ITEMS
Melrose Apples
Purple Top Turnips
Shallots
Spicy Microgreens
Dozen Eggs
Stew Beef / Veg Customer Choice
Black Butte Chickpeas
PRODUCERS
Home Acres Orchard - Stevensville
Amaltheia Organic Produce - Belgrade
Chance Farm - Bozeman
Montana Roots - Livingston
"Straight from the" Farm Fresh Eggs - Manhattan
Yellowstone Grassfed Beef - Bozeman
Timeless Natural Food - Ulm (from last week!)
Purple Top Turnips
These differ from the little white turnips we see in the spring and summer that often come with their lovely greens attached. Though this type also has a mild pepperiness, they're typically better cooked (roasted, sauteed, or stewed) rather than raw. They are quite delicious on their own, but can also be cooked and mashed with potatoes, put in a pot pie, a hearty stew, or a simple side dish like this one:
Braised Turnips & Carrots
From Cook's Illustrated. Serves 4-6 as a side.
3 Tbs butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 shallot, minced
3/4 C chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 C apple cider
6 sprigs fresh thyme, sub ~1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
1 lb carrots, halved if very large, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 lb turnips, peeled, halved or quartered, then sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1/2 C dried cranberries - sub raisins (regular or golden), candied ginger, dried cherries, etc.
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 Tbs minced fresh parsley, chives, or any fresh herb you like
Melt 1 Tbs butter in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring frequently until softened and just beginning to brown, 3-5 minutes. Add broth, cider, thyme, bay leaves, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper; bring to simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add carrots and turnips, stir to combine, and return to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, discard thyme sprigs (if using) and bay leaves and stir in cranberries. Push vegetable mixture to sides of pot. Add mustard and remaining 2 Tbs butter to center and whisk it into the cooking liquid. Then stir to coat the vegetable mixture with sauce, sprinkle with herbs, and serve.
Beef Stew with Shallots & Purple Top Turnips
YGB stew meat is pre-cut chunks of beef chuck that require time simmering in liquid to become tender. The warming spices in this recipe are a nice variation on classic beef stew. Recipe adapted from Andrea Bemis. Serves ~4
~1 lb stew beef, cut into to 1" pieces
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 Tbs all-purpose flour (regular or gluten-free both work)
2 Tbs olive oil, divided - sub whatever kind of oil or fat you like to cook with
~1 lb purple top turnips, peeled and diced into 1/2" pieces
2 carrots, diced into 1/2" pieces
1-2 shallots, chopped (you'll want ~1 cups worth), sub onions if needed
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper - use more or less to taste
1/2 C red wine
3 C broth - beef would be best, but chicken, veggie, or mushroom broth could all work
A handful or two of Microgreens to top the bowls when serving
Dust the beef with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and the 2 Tbs flour (you can mix it all up in a bowl, or shake it in a paper bag, whatever works). Heat a large dutch oven or saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1 Tbs oil, then add the beef and brown on all sides. You'll probably want to do this in batches to keep from crowding the pan. Transfer browned beef to a plate and set aside.
Add remaining 1 Tbs oil to the pot, turning down the heat to medium. Add shallots and cook until they start to soften, 3-5 minutes, then add garlic, tomato paste, paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, coriander, and cayenne. Cook and stir for about a minute, until very fragrant, then add the red wine and continue stirring, loosening any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Add the browned beef back into the pot along with the broth and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, cover, and let cook gently for at least an hour, maybe 1 1/2 hours if you have the time. Add the turnips and carrots and let simmer uncovered for another 30-45 minutes, or until everything is tender to your liking. Taste and adjust seasoning, and serve with a topping of microgreens or fresh herbs.
--Alternatively, preheat the oven to 375 while browning the meat. Once the wine, beef, and broth have been added, cover the pot and put it in the oven for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Add the diced roots and return to the oven for another 30- 45 min, or until everything is tender to your liking.--
Hearty Root Vegetable & Mushroom Stew (vegetarian)
4 Tbs unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, diced - sub onions, if needed
1 celery rib, diced
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and minced (optional, but adds some depth of flavor)
Salt and pepper
1 ½ lbs mushrooms, stems trimmed, wiped clean, and quartered (white or brown cremini work fine, or any kind you like)
6 medium garlic cloves, minced (~2 Tbs)
1 Tbs tomato paste
2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 tsp dried
1/2 C white wine
5 C vegetable broth or mushroom broth (if using mushroom broth, you may not want the dried porcinis.
1 1/2 lbs root vegetables - use at least 2 kinds for best variety (turnips, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, celeriac (celery root), or parsley root) peeled, if needed, and cut into 1" pieces
1 lb potatoes (about 3 medium), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 bay leaves
1/4 C minced fresh parsley leaves - sub microgreens!
1 Tbs lemon juice (optional)
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, porcini mushrooms (if using), and 1 tsp salt and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are well browned, ~15 minutes.
Add the remaining 2 Tbs butter and fresh mushrooms, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often, until their liquid is released and evaporates, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until a dark, thick fond forms on the bottom of the pot, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and thyme and cook until fragrant, ~30 seconds. Add the wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the broth, root vegetables, potatoes, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot partially (the lid should be just off center to leave about 1 inch open), and cook until the stew is thickened and the vegetables are tender, about 1 hour. Off the heat, remove the bay leaves and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Top with parsley or microgreens to serve.
Additional Recipes & Suggestions
Here's a classic beef stew recipe if the different spices and veggies don't appeal to you, and here's a slow cooker beef stew recipe. Which, by the way, is a preparation you could also use for the recipe above...
Try this yummy roasted applesauce if you're feeling flush with fruit, or want a healthier dessert (it's great for breakfast, too). It will make your house smell amazing!
For a little something different, try Root Vegetable Hash with Apples and Pancetta (or bacon)
A frittata would be great way to use eggs, turnips, and even shallots. Here's one version from NYTimes Cooking and here's another we've shared in past deliveries that you could adapt with roasted or sauteed sliced turnips. Top it with microgreens for a little extra pizazz.
Stew beef could also be used for Beef Stroganoff, chili, or this delicious looking pot of slow cooked Italian Beef