Winter Share Four December 18th 2014
WINTER SHARE FOUR DECEMBER 18TH 2014
Important information:
- Don’t wait or even hesitate; summer share membership enrollment is in progress for current members!
- Please forgive the oversight in not including the daikon radishes last share; they are in this time…
- The next winter share is Thursday January 8th; there is no share distribution on New Year’s Day.
Farm News from Jane
What a wonderful time of year; so many of our favorite celebrations, holidays and holy days commence beginning this evening with Chanukah. And of course what celebration doesn’t include some traditional dishes. We hope that this share will help to “round out” some of those meals. These celebratory meals bring us joy, comfort and hope as we prepare for a new year. It is always nice to have family and/or friends to share a meal with but if you don’t have anyone local and are still here for the holidays invite someone over to “break bread” with. It doesn’t have to be a fancy meal it’s all about the fellowship anyway. Mashed potatoes, steamed carrots with orange juice, fresh greens, roasted squash and rutabaga and perhaps a side of meat! Cook together even! And of course before you sit down and eat take time to be thankful for all we have to share. And thank you for sharing with us; your partnership allows us to continue to “grow” successively.
We finally finished our carrot harvest this week. Our fingers were a bit freezy but the sweet crunchy harvest was well worth the effort. We moved our vegetable washer inside one of the greenhouses to make the job warmer and a little more pleasant. We sure hope that you like carrots because we have lots of them to share over the course of the season. They are really great raw as they are incredibly sweet. The variety this week is called Sugar Snack. They are extra long and extra sweet just a bit difficult to get very clean in our vegetable washer. So after a scrub don’t forget to prep some for lunches and “on the go” snacks! And although our high tunnels collapsed under the snow load we do have head lettuce to share this distribution. The heads are small but the cold had given them a nice texture and sweetness. This is just the opposite of summer greens which grow a bit strong in flavor with the summer heat. You’ll be surprised at the color of the French fingerling potatoes we have to share. The color of the red skin has migrated into the flesh giving them a beautiful rich color which reflects well their delicious rich buttery flavor. They are the favorite potato in our house even though they are quite laborious to harvest. Because of their shape and size they like to “hide” a bit even after the potato digger brings them to the surface. We always do a bit more digging by hand so as not to leave too many behind while harvesting. You will notice that the butternut squash are getting a bit wrinkled. That’s just because they are getting a bit dry while being stored. It only serves to make them sweeter and creamier when prepared. This year seems like it has been a very sweet season; even the lowly acorn has been exceptionally sweet and not at all stringy! We have increased the amount of potatoes and carrots this time to help hold you over for an extra week. The versatility of the winter storage vegetables is amazing. We often think of them as having a lengthy prep however many of them can be grated and served raw in a salad. After all a salad is just a cold vegetable preparation; it doesn’t even have to include greens! Experiment with them all…
Our best wishes for you and yours for a lovely, peaceful and joy filled family celebration. Until next year, Jane & family
Produce: Head lettuce French fingerling potatoes
cooking onions Garlic Butternut squash Carnival squash
Carrots Rutabaga Daikon radish Beets
Produce tips:
– Garlic will keep freshest and longest if refrigerated in a paper bag.
– Daikon radish needs to be refrigerated in a plastic bag to keep firm. They can be served raw; grated in a salad, stir fired or oven roasted. You could even boil it with your potatoes for a “zippy” change up.
– French fingerling potatoes are great steamed, roasted or boiled in their skins. Please refrain from cutting them up before boiling to preserve all their flavor and nutrition.
– Lettuce is not washed. Carrots are but will still need a final scrub!
