Next week will be the final share for 2014. This wet, gray weather is not the most exciting, but the good news is, it has been warm and we still have lots of food out in the fields. In this weeks share:
Lettuce- One last hurrah with the head lettuce! After being ravaged by deer, these heads recovered enough to make a nice small, single-serving sized lettuce. I'm excited about having one last lettuce salad before winter.
Brussels Sprouts- These are the first sprouts we've ever picked from our farm. If you haven't prepared Brussels sprouts before, it is not too difficult...and if you've only had the ones from the grocery store, you're in for a treat. I think there are few vegetables where the quality is SO MUCH higher when you get locally grown. The grocery store sprouts are all grown on the Central California coast, and leave much to be desired as far as flavor goes. Here is a little video that hopefully you can view on your computer, showing how to trim the sprouts:
http://www.finecooking.com/videos/how-to-trim-brussels-sprouts.aspx
There are some recipes on that website, but my favorite thing to flavor Brussels sprouts with is a tasty mustard sauce, so I found a link for that too:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/brussels-sprouts-with-dijon-mustard-recipe.html
Enjoy!!
Carrots- Good old carrots, still looking great and tasting even better. Here is a recipe for glazed carrots that would be great on a cool night...sorry if the ads are annoying on this page:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/honey-glazed-carrots-recipe.html
Fennel- Here is a treasure trove of fennel recipes, courtesy of Martha Stewart. All 25 of these fennel recipes sound pretty delicious...especially numbers 3, 4 and 21. Check them out! You have to click the little chevron arrow to scroll through and see all the recipes...
http://www.marthastewart.com/286398/fennel-recipes/@center/1009854/winter-produce#286395
Delicata- Delicata squash is in the share again...remember, these ones you don't have to peel...just halve them longwise, scoop out the seeds, and you can eat the skin. I usually bake the halves for about 35 minutes at 375, or I cut them into little crescent shaped slices and braise, steam, or saute them in a pan.
Gypsy Peppers- Last time the sweet peppers will be in the share, so enjoy. I have been really enjoying sliced pepper raw as a little appetizer before dinner.
Garlic- This beautiful purple and white striped garlic is named "Xian", I assume after the city in China where the terra cotta warriors reside. It came from Georgie at Willowood Farm. We are getting ready to plant garlic for next year! Garlic is planted from late October through November, we just need to find a dry time to till up some space for it. We are excited to be able to give out our own garlic in the farm share next year.
Swiss Chard- The chard is still growing bright and beautiful in this cloudy weather. It should add a bit of color and cheer to whatever you cook it with. This time of year, I love to have a side of steamed or sauteed greens with almost any dinner....it kind of takes the place of a salad. (halve this recipe if you want, or grab a second bunch out of the farm stand...it calls for two bunches)
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sauteed-Swiss-Chard-with-Onions-240560
Black Spanish Radish- Now here's an unusual one that I bet most of you aren't familiar with. Here is a link to a funny article about what exactly the black radish is, and it has some good suggestions on how to use them:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cathy-erway/black-radish-recipes_b_2617652.html
But here is the perfect recipe for this week...uses the carrots, fennel, and black radish!! It would have been even more perfect had we put arugula in the share, as originally planned, instead of the lettuce. I will put some bunches of arugula in the farm stand if you want to try this recipe out, or you could use your lettuce, spinach, or steamed chard instead:
BLACK RADISH, CARROT, AND FENNEL SALAD WITH PECORINO CHEESE
from Joyce Goldstein's The Mediterranean Kitchen
(this is for a single portion. can be multiplied.)
from Joyce Goldstein's The Mediterranean Kitchen
(this is for a single portion. can be multiplied.)
1 small handful arugula (about 3/4 cup loosely packed)
1/4 cup Citrus Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
3 large paper-thin slices black radish
6 thin diagonal slices carrot (about 2 inches long), blanched
6 thin slices fennel
6 to 8 long thin curls pecorino or Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Citrus Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
3 large paper-thin slices black radish
6 thin diagonal slices carrot (about 2 inches long), blanched
6 thin slices fennel
6 to 8 long thin curls pecorino or Parmesan cheese
CITRUS VINAIGRETTE
1 1/4 cups mild olive oil
6 to 8 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6 to 8 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Toss the arugula with enough of the vinaigrette to coat and place
on a salad plate. Arrange the radish slices on top, then the carrot and fennel.
Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and top with the curls of cheese. To
make Citrus Vinaigrette, whisk all ingredients together. Makes about 1 1/2 cups,
enough for 4 to 6 salads.
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