It’s the second to last winter CSA delivery and the farm season is just around the corner!
🌱 Greenhouse Delights: There’s an unmistakable magic in the revival of the greenhouse scents, which is where the crew has gotten to hang out more and more recently 🙂 Our first planting of onions are just starting to poke out of the potting soil, with subsequent plantings not far behind.
🥕 Carrot Countdown: I am not 100% sure how many pounds of carrots we bagged up this winter, but I do know it was a lot! When the winter began, the root cellar was packed to the ceiling with pallet boxes of them… I mean packed, you could barely move around in there. Now there is but a few pallet boxes remaining and most of them will be reserved for the final CSA delivery in April. This means that this is the last week you will find our carrots in local restaurants and stores!
In Your Share This Month:
Beets – Green Cabbage – Purple and Orange Carrots – Onions – Shallots
Parsnips – Fingerling, Baby Yellow, & Red Potatoes – Rutabagas
For the recipes this month, it’s back to basics… One of my favorite ways to eat root vegetables is to roast them in the oven with nothing but a little olive oil, salt & pepper. They can then be enjoyed as a side dish, thrown on salads for fiber & flavor, or paired with a tasty sauce… like the caramelized shallot & herb aioli recipe below.
When roasting, I’m typically a fan of potato skins, but the French fingerlings in this month’s share have a slightly rough texture. They remain delicious, but I do suggest peeling them this time round.
Roasted Root Vegetables
Ingredients:
Assorted root vegetables (such as carrots, potatoes, parsnips, Rutabaga, etc.)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 425°F
- Wash and peel the root vegetables, then chop them into similar-sized pieces to ensure even cooking.
- Place the chopped vegetables in a large mixing bowl.
- Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables, using enough to coat them evenly. Toss the vegetables with your hands or a spoon to ensure they are all well coated with the oil.
- Season the vegetables generously with salt and pepper, adjusting the amount to taste.
- Spread the seasoned vegetables out in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Make sure they are not overcrowded to allow for even roasting.
- Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and roast the vegetables for about 25-35 minutes, or until they are tender and golden brown, stirring halfway through the cooking time for even browning.
- Once the vegetables are roasted to your desired level of doneness, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a serving dish.
Feel free to customize this recipe by adding other seasonings or herbs such as garlic powder, rosemary, thyme, or paprika for extra flavor!
Caramelized Shallot & Herb Aioli by newinthekitchen.wordpress.com
Ingredients:
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus a pinch of zest
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped finely
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped finely
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce (your choice of brand, we enjoy Cholula)
3 shallots, minced
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Heat a saute pan with one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add shallots and cooked until browned and caramelized, about 10 minutes.
3. Allow shallots to cool.
4. Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise, herbs, lemon juice and zest, dijon mustard, hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.
5. When shallots are cooled, add them to mixture. Stir to combine.
6. Allow Aioli to chill in the refrigerator for about an hour prior to serving to allow flavors to combine.
For the farm crew,
Charlie
Food Farm 