Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter
6 green onions
2 Tbsp California Olive Oil
1.5-2 pounds parsnips, peel and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups chicken stock or vegetarian alternative
2 cups water
2 cups cilantro
1 Tbsp lime juice
3 crushed garlic cloves
dash of hot sauce
Heat butter, add chopped green onions, cook until soft. Add parsnips and olive oil; salt. Add stock and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Add cilantro, garlic, hot sauce and puree in a Cuisinart or similar mixer until smooth. Serve. Garnish with freshly ground pepper, a little cilantro or a tiny sprig of rosemary
The thing about parsnips, is they can be used almost like potatoes. They are a tiny bit more fibrous than your typical potato, and certainly more flavorful. I couldn’t enjoy a potato without salt and butter, but the parsnip comes with its own flavor package and can be enjoyed without added salt or fat! Try parsnips and you’ll be hooked!
I used many of the items from our large CSA box this week in this quick concoction. Peel the parsnips, and cut into pieces. They take the longest to cook, so I put them in the stir fry pan first, with the smallest amount of olive oil to prevent sticking. I add crushed garlic, pepper and a dash of hot sauce. Then I dd everything else; the green onion, celery (oops, captured this photo before the celery was in the pan) baby carrots. I toss a sprig of rosemary in towards the end so the rosemary flavor is there, but not overpowering.
Click on image to enlarge for easier viewing.
What’s new this week are parsnips! Somewhat like potatoes in their versatility, we’ve included a few ideas this week to enjoy these winter root veggies, see above.
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon of White Sugar
1 Cup warm water
1 .25 ounce package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons softened butter
2 Tablespoons of finely chopped rosemary
Teaspoon total of mixed seasonings (pepper, oregano, dried garlic, parsley, etc.)
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon California Olive Oil (as always—I recommend Temecula Olive Oil’s amazing freshly pressed oils)
1 egg
dozen or so large green olives, cut lengthwise
Directions: Dissolve the sugar in warm water in a medium bowl, and mix in the yeast. When yeast is bubbly, mix in salt, butter, 1 tablespoon rosemary, and your customed teaspoon of mixed seasoning. Mix in 2 cups flour. Gradually add remaining flour to form a workable dough, and knead 10 to 12 minutes.
Coat the inside of a large bowl with olive oil. Place dough in bowl, cover, and allow to rise 1 hour in a warm location.
Punch down dough, and divide in half. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly grease paper. Shape dough into 2 round loaves, and place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining rosemary. Cover, and allow to rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Brush loaves with egg. Press halved olives into loaf. Bake 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
Strawberries from my friend Sandra over at Be-Wise Ranch this week! Sandra bought lots of our kumquats this week and I’m thrilled to have her
CCOF Certified Organic strawberries.
We had hoped to have radishes in all boxes this week, but the cold, despite the added protection of plastic hoops, has resulted in our radishes sitting in the cold soil, sulking. Normally by March, Morning Song Farm has, as my friend Joe from Jr’s Farm joked, “cornered the market on radishes.” Ok, they’re one of the easier root veggies to grow.
Lots more Cheno (lamb’s quarters) coming along nicely, we can’t wait to have bunches back in our boxes. And we’re eyeing those mulberries!
Students from the Jewish Farm School flew in last week and helped on the farm. Together we worked on blackberry pruning, weed eradication, fencing the newest row crop area from our ever-present squirrel population, and working on restoring the fire damaged west avocado grove. Whew! Unbelievable amount of work accomplished!
I think we’ll have leafy fennel in the boxes next week which is an herb that has the scent of licorce. I love to throw it on the barbeque with chicken or asparagus.
