December 3, 2020 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring Radicchio!

Cooking With This Week's Box

Chioggia Radicchio: Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions and Radicchio (see below); Fig, Taleggio and Radicchio Pizza (see below)

Green Curly Kale: Turkey Minestrone Soup; Butternut Squash and Kale Lasagna

Butternut Squash: Butternut Squash and Kale Lasagna; Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

Italian Garlic: Slow Cooker Honey-Garlic Chicken; Asian Slaw with Sesame Ginger Dressing; Instant Pot Beef Stew; Turkey Minestrone Soup

Red Onions: Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions and Radicchio (see below); Turkey Minestrone Soup; Cranberry Almond Apple Coleslaw

German Butterball Potatoes: Instant Pot Beef Stew; Chicken Pot Pie

Sweet Potatoes: Sweet Potato Tacos; Chicken, Apple, Sweet Potato and Brussels Sprouts Skillet

Purple Daikon Radishes: Daikon Chicken Soup; Pan-Fried Daikon Radish Buns

Green Savoy Cabbage: Cranberry Almond Apple Coleslaw; Asian Slaw with Sesame Ginger Dressing; Creamy Sausage Pasta with Cabbage

Brussels Sprouts: Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions and Radicchio (see below); Chicken, Apple, Sweet Potato and Brussels Sprouts Skillet

Sweet Scarlet Turnips: Cornish Pasties; Chicken Pot Pie; Apple Turnip Quiche; Instant Pot Beef Stew

Rutabaga: 2019 Rutabaga Feature Article; Instant Pot Beef Stew; Cornish Pasties; Chicken Pot Pie

It doesn’t seem possible that we are in the final month of the year and down to just one more CSA delivery after this week.  We are officially transitioning into winter and it’s time to hunker down and cook some hearty meals!  In an effort to extend our “greens” as long as we can, we gambled on this week’s featured vegetable, Radicchio.  Try this delicious, unique vegetable paired with Brussels sprouts, caramelized onions and bacon in the first of this week’s featured recipes, Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions and Radicchio (see below).  Since radicchio is a popular Italian vegetable, it’s fitting to use it to make this Fig, Taleggio and Radicchio Pizza (see below).  This recipe only makes one serving, so make sure you multiply it for the number of pizzas you want to make.  If you can get your hands on some Taleggio cheese, it’s a real treat.  Taleggio is creamy, washed-rind cheese from Italy.  If you can’t find it, you could substitute another cheese such as camembert or grated gouda.

Butternut Squash and Kale Lasagna
photo from delishknowledge.com

Some members have been wondering why we haven’t delivered much butternut squash this year.  No, it wasn’t a crop failure.  Rather, we had a very nice crop of butternut squash and it’s storing very well so we’re saving it until the end!  Use it to make a delicious Butternut Squash and Kale Lasagna.  You could also roast the squash and use it to make this creamy and delicious Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto.

Cabbage is a great winter vegetable because it not only stores well, but it is also very versatile in its use.  Lets start with a few slaw recommendations.  First, this fall-inspired Cranberry Almond Apple Coleslaw is a fall-inspired version of a classic coleslaw concept expanding on the traditional cabbage and carrots with the addition of apples, dried cranberries and almonds.  This recipe also calls for green onions, for which I’d substitute thinly sliced red onion.  If you’re looking to take cabbage slaw in a little different direction, consider this Asian Slaw with Sesame Ginger Dressing.  This is a tasty, light slaw featuring cabbage, carrots and apples.  The recipe calls for both green and red cabbage, so if you have some red cabbage hanging out in your refrigerator from a past delivery, pull it out and put it to use this week!  The dressing for this slaw is a light dressing with rice vinegar, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and a touch of mayonnaise seasoned with fresh garlic and ginger.  The author of this recipe recommends serving this slaw with Slow Cooker Honey-Garlic Chicken.  If you’re not feeling like a raw slaw, use the cabbage to make this Creamy Sausage Pasta with Cabbage.

