October 20, 2022 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Tat Soi

 

Cooking With This Week's Box

Tat Soi:  

Photo from melaniemakes.com

Tat Soi Coconut Curry with Chickpeas (See Below)

Soupy Rice with Pork and Greens (See Below)

Orange Carrots:  

Ultra Satisfying Chicken Noodle Soup 

Southwest Carrot & Black Bean Soup 

Red Prairie Potatoes:  

Classic Potato Gratin 

Simple Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes 

Sweet Potatoes:  

Sweet Potato Muffins with Pecan Streusel 

Moroccan Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup 

White or Yellow Cauliflower or Broccoli Romanesco or Broccoli:  

Garlic & Lemon Roasted Cauliflower/Romanesco 

Photo from food52.com

Broccoli & Cheese Baked Potato Casserole 

Italian Garlic:

Simple Chickpea Soup with Rosemary & Garlic 

English Muffin Garlic Bread 

Yellow Onions:  

How To Cook Spanish Onions 

Spanish Onion Soup 

Salad Mix:  

Mesclun Salad with Avocado, Radishes and Oranges 

Baby Arugula:  

Best Vegan Raw Rainbow Veggie Hummus Wraps with Dipping Sauce 

Starry Night Acorn Squash or Jester Squash:  

Herb-Roasted Acorn Squash with Queso Fresco & Pomegranate 

Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash 

Red Cabbage:  

Asian Red Cabbage Slaw 

Braised Red Cabbage with Apples & Bacon 

Photo from giveitsomethyme.com

We have had a chilly start to every day this week including a temperature of 19 degrees this morning! Temperatures that low remind us that winter is right around the corner and our days of eating fresh greens from the field are limited. But we still have a beautiful selection of greens in this week’s box so let’s get cooking!  This week’s featured vegetable is Tat Soi. This is the dark green vegetable in your box with spoon shaped leaves and green stems. It’s an important vegetable in our seasonal line up and it is delicious!  It is also easy to prepare as it may be eaten raw or cooks quickly. This week’s recipe suggestions are very simple. Tat Soi Coconut Curry with Chickpeas (See Below) is a simple recipe from Andrea Bemis. It’s warm, hearty and nutritious.  Serve it with a bowl of rice and you are set. If you have some rice and tat soi leftover, use it the next day to make Soupy Rice with Pork and Greens (See Below). This is a basic Chinese recipe that makes good use of leftover rice, bits of bacon and some greens.  It’s fast and nourishing.  

I intended to select some soup recipes but ended up with a few more than I realized when I finished the list!  I guess my body is ready to transition to warm, comfort food.  You can start with a  basic Ultra Satisfying Chicken Noodle Soup or spice it up a bit with 

Southwest Carrot & Black Bean Soup. This Moroccan Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup also looks quite tasty.  Serve any of these soups with a simple Mesclun Salad with Avocado, Radishes and Oranges or this  Vegan Raw Rainbow Veggie Hummus Wraps with Dipping Sauce.

This week’s potato selection brings us back to the basic red skin, white fleshed potato. This potato is a good choice for either Classic Potato Gratin or Simple Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes. These are family favorite types of recipes and are a nice accompaniment for meatloaf, roasted chicken, pot roast or even simple smoked ham.  

We are nearing the end of our delivery season, with just five more vegetable deliveries remaining! I am working on laying out the box contents for our final boxes.  We still have some new items to feature in upcoming boxes including Brussels sprouts and baby ginger!  We’ll also have to see how the radicchio, escarole and remaining tat soi look after last night’s frost.  Fingers crossed we can still harvest some of these items! 

Have a great week and I’ll see you back here next week for more fine eats!

--Chef Andrea 

 

Vegetable Feature: Tat Soi

by Andrea Yoder

This week we are delivering one of our favorite late season crops, Tat Soi! Tat soi has dark green, spoon shaped leaves with light green stems that grow from a base. We grow tat soi as a baby green to include in salad and sauté mix, but when you allow tat soi to grow to full size it becomes a beautiful flower-like vegetable! It is related to bok choi and has a mild mustard flavor. We reserve it for the very end of our season because it is more cold hardy and, in our opinion, the flavor is best after a bit of cold treatment!  If you see a little browning on the edges of the leaves, this is likely a little frost damage from a chilly night over the past week.  This is actually a good sign because it tells you its had the frost treatment that makes it go from tasting “good” to “spectacular!”  

Nearly the entire plant, leaves and stems, is edible and you’ll find both to be tender enough to eat raw as well as cooked.  Prior to use, use a paring knife to cut the stems away from the base. Wash the stems and leaves vigorously in a sink of cold water. If you’re using it to make a salad or stir-fry, make sure you pat the leaves dry or dry them in a salad spinner. If you’re using them in a soup or just wilting them, just shake a little water off of them.  

