This week your basket contains leeks, beets, Florence fennel, HAMBURG PARSLEY, cauliflower, elephant garlic, and braising greens mix (curly kale, rainbow kale, Tuscan kale, & cabbage) (for Week #29 projection please check back on Sunday)

Hamburg Parsley, sometimes called Parsley Root, was widely use in medieval times but is now a mostly “forgotten food”. It’s often cooked with other roots (try it in mashed potatoes!) and is crucial for flavoring some traditional chicken soup recipes and authentic borscht. You can add it anywhere you’re cooking up carrots, celery and onions for a vegetable soup or braise. The leaves are just parsley leaves.  They would be perfect in the Fennel & Orange Salad recipe we gave in November (you can find it on our web site; the recipe password is at the bottom of this note).  This is a great way to use the root.

LENTIL SOUP WITH PARSLEY ROOT

1 ¼ dried lentils, washed and drained
2 tbs.  lard, bacon drippings, or oil
1 onion or leek, chopped

1 parsley root
4 c   water
1 tsp. salt to or to taste
several whole black peppercorns
1 whole clove
1 bay leaf
1 lg potato, peeled and grated
1 smoked sausage, skin pricked with fork
1 tbs. vinegar

In a large pot, heat fat and add parsley root (and other root vegetables if used) and onions. Sauté until onions are golden. Add lentils, water, and seasonings. Grate the potato into the mixture and add sausage. Simmer covered 1 hour until lentils and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves. Add vinegar just before serving and adjust salt. Serve with a crusty bread and salad. Adapted from Mariquita.com

Your beet greens can be added to the greens mix to round out this recipe (which we love).

ADOBO GREENS

2 lbs. fresh greens

3 cloves garlic, minced

 1/3-c. oil

1 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

pepper

Chop greens roughly. Cut small stems into bite-sized pieces; discard large ones. Heat oil in large skillet, add garlic, and sauté until it turns golden. Add greens, sauté briefly, then add lemon juice, soy sauce, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add pepper, and serve immediately.  From the Winter Harvest Cookbook by Lane Morgan

This is a great recipe for cold days.  You can add pretty much any root vegetable you have on hand (celeriac, Hamburg parsley, parsnip, etc.). 

CAULIFLOWER-CHEESE SOUP

2 cups potato chunks

1 cup chopped onion

2 cups cauliflowerets

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 cup chopped carrot

4 cups stock or water

3 medium cloves garlic

Place above ingredients together in pot. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Puree in blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a kettle or double-boiler and heat gently while whisking in: 1 ½ cups grated cheddar,  ¾ cup milk, ¼ tsp. dill weed, ¼ tsp. ground dill or caraway seed (or ½ tsp. whole seed), ¼ tsp. dry mustard, and black pepper. Steam or sauté 1 ½ cups more cauliflowerets and add to soup. Just before serving whisk in ¾ cup of buttermilk. Top with chopped scallions.  Serves four to five.  From the Moosewood Cookbook.

Our friends at Kenai Red Fish Co. are offering a discount to Pumpkin Ridge Gardens subscribers on their seasonal sampler boxes (see kenairedfc.com for details.  Click on “ordering” then “Monthly Seafood Market”).  These samplers include smoked salmon products and other fresh fish.  They are great for gifts or for you holiday table.  Use promo code PR10 for  “Rudolph’s Smoked Sampler Box” or PR15 for “’Tis The Season Sampler Box”.