Pining for Parsnips

Here is the fourth in our series on nutrition and winter vegetables. Enjoy!

The parsnip is a root vegetable that look like a pale carrot. Much like carrots, you can store parsnips with the leafy tops removed in a breathable plastic bag in your refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 weeks. Remember that when you get vegetables directly from a farmer, they will not have added chemicals or preservatives applied so they may last longer than those you buy in the store, or alternatively they may need to be used sooner. Just check on how they are keeping – soft mushy spots indicate that they are no longer good.

Parsnips are the sweetest of the root vegetables and spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger compliment them nicely. Parsnips provide a source of dietary vitamin C, folate, potassium and fibre. Vitamin C helps keep teeth and gums healthy in addition to helping wounds heal faster. Folate is important for the growth of new cells, and potassium helps maintain healthy blood pressure. Fibre can help lower cholesterol, decrease constipation and keep you feeling full; most of us don’t get enough fibre in our diet and eating parsnips can help!

Parsnips are generally eaten cooked – but be sure not to overcook them (the texture is most appealing and nutrients are preserved when they are cooked just until tender). They can be baked (350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-30 minutes), boiled (for 5 to 15 minutes), microwaved (cut in chunks and place in microwave safe dish with 2 tablespoons of water), or steamed (5 to 30 minutes – shorter times for smaller pieces, longer for whole parsnips). Serve them as a side dish, puree into soups, cut in chunks for stews, or add them to casseroles!

Here is a great parsnip soup recipe; a perfect meal on a cold winter day!

Parsnip and Carrot Soup
Ingredients:
• 4tbsp butter, softened
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 450g (15oz) carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 large parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 1 level tbsp. freshly grated root ginger
• 1 level tsp. finely grated orange rind
• 600ml (1 pint) vegetable stock
• 125ml (4fl oz.) single cream (to reduce the fat in this recipe use whole or 2% milk instead).
• Salt and ground black pepper
• Sprigs of fresh coriander, to garnish

Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the carrots and parsnips. Cover the pan until the vegetables have softened a little. Stir in the ginger, orange rind and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 30-35 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.
2. Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the rinsed-out saucepan, stir in the cream (or milk), and season well with salt and pepper. Warm through gently over a low heat.
3. Remove from the heat and ladle into soup bowls. Sprinkle pepper over and garnish your parsnip soup with a sprig of coriander.

Serves 4

Loving Recipes (For You, Yours and the Earth)

It’s been a busy, busy winter of workshops.  Over the next couple weeks, we’ll be publishing a series of posts featuring the delicious meals of the past few months.  Enjoy!

Elisabeth Bailey, a (local) food writer from the south shore as well as a fabulous cook, spent her Valentine’s Day in the kitchen of Local Source Market, teaching a group of foodies a thing or two about local fare, great food, and true love. Here are the oh-so-tempting recipes!

Rugosa Rose Dressing
Ingredients:
2tbsp white wine vinegar
5tbsp olive oil
1tbsp melted Rugosa Rosa Jelly  (or to taste)
1tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste  (or white pepper if you have it)
1tbsp chopped parsley
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly (alternately, put them in a jar and shake!)

Caramelized Onions
Properly caramelized onions have a sweet, savoury taste that is not identifiably “oniony”.  I like to freeze baggies of about 3 tablespoons of minced, caramelized onions each to toss into soups, stews, and sauces.
Ingredients:
5 large or 7 medium onions, any kind
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
Directions:
Remove the top and root ends of the onions.  Slice them in half with the skins on; then remove skins.  Slice onion halves thinly (exactly how thinly isn’t terrifically important in this recipe, though).
Combine olive oil and butter in the bottom of a large pan over medium-low heat.  Add sliced onions and salt; stir to combine.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions turn completely soft and brown, 40 minutes to an hour. If onions are sticking to the bottom of the pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil and lower the temperature slightly.
When onions are evenly browned, remove from pan, scraping up all browned bits from the bottom, and either use or store.  Caramelized onions will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a year.

Note:  I often double or triple this recipe and freeze small bags of caramelized onions to toss in another dish.  I mince the frozen onions and add them to stews, soups, and casseroles.  This adds concentrated flavour that people love (but usually can’t identify!)

