C.S.A. Week 14

 The seed catalogues start showing up sometime in December just as we are really getting into those long nights of winter and we begin dreaming about next year’s garden all over again.   We plant a fairly standard set of crops each year, things we know are generally reliable, but once in awhile we like to try something new, and all sorts of impossible things start to feel possible when flipping through the glossy paged seed catalogues with their tantalizing descriptions of exotic produce and plants.   Its hit or miss with these new things, as they usually are not totally appropriate for our growing climate, which is why they may seem so exotic and alluring. Sometimes we get lucky and what we try works out, this year, thanks to an extraordinary hot summer.  So now that's its cool we take back all that complaining we did in those 90+ degree days and feel excited about a successful sweet potato harvest. 

In the share:

Sweet Potatoes

Yellow Storage Onions

Romaine Lettuce

Beets

Celeriac

Kale

Carrots

Flowers

What to do with all this fall kale?  We have been having nightly servings of Kale chips with dinner. 

Baked Crispy Celeriac

 1 celeriac peeled, flesh cut into 2cm / 3/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Prepare a big bowl of water with a splash of lime or lemon juice, or vinegar.
Peel celeriac, then chop into 1.5-2cm / 2/3-3/4 inch thick batons. Place the celeriac pieces into the bowl of acidulated water as you chop them, this keeps them fresh and happy.
When you're done with the chopping, drain and shake excess water off the celeriac in a colander.
Toss together the celeriac with olive oil, garlic, sea salt and cracked black pepper. Make sure it's well-mixed and that the celeriac is nicely coated - I like to give it a little massage as well to really rub the flavors in.
Bake at 425°F for 40 - 50 minutes. Give them a flip and a stir halfway through. The time they need in the oven may vary, but basically you want them lusciously golden with browning edges.
These celeriac chips will crisp up a bit more after you remove them from the oven and let them cool a little, so give them some time to do their thing.
Feel free to sprinkle a bit more salt and black pepper to taste.

Celeriac, Sweet Potato and Apple Hash

2 cups peeled and diced celeriac (celery root),
2 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes (from 2 small sweet potatoes)
4 tablespoons coconut oil, or olive oil

1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 medium apples, peeled and diced
3 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
Salt and pepper

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add 1 teaspoon sea salt. Add the diced celeriac and sweet potatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. In a colander drain well, and rinse with cool water to stop them from cooking. Let cool and drain for 10-15 minutes.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of your oil over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until translucent and lightly golden. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, diced apples, celeriac and sweet potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Give it all a mix and arrange evenly in the pan. Press it down and let it cook for 2-3 minutes, untouched. Then stir and press, continue allowing to cook a few minutes at a time, allowing the vegetables to get tender and everything starts to caramelize and brown, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh rosemary and toasted pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper and serve as a side. Add a fried or poached egg, meat, fish, or plant-based protein alongside or on top, if you like.