As mentioned above, tat soi may be eaten both raw and cooked and I consider it to be one of nature’s fast foods. Aside from a little time to wash it, the prep involved with tat soi is pretty minimal. It is very similar to spinach and bok choi, so consider using it in recipes or preparations where you may use greens such as these.  In its raw form, I like to use tat soi in tasty salads with lots of fall vegetables such as winter radishes (daikon or beauty heart), carrots, cabbage, etc. and a simple, light vinaigrette. Turn it into a meal itself by adding nuts, seeds and/or meat such as grilled steak, roasted chicken, or seared salmon. It may also be stir-fried, steamed and sauteed in just a few minutes. The stems may need a slightly longer cooking time, so it’s best to add those to the pan first.  The leaves cook very quickly and need just a few minutes to become silky and tender. You may choose to use it in egg rolls, won tons, fried rice, or added to soup.

I tend to use tat soi in dishes with some Asian influences, and rightfully so as it pairs well with ginger, miso, soy, sesame, etc. But it also pairs well with other ingredients including lemon, beans, grains, pasta, winter root vegetables, etc. Of course, you may also choose to incorporate it into casseroles, hot dishes, egg preparations such as quiche and scrambled eggs, pasta dishes, etc.

It’s best to store tat soi in a plastic bag or a covered container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.  I have stored this green in my refrigerator for several weeks, but we recommend eating it soon for the best quality.

Soupy Rice with Pork and Greens (Shang Hai Pao Fan) 

Yield:  2 servings

2 dried Shiitake mushrooms

A slice or two of bacon

2 cups tat soi or bok choi, chopped

1-2 Tbsp cooking oil

4-5 slices of peeled fresh ginger

1 scant cup cooked, cooled rice

4 cups chicken stock

Salt, to taste

Ground white pepper, to taste

1. Soak the mushrooms for 30 minutes in hot water until soft.
2. Remove and discard any rinds from the bacon and cut into slivers. Cut the mushrooms into slivers and slice or chop the tat soi or bok choi.
3. Heat the oil in a wok (or sauté pan) over a high flame. Add the bacon and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the ginger, stir a couple of times, then add the mushrooms. Stir a few more times, then add the greens and stir-fry until wilted. Add the rice and stock and bring to a boil. 
4. Simmer for a couple of minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Recipe sourced from Fuchsia Dunlop’s book, Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking.

Tat Soi/Bok Choi Coconut Curry with Chickpeas 

Photo from dishingupthedirt.com

Yield:  4 servings

1 cup basmati rice (or rice of choice)

2 Tbsp coconut oil

1 medium sized onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp curry powder

¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cup vegetable stock or water

1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, drained

1 (15-oz) can coconut milk

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

3 cups roughly chopped bok choi or tat soi

1. Cook the rice according to package instructions.
2. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant (about 5 minutes).  
3. Add the garlic, curry powder, red pepper flakes and a healthy pinch of salt and pepper.  Cook for 1 minute longer, stirring often to coat the onion and garlic in the spices.
4. Add in the vegetable stock, chickpeas and coconut milk.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the lime juice and greens and keep on low heat until the greens wilt down.  Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
5. Serve the soup with a scoop of rice and enjoy.

Recipe borrowed from Andrea Bemis’s blog, DishingUpthe Dirt.com

November 18, 2021 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring Tat Soi!

 

Cooking With This Week's Box

Red & Yellow Onions:

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions 

Onion & Thyme Tart

Garlic:

Mashed Potatoes with Garlic & Horseradish 

Covington Sweet Potatoes:

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet N Savory Bacon Pecans 

Simple, Salty Sweet Potato Skin Chips 

Oatmeal Raisin Sweet Potato Cookies 

Japanese Sweet Potato Croquettes with Honey Miso Mayo 

Photo from food52.com

Asterix Potatoes:

Thanksgiving Leftover Potato Fritters 

Mama’s Potato Clover Rolls 

Autumn Frost Squash:

Healthy Pumpkin Bread 

Fluffy Butternut Squash Rolls with Sage 

No Bake Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake 

Butternut Squash Pie 

Orange Carrots:

Roasted Moroccan Carrots   

Cranberry-Cider Braised Beef Stew with Rosemary Polenta 

Red or Chioggia Beets:

Sweet Potato & Beet Wild Rice Salad  

Beet Bruschetta with Goat Cheese 

Celeriac:

Celery Root Stuffing with Roasted Meyer Lemons 

Classic French Celeriac Remoulade 

Beauty Heart Radishes:

Radicchio and Pickled Radish Salad 

Beauty Heart Radish Toast with Cream Cheese, Lemon and Honey 

Brussels Sprouts:

Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples (Substitute fresh baby ginger for ground ginger!)