Instant Pot Beef Stew
photo from feastingathome.com

Some members get overwhelmed by all the root vegetables in the late season boxes.  Don’t let the abundance distract you—it’s a good thing and means you’ll be eating well into the new year!  The nice thing about root vegetables is they take the pressure off of having to use everything all at once because they can be stored.  Here are a few recipes from past newsletters that make good use of root vegetables, especially this week rutabagas, potatoes and sweet scarlet turnips.  First, Cornish Pasties.  If you’ve never made these, it’s easy, you just need a little time.  You could also make Chicken Pot Pie.  This is my recipe utilizing a drop biscuit topping which I prefer to a pastry crust.  If you’re into Instant Pot or crockpot cooking, you could also make a hearty Instant Pot Beef Stew.  If you need more ideas for how to use rutabagas, refer to the 2019 Rutabaga Feature Article.  Lastly, I mention this recipe every year and this year is no different.  One of my favorite ways to use turnips is in this Apple Turnip Quiche. I wish I could take credit for the recipe, but I can’t.  It’s from one of my favorite restaurants in the Twin Cities—The Birchwood Café.

Sweet Potato Tacos
photo from shelikesfood.com

I have just a few more recipes to mention before we reach the bottom of this week’s box.  If you’re looking for a tasty soup recipe to make use of this week’s green curly kale, check out this Turkey Minestrone Soup.  If you need a “make ahead” kind of item, consider these Sweet Potato Tacos.  This is a little different way to make tacos, but the thing I like about this recipe is they are baked and the author offers guidelines for freezing them so you can make them in advance and just pull them out of the freezer for a quick meal.  You could also use this week’s sweet potatoes to make this tasty Chicken, Apple, Sweet Potato and Brussels Sprouts Skillet utilizing the last of this year’s Brussels sprouts.

And the last item in this week’s box, the stunning purple daikon radish.  Use them to make Daikon Chicken Soup or if you’re looking for a fun adventure, make these Pan-Fried Daikon Radish Buns!

That’s it for this week.  I’ll see you back in two weeks for our final article of the season!  Take care and have a great week!—Chef Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Radicchio

By Chef Andrea

This week’s featured vegetable is a gorgeous farming gamble with a bittersweet story.  The brilliant burgundy red and white leafy vegetable in this week’s box is radicchio.  Radicchio is a bitter green that does best when grown in cool months, which is why it is one of the last crops we harvest late in the fall.  It is a popular winter vegetable in Italy and there are many different varieties and shapes.  Many varieties are named for the regions in Italy which they are thought to have originated or where they are grown.  When I visited Italy last winter, I was excited to see many different varieties of radicchio, most of which I’ve only ever seen on the pages of vegetable seed catalogs!  Our winters are more extreme than the mild winters in most parts of Italy, thus not all varieties are conducive to our growing region.  The variety we grew this year, Chioggia Radicchio, is one of the most common and is named for the city of Chioggia which is a coastal town located in northeastern Italy along the Adriatic Sea.  This variety is similar to Boston lettuce in the way it grows round, compact heads, although a head of Chioggia radicchio is usually more densely packed than Boston lettuce.

A selection of Italian radicchio varieties,
Mercato di Testaccio in Rome

One of the reasons it is best to grow radicchio in cool weather is because the cold treatment helps to balance the bitterness with a touch of sweetness making the overall eating quality much better.  The challenge for us though is protecting it from critters and extreme cold temperatures.  Deer are particularly fond of this crop, so we put up a tall fence to deter them.  We also had to cover the radicchio with a double layer field cover held up off the crop by wire supports.  In Italy, many people harvest radicchio from their gardens all winter long.  We have a shorter window for growth and harvest and while radicchio can take some frost, very low temperatures in the teens and twenties can cause frost damage.  If you see a bit of browning on the edges of the outer leaves, that’s the cause.  The other challenging part of growing radicchio is that the rate of growth slows significantly with cool temperatures making it difficult to grow a sizeable head before our winter truly sets in.

