Week 2: 12/17-12/20
Thursday 3pm - till Sunday Night | SELF SERVE 13197 10TH St. South. Afton, MN. 55001 | 612.770.7194
What we're up to:
As we move farther into the winter and almost to the shortest day of the year (dec. 20th) we are thankful to be harvesting everything we can out of our high tunnels. This time of year, with its cold dark days, is when we are able to recognize the resiliency, brilliant colors and amazing sweetness our cold weather veggies have. It is a time of year when the hope and faith we invested in seeds in the fall and veggie blankets we use to tuck in our crops is proven out, allowing us to share more than food with you, we get to share this amazing fortitude and grit of nature. With the holidays in full swing, nothing puts me in the holiday spirit more than harvesting and eating spinach that just keeps growing and getting sweeter by the day! Happy Holidays!!
In Your Bag This Week
Curly Kale: very versatile and deliciously sweet from the cold. This kale comes from our heated tunnel but we only heat the tunnel to 28F so all the cold tolerant veggies still benefit from freezing and thawing. Kale is very versatile, tare the leaves from the stems and eat raw, sautéed or bake! Store in a bag in your fridge. Carrots: small pencils carrots have great sweet and earthy flavor! Store in a bag in your fridge. Hakurei Turnips: These little beauties were an experiment for us in a raised bed we built in our old greenhouse and they look like they did just fine! the turnip itself is sweet and the greens are slightly spicy. Great sautéed together! You can also eat them raw in a salad or with humus. Store in a bag in your fridge. Celery: Absolutly delicious, this celery is naturally balanced from low-light conditions in the winter months so you can eat it raw or cook with it but this celery has MUCH more flavor than anything you have gotten at the grocery store so a little goes a long way:) Store in a bag in your fridge. Arugula: peppery and slightly sweet this time of year. Arugula is great as a salad, on sandwiches or wraps or sautéed with your eggs for breakfast! Store in a bag in your fridge. Flavor Mix Micros: Mild and tasty, its a great base for any salad or make it a simple side by adding olive oil, salt and pepper. Store in your fridge. Micro Parsley: No chopping necessary. Easy to add to soup, dressings, beans, casseroles, salads, wraps eat.. Store in your fridge. Mini Romaine: Crunchy and delightful, romaine does not like the winter too much so this is the last of it till spring but its a nice little add in for the holidays :) Store in your fridge in a bag.
Simple Celery Soup | Serves: 4 | total time: 35 mins
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, or butter
1 onion, diced
4 fat garlic cloves, rough chopped
6 cups celery, sliced thin (about 1 ¼–1 ½ pounds) 1 extra-large head, save some leaves for garnish
2 cups potatoes, sliced into ½inch thick rounds ( about ¾ lb – 1 extra-large russet peeled, or use a few yukons, unpeeled.
4 cups veggie or chicken broth
1 cup water
1 bay leaf (optional, remove before blending)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1/8 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, start conservatively or leave it out entirely.
Instructions
Heat the oil in a big pot over medium high heat, and add the onion, stirring occasionally, letting the onions get golden, about 5 minutes.
While the onions are cooking, rough chop the garlic, celery and potatoes. When the onions are golden add the garlic and stir 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the celery, potatoes, broth, water, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and cayenne. The liquid should just cover the veggies. Cover, bring to a rolling boil, turn heat down and simmer gently until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
Turn heat off, remove bay leaf and add the fresh herbs and just wilt them (don’t cook herbs or you lose the vibrant color!)
Using an immersion blender blend until very silky smooth – OR if using a regular blender, let cool before blending in smaller batches. ( If blending warm soup, fill blender no more than halfway full, cover tightly with a lid and kitchen towel, holding it down firmly, when you start the motor (on the lowest setting, working up gradually) to prevent a blender “explosion”).
Blend well, a full minute, until herbs are fully blended, creating a vibrant colored soup. For extra “green” color, add a handful of raw spinach if you like, or more fresh parsley. Place it back in the same pot over low heat. Stir in your choice of sour cream, or any of the other options.
***Gently heat, careful to not over simmer, or you may lose the lovely vibrant color.
To make the crispy celery leaves, heat a generous amount of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Wait until the oil is hot. Fry a “tester” celery leaf for 10-20 seconds on each side. Set on a paper towel. If it is crisp, continue on. Adding a few at a time, not overly crowding. If not crisp, fry them a little longer. You want about 3-5 leaves per serving bowl. In the same oil, you could fry the nigella seeds until you just begin to hear popping. Turn heat off. Arrange the crispy celery leaves in a crescent shape. Spoon a little of the nigella seeds along with a little oil in the same shape. Sprinkle with hemp seeds if you like.
Garlic Parmesan Roasted Carrot | Serves: 2 | total time: 35 mins
Ingredients
12 oz carrot
2 tablespoons melted salted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F.
Mix the melted butter and garlic together. Coat the carrots well with the garlic butter mixture.
Arrange the carrots on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the extra garlic butter mixture on top of the carrots. Roast for 15 minutes, then top the carrots with the Parmesan cheese.
Roast for another 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and slightly browned. Remove from the oven and top with the parsley. Serve immediately.
We wash everything in your bag but we wash them in bulk so some things may need an extra rinse at home.
Please bring your bag back next week so we can re-use them!
thanks!