September 9, 2020

by

Notes From The Farm

We spent Monday steadily harvesting as many frost sensitive vegetables as we could.  The weather report, depending on what you looked, predicted anywhere from 27 – 31 degrees Fahrenheit, and we usually run a few degrees colder than Hamilton.  What we couldn’t harvest we irrigated or covered and hoped for the best.  It was a killing frost, but we are pretty happy with what we accomplished.  This week and probably next you will get some tomatillos and peppers for oh so good salsa verde.  You will also start to see some fall crops, such as celery root this week.

This Week’s Veggie Feast

Celery Root, Pepper mix, Summer Squash, Sweet Onions, Kale, Tomatillos, Lettuce Mix

New This Week

Celeriac Root

Celeriac, also known as celery root is an odd looking plant with heaps of flavor.  The whole vegetable can be used top to bottom.  The bulbous root has a mild flavor, and can be stewed, roasted or blanched.  You can clip the long roots off (save these if you are thrifty) to get to the main bulb.  You may want to use a paring knife to get off any hidden debris.  Some people peel it, but that seems like such a waste, and since it’s only been out of the ground for a couple of days there is no need.  It is an excellent addition to soups, either standing alone or added with carrots (of which you will get next week), or potatoes.   The stalks and leaves have a strong celery flavor and can also be used in soups, or as a seasoning.  We often dry some stalks and leaves, either in a food dehydrator (quick option), or on a screen someplace with plenty of air flow (slow option), and store the completely dried greens in a jar.  If they are not completely dried, but almost, (and you are tired of tripping over the screen of celeriac greens) you can put them in a paper bag with the top open.  Below are a couple of recipes to get you started.

Recipes

Source: Bon Appetit

Celery Root and Carrot Soup

INGREDIENTS

½ large celery root (celeriac), peeled, chopped
½ pound carrots, peeled, chopped
¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled ginger
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Celery leaves and chopped Granny Smith apple (for serving)

RECIPE PREPARATION

Place celery root and carrots in a large pot; add 6 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook until tender, 30–35 minutes. Let cool slightly. Purée in a blender with yogurt, honey, coriander, and ginger until smooth; season with salt and pepper.

Serve soup topped with celery leaves and apple.

Celery Root Steaks with Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Source:  Bon Appetit

INGREDIENTS

4 medium tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, chopped
1 serrano chile, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely grated
½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup olive oil
Kosher salt
1 large celery root (celeriac), peeled
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Combine tomatillos, chile, garlic, cilantro, onion, and olive oil in a small bowl. Season salsa verde with salt and let sit at room temperature 30 minutes to let flavors come together.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°. Slice celery root into four 1″-thick slices; season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high and cook celery root steaks until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast celery root until tender (a paring knife should easily pierce the center), 8–10 minutes.

Serve celery root steaks with salsa verde spooned over.