THIS WEEK YOUR BASKET CONTAINS: potatoes, leeks, collards, microgreens, celeriac, and salad mix (red & green mustard greens, spinach, arugula, endive, claytonia, and lettuce)

THE STATEMENTS IN YOUR BASKET TODAY IS THE FINAL INSTALLMENT OF THE 2024-25 YEAR.  The deposit you paid last spring covers April and May.  We will bill for renewal of your subscriptions next month.  IF YOU KNOW YOUR RENEWAL PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR (especially if you know you will not be renewing) please let us know as soon as possible.  Knowing sooner rather than later helps us know how many new subscribers we can take on for next year before they go with a different farm.

Sometimes, most often unintentionally, a crop will set seed after we are done harvesting and before we are able to remove the remaining plants from the beds for use in our compost.  When this happens, we often have a large number of volunteer plants that pop up after we prep and plant the beds with a different crop. The mustard greens in your salad this week came to us in just this way; so many mustard greens plants emerged that they were starting to smother the garlic we planted last fall.  Fortunately, they are of two varieties (the green Golden Frills and the red Ruby Streaks) that we grow specifically for salads.  Both are mild and tasty and could be pulled from the mix for use on a sandwich if you like.

Potatoes and leeks are a match made in heaven.  While there are many versions of potato leek soup to be found (and we have tried A LOT of them), the recipe below we consider to be the very best we have ever had.

LEONIE’S POTATO-LEEK SOUP

4 medium potatoes

4 Tbsp. butter

1 chopped leek

3/4 tsp. salt

6 cups stock or water

ground black pepper

snippets of fresh herbs: thyme, marjoram, basil

Chop leeks, including the greens, into ½ inch rounds, place into a bowl of cold water with 1 tsp of salt.  Leave soaking for ½ hour.   Clean and peel potatoes and dice into 1″ chunks.   Drain leeks and sauté in a saucepan with butter until translucent.  Add potatoes, stock, and seasonings.   Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender.   When done, puree the contents of the pan, making sure the puree is absolutely smooth. Return to the saucepan.   Thin with milk if soup is too thick. Heat gently, covered, until just hot. Do not boil.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  For a wonderful touch, swirl a Tbs of heavy cream into each bowl before serving.  Serves 4-6.

I was reminded of this recipe the other night, and was shocked to find it had been years since we had included it in our note.  It is a “must try” recipe.

LOW-FAT POTATO AND CELERIAC FRIES

Another great idea that came to us is a method for making very low-fat French fries.  We have used this with potatoes, celeriac and parsnips with great results.  Simply chop your roots into fries.  In a large Tupperware container with a lid mix 2 Tbs olive oil with a teaspoon or so of mustard (vary the amount to you r taste).  Add the fries, close the lid and shake so that the fries are evenly coated with the mixture.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes turning the fries over occasionally until the fries are evenly golden brown.

SMOKY HAM AND GREENS SOUP

1 onion or shallot, chopped

3 slices bacon, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

½ celeriac, chopped

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

½ tsp. smoked paprika

Salt

4 tomatoes frozen or canned, chopped

2 cups mixed greens, chopped

¾ cup ham, chopped

In a heavy sauce pan, cook bacon slowly to render fat.  Add onion or shallot, carrot, and celeriac and sauté over medium-low heat to soften and brown.  Add stock, salt, paprika, and tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes.  At this point the soup can be held until ready to serve.  10 minutes before serving, add ham and chopped greens and bring back to a simmer. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve.

When you are finished with the microgreens, we would be happy to take back the pots for re-use!