This Week’s Share
- Brussels Sprouts
- Celeriac
- Collard Greens
- Escarole
- Garlic
- Leeks
- Potatoes, Sangre
- Sweet Peppers
- Winter Squash, Butternut
Share Notes
- Brussels sprouts: Frost sweetened sprouts are in! This week in your share you will receive your sprouts on the stalk. For preparing them first pop them off the stalk, then slice off the base of each sprout in order to easily peel off and remove the outer layers of damaged and dirty leaves.
- Celeriac: Also called celery root, celeriac is late fall crop that despite its gnarled appearance offers a fresh and crisp flavor chopped or grated in raw dishes and savory celery flavor to cooked dishes. While considerably less starchy than some of the other root vegetables, its great in soups and stews, as well as boiled and mashed or in gratins and other bakes dishes.
- Sweet Peppers: It’s likely the last week for sweet peppers, and some of your peppers will be varying degrees of yellow, orange, and red. You can leave them on the counter for a couple days to color up or eat them as is. They all taste delicious, so enjoy the last of this season’s crop.
Recipes
Brussels Sprouts Recipe
Becker Brussels Sprouts
From The Joy of Cooking
12 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise
3 tablespoons butter (or half butter, half olive oil)
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
Grate Parmesan cheese (optional)
In a medium skillet heat the butter/olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, stirring, until beginning to brown. Remove the garlic and discard. Place the sprouts cut side down in the garlic butter, cover, and cook over low heat until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Arrange the sprouts on a warm platter and drizzle any remaining butter on top. Serve with grated Parmesan if desired.
Collard Green Recipe
Pasta with Hearty Greens and Beans
From The Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon
8 oz. fettucine
1 bunch collard greens (or kale or chard), washed, any tough center ribs removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can cannellini, navy or other white beans, rinsed and very well drained
3 cloves garlic, pressed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 lemon (optional)
Dried chilled (optional
Start the fettucine in vigorously boiling water. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Stir the greens in the oil for 2 minutes, cover, and let them steam for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender but not overdone. Place the beans, garlic, and a bit of salt and a lot of pepper in a bowl. Add the green and pasta when they are done and toss. Add a squeeze of lemon, if you like. You may also have dried chiles available for crushing over plates of pasta.
Leek Recipes
Potato, Leek & Celeriac Soup
From www.astray.com/recipes
1/4 cup butter
4 leeks, roots & tops removed
3 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 celeriac bulb, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 cups Chicken or vegetable stock
Thyme, basil and/or marjoram (preferably Fresh), to taste
Melt butter in stockpot. Slice leeks into 1/4-inch slices and add to stockpot. Saute for 5 minutes until golden. Add potatoes and celeriac and saute for 5 minutes. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup stock, cover and continue to cook until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. For a chunkier soup mash up cooked vegetables with a potato masher. For smoother soup pour vegetables and stock into a food processor or blender and puree or puree with a hand blender in the pot. Return soup to stockpot (if removed) and add remaining stock and herbs. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Leek Tart
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking
For Tart:
1 9-inch pie crust (recipe below, or you can use pre-made)
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
4 leeks, white and tender green parts only, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
2 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare and a crust into a 9-inch quiche, tart, or pie pan. Brush the dough with beaten egg yolk. Refrigerate the brushed dough. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet of medium heat and add the sliced leeks and onion, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat as the leeks cook, until they are very soft, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium bowl beat together the eggs, cream, nutmeg and salt and pepper until well combined. When leeks are done, add to the custard. Transfer to prepared pastry shell. Bake until the top is golden and the custard is set, 20 to 30 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes.
For Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chilled lard or vegetable shortening
2 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
3 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon ice water (very important that its ice cold)
Sift together the flour and salt. Add the lard/shortening and butter and cut into the flour until cornmeal to pea-sized chunks are formed. Sprinkle the dough with 3 tablespoons ice water. Blend the water gently into the dough until it just holds together. If necessary to hold the ingredients add another 1 teaspoon of water. You may need to wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in freezer to chill for a few minutes before rolling it out.
Winter Squash Recipe
Butternut Squash Rounds with Dates and Pistachios
From Local Flavors by Deborah Madison
1 butternut squash
3 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots (or 1 small onion), finely diced, about 1/3 cup
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/ 3 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup peeled pistachios, preferably unsalted, slivered or chopped
1 tablespoon grated zest from 1 Meyer lemon or orange
6 dates, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
juice of 1 Meyer lemon or 1 Persian lemon
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly butter a large baking dish. Peel the neck of the squash and slice into rounds about 1/3 inch thick. Heat the olive oil in a wide nonstick skillet. Add the squash in a single layer and cook over medium heat until golden, then turn and brown the other side, 8 to 10 minutes per side. When the pan becomes dry add 1/3 cup water. Cover the pan and steam the squash until tender when pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes. Check while it’s cooking and add more water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots (or onion) and garlic and cook without browning, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes. Ad the nuts, zest, dates, herbs, and cinnamon and raise the heat. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, then add lemon juice, cook for 1 minute more, and turn off heat. Arrange squash rounds in the baking dish and scatter the dates and nuts over them. Add 1/4 cup water and bake until heated through and the topping is barely crisped, about 15 minutes.