This week your basket contains: potatoes, leeks, celeriac, parsnips, carrots, and cabbage.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  We hope your holidays were as fun and reinvigoration as was ours.  Most years we try to go south over the holidays for some mid-winter warmth, but political chaos in Peru put the kibosh on those plans!  In the end, it was probably a good thing as we were here for the very cold temperatures, high winds, and power outages that would have been an even greater challenge for our farm sitters had we been away.  We did spend a good amount of time covering some crops with frost protection fabric and harvesting others for storage in the cooler.  In the end we feel like we came through relatively unscathed.  Some of the greens need a bit longer to recover before we harvest them again.  The wind did blow the door off one of our barns and our composting structure, which I have been planning to deconstruct did get tipped over in the wind, which will actually help in taking it apart.

CHICKEN PAD THAI

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1” cubes

5 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Asian fish sauce

½ lb. firm tofu, cut into 1/4” cubes (optional)

1 c. water

2 Tbsp. lime juice

1 ½ tsp. rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. sugar

¾ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. cayenne

¾ lb. linguine or chuka soba (chow mein noodles)

3 Tbsp. cooking oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2/3 c. peanuts, chopped fine

4 c. cabbage, thinly sliced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

½ c. lightly packed cilantro leaves

In a small bowl, combine the chicken with ½ tsp. of the fish sauce. In another bowl, combine the tofu (if using) with another ½ tsp. of the fish sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 5 Tbsp. fish sauce with the water, 1 ½ Tbsp. lime juice, the vinegar, sugar, salt and cayenne. In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until done. Drain. Meanwhile, in a wok or large frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil over moderately high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until just done, 3-4 minutes. Remove. If using the tofu, put another Tbsp. of oil into the pan, add the tofu and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove. Put remaining Tbsp. of oil in pan, add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the pasta and the fish-sauce mixture. Cook, stirring, until nearly all the liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken, tofu (if using), and 1/3 c. peanuts. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining ½ Tbsp. lime juice, cabbage, scallions and half of cilantro. Top with remaining peanuts and cilantro. Serves 4.  Adapted from Food and Wine Magazine’s Quick From Scratch Chicken Cookbook.

ROOT VEGETABLE, WHITE BEAN AND BREAD CRUMB GRATIN

Consider serving this with a grilled leg of lamb and braised greens. Or turn this side dish into a main dish by adding a big salad and some good bread and butter.  Julienned celeriac can be used instead of or along with the carrots

2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

½ cup finely chopped onion

2 medium cloves garlic, divided

2 sage leaves

2 tsp. tomato paste

2 cups cooked white beans, cooking liquid reserved, or 1 can (15 ounces) white beans, rinsed and drained

Salt and pepper

1 large parsnip, woody core removed, or 2 small ones

1 large carrot or 2 small ones

⅓ cup toasted breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, sauté the onion in 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil over moderate heat until golden. Mince the garlic and add half of it to the onions, reserving the rest. Cook and stir for one minute, then add the sage and tomato paste. Mix the tomato paste into the onion mixture and sauté for two more minutes, scraping up any brown bits that accumulate on the bottom of the pan. Add the beans and ½ to ¾ cup of their reserved cooking liquid. (If using canned beans, substitute water for the cooking liquid.) The mixture should be somewhat soupy. Season with salt and pepper. Partly cover the pot and let the beans simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, peel the parsnip and carrot and cut each into ½-inch pieces. Steam the parsnip until tender, about 5 minutes, then steam the carrot until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the vegetables to the bean mixture and simmer 2 minutes longer. Add more bean broth or water if necessary. Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining garlic and the parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Lightly oil an 8-by-10-inch baking dish or gratin dish. Turn out the bean and vegetable mixture into the pan. Sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs over the beans and vegetables and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the gratin begins to bubble. Serve warm. By Kelly Myers on culminate.com