseed mixture.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and fold until just combined. Stir in the nuts and/or seeds and cranberries.
5. Scoop about ¼ cup of batter for each cookie onto the baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
6. When cookies are completely cool, they may be stored in an airtight container or frozen.

Note: You can either purchase oat flour or make your own. To make 1 cup of oat flour, put 1 ¼ cups of rolled oats in a food processor or blender and process until it becomes a fine flour.

Recipe sourced from www.loveandlemons.com.

Healing Lentil Beet Soup

Photo Sourced from
 www.feastingathome.com

This is a simple soup recipe, perfect for a cold winter night.  The author of this recipe offered the following comments: “Here’s a delicious pot of soup to start the New Year off in a vibrant, healthy way.  This healing lentil beet soup recipe is loaded up with liver-healing beets and packed with antioxidants that aid the liver in detoxing and purifying our bodies. They contain a powerful anti-inflammatory agent called betaine, a nutrient that protects cells and helps fight inflammation, soothing and healing our bodies. When you drink the beet broth, it feels as if you are giving your liver such an amazing gift!”  

Yield:  4 servings

2 tsp olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

3-4 cloves garlic cloves, rough chopped

½ cup dry, whole lentils (do not use split lentils)

4 cups veggie stock

2-3 cups grated raw beets

1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 lemon

Garnishes (Optional)

Fresh Herbs (Dill, parsley, or cilantro), roughly chopped (optional)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pomegranate Seeds

1. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Sauté shallot for 2-3 minutes, then add garlic. Sauté 2 more minutes until golden and fragrant. Add lentils, stock, beets, salt, cumin, and coriander. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes, or until lentils are cooked through and tender.  If using larger lentils you will need to cook longer, so keep simmering, covered, until tender.
2. When lentils are tender, squeeze in the juice from one lemon.
3. Taste and adjust salt and spices to your liking.
4. Serve with fresh herbs, a drizzle of olive oil and/or pomegranate seeds if you wish.

Recipe sourced from www.feastingathome.com.

December 05, 2024 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Scarlet Turnips

 

What's In The Box

Sweet Scarlet Turnips: So as not to confuse sweet scarlet turnips with red daikon radishes, please note that scarlet turnips are more round in shape and have a pink skin. When you cut them open, you’ll find mostly white flesh with some pink streaks. We think scarlet turnips are mild, sweet, and well-balanced in flavor. They may be eaten raw, but given they are a storage turnip, they are most often eaten cooked. Add them to soups, stews, gratins and even curry dishes.

Red Daikon Radish: We like this daikon radish variety because of its compact size, gorgeous exterior and the mild, slightly sweet, and not bitter at all flesh! Enjoy thinly sliced or shredded daikon as a condiment with meals, add it to stir-fry, or pickle it! Note, the red daikon radishes are long and slender in shape.

Red Onions: We are coming to the end of our storage onions and in just two short months from now we’ll be preparing to plant next year’s onion crop! Enjoy these red onions thinly sliced on sandwiches, mixed in with shredded cabbage for a fresh slaw, or add them to a jar of your own pickled carrots, daikon, or turnips!

Italian Garlic: Infuse your winter meals with the flavor of garlic, adding a bit of minced garlic to the base of your dishes, infusing the garlic flavor into soups and stews, or use it in its raw form to make a batch of kale pesto!

Mursaki Japanese Sweet Potatoes: This week we are sending white-fleshed Japanese sweet potatoes. The skin on this variety is pinkish purple, but the flesh is white when raw and turns to more of a creamy-yellow color when cooked. The flesh is moist, sweet and flavorful, good simply baked and served with salt, pepper and butter!

 

Orange Carrots: Carrots have been a staple vegetable for us throughout the season, and we’re grateful they are storing well and available to sustain us through the winter months. They are also very versatile in their uses, so if you reach a point where you just don’t know what to do with them, refer to our recipe inspiration below for some different and perhaps a bit unconventional ways to prepare carrots!

Purple Majesty or Peter Wilcox Potatoes: This week you will receive one of these two potato varieties. Purple majesty potatoes have a dark purple skin, so dark they may look black instead of purple. The flesh is also a purple, but a bit lighter in color and more vibrant. Peter Wilcox potatoes also have a purple skin, although a little lighter in color and the flesh is gold. Both varieties are waxy types, best suited for roasting, pan-frying, frying, or boiling.

 

Autumn Frost or Butternut Squash: This week we’re packing either Autumn Frost or Butternut squash for you, both of which may be used interchangeably! Store your squash in a cool location, above 55°F. If you notice some wrinkling on the skin, it’s likely just a sign of dehydration. The flesh inside is still good, but you should use it sooner than later!

Jester Squash or Black Futsu Pumpkin: This will be our final delivery for these two unique varieties. The jester squash is characterized by its oblong shape, ridges on its exterior and beautiful green and orange markings on a cream background. Black Futsu pumpkins are shaped like a pumpkin and have a brown skin. The flesh is lean, sweet, and delicious!

