glacier grist

Issue #43 • Thursday, September 24, 2009

WHAT DOES FARMER’S CHOICE MEAN?
Arthur will choose whatever looks best when the boxes are ready to pack.

DID YOU KNOW?
The list above is conditional upon a few things. On Tuesday night there was a very hard frost in Palmer.  Actually, there was ice here and there as well. We should have all the ingredients listed above, but we might have to make some substitutions.

KEEPING THINGS FRESH
Have you ever heard of daikon? Pronounced (DI-kuhn; DI-kon) from the Japanese words dai (large) and kon (root), this vegetable is a large Asian radish with a sweet, fresh flavor.  Daikon is crispy, juicy and white, with a creamy white skin.  Refrigerate, wrapped in a plastic bag, up to a week. You can use them raw in salads, shredded as a garnish or cooked in a stir-fry.

You may have a celery root in your box. Since this a relatively unknown vegetable, here are a few tips on how to make friends with that gnarly looking sphere.

Wash it and lop off top and bottom.  It is important to have a good solid grip on the cutting board.  A sharp small knife is the best tool for peeling celery root:  guide the knife blade in a single sweep from top to bottom, hugging the curves and removing one slice of peel at a time, working around the sphere.  The flesh of celery root will oxidize quickly.  You can transfer them to a bowl of lemon water as you work to keep them from turning brown. If the skin is super thin and tender you don’t have to peel it.  And yes, you can eat it raw!

LOOK FOR YOUR LABEL ON YOUR BOX! PICK UP DAY IS...WEDNESDAY! It creates a bit of havoc on our end and for the customer who thinks they are missing a box.  Please give customer service and e-mail or call at 529.7630. Thank you.

recipes

for glacier grist Issue #43

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braised collards (collard greens)

(contributed by Alison)

I know my love of the heartier greens may not be shared by everyone, but this recipe is one that I think you’ll love. I really do think that you’ll be surprised by the sweetness of the greens if you make them this way—first boiled in salted water until they are tender, then braised with onions on low heat. Please give them a try—and then run back to the farmers’ market to stock up on more greens!! They just get sweeter and yummier as the season progresses.

When the rainy weather hits, I love to cook up these greens to eat on toast, or with beans or lentils on toast. I love the taste that the browned onions add to the greens—they really sweeten the greens up, so add the larger amount if you like. These greens freeze quite well—you can freeze them after the boiling in salted water step, or after they are completely done. They make a great side dish, are wonderful alongside garlic-roasted potatoes or baked sweet potatoes, on top of toast with or without beans, or as a stew (see recipes below).

1 bunch collards, long stems removed and leaves cut into 1” ribbons
sea salt or kosher salt
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 onions, chopped fairly fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1.  Plunge the greens into a large pot of boiling salted water, and cook until tender. This could take as long as 10 minutes, but could be much shorter, depending on the age or toughness of the greens. Start tasting after 5 minutes, and cook until tender. (This boiling in salted water removes any bitterness.) Reserve one cup of the cooking water.
2.  Drain the greens in a colander.
3.  Heat the olive oil and sauté the onions with a teaspoon of salt until lightly browned. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for another couple of minutes. Add the greens and the reserved cooking water (or use a cup of vegetable broth or bean-cooking liquid). Cook for 15 to 30 minutes on low heat, until they are lovely, soft and sweet, and taste again for salt. They can really use a lot of salt, so don’t be shy about adding it until it tastes nice and seasoned.

… on toast
Serve these greens on 100% whole wheat sourdough toast that has been scrubbed with a raw garlic clove and drizzled with olive oil. You can also add cooked beans (white, kidney, pinto, or whatever you feel like cooking) to the greens and put them on toast. Or you can layer beans on the toast, then top with the greens and a drizzle of oil. See the recipe for kale (or collards) and cabbage with white beans on garlic toast for my bean-cooking method.

… as stew
Add vegetable broth or bean-cooking water and beans to make it into a soupy stew. You could add a can of tomatoes, too.

radish slaw

(contributed by Nancy)

I initially saw this in Gourmet Magazine. I love having this underneath grilled fish, but it is good all on its own. You can use this with either red radishes or daikon radish.

½ lb radishes (red or daikon), trimmed and grated coarse (about 2 cups)
3 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 cup coarsely grated carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, mint, or parsley

In a bowl toss together the radishes, the cabbage, the carrots, the onion, the lemon juice, the sugar, the oil, the herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.

roasted celery root

(contributed by Nancy)

If you don’t have celery root in your box, save this recipe.  It is one of the underused vegetables that is nice for a change of pace.

Sure, it looks gnarly, but underneath that rough exterior it has a mild celery flavor and when roasted, becomes very tender in texture.

1 celery root (size doesn’t matter), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (see Keeping Things Fresh segment in beginning of Glacier Grist).
½ tablespoon – 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt to taste

1.  Put a rack in the middle of oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.  Toss celery root with oil and salt in a roasting pan. Roast for about 30 minutes.
3.  Stir celery root occasionally so it roasts evenly. Reduce heat to 375. Roast until tender.  Since celery roots really differ according to size this could take up to an additional 45 minutes.  Season with salt.

pan browned Brussels sprouts

(contributed by Nancy)

Golden brown nuggets are very nutlike in flavor. Even people who are not so sure about these little gems are going to love these.

½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, thinly slice
½ pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise.
2 tablespoons pine nuts (or almonds)

1.  Melt 1 tablespoon butter with oil in a heavy skillet, over moderate heat.
2.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, until pale golden, about 3 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, transfer to a small bowl.
3.  Reduce heat to low, arrange sprouts cut sides down in skillet in one layer, and salt to taste. 
4.  Cook, uncovered, without turning, until sprouts are crisp-tender and undersides are golden brown, 10-15 minutes. 
5. Transfer sprouts to plate.
6.  Add remaining ½ tablespoon butter to skillet and cook nuts over moderate heat, stirring, until evenly pale golden, about 1 minute for pine nuts.  If using another type of nut it will take a little longer for them to brown.  Stir in garlic, then spoon mixture over sprouts and season with pepper.

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