Taking root

Taking root

Farmers and foodies celebrate this season’s winter vegetables
A purple top turnip, rutabaga, and watermelon radish at Fields to Plate Produce.
Chioggia beets at Fields to Plate Produce.
Carrots, a best seller of the root vegetable world, at Fields to Plate Produce.
Radishes are exchanged for cash at the Rohwer’s Farm booth Saturday at the La Plata County Fairgrounds.
Max Fields, left, and James Plate, center, who grow traditional root vegetables like rutabagas and parsnips on their farm, Fields to Plate Produce, wait on customers Anna Hollowell, center right, and Cynthia Dott, right.
Workers for Rohwer’s Farm dress in Pilgrim’s garb at the holiday farmers market at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Carol Bartolino weighs some of the farm’s many varieties of onions for Florence McFadden.

Taking root

A purple top turnip, rutabaga, and watermelon radish at Fields to Plate Produce.
Chioggia beets at Fields to Plate Produce.
Carrots, a best seller of the root vegetable world, at Fields to Plate Produce.
Radishes are exchanged for cash at the Rohwer’s Farm booth Saturday at the La Plata County Fairgrounds.
Max Fields, left, and James Plate, center, who grow traditional root vegetables like rutabagas and parsnips on their farm, Fields to Plate Produce, wait on customers Anna Hollowell, center right, and Cynthia Dott, right.
Workers for Rohwer’s Farm dress in Pilgrim’s garb at the holiday farmers market at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Carol Bartolino weighs some of the farm’s many varieties of onions for Florence McFadden.
Latkas

Servings: 4
Ingredients:
3 medium potatoes
1 medium onion
1 egg
1 tablespoon flour
Pinch of baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil
Method:
Wash potatoes, peel onion and roughly chop. Put half the potatoes and the onion in a food processor with the knife attachment and process until smooth. Remove to a large bowl.
Grate the remaining potatoes on the small-hole grater attachment of the food processor and add to the bowl. (If you want super-crispy pancakes, drain this mixture for 30 minutes in a colander, pressing out the liquid.)
Mix the potatoes and onions with the egg, flour, baking powder and salt until combined.
Drop large spoonfuls of the mixture in hot oil (about ½ inch in the bottom of your pan) and cook over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.
Serve with applesauce and sour cream.
Recipe by Pamela Hasterok.

Turnip and Potato Purée

Servings: 6
Ingredients:
2 pounds turnips, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons butter plus 4 tablespoons
1-1½ cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
Method:
Blanch the turnips for 3-5 minutes in boiling salted water to cover. Drain and place in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons butter and enough stock to cover. Season lightly and boil on low heat for 20-30 minutes until tender.
Cool slightly and puree turnips, then beat them into the warmed mashed potatoes in a saucepan over low heat. When ready to serve, beat in butter and add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck.

Apple-Fennel Chowder

Servings: 6
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups tart apple, peeled and finely diced
1 large potato, peeled and finely diced
1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
2 cups leeks, finely sliced (white and pale green parts only)
1½ cups fennel, finely diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1-2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon anise seeds, crushed
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup apple juice
5 cups chicken stock
Method:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan and sauté the apples until beginning to brown but still firm and set aside.
Heat the rest of the oil in a sauté pan and cook the garlic, onion, leeks and curry until just beginning to soften. Add the wine, stock, juice and seeds and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the fennel and potato and cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until tender.
Add the apples, cayenne, cream and butter and heat through. Serve immediately with leftover fronds from the fennel.
Adapted from From the Earth to the Table by John Ash.