Good Eats Newsletter January 23, 2008

Pete’s Greens Good Eats Newsletter January 23
This week’s Vegetable Localvore share includes: Rainbow Roots, celeriac, winter squash, frozen tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, Elmore Mt baguette, Bonnieview Ewe’s Feta, sprouts, Butterworks black beans, Gebbie maple cream
Bread ingredients: Organic sifted wheat flour, salt, water, sourdough starter
Notes and Localvore Goodies
Look for the new signup brochures in your bag this week. We give priority to current members, and expect this share to fill up quickly. If you know you are going to sign up, don’t delay! The brochure is also posted on the website petesgreens.com
Stowe Site Update: Laughing Moon Chocolate pickup will move to their new location on Feb. 6. The address is 78 Main St. , Stowe.
This is the last of our winter squash. The soon-to-be kitchen has been filled with glorious piles of squash since October. Last week, Laura and Jen sorted out the remaining butternut and red kuri, sending the spotty ones with Salvation Farms to the food bank. I have enjoyed many squash meals, and hope you all have, too! The upside of clearing out the squash is that our new kitchen equipment should be arriving soon!
We are distributing 1 more cake of tofu to all sites except Craftsbury (you guys already got 2!) So, if you took one tofu last week, take another one this week. Sorry again for the delay.
I asked Sandy Gebbie, of Greensboro , to tell me about how Maple Cream is made, and about the Gebbie Farm. Here’s what she wrote:
Maplehurst Farm has been owned and operated by the Gebbie family for five generations. We have approx 5000 taps and produce more than 1000 gallons of syrup. Maple Cream is made by taking the fanciest syrup (color, flavor, testing for quantity and type of invert sugars) and boiling it up to 22 degrees above boiling water and then cooling rapidly without disturbing it until it reaches room temperature. If you agitate it at all before it is cooled, it will form larger crystals. The goal is to have a light and creamy consistency....not grainy. When it reaches room temp, you stir it until it changes from a dark mahogany color to light sand, looses its glossy sheen and starts to "set up." At this point you package it and refrigerate until sold. You can keep maple cream for ages in the freezer or refrigerator. If you find some maple liquid on top of the cream, it is a natural settling process and can be stirred back into the cream. It's really important to test for invert sugars as not all maple syrup is able to be turned into maple cream. You can't tell by looking at it or tasting it. Hope this helps.... Sandy
Storage and Use Tips
Tofu Vt Soy tofu in the vacuum sealed packages has a 3 week shelf life. It was made on 1/15, so you have until 2/5 to enjoy yours.
Celeriac (from Angelic Organics website)
Celeriac, also called celery root, is a vegetable that cleans up well. Once you peel away its gnarled outer layer, you find a sparkling-white interior with a clean, refreshing taste that has wide appeal. Once prepared, it shows no signs of its humble past. Personally, this is my new favorite winter root vegetable!
Store unwashed celeriac in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, where it will keep for several weeks.
Soak celeriac briefly in warm water and then scrub it with a stiff brush. Take a thin slice off the top and bottom and peel it with a sharp paring knife or a sturdy vegetable peeler. A few deep crevices will remain; leave them, or slice them out. Remove the core if it seems pithy or hollow. Like apples, celeriac will darken if exposed to the air for too long. If you don’t plan to cook it immediately, submerge the celeriac in a bowl of water with lemon juice squeezed in.
Winter Squash This is getting to be the end of squash keeping season, so use this quickly. Keep in a cool, not cold, place.
Black Beans Sort for stones, soak overnight in water to cover. Drain, add fresh water and simmer or pressure cook until tender. Do not add salt or seasonings until completely cooked. Excellent in quesadillas, soup, burritos, and nachos. Season with garlic, onions, cumin, red chile pepper flakes, generous salt.
