Like beets, Brussels Sprouts often garner looks of disdain, with memories of childhood dinners ruined by the funny little cabbages. But wait! Brussels sprouts harvested after a hard frost are an entirely different vegetable than the specimens from the coast of California. Try them! To prepare for cooking, pare off the tough bottom part of the sprout stem. Steaming works well, and is more forgiving than boiling, but don’t overcook them! Sprouts are best when tender but not mushy. Our favorite, albeit unconventional, preparation follows.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
1 lb Brussels sprouts
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Preheat the oven 400 degrees. Mix Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet for about 40 minutes, shaking occasionally, until crisp on the outside but still tender inside. Sprinkle with even more salt, and serve. Also adding some chopped crispy bacon before serving will add some tasty salty goodness.
The longish, often forked, light brown root in your box this week, while an old vegetable, will probably be new to you. Cultivated in Japan since the 10th century, Gobo Root (the cultivated form of burdock, the common weed with the sticky burrs) is valued as a nutritious food with medicinal values as a blood purifier and aid in arthritis and skin conditions. We enjoy it for its hearty, earthy flavor, similar to mushrooms, added to soups, rice dishes, and root vegetable purees. Slice it very thinly, or shave with a vegetable peeler, then soak in cold water while you prepare the rest of the ingredients for your dish, changing the water once.
Kinpira Gobo (Spicy Burdock Root Sauté)
1 medium burdock root
3 carrots
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 Tbsp dark sesame oil
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Cut scrubbed burdock root into 2-inch matchsticks, and soak as above. Cut carrots into 2-inch matchsticks. Mix vinegar, soy sauce, and honey in a small cup. Heat oil in a heavy skillet Stir-fry the vegetables 2 to 3 minutes until crisp-tender. Sprinkle in the hot pepper flakes and stir-fry for an additional minute or so. Add sauce and cook for another minute. Dress with toasted sesame seeds and serve.
Often long and white but occasionally short and stumpy, Parsley Root looks a lot like parsnips, but has a distinctly parsley aroma. Like many members of the carrot-parsley family, the root of this crop has the same flavor components as the top. Try it chopped into soups or root sautés.
Speaking of the many members of the carrot-parsley family, we once again present the round, nubbly Celeriac, which smells like… celery.
Celeriac Gratin
1-1/2 lbs celeriac, cubed in one inch pieces
2tablespoons butter
2 tbsp flour
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, or thyme
1 cup grated parmesan
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken stock or water
2 cloves minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375. Boil the celeriac cubes for about five minutes, until fork tender. Drain. Butter a 5 x 9 baking dish.
Melt the butter and add the flour cook until flour browns, add the stock and stir until thickened, Combine the cream,and garlic with the stock and bring the mixture just to a boil. Pour over the celeriac. salt and pepper and top with cheese. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes or so, until browned.
A favorite thanksgiving recipe that everyone should have on hand:
Cranberry Butter
Great with scones, breads and muffins.
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
1 stick softened butter
2 tablespoons cream
2teaspoons powdered sugar
Combine water and cranberries, let stand 5 minutes, drain and cool.
In a mixer with the paddle attachment. Whip the butter , add cranberries and remaining ingredients and stir until blended. Serve at room temp.
Again, the turnips have the purple tops, whilte Beauty Heart Radishes (know affectionately around here as Bleeding Hearts) have green shoulders and a pink blush at the tail.
We apologize about the lack of greens. Planting issues way back when kept us from having any available this week. Sorry!
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