Radicchio amongst other
vegetables, Mercato di
Testaccio (Rome)

I am always curious about the health benefits of different foods, and one has to assume that a vegetable with the intensity of color you see in radicchio has got to have some valuable nutrients!  One article found at lacucinaitaliana.it describes radicchio as “a precious ally for our health because it is a true mine of antioxidants, able to counteract free radicals and cellular aging….”  Radicchio is rich in minerals and vitamins.  The compounds which lend to its bitterness also help aid digestion and help support the liver in detoxifying the body.  If you are not a fan of bitter vegetables, you may take one bite of raw radicchio and say “Andrea, why did you give me this vegetable?!”  To answer your question, “Because it is good for you AND can be very delicious!”

The key to bitter vegetables is balance.  Bitter is balanced by sweetness, acidity and fat, so while you may not find a big bite of a leaf to be to your liking, you may find you really like this vegetable when it is incorporated in dishes with other ingredients that help to balance and complement the bitterness.  I also prefer to thinly slice radicchio instead of eating it in big pieces.  Lastly, cooking can help to mellow out the bitterness and techniques such as grilling and roasting help to bring out some of the sweetness in this vegetable as well.  So what I’m saying is, please give this beautiful, bittersweet vegetable a try!

Radicchio and Sweet Potato Salad with Candied Nuts
photo from goop.com

Given radicchio’s  popularity in Italy, many of the classic pairings and ways radicchio is used go back to Italian cuisine.  Radicchio may be eaten both raw and cooked.  In its raw form, radicchio is often paired with other greens as well as fruits such as apples, pears, figs, oranges and persimmons to make delicious fall salads.  It is also often incorporated into pasta dishes, risotto, savory pies, omelets, baked au gratin, or used as a topping for focaccia or pizza.  Many dishes will pair radicchio with other ingredients such as walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, chestnuts, fatty cheese such as Parmesan, Gorgonzola (blue cheese) or Taleggio.  It is also often paired with seafood as well as bacon or other pork products, eggs, olive oil, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and caramelized onions.

While we encourage you to use the radicchio within a week or two, you’ll find it stores pretty well and you can likely keep it for several weeks.  Store it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator to keep it from wilting.  You can use the entire head, including the core.  Carefully peel back the layers, wash well and pat dry before using.

In addition to this week’s featured recipes, I’ve included a short list of a few more ideas to get you started if you aren’t sure how to use radicchio.  Enjoy!

• 36 Radicchio Recipes That Are Ridiculously Good
• “Risotto Con Salvia e Noce”—Risotto with Sage and Walnuts
• Radicchio and Sweet Potato Salad with Candied Nuts
• Pasta with Spicy Sausage, Radicchio and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• White Bean and Tuna Salad with Radicchio
• Lentil, Apple & Radicchio Salad
• Onion-Cheese Tart with Radicchio Salad
• “Torta di Radicchio”—Radicchio Cake with White Chocolate Glaze

Fig, Taleggio and Radicchio Pizza

photo by Ed Anderson for finecooking.com

Yield: 1 serving

Note: If you want to make this when fresh figs are in season, by all means do so; skip the soaking-in-wine step and you’ll be good to go.