Recipes
Celeriac and Apple Salad with Tarragon and Roasted Walnuts
It probably isn’t often that you think ooooh, celeriac, and your mouth waters. But this recipe could change all that. The key here is to be sure to cut the celeriac to matchstick-size, no bigger; it will hold the sauce better. Also, don’t be tempted to skimp on the pepper, as pepper and apples have a certain unexplored appeal. Angelic Organics Kitchen.
Serves 4 to 6
4 cups water
juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
2 tart apples, peeled, cored, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
1 large celeriac, peeled, cut into matchstick-sized strips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 teaspoons prepared Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
salt
1. Combine water and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the apple slices and celeriac strips and let stand for 15 minutes (this acidified water will keep the celeriac and apple from turning brown).
2. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over high heat, stirring frequently, until they begin to darken in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool.
3. Drain the celeriac and apple mixture; return to the bowl, add the vinegar, and toss.
4. Combine the mayonnaise, cream, mustard, tarragon, pepper, and salt to taste in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the celeriac and apple mixture; toss to coat. Add the walnuts and toss again. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving (2 or 3 hours is even better).
Scalloped Celeriac and Potatoes
Here’s a variation on a classic that just might be better than the original. Traditionally, scalloped potatoes are cooked in milk or cream; here, however, we cook them in stock, and the result is a more flavorful and delightfully lighter dish. The celeriac adds a brightness that assertively sets the dish apart from its classic cousin. Friend of the Farm.
Serves 6
butter for greasing the baking dish
1 pound celeriac, peeled, halved, sliced about 1/8 inch thick
1 pound baking potatoes, peeled, sliced about 1/8 inch thick
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Gruyère or domestic Swiss cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons butter
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish with butter.
2. Place the celeriac and potatoes in alternating layers in the baking dish, seasoning every few layers with salt and pepper. At about the halfway point, add 1/3 cup cheese in an even layer; sprinkle with the thyme. Continue with the celeriac and potatoes, until you have used all of your slices (don’t go all the way to the top edge; leave a little room to allow the liquid to boil).
3. Pour the stock over the celeriac and potatoes. Dot with butter. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more. Sprinkle the remaining 2/3 cup cheese over the top layer, add several grindings of fresh pepper, and bake until the cheese turns golden, about 15 minutes.
4. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
A Shareholder
Every week I come home with the box and put all of the
vegetables onto the kitchen table to marvel at their beauty.
Then I call my husband in to check out their beauty. Then I
say to him, very gravely, “I love that farm,” and he says back,
“I know you do.”
Excerpted from Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt On Vegetables: Seasonal Recipes and Stories from a Community Supported Farm by Farmer John Peterson & Angelic Organics (Gibbs Smith Publisher). Check with your local farm or bookstore for availability. Additional recipes, charts, signed copies of this book, and quantity discounts available at www.AngelicOrganics.com/cookbook.
And now for a dish I love to make with squash and black beans, using your tomatoes, too. Just run under warm water to slip off the skins, then chop when slightly thawed.
Black Beans & Squash Skillet
1 c dry beans, soaked and cooked until tender, drained
1 winter squash, peeled and diced ½” pieces
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
Pinch red pepper flakes
Red or green bell pepper, diced
2 c chopped tomatoes
1 c corn (frozen)
Mince fresh cilantro
Salt
Pepper
Lime juice
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet; sauté onions, garlic. Add in spices, cook 2 minutes. Add squash and a pinch of salt. Sauté a bit, then give a splash of water. Cover and cook over medium heat 5 minutes. Stir; add more water to prevent sticking, but not too much. Cover and cook another 5 minutes, or until squash is almost tender. Avoid overcooking or you’ll have mush by the end. Now add the tomatoes, peppers, corn, and beans. Sir and cook until corn and peppers are tender. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and a splash of lime juice. Garnish with cilantro. Yummy served with grated cheddar, sour cream and/or hot sauce on the side.
This makes a delish burrito, too!
Happy Cooking!
Heather


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