Swiss Chard & Sweet Potato Au Gratin

You can swap the sweet potato for thin slices of winter squash...
Serves 12

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped,
• 3 pounds Swiss chard, leaves and stems separated and both cut into 1-inch pieces
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 cups heavy cream or whole milk
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 pounds medium red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick rounds
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• Fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) coarsely grated Gruyére cheese
  Prep greens: Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a wide 8-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add chard stems, pinch of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender but not browned, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to moderately high and add chard leaves by large handfuls, stirring, until all greens are wilted. Season with salt and pepper then transfer greens to a colander to drain well and press out liquid with back of a large spoon.
  Make sauce: Combine cream or milk and garlic in small saucepan; bring to simmer; keep warm. Melt two tablespoons butter in a medium heavy saucepan over moderate heat and stir in flour. Cook roux, whisking, one minute, then slowly whisk in warm cream/milk and boil, whisking, one minute. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
  Assemble gratin: Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter deep 9×13 baking dish. Spread half of sweet potatoes in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, a quarter of the herbs and a 1/4 cup of the cheese. Distribute half of the greens mixture over the cheese, then sprinkle salt, pepper, a quarter of the herbs and 1/4 cup of the cheese over it. Pour half of bechamel sauce over the first two layers then continue with the remaining sweet potatoes, more salt, pepper, herbs and cheese and then the remaining greens, salt, pepper and herbs. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the gratin, pressing the vegetables slightly to ensure that they are as submerged as possible. Sprinkle with the last 1/4 cup of cheese.
  Bake gratin for about 1 hour until golden and bubbly, and most of the liquid is absorbed. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
  Do ahead: You can make the entire gratin but not bake it up to a day in advance and keep it in the fridge. You can also make and bake the gratin and reheat it. Gratins reheat well, but they take almost as much time to gently heat through as they do to bake in the first place, especially deep ones like this. As for reheating, already baked and frozen, I will find out very soon! But I am near-positive it will be fine.

Whipped Amber Turnips & Winter Squash

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place squash, skin side up, in a shallow baking pan, add 1/2 inch water and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until squash is tender. Meanwhile, place the turnips in a saucepan. Add water to cover and the bay leaf and salt. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes. Add the potatoes, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, nutmeg and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Drain the turnips and potatoes. Discard the bay leaf. Use an electric mixer and a large bowl and beat the turnips, potatoes, shallot mixture and cream until well combined. Cool the baked squash about 5 minutes or until it's easy to handle. Turn each cavity up and sprinkle with brown sugar. Fill the cavity of each with the turnip mixture. Heat the broiler. Broil the squash, 3 inches from the heat, until the whipped turnips start to brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Arrange the squash on a serving plate and sprinkle with paprika. Serve immediately.

Holiday Turnips & Carrots

• 1 medium turnip
• 8 large carrots
• 2 cups shredded old cheddar
• 2 tbsp butter
• tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 cup fine bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
  Lightly rub a casserole dish with butter or oil. Peel and cube turnip; boil until soft and drain. Peel and chop carrots; boil until soft and drain. Mash turnips and carrot together. In the same pot, add 1 1/4 cups of old cheddar cheese, butter, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and transfer to casserole dish. Top with remaining 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese and bread crumbs. Cover casserole dish and refrigerate.
  Cook covered at 350° for 1 hour, then remove lid and continue cooking 15 minutes or until heated through. Serves 6-8.

Carrot Tops Recipes

After three long years of delivering carrot bunches with such beautiful greens that many WE CSA members and one particular farmer (me) were inspired to wonder - Are the carrot tops edible? - It was Jerry at this past Tuesday's pick up who unwittingly became the hundredth monkey, tipping the critical mass of members who have posed this eternal question enough for me to finally sit down and invest the three short minutes it took to research this longstanding mystery and reveal the great news. Yes! Click this link to the World Carrot Museum (who knew?) for carrot tops recipes and preparation ideas.
What a relief, now we can move on to more pressing issues like - why is the arugula so hot?!

Cabbage Recipes

http://www.cheriestihler.com/recipes/vegetarian.html

Hon Tsai Tai Stir-fry with Coconut Peanut Sauce

• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1/4 c coconut peanut sauce
• 2 green garlic (or green onion)
• 1/4 c chopped red pepper
• 4 c chopped hon tsai tai
• 4 oz whole wheat linguine
• peanuts (optional)
  
  Cook pasta according to directions. Drain & set aside.
  In a large skillet or wok heat the oil over high heat. Add green garlic & red pepper & stir-fry for 1 minute. Add in the greens & stir-fry until almost completely wilted. Add remaining sauce & cooked noodles. Stir until heat through. Serve immediately with peanuts sprinkled on top.

