In Kim's Kitchen

After weeks and weeks of pseudo-fall, with cool nights and warm days and no frost, we finally settled into a cooler daytime pattern and even got a very light frost on Thursday morning. That means it’s time to move into harvesting fall crops in a big way, although we continued to harvest Greenhouse Tomatoes and Sweet Red Peppers this week. We also cleaned up some Red Onions, harvested back in early September, and some Big Rocambole Garlic, harvested in late July.

We harvested our storage crop of Celeriac on Saturday, and were more than a little bit disappointed in the small size of most of the roots. Celeriac is the same species as celery, but bred for the swollen root rather than the fleshy stems. A more primitive version of the species, celeriac has contributed almost all of the modern pest resistance to celery varieties. The flavor chemistry is basically the same as that for celery, and the texture of the roots is similar to potatoes or turnips; in fact, it as at times been called “turnip-rooted celery”. Use it anywhere you would use potatoes, such as in soups or gratins. The strong flavors of celeriac salads taste wonderful in cool weather, and a little bit goes a long ways.

Celeriac Salad

2 lbs celeriac, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 tsp stoneground mustard

Blanch celeriac in boiling water for 2 minutes; dunk in cold water to stop cooking, then drain. Place in a bowl and add oil and vinegar. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Refrigerate, covered, for at least two hours. Crush garlic into a paste and combine with the mayonnaise and mustard, and add this mixture to the celeriac and stir well just before serving.

Hearty Green Kale provides a healthy, rich addition to the fall vegetable choices, and only gets better as the fall goes on. I learned a quick stemming trick from my friend Atina Diffley: grab the base of the stem in one hand, and grasp the base of the leaf between your other thumb and forefinger – then just pull, and the stem pops right out. It’s much faster than using a knife. We often enjoy variations on the following, very basic kale recipe:

Sautéed Kale with Garlic and Vinegar

1 bunch kale
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Stem the kale and chop coarsely. Heat a large skillet, add oil and kale, and cook until wilted. Add salt and garlic, and cover the pan. When the greens are fully tender—from a few minutes to fifteen, depending on maturity—remove the lid and allow any excess liquid to cook away. Turn off the heat and add the vinegar.

One of the great things I discovered after getting into the whole world of market farming was Beauty Heart Radishes. I doubt that I will ever forget my delight at cutting open the boring green and white balls to find a bright pink interior. These tend to be mild, and most of the heat resides in the peel, so it’s easy to adjust the spiciness to your liking. While I eat one, sliced, every day for lunch during the winter, we also frequently enjoy them in the following salad:

Beauty Heart Slaw

2 Beauty Heart Radishes
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp cider vinegar

Coarsely grate the Beauty Heart radishes. Add honey and vinegar and let sit for about 30 minutes. Serve small portions, chilled.

For a long time, we looked with some scorn upon Acorn Winter Squash, but we have come to enjoy it more of late since we discovered that they taste pretty darned good when harvested fully ripe. Baking halved squash takes about 45 minutes at 400 degrees; I often pop halved squash into the oven immediately on getting into the kitchen, and then proceed with the rest of dinner. Herbs can add a nice flavor kick to squash, and Sage seems to work especially well for evoking that fall flavor.

Baked Herbed Squash

2 lbs winter squash
1 tablespoon butter, melted
4 tsp fresh sage, rosemary, or thyme
1/4 cup apple cider or juice
pepper to taste

Halve squash and remove seeds. Brush each half with melted butter. Place each half cut side down on top of a portion of the rosemary. Pour cider into pan, add enough water to reach 1/4 inch up the sides. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Turn squash over and bake for additional 15 minutes, or until tender. Scoop out squash flesh, pile lightly in serving dish, and grind pepper over the top.

Pasta with Winter Squash and Tomatoes

Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 cups chopped tomatoes (I used fire roasted canned chopped tomatoes Muir Glenn)
1 1/2 to 2 pounds peeled and cubed winter squash, about 5 cups
1/2 pound cut pasta, like ziti or penne
Freshly chopped parsley or Parmesan for garnish.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, and pepper flakes and cook for about a minute; add tomatoes and squash, and cook with some salt and pepper. When squash is tender -- about 15 minutes or so for small cubes -- cook pasta until it is tender. Combine sauce and pasta, and serve, garnished with parsley or Parmesan.

Of all of the fall crops, long, white Daikon Radishes always seem the most fall-like to me. The famous Japanese haiku poet Basho wrote:

After the chrysanthemums,
Besides the daikon
There is nothing.

In Japan, long, white Daikon Radish accounts for over fifteen percent of the vegetable production. With a mild taste and a hearty crunch, we enjoy sliced daikon as a foil to salty meats, or in a variety of grated root salads – it’s fantastic grated raw with Carrots and Beets, two other quintessential fall vegetables.

Overnight Daikon Pickles

1 1/2 cups chopped daikon (1/2-inch pieces)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Toss daikon with salt. Cover, and refrigerate until 1 to 2 tablespoons of water is released, about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse daikon, pat dry with a paper towel, and return to bowl. Stir in vinegar, black pepper and, sesame oil. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.