We appreciated the unseasonably warm few days we’ve had, though that has quickly changed now that it’s the end of the week. We hope you got a chance to get outside and enjoy the sunshine as much as we did. We’ve been busy preparing for the first significant frost of the season, so we’re covering any cold-intolerant plants we hope to keep producing for another few weeks. This week’s bag has a great mix of fresh flavors, including sorrel greens, which add a nice tanginess to soups or sauteed greens, and baby fennel, which has very flavorful, crisp fronds that work well in salads and soups. Have a great week!
White Bean and Fennel Soup
Finely chop 1 cup of fennel stems and 1/2 cup fronds. Dice 1 large onion. Dice half tomatoes, about 1/2 cup, dice 1/2 cup celery stems and 1/2 cup celery leaves, dice one green pepper, and 2 cloves of garlic. Roughly chop 1 bag of sorrel greens, about 2 oz.
Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a large stock pot. Add chopped fennel stems, onion, garlic, green pepper and celery stems. Saute vegetables for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender and fragrant. Add chopped tomatoes, fennel fronds, and celery leaves to soup. Cook another few minutes then add 3 cups tomato sauce and 4 cups chicken stock or water. Add 1.5 cup precooked white beans (either 1 can of beans or 1 cup dry which is boiled for about 40 minutes, then rinsed). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook another 10 minutes. Add chopped sorrel greens and cook another 5 minutes.
Serve with crunchy bread and added Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Spaghetti Squash Bowl with Black Beans, Radishes, & Cilantro
Slice spaghetti squash in half scoop out the seeds and place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet with a 1/4" of water. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until squash is tender. Scoop out squash with a spoon into a large mixing bowl. Add, 2 tsp grated lemon zest plus 7 teaspoons juice, 1/4 tsp ground cumin, 3 radishes, trimmed, halved, and sliced thin
2oz queso fresco, crumbled (1/2 cup), 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped, 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, 1/2 cup cooked black beans.
Red Salad with Creamy Dressing
Chop red lettuce head into bit sized pieces. Dress salad with creamy dressing, and additional toppings, as desired.
To make dressing combine 1 minced clove of garlic, 3 Tbsp greek yogurt, 2 Tbsp sour cream, 2 Tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp honey, 1/4 tsp salt, and a pinch ground black pepper.
Ground Cherry & Tomato Salsa
Dehusk 1 pint of ground cherries, then cut in half. Roughly chop 1 sweet pepper, half tomatoes, about 2 medium to small, and 1/2 cup onion. Finely chop 1 jalapeno pepper, removing the seeds and ribs for less heat. Chop 2 cloves garlic and half the cilantro, about 2 Tbsp. Add all ingredients to a food processor along with 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cumin, and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper. Pulse until desired consistency.
Fennel & Apple Salad
Finely chop two fennel bulbs and 1/4 cup fennel fronds. Julienne 1 small or medium apple, preferably a tart variety. Thinly slice about 2 large stalks of celery, 1/2 cup. Combine fennel, fennel fronds, apple, celery, and 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts. Add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan.
Ingredients
The first table shows the ingredients that come in the share. The table after that shows the ingredients you would need to make the recipes.
| White Bean and Fennel Soup | Spaghetti Squash Bowl with Black Beans, Radishes, & Cilantro | Red Leaf Salad with Creamy Dressing | Ground Cherry & Tomato Salsa | Fennel & Apple Salad | |
| white or yellow onion | 1 onion | 1/2 onion | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cooking oil, or olive oil | 1-2 Tbsp | 2 Tbsp | |||
| white beans | 1 cup dry, or 1 15oz can | ||||
| tomato sauce | 3 cups | ||||
| chicken stock | 1 quart | ||||
| garlic | 2 cloves | 1 clove | 2 cloves | ||
| Parmesan cheese | up to 1/4 cup when serving | 1/4 cup when serving | |||
| lemon | 1 lemon, zest and juice | ||||
| black beans | 1/2 cup cooked | ||||
| red onion | 1/4 cup, thinly sliced | ||||
| queso fresco, or feta cheese | 1/2 cup | ||||
| Greek yogurt | 3 Tbsp | ||||
| sour cream | 2 Tbsp | ||||
| white vinegar | 2 Tbsp | ||||
| honey | 1 tsp | ||||
| apple cider vinegar | 2 Tbsp | 2 Tbsp | |||
| cumin | |||||
| jalapeno | 1 jalapeno | ||||
| walnuts | 1/2 cup | ||||
| apple, tart variety | 1 apple |