October 17, 2024 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Parsnips

 

What's In The Box

Porcelain Garlic: We’re changing up the garlic variety this week with one of our porcelain varieties. Porcelain garlic is characterized by having larger cloves, but fewer per bulb compared to Italian garlic. So, when a recipe calls for a clove or more of garlic, use your own judgement based on your tastes and preferences for how much you will use since we know all cloves are not the same size!

Yellow Onions: This week we are delivering “Talon” onions, our highest performing storage onion this year! This onion has a nice thick, strong, copper skin which facilitates long term storage and allows us to have onions for you into December!

Red & Orange Italian Frying Peppers: This is our final delivery of peppers for the 2024 season. You will find these sweet peppers to be particularly sweet and flavorful as they were at their peak of ripeness when we picked them just before the frost settled into our valley.

Jalapeño Peppers: Please note your box may contain green and/or red jalapeño peppers. These are hot peppers, so be careful not to confuse a red jalapeño with a red Italian frying pepper. The frying pepper is larger and longer than the jalapeños and has a pointy tip. The jalapeños are smaller with a round tip. If you don’t have a use for all of them this week, pop them into the freezer or turn them into a small jar of pickled jalapeños so you can enjoy them later! Of course, you might want to use one to make the Creamy Peanutty Thai Carrot Soup in this week’s Cooking With the Box suggestions!

Baby Arugula: This is the time of year when the flavor of arugula is at its best, still spicy but a bit more mild when the nights get cool. Enjoy it as the base of a salad along with fall fruit such as pears or apples!

Spinach: This week you will find a big bunch of spinach in your box. This more mature spinach is packed with flavor and may be eaten raw or cooked. There is flavor and nutrition in the stems as well, so don’t throw them out! 

Rainbow Chard: Chard is not a frost tolerant green, so we did one final harvest earlier this week so we could include this in your box one more time. Notice how vibrant the colors are this time of year. Not only is this chard beautiful, but it’s also some of the best tasting of the season as the same compounds that give it color also give it flavor! 

Broccoli: Our fall broccoli production is starting to slow down, but we’re not done! Broccoli is frost tolerant; we just have to wait for it to thaw before we harvest it! Check out this week’s recipe suggestions for more broccoli uses!

Orange Carrots: This year’s carrots are particularly tasty, making them the perfect quick snack. While we’re accustomed to eating celery and peanut butter, carrots and peanut butter is a less familiar pairing but delicious none-the-less. Give it a try!

Russet or Gold Satina Potatoes: This week we are washing the last of our Russet and all gold potatoes. Russet potatoes have a darker brown skin whereas the gold variety has lighter, more smooth skin. Russet potatoes are more dry which makes them a great option for mashing. Gold potatoes are more waxy which is a better fit for pan-frying, roasting or sautéing.

Black Futsu Pumpkins: This is a Japanese specialty variety that is revered by Japanese chefs. While it resembles a pumpkin in appearance, and despite its’ name, it’s really a winter squash. The skin on these is still pretty fresh, thin and is actually edible. It’s most delectable when roasted as the skin becomes crispy. If you prefer to bake your black futsu, you may do that also by cutting it in half and baking the halves. Once cooked, it’s easy to scrape the flesh out of the shell. Peeling is possible, but not advised.

Cilantro: We are nearing the end of our cilantro season, one of our biggest staple crops! Use this week’s cilantro as a garnish to a warm curry dish or a plate of fajitas!

Baby Parsnips: We have been washing a lot of parsnips over the past two weeks and we’re finding a lot of very nice, but very small parsnips. These little baby parsnips are great because they require minimal prep and trimming and they cook faster! Simply toss them with oil, salt and pepper and spread them on a roasting pan OR check out this week’s recipe for a flavorful alternative!

BONUS: White Cauliflower or Broccoli Romanesco, or Sugar Dumpling Squash—You will receive one of these bonus items in your box this week!

Recipe Suggestions & Inspiration For This Week’s Box Contents

Curry Roasted Parsnip Fries with Liquid Gold Sauce (See Below)

Roasted Parsnips with Chili-Maple Butter

25 Delicious Vegan Broccoli Recipes

45 Amazing Broccoli Recipes Even Broccoli Haters Can’t Resist!

Easy Broccoli & Cranberry Salad with Sweet Peppers and Sesame Ginger Dressing

Sicilian Broccoli & Cauliflower Pasta

Arugula, Prosciutto and Grilled Pear Salad

Spinach & Arugula Salad with Candied Pecans, Apples & Poppyseed Dressing

Carrot Sticks with Peanut Butter

Curry Roasted Carrots with Peanut Sauce

Creamy Peanutty Thai Carrot Soup

Broccoli Garlic Mashed Potatoes

15 Minute Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Fajitas

Cilantro-Jalapeño Hummus

Fresh Spinach Dip

Palak Soup (Indian Spinach Soup)

Maple-Sage Roasted Black Futsu Pumpkin

Creamy Cider & Black Futsu Pumpkin Soup

Vegetable Feature: Parsnips

Parsnips have a distinct flavor that some people love and others are still learning to appreciate.  We start harvesting parsnips late in September or the first part of October.  While we harvest the majority of our crop in the fall, we also leave a small amount in the ground every fall.  Parsnips can survive in the frozen ground over the winter.  We dig them early in the spring as soon as the ground thaws and dries out.  Overwintered parsnips are much sweeter than our fall-harvested parsnips.  Over the course of the winter starches are converted to sugars and sometimes they’re so sweet they taste like candy.

