Spring Onions, Roasted

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 bunches spring onions, trimmed, halved lengthwise (Hickory Hill Farm, Woodland Gardens)
• 6 sprigs thyme (Woodland Gardens)
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Pink Pepper Corn salt blend (Beautiful Briny Sea)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (make your own with Grass Roots' Chicken)
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (use a baguette from Start Provisions)
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Toss onions and thyme with 4 Tbsp. oil in a shallow 13x9” baking dish; season with Beautiful Briny Sea salt blend. Add stock and roast until tender, 30–35 minutes.

2. When onions are almost finished roasting, toss breadcrumbs and zest with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper. Toast on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes.

3. Serve onions topped with breadcrumbs.

Stuffed Delicata Squash

Delicata squash is considered a winter squash because of its texture, taste and growth patterns however it belongs to the same species as the summer squash like pattypan, zucchini and yellow crookneck squash. It takes the farmer roughly 100 days from planting the seed to harvest and then about one week to cure. Right now is the time to get them from our farmers at Freedom Farmers Market. I do consider this a long storage squash but they don’t store quite as well as true winter squash like butternut or acorn squash and more than likely after you taste one of these sweet things they wont last long at your house at all!

Delicata squash can be baked, sautéed, stuffed or steamed, can be eaten as a side, as the main course, or as dessert.

Check out this recipe, I absolutely love making it for dinner!

Ingredients

• 2 medium to large Delicata squashes, halved and seeds removed (it can be hard to cut them evenly so take your time)

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 medium apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped (you can also use 6 small Gala apples from Moore Farms and Friends)

• 2 medium leeks white and light green parts only, cleaned of grit, split in half lengthwise, and sliced into 1/4-inch half moons (remember you can always substitute this for any of your favorite type of onion)

• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

• 1/2 cup raisins

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 bunch kale, rinsed, thick stems removed, shredded (about 2 loosely packed quarts) I sometimes use swiss chard or whatever greens are in season.

• 1 cup cottage cheese, goat cheese will also do very nicely

• 2 eggs

• 3/4 cup packaged or fresh unseasoned breadcrumbs, plus more for topping

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 8 small cubes

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Halve squash, cutting from pole to pole. Remove seeds with a spoon. Rub with 1 tablespoon oil and lightly season with salt and pepper, then lay on a baking sheet.

2. If squash halves do not sit flat on baking sheet, use a vegetable peeler to trim a strip or two away from the bottom to allow them to lie flat. Bake until flesh is starting to turn tender, about 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing. Heat remaining olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the apples and leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, raisins and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Reduce heat to medium, add kale or greens of choice, cover pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are mostly wilted, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.Add cottage cheese, eggs, breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Mix well.

5. Remove squash from oven and divide filling evenly among 4 halves. Sprinkle squash with additional breadcrumbs and Parmesan, and dot each squash half with 2 cubes of butter. Return to oven and bake until squash is tender and stuffing is nicely browned, about 30 more minutes.

6. If you have any leftover stuffing, bake it in a greased dish alongside for the during the last 30 minutes.

SERVE and ENJOY!

Lettuce + Mushrooms, Sauteed

This sauté serves as a great accompaniment to grilled meat, vegetables, or seafood because of its combination of freshness and earthiness.
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1-tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter (Banner Butter at Moore Farms and Friends)
1/2 pound mushrooms, steamed, wiped clean and sliced (Sparta Imperial Mushrooms)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound chopped lettuce (Hickory Hill Farms)
1/2 cup cream
1-teaspoon fresh thyme

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Add the butter, and allow it to melt. When the pan is hot and the butter is beginning to brown, add the mushrooms and let them cook for 2-3 minutes or until brown. Stir the mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Once the Sparta Imperial mushrooms are tender and most of the moisture has evaporated, add the Hickory Hill Farm lettuce. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed, cooking until the lettuce is tender. Add the cream and the thyme. Cook until the cream is reduced and thickened. Remove from heat. Serve warm.

