Siren Song Farm Newsletter
Volume 11
Hello wonderful CSAers!
This week we have some delicious cabbage, yummy green beans, Italian heirloom zucchini and Purple Top Milan Turnips. We were really, really hoping the heirloom tomatoes would be ready this week but these cold nights are really slowing down the ripening process. I tried to find some fun recipes for the turnips. Give them a try they are quite tasty! Just trim off the skins and they are good to go. I hope you will enjoy cooking with them as much as we have this week!
Jen
Glazed Baby Turnips and Carrots
1 pound baby turnips (about 2 pounds with greens attached) or regular turnips
3/4 pound baby carrots (about 2 pounds with green attached)
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Trim baby turnips and carrots, leaving about 1/2-inch stems if green were attached, and peel if desired. If using regular turnips, peel and cut into 1-inch pieces. In a steamer set over boiling water steam turnips and carrots separately, covered, until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Vegetables may be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.
In a large heavy skillet cook vegetables in butter with sugar and salt and pepper to taste over moderately low heat, stirring, until heated through and glazed, about 4 minutes.
Skillet Turnips and Potatoes with Bacon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces thick-cut bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
1 1/2 pounds turnips, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Mix 1/4 cup water, vinegar, and sugar in small bowl. Combine oil and bacon in heavy large skillet; sauté over medium-high heat until fat is rendered, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Add turnips and potatoes; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt and toss 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook until vegetables are almost tender, stirring and turning vegetables occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Push vegetables to 1 side of skillet. Pour vinegar mixture into cleared space. Toss vegetables with vinegar mixture. Spread vegetables in even layer in skillet; cook until golden and slightly crisp on bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn vegetables over; spread in even layer and cook until browned and slightly crisp on bottom, about 4 minutes. Continue to turn, spread, and cook vegetables until tender, golden, and crisp around edges, 7 to 8 minutes longer. Season with more sea salt and black pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with parsley.
Italian Turnip and Rice Soup with Parmesan Cheese
This elegant soup has a flavour that sharpens the appetite in unexpected ways; serve hot to 6 people as a first course, most especially before pork.
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 pound of turnips peeled and cut into a 1/2-inch dice
3 pints of chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup of rice, arborio if you have it
salt and pepper
Garnish: minced parsley and 3 to 4 ounces parmesan cheese cup fresh grated parmesan cheese.
Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan and bring to a froth. Toss in the turnips and saute til brown, about 5 or so minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, covered, over medium heat for about 15 minutes. When ready to serve, stir in salt and pepper to taste, then parsley and 1 to 2 ounces of Parmesan.
Ladle into bowls and pass the extra Parmesan separately.
Turnip French Fries
Chop the turnip into french-fry strips and (if you wish) lightly coat with oil.
Place on a flat baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake at 180-190 C for 20 minutes.
Try some different seasonings.....: dried parsley and basil, a little sea salt or a touch of cayenne and sea kelp.
Creamy Cabbage
4 cups Shredded cabbage
1/2 cup Diced bacon
1 tbl Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Paprika
1/8 tsp Pepper
1 cup Milk
1 cup Soft bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 400°.
Boil cabbage 7 minutes; drain and place in a 1 quart casserole.. Fry bacon; remove and drain all but 2 tablespoons drippings. Stir in flour, salt and paprika; add milk slowly and cook until thickened. Pour sauce over cabbage, top with bread crumbs and sprinkle with bacon. Bake 15 minutes.
Cabbage & Noodles
An old recipe from Hungary
One large green cabbage
One pound (dry) wide egg noodles
1/2 to one full stick (pound) of butter
Spices to taste (dill seed and caraway are good)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Boil the cabbage in water (you can cut it into manageable pieces first if you prefer) until it is so soft it mashes/flakes with a fork. This can take some time, over an hour. Boil the egg noodles in water (add a bit of salt and cooking oil) until they are done. Slightly underdone is best.
Time this so the cabbage is done at the same time or before the noodles.
Remove the cabbage from the water and drain to let the bulk of the water go. Put the cabbage back in the empty pot or a large bowl. Cut it into tiny pieces. Use any implement you want, but if a fork isn't doing the trick, the cabbage is undercooked. When the cabbage is all in tiny little pieces, add the butter, spices, salt and pepper. Go easy on the spices, they will intensify later. Mix. Add the drained noodles and mix. Try to keep the noodles intact.
Okay, what you have now is a rather boring buttered cabbage pasta thing. You are wondering why the heck I recommended it to you. Well don't eat it, stick it in the fridge. The next day you have this weird cabbage stuff with a bit of flavor to it. You can eat a little, but don't write me to say it's only so-so. Stick it back in the fridge.
Now it's the third day. It's yummy. Heat it up on the stove (each day you have some- you can heat the whole potful). If there are any leftovers, stick them back in the fridge. Fourth day...heaven.
Blue Cheese-Walnut Green Beans Tender-crisp green beans tossed with creamy blue cheese and topped with toasted walnuts pair well with grilled steak or chicken. 1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts (see Tips & Techniques)
Bring green beans and water to a boil in a large skillet. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the beans are just tender, 3 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes more.
Add oil, salt, and pepper to the pan and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Transfer the beans to a large bowl and toss with blue cheese until well coated. Sprinkle each serving with walnuts.
Tips & Techniques
To toast chopped or sliced nuts, stir constantly in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
Sautéed Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes Here's a simple sauté that is well suited for a special meal and versatile enough for your everyday repertoire. 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green beans and cook, stirring often, until seared in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water, cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes for tender-crisp or 6 minutes for tender. Push the beans to the side; add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, stir everything together and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar, salt and pepper.
Braised Green Beans and Summer Vegetables 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, halved and sliced
1 tablespoon (1 teaspoon dried) finely chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup(s) white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 pound(s) green beans, trimmed
1 medium summer squash or zucchini, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup(s) halved cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup(s) finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and oregano and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add wine (or broth) and bring to a boil. Add green beans, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add summer squash (or zucchini) and tomatoes and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan.
Green Beans with Bacon and Hazelnuts 1 teaspoon oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup water
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped toasted hazelnuts (see Tips & Techniques)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until starting to brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add green beans and cook, stirring often, until seared in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water; cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes for tender-crisp or 6 minutes for tender. Remove from heat and stir in bacon, hazelnuts, and salt.
Tips & Techniques
Toast whole hazelnuts on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes. Let the nuts cool for a few minutes, then rub together in a clean kitchen towel to remove most of the papery skins.
Volume 11
Hello wonderful CSAers!
This week we have some delicious cabbage, yummy green beans, Italian heirloom zucchini and Purple Top Milan Turnips. We were really, really hoping the heirloom tomatoes would be ready this week but these cold nights are really slowing down the ripening process. I tried to find some fun recipes for the turnips. Give them a try they are quite tasty! Just trim off the skins and they are good to go. I hope you will enjoy cooking with them as much as we have this week!
Jen
Glazed Baby Turnips and Carrots
1 pound baby turnips (about 2 pounds with greens attached) or regular turnips
3/4 pound baby carrots (about 2 pounds with green attached)
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Trim baby turnips and carrots, leaving about 1/2-inch stems if green were attached, and peel if desired. If using regular turnips, peel and cut into 1-inch pieces. In a steamer set over boiling water steam turnips and carrots separately, covered, until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Vegetables may be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.
In a large heavy skillet cook vegetables in butter with sugar and salt and pepper to taste over moderately low heat, stirring, until heated through and glazed, about 4 minutes.
Skillet Turnips and Potatoes with Bacon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces thick-cut bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
1 1/2 pounds turnips, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Mix 1/4 cup water, vinegar, and sugar in small bowl. Combine oil and bacon in heavy large skillet; sauté over medium-high heat until fat is rendered, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Add turnips and potatoes; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt and toss 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook until vegetables are almost tender, stirring and turning vegetables occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Push vegetables to 1 side of skillet. Pour vinegar mixture into cleared space. Toss vegetables with vinegar mixture. Spread vegetables in even layer in skillet; cook until golden and slightly crisp on bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn vegetables over; spread in even layer and cook until browned and slightly crisp on bottom, about 4 minutes. Continue to turn, spread, and cook vegetables until tender, golden, and crisp around edges, 7 to 8 minutes longer. Season with more sea salt and black pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with parsley.
Italian Turnip and Rice Soup with Parmesan Cheese
This elegant soup has a flavour that sharpens the appetite in unexpected ways; serve hot to 6 people as a first course, most especially before pork.
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 pound of turnips peeled and cut into a 1/2-inch dice
3 pints of chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup of rice, arborio if you have it
salt and pepper
Garnish: minced parsley and 3 to 4 ounces parmesan cheese cup fresh grated parmesan cheese.
Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan and bring to a froth. Toss in the turnips and saute til brown, about 5 or so minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, covered, over medium heat for about 15 minutes. When ready to serve, stir in salt and pepper to taste, then parsley and 1 to 2 ounces of Parmesan.
Ladle into bowls and pass the extra Parmesan separately.
Turnip French Fries
Chop the turnip into french-fry strips and (if you wish) lightly coat with oil.
Place on a flat baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake at 180-190 C for 20 minutes.
Try some different seasonings.....: dried parsley and basil, a little sea salt or a touch of cayenne and sea kelp.
Creamy Cabbage
4 cups Shredded cabbage
1/2 cup Diced bacon
1 tbl Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Paprika
1/8 tsp Pepper
1 cup Milk
1 cup Soft bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 400°.
Boil cabbage 7 minutes; drain and place in a 1 quart casserole.. Fry bacon; remove and drain all but 2 tablespoons drippings. Stir in flour, salt and paprika; add milk slowly and cook until thickened. Pour sauce over cabbage, top with bread crumbs and sprinkle with bacon. Bake 15 minutes.
Cabbage & Noodles
An old recipe from Hungary
One large green cabbage
One pound (dry) wide egg noodles
1/2 to one full stick (pound) of butter
Spices to taste (dill seed and caraway are good)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Boil the cabbage in water (you can cut it into manageable pieces first if you prefer) until it is so soft it mashes/flakes with a fork. This can take some time, over an hour. Boil the egg noodles in water (add a bit of salt and cooking oil) until they are done. Slightly underdone is best.
Time this so the cabbage is done at the same time or before the noodles.
Remove the cabbage from the water and drain to let the bulk of the water go. Put the cabbage back in the empty pot or a large bowl. Cut it into tiny pieces. Use any implement you want, but if a fork isn't doing the trick, the cabbage is undercooked. When the cabbage is all in tiny little pieces, add the butter, spices, salt and pepper. Go easy on the spices, they will intensify later. Mix. Add the drained noodles and mix. Try to keep the noodles intact.
Okay, what you have now is a rather boring buttered cabbage pasta thing. You are wondering why the heck I recommended it to you. Well don't eat it, stick it in the fridge. The next day you have this weird cabbage stuff with a bit of flavor to it. You can eat a little, but don't write me to say it's only so-so. Stick it back in the fridge.
Now it's the third day. It's yummy. Heat it up on the stove (each day you have some- you can heat the whole potful). If there are any leftovers, stick them back in the fridge. Fourth day...heaven.
Blue Cheese-Walnut Green Beans Tender-crisp green beans tossed with creamy blue cheese and topped with toasted walnuts pair well with grilled steak or chicken. 1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts (see Tips & Techniques)
Bring green beans and water to a boil in a large skillet. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the beans are just tender, 3 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes more.
Add oil, salt, and pepper to the pan and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Transfer the beans to a large bowl and toss with blue cheese until well coated. Sprinkle each serving with walnuts.
Tips & Techniques
To toast chopped or sliced nuts, stir constantly in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
Sautéed Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes Here's a simple sauté that is well suited for a special meal and versatile enough for your everyday repertoire. 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green beans and cook, stirring often, until seared in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water, cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes for tender-crisp or 6 minutes for tender. Push the beans to the side; add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, stir everything together and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar, salt and pepper.
Braised Green Beans and Summer Vegetables 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, halved and sliced
1 tablespoon (1 teaspoon dried) finely chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup(s) white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 pound(s) green beans, trimmed
1 medium summer squash or zucchini, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup(s) halved cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup(s) finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and oregano and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add wine (or broth) and bring to a boil. Add green beans, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add summer squash (or zucchini) and tomatoes and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan.
Green Beans with Bacon and Hazelnuts 1 teaspoon oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup water
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped toasted hazelnuts (see Tips & Techniques)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until starting to brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add green beans and cook, stirring often, until seared in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water; cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes for tender-crisp or 6 minutes for tender. Remove from heat and stir in bacon, hazelnuts, and salt.
Tips & Techniques
Toast whole hazelnuts on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes. Let the nuts cool for a few minutes, then rub together in a clean kitchen towel to remove most of the papery skins.