Spring Green Tart

from erinskitchen.blogspot.com

• 1 frozen sheet all-butter puff pastry
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 large bunch of rainbow chard, center ribs removed, roughly chopped
• handful of trimmed hon tsai tai
• 3 bunches sliced green garlic
• 1 tsp. thyme leaves
• 1/2 c. low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 tbsp. cream
• 6 oz. goat cheese
• salt/pepper
• olive oil

Preheat oven to 400.Defrost puff pastry (I wrap the folded piece in a damp towel) and unroll it on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Score a 1/4-inch border around the edge of the pastry. Mix one egg yolk and a splash of water, and brush along the border. Chill the pastry in the freezer until ready to use.Heat a large saute pan over high heat, and add tbsp. olive oil. Then add thyme and 1/2 the green garlic, and saute for a few minutes. Then add the chard and the han tsai tai, tossing in oil to help them wilt. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until greens are tender. Set aside to cool.Mix cottage cheese, remaining egg yolk, cream, splash of olive oil, salt and pepper together in a bowl (If you'd like it really smooth, you can puree in food processor).Spread cottage cheese mixture on the puff pastry inside the scored border. Crumble half of the goat cheese over the cottage cheese, arrange the cooked greens on top, and sprinkle with the rest of the green garlic. Then distribute the last of the goat cheese on top.Bake the tart for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is bubbling and crust is golden brown. Cool a few minutes and serve.

Hon Tsai Tai Recipes

Many CSA's feature this asian light mustard green, so here's a few links to their recipes!
http://greenyourplate.blogspot.com/2009/05/in-season-hon-tsai-tai.html

Cabbage Rolls

• Sauce:
  1 stalk celery, diced1/4 cup red onions, finely chopped3 tablespoons chicken stock1 1/2 cups tomatoes, finely chopped2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced1 tablespoon cider vinegar1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
  
• 1/2 cup red onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable broth
• 2 cups cooked brown rice or barley
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 cup tomatoes, diced
• 3 tablespoons whole grain bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 8-10 cabbage leaves
  Sauce:
  In a medium saucepan, sauté onions and celery over medium heat in stock for about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, basil, oregano; add vinegar. Simmer over low heat, covered, for 20 minutes. Set aside.
  Cabbage Rolls:
  In another saucepan, sauté the onions, garlic and mushrooms in the stock for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the rice or barley, tomatoes, bread crumbs, soy sauce, parsley, curry and pepper. Steam the cabbage leaves in boiling water for about 3 minutes or until wilted. Drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, portion 1/2 cup of mixture onto the center of each leaf. Roll up tightly in the cabbage leaf to wrap the filling.
  Spray a baking dish with Pam or olive oil. Arrange the rolls with the seam side down.
  Layer a cup of tomato sauce over the tops of the rolls. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400°F for 25 to 35 minutes. Serve with the remaining sauce.

from cooks.com

Creamed Turnips

• 3 pounds medium turnips
• 4 shallots
• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves OR 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 black peppercorns
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• white pepper
• freshly grated nutmeg
• Garnish: chopped fresh parsley leaves

Peel and quarter turnips. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water cook turnips until tender, 15 to 20 minutes, and drain in a colander. Chop shallots. In a heavy saucepan bring milk and cream just to a simmer and keep hot over low heat. In a 4-quart heavy kettle cook shallots in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add thyme, salt, peppercorns, cloves, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add flour and cook roux, stirring, 3 minutes. Whisk in hot milk mixture all at once and bring to a boil over moderately high heat, whisking occasionally, 15 minutes. Pour sauce through a sieve into a large heavy saucepan and discard solids. Into sauce stir white pepper, nutmeg, and salt to taste. Turnips and sauce may be made up to this point 1 day ahead and kept separately in bowls, covered and chilled. Return sauce to a simmer and add turnips. Cook mixture, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until turnips are heated through. Garnish turnips with parsley.
This recipe from CDKitchen

Caramelized Turnips

• 8 small turnips
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 F. Turnips that are sufficiently young and tender need only be rinsed and dried before cooking; older purple-top turnips will need to be peeled. Cut the turnips into halves, or quarters if they are small. Big ones should be cut in half lengthwise and the halves sliced into wedges. Toss the turnips in a bowl with a generous splash of olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread them out in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast them for about 10 minutes, then toss them once (if tossed more frequently, they tend to break apart as they become tender). Roast for 5 minutes more and check for doneness - depending on the water content of the turnips, they can take from 15 to 30 minutes. The turnips are done when they are fork tender and nicely caramelized.
This recipe from CDKitchen

