Chicory
This week in your share there is a mix of hearty greens and roots for you to enjoy. We have a few different types of chicories this year that we will give out over the last few weeks. If you are new to escarole, it is a green that looks like a head of lettuce, except that it is a bit tougher with a slight bitterness. I prefer to cook it, which softens it and reduces some of the bitterness, especially when combined with something a little sweet, like onion. It’s the classic “green” part of greens and beans, and also goes very well in soup, added in the last few minutes. Radicchio is a close cousin of escarole, with a bit more bitterness. It can be nice thinly sliced into a salad that has sweet elements. Radicchio can also be cooked, however it will lose its wonderful color. Pan di Zucchero (sugarloaf) is a chicory that is similar in form to romaine lettuce, but has a lovely mild escarole flavor. It is mild enough to use raw, but also takes well to cooking. I haven’t tried grilling, but it is highly recommended to prepare it that way, perhaps served with pears and gorgonzola.
Garlic is in the ground
We got it planted and mulched on Monday thanks to a few good volunteers.
Picking garden clean up day
I’m planning on a few hours of picking garden clean up later this month. We will be removing plants, mulching beds with straw, taking down signs, and mulching pathways with wood chips, and perhaps expanding part of the garden. Stay tuned for the date. -Aaron
Vegetables
Chard or Kale Beets or Turnips Garlic Onions Escarole or Pan di Zucchero Lettuce Sweet Potatoes or Squash Cardoon (optional)
Herbs
Upper Garden: Mint, Oregano, Sage, Thyme, Chives, Garlic Chives, Tarragon, Hyssop, Catnip , Winter savory, Lovage, lemon balm
Lower Garden: Parsley, Marjoram, Cilantro, Summer Savory, cutting celery, Borage
Escarole Pasta
1 head escarole, pan di zucchero, or radicchio
1 lb chard or kale, chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 onion
2-4 T olive oil
4 T chopped preserved lemon, caper, or kalamata olives
1 bunch parsley toasted almonds, roughly chopped
1 can great quality tuna or salmon in oil, flaked (opt)
3/4-1 lb pasta, cooked
Saute the onion in olive oil until soft. Add all cooking greens plus garlic, cook until really wilted and soft. Toss hot wilted greens with pasta, add in preserved lemon and fish if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a small pile of chopped almonds on top. Pass lemon quarters and hard cheese for grating. fom mariquita.com
Orzotto with radicchio
Our radicchios are smaller than this, you could add some chard, kale, or beet greens to compensate. Should also work with the other chicories.
1 lb radicchio, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 lb pearled barley
1 shallot or onion, chopped
3 oz diced prosciutto
1 tbsp olive oil
2 oz parmigiano, grated
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 qt veg broth, boiling
Saute radicchio and shallot or onion in oil until wilted. Add barley, stir for 2 minutes. Add wine, allow to cook off completely. Add boiling broth, salt, and pepper, cook at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. A few minutes before the end, add prosciutto cubes. Transfer to serving bowl, add vinegar and cheeses. Allow the cheeses to melt a bit for a couple minutes, then serve. from mariqita.com
Sweet Potato Puree with roasted garlic
1 head garlic
2 lbs sweet potatoes
2 lbs potatoes
salt, pepper
2 cups milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil or butter
Roast garlic: Wrap head in foil, bake 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees, until completely soft. Cool, cut top, separate cloves, set aside. Peel, quarter sweet and Irish potatoes. Steam over medium high to high heat until fully cooked, about 20 minutes. Drain, add garlic cloves, pass through a food mill using the fine disc. Return to pot, reheat over low heat. Scald milk in separate pan, add from 1 to 2 cups of milk, depending on how dry the potatoes are. Add extra virgin olive oil (or butter) to taste, season. Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters
"The scarlet of maples can shake me like a cry
Of bugles going by.
And my lonely spirit thrills to see the frosty asters like smoke upon the hills."
- William Bliss Carman