In Your Share (Jan 4th edition)

Happy New Year!! 
This week your share may include… 

  • Brussel Sprouts, Cumulus: These are still a bit small, but worth the work. Take the sprouts off the stalk, peel a few layers off the sprout, then boil or steam until tender. The trick with sprouts is not to over cook them! An al dente sprout is a whole new experience. Try this easy recipe with gnocchi & pesto
  • Carrots, Bolero: Oh sweet winter carrots! 
  • Garlic, Music: This hardneck variety is a porcelain garlic with fewer, but larger cloves and some beautiful purple striping. I’d call it med-hot garlic flavor.
  • Kale, Winterbor: I am still obsessed with this recipe for garlicky, lemon kale salad that shareholder David Culpepper passed along to me last spring. Finally the Winterbor kale is back so I can satisfy my cravings!
  • Onions, Copra: A long-standing favorite – stores well & good eatin’.
  • Parsnips: One of the best winter roots! These look like large gangly white carrots, and they are cousins to the carrot – both are in the Umbel family. Unlike carrots, these are not usually eaten raw. They are great roasted with other roots, and add an earthy sweetness to soups & stews. Or try this recipe for Creamy Parsnip Rice
  • Popcorn: New this season – I really like these cute little ears of Early pink Popcorn. I know you purists will be horrified, but I’ve had great luck popping it in the microwave. Put the whole ear in a brown bag & fold down the top. I usually pop it for 1 min at a time, then dump out the popped kernals, then do a minute more. In 3 min, the majority of the kernals should be popped. Enjoy!
  • Potatoes, Sangre: A very versatile red potato, we use it both for new potatoes in the spring, and as a storage variety through the winter. 
  • Rosemary: roasted with potatoes, yum!
  • Winter Squash, Small Wonder: This little spaghetti squash has impressed me with it’s sweet nutty flavor. Cut in half & roast in the oven, then peel out long strings and dress it up sweet or savory.
  • Winter Squash, Delicata: This is many people’s favorite squash and once you try it you’ll see why. Roast it in the usual way or make Squash Rings.