This week your basket contains: potatoes, onions, celeriac, garlic, COOKING GREENS, (tat soi, red mustard, green mustard and cabbage) and leeks

While most of our tender greens have yet to recover from the cold weather we’ve been experiencing, mustard greens in one of our hoop houses are doing quite well allowing us to harvest a nice mix for you this week. The mix would work well in stir fry, soups or (if you are adventurous) as a hearty winter salad.  Try this soup.  This recipe for soup from Cucina! Cucina! Printed in Foodday is well adapted to winter vegetables.  Use mustard greens in place of the spinach and reduce the mustard that is called for.

LENTIL AND SAUSAGE SOUP

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb. Italian sausage links

½ c. finely diced onion

½ c. finely diced carrot

¼ c. finely diced leeks

¼ c. finely diced celery or celeriac

1 ½ c. uncooked lentils

4 c. low-sodium chicken broth

1 c. whipping cream

2 Tbs. Dijon mustard (or less)

1 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1 c. finely sliced mixed greens

salt and pepper

In a heavy-bottomed 2-3 quart saucepan, heat the butter and oil until the butter is melted.  Add the sausage links and brown evenly on all sides.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until sausages are cooked through.  Remove from pan and allow to cool.  Add the onion, carrot, leeks and celery or celeriac to the remaining butter in pan.  Cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender.  Add the lentils and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent lentils from sticking.  Hen broth comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender, 40-45 minutes.  While soup is simmering, cut sausages into ¼ inch slices.  When lentils are tender, add sausage, cream, mustard, vinegar and three quarters of the greens.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Return soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 more minutes.  Serve in warm bowls with remaining greens divided among bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.  Serves 8.

When we make this recipe we substitute chopped celeriac for the celery.  Somehow, the rain this week makes this seem like a perfect meal.

CREAMY PORCINI BARLEY SOUP

½ c. pearl barley

4 ½ c. chicken stock

1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms

2 c. boiling water

1 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup minced onion or shallot

8 c. sliced white mushrooms

2  small celery plants

1 tsp. dried sage

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

2 Tbsp. flour

1 cup cooking sherry

½ c. lowfat sour cream

chives for garnish

Combine barley and 1 ½ c. broth in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, 30-35 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine porcinis and boiling water in a medium bowl and let soak until mushrooms are soft, about 20 minutes. Line a sieve with paper towel, set in over a bowl and pour mushrooms and soaking liquid through it.  Reserve soaking liquid. Chop porcinis finely. Heat butter and oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until softened. Add white mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they have released their juices and started to brown.  Add porcinis, celery or celeriac, sage, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften.  Sprinkle flour over the veggies and cook until flour is incorporated, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until most of the sherry has evaporated. Add the soaking liquid and the remaining 3 c. of broth, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes.  Add the cooked barley and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream until incorporated. Garnish with chives. Serves 4. Adapted from Eating Well Jan.-Feb. 2007.

LOW-FAT POTATO AND CELERIAC FRIES

Another great idea that came to us is a method for making very low-fat French fries.  We have used this with potatoes, celeriac and parsnips with great results.  Simply chop your roots into fries.  In a large Tupperware container with a lid mix 2 Tbs olive oil with a teaspoon or so of mustard (vary the amount to you r taste).  Add the fries, close the lid and shake so that the fries are evenly coated with the mixture.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes turning the fries over occasionally until the fries are evenly golden brown