Salsify fritters

Yield
5-6 patties

Ingredients
10-12 ounces black or white salsify
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
3 tablespoons dried bread crumbs
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch of thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lemon juiced, 1 lemon wedge for garnish (optional)
Oil for frying
Plain Greek yogurt as garnish

Directions
1. As salsify emits a sticky milky substance, it is best to scrub the salsify and peel it using a vegetable peeler under running water.
2. Once the salsify is peeled, use a food processor to coarsely grate it.
3. Heat the butter in a frying pan and add the salsify and thyme.
4. Sauté the salsify until it begins to soften. It will be about 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, chop the parsley.
6. When the salsify has become soft, remove from the heat and place in a bowl.
7. Add the breadcrumbs and mix well.
8. Add the parsley, garlic and egg.
9. Season with salt and pepper and mix.
10. Form the salsify mixture into 5-6 patties.
11. Heat the oil in frying pan and fry the fritters until golden on both sides.
12. Remove from the heat.
13. Lightly sprinkle a bit of lemon juice on each of the patties and top with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.

More About Salsify
Salsify, Salsify, what is this strange root? If you were at market 2 weeks ago and stopped by Good Groceries and saw a strange skinny looking parsnip, you should win the golden farmers market award for finding the most unusual veggie at a market! This yummy root is surely not a normal find at any farmers market. Salsify is a white root or black depending on the variety, like a parsnip but skinnier.    All parts of the plant are edible. The greens are sweet, the root is tasty and easy to cook, and as if that weren’t enough, salsify’s purple flowers are really pretty.

Don’t mind the way the roots look; they are tan and shaggy with coarse side roots.  The taste out weighs the look of this root crop. To make them visually more appealing one can peel them with a vegetable peeler to reveal the snow-white flesh. They will oxidize (turn a darker color) so you can place them into a bowl of water with lemon juice, to keep them snowy white. If you plan to steam them and brown them in butter (I would!) then there is no need for soaking them in lemon juice that snowy white color will be disguised by the cooking process.  You can also use the greens, which look like tall, wide grass blades. The light-colored part of the leaf, the bottom six inches or so, is tender and delicious, like the bottom of a leek, and can be sautéed along with the roots.

The most surprising thing about salsify, the first time you eat it, is its flavor. Traditionally it is called “oyster plant,” and some folks say that they taste like oyster mushrooms. Don’t let that scare you off the root taste a lot like artichoke hearts, which is something we don’t get at a local farmers market in Georgia. I will take salsify over an artichoke heart any day!

Good Groceries at Tewksburry Farm has the white salsify this week and will have the black salsify very soon. Be sure to stop by his booth to get the ever so righteous salsify. Here are some recipes to try out. You can use the white salsify for the black in any of these recipes.

Foraged Mushrooms + Oats

Tyler Williams' revolutionary Foraged Mushrooms and Oats
brought a breakfast dish to the level of a risotto you'd lust for
any hour of the day.

Ingredients
Oatmeal
1 cup Steel cut oats, rinsed
4 cups mushroom stock
2 cups wild mushrooms, sautéed
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

Caramelized Buttermilk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup Non-fat dry milk solids
2 tablespoons sugar

Chef’s Instructions:
For the oats
1. Bring mushroom stock to a boil in a medium stock pot.
2. Add a good pinch of salt and whisk in oats.
3. Bing to a boil and skim off any impurities that rise to the surface.
4. Reduce the oats to a simmer and add the remaining ingredients.
5. Simmer 1 hour stirring often until the mixture has thickened to saturate.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the buttermilk
1. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and reduce until light golden brown and thickened. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.

To finish
1. Place 1/2 cup of oatmeal in a bowl and drizzle with the caramelized buttermilk.
2. Top with a fresh seasonal raw vegetable salad from your farmers market and dress with lemon juice and olive oil.

Serves: 4 to 6

Pickles

Bruce Logue's amazing pickels added a lighter counterbalance to his porchetta sandwich,
and made for a great chip dip.

Ingredients
5 heads fennel
3 cucumbers
1 quart water
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
2 garlic cloves smashed
2 sprigs thyme

Directions
1. Combine the water, vinegar, salt and spices and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow to steep for 3 minutes.
2. Slice the cucumbers and fennel to desired thickness and pour the hot liquid over.
3. Allow to cool to room temp. and store for a day before using.