Recipes
BAKED RADISHES
1/2 lb radishes, trimmed and halved; 1 Tbsp Honey; 1 Tbsp butter; 1 tsp cinnamon
Steam radishes 5 minutes. Drain and arrange in a shallow baking dish. Combine honey, butter and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Warm and stir until butter is melted. Pour over radishes. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until tender, about 30 minutes. Makes 4 servings
CONFETTI OF RADISHES AND CARROTS 3 large radishes (or that equivalent), peeled; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint; 4-6 medium carrots, peeled; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill; 8 ounces feta cheese (or substitute fresh chevre); 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; salt and pepper to taste; 2-3 tablespoons wine vinegar
Shred radishes and carrots using hand-held cheese grater. Toss with remaining ingredients. Chill and serve. Serves 8
COUSCOUS AND RADISH SALAD
1/2 c water; 1/8 tsp salt; pinch of pepper; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1/2 clove garlic, crushed; 1 Tbsp onions, thinly sliced; 1/2 c couscous; 1 c radishes, quartered; 1/4 c parsley; 2 tbsp mint; 1/4 tsp lemon rind, grated
Bring water to a boil in saucepan; stir in couscous. Remove from heat, and let stand, covered, 10 minutes; fluff with a fork. Set aside. Mince radishes by hand or in food processor. Place in large bowl. Mince parsley and mint. Add to radishes and stir in couscous. Whisk together lemon rind, salt, pepper, lemon juice, oil and garlic. Add to couscous mixture, toss. Top with onions. Makes 2 servings
BEET AND DAIKON SLAW
2 beets, peeled and cut into l/8-inch julienne (matchsticks); 1 6-inch daikon radish, peeled and cut into l/8-inch julienne;
1 tsp toasted sesame oil; 2 tsp canola oil; 1 tsp unsalted rice vinegar; 1 tsp sea salt
Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl, cover, and let stand at least 1/2 hour. Season to taste and serve. Recipe from Bill Maddex, member of Drumlin Community Farm
RUTABAGA CARROT COLESLAW WITH BUTTERMILK GARLIC DRESSING
1 large or 2 medium rutabagas (about 1 pound); 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 1 large carrot (about 1/4 pound); salt and pepper to taste; 6-8 tablespoons Buttermilk Garlic dressing (recipe follows)
Peel rutabagas and carrot; cut into large chunks and shred in food processor or on very large grate holes of hand-held grater. Toss with remaining ingredients and chill hour.
Buttermilk Garlic Dressing: 1-2 medium cloves of garlic, 4T. minced green onion, 3T white wine vinegar, ½ c buttermilk, 1/3 c. sour cream, large pinch sugar, ½ c olive oil. Makes 4 servings; Recipe from MACSAC
HONEY GLAZED CARROTS WITH FRESH MINT
1 pound carrots; 2 tablespoons butter; 11/2 tablespoons honey; salt and pepper; 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Peel carrots and cut into evenly sized rounds or sticks. Combine carrots, butter, honey, and 1/2 cup water in large skillet over medium-high flame. Bring to simmer and cook until carrots are tender and most of the liquid has reduced to a glaze, 1 0-15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle mint on the carrots, toss well, and serve. Makes 4 servings. Recipe from MACSAC
FRIED BEETS AND CARROTS
2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 teaspoons cumin seeds; 2 medium beets, quartered, sliced 1/4-inch thick; 2 medium carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick; tamari sauce; greens
Heat olive oil in skillet. Add cumin; cook about 1 minute. Add beets and carrots; fry until tender. Remove from heat, sprinkle on a little tamari, and serve. Variation: If using young beets save the tops. When the beets and carrots are tender, add chopped greens, cover, and cook until soft. Toss mixture, sprinkle with tamari, and serve. Makes 2-4 servings. Recipe from Linda Derrickson, Sunporch Cafe
SPICY CARROT DIP
1 onion; 3 carrots, plus extra to garnish; grated zest and juice of 2 oranges; 1 tablespoon hot curry paste; 2/3 cup plain yogurt; handful of fresh basil leaves; 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste; red Tabasco sauce, to taste; salt and freshly ground black pepper Finely chop the onion. Peel and grate the carrots. Place the onion, carrots, orange zest and juice and curry paste in a small saucepan.
Bring to a boil, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes, until tender. Process the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Let cool completely. Stir in the yogurt, then tear the basil leaves roughly into small pieces and stir them into the carrot mixture. 4 Add the lemon juice and Tabasco and season with salt and pepper. Serve within a few hours at room temperature. Garnish with grated carrot. Serves 4
RADISH, CARROT AND APRICOT RELISH
1/4 c. vinegar; 1 T honey; 1/8 tsp salt; 2/3 c shredded radishes; 1/4 c shredded carrot; 3 dried apricots, cut in strips
Combine vinegar, honey and salt, bring to boil and pour over remaining ingredients. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
SQUASH-NUT PANCAKES
1 C. cooked squash 2 eggs, lightly beaten; 1/2 Cup all-purpose flour; 1/4 Teaspoon baking powder; 1 1/4 Teaspoons salt; 1/2 Teaspoon granulated sugar; 1/4 Teaspoon cinnamon; Pinch cloves; 3/4 Cup finely chopped pecans; 3/4 Cup bread crumbs; Vegetable oil for frying
Beat together the squash and eggs. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and spices. Stir the dry ingredients into the squash mixture. Mix the nuts and bread crumbs, and spread them over a sheet of waxed paper. Spoon a tablespoon of the batter onto the nuts and bread crumbs, turn to coat the other side and flatten the pancake slightly. Fry in 1 inch hot (375 degrees F.) oil until golden on both sides.
