Most shares are getting arugula and butternut squash this week. We're coming to the end of our field greens; when the ground starts to get too cold to grow outside, we move indoors to the greenhouses and tunnels. This week is likely the last of our field-grown arugula.Arugula is also known as Rocket or Roquette. It's a popular and versatile green that can be eaten raw, but also holds up well in the saute pan. It has a peppery, mustardy flavor and is great on sandwiches, pizza, or eggs to give them pep - or enjoy in or as a salad for a whole new experience! Arugula and red beets are a winning combination; as a salad, use the arugula as your base with diced roasted (or boiled) beets, sprinkled with toasted walnuts and a little cheese. It does well with a quick wilt and added to pastas, frittatas, or calzones, or as stand-in for lettuce on an Italian-inspired sub. It is delicious when prepared simply in a saute pan with olive oil, sprinkled with coarse salt and pepper.
Winter squash stores well at about 50 degrees, so keep it out of the fridge! If it's too warm and your squash develops a spot (a blesh or discoloration), just slice it off - the rest of the squash is fine. Peel the skin with a vegetable peeler and cube the orange flesh before boiling or roasting. It's doesn't take much to make a butternut delicious - slice it in half, discard the guts, and try dousing it olive oil for savory or butter and brown sugar for sweet.
Fancy share members receive a bunch of upland cress: This upland cress has a deep pungency with a unique twist between arugula and horseradish, pledging its allegience to the mustard family. Below the Mason Dixon line, upland cress is known as "creasy greens" and when stewed with ham hocks, is as loved a dish as black-eyed peas or cornbread. Traditionally gathered by foragers in the Appalachian Mountains who started looking out for the hearty winter leaves while there was still snow on the ground, the leaves were believed to have medicinal benefits and used in many folk recipes to help heal wounds. Those claims may not be entirely far-fetched as the cress is indeed rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, and calcium.
Featured Recipes
Warm Goat Cheese, Beet and Arugula Sandwiches
Adapted from Gourmet December 1999.
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 beets, boiled until soft, peeled and sliced
8 (1/2-inch-thick) bread slices from a round country loaf
6 ounces soft mild goat cheese, softened
4 very thin slices red onion, rings separated
16 large arugula leaves
Preheat broiler. Whisk together vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste, then whisk in 2 tablespoons oil. Toss beets with vinaigrette.
Arrange bread on a large baking sheet and brush tops with remaining tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper and broil 6 inches from heat 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until edges are golden. Remove 4 slices from oven. Turn remaining 4 slices over on baking sheet and spread thickly with goat cheese. Broil 1 minute more and transfer to plates. Top goat cheese with drained beets, onion, arugula, and remaining bread, toasted sides up.
Baked Winter Squash and Apples with Maple Syrup
Serve this yummy dish with grilled sausage or spoon over cooked wheat berries or barley. Adapted from Epicurious.com. Serves 12 as a side.
2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds winter squash (about 2 medium), peeled, seeded, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges, then crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 6 cups)
2 pounds apples, peeled, quartered, cored, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 6 cups)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
Freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp cider vinegar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook squash in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well. Combine squash, apples and cranberries in buttered 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Season generously with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Combine maple syrup, butter and cider vinegar in heavy small saucepan. Whisk over low heat until butter melts. Pour syrup over squash mixture and toss to coat evenly. Bake until squash and apples are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Cool 5 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with foil; chill. Rewarm covered in 350°F. oven about 30 minutes.)
Easy Braised Creasy Greens
This beloved southern dish is packed with the nutrients inherent in your upland cress, including vitamin C! Serve with cornbread or corn muffins.
1-2 tablespoons olive oil, coconut oil or meat drippings (bacon, sausage, steak etc)
1 bunch fresh cress, about 4 cups, washed, de-spined and coarsely chopped. You can also sub kale, collards, mustard or turnip greens, or a mixture of winter greens.
1 clove garlic, chopped and/or 1 Tbs ginger, julienned
1/2 onion, diced
1/8 cup water or vegetable or chicken broth or stock
Sea salt and coarse grind pepper
Optional seasonings: add a shake of Sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, tamari, Braggs Liquid Aminos, Chinese 5 spice, or cayenne pepper
Optional toppings: toasted sesame seeds, chopped almonds or walnuts, toasted pumpkin seeds
Heat oil or drippings in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add greens and garlic/ginger and onion, stirring to coat with oil. Stir occasionally until greens are barely wilted and still have a green color, just a few minutes.
Add vegetable broth or water and stir, allowing greens to steam until barely tender. Salt to taste.
Add seasonings and toppings as desired and serve.
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