Sunchoke & Sweet Potato Soup

We received a paper bag full of sunchokes in our last produce box. Also known as Jerusalem artichokes, sunroots or earth apples, these tubers are actually the roots of a sunflower that is native to the U.S. They were cultivated by Native Americans long before Europeans arrived to destroy their lives :) Here's a photo of the sunchoke's lovely flowers.

Although they're obviously not artichokes, their uniquely delicious nutty flavor is somewhat similar to that of an artichoke heart. They can be eaten a bunch of ways, including raw, roasted, and steamed. Here's a pic of the tubers. Beautiful, no...but tasty, yes!

In this recipe, they are combined with slightly spicy green garlic (which also arrived in our produce box on Friday), sweet potatoes (not yams, though you could also use those), and marjoram to make a truly addictive soup. The flavor is kind of hard to describe (it's nutty, rich, sweet, and savory) but I guarantee that you will not be disappointed!

As long as you have an immersion blender (one of my favorite kitchen gadgets), this soup is pretty simple and quick to prepare. It's equally good hot and cold and should be eaten topped with a dollop of rich, tangy sour cream (you could also use plain whole milk yogurt.) Served with a nice crusty loaf of bread with plenty of butter and sea salt and a hearty salad, this is a meal in and of itself.

Jerusalem Artichoke & Sweet Potato Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients

* 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
* 1 bunch green garlic (white part only -- same as with a leek), washed and sliced
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 5-6 sunchokes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
* 2 tsps fresh marjoram, washed and chopped
* 3-4 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
* 1 cup whole milk
* freshly ground black pepper
* sea salt to taste
* sour cream for serving
* 2 tsps olive oil

Directions

1. In a medium-sized soup pot, heat the olive oil over a medium flame. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and green garlic and saute, stirring often until it has softened.

2. Toss in the sweet potatoes and sunchokes and cook for another 10 or so minutes, stirring every few minutes.

3. Add the broth/stock and the chopped marjoram and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are thoroughly softened, another 10-15 minutes.

4. Once the veggies are soft, use an immersion blender (or a food processor or blender) to blend the soup until it is smooth with no lumps. Thin with the milk if desired and adjust the seasonings to taste. Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream and a few grinds of black pepper.

You might also like:

• Winter Squash & Pear Soup with Sage
• White Bean & Swiss Chard Soup with Sausage
• Slow-Cooked Pinto Beans with Pork Belly & Skillet Cornbread

For more delicious recipes, gardening ideas, foraging tips, and food-related inspiration "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.

EatWell Recipe 14: Good Old-Fashioned Apple Pie

We've been receiving Fuji apples in our produce box for the last few months. I have to admit that I have been so distracted by the yummy oranges and tangerines we've been getting that I've been neglecting the apples.

Faced with a growing pile of organic Fujis, my guilt level has been rising... It got so high earlier this week that I was forced to take action. Since we still have several jars of applesauce from our home canning efforts this fall, apple pie seemed like the most straightforward, tastiest way to use up these poor, aging fruits.

Although apple pie is even more fun in the fall when you can pick your own, it tastes good any time of year! I like to serve it warm with a couple generous scoops of vanilla ice cream. Here is the pie just before I put it in the oven to bake.

And here it is just out of the oven!

The recipe below is primarily from the Joy of Cooking -- it seemed pretty good as it was to me so I did not end up modifying it very much. Enjoy!

Old-Fashioned Apple Pie
Makes one nine-inch pie
Ingredients

* A double batch of pâte brisée (the recipe I posted makes just one pie crust and you'll need two)
* 2 1/2 pounds apples (5 to 6 medium-large fruits)
* 3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 more for dusting
* 2 to 3 Tbsps all-purpose flour
* 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 tsp fresh lemon zest (optional)
* 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus more for dusting
* 1/4 tsp ground cloves
* 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
* 1/8 tsp fine sea salt

Directions

1. Prepare the pâte brisée and chill for at least half an hour. Roll the dough into a 13" round and lay it into a 9" pie pan, then trim the overhanging dough to 3/4" all around and put it in the fridge. Roll out the second crust into a 12" round and refrigerate it (you can put it between two sheets of waxed paper.)

