Well, I had to show my face at my CSA eventually. Sure, these posts got around. To everybody. Who cares? Not me.
With no Farmer in sight as I arrived at the pickup, I braked hard, dumped the nearest crate of vegetables into my trunk (13 Hubbard squashes? Fine.), did a few quick, high-pitched doughnuts to reverse direction, and was all set to get the hell out of there, when…doh!
That’s okay. I played it cool, as is my way, by, first and foremost, soiling myself. And then throwing any remaining composure out the window while I waited for the conversation to turn to sexual harassment charges. It never did. Maybe that mix tape I sent in the mail hasn’t arrived, yet?
Anyway, here’s how I’ve been making a dent in my as-yet-uninterrupted vegetable supply.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Farro from 101 Cookbooks
Yet another use for just about any kind of winter squash you have lying around. Between the squash and the farro, this dish is meaty enough to not need meat, which is really saying something coming from me. Husband disagrees with this assessment, but guess whose blog this is?
Beet Salad with Horseradish and Fried Capers at The Wednesday Chef
I have to say, I never would have thought of pairing beets with horseradish, but the combination works well. It’s damn ugly, though. Like a study in psychedelic fuchsia. Just keep your eyes on the fried capers and you’ll be just fine.
Parsnip and Rosemary Arancini
You asked for more parsnip recipes, and, goddamnit, you’re going to get them. Boy, did I like this risotto. But do you know what I liked even more? Deep-frying this risotto.
Day-old risotto often congeals into a sticky mass in the refrigerator. When that happens, you have a choice. You can either remoisten with stock or water when you reheat it, or you can use the situation to your advantage. Meaning form the risotto into little balls, dip them in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Fry them up in two inches of canola oil heated to 375°F until the outsides get all crispy. Drain on paper towels and season with more salt. Eat RIGHT AWAY. If all goes well, the insides will be all molten and oozy. Lordy. Everything is better fried and you, my little parsnips, are no different.
Those arancini look heavenly! You can also fashion leftover risotto into flat patties that don't need quite as much oil for frying. Yum, I've a mind to make some risotto today just for the leftovers tomorrow....
Posted by: Karen | December 30, 2007 at 09:02 AM
Mmmm... Like Karen, I just make risotto patties. Less oil and just as yummy. If you want to get seriously decadent one weekend, make risotto patties and serve them with a fried egg on top. It's just plain baaaaaad.
Posted by: Ann | December 30, 2007 at 06:15 PM
Can I tell you how jealous I am of your winter CSA? I'm seriously coveting, no matter how much hubbard squash there is. My CSA ended in October. I'm still sighing wistfully over the arugula.
Posted by: Jess | December 31, 2007 at 12:47 PM
I'm jealous that you have a CSA too.
Am I a dork that I just throw left over risotto is the microwave and nuke it just till warm? It's like a nuked risotto cake. Your deep fried risotto looks seriously tasty though.
Posted by: Mary | December 31, 2007 at 04:15 PM
Those arancini are divine!
Posted by: Susan from Food Blogga | December 31, 2007 at 08:01 PM
Susan: Thanks! They truly were.
Mary: I don't think anyone who makes risotto can be called a dork. But, I'm clearly biased.
Jess: It really is a great CSA. Did I mention the greenhouse greens???
Ann: Consider it a date. Me. Fried egg. Risotto patty. Two weeks.
Karen: I like the way you think. I do reuse my oil, but the idea of using less is appealing.
Posted by: Tammy | January 01, 2008 at 02:22 PM
hello, I write from Castelvecchio in Italy, I saw that you had Italian relatives, I know more?
Posted by: rodolfo | December 26, 2009 at 11:49 AM