In Kim's Kitchen

We made what will probably prove to be our last outdoor Spinach harvest on Wednesday. Three weeks from now, for our next CSA delivery, we’ll harvest from the greenhouses that we moved over the standing crop last week.

Our Red Cabbage has stored nicely so far this fall, and we still have a good supply. The anthocyanin pigment responsible for the red color is the same one primarily responsible for the red fall leaves. Like chlorophyll, anthocyanin absorbs sunlight, but does so in a much less efficient manner than chlorophyll does. The red leaves on fall trees actually protect the leaves from damage from the sun’s rays as cooler weather slows down the photosynthetic process.

Spicy Cabbage

1/3 cup onion, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups shredded cabbage
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
dash or two of ginger juice or some thinly sliced ginger

Cook the onions lightly in the olive oil, add cabbage, sesame seeds, and hot pepper. Cook until the cabbage is tender about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the ginger, toss and serve.

Parsnips look a bit like white carrots, but not really. And they taste a bit like carrots, but with a more cloying sweetness and some earthy overtones. And, unlike carrots, they really aren’t any good raw. Personally, I like them sliced and sautéed in olive oil and butter (just like carrots), or included in a dish of roasted winter vegetables.

Parsnip Bisque

1 pound parsnips, peeled and trimmed, chopped into one inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped coarse
3-4 carrots, peeled and trimmed, chopped into one inch pieces
4 shallots, chopped coarse (or ½ cup onions)
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a shallow baking pan toss parsnips, onion, carrots, and shallots with olive oil to coat and arrange in one layer. Roast in middle of oven, turning occasionally, 30 - 40 minutes. In a large saucepan simmer broth with roasted vegetables, covered, 20 minutes. In a blender pureé mixture in batches with cream (use caution when blending hot liquids) and transfer soup to cleaned saucepan. Stir in nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

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. Please note that this winter’s Brussels sprouts don’t look the greatest, but the flavor is still great.

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.

Long, white Daikon Radish can be eaten raw in salad, pickled, or in stir fries, soups and stews. They have a pleasant, sweet and zesty flavor with a mild bite, and are said to be a great digestion starter. We like to start off a meal of hearty stew with a few slices of salted daikon.

Green-shouldered and white-bottomed Beauty Heart Radishes typically have just a blush of pink on their tail, hinting at the surprising, bright color inside. Sweet and crunchy, most of the beauty heart’s heat is confined to the skin, so peeling before you slice these thinly can make them much less sharp. We enjoy these sliced thinly and served raw, or grated into a slaw with a bit of rice vinegar and honey.

Acorn Squash always seems like the quintessential winter food to me. The following recipe for stuffed squash dresses this humble vegetable up nicely.

Acorn Squash with Cranberry Apple Stuffing

1 acorn squash or other small squash
water
2 apples,chopped into ¼ inch
1 pear, chopped into 1/4 inch
½ cup dried cranberries or raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil

Cut squash in half and with a spoon, remove pulp and seeds. In a large baking dish place squash cut-side down. Pour ¼-inch boiling water into dish . Place dish in oven and bake squash for 30 minutes at 375°. In a large bowl, combine apples, pear, cranberries and cinnamon and olive oil to make stuffing. Remove squash from the oven after the 30 minutes. Turn halves over and stuff center of each squash half with apple mixture. Return to oven and bake for 30-35 minutes (or longer) until squash and apples are tender.

Not to be confused with green-shouldered Beauty Heart Radishes, Purple Top Turnips add a nice earthy flavor to any dish. I especially enjoy them sautéed over medium-high heat with carrots for the caramelizing this creates.

Root Vegetable Hash

1 pound potaotes, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound parsnips, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 med. Rutabaga or turnip, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pound carrot, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup red onion, diced small
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with oil spray. Toss potatoes, parsnips, rutabagas or turnips, and carrots with the oil. Spread on to baking sheet in a single layer. Salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until tender, stirring and turning throughout the cooking, about 45 minutes. Stir in garlic: roast 5 minutes longer. Remove from oven mix in onion, pine nuts, and parsley. Salt and pepper if needed.