This week your basket contains: carrots, winter squash (full shares), spaghetti squash (half shares), onions, parsnips, potatoes, cabbage, celeriac, Brussels sprouts, and leeks

 Parsnips, a wonderful root vegetable, are used in many of the same ways as carrots. Roasting them brings out their sweet, earthy flavor. We chop them into slices and put them around a roasting chicken with small potatoes, carrots and onions.  Baste them as you would the chicken. They can also be boiled and mashed with potatoes.  This recipe makes use of two wonderful pairings; parsnips and lamb and parsnips and apple.

LAMB CHOPS WITH PARSNIPS

2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 medium parsnips (about 1 pound), peeled and sliced 1/3 inch thick

3/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate (6 ounces), thawed

Zest and juice from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons drained prepared horseradish

Salt and freshly ground pepper

8 lamb loin chops, 1 inch thick (2 1/2 pounds)

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the parsnips and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden and tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer the parsnips to a plate.  Add the apple concentrate to the skillet and boil until syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 8 minutes. Add the lemon zest and juice, the parsnips and 1 tablespoon of the horseradish. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.  Meanwhile, in another large skillet, heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper, add them to the pan and cook over high heat, turning once, until the meat is cooked but still pink throughout, about 7 minutes.  Transfer the lamb and parsnips to plates. Spoon the sauce over the lamb, top the chops with the remaining 1 tablespoon of horseradish and serve.

Having skipped deliveries recently, we need to be sending you cabbage each week.  This recipe uses long cooking times to caramelize the cabbage and add a beautiful flavor you don’t get with other cooking methods.  It is a great way to make use of a lot of cabbage.

BUTTERED SMOTHERED CABBAGE

1 small cabbage

2 Tbs. ghee or light veg. Oil

1 ½ tsp. cumin seeds

¼ tsp. asafetida (optional)

¼ tsp turmeric

1 Tbs. Finely chopped fresh ginger

1 cup chopped tomato

2 green chilies, minced or ¼ tsp. red pepper

2 tsp. kosher salt

1-2 Tbs. chopped cilantro

Cut the cabbage into quarters, remove core and shred into ¼ inch thick shreds.  Heat ghee or oil over medium high heat in a large heavy bottomed pan.  When the ghee is hot, add cumin.  When cumin turns dark brown (10-15 seconds), add ground asafetida and immediately add cabbage.  Sprinkle turmeric over cabbage and sauté, turning and tossing rapidly, until cabbage is wilted (5 minutes).  Add ginger, tomato, and chilies and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes.  Add salt and 1 cup of hot water.  Reduce heat to medium low and cook the cabbage, covered until it is tender and the water is absorbed (20 minutes).  Check and stir often while it is cooking to prevent burning.  Fold in cilantro, check for salt and serve.

Half share baskets have spaghetti squash this week.  We gave preparation tips in the note for the week of September 27^th (you can find it on our web site).  This recipe is easy and very tasty.

ORIENTAL SPAGHETTI SQUASH SALAD

Flesh of one cooked spaghetti squash

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic

4 Tbs toasted sesame seeds

2 Tbs lemon juice

1 Tbs grated ginger

4 Tbs soy sauce

3 Tbs rice vinegar

1/4 cup veg. or sesame oil

hot pepper oil (optional)

Whisk together oil, lemon juice, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and hot pepper to taste.  Stir in onions and sesame seeds.  Pour dressing over spaghetti squash, mix gently and serve.  This can be served as a warm salad, or refrigerated over night to allow greater melding of the flavors and served cold.