Welcome to week 15! This week is the second to last week of the CSA season and with the ending of the season comes to a shift away from fresh, leafy veggies, towards crops that store better. Of course, you’ll be seeing more root vegetables, as well as winter squash and storage onions.
This week we are so grateful to have volunteers come down to our farm to help us clean, harvest, finish our high tunnels, and take some time to get to know the New Roots Farmers. This year we had multiple volunteers coming in from all different walks of life to help us in a variety of ways. These volunteers are a critical part of our success every season. This year we partnered with Bates College, giving the students a chance to engage with their community and experience life on the farm. We had CSA members come and support us, as well as other members of the community who are willing to give us a hand in the various aspects of running a farm. Thank you to all who participated!
Ingredients
- 2 jewel yams, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch kale, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Directions:
- Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Toss the yams with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and arrange evenly onto a baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the yams are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature in the refrigerator.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the onion and garlic until the onion has caramelized to a golden brown, about 15 minutes. Stir in the kale, cooking until wilted and tender. Transfer the kale mixture to a bowl, and cool to room temperature in the refrigerator.
- Once all the ingredients have cooled, combine the yams, kale, red wine vinegar, and fresh thyme in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and gently stir to combine.
Recipe from https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/217266/roasted-yam-and-kale-salad/
Cider Vinaigrette Roasted Root Vegetables
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly grated black pepper to taste
- 4 medium beets, peeled, thickly sliced
- 4 medium carrots, peeled, sliced lengthwise into 1 to 2 inch long pieces
- 3 medium garnet yams, or non-sweet potatoes sliced lengthwise into 1 to 2 inch long pieces
- 4 medium parsnips, peeled, sliced lengthwise into 1 to 2 inch long pieces, any tough woody core removed
- 1 large red onion, thickly sliced
- 3/4 teaspoon thyme, dry or fresh
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Toss vegetables with vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, pepper: Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a large bowl (enough room for all the vegetables) mix together the cider vinegar, olive oil, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Add the vegetables—the beets, carrots, yams, parsnips, onion—to the bowl and toss to combine.
2. Spread vegetables out into two lined sheet pans: Line two large roasting pans or sturdy rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil. Spread the root vegetables out over the pans in a single layer, with some space in between so that the vegetables don’t crowd each other too much and the hot oven air can circulate around the vegetables. (You’ll get better browning that way.) Pour the remaining vinaigrette over the root vegetables in the pans.
3. Roast the vegetables: Place vegetables in the oven and roast at 450°F for 35 to 40 minutes, turning the pans (and swapping bottom and top rack positions), half-way through the cooking. Cook until the vegetables are well browned and caramelized around the edges.
4. Sprinkle with thyme: Remove from oven and gently loosen the root vegetables from the foil with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle with thyme. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe from https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cider_vinaigrette_roasted_root_vegetables/