Storage Tips: Store parsnips in the coldest part of your refrigerator in a plastic bag. They will store for several weeks under these conditions, so don’t feel like you need to eat them all right now. When you are ready to use them, Scrub the outer skin with a vegetable brush and trim off the top and bottom. Peeling is optional and totally up to you.

Preparation & Usage: Parsnips are very versatile and there are many ways to incorporate them into your meals. I seldom peel parsnips when I use them. I usually just give them a good scrubbing and then cook them. If you are making a dish where you want their bright whiteness to shine, you can peel them similarly to a carrot. The flavor of parsnips can be best highlighted when they are cooked, bringing out their sweetness and softening the texture. They can also be eaten raw as more of a salad preparation. Shred the parsnips and toss with a lemon vinaigrette and fresh herbs. Let the mixture set for a while to allow the lemon to soften the parsnips.

One of the easiest things to do with parsnips is slice them up and sauté them in butter or toss them with olive oil and roast them until they are golden brown.  Parsnips also make a creamy, silky puree that can be served similarly to mashed potatoes.  But if you’re still learning to appreciate the flavor of parsnips, you might find their flavor a bit too parsnip-y for your liking.  There are many other things you can do with a parsnip.  Small amounts added to soups and stews add a nice background flavor.  You can also try to maximize their characteristic sweetness and use them in sweet preparations such as muffins, cakes, and even pie!  Parsnips add not only sweetness, but moisture to baked goods.  The sweet, earthy flavor of parsnips pairs well with maple syrup, Dijon mustard, apples, oranges, onions, parsley, chives, raisins, ginger and warm spices such as coriander, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Overwintered parsnips especially pair well with mushrooms, asparagus, sorrel, sunchokes and chives.

Cultural & Historical Background: Parsnips are more common in Europe, but are gaining popularity in the U.S.  In the Middle Ages parsnips were a staple vegetable in Central and Northern Europe because they could be used as a starch and a sweetener.  In the 19th century, the English and Irish folks used parsnips to make a wine which turned out similar to sweet Madeira.  They even made parsnip beer in Northern Ireland!

Growing Information: Parsnips are a very challenging crop to grow and have a long growing season. We plant the seeds early in the spring when the soil is still cold.  It can take as long as two to three weeks for the seeds to germinate and push through the soil.  Unfortunately the weeds never have a problem growing, which is one of the challenges we have over the course of their long season.  We invest a lot of time cultivating and hand weeding our parsnip crop so we can have a healthy crop to harvest in the fall.

 Curry Roasted Parsnip Fries with 5-Minute Liquid Gold Sauce

This simple recipe may be made with parsnips of any size, large or small. For even baking, it’s best to cut the parsnips into similar sized pieces.  The thinner the pieces, the crispier the fries. This recipe calls for “curry powder” in general. There are different curry powder blends, so choose the blend you prefer or, for added fun, make your own! These fries are good on their own, but they are even better with this plant-based, vegan dipping sauce. If you have extra sauce, serve it with other roasted vegetables, drizzle it over greens, grain bowls, etc. 

Photo from www.minimalistbaker.com

Yield:  4 servings 

1 pound parsnips

1 ½ Tbsp avocado or vegetable oil

½ tsp sea salt

1 pinch black pepper

1 tsp curry powder (blend of your choosing)

5-Minute Liquid Gold Sauce

½ cup cooked chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

1Tbsp nutritional yeast

2 small cloves of garlic

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp tahini

¼ tsp sea salt, plus more to taste

¼ tsp ground turmeric

¼ tsp curry powder

⅛ tsp ground cumin

1 dash cayenne pepper

2 tsp maple syrup

⅓ cup water, plus more as needed

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Prepare parsnips by washing and trimming away the tops. If using small parsnips, cut in half or quarters lengthwise. If using larger parsnips, cut into thin strips.
3. Add the parsnip 'fries' to a bowl and drizzle with oil then season with salt, pepper, and curry powder. Toss to coat evenly, then spread them out in a single-layer on the prepared baking sheet. 
4. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and toss/flip. Return to the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes more, or until browned on the edges and slightly crisp. The longer they bake, the more golden and crispy they will become. 
5. While the parsnips are baking, prepare the Liquid Gold Sauce for dipping. In a small blender or food processor, add chickpeas, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon, tahini, salt, ground turmeric, curry powder, ground cumin, cayenne, maple syrup and water. 
6. Blend on high until creamy and smooth. Add more water as needed until a thick, pourable sauce is achieved.
7. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt to taste, curry powder for spice, tahini for creaminess, lemon for acidity, cayenne for heat or maple syrup for sweetness. Set aside. 
8. The parsnip fries are best served fresh, right out of the oven, with the Liquid Gold Sauce on the side. Store any leftover fries in the refrigerator 1-2 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven until hot and crispy. Store any extra sauce in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

Recipe adapted from www.minimalistbaker.com.