THIS WEEK YOUR BASKET CONTAINS: leeks, SCALLIONS, celeriac, potatoes, MICRO GREENS, and salad mix (spinach, radicchio, endive, lettuce, arugula, corn salad, watercress, & claytonia)

A few years ago, we were looking for a fast, tasty and nutritious crop that we could include in mid-to-late winter baskets.  What we came up with is MICROGREENS.  You can use them as garnish on soup or crackers & cheese, or as greens for a sandwich. They will also add a nice radish bite if snipped onto your salad. Once snipped, they will not re-grow.  However,  you can snip some and save others for later eating or even planting in your own garden.  At this early stage of growth, they are the most nutritious, ounce for ounce, of any vegetable or green. 

Today’s salad mix has some special ingredients that really pack a lot of flavor and nutrition. These “wild” greens that we cultivate for you are important as spring “cleansers” and fortifiers for the body. Ten thousand years ago humans consumed about 390 mgs/day of Vit. C from wild foods. Today the average person consumes about 88mgs of Vit. C/day from cultivated fruits and vegetables. Miner’s lettuce or claytonia are the rounded spinach-tasting small leaves in the mix. Stems, leaves and blossoms have high content of Vitamin C, calcium and proteins. Miner’s lettuce seems to possess medicinal properties and was also used as spring tonic for restoring appetite. Corn salad (also called mache), which we mostly left in rosettes, is known for its potassium and B6 content. Overall, mache has many benefits for blood pressure, heart health, brain health and the immune system. A 3-ounce serving contains 12 percent of daily values for omega-3 fatty acid, which is vital for circulatory health and a proven way to reduce the risk of heart attack. Radicchio reportedly has high levels of antioxidant activity similar to other dark-colored fruits and vegetables such as blueberries and strawberries, which helps reduce damage from free radicals.

If you have beet roots left from last week, the recipe below is perfect way to use them and your salad mix.  Alternatively, if you don’t have (or like) beets, roasting chunked celeriac with a bit of olive oil would be a wonderful substitution. 

RED LENTIL SALAD WITH FETA AND BEETS

2-3 beets

¼ cup grapeseed oil (or olive oil)

1 Tbsp. minced shallots (or 1 small onion)

1 garlic clove, minced

½ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. ground fennel seeds

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Pinch cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup red lentils

2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

1 bunch arugula, torn into bite-size pieces

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wrap the beets in foil and roast them for 45 minutes, or until tender; let cool.  Peel the beets (rubbing under cold water) and cut them into wedges.  In a medium skillet, heat the oil until shimmering.  Add the shallot and garlic and cook over moderately high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add cumin and fennel seeds and cook just until fragrant.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the vinegar, lemon juice and cayenne.  Season with salt and pepper and whisk until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add lentils and cook just until tender.  Drain and transfer to a bowl.  Toss the lentils with half the vinaigrette and let cool.  Stir in parsley.  Toss the arugula and beets with the remaining vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper.  Mound the salad on dinner plates and spoon the lentils on top.  Garnish with the feta and serve.  Serves 4.  From Food and Wine Jan. 2001.

You can substitute the butter for olive oil in this recipe. If necessary, move the pan around on the burner to make sure the crust browns evenly. The roesti is best served immediately, but it can be kept on a cooling rack. loosely covered in a warm oven. Garnish this roesti with a mixture of equal parts mayonnaise and Dijon-style mustard, if desired.

CELERIAC AND POTATO ROESTI

5 Tbs. butter

1 Lb potatoes

1 Lb celeriac

2 tsp lemon zest

2 Tbs minced celery leaves

¾ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

Melt butter in 10-inch nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat.  Shred & pat dry potatoes and celeriac.  Mix shredded potatoes and celeriac with salt and pepper. Mix in lemon zest and celery leaves. Spread vegetable mixture evenly in skillet; press with spatula to form compact cake. Cook until bottom crust is golden brown, pressing on potatoes occasionally with spatula, about 15 minutes.  Shake skillet or use spatula to loosen roesti. Place large plate or platter over skillet and carefully invert. Slide roesti back into skillet and cook until bottom is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Serve immediately.  From Cook’s Illustrated.