Alternative cooking method:
Place all ingredients in a crock pot, cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Slow Roast in Red Wine
Ingredients:
1 large beef roast, bone in
1 cup red wine
1 medium onion, chopped
2 small celery ribs, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425˚F.  Place beef roast in a roasting pan and roast for 40 minutes.  Remove pan and transfer roast to a stock pot or crock pot, including any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Add wine, onion, celery, and carrots to the pot.  Cover and cook over low heat until meat is thoroughly cooked and flaking from the bone.  Immerse meat in red wine reduction sauce and top with caramelized onions.

Red Wine Reduction Sauce
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 small celery ribs, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (750-ml) bottle red wine
Directions:
Sauté onion, celery, and carrots in oil in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add wines and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced to 1 quart, about 1 hour.
Pour through a sieve into a saucepan and simmer until reduced to 2 cups. Reheat reduction and season with salt and pepper before using.

Carrots with Honey and Mint
Ingredients:
6 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves or 1 teaspoon dried mint
Directions:
In large pan, heat 1 inch of water to boiling. Add carrots and bring water back to boil.
Immediately reduce heat, cover pan and simmer about 10 minutes, or until carrots are crisp-tender.
Drain well and transfer to serving bowl.
Drizzle honey on top and sprinkle mint leaves over all. Toss gently to mix well and serve immediately.

Note: We used rainbow carrots for this recipe – a mix of purple, orange and yellow carrots. You can find bags of rainbow carrots at the Seaport Farmer’s Market and/or at Local Source.

Saffron Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
2 pounds Yukon Gold or russet potatoes (unpeeled)
1/2 cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
Directions:
Place potatoes in large saucepan; cover with cold water. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well; cool slightly. Peel and mash potatoes; place in large saucepan. Over medium heat, dry out potatoes for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat milk and saffron in small saucepan until warm. Stir butter into potatoes. Add warm milk mixture and stir until completely absorbed. Season with salt.

Chocolate Love with Raspberry Coulis
Ingredients:
1 cup dark chocolate
¾ cup heavy cream
½ cup raspberry jam
½ cup port
Directions:
In a small saucepan, heat chocolate over low heat, stirring, until just melted.  Add cream and stir until thoroughly blended. Pour mixture into small serving dishes and refrigerate until solidified.
Heat raspberry jam over low heat in a clean saucepan.  Once jam appears to have melted, add port and whisk to combine.  Take mixture off heat.  Drizzle raspberry topping over chilled chocolate and serve.

Why can’t every Friday night be Valentine’s Day?

Yours in food, Keltie

What to eat in the winter and earliest spring

Spring has sprung and I am thankful now for the spinach, leeks, parsnips and parsley that I planted in August and allowed to winter over. They emerge now from the snow with some tasty edibles and the promise of more on the way. Next year I will add chard, broccoli, beets and rutabagas to my fall planting. Trying to winter-over carrots was a disasterous, slimy corky failure. My friends who are lucky enough to own greenhouses are boasting greens that have thrived all winter; chard and spinach, lettuce and beet and turnip greens, those magical plants that can survive a frost and keep on growing through the feeblest sunlight we have to offer.

Nettles encroach on chives

All winter I have been taking advantage of dandelions that I have dug up, then “forced” in my basement, planting and watering them in complete darkness. They grow thin blanched leaves in a vain attempt to capture sunlight, rendering their root-energy into a tasty salad green. Cruel perhaps, but a Canadian winter requiers such measures. This year I would like to start some Belgian Endives and force those greens also.

Wild weeds have also wintered over that can be picked now: chickweed, ground ivy, violet leaves, Dandelion crowns, wintergreen leaves and berries, the last cranberries, common mallow. My nettles are sprouting along with the first chives. Back in the garden perennial herbs are still around or coming up; thyme, sage, oregano and lemon balm, and, of course, the maple sap is running.

With some preparation in the late summer, winter and early spring need not be without local fresh greens.

-Jen

Stockpiling Stock

I cleaned my fridge last night. That may not seem like a big deal but, believe me, it is. This is very embarrassing and may even land me in some trouble with my mom but the truth is I had not cleaned by fridge in … a while. To be fair, I am not talking about a quick once over. I took everything out of the fridge and freezer – including shelves – and scrubbed.

So, what did I find, you might ask. Well, a lot of stock. In fact, I seem to be stockpiling stock. It’s interesting, just the other day I was having a conversation with Sheila, a recent – and fabulous – cooking class instructor, about the need for a local stock-maker. Just imagine, homemade stock made from sweet Nova Scotia carrots, feisty onions, golden parsnips, and crispy turnip simmering away with fresh herbs (River View Herbs in Maitland perhaps). Sound good huh? So much better than the salty store option.

