Notes from Debbie's Kitchen
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Amongst the tried and true staples of our winter boxes - the Brussels sprouts, the cabbage, carrots, beets, and cooking greens, etc. - we have two new goodies: a beautiful mix of tender baby Asian greens (mei qing choi and tatsoi), and something we don't get often: parsnips! This is another much-maligned veggie, like Brussels sprouts, which does not deserve a lowly reputation. I hope by now you've all learned that preconceived ideas of not liking certain veggies can be blown out of the water when you taste the real thing, in season, freshly harvested. So enjoy your new bounty this week! I don't know about you, but by the end of the second week during winter, the pickings in my fridge are pretty slim and I am looking forward to being re-supplied! - Debbie
 
 
About Parsnips
In appearance, parsnips look like big white carrots. They are mildly sweet, and when cooked have a mouth-feel like sweet potato. Like a carrot, though, they can be eaten raw or cooked. I've never tried just eating a whole one raw, like a carrot Bugs Bunny-style (that's not to say it isn't good this way... I just haven't tried it!) - but I could definitely see grating them into salads, or making a mixed-grated-raw salad with parsnips, carrots and beets, and maybe some diced apple! (In reading up about them, I see that when they're really big, i.e. 2" in diameter, they have a woody core that you have to cut out. Fortunately I've confirmed with Tom that the ones we'll be getting are much smaller, more like carrot sized, and so should not have this issue.) Parsnips can be cooked many ways... simmered in soups until meltingly soft; roasted; steamed; pan browned; let's see what recipe ideas I have in my files! A note about prep: all the recipes I see talk about peeling them first. I'm skeptical, and suspect that this is, like with beets and carrots and potatoes, not a requirement. I will go the 'sturdy veggie scrub brush' route myself and leave the peel on!
 
 
Roasted Carrots, Parsnips and Meyer Lemons
modified from an undated Bon Appetit clipping
serves 6
 
4 to 5 carrots, peeled or scrubbed, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch slices
4 to 5 parsnips, peeled or scrubbed, cut diagonally into 1/8-inch slices
20 garlic cloves, peeled <--- try substituting 1/8-inch slices of leek?
1 Meyer lemon, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices (seeds removed)
olive oil
coarse kosher salt or sea salt
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
 
I learned from reading in Jesse Cool's cookbook "Your Organic Kitchen" that parsnips have a fair amount of sugar in them, and so when roasted, the residue make cleaning a chore - so she suggests lining your pan with parchment paper (I wouldn't recommend foil, because of the lemon). Sounds like a good suggestion! - Debbie
 
Prepare two baking sheets - either coat lightly with oil, or lay down a sheet of parchment in each (I'd do the latter). Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
 
Combine carrots, parsnips, garlic [or leek slices] and lemon slices in a bowl and drizzle generously with olive oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle liberally with salt (about 1 1/2 tsp.) and toss again.
 
Spread prepared veggies evenly over the two pans, in a single layer. Roast 20 minutes, stir, reverse position of baking sheets (i.e. put upper one on lower rack and visa-versa) and continue roasting until veggies are tender and browned around the edges, about another 20 minutes.
 
Transfer veggies to a serving platter, drizzle with additional olive oil and sprinkle with parsley. Season with pepper and additional salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.
 
 
Parsnip and Apple Soup
Bon Appetit, March 2003
Serves 6
 
3 tbsp. butter
3 large leeks, white and pale green parts finely chopped, dark green parts reserved
5 large parsnips (about 1 1/2 lbs), peeled [or scrubbed!] and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium Fuji apples [what's in our box!], peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 C (or more) water
1 1/2 C whole milk
Large pinch of sugar
 
Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks, parsnips, and apples. Cover; cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Add 4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly.
 
Working in batches, puree vegetable mixture with milk in blender until smooth, thinning soup with more water if desired. Return soup to pot. Season soup with sugar, salt, and pepper.
 
Cut up enough reserved green parts of leeks into matchstick-size strips to measure 1 cup. Cook in medium saucepan of boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.
 
Bring soup to a simmer. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with leek strips and serve.
 