Sweet Potato and Brussels Skillet 

Tat Soi:

Photo from theroastedroot.net

Wild Rice and Roasted Squash Salad with Tat Soi (See Below)

Mac & Cheese with Greens

Fresh Baby Ginger:

Hot Ginger Lemon Tea 

Cranberry Sauce with Ginger and Maple 

Spicy Ginger Pomegranate Paloma 

Ginger Sesame Chicken Potstickers 

Collards:

Vegan Braised Collard Greens with Miso and Smoked Paprika 

Collard Greens Salad with Ginger and Spicy Seed Brittle

Happy Thanksgiving!  

As a kid, Thanksgiving was always my favorite holiday of the year.  I loved to help my Mom make Thanksgiving dinner, complete with all the family favorites such as Prune Dressing (my mom’s side) and Cranberry Jello Salad (my dad’s side).  As I got older and started subscribing to food magazines, the Thanksgiving issues were always my favorites.  Of course the pretty pictures that made all the Thanksgiving spreads look so beautiful and inviting were fun to look at, but these issues were packed full of tasty recipes that were fun to cook all winter!  So whether you’re making a big dinner or not, this is a great time of the year to pick up some new recipes in magazines, on blogs, etc.  Over the past week my inbox has been flooded with notices of blog posts packed full of great Thanksgiving recipes.  So, there’s a few more recipe suggestions on this week’s Cooking With the Box list because I just couldn’t let a good idea pass you by!

Photo from brooklynsupper.com

Before we go any further, we need to talk about this week’s featured vegetable, Tat Soi!  If this is your first time using tat soi, let me remind you to never be intimidated by a vegetable!  It’s a big, gorgeous fall green that can be eaten both raw and cooked, but as far as using it it’s very similar to other greens such as spinach and bok choi. This week’s featured recipe is for Wild Rice and Roasted Squash Salad with Tat Soi (See Below).  This recipe is my slightly adapted version of Amanda Paa’s original recipe featured on her blog, heartbeetkitchen.com.  Her recipe called for spinach.  Tat soi is very similar to spinach when eaten raw, and when you swap it out for the spinach this recipe is a beautiful example of how lovely fall salads can come together!  If you live in one of those households that is still learning to like greens, perhaps you’ll appreciate this recipe for Mac & Cheese with Greens.  

We have been blessed with an abundant ginger crop this year!  If you want to include it in your Thanksgiving dinner, consider making this Cranberry Sauce with Ginger and Maple.  If you are looking for an interesting cocktail to share with friends, check out this Spicy Ginger Pomegranate Paloma.   If you have a little extra time over this long holiday weekend, have a little fun making these Ginger Sesame Chicken Potstickers.  And lastly, if you want to just cuddle up on the couch and enjoy some peace and quiet after all the festivities, make yourself a cup of Hot Ginger Lemon Tea.

This week’s squash variety is the beautiful Autumn Frost.  It’s very similar in use to a butternut squash, but may also be substituted for pumpkin in most recipes.  I’ve given you several dessert suggestions this week that would be tasty to make using Autumn Frost.  If your oven is full of other Thanksgiving dishes, consider making this No Bake Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake.  If you’re more if a traditional pie person, perhaps you’ll enjoy this Butternut Squash Pie.  Of course, you could skip dessert and use the squash to make these Fluffy Butternut Squash Rolls with Sage.

There is quite a pile of sweet potatoes in this week’s box!  Does anyone else think this recipe for Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet N Savory Bacon Pecans sounds good!?  I recently had a member ask me about eating the sweet potato skins.  I typically don’t eat the skins, but this recipe for Simple, Salty Sweet Potato Skin Chips may change that going forward!  Turn the sweet potato skins into fried or baked chips!  They may not look terribly pretty, but I guarantee they’ll be tasty!

I hope some of this week’s suggestions inspire your culinary creations this week, whether on your table for Thanksgiving or every day.   We still have two more vegetable share deliveries coming up after Thanksgiving, so be sure to mark your calendars so you don’t miss anything! 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!  Chef Andrea 

Vegetable Feature: Tat Soi

by Andrea Yoder

Description:  Tat soi is a gorgeous fall green with spoon shaped dark green leaves and light green stems extending from the base.  It is related to bok choi and has a mild mustard flavor.  We reserve it for the very end of our season because it is more cold hardy and, in our opinion, the flavor is best after a bit of cold treatment!  Nearly the entire plant, leaves and stems, are edible and you’ll find both to be tender enough to eat raw as well as cooked.  

Growing Information:  While tat soi can take some cold weather and frosty nights, repeated cold exposure can result in frost damage.  Each fall we take a little extra time to put wire hoops in the field to support a large cover that drapes over the crop, anchored with lots of sandbags to keep it in place.  The tat soi may still freeze under the cover if the temperatures are cold enough, but it isn’t as hard of a freeze and thus it recovers more favorably.  You may notice some discoloration on the tips of some of the leaves.  This is from a little bit of frost damage, typically where the cover may have been resting on the plant.  It can sometimes be tricky to harvest it as you have to time the harvest to coincide with a warm afternoon when the tat soi have thawed!  