While I would still love to find a local stock-maker, I seem to be stocked up at the moment – veggie stock, fish stock, chicken stock (well so far just a frozen carcass) and even lobster stock.

Soup anyone?

Yours in food, Keltie

Batty for Beets

Here is the third installment in our series on the nutritional benefits of winter vegetables: Beets! (See past posts on turnip and kale).

Beets are a versatile – and delicious vegetable! Both the beet and its greens are edible and can be used in a variety of tasty and simple dishes. Beets come in a red-purple colour, as well as in a golden-yellow colour. Beets are a good source of potassium, a nutrient that helps the body maintain a healthy blood pressure; and folate, a nutrient that is especially important for pregnant women and women who could become pregnant. Adding beets to your diet, along with a variety of other vegetables can help to ensure you meet your folate needs!

Once you get beets home, cut the greens off (leaving only 1-2 inches of stem) and refrigerate both the beets and the greens. The beets will last up to a week in the fridge, but the greens should be used within 2 days. Both the purple-red and golden beets are great served sliced up in a salad or on their own. Typically beets are cooked before eating them. To keep the colour from seeping out, clean them thoroughly and then cook them with the skins on. Once cooked, you can remove the skin with minimal colour leaking. Beets can also be roasted with potatoes and carrots or other vegetables – just use a little olive oil and pepper and wrap them up in tin foil – they can be cooked in the oven, or on the barbeque. Raw beets can also be grated over salads, which adds nice colour to the dish. The greens are a nice addition to salad, but they can also be sautéed with a little canola or olive oil and seasoned with pepper and garlic for a unique side dish!

Here’s a simple recipe to add some colour and zest to your summer, autumn or winter menu:

Roasted Root Vegetables
•    6 small red new potatoes
•    4 baby Yukon gold potatoes or fingerling potatoes
•    1 cup whole baby carrots, peeled
•    2 turnips, peeled
•    6 whole shallots, peeled
•    6 small white boiling onions, peeled
•    4 baby beets, scrubbed and stemmed
•    1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
•    1/8 cup olive oil
•    1 teaspoon dried sweet marjoram
•    Fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F. 

In a large bowl, combine red potatoes, gold potatoes, carrots, turnips, shallots, onions, and beets. 

In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and sweet marjoram. Pour over vegetables and toss so they are evenly coated. 

Transfer vegetables to a large, deep roasting pan and spread in a single layer. Sprinkle with fresh-ground pepper. 

Roast vegetables uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning the vegetables 2 to 3 times during the process.

Serves 4 – 6.

CSA sign-up

Spring is in the air, crocus leaves are peeking out of the soil, fresh greens are starting to become available at the farmers market… AND CSAs have started sign-up customers for the season.

What is a CSA you ask?  Well, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  It is a system through which customers sign up for a share in the farm at the beginning of the season, and receive a weekly (generally) basket of food from the farm.  Boxes vary depending on the season.  While most CSAs in Nova Scotia are for vegetables and fruit, there are some people doing meat, fish, bread and full meal CSAs.

It’s a win-win situation.  Farmers have a set customer base, so they know how much to plant and harvest, and they receive payment at the beginning of the season when they are ordering seeds and other supplies.  Customers benefit by receiving fresh, delicious food from a farmer they know and trust, delivered to a central pick-up point.  Some offices, businesses and organizations serve as pick up locations for CSAs.  Talk to your co-workers or neighbours.  With enough people, some farmers may consider adding a pick up location to their route.

Check out the ACORN database to search for a listing of CSAs in the Maritimes.

If you are already part of a CSA, please tell us about your experience in the comments section below.  And if you want to join a CSA, but still have some questions, feel free to ask and we’ll do our best to help answer them.

Crazy for Kale

Here is the second installment in our short series on the nutritional benefits of different winter vegetables: Kale!  (Click here to see the first post on turnip.)  Many thanks to the nutrition students who put this together for us.

Beautiful kale is a popular garnish, while it is also a highly nutritious vegetable.  It is very high in calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K.  Vitamin A is good for eyes and skin health as well as to protect against infection.  Vitamin K is required for blood coagulation and involved in the maintenance of healthy bones.  Kale also contains sulforaphane which is known to have potent anti-cancer properties.

