Last Market of 2011 THIS SAT

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Date: December 15th 2011

It finally got down into the single digits last week, killing even the hardiest of hardy greens, and finally putting an end to a long season.

Here’s what Henry had to say about that:

But we aren’t worried. We have a 45-cubic-foot freezer full to the gills with frozen corn, beans, edamame, kale, choi, winter squash, tomatoes, as well as strawberries, raspberries, aronia and more. We have boxes of turnips, winter radish, potatoes, carrots, sunchokes and burdock in the root cellar, boxes of sweet potatoes in the basement, jars and jars of canned tomatoes in the pantry and long strands of braided garlic and onions hanging from the ceiling in the garage. All in all, we have more than enough produce to last us until the first chives, sorrel and overwintered spinach are ready to harvest from the field in April.

In this household, buying produce from the store is considered blasphemy, and our full larder means there is no fear that that sacrilege will be committed this winter.

To stave off committing sacrilege in your own household, come visit us at the Evanston Winter Market this Saturday. There is plenty of parking, and all vendors will be inside at the Evanston Ecology Center at 2024 McCormick Blvd., from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

This will be your last chance to stock up on Henry’s great root vegetables and Teresa’s jams, teas, and soaps.

Vendors will not be set up and ready to sell until 9am, so please sleep in and take it easy at home. We look forward to seeing you after 9.

Here’s what Henry is bringing up:

Purple-top turnips, White turnips, Golden turnips

(Try this great Leek, Turnip, and Rice Soup from Martha Rose Shulman)

Rose-heart radish, Black radish

(see below to find out which of these radishes makes Henry a Happy Man)

Beets

Garlic (see garlicky lamb stew recipe below)

Pie pumpkins

Chicory root

Sunchokes

Burdock root

Parsnips

Parsley root

From Henry: ". . . if you are wondering what to do with those scary-looking black radishes, they are the key ingredient in one of my favorite breakfasts. All it is, is thick slices of black radish on a high-quality bagel. That’s it. It is simple, but wonderful. The crunch of the radish is a perfect complement to the chewiness of the bagel. The doughiness of the bagel is the perfect foil for the pungency of the radish. You can add cream cheese or even lox if you want, but you don’t need them. Give me a black radish, a bagel, and a cup of coffee and you have a happy man.”

Teresas Fruit and Herb News

Holiday Gift Central!

“It is more blessed to give than to receive”

Usually I’m in full agreement with that verse, but in this case, I’m pretty sure that the receiver will feel just as blessed as the giver!

After you stock up on veggies at Henry’s stand, come on over and stock up on all of those holiday gifts that you’ve waited until the last minute to buy. I always keep a few extra small gifts on hand for those neighbors, friends, and co-workers who, despite my best intentions, I tend to forget about until the last minute.

We still have lots of Aronia Berry Jam, Aronia Berry Jelly, and Hot Pepper-Aronia Jam left, as well as several kinds of Herb Teas.

ALL JAMS -- CASE SPECIALS! If you want a case of any combination of the jams, please let me know in advance (teresajeans@msn.com) so I will be sure to bring enough up for you.

SELECT SOAP SPECIALS! We will have a BUY 1, GET 1 at HALF PRICE on select soaps.

Stop by and taste and smell all of our wonderful gifts! If you’ve been good this year, maybe you should even buy one for yourself!

Roasted Root Vegetable Stew

1 large rutabaga
2 medium potatoes
1 large or several small parsnips
1 large carrot
1 large sweet potato
1 small celeriac root
1 medium onion
1 T. olive oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 t. dried marjoram or thyme
1 t. freshly finely chopped rosemary (optional)
3-4 C. vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 450 F. To prep the vegetables for roasting, cut everything, including the onion, into 1 inch cubes. Place on a foil-lined cookie sheet or in a roasting pan. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then toss with your hands so everything is evenly coated.

Roast vegetables in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until they are browning at the edges. Just before the vegetables are ready, bring 3 cups of vegetable broth to a boil in a large saucepan. When vegetables are done roasting, carefully add to the hot broth. If desired, add the additional cup of broth. Let soup simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes. Using the back of your stirring spoon, press some of the vegetables up against the side of the saucepan until they are smashed to help thicken the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Lamb and Mashed-Garlic Stew

1/2 cup olive oil
1 pound lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
10 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 leeks, washed and sliced into 2-inch lengths
1 sprig rosemary
1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 bottle dry white wine

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

2. Heat half the olive oil over high heat in a large Dutch oven. When the oil just begins to smoke, add the lamb shoulder pieces and brown all over, allowing to cook mostly undisturbed, about 8-10 minutes total.

3. Remove lamb pieces to a bowl and discard oil in Dutch oven, then add remaining olive oil to Dutch oven. Add the garlic and leeks and sauté, stirring frequently, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add lamb pieces, rosemary, bay leaf, stock, wine, and season with salt and pepper. When the braising liquid boils, cover the pot and slide into the oven. Braise for 1 ½ hours, or until the meat is tender.

4. Discard rosemary and bay leaves. Serve with crusty bread to soak up braising liquid.

Happy Holidays!

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