Spicy Roasted Colorful Cauliflower

In last week's share many of you were delighted by the purple cauliflower. This purple color is caused by the presence of an antioxidant group called anthocyanins, which are also found in red cabbage and red wine. The following recipe from epicurious.com is delicious and beautiful when using any variety of colorful cauliflower such as purple, green, or yellow and it works just as well with the usual suspect white.

1 lb cauliflower (as many colors as you'd like)

1 organic red bell pepper

1 organic onion

5 cloves fresh organic garlic

1 large fresh ginger

1/4 tsp dried red pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp salt

Cut the cauliflower into small flowerets and slices. Remove the seeds and slice the bell pepper lengthwise; cut each slice in half. Slice the onion. Chop the garlic and mince the ginger.

Put the olive oil, toasted sesame soil, and salt in a zip lock plastic bag and mix. Add all the vegetables, garlic, and ginger; mix very well. Make sure that all the vegetables are coated in oil; add some oil if necessary.

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. Very lightly sprinkle the dried red pepper on the bottom of the pan. Spread the vegetables evenly in one layer. Broil for 20 to 25 minutes.

The Many Shades of Kale

Kale is a favorite green for health foodies and farmers alike because not only is it nutrient dense, but it's also super hardy so we can easily grow this throughout the year! I laugh that I have kale for just about every meal because it's so versatile, I'll just choose a different color of kale each time. Below is a recipe for an excellent massaged kale salad. I know, massaged kale? What is that? Well by massaging kale with salt you can break down the fibers into a more pleasing texture and tame some of the bitterness so it can be eaten raw. Delicious! And yet another way to incorporate this delicious green into your diet.

1 bunch kale

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 apple

2 medjool dates

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

pepper

Wash the kale and spin or pat dry. Remove the stems and discard. Chop the kale into thin strips and put in a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and massage with your hands for 1-2 minutes, just like kneading bread.

Wash the apple and chop it into thin slices. Remove the seeds from the dates and cut into bit size morsels.

Using a paper towel squeeze any excess liquid out of kale and transfer to a salad bowl, toss with apple and dates, drizzle with oil and vinegar and season with pepper. Taste and season to your liking.

Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad

Hard winter wheat is one of our favorite grains here on the farm, especially since it can be grown in the state of Washington! And thanks to Nash's Organics right now we have a large supply of it. Hard winter wheat, when cooked, is characterized by it's soft, chewy texture and nut-like flavor. It has more gluten protein then other grains and is used to make flour and pasta. Use it as you would other grains. If you are looking for a new and creative idea, below is an excellent Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad that uses crisp apples, nuts, cinnamon, and other spices for a delicious mid-winter treat!

2 cups uncooked wheat berries

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 medium apples, cored and chopped

1 cup seedless raisins

1 cup finely chopped parsley

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Put wheat berries into a large bowl, cover with at least 2 inches of water and set aside to let soak for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Drain well. Put 7 cups water into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Add wheat berries, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 50 minutes, or until cooked through. (Wheat berries retain a firm, chewy texture when cooked.) Drain and set aside to let cool. Transfer wheat berries to a large bowl. Add walnuts, apples, raisins, parsley, vinegar, apple juice, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, olive oil and lemon juice and mix everything together thoroughly.

Makah Ozette Potatoes with Bacon Cream

In a recent interview I read with farmer Andrew Stout from Full Circle Farms, Ozette potatoes are described as "very earthy and nutty and they have that great fluff-puff texture."

Well, I'm sold.

Ozettes are type of rare, heirloom potato whose seeds were brought from Peru to the Olympic Peninsula by Spanish explorers in 1791. Since then they have been grown by the Makah Nation and have only recently been reclaimed by slow food and heirloom seeds enthusiasts. We can certainly all enjoy them as they make awesome potato salads, such as the one listed below. Any old fingerling potato will do, however, perhaps even a few purple potatoes for color in this recipe. Enjoy!

4 lbs Makah Ozette, or fingerling potatoes, halved if large

12 oz red pearl onions

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 1/4 tbsp kosher salt, divided

1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp pepper, divided

1/4 cup each creme fraiche and heavy cream

1 bunch chives, chopped (1/4 cup)

4 oz bacon, cooked until crisp, then finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put potatoes in a pot of salted water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and put in a large bowl. Meanwhile, blanch onions in boiling water 2 minutes, rinse to cool, then peel.

2. Add onions, butter, oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper to potatoes and stir. Divide between 2 rimmed baking sheets and bake, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and golden brown with crisp edges, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a shallow serving dish.

3. Beat creme fraiche and heavy cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks for. Stir in chives, bacon, and remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.

4. Top potatoes with bacon cream and gently stir to coat.

Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts

Last week for brussels sprouts here at the farm! Don't shy away from them because of a few less than perfect outer leaves, simply peel them away and continue to prepare as desired. They are really quite good this time of year, after the frosts.

Many people have grown up thinking they hated brussels sprouts, but brussels sprouts that have been previously frozen or that are simply boiled hardly highlight this brassica's potential. Check out the recipe below for a simple yet delicious way to change even the most convinced brussels sprouts loathing personality that they are worth another try.

24 small brussels sprouts

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trip the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top and toss with olive oil. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Don't overheat the skillet, or the outsies of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into a brussel sprout to gauge whether they're tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes. Once tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and carmelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season wit more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese. Serve immediately.

Celeriac Gets Smashed

Celeriac takes the cake for me as far as the most odd-looking of the root veggies. I've heard kohlrabi described as "extraterrestrial" in the farm store, but with celeriac's knotted outer layer it looks far more out of this world.

Other notable qualities of celeriac include that it has far less starch then other root veggies, and is good cooked or raw. It is a type of celery that is grown for the root and because it takes on the flavor of celery it is great for adding to soups and stews.

Below is an excellent recipe for smashed celeriac from Jamie Oliver. I added some of the German Butterball potatoes we had in the share to it and made a delicious and comforting Saturday lunch!

1 celeriac, peeled

olive oil

1 handful of fresh thyme, leaves picked

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3-4 tablespoons water or stock

Slice about 1/2 inch off the bottom of your celeriac and roll it on to that flat edges, so it's nice and safe to slice. Slice and dice it into 1/2 inch cubes. Put a casserole-type pot on a high heat, add 3 good lugs of olive oil, then add the celeriac, thyme and garlic, with a little seasoning. Stir around to coat and fry quite fast, giving a little color, for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to a simmer, add the water or stock, place a lid on top and cook for around 25 minutes, until tender. Season carefully to taste and stir around with a spoon to smash up the celeriac.

I served this with butter over wilted greens! Yum!

Hearty Potato Soup

It's been so cold around here and so I've been in search of recipes that are going to stick to my ribs while I'm out playing or working in the snow! Here is a classic potato soup recipe that I helped make at a friend's house a couple days ago. It is a delicious and easy way to use the heirloom German Butterball potatoes we had in our farm share this week. My friends and I added bacon, but that is optional.

2 lbs potatoes

1/2 lb of bacon

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

Milk or cream to taste

1 stick of butter

herbs to your liking (we used a bit of rosemary on top!)

Peel the potatoes if you like, boil in a soup pot. Brown bacon with the onion and garlic. Add milk/cream and butter, salt and pepper, herbs, bacon, onion, and garlic to the potatoes. Let cook and mash together. Add a bit of shredded parmesan cheese and chopped herbs to top!

Stay warm and eat well!