We are looking forward to a nice rain at the end of this week. All of the summer production fields are empty and we are seeding cover crop today. The fall and winter fields, as well as the cooler, are still full of food. Mary and I both read the Little House on the Prairie series countless times when we were young. We joke that Ma and Pa have done well and we should make it through the long winter.
The chicories we planted in August have flourished. While they are slightly bitter, they are also delicious. They have thicker leaves than lettuce and keep their crunch even with a thick dressing.
We are planting garlic this week, as well as prepping the ground to plant cereal rye. We hope to get as much in the ground as possible before the rain!
This week's pick list:
- Carrots
- Winter squash
- Potatoes
- Scallions
- Lettuce
- Chard
- Collards
- Kale
- Fennel
- Cabbage
- Sweet pepper
- Pac Choy
- Onions
- Turnips
- Kohlrabi
- Celery
- Chicories, including puntarelle and radicchio
- Parsnips
- Rutabaga
- Garlic
- Parsley and dill
- Pick your own strawberries
- Revolution Bread is available
Harvest Festival is this Saturday November 4th from 11 to 3!
Puntarelle alla Romana, from domenicacooks.com
Check out the original blog post which has great pictures and a clear description of how to cut the puntarelle: www.domenicacooks.com/2014/02/puntarelle-alla-romana/
- 2 (1 lb) heads puntarelle or other chicory
- 1 large clove garlic
- Pinch of coarse sea salt
- 4 oil-packed anchovy fillets (see Note)
- 2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons really good extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
Clean, trim and cut the puntarelle. If using radicchio or a different chicory, tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Soak the puntarelle in a bowl of ice water for at least 1 hour, until they curl. Drain and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Place the puntarelle in a salad bowl.
Mash together the garlic and sea salt ~ I use a small marble mortar and pestle. (If you don't have a mortar and pestle you can do this on a cutting board using the flat side of a chef's knife.)
Add the anchovy fillets and pound until coarsely mashed. (If you're doing this on the cutting board, transfer the garlic-anchovy paste to a small bowl.) Stir in the vinegar and mix well. Dribble in the oil and stir until well combined.
Drizzle the dressing over the puntarelle and season with a generous grinding of black pepper. Toss to combine, and serve.