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Core and peel the apples then cut into 1/4" thick slices (should measure roughly 6 cups.) In a large bowl, combine the sliced apples with the sugar, flour, lemon juice (and zest), spices and salt. Stir to combine then let stand for 15 minutes, stirring a few more times to give the apples time to soften slightly.

3. Pour the mixture into the refrigerated bottom crust and gently level with the back of a spoon. Dot the mixture with butter.

4. Brush the overhanging rim of the crust with cold water, then lay the top crust over it, pressing down to seal the crusts together and either crimp the edge with your fingers or flute it with the tines of a fork. Using a small, sharp knife, cut 4-6 steam vents into the top crust at regular intervals and sprinkle the pie with sugar and ground cinnamon.

5. Bake the pie for 30 minutes then slip a baking sheet underneath it (as the juices very may well run over as it continues to cook), reduce the temperate to 350 degrees and bake for another 30-45 minutes, until the fruit feels just tender when poked with a knife, skewer or fork through one of the steam vents. Remove to a wire rack or the stove top and let cool before serving. (I highly recommend serving with vanilla ice cream!)

Like this recipe? Click here to browse through more Eatwell Recipes.

You might also like:

• Homemade Apple Sauce
• Grandma Fran's Apple Bundt Cake
• Rustic Plum Tart
• Pumpkin Pie

EatWell Recipe 13: Gingered Winter Squash

It may be spring but there are still winter squash in the CSA produce box. And, as such, there is still a need to come up with yummy new ways to eat them.

This recipe was included in the farm's newsletter last week (adapted from Lorna Sass's Complete Vegetarian Kitchen.) It reminded me of this delicious recipe for cider-glazed delicata squash with rosemary and sage I'd posted about last fall so I figured I'd give it a try.

It's a nice dish -- slightly spicy from the ginger, sweet, hearty, and very open to your own interpretation. For example, you can use any kind of winter squash you have on hand and then stew it in either apple cider, apple juice, or orange (or some other sweet citrus) juice, depending on what flavor you feel like or what you happen to have in the kitchen.

I served this for dinner along with a pot of long grain rice pilaf, winter greens braised in a little broth with a lot of garlic and onions (so good!), and a big pan of roasted new carrots. Not only was the meal delicious (if I do say so myself), it was also healthy, seasonal, and completely vegetarian and vegan-friendly.

Gingered Winter Squash
Serves 4

Ingredients

* 1 winter squash (butternut, delicata, acorn, etc., if you're using a smaller squash, you may want to use two)
* 1/2 tsp grated ginger
* 1-2 cups apple cider or orange juice
* 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
* Splash of maple syrup
* Pinch of sea salt

Directions

1. Wash the squash then pierce the skin all over with the top of a paring knife. Trim both ends off the squash, then cut it in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds and any strings with a spoon. Cut each half into 1/2-inch wedges.

2. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the juice, ginger, cinammon and salt and bring to a gentle boil.

3. Toss the squash wedges into this mixture, return to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the squash is tender but firm. You can add more juice or cider if you need to.

4. Once squash is cooked to desired consistency, arrange them on a plate, drizzle with maple syrup and serve.

Like this recipe? Click here to browse through more Eatwell Recipes.

Frisee, Apple & Celeriac Salad With Shallot-Citrus Dressing & Goat Cheese - EatWell Recipe 12

I wanted to share this yummy winter salad with you all. I made this to go with the spinach quiche for brunch a week or two ago and it was delicious -- hearty, crunchy, sweet, savory and shalloty.

This salad recipe is pulled from a recent Eatwell Farm newsletter which credits it to a 2004 Gourmet recipe which was in turn adapated from a recipe from The Peerless Restaurant in Ashland, OR (and I've made a few minor adjustments to it, too.) Not surprisingly, the CSA produce box contained frisee, lettuce, apples and celeriac--this seemed like a great way to put all those ingredients to use in one yummy, nutritious dish.

You can make this with or without the goat cheese (though I'd recommend making it with the chevre as it's a delicious counterpoint to the sweet apples and crunchy celery root.) The truffle oil is also optional. This was the first time I had used truffle oil and I found it interesting -- it has kind of a pungent smell that is a little gross--kind of like dirty feet, and a strong, earthy flavor that adds a lot of depth.