Uncooked kale is used for garnish, and cooked kale is a very healthy additive to most any meal.  Boiling will decrease vitamin C and anti-cancer properties; however, you can still get these benefits if you use or drink the water/soup that the kale was boiled in.  Stir-frying, microwaving, and steaming will cause less nutrient loss than boiling.

Here is a way to prepare kale soup: In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; sauté onion, garlic, sage, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.  Add stock, 3 cups (750 mL) water, potato, ham, red pepper and chickpeas; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15 minutes.  Add kale; simmer until tender, about 5 minutes.

Here is another kale recipe that is really popular:
Ingredients:
1 bunch of kale, washed and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 yellow onion, sliced
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1/2 cup of vegetable broth or water
Sea salt and pepper, to taste (optional)

Directions: Warm olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onions and cook for 3-5 minutes or until slightly translucent. Be sure to stir the onions around once in a while so that they don’t burn. Add garlic and kale and mix them together with onions. Allow garlic, kale and onions to cook for one minute, then add vegetable broth and cover pot or pan for 4-6 minutes. Check kale from time to time starting at the 4 minute mark for tenderness. Once kale is tender, add sea salt and just a few drops of lemon juice. Give it one last stir and serve.

ACORN Conference Top 10 List

Keltie & I just got back from the annual conference of the Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network (ACORN).  This year it was held in Fredericton (March 10-12).  In no particular order, here are some of the highlights of the conference…

1. Financial Planning for farmers with Daniel Brisebois.  Daniel and four others own and operate Tourne-Sol, an organic farm outside of Montreal. He is careful to refer to the farm as a business and has developed some great resources on running a profitable farm. If you’re thinking of starting a market garden, you should buy his book.  It’s called “Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers”. He walked us through start-up budgets, how to calculate profitability of different crops both in terms of time they take to harvest and the space they take up on the farm.  Such good information.  His book is available from the Canadian Organic Growers (COG).

2. Market Garden Tricks of the Trade. Rowena Hopkins, who ran her own farm for a number of years and now is the Executive Director of Farmers Market Nova Scotia, took us on a whirlwind photo tour of her 6 month WWOOFing trip across the country, in which she worked 20 farms.  She shared best practices she learned along the way. Her presentation highlighted the creativity and innovation of farmers.  She showcased simple technologies and techniques for making life easier. Examples include a number of options when it comes to washing veggies on farm – from using an old washing machine as a salad spinner to simply wedging a conventional salad spinner inside a tire to make for easy spinning. Another tip was to make use of the warmth coming from your greenhouse by planting along its outside walls – especially the south-facing wall.

3. Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs): There is a lot of interest from farmers in starting and expanding their CSAs.  On Saturday, there was a stream of workshops devoted to the topic.  ACORN conducted surveys of CSA customers last season.  They found that one of the big reasons people joined CSAs was “to be part of the solution”.  One of the main reasons they decide not to join up for a second season: too much food in the box and the feeling that they are wasting food.  Other news: Taproot farm is developing website systems that will be available for other CSA farmers to purchase.

4. Attracting farm apprentices to the region.  I attended a discussion on this topic.  While no specific conclusions were reached, some of the topics discussed included: how to attract apprentices with a serious interest in farming (and how do you find such people?), the creation of a network of farms with apprenticeship programs, the potential for a more formalized program with a certificate or diploma at the end.  I expect that this will be a topic of growing interest and that more discussions will follow.

5. Transplants 101. Keltie attended what she described as an amazing workshop on transplants led by a New Brunswick organic farmer. Some of the tips Keltie passed along in the car ride were: transplanting your tomato plants from a small seedling cell to a 4 inch pot and then into the ground; getting the seedling soil mix just right – a balance between compost (but not too much as many seeds prefer to germinate in low fertility soil) and peat (as it has lots of air space and thus water can drain more naturally); do not cover herb seeds with soil as they want the sun; it is key to have both heat and light – heat without lots of light will result in very poor germination.

6. Kids conference. So, we didn’t attend any of these sessions, but ACORN had a kids conference on Thursday, which I thought was such a great idea.  The kids added a fun and lively element to the conference.  I missed the play/presentation that they did at the end of the day, but next time I will definitely plan to attend.

7. Seedy Saturday! I have no self-control when it comes to seed purchasing (and neither does Keltie).  There were seeds from Annapolis Seeds, Hope Seeds, Tourne-Sol (http://www.fermetournesol.qc.ca/eng/seeds.html)  and others.  I’m looking forward to the two kinds of basil, snap peas, purple beans, and lettuce mixes that I’ll be growing in my backyard this season!

