Sunchoke Soup

Sunchoke Soup

recipe courtesy of our dear neighbor Phyllis Bleiweis

Sunchokes are in their prime right now!  We have been digging lots these little sweet starchy nuggets.  They become sugary with cold weather and taste great in warm soups for this season.

Here’s Phyllis’ version of a creamy sunchoke soup:

8 oz sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes), peeled and boiled for 12 to 15 minutes

1/4 tsp prepared mustard

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and Pepper

3 Tablespoons flour

3 Tablespoons butter

2 cups hot vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup milk or light cream

Puree first 5 ingredients.  Make roux with butter and flour.  After cooking for a few minutes, slowly add 2 cups broth, stirring until smooth.  Cook 10 minutes.  Stir into puree, thin with milk or cream.  Correct seasonings and heat through.

 

Rutabaga, Apple, and Onion Puree

Rutabaga, Apple and Onion Puree

courtesy of Marie Nygren (www.serenbefarmhouse.com)

Marie concocted this dish for one of our cooking demos at the market this fall.  It was absolutely delicious!  Sweet and savory and a perfect texture.  This recipe is a winner!

3 rutabagas (med-large size), peeled and chopped

1 Granny Smith Apple, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon Apple Jack Brandy

Kosher Salt and Tabasco

Unsalted Butter

Bring 6 cups water to boil. Put 2 tablespoons salt in. Put chopped vegetables in water and cook until vegetables tender.  Drain, reserving broth.

In a food processor, place 2 cups vegetables at a time and puree. May need to add reserved cooking liquid to help with the puree but do not want it too mushy.

Place first batch in a bowl and proceed with next. Add 1-2 tablespoons
of butter to puree to melt. Continue until all vegetables pureed. Add salt to taste. Then 1 tablespoon apple brandy and 2 or more dashes Tabasco. May add more of salt, brandy, Tabasco and butter to taste.

This can be made ahead and reheated in a 350 oven.

Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes) with Ketchup

Jerusalem Artichokes with Ketchup from Tasting Table’s weekly emails (www.tastingtable.com). Recipe adapted from The Art of Living According to Joe Beef by Frédéric Morin, David McMillan and Meredith Erickson (Ten Speed)

Yield: 4 servings INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons rendered chicken fat, unsalted butter or olive oil8 large Jerusalem artichokes 3 tablespoons water Big handful of coarse salt Pretzel salt Freshly ground black pepper Leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme Ketchup, for serving

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Smear the chicken fat, butter or olive oil onto a rimmed, nonstick baking sheet.2. Place the artichokes in a large, heavy-duty lock-top plastic bag and add the water to the bag. Add the coarse salt, seal the bag and shake well. Open the bag and rinse the artichokes thoroughly. (This is a great way to clean Jerusalem artichokes. It removes dirt and debris better than your hands would.) 3. Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise and arrange them, cut side down, in a single layer on the prepared pan. Season them generously with the pretzel salt and pepper. Scatter the thyme leaves evenly over the top. 4. Place the artichokes in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Turn the artichokes and cook for another 30 minutes or until browned and slightly shriveled. 5. Take the artichokes out of the oven, let cool and serve with ketchup.

Espinacas a la Catalana (Catalan Spinach)

From Tasting Table (sign up for daily or weekly updates: www.tastingtable.com) Recipe adapted from Katie Button, Cúrate, Asheville, NC

Yield: 4 servings INGREDIENTS 1 cup water¼ cup raisins1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil½ medium Granny Smith apple, diced 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted 1 tablespoon dry sherry 1 pound baby spinach Kosher salt 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (from about half a medium lemon) Finely grated zest from 1 medium lemon

DIRECTIONS 1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the raisins to the hot water. Set aside to rehydrate until plump, about 5 minutes. Strain the raisins and set aside on paper towels to drain.2. In a large skillet set over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the apples and cook gently until they’re soft but still retain their texture, about 3 minutes. Add the raisins, shallot and toasted pine nuts. Cook until the shallot is soft and translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sherry and spinach, tossing to coat. Season with salt and lemon juice and immediately remove the skillet from the heat before the spinach is completely wilted.3. Use a pair of tongs to remove the spinach from the pan and place in a serving dish, leaving any water behind in the skillet. Top the spinach with the lemon zest and serve immediately.

Rutabaga Purée with Cardamom and Thyme

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

yield: Makes 12 servings

ingredients

• 6 pounds rutabagas, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 24 whole green cardamom pods
• 1/2 cup créme fraîche=
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• Freshly ground white pepper

preparation

Place rutabagas in large pot with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Add salt and cardamom pods; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially, and simmer until rutabagas are tender, about 25 minutes.

Drain rutabagas; discard cardamom. Working in batches, puree rutabagas in processor. Return puree to pot. Cook over medium heat until dry, stirring, about 5 minutes. Mix in créme fraîche and thyme. Season with salt and white pepper.

