This week your basket contains: carrots, Delicata squash, onions, beets, potatoes, January King cabbage, celeriac,  and leeks

We are always happy when we start harvesting the January King type cabbages.  Not only are they beautiful (the purple wrapper leaves develop in cold weather.  Unfortunately, the cold weather also damages the wrappers, so you may have a cabbage that has no purple), they have wonderful flavor too.  While this recipe calls for kale, cabbage would make a good substitute.

RICE, BEET AND KALE SALAD WITH CIDER DRESSING

1 lb beets, halved

⅔ cup uncooked black rice (sometimes called “forbidden rice”)

1 ⅓ cup water

½ cup pecans, roughly chopped

2 cups packed, shredded raw kale

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons cold-pressed flaxseed oil OR extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme (whole, not ground)

1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add beets to a sheet of parchment-lined foil. Crunch into a ball. Roast for 1 1/2 hours, until tender. Cool until comfortable to handle. Cut beets into bite-sized pieces or wedges. Add to a large bowl.  In a medium pot, add rice and 1 1/3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 40 to 45 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add to beets, along with kale and pecans.  In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients or shake in a jar. Add to salad. Toss to combine, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (overnight is best). Before serving, taste and adjusting seasoning if desired. This salad will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.  Tip:  If you can’t find black rice, try wild rice (cook according to wild rice package directions). This would be fabulous with a little goat’s milk feta, chevre or thick yogurt on top. From The New York Times Vegetarian Thanksgiving

CZECH FRIED CELERIAC

2 large celeriacs

1/4 cup vinegar

2/3 cup flour

1 egg lightly beaten

1 cup bread crumbs

1 cup canola oil for frying

Clean and peel celeriac: slice into pieces about 3/4 inch thick.  Simmer in salted water with vinegar 2 to 5 minutes.  Drain and pat dry.  Dip in flour, egg, and then bread crumbs.  Meanwhile, heat oil, then fry celeriac until golden brown.  Serve warm.  From The Cook’s Garden seed catalog.

Delicata squash may be the most popular variety we grow.  It also happens to store very well, so we like to keep them for late in the season.  The flavor also improves with storage, so it is a win-win all around.  This is a great recipe.

DELICATA SQUASH WITH ROSEMARY, SAGE, AND CIDER GLAZE

2 medium delicata squash (about 2 pounds) or other firm winter squash

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup very coarsely chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

1 1/2 cups fresh unfiltered apple cider or juice

1 cup water

2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Squash. If using delicata squash, peel it with a vegetable peeler, cut it lengthwise in half, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each piece lengthwise in half again, then crosswise into 1/2-inch -thick slices. Other types of squash should be peeled with a chef’s knife, seeded, cut into 1-inch wedges, then sliced 1/2-inch thick.

Herb Butter. Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over low heat. Add the sage and rosemary and cook, stirring, until the butter just begins to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown the herbs. Cooking the herbs in butter mellows their flavor and improves their texture.

Cooking the squash. Add the squash to the skillet, then the apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat at an even boil until the cider has boiled down to a glaze and the squash is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with pepper, and additional salt if needed.   From Epicurious.com