Preparation & Use: Prior to use, turn it over and use a paring knife to cut the stems away from the base.  Wash the stems and leaves vigorously in a sink of cold water.  If you’re using it to make a salad or stir-fry, make sure you pat the leaves dry or dry them in a salad spinner. If you’re using them in a soup or just wilting them, just shake a little water off of them.  

Spaghetti with Roasted Butternut Squash & Tat Soi

As mentioned above, tat soi may be eaten both raw and cooked.  It is very similar to spinach and bok choi, so consider using it in recipes or preparations where you may use greens such as these.  In its raw form, I like to use tat soi in tasty salads with lots of fall vegetables such as winter radishes (daikon or beauty heart), carrots, cabbage, etc and a simple, light vinaigrette.  Turn it into a meal itself by adding nuts, seeds and/or meat such as grilled steak, roasted chicken or seared salmon.  

Tat soi is one of nature’s fast foods, as are most greens, and it can be stir-fried, steamed and sautéed in just a few minutes.  The stems may need a slightly longer cooking time, so it’s best to add those to the pan first.  The leaves cook very quickly and need just a few minutes to become silky and tender.

I tend to use tat soi in dishes with some Asian influences, and rightfully so as it pairs well with ginger, miso, soy, sesame, etc.  But it also pairs well with other ingredients including lemon, beans, grains, pasta, winter root vegetables, etc.  Of course you may also choose to incorporate it into casseroles, hot dishes, egg preparations such as quiche and scrambled eggs, pasta dishes, etc.

Storage:  It’s best to store tat soi in a plastic bag or a covered container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.  

Wild Rice and Butternut Squash Salad with Tat Soi

Yield:  6 servings

               Dressing:

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil or sunflower oil

2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

½ tsp sea salt

Scant ½ tsp ground black pepper

½ Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 clove garlic, minced

                Salad:

5 cups peeled and diced butternut squash*

2 - 3 Tbsp olive oil

Sea Salt, to taste

Black Pepper, to taste

3 cups thinly sliced tat soi (or spinach)

½ cup thinly sliced red onions

½ cup dried cherries or dried cranberries

3 cups cooked wild rice, room temperature to slightly warm

¾ cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts or almonds

1. To make the dressing, add all ingredients to a jar and use an immersion blender to puree.  Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk thoroughly by hand.  Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F.  In a bowl, toss squash with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Spread onto a baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes, stirring once, until fork tender and slightly golden on the edges.  Remove from oven and cool to room temperature
3. Just before serving, combine the following ingredients in a large serving bowl:  tatsoi, onions, cherries or cranberries, wild rice and roasted squash.  Drizzle with salad dressing and toss to combine.  You want enough dressing to lightly coat all of the components, but not so much that it gets soggy.  Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper to your liking.  
4. Garnish with chopped nuts and serve at room temperature.  

*Note:  May substitute other similar squash varieties such as Butterkin and Autumn Frost.

This recipe was adapted from Amanda Paa’s version as featured on her blog, heartbeetkitchen.com.  We had the pleasure of spending some time with Amanda when she came to the farm to do a photoshoot several years ago.   If you aren’t familiar with Amanda’s blog, go check it out!  She has a lot of really great, healthy recipes AND she is a dynamic person so you can absorb some of her good energy!  

  

November 19, 2020 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring Tat Soi!

Cooking With This Week's Box

Tat Soi: 15-Minute Sesame Ginger Noodles (see below); Tat Soi Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing (see below); Ginger Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Coconut Tat Soi (see below); Freezable Stuffing with Kale and Caramelized Onions

Purple and/or Yellow Carrots: Vanilla Carrot Parsnip Puree; Vegetarian Wellington; Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

Russet Potatoes: Beer Marinated Fries with Thyme Mayonnaise; Garlic Parmesan Potato Stacks; Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

Covington Sweet Potatoes: Ginger Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Coconut Tat Soi (see below); Brussels Sprouts, Pumpkin and Apple Hash; Roasted Sweet Potato & Apple Ham Sandwich; Sweet Potato Raisin Bread; Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake

Broccoli Romanesco OR Cauliflower: Cauliflower Pumpkin Fettucine Alfredo

Brussels Sprouts: Warm Brussels sprouts Salad with Apples & Pecans; Brussels Sprouts, Pumpkin and Apple Hash

Black Futsu Pumpkins OR Heart of Gold Squash: Cauliflower Pumpkin Fettucine Alfredo; Parmesan Pumpkin Scones; Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake; Grandma Yoder’s Squash Pie

Cilantro: 15-Minute Sesame Ginger Noodles (see below); Ginger Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Coconut Tat Soi (see below)

Celeriac: Creamy Parsnip & Pear Soup; Vegetarian Wellington

Parsnips: Roasted Parsnips with Spicy Honey Butter; Creamy Parsnip & Pear Soup; Vanilla Carrot Parsnip Puree; Parsnip, Oatmeal, Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Baby Ginger: 15-Minute Sesame Ginger Noodles (see below); Tat Soi Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing (see below); Ginger Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Coconut Tat Soi (see below); Warm Brussels sprouts Salad with Apples & Pecans; Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake

Beauty Heart Radishes: Tat Soi Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing (see below); Watermelon Radish Salad with Orange & Goat Cheese; Watermelon Radish Toast with Orange Mascarpone and Honey

Italian Garlic: 15-Minute Sesame Ginger Noodles (see below); Ginger Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Coconut Tat Soi (see below); Cauliflower Pumpkin Fettucine Alfredo; Warm Brussels sprouts Salad with Apples & Pecans; Vegetarian Wellington

Sedona Yellow Onions: Cauliflower Pumpkin Fettucine Alfredo; Freezable Stuffing with Kale and Caramelized Onions; Creamy Parsnip & Pear Soup; Roasted Sweet Potato & Apple Ham Sandwich; Vegetarian Wellington; Creamy French Onion Mac-And-Cheese

Brussles Sprouts Pumpkin and Apple Hash
photo from runningtothekitchen.com

Thanksgiving is coming up next week and for many this holiday may look a bit different than in years past.  You may find you have a bit more time on your hands once you cut out the time needed to travel and make plans for big get-togethers, which could be just perfect!  That leaves more time for cooking food, spending time with your immediate family and members of your household, perhaps doing things you may not otherwise take time to do.  Make that super fussy dessert that is so delicious, play a few games of cards or break out those board games you used to play as kids.  Build a fort in the living room out of sheets and have an indoor campout….Let your imagination go wild and have some fun!  Think of ways you can bless others and enhance your life and the lives of those around you throughout the next year.  In this time of thanksgiving, lets consider the power of gratitude to heal the wounds of this year and create space for the blessings you’ve received to grow and lead you into another season.

With those thoughts in mind, lets plan some meals!  We had a major problem packing this week’s box—there were too many vegetables and they all didn’t fit!  We needed to make space this week for the gorgeous tat soi!  If you are not familiar with this vegetable, please take a moment to read this week’s vegetable feature article.  If you’re looking for a quick way to use this green, here are my two suggestions.  First, use it to make this week’s featured recipe for 15-Minute Sesame Ginger Noodles (see below).  It’s super-simple and tastes great with this week’s fresh ginger!  I also recommend using the tat soi as your salad green this week.  I don’t have an official salad recipe, but here’s what I do.  On Sunday I chop a big bowl of tat soi, grate a few carrots and thinly slice some beauty heart radishes.  Mix the vegetables together in a bowl with a sealable lid.  Throughout the week this is your go-to salad, already prepped.  All you have to do is toss a portion with some dressing and add toppings.  I did share my dressing of choice to accompany a tat soi salad.  Credit for this Maple Mustard Dressing (see below) actually goes to Sarah Britton from MyNewRoots.org, but I like to add my own variation by adding finely chopped fresh or pickled ginger.  Of course you can add other items to this salad such as chopped nuts or seeds, hard boiled eggs, fish, chicken, etc.  Lastly, we’ve included one more feature recipe for Ginger Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Coconut Tat Soi (see below)  This is a spicy flavor-packed vegetarian dish which also features fresh ginger as well as the tat soi.

Cauliflower Pumpkin Fettucine Alfredo
photo from rhubarbarians.com

I want to introduce you to Rhubarbarians.com, a new blog I discovered this week featuring seasonal vegetarian recipes.  The gal who writes it is quirky and fun, is cooking from the Pacific Northwest and focuses on CSA food—perfect!  While her seasons and veg might be a little different than ours, there’s a lot of overlap.  Check out her site and see if her style resonates with your likes.  In the meantime, I selected a few of her recipes to share with you. Turn the last of this season’s cauliflower or broccoli Romanesco into this Cauliflower Pumpkin Fettucine Alfredo.  The cauliflower will add creaminess to the sauce that is enriched with pumpkin puree.  The recipe calls for a can of pumpkin, please don’t use canned pumpkin.  Rather, bake this week’s black futsu pumpkins or heart of gold squash, scoop out the flesh and use it to make the rest of the sauce.

She also has several recipes using beauty heart radishes, otherwise known in some circles as “watermelon” radishes.  Check out this Watermelon Radish Salad with Orange & Goat Cheese, a simple salad that requires just a little bit of prep time.  You want to make sure you slice the radishes thinly and allow about 30 minutes for them to marinate in a simple mixture of orange juice, white wine vinegar and honey.  This marinade will essentially become the “dressing” for this salad.  The recipe calls for green onions as a garnish, which are not in season around here.  I’d suggest some finely chopped red onions or shallots.  You can plate this salad on a large platter for passing, on individual plates, or feel free to mix it all up and deal with it that way if you don’t want to get fussy.  Any way you do it, the flavors will be bright.  The sweet oranges and touch of honey bring out the sweetness in the radishes and complement their radish bite that is mellowed by the fatty goat cheese.  If you don’t have goat cheese, you could substitute feta cheese as well.  If you like the flavor combination of oranges and beauty heart radishes, you might also like her recipe for Watermelon Radish Toast with Orange Mascarpone and Honey.  If you don’t have mascarpone, you can substitute cream cheese.  You’ll use this as the spread, while first mixing in some orange juice and the zest of the orange.  Don’t skip the step of adding the orange zest as this is where the real orange flavor will come from.  I’d recommend adding the orange juice gradually.  You don’t want your spread to become too runny and might need to reduce the orange juice a bit.  Spread this on top of the toast, layer on thin slices of radish and drizzle with a little honey.  You just made a simple breakfast, or light lunch, or appetizer for dinner!

Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad
with Apples & Pecans
photo from rhubarbarian.com

As I was poking around, I found a few more recipes on this blog including Beer Marinated Fries with Thyme Mayonnaise!  This week’s russet potatoes will be perfect for this recipe.  These fries are baked, which is always my preference.  I have also reserved her Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples & Pecans as a recipe to make for our Thanksgiving dinner.  This recipe will make good use of both the Brussels sprouts and fresh ginger in this week’s box. You can thinly slice the Brussels sprouts using a food processor, a mandolin or simply with a knife.  They are then sautéed briefly along with onion, just until wilted then tossed with a sweet & sour dressing made with apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, fresh ginger and garlic.  As if this isn’t delicious enough, top the salad off with fresh apples, crumbled blue cheese and pecans!

That is all for recipes from Rhubarbarian.com, so lets move on to one of my favorite blogs, AlexandraCooks.com.  Ali has some tasty recipes in her collection of 25 Thanksgiving Side Dishes, including her Freezable Stuffing with Kale and Caramelized Onions.  Her recipe has loads of caramelized onions and wilted kale.  I haven’t tried it, but I would think you could easily substitute tat soi for the kale.  Ali also offers the suggestion of making it in advance and freezing it.  You could take this suggestion and make this dish while you have a little extra time over the holidays, and the greens with which to make it, and pop it in the freezer.  You might want to pull it out and serve it with ham at Christmas or use it for a convenient dinner accompaniment to roast beef or roast chicken in the middle of winter!  Of course, it could also be served as part of a vegetarian meal, maybe with some sauteed mushrooms and roasted sweet potatoes!

Roasted Parsnips with Spicy Honey Butter
photo from alexandracooks.com

Before we leave AlexandraCooks.com, I want to call attention to her recipe for Roasted Parsnips with Spicy Honey Butter.  You can use honey or maple syrup for this recipe and if you have any Korean chili peppers hanging around—use them here!  I also want to try this Creamy Parsnip & Pear Soup.  This is a silky, smooth way to enjoy the sweet, earthiness of parsnips.  This soup gets its creaminess from parsnips as well as celeriac and just a touch of cream or half and half just before serving.  Ali recommends a drizzle of truffle oil just before serving.  This is quite decadent and I’m guessing most of you don’t have truffle oil hanging out in your kitchen, so I’d suggest a drizzle of something as simple as a good olive oil or a toasted nut oil such as hazelnut or walnut oil if you have it.  She suggests serving it with crusty bread, but you could also choose to make croutons to put on top.

I’ve used a few recipes from RunningToTheKitchen.com in past articles, but I was drawn to revisit her site this week because she had called attention to some tasty fall recipes in her prelude post to the holidays.  Check out this recipe for Brussels Sprouts, Pumpkin and Apple Hash.  I would not recommend using this week’s Black futsu pumpkins as you need to peel the pumpkin for this recipe.  I would recommend substituting butternut squash, or you could use sweet potatoes instead.  There’s a touch of bacon for some fattiness, a little tang from dried cranberries and a bit of vinegar at the end, along with the sweetness of the apple which helps complete the lovely balance of flavors to complement the Brussels sprouts in this dish!  If you’re looking for a less labor intensive alternative to yeast rolls to fill the “bread” slot in this year’s Thanksgiving dinner, you might want to consider these Parmesan Pumpkin Scones.  The black futsu pumpkin would be a good selection for this recipe, but you could also use butternut squash puree.  The dough is seasoned with Parmesan cheese along with sage, pecans and pepitas.  Before you bake them you garnish the tops with a bit more cheese and dried sage, which makes them very attractive to serve.  Of course, you also might want to reserve this recipe for a post-Thanksgiving brunch item to serve with leftover turkey and cranberry or as an accompaniment to scrambled eggs.

