March was a hungry month for pioneers, but it won't be for winter CSA members. You'll be getting plenty of roots, including beets, carrots, celeriac, and parsnips. Bulbs and tubers will include garlic, lots of onions, and a variety of potatoes. Most exciting will be greens, which will be available for the final pickup. The spinach and kale have overwintered well, and are really responding to the lengthening days.
March is the final month of the winter CSA. Our last pickup day for the season will be actually be in the spring, March 23rd. We're getting busy planting in the greenhouses, transplanting tiny seedlings and opening up a ton of seed packages. Preparations for the 2010 season, our 29th year of farming, are well under way. Thanks to all of our CSA members for helping us through another winter. Enjoy the change of seasons!
spicy parsnip soup
serves 4
Ingredients
olive oil
1-2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon garam masala
6 small parsnips, peeled and chopped into chunks
2 cups milk
1 quart vegetable stock
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced (or use dried chili)
optional: a handful of fresh coriander leaves
crusty bread, to serve
Directions
Heat a splash of olive oil and the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic,
ginger and garam masala. Gently fry for around 10 minutes, until the onions are soft
and sweet.
Drop in the chopped parsnip and stir together so that everything gets coated in the oil
and spices. Pour in the milk and stock, season well and bring to the boil. Turn down the
heat and simmer for 30 minutes with a lid on.
After half an hour, check that the parsnips are cooked by sticking a knife in. If youre
happy, remove them from the heat and puree, using a blender or food mill. Taste the
soup to see if it needs a little more salt or pepper.
Serve with a sprinkling of sliced red chilli, a few coriander leaves if you like, and a good
chunk of crusty bread.
Tip: Use coconut milk instead of regular milk for a twist.
Beet-Kale Salad Recipe
serves 6
Ingredients
6 large beets, chopped into bite-size pieces
6 kale leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil (or more)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
feta cheese
1/2 cup walnuts
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Assemble the Salad
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Toss beets with olive oil, pepper and salt in a baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes, until beets are nearly tender but not brown.
Add walnuts and kale, stir to coat with oil.
Bake for another 5-10 minutes until kale is tender.
Place salad to a bowl and toss with vinegar or lemon juice and crumbled feta.
Serve at room temperature, or cold.
February
To brighten up the drab month of February, we're focusing on winter salads. We have two very different recipes. The slaw is a mainstay at our house, but the celeriac-citrus combo is brand new. Since it was recommended by the excellent chefs at Dano's, I can't wait to try it.
This month you can expect to get beets, cabbage, (probably red and savoy), carrots, celeriac, garlic, kohlrabi, onions, parsley root, potatoes, watermelon radishes, and shallots. We might pick kale if the temperatures stay above freezing for a stretch.
Parsley root is a new item this year. It's popular in central and eastern Europe, and looks a lot like parsnips. When growing, the tops can be used like fresh parsley. During the winter the roots are used to give a sweet parsley flavor to soup or salad. It's really amazingly sweet, but not strong. We always use it in chicken soup. Enjoy!
Celeriac, Potatoes, Peas and Carrots in Lemon-Dill Sauce
Thanks for this recipe go to Dano Hutnik & Karen Gilman of Dano's on Seneca Heuriger. This salad is popular in Turkey, we hope you like it!
Ingredients
4 small celeriac, peeled and diced in 1/2 inch cubes
2 carrots, diced
2 potatoes, diced
1 cup green peas (optional, use fresh or frozen)
12 small shallots
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup fresh dill, or less dried- to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Saute shallots in hot oil until tender. Add remaining vegetables with water to cover, salt, sugar, and black pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender, drain.
Add lemon juice, orange juice, and dill. Serve slightly warm or room temperature.
Kohlrabi-Radish Slaw with Cumin
and Cilantro
Servings: Serves eight
To speed up the vegetable prep, use the grating and slicing blades on a food
processor for the radishes, carrots, and cabbage, and the julienne cutter on a
mandoline for the kohlrabi.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin or more to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 watermelon radishes, grated (about 1 cup)
3 medium carrots, grated (about 1-1/2 cups)
2 small unpeeled kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks (3
cups)
1/2 medium head green or red cabbage thinly sliced (5 cups)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
optional: minced red onion
Directions
1. In a small bowl whisk the vinegar, garlic, mustard, honey, cumin, 1/4 teaspoon
salt, and a pinch of pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil until combined.
2. Put the radishes, carrot, kohlrabi, cabbage, and cilantro in a large bowl. Pour
in the dressing and gently toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
January
Over the month of January, you can expect to get brussels sprouts, cabbage, rainbow and regular carrots, garlic, kale, leeks, onions, potatoes, rutabagas,winter squash and turnips. You'll be getting 6 or 7 different items at each pickup, and we'll give you as many choices as possible.
Below are 2 recipes using the January assortment. In our own kitchen we don't follow recipes to the letter, so haven't tested these specifically, but we make very similar dishes with excellent results. Recently we ate roasted butternut squash, leeks and brussels sprouts over polenta topped with a tomato-cream sauce. Delicious!
Winter Vegetable Stew over Couscous
This dish serves 10. Prepare the couscous as the vegetable mixture simmers. Try serving with harissa, a Tunisian hot sauce.
Directions:
Combine 10 cups water, onion, and the next 4 ingredients (10 cups water
through bay leaf) in a large Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat,
and simmer 30 minutes. Remove 2 cups cooking liquid; set aside. Add
squash and next 6 ingredients (squash through chickpeas) to onion mixture.
Simmer 25 minutes or until squash is tender. Stir in greens, cilantro, 2
teaspoons salt, and black pepper; cook 5 minutes or until greens wilts. Stir in
juice. Discard bay leaf.
Place couscous in a large bowl. Combine reserved cooking liquid and
remaining 1 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Stir in
remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and oil. Pour water mixture over couscous; stir
well to combine. Cover and let stand 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
Fluff with a fork. Serve vegetable mixture over couscous. Top with crumbled
cheese.
Oven Roasted Winter Vegetables Recipe
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
3 medium onions, cut into large wedges
4 small Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces
1/2 (8-10) pound brussels sprouts, halved
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
thyme, sage, other herbs to taste
2 teaspoons Balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, halved
Directions:
About an hour before cooking, in a large bowl, toss together all the ingredients up to, but not including, the second quantiy of olive oil. Thirty minutes before roasting, preheat oven to 450 degrees and slip in a heavy, large, very shallow baking pan (a half sheet pan is ideal) to heat up. Pour the second quantity of oil onto the hot pan, and then immediately spread the marinated vegetables on the pan, taking care not to crowd them. Roast about an hour, turning several times during cooking for even browning. Add garlic to pan halfway through cooking. Once browned and easily pierced with a knife, vegetables are done. Serve hot.
