back to your roots
With the arrival of late fall, this week's box is resplendent with root veg - carrots, onions, parsnips, garlic and potatoes. The first thing I do when I unpack my box is prioritize my produce to figure out what needs immediate attention. Delicate leafy greens are not going to last long, but roots can wait. Not only do they absorb a great amount of nutrients from the soil - they keep fresh for quite a while in cool, dark places until you are ready to use them. This week however, my root vegetables won't have much of a chance to linger since it's Hanukkah. The latke recipe that follows will make the best of your many roots, and liven up your celebrations. I saved my purple potatoes from the last box, which should be beautiful in combination with the carrots and parsnips. The onion tart recipe couldn't be simpler, (especially if you opt for a store bought crust) and tastes quite indulgent for its humble ingredients. The collard green stir fry makes quick and surprising use of a southern staple. The leftovers didn't make it past breakfast at my house.
Your Box
Vegetables Carrots Collard Greens Cucumbers Green Cabbage * Garlic Onions Parsnips Yellow Potatoes
Fruit Braeburn Apples Bosc Pears
Farm Fresh Eggs *standard and family shares
recipes
Root Vegetable Latkes
INGREDIENTS 2 carrots 2 parsnips 1 large potato (1lb) 1 medium onion 1/4 cup of flour or matzo meal 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Makes 28 latkes
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and place it on the center rack of the oven.
Peel the carrots, parsnips, potato, and onion. Grate all together using food processor. Place the grated vegetables on a clean kitchen towel, fold it around them, and squeeze tightly to remove all excess moisture. Transfer the grated vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, or matzo meal, and salt and pepper, and toss to combine well. Add the lightly beaten eggs, and mix well.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Make a few latkes at a time; for each, shape 2 tablespoons of the vegetable mixture and place in the skillet. Cook 2 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp. Transfer cooked latkes to prepared baking sheet in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and latke mixture.
Serve the latkes warm with dollops of sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste or applesauce.
INGREDIENTS Crust 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon table salt 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces or 113 grams) chilled butter, in cubes 3 tablespoons cold water
Filling 1 1/2 pounds yellow onions (about 4 medium), halved and thinly sliced 1 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon olive oil Scant 1/2 teaspoon table salt Pinch of sugar 1 cup low-sodium beef or mushroom stock 2 teaspoons cognac, brandy or vermouth (optional) Freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup grated Gruyere 1 large egg 1/2 cup heavy cream (half-and-half and milk work too, but cream tastes best)
freshly grated nutmeg
INSTRUCTIONS Make crust: Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl or the work bowl of a food processor. Add butter by pulsing the machine in short bursts until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Sprinkle in cold water and pulse the machine a couple more times. The mixture should form large clumps. Knead it gently into a ball; it will be on the firm side but should be easy to roll.
Lightly butter a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable base.
Roll your dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap until it is about 11 inches in diameter. Peel the top plastic layer off and reverse the dough into the prepared tart pan, lifting the sides to drape (rather than pressing/stretching the dough) the dough into the corners. Press the dough the rest of the way in and up the sides. Trim edges, which you can leave ever-so-slightly extended above the edge of the tart pan, to give you some security against shrinkage. Chill for 15 minutes in your freezer.
Make filling: Melt the butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions to the pan, toss them gently with the butter and oil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover the pan. Cook the onions for 15 minutes, then remove the lid, stir in the salt and sugar and saute without the lid for about 15 to 20 minutes on low, until the onions are fully caramelized and have taken on a deep golden color. Pour in cognac, if using it, and the stock, then turn the heat all the way up and scrape up any brown bits stuck to the pan. Simmer the mixture until the broth nearly completely disappears (wetter onions will make for a wetter quiche), about 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust the salt, if needed, add freshly grated nutmeg, and season with freshly ground black pepper. Let cool until warm. You can hasten this process by spreading the onions out on a plate in the fridge, or even faster, in the freezer.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg and cream together. Gently stir the lukewarm onions into the custard. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Assemble and bake tart: Fill prepared tart shell with onion-egg mixture. Ideally, this will bring your filling level to 1/4-inch from the top, however, variances in shells, pans, pan sizes and even onion volume might lead you to have a lower fill line. You can beat another egg with cream together and pour it in until it reaches that 1/4-inch-from-top line if you wish. Sprinkle cheese over custard and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a sharp knife inserted into the filling and turned slightly releases no wet egg mixture. Serve hot, with a big green salad.
INGREDIENTS
1 bunch young collard greens (1/2 pound) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, smashed and thinly sliced 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 2 teaspoons) 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon mirin 2 cups cooked rice 1 teaspoon sesame oil 4 scallions, thinly sliced 1 jalapeño chile, very thinly sliced 1 teaspoon sesame seeds 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges Red pepper flakes (optional)
Serves 4
INSTRUCTIONS Fill a sink with cold water. Place a cutting board nearby. Stack 4 collard green leaves on top of each other. Remove the stems with a sharp knife and trim 2 inches from the bottoms of each stem. Cut the stems into 1/8-inch pieces. Cut the leaves into 2-inch squares. Repeat with remaining leaves. Rinse the leaves and stems in cold water. Drain.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a medium sauté pan or skillet over medium. Break the egg into the pan, and cook 4 minutes, gently shaking the pan occasionally to ensure the egg does not stick. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Turn the egg, and cook 2 more minutes. Transfer to a plate, and keep warm.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the sauté pan over medium. Add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent. Add the collard leaves and stems to the pan; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in the vinegar. Stir in the soy sauce and mirin. Stir in the rice, and cover. Simmer until the rice is heated through, about 2 minutes. Uncover and drizzle with sesame oil. Remove from heat and let stand 2 minutes. Transfer the fried rice to a serving bowl. Cut the fried egg into 1/8-inch-thick strips. Top the rice evenly with the egg strips. Garnish with the scallions, jalapeño slices, sesame seeds, lime wedges and red pepper flakes, if desired.