Vanilla Carrot Parsnip Puree
photo from runningtothekitchen.com

We’re not done with runningtothekitchen.com yet!  I want to try this Vanilla Carrot Parsnip Puree.  This is a lovely dish featuring very simple flavors.  Carrots and parsnips have very different flavors, but they go together quite well.  I’ll admit—I have no idea what this might look like if you make it using purple carrots!  If you’re up for an experiment, give it a try.  If you’re not—go for orange or yellow carrots in this recipe.  I also found this  Roasted Sweet Potato & Apple Ham Sandwich.  Wow, this sandwich looks really amazing!  Slices of roasted sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, salty ham and fresh apple slices!  This recipe was created to promote a honey mustard spread that I’m not familiar with.  My suggestion is to mix equal parts mayonnaise and Dijon mustard and then sweeten it with honey to your liking, or use your own favorite honey mustard spread as an alternative.  Lastly, I wanted to share this recipe for Sweet Potato Raisin Bread, another way to incorporate sweet potatoes in some less traditional ways.  While this is a quick bread, it should have enough density that you could slice it and toast it a bit.  Eat it with a bit of butter for breakfast or enjoy it as an afternoon snack.

Vegetarian Wellington
photo from foodwithfeeling.com

Moving on, I have some more recipes to share from a variety of other sites.  If you’re vegetarian and you’re looking for an alternative to turkey for Thanksgiving, check out this Vegetarian Wellington.  The filling is made from vegetables including celery (substitute celeriac), carrots, garlic, mushrooms and onions held together with lentils and wrapped in puff pastry.  You also might want to try these Garlic Parmesan Potato Stacks.  Thinly sliced potatoes are tossed with butter that is mixed with Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, dried thyme, salt and pepper.  Then you layer the potato slices in muffin tins and bake them until the edges are crispy!  I also have my eye on this Creamy French Onion Mac-And-Cheese.  This recipe calls for one Spanish onion.  I’m guessing they’re using one large onion, so I’d suggest one large or two medium onions and you can use this week’s yellow onions as they are a Spanish cross and perfect for this type of application.  Finally, before we move on to desserts, here’s a simple recipe for Roasted Potatoes and Carrots.  Have some fun with this weeks’ colored carrots and keep it simple with a pan of roasted roots seasoned with cumin, paprika and rosemary!

Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake
photo from theroastedroot.net

Alas, we’re nearly at the end of the box AND the end of this week’s article!  Before we close, we have to talk dessert!  I’m excited to try this Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake.  Whether or not you are looking for paleo recipes and/or vegan recipes, this cheesecake looks so creamy and delicious.  The recipe calls for pumpkin, so you could use the black futsu pumpkins, but you could also make this with sweet potato or butternut squash.  The crust is made from walnuts and dates with a touch of cinnamon.  The cheesecake part gets its creaminess from soaked, raw cashews and coconut milk.  Of course you need some spice in the filling which includes dry pumpkin pie spice along with fresh ginger!  Oh, I forgot to mention there is no baking involved with this recipe!  At the very least you need to refrigerate it for 3 hours before serving, but you can also pop it in the freezer as long as you allow some time for it to thaw before serving (guidelines in the recipe).  So, if the rest of your Thanksgiving dinner is taking up space in the oven and you want to make something in advance, this just might be the recipe for you.

If you’re more into pies or cookies than cheesecake this year, I encourage you to try my Grandma Yoder’s Squash Pie.  This is a simple alternative to a traditional “pumpkin” pie.  You can use the black futsu pumpkins, butternut, kabocha or any other winter squash that has a rich flesh.  Lastly, I want to remind you of this recipe for Parsnip, Oatmeal, Chocolate Cherry Cookies which is the creation of the very talented and loving Annemarie of Bloom Bakeshop in Madison, Wisconsin!

And that is a wrap!  I’ll see you back the first and third weeks of December for our final two CSA deliveries of 2020.  Happy Thanksgiving!—Chef Andrea  

Vegetable Feature: Tat Soi

By Chef Andrea

We are trying as hard as we can to keep green vegetables coming in your boxes for as long as possible!  This week we were lucky enough to have a few afternoons that were above freezing to return to the field and harvest some of our late season crops including the gorgeous Tat Soi!   This time of year the flavor of tat soi is a very mild, slightly sweet mustard flavor and its green color is so deep and intense!  While it can take some cold weather and frosty nights, repeated cold exposure can result in frost damage.  We took the time to put wire hoops in the field and draped a double field cover over the tat soi, anchored with lots of sandbags to keep it in place even with the 30 mph winds we had!  The cover added extra protection for them on frosty mornings the past few weeks.  It’s always a gamble as the tat soi may still freeze under the cover and by the time we’re ready for it, sometimes it can look pretty rough.  But this year’s crop looks very nice and some of the tat soi were huge!

