- Spinach
- Red Beets
- Rainbow Swiss Chard
- Leeks
- Tomatoes
- Rutabaga
- Red Potatoes (from Brian Igl's farm in Antigo, WI)
- Broccoli
Tuesday morning, 8 a.m.
As the weather turns colder, chard remains a steadfast friend, seemingly unperturbed by the constant freezing and thawing of its leaves. Like spinach, beet greens, and so many of the other crops we're harvesting at this time of year, Swiss chard leaves will freeze during the cold nights but thaw out during the day with no apparent damage. The trick to succesfully harvesting them is to wait until the leaves have thawed completely, otherwise shelflife will be significantly compromised. As I stand there in the frosty morning air, I realize that I'll need to wait at least another hour or two before I can begin to harvest. Oh, well. I guess I'll get to enjoy that second cup of coffee after all!
Have a good week. -Peg
With their purple tops, rutabagas look a bit like turnips. The difference is that rutabagas are slightly more elongated than turnips and the flesh is a little more yellow. They're also sweeter than turnips and less peppery. They are thought to be a cross between a wild cabbage and a turnip. Rutabagas are creamy and starchy like potatoes, and they work well for mashing, roasting and braising. To make roasted rutabaga, cut it up into 3/4″ dice, tossed it with olive oil, the herbs of your choice, a bit of salt and pepper, and a spoon full of sugar (to encourage browning). Then spread the cubes out on a baking sheet and cook at 350F until the cubes are tender. Yum! Store rutabagas in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Like most of the other crops we harvest throughout October and November, the flavor of beets continues to improves with each frost night. They are at their sweetest right now so it doesn't take much to enhance their flavor. In my opinion, beets are best enjoyed in simple dishes rather than fussy ones. Pair roasted beets with any of the following flavors and you're likely to have a winner: mint, parsley, greens, goat cheese, blue cheese, lemon, cumin, wine vinegar, orange juice, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, smoked fish, sour cream, hazelnuts, walnuts, and pinenuts. Although I adore the combination of beets and goat cheese, I recently read a NY Times column entitled "A Divorce for Beets and Goat Cheese" by Mark Bittman, a great food writer and cookbook author, in which he argues against this familiar pairing. While I can't say that he managed to dissuade me from the idea that these two ingredients belong together, I will say that I endorse his method of roasting beets and serving them with a simple garlic-walnut sauce. (see recipe below)
Madhur Jaffrey's Beets with Mint and Yogurt
Mark Bittman's Beet Salad with Garlic-Walnut Sauce
Spinach Salad with Smoked Salmon, Roasted Beets and Red Potatoes
Oven-Baked Rutabaga Chips
Scalloped Potatoes with Leeks and Rutabaga
Broccoli Garlic Quiche
