This week your basket contains: leeks, potatoes, parsnips, PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI or RAAB, GARLIC, and salad mix (lettuce, spinach, and arugula)We’ve had a great year for leeks, but all good things must come to an end.  In most years, the leeks will put up a fibrous flower stem in late March/early April, so we are in a bit of a race to harvest them all before they bolt.  If you have extra leeks in the fridge, this recipe is a great way to utilize them. 

COTTAGE CHEESE AND LEEK PIE

2 Tbsp butter

4 cups sliced leeks (3 or 4 leeks)

2 Tbsp flour

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp each salt, dry mustard

1/8 tsp each nutmeg, pepper

2 cups cottage cheese

3 eggs

1 single pie crust, unbaked

Sauté leeks in butter until tender, about 10 minutes.  Stir in flour, cook a few minutes, add milk and cook till thick.  Add seasonings.  Cool to lukewarm.  Blend cottage cheese with eggs.  Stir into leek mixture.  Pour into pie shell.

Bake at 375º for 45 minutes or till browned.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving. 

We are very happy to have purple sprouting broccoli or raab (brassica family flower stalks) for everyone.  Just like the purple sprouting broccoli, the stems and leaves of raab are tasty and should be eaten  along with the flower head. This is a recipe we like to make with purple sprouting broccoli or raab.  You can substitute leek for the onion as well. 

“MAPO” TOFU

2 cakes extra firm tofu

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup dry sherry

2 Tbs vinegar

1 1/2 Tbs grated fresh ginger

3 Tbs tomato paste

1 cup water

1 Tbs sesame oil

3 cloves garlic pressed

cayenne pepper to taste

2 cups thinly sliced onion

1 large bunch broccoli in 3 inch spears (or use purple sprouting Broccoli)

4 cups sliced mushrooms (1 lb.)

2 Tbs cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbs cold water

toasted walnuts

3 scallions sliced diagonally

Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes and set aside.  Whisk together soy, sherry, vinegar, ginger, tomato paste, water sesame oil and garlic and cayenne and set aside.  Heat the oil in a large pan or wok.  Sauté onions for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.  Add broccoli and sauté for 3 minutes then add mushrooms and continue sautéing and stirring for 3 minutes.  Pour in the sauce and add tofu.  Lower heat, cover and simmer until the tofu is heated through.  Add the dissolved cornstarch, bring back to a simmer while stirring until the sauce thickens.  Serve on rice garnished with walnuts and scallions.  Serves 4-6.

BATTER FRIED PARSNIPS 

4-5 cups cold water

3 Tbs vinegar

1 parsnip

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 cup ice water

1/2 tsp salt

Canola oil for frying

Place cold water and vinegar in a sauce pan.  Peel the root and remove tough inner core if present then cut into 2-inch chunks.  Place in saucepan and parboil the roots 6-8 minutes.  Drain and pat dry.  In a deep skillet, bring 2 inches of oil up to frying temperature over medium heat.  While the oil is heating, put the flour and salt in a bowl and whisk in the ice water (using ice water helps create a crispier batter when it is fried).  When the oil is hot (a drop of batter will have bubbles form around it and start cooking immediately), dip the parsnip 4 or 5 pieces at a time into the batter and slip them into the hot oil.  Cook until golden brown.  Remove with a slotted spoon, drain and keep warm in the oven until all the pieces are cooked.  These can be served alone or with parsley mayonnaise or other dips.  From Down to Earth by Georgeanne Brennan.