- Radicchio (please soak in ice cold water for 15-30 minutes and then spin dry- this eliminates the bitter)
- Daikon
- Celeriac
- Cabbage
- Fennel
- Kohlrabi
- Parsley or thyme
- Winter squash
- Leeks
- Greens ( kale, chard or spinach)
- Onions
We are traveling back from Honduras as I write this quick note. We had an amazing time with family over our 9 day trip. We enjoyed all our favorite meals: pupusas, baliadas, nacatamales and so many good fruits. We spent time with family, floating down rivers and a few adventures. Juve remains there working on our plot of land, cleaning, planting and supervising the building of our Honduran house.
It looks a lot bigger than it really is but the covered outdoor area is great with lots of space for hammocks. Note the cupola on top is a reflection of La Finquita at Rancho Malaika. We planted 25 additional fruit trees. Juve’s brother Will had already planted some 130 trees earlier this year and most of them have started to grow. There will be lots of food for visitors to enjoy!
Celebrating Don Felix’s 96th birthday
As I am writing I am not sure of the state of the veggies we hope to harvest in the morning. They were frozen solid the day I left and have since thawed. The list above is my best guess and biggest hope. The rain has been relentless and the cold followed by slushy rain may be the end of crops like fennel. We will see tomorrow.
We have one more harvest this month, next Sunday 12/17. They are clumped together due to the holidays. I have listed only one harvest in January – if things look good I will offer an add on January 7th. Keep your eyes open for announcements.
We have some eggs, some new ceramics and a few bird feeders left. I am looking forward to sitting down with my seed catalogs and dreaming about next season. Those have to be completed before the end of this month! Looking forward to seeing you around the farm.
Some recipes:
Best Ottolenghi Celeriac Recipes (thehappyfoodie.co.uk)
Winter salad with Fennel, celery root (celeriac):
https://food52.com/recipes/35736-a-winter-salad-of-fennel-celery-root-lemon-and-pecorino
Ingredients send grocery list
- 1 small bulb celery root
- 1 large fennel bulb
- 1 small red onion
- 1 large lemon (or 5 tablespoons lemon juice)
- (a shallow 1/2 cup or 15 grams) chopped parsley
- (a heaping 1/2 cup or 80 grams) thinly sliced pecorino cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon crunchy sea salt
- 25 turns black pepper
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- 7 tablespoons quality olive oil
Directions
- First, prepare the vegetables. Start by peeling the celery root. If you have a mandoline with a julienne blade, use that to cut the celery root. Otherwise, by hand; aim for pieces 1/8-inch x 1/8-inch. Next, trim the fennel so that just the bulb remains. (If you have fronds, you can chop and add them to the salad.) Cut off the heel of the bulb, and then slice the bulb in half lengthwise. On a mandoline or by hand, slice each half crosswise, more thinly than the celery root. Cut the red onion in half lengthwise, and slice into wispy half moons. Toss the vegetables into a large mixing bowl.
- Juice the lemon into the mixing bowl. With your hands, mix the juice evenly into the vegetables. Chop the parsley, and add it to the bowl. Thinly slice the pecorino–I used a mandoline again, but you can also do this by hand. Add the salt, pepper, pumpkin seeds, and olive oil to the bowl. Use your hands (or tongs) to evenly blend the salad ingredients. Divide the salad between plates; enjoy. You may drink the dressing that collects at the bottom of your bowl. I won’t judge.
Curried Winter Squash Soup
Farmer John’s Cookbook, John Peterson
Serves 6-8
- 3 T unsalted butter
- 1 cup chopped scallions (about 6)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 jalapeno, seeded, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds butternut squash, about ½ a large squash, peeled, seeded, cubed
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 14 ounce can whole tomatoes or 2 cups peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes
- 12 whole curry leaves (optional)
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground mace (I skipped this)
- pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- salt
- freshly ground pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the scallions; sauté until soft and wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley, jalapeno, and garlic,; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Add the squash and toss to coat it with the scallion mixture. Add the stock, tomatoes, curry leaves, all spice, mace and nutmeg. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, covered until the squash is very tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Transfer the soup in batches to a blender or food processor; puree.
Transfer the soup back to the pot. Stir in the curry powder and add salt, pepper to taste. Return the soup to a simmer to heat through. Garnish with the parsley just before serving.
Another delicious looking squash soup recipe:
Gingery Roasted Winter Squash Soup (AIP, whole30)• Heal Me Delicious