Green Curly Kale Tops: This will be the final delivery of greens, and possibly the best tasting kale of the year as it has been sweetened by multiple frosts! We harvested the tops off the kale plants last week before the temperatures dropped. Strip the leaves off the ribs and use them to make baked kale chips; chop it and add to soups, stews, curry dishes; or turn it into kale pesto!

Green Savoy Cabbage: With the warm fall we had, our green savoy cabbage came in a few weeks ahead of schedule. We crossed our fingers and hoped they would store well for the next nine weeks or so because we wanted them for your December shares! Well, here we are, and the cabbages stored pretty well! Now we’re turning the storage responsibilities over to you! Keep your cabbage loosely wrapped in plastic or a moist cloth bag and in the refrigerator. If you are only using a portion of the head at one time, cover the cut side, and store it in the refrigerator.

Recipe Suggestions & Inspiration For This Week’s Box Contents

Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips

Persian Turnip Soup

Apple Turnip Quiche

Cornish Pasties (Hand Pies)

Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping

Herb Roasted Sweet Potato and Turnip Skillet

One-Pot Carrot Curry

Japanese Carrot Ginger Dressing

Creamy Carrot Pasta Sauce

Chickpea & Carrot “Meatballs”

Carrot Cake Coffee Cake

Carrot Halwa, Indian Carrot Pudding

Smoked Carrot “Lox”

Kale Pesto

How To Make Kale Chips

Black Bean & Kale Quesadillas

Roasted Savoy Cabbage

Winter Slaw

Winter Cabbage Salad with Apples & Cranberries

Butternut Squash Galette with Goat Cheese & Sage

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Squash

Rosemary Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza

Homemade Crispy Purple Potato Chips

Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes with Miso Maple Tahini

Quick & Easy Pickled Daikon Radish

Vegetable Feature: Scarlet Turnips

Storage turnips more dense and have a stronger flavor than the tender, mild baby white salad turnips we grow in the spring and early fall. We grow two different colors of storage turnips including the classic and familiar purple top turnips and the stunning bright pink sweet scarlet turnips. Purple top turnips have the strongest turnip flavor while sweet scarlet turnips are more mild. 

Preparation & Usage: Turnips are part of the Brassica family and, like many other vegetables in this family, it’s important not to overcook them thereby releasing those strong sulfur compounds that can be strong and unpleasant. Turnips are seldom a featured vegetable in a meal, rather they play their greatest role by hanging out in the shadows of your culinary creations. If you’re still learning how to use and appreciate turnips, use them in recipes where they are combined with other ingredients as opposed to being cooked on their own. Turnips pair well with apples, cheese, cider, cream, garlic, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, and lemon as well as other root vegetables, bacon, ham and roast beef. They make a delicious addition to winter soups, stews, root vegetable gratins, root mash and pot pies. Turnips are also a great vegetable to use in a winter stir-fry, or pickle them and use them as a condiment for sandwiches or alongside rich meats, etc.

Storage Tips: Turnips have the ability to store for months (literally!) in cold storage. They should be stored in a plastic bag or container in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. I seldom peel turnips, however if you find their flavor to be more pungent than your liking, peeling may help decrease some of the characteristic turnip bite. Also, with extended time in storage you may find some turnips may develop some browning due to oxidation or some surface scarring, which is sometimes a reason to peel the turnip. The defect is often only on the surface and the rest of the turnip is totally usable. If your turnips start to dehydrate a little bit in storage, either re-hydrate them in a bowl of cold water in the refrigerator or cut them up and put them in a stew or soup.

Health & Nutrition: Turnips have great nutritional benefits. They are high in vitamin C and fiber and are packed with many more nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, folic acid and magnesium, essential for all-round development of the human body. They are low in calories making them a great substitute for potatoes or other high carb foods.

Indian Root Vegetable Curry 

Yield:  4 servings

I don’t know that this recipe qualifies as authentic Indian cuisine.  Perhaps it is more appropriate to say it is Indian-Inspired.  The author of this recipe describes this dish as “hearty and humble but over-the-top with flavor.”  While it calls for carrots and turnips, it may easily be adapted to include other root vegetables throughout the winter. The warm spices are also great immune boosters along with the ginger and garlic to help keep you strong and health throughout the winter!  You may also choose to build upon the basic recipe by adding in beans or legumes such as chickpeas, or if you eat meat you may choose to add chicken, fish or pork to the dish.

Photo from www.fromachefskitchen.com

2 Tbsp oil

1 medium onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp ginger, minced

1 Tbsp ground turmeric

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 cups vegetable broth

1 can (15-ounce) coconut milk

3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 medium turnips, cubed

1 bunch turnip greens or kale, coarsely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cooked Brown Basmati Rice, for serving

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce heat to medium and cook 4-5 minutes or until beginning to soften.  Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander and cayenne.  Stir briefly (approximately 30 seconds) or until fragrant.
2. Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, carrots, and turnips. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
3. Add the greens in handfuls if necessary, allowing each to wilt and simmer until tender. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
4. Serve with hot rice. 

Recipe sourced from www.fromachefskitchen.com/indian-root-vegetable-curry.

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.