QUICK SWEET WINTER SQUASH SOUP
3 ½ C. cooked squash; 4 1/2 Cups light cream; 5 Tablespoons honey; 2 Tablespoons butter; 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar; 1 Teaspoon salt; 1/4 Teaspoon each ground cinnamon, mace and nutmeg; 1 Orange, juice and zest; Whipped cream (optional)
Combine the squash puree, 2 cups of the cream, the honey and butter, and cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until warm. Mix together the spices and sugar; add to the squash mixture and simmer gently without allowing to boil. Grate the orange zest and squeeze and strain the juice, then add both a bit at a time to the hot soup, blending well. Allow the soup to simmer for minutes, then remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Stir in the remaining cream and chill well. Serve cold, with dollops of whipped cream if desired. Yield: enough to serve 6
WINTER SQUASH, ONION, AND SAFFRON RISOTTO
5-6 cups chicken stock, 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, pulverized, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2-1 cup finely chopped onion, 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice, 2/3 cup dry white wine, 2-3 cups cooked, pureed winter squash, 3/4-1 cup grated Parmesan, Romano, or asiago cheese, salt and pepper
Bring stock and saffron to a simmer in saucepan. Heat olive oil in large, heavy saucepan. Add onions; cook over medium low heat until softened, several minutes. Raise heat to medium-high and stir in rice. Keep stirring rice 1·2 minutes, then add wine. Stir and cook until nearly all the wine has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add two ladlefuls hot stock (enough to barely cover the rice); stir frequently until most is absorbed. Continue to add stock a ladleful at a time and stir very frequently until nearly absorbed. Risotto is done when rice is barely tender and mixture is creamy; this should take 25-35 minutes. (Adjust heat if rice is absorbing liquid too quickly.) Stir in squash during last 10 minutes. Fold in most of the grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, with a little more cheese on top of each serving. Makes 6-8 servings; Recipe from MACSAC
WINTER SQUASH WITH CRANBERRIES
1 small winter squash, 1-3 t butter or olive oil, 1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen), 2-3 tablespoons raspberry jam or puree
Peel winter squash, chop flesh into 1/2- to 1-inch cubes, and steam over boiling water until soft but not mushy. Toss in cranberries and stir frequently until they soften. Mash in skillet with fork or potato masher. Stir in jam. When squash is done, toss it with the cranberry mixture, Makes 4-8 servings. Recipe from Linda Taylor, Good Earth Farm
ARABIAN SQUASH CHEESE CASSEROLE
2 medium-large Acorn or carnival squash; 1 cup onion; 2-3 cloves crushed garlic; 1 cup red or green pepper, chopped; 3 Tbsp butter; 1 tsp salt; 2 beaten eggs; 1 cup buttermilk or yogurt; lf4 cup sunflower seeds; 1 cup crumbled feta
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook squash for 35 minutes or until soft. Scoop out and mash squash. Sauté onion and garlic in butter and salt, when the onion is translucent add the chopped peppers. Sauté until just done. Beat eggs with buttermilk. Crumble in the feta cheese. Combine everything and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread in butter casserole or baking pan. Top with sunflower seeds. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes covered and then 10 minutes uncovered.
PUMPKIN COOKIES
1 cup butter or margarine; 1 114 cups brown sugar; 2 eggs; l tsp vanilla; 2 cups cooked pumpkin; 4 3/4 cups flour; 1 tbsp cinnamon; 2 tsp baking powder; 2 tsp baking soda; 2 tsp nutmeg; 1/2 cup raisins Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 cookie sheets. Cream butter or margarine and brown sugar. Mix in eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin. Mix dry ingredients separately, then stir into first mixture. Stir in raisins.
Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake 15 minutes. Recipe from Scotch Hill Farm
BAKED SWEET DUMPLING SQUASH
1 sweet dumpling squash; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 cup chopped bacon; 1 garlic clove, crushed; ¼ cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes; 1 tbsp chopped sage; ¼ cup mascarpone cheese; 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese; salt and pepper
Cut the sweet dumpling in half. Scoop out the seeds and fibers. Place the squash in a roasting pan. Brush the inside of the squash with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Bake in a preheated oven at 425°F for 20 minutes until softened and beginning to brown. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil and fry the pancetta or bacon until crisp and golden. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and sage and cook for 2 minutes. Pile the mixture into the squash shells. Spoon on the mascarpone and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes. Serve hot with crusty bread and a leafy salad. Serves 2
WELL- THYMED RUTABAGA
1 1/2 – 2 pounds rutabaga; chicken or vegetable stock; 1 cup sour cream; 1-2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme or lemon thyme; salt and pepper to taste
Peel rutabaga, dice the flesh, and place in a saucepan. Add just enough stock to cover rutabaga, bring to simmer, and cook until tender. You can serve this three ways: 1) Soup: Stir in the remaining ingredients; 2) Side dish: Drain off stock and stir in remaining ingredients; or 3) Puree: Drain off most of the stock and puree rutabaga with remaining ingredients, using immersion blender, food processor, or blender. Serves 4-6; Recipe from Linda Holley, Harmony Valley Farm
RUTABAGA CARROT COLESLAW WITH BUTTERMILK GARLIC DRESSING
1 large or 2 medium rutabagas (about 1 pound); 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 1 large carrot (about 1/4 pound); salt and pepper to taste; 6-8 tablespoons Buttermilk Garlic dressing (recipe follows)
Peel rutabagas and carrot; cut into large chunks and shred in food processor or on very large grate holes of hand-held grater. Toss with remaining ingredients and chill hour. Makes 4 servings. Recipe from MACSAC
MASHED RUTABAGA WITH ORANGE
2 lbs. rutabaga, peeled and diced; 2 T frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed; 1T butter; salt and pepper;
1 orange (optional for garnish)
Put diced rutabaga in a medium saucepan and add water to about halfway up the rutabagas. Bring to boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender. Drain off the water. For a chunky texture, mash with a potato masher. For a smoother texture, run rutabagas through a food mill or process in a food processor until smooth. Stir in orange juice concentrate and butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh orange zest or thin slices of orange. This can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen, then warmed in the oven. It goes well with sage-rubbed pork and mushrooms or ham. Makes 6 servings
RED WINE BRAISED ROOTS
3/4 cups red wine; 2 pounds assorted root vegetables, peeled; 4 ounces white mushrooms, halved; 1 large onion, sliced; 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme; ½ tbsp tomato paste; ½ tsp salt; 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper; 2 cups vegetable broth; 2 bay leaves
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place wine in a small saucepan and heat until steaming. Remove from the heat, add dried mushrooms and let stand while you prepare the vegetables. If using carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces. Cut any round roots (beets, turnips, rutabaga and/or celeriac) into 1-inch-wide wedges. Place the roots, white mushrooms and onions in a large (12-by-15-inch) roasting pan. Line a sieve with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and place over a measuring cup or small bowl. Strain the wine-mushroom mixture through the sieve, reserving the wine. Coarsely chop the mushrooms and whisk them into the wine along with thyme, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Pour over the vegetables; add broth and bay leaves. Cover the roasting pan with foil. 5. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 1’/2 hours. Uncover and continuing baking, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes more. Discard bay leaves.
BEETS, ORANGES, AND RASPBERRY SAUCE
1 pound beets, scrubbed; 2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar; 1-2 oranges or peaches; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon grated gingerroot (optional); 1/2 teaspoon salt
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place beets (in their skins) in a baking dish and cover with foil. Roast beets until tender, about 35-55 minutes, depending on their size. When cool, peel, slice thinly, and place them in a bowl. Peel the oranges (or peaches) and cut in half. Place flat sides down on cutting board and slice each into about 4 wedges. Remove seeds from orange slices before adding to beets. Make vinaigrette out of the remaining ingredients: mash garlic with the salt, add vinegar, and whisk in olive oil. Stir in grated gingerroot, if using. Toss with beets and oranges. You can serve this immediately, but it’s best if allowed to chill and mellow. This dish was inspired by recipes in Mollie Katzen’s Vegetable Heaven and Renee Shepherd’s Recipes from a Kitchen Garden. Makes 4-6 servings.