The Sunny Side – Week of 9/21/14

In Thursday’s box you will find:

• Leeks
• Tomatoes
• Celeriac
• Red Storage Onions
• Collards
• Potatoes (from Sandhill Family Farms – certified organic)
• Empire Apples (from Earth First Farms – certified organic)

In Sunday’s box you will find:

• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Celery
• Yellow Onions
• Kale
• Potatoes (from Sandhill Family Farms – certified organic)
• Mushrooms (from River Valley Ranch and Kitchen – grown using organic practices)

In the Field

The air is crisp and the leaves are beginning to turn, but there is still some warmth in the air and (something we have not had an abundance of this year) clear skies and sunshine. Somehow, the tomato plants survived that very cold period last week, and we will be harvesting them for a few more weeks unless the weather turns again. This weather will encourage the last fall plantings of lettuce, bok choi, and kohlrabi to size up. It also makes for great walking weather – we love to walk around the farm on evenings when we are not too busy, checking out the last of the prairie flowers (everything has gone to seed but the purple asters and goldenrod). We hope that you can join us this tonight, next Monday, or on October 18th to check out the fall farm for yourselves!

Storage tips for this week:

• Tomatoes can be stored on the counter until deep red and slightly soft to the touch.
• Celeraic looks like celery with crazy root bulbs attached. Remove the tops of the celeriac from the bulbs and store separately.
• Store the mushrooms in a paper bag in the fridge, or in a container covered with plastic wrap with a few holes poked in it.
• Yellow and Red onions can be stored on the counter for at least a month.
• Potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark, and well ventilated area.
• Apples will keep best if stored in the fridge!

Cooking tips for this week:

 

• Reserve the celeriac tops for soup stock – they are a little too tough to be eaten. If you are not going to make soup stock for a while, throw the celeriac tops in a bag in your freezer until you want to cook with them!
• To clean leeks (which are often quite dirty) slice them into rounds, break apart the layers, and submerge in a bowl of cold water. Pour off the water and any dirt that settles out, and repeat.

---

Recipes

Lori found some great fall recipes this week!

Celeriac, Potato, Leek and Apple Soup

(from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/21/health/celeriac-potato-leek-and-apple-soup.html?_r=0)

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 leeks, white and light green part only, halved lengthwise, cleaned and sliced or chopped
• Salt to taste
• 2 pounds celeriac, peeled and diced (retain tops for bouquet garni and garnish)
• 1 large russet potato (about 3/4 pound), peeled and diced
• 2 apples, cored, peeled and diced
• 2 quarts water, chicken stock, or vegetable stock
• A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf and a couple of sprigs each thyme and parsley, and a stem or two of the celery from the celery root, if still attached
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Slivered celery leaves for garnish

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat and add the onion, leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the celeriac and a generous pinch of salt, cover partially and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often, until the celeriac has begun to soften. Add the potatoes, apples, water or stock, salt to taste, and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 1 hour, or until the vegetables are very tender and the soup is fragrant. Remove and discard the bouquet garni.

Blend the soup in batches in a blender (cover the top with a towel and hold it down to avoid hot splashes), or through a food mill fitted with the fine blade. The soup should be very smooth. Strain if desired. Return to the pot. Stir and taste. Adjust salt, add freshly ground pepper, and heat through. Serve in small bowls or espresso cups, garnished with thin slivers of celery leaves.

Chicken Thigh Cutlets, Celeriac and Lentil Stew

(from http://www.womenshealthandfitness.com.au/diet-nutrition/recipe-finder/455-chicken-thigh-cutlets-celeriac-and-lentil-stew-recipe)

• 8 chicken thigh cutlets
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 leek, sliced
• 2 cups celeriac, peeled and diced
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cans (400 g) lentils, drained
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker on high. Season chicken thigh cutlets with salt and pepper and place into hot oil, turning once when slightly browned. Add garlic, onion, leek, celeriac and chicken stock. Close the pressure cooker and set for 15 minutes. Once cooked, remove the lid and add lentils and bring to a simmer.
2. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary. Add parsley and serve.

To make this dish in a regular crock pot, omit oil and browning and cook on low heat for around 6 hours or until chicken is tender.

One of my favorite cooking sites, the Smitten Kitchen, has a good potato gratin tutorial. Under “more gratin ideas”, the author describes how to incorporate mushrooms into the gratin.

Fried Apples and Onions

For all the Farmer Boy fans out there – from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/almanzos-fried-apples-n-onions.

I linked to this article last year, but here are some inventive things to do with celery – including some ideas for how to include the leaves in recipes!

Now that it is soup weather, you can try a few of these recipes that incorporate kale!