Vegan One Pot Ramen Noodles with Tat Soi

Tat soi is a relative of bok choi.  It has spoon shaped dark green leaves and light green stems extending from the base.  Nearly the entire plant, leaves and the stems, is edible and you’ll find both to be tender enough to eat raw as well as cooked.  One of my favorite ways to eat this green is as a raw salad tossed with shredded carrots and beauty heart and/or purple daikon radishes.  This week I included a recipe for a Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette (see below) which has become my go-to vinaigrette to use throughout the year.  Recently I’ve been adding pickled or fresh ginger to the dressing which is a nice complement to tat soi.  I didn’t include a full recipe for the salad, because you can make it whatever you want it to be.  Turn it into an entrée by adding a protein such as seared beef, fish or tofu, top it with toasted seeds or nuts, get creative!  I like to think of Tat soi, like many tender greens, as “Nature’s Fast Food.”  Incorporate it into a quick stir-fry or pasta dish such as this week’s 15-Minute Sesame Ginger Noodles (see below) or last year’s Ramen Noodles with Tat Soi.   It’s also a nice addition to soups such as miso or hot and sour soup.  I tend to pair tat soi with flavors such as ginger, sesame and soy, but really you can prepare it with many different ingredients and use it in place of other greens in recipes calling for bok choi, spinach, chard, mustard greens, etc.  I have used tat soi to make Red Lentils with Winter Squash & Greens, featured in our newsletter in 2015.  Another one of my favorite recipes to adapt to tat soi is for Bok Choi Salad with Sesame Almond Crunch, featured back in 2016.

It’s best to store tat soi in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.  Prior to use, turn it over and use a paring knife to cut the stems away from the base.  Wash the stems and leaves vigorously in a sink of cold water.  If you’re using it to make a salad or stir-fry, make sure you pat the leaves dry or dry them in a salad spinner. If you’re using them in a soup or just wilting them, just shake a little water off of them.  Savor one of the last of this year’s greens!

Ginger Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Coconut Tat Soi

Yield: 4 servings

photo from olivejude.com

Sweet Potatoes:

2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 garlic cloves, grated or minced

2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

⅛ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ cup olive oil

½ tsp Kosher salt

½ tsp pepper

Tat Soi:

1 medium to large head tat soi, leaves and stems kept separate and cut into bite-sized pieces 

1 garlic clove, grated or minced

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

2 Tbsp olive oil for sautéing

½ cup unsweetened coconut milk

Whole milk Greek yogurt, for serving (optional)

Cilantro, coarsely chopped, for serving (optional)

Sweet Potatoes:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and toss until well coated.
3. Transfer to the baking sheet and spread the potatoes out, making sure to scrape the bowl of all the ginger and garlic.
4. Roast for 35-45 minutes or until the potatoes are beginning to brown on the edges and the green onions are charred.

Tat Soi:

1. Just before the potatoes are done, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the tat soi stalks first and cook for about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the tat soi leaves and sauté, tossing frequently until the leaves are tender and wilted but still green, about 5-7 minutes.
5. Pour in the coconut milk, tossing the greens so all are evenly coated.
6. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as desired.
7. Pour the greens and all the juices into a serving dish.  Top with the roasted sweet potatoes, and onions.
8. To serve, add a dollop of Greek yogurt and cilantro if desired.

Recipe borrowed and adapted from olivejude.com.

15-Minute Sesame Ginger Noodles

Yield: 4-5 servings

1 Tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil

5-6 cups Tat Soi, leaves and stems chopped into bite-sized pieces

8 oz rice noodles (may substitute spaghetti or any other long, thin noodle)

Toasted sesame seeds, for serving

Cilantro, coarsely chopped, for serving

Salt & Black Pepper, to taste

Sauce:

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped

6 Tbsp  soy sauce 

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1. Prior to cutting the tat soi, wash the leaves and stems well, then cut into bite-sized pieces for 5-6 cups total.  Keep the stems and leaves separate.  Set aside.
2. Boil the rice noodles according to the package directions.  When cooked, drain and set aside.  
3. While the noodles are cooking, mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.  Set aside.
4. Heat 1 Tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil in a medium skillet or saucepan over medium heat.  Add the tat soi stems and saute for 1-2 minutes.  Add the sauce to the pan and bring it to a simmer.  Once the sauce is bubbling gently, add the tat soi leaves.  Simmer for about 2 minutes or until the leaves start to wilt.  
5. Next, add the cooked noodles.  Stir to combine the noodles with the vegetables and sauce, cooking long enough to ensure the noodles are heated through.
6. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning to your liking with salt and black pepper as needed.  Serve immediately, garnished with toasted sesame seeds and fresh cilantro if desired.

Recipe inspired and adapted from choosingchia.com.

Maple-Mustard Dressing

Yield:  about 1 cup

4 Tbsp whole-grain or Dijon mustard

4 Tbsp maple syrup

¾ cup cold-pressed olive oil

4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger or pickled ginger

1. Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2. In a small bowl, combine the mustard, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, salt and black pepper.  Whisk to combine.
3. Slowly drizzle in the oil, stirring as it is added.  Once the oil is fully incorporated, stir in the ginger and taste.  Adjust to your liking with additional salt, pepper and/or vinegar.
4. Store in a jar in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.  Use to dress your favorite green salads!

Recipe borrowed and slightly adapted from Sarah Britton’s book, My New Roots:  Inspired Plant-Based Recipes for Every Season.