This week your basket contains: leeks, garlic, mustard greens, rutabaga, CORN SALAD, Brussels sprouts, Delicata squash, and parsnips.

 I must confess that neither Polly nor I particularly like rutabagas.  Its unique flavor has a way of dominating just about any dish that it is included in.  However, in this recipe, passed along by a subscriber, the flavor of the rutabaga mellows and blends well with the other veggies and spices in a very pleasant way.  We played around with the list of veggies we used (we added celeriac and Delicata squash chunks and used leek instead of scallions).  We think you will really enjoy this dish. 

CURRY ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES WITH LIME LEAVES AND JUICE

3 large carrots

2 parsnips

1 rutabaga

¼ cup olive oil

3 Tbs. lime juice

2 tsp. curry powder

6 Kaffir lime leaves, shredded

2 stems fresh curry leaves

6 scallions

3 Tbs. chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper

Cut all the veggies into batons (approx. ¼ in. wide by 2 ½ in.) and place them in a large roasting pan.  Drizzle the olive oil over the veggies and sprinkle half the lime juice, the curry powder, 1 ¼ tsp. of salt and a healthy dose of black pepper.  Mix well and roast at 475⁰ for 30 minutes turning the veggies once or twice during cooking.  Add the lime leaves, curry leaves, and scallions and roast for an additional 10 minutes.  Remove the veggies from the oven, sprinkle with the remaining lime juice and cilantro.  This dish can be served warm or at room temperature.  Adapted from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi.

Corn salad is a lovely salad green.  It has a tender and almost butter texture and a sweet, mild flavor.  It is an excellent addition to any salad mix or used on sandwiches.  Sandwiches are also a common place for me to use mustard greens; they add a lovely bite of flavor (though I do skip the wet mustard I often use).  This is a great recipe for cooking mustard greens.

UTICA GREENS

FOR THE OREGANATO:

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup bread crumbs

½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

FOR THE GREENS:

1 1/4 pound greens mix

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 slices prosciutto cut roughly

4 to 6 hot cherry peppers (pickled or fresh), chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup + 2 Tbs Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and set aside.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, prepare the oreganato: Mix the oil, bread crumbs and cheese until well blended. It should have the texture of moist beach sand. Set aside.  When the water is boiling, blanch the greens until they are nearly limp but still a little firm, about 1 to 2 minutes. Plunge them into the ice bath to stop the cooking. Remove and drain them well in a colander or salad spinner, allowing them to remain moist but not dripping wet. Squeeze just a little of the moisture from them, then chop them into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.  Heat the broiler. Coat a large pan with the olive oil. Over medium heat, sauté the prosciutto, cherry peppers and garlic until the prosciutto is browned and slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. (Lower heat slightly if garlic begins to brown too quickly.) Add the chopped greens to the pan, season with salt and pepper and stir to mix well.  Add 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano and 1/2 cup of the oreganato. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently to blend, scraping the bottom of the pan to keep the oreganato from burning. Sprinkle another 1/4 cup oreganato atop the greens. (Save leftover oreganato for use in another greens dish, or add it to baked chicken or shrimp.) Place the pan under the broiler and broil until the top browns, about 2 minutes. Remove from the broiler and sprinkle a bit more cheese on the dish. Serve immediately.

WE HAVE STARTED SIGNING UP NEW SUBSCRIBERS FOR NEXT YEAR (we are holding space for you and will ask for renewal confirmation later).  If you have friends, neighbors, or family who would like to sign up with us, just direct them to our web site (see below) for details.  Our local farmers’ group is also holding a CSA SHARE FAIR Sunday, Feb. 25^th  at  Ecotrust’s Irving Street Studio (former Patagonia space) FROM  9:00 am – 3:00 pm.  You can direct prospective subscribers there and/or just drop by to say “hi”.