THIS WEEK YOUR BASKET CONTAINS: winter squash, carrots, onions, garlic, Hamburg parsley, and salad mix (arugula, mustard greens, and radicchio)

We’ve finished digging our winter carrots and stored them  in our walk-in cooler.  Our experience is, for whatever reason, that the smallest carrots store the least well.  For that reason, we decided to give them this week and put them in pint containers to make them easier to handle.  The recipe below would be great for the small carrots and the Hamburg parsley. Any greens from the parsley root will work for the garnish, as well.

ROASTED CARROTS WITH GARLIC AND THYME

1 ½  Lbs carrots, peeled

10 – 12 small garlic cloves

2 Tbs Olive oil

salt and pepper

thyme sprig

chopped parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut carrots into 1-2 inch pieces, toss with oil, then season with salt and pepper.  Put them in a roomy baking dish with the unpeeled garlic and thyme sprig.  Add 2 Tbs of water, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake until tender, 25-45 minutes.  Check at least twice to make sure there is moisture in the pan and stir the carrots gently.  Toward the end, remove foil and continue roasting until liquid is reduced and the carrots are browned.  Serve garnished with parsley.  Note:  The unpeeled garlic cloves can be squeezed to remove the creamy garlic, which can be used as a spread on bread or mixed with the carrots for a stronger garlic flavor.  Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.

Along the same lines of storage ability, if you got a butternut type squash you should note that they are close to their limit in terms of storage time.  We’ve been eating some in the past week (we love them!) and they are at their peak flavor-wise, but it would be best to use them sooner rather than later (i.e. weeks down the road).  Any squash you may have would be perfect for the recipe below.  We’ve substituted winter salad mix for the radicchio with good results.  Also, it is a great idea to use roasted winter squash as a “veggie burger” substitute.

ROASTED SQUASH SANDWICH WITH RADICCHIO JAM

4 butternut squash rounds or equivalent
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tiny sprigs sage
4 tiny sprigs rosemary
I head radicchio
1 orange
1 tablespoon honey
Manchego cheese or similar, shredded
4 seeded hamburger buns
Mayonnaise
Salt and pepper

Cut squash in 1” slices, place each piece on square of parchment paper, sprinkle with olive oil, add a sprig of sage and rosemary, wrap and bake at 350 degrees until fork tender. Meanwhile chop radicchio crosswise into ribbons. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in sauté pan, add radicchio and sauté over medium heat until wilted. Add juice if 1 orange and 1 tablespoon honey. Continue to cook until starting to become jammy. When the squash is tender, unwrap the pieces, sprinkle with some cheese and place under broiler until cheese is browned and bubbling. Take seeded buns, cut in half, spread each cut side with mayonnaise and place in hot frying pan until browned. Construct the sandwich by spreading radicchio jam on one half of each bun, topping with squash and other half bun. You could add a little fresh mustard green for a little bite!

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