Hot Cucumber Soup

Photo: Oof Verschuren From Tasting Table (tastingtable.com) Cuke It Cucumber soup warms up For most of us, cucumber soup calls to mind breezy summer afternoons and chilled soup spoons. Home Made cookbook author Yvette Von Boven has other plans for the summer fixture. She serves her light-green soup warm, littering the surface with fried parsley leaves for a bright, herb-filled crunch. Better still,  the green essence of the leaves slowly seeps out, dotting the soup with bursts of verdant, parsley-filled flavor, which enhance each bite. Though the soup is enriched with cream and milk, it maintains the crisp, fresh cucumber flavor. Hot Cucumber Soup with Deep-Fried Parsley Recipe adapted from Yvette Van Boven, Home Made (Abrams Books) Yield: 1½ quarts INGREDIENTS 6 cups vegetable broth 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 medium white onion, peeled and coarsely chopped 3 celery ribs, cleaned and coarsely chopped 1 fresh or dried bay leaf 2 fresh thyme sprigs 2 medium cucumbers, coarsely chopped ½ cup heavy cream Salt and freshly ground black pepper ½ cup whole milk Leaves from 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley Vegetable oil DIRECTIONS 1. In a large stockpot set over medium heat, combine the vegetable broth, potatoes, onion, celery, bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and add the cucumbers. Simmer for 5 minutes more. Turn off the heat and use a hand blender to purée the soup until smooth. Stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow the soup to cool completely, at least 45 minutes, or transfer to a covered container and refrigerate overnight. 2. In a medium saucepot set over high heat, heat the oil to 350°. Carefully add the parsley and fry for a few seconds; the parsley should still be bright green. Remove the parsley from the hot oil with a fine-mesh strainer and drain on paper towels. 3. Return the soup to the stockpot and heat over medium heat until almost boiling. Stir in the milk and remove from the heat. Use a hand blender to briefly whip the soup. Pour the soup into bowls, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Recipe: Vegetable Tempura

I got the idea for this recipe from Chef Hilary at The Hil. She had tempura fried bok choi on her vegetable plate and it was delicious. I looked up a tempura batter recipe and realized it was quite easy. I served the vegetables over brown rice with miso soup. Delicious.

Tempura Batter

from the Joy of Cooking

Whisk together in a medium bowl until blended:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together until blended:

1 egg

1 cup cold water

Combine them and mix with a fork just until blended. The batter will be lumpy. Use immediately. Fry in 3 inches vegetable oil.

Roasted Okra, Tomatoes, Garlic, and Mint

Recipe: Roasted okra, heirloom tomatoes, garlic and mint

Here’s a great seasonal recipe forwarded to me by Diana, one of our CSA members.

This recipe is by great Southern chef Scott Peacock.

Ingredients
1/2 pound okra
1/2 cup sliced red onion
2 cloves garlic, germ removed and thinly sliced
1 cup cherry or heirloom tomatoes, or a mixture of both (cherries can be halved or left whole, depending on their size; heirlooms should be cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces)
1/2 cup field peas or string beans (optional)
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Rinse the okra in cold water and drain well. Trim the stems from the okra tops, but don’t remove the caps. Slice the okra lengthwise and put in a mixing bowl. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, peas or beans and mint leaves. Drizzle the olive oil over and season well with salt and pepper. Toss to mix and transfer to a Silpat-lined baking sheet or oiled pan.

Roast in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, giving the vegetables a toss if needed.
Serve hot, warm or room temperature.
Serving Size
Serves 6

Chinese Cabbage Salad

At the farm we’ve been making variations of this recipe for years.  It’s a nutritionally packed recipe with refreshing flavor.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp sesame oil

3 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp ginger

1 apple, or canned fruit like mandarin oranges

1 medium head chinese cabbage

1/3 cup golden raisins

minced onion

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or other herb

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds or sliced almonds

sliced radishes

Method:

Combine vinegar, sugar, oil and ginger in large bowl; stir until sugar dissolves.  Stir in fruit.

Add cabbage, raisins, onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds; gently stir until well combined.

This is also a great make-ahead dish: cover, refrigerate overnight, and the cabbage softens slightly and the tangy flavors blend even more.

Be creative and try variations.

Recipe: Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos

We just harvested our first bed of sweet potatoes this week. Here is a great recipe to try if you don’t want to do the usual casserole with marshmallows on top. I also made cilantro-lime rice to go with this dish. This makes a LOT of food, so feel free to scale back.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burritos

from: www.littlebirdeats.wordpress.com

5 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3½ diced onions
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon minced fresh green chile
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground coriander
4½ cups cooked black beans, (2 cans)
2/3 cup lightly packed coriander leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Another pinch of salt
8 eight-inch flour tortillas

1. Preheat the oven to 350F

2. Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender – about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, warm the oil in a medium frying pan/skillet and add the onions, garlic and chile. Cover and cook on a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes.

4. Add the cumin and coriander to the onion mixture, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside.

5. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, coriander leaves, lemon juice, salt and cooked sweet potatoes. Then use a potato masher to smash together.  Combine with onion mixture.

6. Lightly oil a large baking dish. Spoon about 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the filling in the centre of each tortilla, roll it up and place it, seam side down, in the baking dish.

7. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until piping hot.