Storage Tips and Recipes
Every week we'll send you snapshots of veggies in your share. You can always find more recipes and storage info on our blog and website.
Mesclun: Radish and sunflower shoots, mizuna, spinach, red and green sorrel, a whole bunch of good greens in this week's mix!
Braising Greens: This is a colorful mix of kales, spinach, mustard greens, and red mizuna. It cooks down a lot! We suggest rinsing greens before eating and use within a week.
Arugula: I love a good arugula. Spicy and great fresh or cooked. 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.
Spinach: Large leaf spinach in your Fancy/ Lean & Green share is great for cooking or chopping up in salads. Wash the leaves in a sink or large bowl full of water, letting any sandy residue sink to the bottom. Lift out of the water and drain. Throwing it into a pan with a few remaining water droplets will allow it to steam nicely. Store unwashed, bagged in the crisper drawer for several days.
Black Garlic: Perhaps you've seen it in the store and thought it looked too funky to try. This is a great opportunity! Black garlic is garlic that is "caramelized" - or browned - using a slow cooking process. It's sweet and a little tangy. We recommend keeping it in the refrigerator. Try eating it as it is (peel off the skin and pop the clove directly in your mouth!) or spread it on a piece of bread. You can also use it as you would roasted garlic, as a rub on chicken or fish before roasting or mix it into dressings. If you have a favorite way to use it, please share with me!
Celeriac: Let's call this the "black sheep" of the root family. An under-appreciated root veggie that is so versatile! It's great for roasting, mashing, soup making, and more! Celeriac is a great potato substitute or try mixing it in with your potatoes. Last night I made tacos and cubed it up in small chunks, then roasted with cumin, chili powder, garlic, salt & pepper, and olive oil. It made a great filling along with some refried Jacob's Cattle beans, roasted squash, sautéed onions, and sharp cheddar cheese. 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.
Turnips: You're receiving either goldball turnips (golden yellow and round) or Gilfeather turnips (longer, pointer, and whiter in color). We're getting to the end of turnip season! I developed an affection for these guys last year. Try the recipe below - pretty simple and really tasty as a side dish!
Recipes
Mock Potato Salad
I found this recipe last year when looking for new ideas for celeriac. It sounds delightful! It's labeled "paleo" and low carb and uses a variety of items that have appeared in the share over the past couple of weeks, with root veggies substituting the potatoes. Lots of ideas for substitutions here depending what's in your fridge and how you like your potato salad. If you try it, let me know!
Spices for boiling vegetables:
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
½ tsp salt
Salad & dressing:
1 medium rutabaga
1 medium turnip
½ medium celeriac
4-6 pickled cucumbers
6 large eggs
1 small white onion
1 large celery stalk, sliced
¾ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp celery seeds
2 tbsp each freshly chopped parsley and chives
½ tsp salt or to taste
freshly ground black pepper
Start by cooking the eggs. Fill a small saucepan with water up to three quarters. Add a good pinch of salt. This will prevent the eggs from cracking. Bring to a boil. Using a spoon or hand, dip each egg in and out of the boiling water - be careful not to get burnt. This will prevent the egg from cracking as the temperature change won't be so dramatic. To get the eggs hard-boiled, you need round 10 minutes. This timing works for large eggs. When done, remove from the heat and place in a bowl filled with cold water.
Peel the rutabaga, celeriac and turnip. Dice into ½-1 inch pieces. You may want to cut the rutabaga into smaller pieces as it takes longer to cook than turnips and celeriac. Place in a pot filled with water and add the vinegar, whole peppercorns, salt and bay leaves.
Bring to a boil over a high heat. Then, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the rutabaga is tender for 10-15 minutes (time depends on the size of the pieces). Once cooked, take off the heat and pour through a colander. Discard the spices. Set aside to cool down and then place in a mixing bowl.
Peel and finely chop the onion and dice the pickles. Add the onion and pickled to the mixing bowl with the cooked vegetables.
When the eggs are chilled, peel off the shells. To do it, simply roll the eggs against a chopping board until the shell cracks. Remove the top part of the shell. Then, insert a spoon and run it under the shell until it falls off. This way you will avoid the egg white from sticking to the shell and breaking off.
