THE BEET : VOLUME 12, ISSUE 17--10.10.13

 THE BEET : VOLUME 12, ISSUE 17

CSA pickup times are, as always, Thursday, 5pm-7:30pm at PS 56 at Lewis and Gates

In this week’s BEET:

1. CSA Updates

2. Recipes: Vegetable broth and two simple potato soups for this week's vegetables: Potato Leek Soup and Creamy Potato and Roasted Garlic Soup

CSA Updates

• Last October delivery changed to TUESDAY, October 29^th In order to avoid any conflict with Halloween activities on Thursday, the 31st, distribution has been moved that week to Tuesday, October 29th. The time and location will be the same. We will also be hosting our annual Halloween potluck. Would you like to fulfill your volunteer hours by planning the Halloween potluck? We need a CSA member to help plan the Halloween potluck on October 29th. If you are interested, please contact information@clintonhillcsa.org.

• Lewis Waite Meat Share order Pick-up THIS Thursday For those who ordered online by October 6th

• Milk Not Jails a la carte order pick-up NEXT Thursday For those who ordered online by October 6th. Next order deadline: November 3rd for delivery November 14th.

• Would you like to be a part of the Clinton Hill CSA next year? The first step is to complete your volunteer hours. Those members who do not complete their 4 required volunteer hours per household will not be able to sign up for the CSA next year. There are a number of shifts coming up that desperately need volunteers, especially in the 4pm-6pm shift. Please sign up for your hours here.

• Volunteer cancellation If you need to cancel your volunteer shift, please email the distribution manager directly if the cancellation is within 24 hours of your shift so that she can try to replace you: information@clintonhillcsa.org

Recipes Two creamy potato soup recipes to help you transition into fall, and a simple broth to get you started.

Do you have a great recipe? Send it to clintonhillcsa@gmail.com and see it in THE BEET!

Basic Vegetable Broth Recipe (from allrecipes.com)

There is no one right way to make vegetable broth. There are some core ingredients that give broth most of its flavor, mainly carrots, celery or celery root and onions, and you can add other vegetables as you see fit. This recipe can get you started if you’ve never done it before.

Makes 6 cups

Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion 2 stalks celery, including some leaves 2 large carrots 1 bunch green onions, chopped 8 cloves garlic, minced 8 sprigs fresh parsley 6 sprigs fresh thyme 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon salt 2 quarts water

Directions

1. Chop scrubbed vegetables into 1-inch chunks. Remember, the greater the surface area, the more quickly vegetables will yield their flavor.
2. Heat oil in a soup pot. Add onion, celery, carrots, scallions, garlic, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add salt and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain. Discard vegetables.
4. Other ingredients to consider: mushrooms, eggplant, asparagus (butt ends), corn cobs, fennel (stalks and trimmings), bell peppers, pea pods, chard (stems and leaves), celery root parings, marjoram (stems and leaves), basil, potato parings . . . Get the idea?

Rustic Potato Leek Soup (from Love Soup by Anna Thomas)

Serves 6-8

Ingredients 3-4 large leeks, white and light green parts 2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes 1 Tbs. olive oil 1 ½  tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste 3 cups basic light vegetable broth 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley ½  tsp chopped fresh thyme freshly ground black pepper 2 tsp fresh lemon juice 3 tbs heavy cream garnish: chopped parsley or snipped chives

 Method

Trim the leeks and wash them well, slice them into quarters lengthwise, then slice thinly crosswise; you should have 3 to 3 ½ cups. Scrub the potatoes and cut them into ½ inch dice.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet, add the leeks and a pinch of salt, and cook the leeks over a medium heat, stirring often, until they are soft and just beginning to color, 8 to 10 minutes.

Combine the looks and potatoes in a large soup pot with 3 cups water, a teaspoon of sea salt, and the vegetable broth and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely tender. Add the parsley and thyme, some black pepper, and the lemon juice. Taste, and the correct the seasoning with more salt if needed; potatoes absorb wuite a lot of salt, but wait a moment between addition, as salt needs time to dissolve.

Stir in the cream and serve with more fresh parsley or chopped chives sprinkled on top.

Another way:

Allow the soup to chill to room temperature, then puree it in a blender or with a handmixer. Be careful not to overprocess or the potatoes can become gummy.

Creamy Potato and Roasted Garlic Soup (also from Love Soup  by Anna Thomas)

Ingredients 1 large head garlic 4 Tbs olive oil, plus more for roasting the garlic 1 large russet potato 1 large sweet potato 3 large stalks celery 1 tsp chopped frsh thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme 1 bay leaf 1 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste freshly ground pepper red pepper flakes 2 cups whole milk (or cream) 2-3 cups vegetable broth 6-7 oz Russian kale, or other kale 1 Tbs finely chopped garlic Garnish: parmesan crostini or garlic crostini

 Method

Preheat the oven to 375°

Peel the loose outer husk off the head of garlic, slice off a tiny bit of the top, place the garlic on a square of aluminum foil, and drizzle a little olive oil over it. Fold the foil up and crimp to seal it. Roast the garlic for about 40 minutes, or until it gives when pressed. Allow it to cool.

Meanwhile, peel and dice the potatoes, cut the celery into small dice, and combine the vegetables in a soup pot with 3 cups cold water. Add the thyme, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, some black pepper, and a large pinch of red pepper flakes. Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are completely soft.

When the garlic is ready, squeeze the soft roasted cloves out of their skins and add them to the soup. Stir in the milk and puree the soup in a blender, in batches, or with an immersion blender, but be careful not to overprocess. Stop the moment the vegetables are smooth, or the potatoes could turn gummy.

Return the soup to the pot, and stir in enough vegetable broth to give the soup the consistency you like. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed.

Trim the kale, slicing away the tough stems, and cut it into 1-inch squares. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick pan and stir the chopped garlic in it for a minute or two, just until it begins to color. Add the kale and sauté it, stirring constantly at first, then frequently, until it thoroughly wilts. Add a splash of water—just a few tablespoons—then cover the pan and let the kale steam until the water is gone and the kale is tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir the kale into the soup.

Drizzle about a teaspoon of the remaining olive oil over each serving and serve with Parmesan or garlic crostini.

Add a little cream in place of some of the milk if you want a richer soup, or stir in some creamy goat cheese and let it melt into the soup just before serving.