Food Resolutions?
Posted on 03. Jan, 2012 by ispudas in Blog, Local Food, Recipes
Happy 2012 everyone!
This week, we hope we’ll be able to help you fulfill any New Year’s resolutions you may have made. I thought I’d share some resolutions made by some of us at OAS.
Mine are (unfortunately) the same as last year…1. to eat more dried beans, and 2. to eat more peanut butter (I have a severe weakness for cheese!).
Kathleen writes she’s “…resolved to eat more beans and lentils and to pack a lunch! I know I know, given I own a grocery store you’d think I could just eat off the shelves but really I never take the time to do so. So I’m keen to pack a brown bag lunch at least 3 times a week for my hubby and I.” My advise to her is to freeze soup in mason jars and bring it to work. See soup recipe below.
Grace’s are:
1) also beans…which is a bit odd that three of us want to eat more of them.
Jason’s, to my surprise, is to eat more cheese! and to be more adventurous about it. OAS will certainly help him with this!
If eating more locally, eating healthier, eating more veggies, (especially cruciferous veggies), eating more beans, getting to know where your meat comes from, etc. are any of your resolutions, then you are in luck being part of OAS! Enjoy!
On the Menu this Week:
Veggies:
Watermelon Radish! (Pfennings) These are gorgeous!!–light green on the outside and pink on the inside…it’s not hard to figure out where its name comes from!
Carrots (Hillside Farms)
Rutabaga (Zephyr Organics)–see feature below
Celery Root (Zephyr Organics)
Cipollini Onions (Pfennings)–these are small, squat onions that are sweeter-tasting than regular cooking onions. TIP: if you’re planning on cooking them (like in the recipe below), and need to peel them, simply drop the onions in boiling water for about 2 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water. The skins will now be easier to peel off.
Baby leeks (Pfennings)–a smaller and more tender version of leeks. see recipes below
Sweet potatoes (Round Plains)
Sunflower Sprouts (Greenbelt Farms)
Fruit:
Apples (Warner’s Farm)–see an apple and pear crisp recipe below
Pears (Warner’s Farm)
Pantry:
Dehydrated Blueberries from Sandy Acres–these are dried blueberries that need to be re-hydrated before adding them to your favorite recipes. Warm some water and sweeten it with sugar or some honey. Leave the blueberries in the water for a few minutes to soften them, then add them to your favorite recipe…they can be used in pancakes, muffins, smoothies and even added to an apple and pear crisp (see recipe below). You can also try throwing them into your oatmeal as it’s cooking.
Cheese:
Cheese from Quality Cheese–This is a Tuscan-style Caciotta cheese made with Truffles. It’s a cow’s milk pressed cheese (not cooked or stretched) made like cheddar, with a mild flavour.
Meat:
Ground Beef, from John Nyman in Prince Edward County
Featured Food: Rutabaga!
Rutabaga is a root vegetable that is part of the brassica family — other members include turnips and kohlrabi. What’s great about them is that they contain many of the same antioxidants as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and kale…and we know how healthy these veggies are to us!
Rutabaga is the common Canadian term for the plant, which dates back to 1620. The name originates from an old Swedish word Rotabagge, meaning simply “root bag”. In England, Wales, and Australia, they call rutabaga “Swede”, and in the U.S., the plant is also known as “Swedish turnip” or “yellow turnip”, while in Ireland, it is referred to as “turnip”. Not surprising, it is believed rutabaga originated in Scandinavia. It was introduction to North America came in the early 19th century with reports of planted rutabaga crops in Illinois as early as 1817.
Cooking and Eating:
Rutabaga has a rough, brown skin on the outside that must be peeled off before eating. You may notice in the grocery store, some rutabagas are covered in wax. This wax is used to help preserve them, yet it also makes them more difficult to peel.
Inside, the flesh is a light yellow-ish orange colour. It’s flavour is sweet and slightly bitter. Sliced thinly or julienned, it can be eaten raw, but it is usually eaten cooked. The best ways to prepare it is either roasted, pureed, or in soups. It goes well with other root veggies, so combine them with turnips, beets, potatoes, carrots, etc. when roasting them.
Buying: Look for rutabaga that is heavy for it’s size, otherwise it could have a woody texture.
Storage: Rutabaga can be stored in the fridge for around 2 weeks. If left at room temperature, it should be good for a week.
If you want to freeze it, peel then dice it into chunks. Quickly cook it in boiling water for about 3 minutes, then cool, place in a freezer bag and freeze. This is a great way to save your rutabaga to add to soups or to roast them at a later time.
Enjoy!
Rutabaga Recipes:
Rutabaga Puree
This simple recipe uses only rutabaga and butter
Roasted Rutabagas with Maple Syrup and Chili
A little sweet and spice works well with rutabaga. This recipe is from Martha Stewart
Hearty Rutabaga, Turnip and Carrot Soup
Try freezing this in 500ml mason jars and bring it to work! When using glass jars, make sure to leave generous head space (at least one inch) so that the glass doesn’t crack.
Root Vegetable Gratin
You can use your rutabega, celery root and even your radish, carrots and sweet potatoes for this warming recipe
Rutabaga or Parsnip Muffins
Something Different? How about this Rutabaga muffin recipe from Foodland Ontario
More Recipes:
Open-Face Butter and Radish Sandwiches
This is a favorite French sandwich. How gorgeous would it look with watermelon radishes?? Nice and light, a great party appetizer that’s easy to whip up anytime. The key is to make them with delicious local butter.
Feta Dip with Watermelon Radish
Here’s a dip recipe that uses the radish as the veggie. Cool dip with hot veggie is a tasty combination!
Pickled Radish
This quick pickle can be stored in the fridge for up to a month. You can also just slice the radish when preparing it. Pickled radishes are a great side to sandwiches (also great inside a sandwich) or in simple green salads. A great side too when eating cheesy items like grilled cheese, fondue or raclette.
Roasted Baby Leeks with Thyme
Here’s a simple recipe for roasting Baby Leeks, by Jaime Oliver
Braised carrots and Leeks with Tarragon
Here’s a healthy recipe using carrots and baby leeks, from nytimes.com
Simple Vegetarian Soup video, chow.com
I may have posted this video before, but here’s a refresher on how to make an easy soup using any veggies you like.
http://www.chow.com/videos#!/show/all/76491/how-to-make-a-simple-vegetarian-soup
Honey Roasted Chipollini Onions
This side dish by Tyler Florence is simple and looks delicious.
Cipollini Onion Hummus
The browned onions bring a sweetness to this hummus recipe.
Apple and Pear Crisp
Who doesn’t love and apple and pear crisp? This one by Ina Garten has rave reviews. You can try added your dehydrated blueberries to this.
Enjoy your OAS bag!
The Ontario Artisan Share Program™ is a joint venture between two of Toronto’s leading locavore food companies: