11/19 box

Fingerling Sweet Potatoes - Pi Farm

They really are just sweet potatoes, but smaller. However, not only do these fingerlings tend to cook faster than normal sweet potatoes, they are also uniformly soft where a larger sweet potato might be stringy. Moreover, the skin is tenderer and sweeter than that of a fully grown sweet potato, making them delicious without peeling as well. These fingerling sweet potatoes can be prepared the same way normal sweet potatoes are, though with shorter cooking times (roasted, smashed, glazed, etc.)

As its appearance might suggest, turmeric is closely related to ginger. You can store your fresh turmeric in much the same way as you store ginger: refrigerate in an airtight container for a week or two. Though you can use it as a substitute for dried turmeric (here's some tips for when and how to do so), fresh turmeric does have a punchier, more peppery taste. It can be juiced and added to salad dressings, smoothies, and teas; chopped and as a colorful salad or soup addition; or grated and added to everything from breakfast eggs, to rice, to all manner of roasted vegetables

It can even be pickled! The possibilities are endless.

Be warned: its dyeing powers will stain fingers, clothes, and cutting boards as well as provide a burst of color in your food. Use gloves and aprons to protect yourself from unwanted yellow.

(This is a repost from 10/29)

This Asian mustard green has tender leaves very similar to spinach and can be used as a spinach replacement either raw or cooked. Try it as the main green in this simple spinach salad recipe that pairs apple slices with feta and nuts (or use lettuce), or sauté with garlic. It can also be roasted like napa cabbage or kale, stir-fried, or creamed into soup. One difference from spinach: in most cooking preparations, its long, wholly edible stem should be separated from the leaves to cook first.

Here's a pdf with more information on how to store and use yukina savoy.

This is our sixth week of collards. If you don't want to use them right away, they can be stored for up to a week or two in the refrigerator. Place leaves in a perforated plastic bag wrapped in a damp paper towel in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator to keep leaves moist and to avoid drying.

At this point, you've probably eaten collard greens or sautéed collards, but what about collard pizza? Whether they're added raw on top, sautéed and paired with meat, made in a Southern style, or used to make the gluten-free crust, possibilities abound. You can also make collard potato salad or baked collard chips if braising, sautéing, and boiling have worn out their welcomes.

Check out our past blurbs from 10/14, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5, and 11/12 for more recipes.

Ginger - THES Farm

Commonly used in many Asian dishes, a few small slices of ginger can instantly liven up any stir-fried veggie dish (toss it when the cooking oil is heated and before adding the vegetables in for half a minute to get the most flavor) or to add flavor to any kind of fish, meat, noodles, soup (this recipe uses leftover turkey), etc. Its sharp taste also adds a zing to any sweets, such as this recipe for ginger caramels, chocolate gingersnaps, or this slightly spicier take on a traditional pumpkin pie that's perfect for Thanksgiving feasting. Or, you can make ginger tea or crystallized ginger. Both are tasty, good for digestion, and need nothing more than some hot water and sugar.

Here's a list of even more recipes that use ginger.

Sunchokes - Pi Farm

Confusingly enough, we have ginger, turmeric, and sunchokes in the same box this week. These ginger lookalikes are potato-y in taste and texture, though slightly sweeter and can be eaten with the skin on. However, they can also be eaten raw and cooked in salads, like in this sunchoke and apple salad. Otherwise, treat them like potatoes: roast, mash, smash and pan fry, or bake them au gratin. Or, pair them with ginger as well in this baked ginger scalloped sunchoke recipe. Just be sure not to switch the two.

Here's a list of 25 recipes for more ideas.

Lettuce - Pi Farm and THES Farm

Other than its role as a fundamental salad green, or adding crunch to sandwiches, tacos, wraps, spring rolls, and what have you, lettuce can also be pan-roasted for a simple crispy and tender side dish, stir-fried, grilled, braised, puréed into soup, or simply tossed into soup by the handful. It can also serve as a wrap or vehicle for any toppings you want, from this recipe for pickled vegetables in a lettuce cup to this snack idea for "ladybugs on a leaf" (replace goji berries with cranberries, raisins or whatever dried fruit you might have on hand).

Here's a list of even more lettuce recipes.

Italian Dandelion Greens- Community Herd

Though closely related, Italian dandelions are actually a type of chicory commonly grown and used in salads in Italy. They are fairly bitter in flavor and if that sounds unappealing to you, mix it in with the lettuce or yukina savoy for milder mixed greens and pair with a creamy or citrusy dressing to balance out the bitterness. Or, cook it instead, which will mellow out the flavor considerably. They can be sautéed very simply for a very Italian dish, stewed, paired with pasta, added to soup, paired with breakfast eggs, or even made into a pesto.

Feta - Pi Farm

Once again, we are having feta from Decimal Place Farm. This fresh goat cheese is perfect for crumbling over salads (see yukina savoy entry for one recipe), but can also be sprinkled on top of roasted vegetables for that additional creamy, salty flavor. It is also delicious baked, such as this spicy traditional Greek twist to simply serving feta on crackers, or this recipe that pairs baked feta with chickpeas and collards or kale.

For more on Decimal Place Farm and the allergen-friendly cheesemaking process they use, click here for last week's feature and links to various articles.

Pink Lady Apples - Beech Creek Orchards

This week's extra comes from Beech Creek Orchards via The Peach Truck, which also delivers non-peach seasonal fruits to the Atlanta area, including last week's oranges. These crisp, delicious Pink Ladies are perfect for snacking on, salads, and, with some Granny Smith in their heritage, are also suited for baking.

For another variation on snacking that stores well, make dried apple crisps in the oven (or using a dehydrator if you happen to have one) and season to taste.