 
I love the sound of this next one... it is a bit more involved, and we're not getting dill or anything... but you could substitute dried dill in a pinch! It is just interesting in that, instead of your typical pureed soup, this features a clear broth with little parsnip and beet nuggets in it!
 
Parsnip and Beet Soup with Dill Cream
from "Your Organic Kitchen" by Jesse Cool
Serves 6
 
Jesse says, "The flavors and appearance of this passionately purple soup are balanced beautifully by the tart creaminess of the sour cream. In my restaurant we serve this soup on Valentine's Day accompanied by heart-shaped biscuits."
 
6 C vegetable or chicken broth
1 lb. parsnips, cut into small cubes
6 beets, trimmed and scrubbed [sure, use some red and some yellow!]
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
3 whole cloves
3 whole peppercorns
3 tbsp. sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 C sour cream
1 green onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill [or 2 tsp. dried]
 
Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the parsnips. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove the parsnips to a bowl.
 
Add the beets, shallot, cloves, and peppercorns to the simmering broth. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the beets are tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove the beets to the cutting board, reserving the liquid. When the beets are cool, slip off the skins. Cut into small cubes.
 
Strain the broth through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a large bowl. Return the broth to the pot. Add the parsnips, beets, and sugar. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
 
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, green onion, and dill.
 
Ladle soup into 6 bowls and top each with a dollop of the sour cream mixture.
 
 
Okay, on to some recipes for other box goodies!
 
Savory Cilantro and Meyer Lemon "tea"
This is something I was inspired to try because I'd recently been making a simple mint tea (just fresh mint steeped in boiling water - very fragrant and wonderful!). So I thought, hm, I wonder if this could be done with cilantro, which becomes quite aromatic when added to soups and other hot dishes? The answer, I now know, is yes!
 
So just take a small handful of cilantro sprigs - stems and leaves... you could even use the root, as long as it is very clean from dirt - and put it in a mug, along with a small slice of Meyer lemon (with peel), then fill with boiling water. Let steep 5 minutes or so, then sip away!
 
 
Shitake Spring Rolls with Strawberry Dipping Sauce
Okay, I'm making this one up for you guys, based on info from a few different recipes and what we have in the box!
 
What you're going to do is prepare various filling ingredients, then have them handy to wrap up in the rice wrappers (I'll explain steps below). Pretty simple really.
 
Spring roll wrappers or rice paper wrappers (found at Asian markets; will keep indefinitely)
 
Filling ingredients
Some Tatsoi/mei qing choi mix - wash, coarsely chop, steam until just starting to wilt then remove from heat, run under a little cold water to stop cooking, squeeze out water, and set aside.
Some shitake mushrooms - Tom says these are baby, so you can use them whole, stems and all. Saute them briefly in a little olive oil to soften, then set aside.
Some grated carrot
Some grated parsnip
A little very thinly sliced radicchio leaf, for color and spice
Several cilantro sprigs
 
Strawberry dipping sauce
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp.sesame oil
3 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. strawberry preserves [from Happy Girl Kitchen!]
1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger root
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
 
Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Serve at room temperature.
 
Assembly
The rice paper wraps are a bit tricky to work with, but you'll get the hang of it. The trick is to work quickly, while the wrap is still supple but not yet limp (they can tear easily), so make these one at a time.
 
Fill a pie plate or bowl with warm water. Immerse one sheet of rice paper for a few seconds, then remove to a kitchen towel on a work surface and let rest about 30 seconds until it's more pliable.
 
Arrange some of each of the prepared filling ingredients down the middle of the wrapper in a small log-shape, leaving plenty of margin on all sides.
 
Then wrap the ingredients burrito-style, folding one edge over the ingredients (try to tuck the filling a bit to keep it snug), folding in the two ends, then rolling the rest of the way, forming a cylindrical shape.
 
Transfer roll to a plate, seam side-down, and continue making more, until you run out of filling ingredients!
 
Cut rolls in half on the diagonal and serve with strawberry dipping sauce.
 
Note: I don't recommend refrigerating these. The rice paper wraps tend to get tough. Try to make them when you plan on eating them fresh. They can stay at room temp for a while; the filling is only veggies!

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