This week’s box included: purple sweet potatoes, purple top turnips w greens, butternut squash, apples, carrots, Napa cabbage, potatoes, heirloom tomatoes(!). You can see a photo that can help with identification on our Facebook page or check out our weekly video on Instagram.
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Second to the last box for 2024. 🙁
Fun to see purple-top turnips today with greens attached. We got four good sized turnips in our bunch with somewhat tattered greens. I’m not composting the greens. I soaked them well and trimmed where needed, then finely chopped the remaining leaves and stored them in a reusable plastic bag, not sealed, in the refrigerator. I’m making a pot of vegetable soup later this week so they’ll be prepped and ready to add. Like many of you probably are, I’ve been “sneaking” greens into a lot of dishes recently.
Our turnip page has lots of ideas for using the roots including Turnips in Coconut and Mustard Seed Curry that also uses a fresh tomato. The recipe calls for one turnip, but will work fine with more.
And speaking of tomatoes, we received two heirloom Cherokee Purple tomatoes (at least I think that’s the variety) and a pretty yellow tomato. Guess the warm temperatures are keeping those going. I’m thrilled.
I was also glad to see two medium-sized butternuts in our box. I love that come January they will still be good and they’ll be wonderful reminders of our CSA year. I’ll probably do something simple like roast them on a baking sheet, drizzled with olive oil and some maple syrup, maybe seasoned with smoked paprika and red pepper flakes depending on who’s coming to dinner. A few chopped pecans sprinkled over them when done and a shower of flaky sea salt and that’s a really fabulous dinner that needs no accompaniments besides a salad maybe of chopped cabbage and apples (both good keepers from today’s box) in a lemony dressing. But check out the butternut squash page for more ideas for your squash.
More carrots, another pretty green cabbage, more red-skinned potatoes, more apples and more purple sweet potatoes rounded out our box. Looks like Thanksgiving dinner to me.
We are big fans of stuffed cabbage here, but it can be such a chore to roll up all those cabbage leaves. I am loving this cabbage roll soup from the New York Times. Takes no time at all.
One-Pot Cabbage Roll Soup
New York Times
1 pound ground beef (preferably 20 percent fat)
Salt<>
1/2 cup basmati rice
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
6 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated
1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes
4 cups chopped cabbage
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
Heat a medium Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and a hefty pinch of salt. Using a spatula, spread the beef in an even layer to cover the bottom of the pot. Sear for 3 minutes, then break the beef into smaller pieces and continue cooking for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned.
Stir in the rice and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, until the rice develops a golden color. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add the paprika and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, crushing them as you add them to the pot, plus 6 cups of water, the cabbage and vinegar, the parsley and a hefty pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, loosely cover the pot with a lid and boil for 15 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if needed.