Potato-Turnip Saute With Greens

• 1 pound red new potatoes
• 1 pound baby turnips, unpeeled
• 1 pound young turnip greens or other greens with their stems
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
• 2 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Boil potatoes in lightly salted water until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain, and set aside. Cut large potatoes in halves or quarters; leave small ones whole. Boil turnips in lightly salted water to cover until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain, and set aside. Cut larger turnips into halves or quarters; leave small ones whole. Pick over greens, discarding any large, coarse stems or damaged leaves. Blanch leaves and stems in lightly salted water, cooking just until tender (2 to 4 minutes). Drain, and plunge into ice water to halt the cooking. Drain thoroughly, pressing out excess moisture. Chop leaves coarsely; dice stems. Set aside separately. In a small skillet over moderately low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add shallots and garlic, and saute until fragrant (2 to 3 minutes). Set mixture aside. At serving time, in a large skillet, warm remaining butter and olive oil over moderately high heat. Add softened shallot-garlic mixture and diced stems; saute briefly to heat through. Add potatoes and turnips; saute briefly to heat through. Add turnip greens and cook, covered, 1 minute. Stir in mustard and creme fraiche. Add lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
This recipe from CDKitchen for

Best Ever Turnips

• 4 pounds white turnips peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
• 12 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 clove garlic -- peeled
• salt to taste
• freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Bring a lot of salted water to a boil and parboil the turnips for 7 minutes; add the garlic and boil 1 minute longer; drain. Melt half the butter and cook the garlic and turnips, covered, over low heat for 5 minutes. Transfer turnips and garlic to a food processor and puree until smooth, adding remaining butter with the machine turned on. Season well with salt and pepper and, if made in advance, reheat in a double boiler.
This recipe from CDKitchen

Amish Turnip Casserole

• 1 1/2 cup grated turnip
• 1 1/2 cup grated potato
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup low fat yogurt
• 1/2 cup whole grain bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup sunflower, olive or safflower oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375degrees F. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients, except the bread crumbs, in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased shallow casserole. Scatter the bread crumbs over the top. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve immediately. Variation: Fry the bread crumbs in a small amount of oil, before scattering them over the top of the dish.
This recipe from CDKitchen

Achara Zuke (Turnips In Vinegar Dressing)

• 4 ounces white turnips
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 dried red pepper
• 1 kombu seaweed (1" square) -- washed
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• soy sauce

Starting a day ahead, peel the turnips and, one at a time, slice them in the following fashion: Make thin slices down to within 1/8" of the base, move the turnip a half turn clockwise & make similar slices intersecting the first ones. Now cut each turnip into quarters. In a mixing bowl, stir the salt into 1/4 c cold water. Add the turnips. Soak in the refrigerator for 24 hours. The following day, cover the dried red pepper with cold water and soak at room temperature for about 1 hour, or until soft. Cut off the top of the pepper, remove and discard the seeds, slice the pepper crosswise into very thin rings. Wrap the piece of kombu in a damp towel and let it rest for about an hour, or until it is soft and pliable. Cut into strips 1" by 1/8" wide. Drain the turnips and squeeze them firmly until dry. Combine the vinegar, 1/2 c cold water, sugar & a sprinkle of soy sauce in a 1 1/2 to 2 qt jar & stir thoroughly. Add the turnips, pepper rings and kombu, & stir again. Cover tightly with a jar cover or plastic wrap, & refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving. Will keep for 3 or 4 days.
This recipe from CDKitchen

Turnip & Greens Ragout

• 2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and sliced (dark green leaves washed and set aside)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large sweet red or white onion, chopped
• 1 small head green garlic, minced
• 1 bunch (about 1 pound size) baby turnips, with greens
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon, parsley, chives, or chervil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  turnips peeled and cut in wedges, greens stemmed, washed well, and chopped

Place the leek greens in a pot and add 8 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes while you prepare the remaining vegetables. Strain and return to the pot, discarding the solids. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the onions and sliced leeks. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the turnips, 2 1/2 cups of the leek stock, and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, partially cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the turnips are tender. Stir in the greens and simmer for another 5 minutes. If the greens are quite tough, simmer a few minutes longer; however, their color will not be as bright. Add pepper, taste, and adjust the salt. Stir in the fresh herbs and butter. When the butter has melted, serve in wide bowls over couscous.
This recipe from CDKitchen