8. Consumer day. Keltie and I presented as part of consumer day, which was held on Saturday. It was great to see so many people interested in canning and preserving, concerned about GMOs, and generally asking lots of questions.  I caught the tail end of the sprouting workshop and had a chance to hear about the Local Foodies of Fredericton, who seem to be doing similar work to Keltie and me.

9. The food. The food, of course, was delicious.  My favourite was the pesto pasta.  Keltie couldn’t get enough of the fresh greens. We also popped into the Fredericton Farmers’ Market on Saturday morning before the sessions started.  Lots of delicious looking cheeses, breads, veggies… Yummy!

10. Old friends and new friends. Often my favourite part of a conference is the in-between time.  I like hearing what people are up to, their plans for the season, what’s new in their lives, and generally catching up.  It’s also in these moments that new project ideas are born…

Yours in Food,
Marla

Tickled about Turnip

Some nutrition students at Mount Saint Vincent University have been helping us out with some research on the nutritional benefits of various local veggies.   As part of their work, they’ve put together a short series on winter veggies, their nutritional benefits, and a recipe to enjoy them.  Today: Turnip!  (Stay tuned for Kale & Beets)…

With spring just around the corner it is time to get excited about the fabulous and local vegetables that this season has to offer. One exciting and less known or perhaps less popular vegetable is turnip. This delicious vegetable is jam packed with vitamins A, K, C and folate and can offer an extra pow with the role it plays in cataract and cardiovascular disease prevention.

Along with cataracts and cardiovascular disease, vitamin A is great for eye and skin health as well as for helping your body fight off infections. Vitamin K is important for blood clot formation as well as helping bone growth. Vitamin C helps heal wounds and keeps your teeth and gums healthy. Vitamin C is also very important for iron absorption and finally, folate helps in DNA synthesis and is particularly important in pregnant women to prevent neural tube defects.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy turnip is steamed as a side dish to my main meal or chopped up in a stew- it adds extra flavor and colour that your stew may need. Here is a great way to enjoy the benefits and flavor turnip has to offer on some of those colder mornings while we are still waiting for spring to arrive.

Quick Turnip Soup (from mrneep.co.uk)

1 large peeled, and finely grated turnip
2 pints of milk
1 onion, pureed
1 tbl spoon cornflour
2 tbl spoons of melted butter
Salt and pepper to season
Parsley to garnish

Heat the milk in a double boiler with the onion, add the flour and butter, which have been well blended, then the turnip and salt. Cook until the turnip is tender, or for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the soup just before serving.

Busy as bees

Interested in urban beekeeping?  Check out the latest news from the Halifax Honeybee Society…

The Halifax Honey Bee Society is a collective urban beekeepers and bee enthusiasts. Our goals are to preserve and promote beekeeping skills, to provide educational activities for our members, and to enjoy these fascinating and hard-working insects. We keep bees in the city, and we organize educational experiences for our members.The Halifax Honeybee Society is excited to tell you about the third year of our urban beekeeping project and to welcome you to join us again in 2011!

We did a lot of learning during this past year, the momentum is growing and we have big plans for 2011! We’ll be starting fresh with new colonies this year, and we hope that lots of community members will want to come out and continue learning along with us.

As you know, for the past two years, our project has been entirely supported through membership donations. Membership fees go towards purchasing bee colonies, beekeeping equipment, and resources. In exchange for your support, we want to make sure that our members continue to get the chance to learn about beekeeping in the city. Over the past year, our community of urban beekeepers has grown substantially, and that has inspired us to take the Honey Bee Society in a slightly new direction. Instead of inviting members to visit our hives with us as we care for them through the season, as we’ve done in the past, we’ve decided to organize several workshops on specific topics, covering many key aspects of urban beekeeping. In partnership with a number of beekeepers and bee enthusiasts, we’re planning to offer the following beekeeping workshops to our 2011 members, set to begin in May:

* Intro to Beekeeping
* Splitting Strong Hives and Swarm Control
* Bee Products for Body Care
* Honey Extraction
* Top Bar Hives
* Rooftop Beekeeping
* Organic Methods for Disease and Pest Control
* Preparing for Winter
* And possibly others, including beeswax candle making!

Because this a community project, we want to make it as accessible as possible. This year, membership fees are lower than ever! See the membership page of the Halifax Honeybee Society website for details.

Feel free to contact us with any questions, and check out our website and our Facebook page.