This week there will be potatoes, leeks, celeriac, winter squash, baby kale, carrots, cabbage, rutabaga, kohlrabi, a choice between baby romaine or baby spinach & possibly brussel sprouts. There will also be plenty of greens to choose from arugula, tatsoi, mustard greens, chard.

Baby Kale is more tender than it’s mature counterpart and is the best kale for eating raw (in our opinion) in a salad. However we mostly cook all kale as that is the way we prefer to eat it.

Sauteed Baby Kale with Apples

½ green apple with skin on, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon best quality extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

10 ounces baby kales, rinsed but not dried

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Slice apple into thin slices leaving skin on. Set aside while you cook the kale. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot with a lid. Add the garlic and cook one minute. Add the kale and toss to coat with the oil and garlic. Cover and cook until the kale is just wilted, bright green and stems have softened, about two to three minutes. Remove from heat. Gently fold in sliced apples and season with salt and pepper. Mix well to evenly distribute apple and seasonings.

 

Celeriac is also known as celery root. Tastes like celery looks like an odd turnip. Good to dice up and roast or mash with potatoes.

Potato and Celery Root Rosti (aka giant latke or potato pancake)

4 pounds potatoes, peeled or unpeeled – rutabaga can be substituted for a portion of the potatoes if desired

1 medium celery root (about 1 pound), trimmed and peeled

2 small leeks, finely chopped

2 tablespoons salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

sour cream, for serving

Shred potatoes and celery root on the large holes of a box grater. Working in batches, wrap in cheesecloth and squeeze out liquid. Toss with leeks & salt in a medium bowl. Season with pepper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat1/4 cup olive oil in a 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Spread shredded potato-celery root mixture evenly in skillet; press gently to flatten using a spatula. Cook for 10 minutes. Run spatula around edge to loosen; spoon 2 tablespoons oil around edge. Cook until underside is golden and begins to crisp, 10 to 15 minutes more. Run spatula around edge to loosen; invert onto a plate. Add remaining 1/4 cup olive oil to skillet. Return rosti to skillet, golden side up; press gently to flatten. Cook, shaking occasionally to loosen, until underside is golden and begins to crisp, about 20 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven. Bake until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Return to plate; cut into wedges. Serve with sour cream.

Acorn Squash Puree

2 acorn squash

olive oil

salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375°. Carefully cut acorn squash in half length wise along one of the indents. Scoop out seeds in middle. slice each half lengthwise along every indents so you have slices. Peel the skin off each slice. Cut acorn squash into cubes & place in baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil & sprinkle with salt & pepper. Stir to coat squash. Place in oven for 25 minutes stirring halfway. When finished mash with fork or potato masher.

Acorn Squash Lasagna

Olive oil, for baking dish

4 cups acorn squash puree

1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage

salt and pepper

1 – 15 ounce container ricotta cheese

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

8 lasagna noodles, no boil or cooked regular lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with oil; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix squash puree with sage, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In another bowl, mix ricotta with 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside. Lay 2 lasagna noodles in the bottom of prepared dish; spread with half the squash mixture. Layer with 2 more noodles, and spread with half the ricotta mixture. Repeat layering with remaining noodles and mixtures. Sprinkle top (ricotta mixture) with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Cover baking dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until lasagna is heated through, about 45 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes more.

Acorn Squash Macaroni & Cheese

1/2 a box of macaroni noodles cooked

1 to 2 cups acorn squash puree

4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (it is important to shred your own cheese for this recipe, shredded cheese from the store doesn’t make a good cheese sauce)

1 1/2 cups of milk

3 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons of flour

salt & pepper

In a sauce pan place butter over medium heat & melt. Whisk in flour to form a rue (it will be thick). Add milk slowly while whisking. Bring to a light boil stirring constantly (you can raise the temperature but watch it carefully it can burn in a split second). Once it starts to boil reduce heat to low & add cheese stirring with a spoon until melted. Mixed macaroni with the acorn squash puree until squash is evenly distributed. Add the cheese sauce stir, serve & enjoy. Try making this with dumpling squash or hubbard squash.