Alas, friends, the sad day has come. Week 25 is One Straw Farm CSA‘s last dropoff, and we are soon to be bereft of the lovely produce that supported and nourished us all through the Summer and Fall of 2013. At least this haul was quite a robust one! Butternut squash, rainbow chard, purple potatoes, collard greens, arugula, bok choy, lacinato kale, and turnips provide one last seasonal melée. Oops, forgot to mention the romanesco, incorrectly identified last week as (alien) cauliflower. This broccoli-family vegetable does share much with both broccoli and cauliflower, except that those two vegetables don’t typically inspire descriptive paeans.
Something about the romanesco’s baffling appearance just turns cooks into bards, waxing poetic about its minarets and spires, it’s unusual chartreuse hue, or its delicate flavor. It’s yummy! This week, we feature two recipes, one to highlight the alien cauliflower–I mean romanesco–and one to give due to the beautiful selection of greens.
Cabbage and Potato Bake (with Romanesco)
Strange-looking, perhaps, but delicious nonetheless!
Ready in 2 1/2 hours (including prep); serves 4–6
Ingredients
- 1 cabbage, about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds
- 2 large potatoes, about 2 1/2 pounds
- 1 romanesco in florets
- 12 ounces lean bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice (optional)
- 2 cups yellow onions, peeled and sliced lengthwise
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Rinse the cabbage and the romanesco under cold running water and remove the tough outer leaves. Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the hard core. Cut the cabbage quarters into halves and place, rounded side down, in a roasting pan along with the romanesco florets.
- Cut the potatoes in half crosswise and peel. Cut the peeled potato halves into quarters and arrange in the roasting pan, alternating with the cabbage pieces.
- Fry the bacon in a heavy medium skillet for 7 minutes. Add the sliced onions, salt, and black pepper to the pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Evenly distribute the bacon mixture and pan drippings over the vegetables, then pour the chicken stock on top. Tightly cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow to sit, covered, for 15 minutes before serving. Serve the vegetables with the bacon and broth spooned over them.
From FoodNetwork.com
Drizzle over the juice of one lemon just before serving for some lovely, balancing acidity.
Garlicky Greens
Ready in 1 1/2 hours (including prep); serves 6–8
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 dried chiles de árbol (or red pepper flakes)
- 1 head garlic, cloves peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 heads kale (about 2 lbs.), trimmed and roughly
- chopped
- 2 heads mustard or collard greens (about 2 lbs.), trimmed and
- roughly chopped
- 1 large head chard (about 1 lb.), trimmed and
- roughly chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Heat 4 tbsp. of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chiles and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add chicken stock and greens and stir well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 1 hour.
- Season with salt and pepper. Transfer greens with their liquid to a shallow platter and drizzle with remaining oil.
From Saveur.com