Friday, Jan 14 Harvest Bag
all for $20
includes the following items:
Leeks
a bag of salad mix
Brussels Sprout
celery root
carrots
Halcyon Gold yellow potatoes
buttternut squash
avocados
Cara Cara oranges
Fuji apples
The Cara Cara oranges are a cross of pink grapefruit and Navel orange. Great for slicing into wedges and juicing.
Use the celery root as you might prepare a potato. Clean off any dirt and root hairs from the bulb. Cut into 1 inch cubes and steam or roast until soft. Celery root can also be added to soups...they have the consistency of a potato and the flavor of celery.
Brussels Sprout.
An easy recipe:
Wash off the sprouts, cut them in half, coat with a little olive oil, garlic powder and salt and pepper, spread them out single layer on a cookie sheet ( don't crowd them ) and roast in your oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, turning once or twice until crispy on the outside. You can add a little Balsamic vinegar during the last 5 minutes of roasting them if desired. The other night, I tried a quick "pan-fry" method of cooking the sprouts...unfortunately, they came out rather bitter tasting, so I strongly recommend the slower oven roasting method mentioned above.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH RECIPES:
WAYS TO PREPARE THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Rinse and cut the squash lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds and excess fiber. May peel skin if desired.
Stir-Fry: tender when pierced.
Bake: 400 degrees 30 ˆ 40 minutes, uncovered.
Microwave: 1/2 the squash and microwave for 10 -12 minutes.
Boil: Cut into chunks and boil 7 ˆ 9 minutes.
Steam: Cube and steam for 6 ˆ 8 minutes.
Roast: 400 degrees for 30 ˆ 45 minutes.
Recipe idea for butternut squash from "Cook's Illustrated" magazine:
heat oven to 425 degrees, put oven rack on lowest position in oven, peel the skin using a vegetable peeler until squash is completely orange with no white flesh remaining ( roughly 1/8 inch deep), halve squash lengthwise and scrape out seeds, place squash cut side down on cutting board and slice crosswise into 1/2 inch thick rings, toss squash with 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until evenly coated, arrange squash on rimmed baking sheet in single layer, roast until side touching sheet is well browned ( 20 to 25 minutes) and then use a spatula to flip each piece, cook another 10 to 15 minutes until both sides are browned, top with some pecans, goat cheese or maple syrup if desired
PREPARING THE LEEKS
https://www.loveandlemons.com/
- To grill them, slice them in half lengthwise, rinse and dry them well, and grill both sides on medium-high until they’re well-charred and tender.
- If you’re roasting them, halve them lengthwise, chop them into 1-inch chunks, and wash them. Then, toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper and bake at 425° for about 20 minutes, or until they’re tender.
- To sauté them, follow the cutting method described above, heat up olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 5 minutes.
LEEK AND POTATO SOUP WITH CARROTS
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
3 leeks leeks, chopped
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 large potatoes, diced
4 carrots chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• • • •
Step 1
Melt butter in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir leeks in butter until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour broth into the pot; add potatoes, carrots, salt, and bay leaf.
Step 2
Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the potatoes and carrots are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.
Step 3
Blend soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir cream into the soup, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer soup until thickened, about 20 minutes.
EASY TIPS FOR PERFECT ROASTED VEGETABLES
adapted from The Santa Monica Farmer's Cookbook by Amelia Saltsman
Roasting vegetables concentrates their flavors, develops and caramelizes natural sugars, and gives them that appetizing crisped look. Best of all, the same technique works for just about any vegetable you've got on hand, any time of the year. Follow these simple steps for great results.
Keep vegetables or vegetables pieces a uniform size for even cooking.
Toss cleaned, trimmed vegetables with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, kosher or sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. For convenience, do this directly in the pan.
Always preheat the oven.
Roast dense vegetables, such as beets or potatoes, at 400 degrees, quick-cooking ones, such as asparagus or tomatoes, at 425 to 450 degrees.
Don't crowd the pan, or your vegetables will steam rather than brown. Large baking sheets and heatproof-glass dishes are ideal for roasting.
Roast vegetables uncovered in the upper third of the oven for better browning.
Halfway through the cooking time, remove the pan from the oven and give it a shake or use a spatula to loosen and turn the vegetables.
When the vegetables are browned and tender, season again with your favorite seasonings...salt, pepper, garlic powder.
If serving the vegetables at room temperature, allow them to cool before piling them onto a serving dish( so they won't steam themselves and get soft).