Frisee, Apple & Celeriac Salad With Shallot-Citrus Dressing & Goat Cheese

Dressing Ingredients
* 2 tsps shallot, finely minced
* 1 tsp honey
* 2 Tbsps fresh tangerine or orange juice
* 2 Tbsps sherry vinegar
* 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
* 1/4 tsp white pepper (ground)
* 1/4 cup olive oil

Salad Ingredients
* One head of frisee, washed, dried and cut or ripped into manageable-sized pieces
* 1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (optional)
* 1/4 celeriac, cut into 1/8" thick sticks (roughly 1/2 cup)
* 1 apple, washed, cored and cut into 1/8" thick sticks or thin slices (as you prefer)
* Several handfuls of lettuce or arugala, washed, dried and cut or ripped into bite-sized pieces
* 2 oz goat cheese
* handful of toasted pecans (optional)
* 1 tsp white truffle oil (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare the dressing. Whisk together the shallot, honey, citrus juice, vinegar salt and white pepper in a small bowl, then add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until combined.

2. Prepare the salad. Toss the lettuce, frisee, apple and celery root in a large bowl with the dressing. Season with salt and white pepper. Crumble the goat cheese over the dressed salad and drizzle with the truffle oil before serving.

You might also like:

• Roasted Delicata Squash & Tortellini Salad With Cranberries, Greens & Pepitas
• Brussels Sprouts & Kale Salad With Toasted Almonds & Parmesan
• Shockingly Addictive Citrus-Massaged Kale Salad

Click here to browse through more Eatwell Recipes.

Want even more recipes, photos, giveaways, and food-related inspiration? "Like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter or Pinterest.

For Passover, Short Ribs With Root Vegetables & Spring Herbs

As Diane Keaton once said, "Soon the Passover holidays are coming and you'll be wanting to wear your matzos." (That's a little shout-out to the movie Sleeper, one of Woody Allen's best and well-worth watching, even if you're grossed out by what happened with him and Soon-Yi.)

But silly quotes aside, what will you be cooking for this year's Seder? There are a few good ideas on my holiday foods page. But I figured that something new was in order this year.

I found myself thinking of a tasty-sounding recipe for short ribs that I'd clipped from a Martha Stewart Living magazine a while back. The irony of this recipe's provenance is not lost on me but even though Martha Stewart may possibly be America's most famous WASP, I've found several excellent Jewish recipes from her magazine over the years.

And this yummy take on the traditional short ribs recipe is no exception. I love that it combines root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, and Yukon Gold potatoes) and fresh herbs (Italian parsley, rosemary and thyme), all of which are fresh, plentiful, delicious and affordable at this time of year, at least they are here in Northern California. I'm also a sucker for the combination of apple cider, garlic, onions and brown sugar that the ribs get stewed in. I hope you like it, too.

Happy Pesach to you and yours!

Beef Short Ribs With Root Vegetables & Spring Herbs
Serves 4

Ingredients
* 3 pounds boneless beef short ribs, rimmed
* 1/8 cup of olive oil
* 2 medium-sized onions, halved then cut into 1/4-inch slices
* 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
* 1/6 cup packed dark-brown sugar
* 1 1/4 cups apple cider
* 3/4 cup chicken stock
* 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
* 1/2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
* 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped plus a little more for garnish
* 1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
* 3/4 pound carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
* 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
* Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Brown the beef in batches, flipping over once -- about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the ribs to a bowl and turn the heat down to medium.

2. Add the onions to the pot and cook stirring occasionally until they are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the brown sugar, cider, stock and 1/4 cup of water. Add the thyme, rosemary and parsley and return the beef ribs to the pot. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat.

3. Transfer the Dutch oven to the oven and cook until the ribs are almost fork tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

4. Stir in the parsnips, carrots and potatoes and return to the oven. Cook for another hour. The ribs should now be extremely tender.

5. Transfer the beef and veggies to a serving platter. Simmer the cooking liquid over a medium flame (uncovered) until it reduces by half, about 7 minutes. Taste the liquid and add more salt and pepper if needed. Ladle some of the liquid over the ribs and veggies, top with the chopped parsley garnish and serve.

This would go well with:
* Oven-roasted asparagus with garlic
* Fresh horseradish (don't forget to wear eye and hand protection!)
* Wilted Russian kale salad with balsamic vinegar and orange zest