3 dried Mission Figs

½ cup dry red wine

2 Tbsp raw walnut pieces

All-purpose flour

1 (6 oz) ball pizza dough

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup shredded radicchio

2 oz Taleggio or another pungent cheese, cut into small pieces (may substitute camembert, blue cheese, gouda, smoked cheddar or sharp cheddar)

1. If the dough has been refrigerated, transfer it to the countertop to let it rise for about 1 hour before making pizza.
2. Preheat the broiler function in your oven with the rack set 5 inches from the element.  If you do not have a broiler, preheat your oven to 400-450°F.  If you are using a cast-iron skillet or griddle pan for the pizza, set it over medium-high heat on the stove top until it gets smoking hot, about 15 minutes.  Transfer the skillet (turned upside down) or griddle pan to the oven so it stays hot until you’re ready to bake the pizza.  If you are using a baking stone, heat it in the oven while the oven is coming up to temperature.  
3. Put the figs in a small skillet set over medium heat, pour in the wine and bring to a simmer.  Turn off the heat and let the figs soak for at least 30 minutes.  Drain, then chop into ½ inch pieces.
4. Toast the walnut pieces in a small, dry skillet over medium-high heat, shaking the skillet frequently, until they are very fragrant and starting to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.  Immediately transfer to a plate, let cool, and then coarsely chop.
5. To shape the dough, dust a work surface liberally with flour and put the ball of dough on it.  Sprinkle with flour and knead a few times until the dough comes together and holds its shape when you form it into a ball.  Add more flour if necessary.  Form it into an 8 inch round by pressing from the center out toward the edges, leaving a 1 inch border thicker than the rest.
6. Make sure you have all the topping ingredients measured out and ready before you assemble the pizza, because once you place the dough on the cooking surface you can’t easily move it.
7. Open the oven door and carefully remove the pan, griddle or baking stone you will be cooking the pizza on.  Pick up the dough and quickly transfer it to the cooking surface, pressing it back into shape if need be, while being careful not to touch the cooking surface with your fingers.
8. Drizzle 1 Tbsp of the oil onto the dough, scatter the walnut pieces on top, then the radicchio, then the chopped figs, and then the cheese.  Slide the pan back into the oven and close the door.
9. Broil or bake the pizza until the crust has puffed up around the edges, the pizza has blackened in spots, and the cheese had melted.  If you’re using the broiler, this may happen fast in as little as 3 to 4 minutes, so watch carefully!
10. Remove the pizza with a wooden or metal pizza peel or a large spatula.  Transfer it to a cutting board, and let it rest for a few minutes.  Drizzle the remaining 1 Tbsp of oil on top, cut the pizza into quarters, transfer it to a plate and enjoy!

Recipe borrowed from Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One by Joe Yonan, as published on finecooking.com.

Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions & Radicchio

Yield:  4 servings

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 cups thinly sliced red onions

¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cup red wine

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

4 oz bacon, small dice

12 oz Brussels sprouts, quartered (about 3 cups)

4 cups thinly sliced radicchio

2 tsp maple syrup

1. Preheat olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat.  Add the sliced onions and season with ¼ tsp salt and a touch of black pepper.  Saute for 15-20 minutes, stirring periodically.  Adjust the heat as needed to prevent the onions from browning.  This is not a process you want to rush, rather let the onions sweat so they release moisture and concentrate their natural sugars.  
2. Once the onions are very soft and the steam coming off the pan has lessened, add the wine.  Allow the wine to come to a simmer and cook until it has nearly entirely evaporated, stirring periodically. Once the wine is nearly all gone, remove from heat and add the balsamic vinegar.  Set aside.
3. While you are patiently caramelizing the onions, prepare the remainder of the ingredients.
4. Heat a medium to large saute pan over medium high heat.  Add the bacon and cook until crispy and brown.  Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the grease in the pan.  You will need about 1-1½ Tbsp of fat total.  If necessary, remove some fat from the pan.  If your bacon was lean and there is not enough fat, add a bit of olive oil. 
5. Next, add the Brussels sprouts and about ½ tsp salt.  Saute until they are tender.  Add the radicchio to the pan and stir carefully to combine.  Let the radicchio start to wilt down, then add the bacon and caramelized onions.  Stir to combine all the ingredients and cook until everything is heated through and the radicchio is fully wilted down.  Remove from heat and add the maple syrup.  Stir to combine and add additional salt and pepper to your liking.  Serve immediately.

Recipe created by Chef Andrea Yoder.