Chop the eggs into small pieces and place in the bowl with the vegetables. Add the pickle juice (or vinegar) and mix until well combined.
Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sliced celery stalks, freshly chopped herbs and the celery seeds. Mix until well combined and season with salt and pepper to taste. For best results refrigerate and serve the next day. All the spices, herbs and vegetables will blend together and make the flavor more intense. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Gilfeather Turnip Soup
Adapted from a recipe created by Greg Parks, Chef at Newfane's Four Columns Inn.
5-6 TB butter
3 large onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
5-6 cups unsalted chicken stock
2 lbs. Gilfeather turnips, peeled and chopped
2/3 cup half and half
scant 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
salt and pepper to taste
A few handfuls of fresh spinach (or some shoots perhaps?)
Melt butter in 5 quart kettle and saute chopped onion and garlic until soft but not browned. Add stock and chopped turnips and cook until tender. Drain and reserve some of the liquid. Puree mixture in food processor until smooth. Put through a food mill or sieve and return to kettle. Add seasonings and half and half. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Add reserved cooking liquid if soup is too thick. Saute spinach in a small amount of olive oil until just wilted. Use spinach as a garnish on top of the soup before serving.
Turnip Hash
This recipe is a basic recipe that can be used with turnips, rutabagas or potatoes. The stock adds flavor while cooking and softening the starch. Feel free to add any kind of breakfast meat, Anaheim peppers, greens or other veggies for a turnip hash "surprise". Serve along side eggs for a hearty breakfast or a "silly supper".
6 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced small
2 c turnips, diced small
2 c hot chicken or veggie stock
2 Tbs butter
1/2 c Parmesan or another hard Italian cheese
1/2 c parsley, rough chop
Salt and pepper, to taste
Warm the chicken stock in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and turn the heat to medium. Toss in the onion and cook until translucent. Add the turnips and cook for 2 minutes. Ladle in some of the hot chicken stock and cook until absorbed. Continue until all of the stock has been added, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the butter and grated cheese off the heat. Garnish with parsley.
Warm Potato and Arugula Salad
3 pounds white potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
5 ounces baby arugula (6 cups)
Preheat the oven to 425°. Cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch wedges. Scatter the potato wedges on large rimmed baking sheets, drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss until coated. Season with salt and pepper and roast for about 25 minutes, until browned and crisp.
In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil with the mustard and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the onion and arugula. Top with the dressing, toss again and serve right away.
Greens With Garlic and Chile
A simple classic you can use this week with your most greens!
1 bunch (about 1 lb.) greens of your choice
1 Tbsp. salt (for boiling water) plus more to taste
1 to 2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 to 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 to 3 whole, small dried chiles (such as arbol) or 1 fresh red chile such as fresno, sliced
Lemon juice (optional but delicious)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, clean greens and cut off any tough stems. Chop greens into fairly large pieces and set aside.
Add 1 tbsp. salt and chopped greens to boiling water (except for spinach, you can skip this step if using spinach). Cook until greens wilt, 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on toughness of the greens you're using. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water until cool. Use your hands to squeeze out as much water as possible from the greens. Set aside.
Heat a large frying pan or saute pan over high heat. Add oil, garlic, and chile. Cook, stirring, until fragrant and just starting to turn golden, about 30 seconds. Add greens and stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender and flavors combine, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve greens hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Savory Green Sauce
Here's a more creative and involved way to use greens, turn them into a delicious sauce to go on potatoes or rice.
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup yogurt or sour cream
1 teaspoon freshly grated horseradish root, or use prepared horseradish
2 cups mixed cooking greens and herbs, such as a combination of fresh spinach, young kale, or mustard greens
Fit a food processor with the metal blade. With the machine running, drop the garlic through the feed tube to mince the garlic. Add the yogurt and horseradish and pulse to combine. Add the greens and process until the greens are pureed. Serve the potatoes hot, with the sauce passed on the side.
If you'd prefer the sauce hot, add a little butter to a saute pan and melt it, then carefully heat the mixture while stirring.
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