04 October 2007

CSA Week 18

It was a very green week: greens, greens, salad and herbs. I think I'll blanch and freeze the spinach and the braising greens.

  • Broccoli
  • Broccoli Rabe
  • Spinach
  • Braising Greens - Asian mix
  • Salad Mix
  • Plum Tomatoes (quart)
  • Juliet Tomatoes (pint)
  • Red Potatoes (5)
  • Onions (2)
  • Basil
  • Parsley

The potatoes are piling up - we didn't get any last week, so I wasn't aware of just how many potatoes we had until I put these new ones away. So, I think I'll make a fennel/potato gratin tonight with the fennel from last week. I've never made this recipe before so I can't speak for it, but it sounds good. That said, I've not had much success in feeding fennel to the family in the past, so it could be a disaster. But that's part of the beauty of the CSA - experimenting with things you don't usually eat or actively shy away from. That said, last week's kabocha squash is still in the fridge...

Fennel and Potato Gratin

1 medium fennel bulb, cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices (about 2 cups)
2 cups thinly sliced Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 large potatoes)
Salt and pepper
2 cups half-and-half
2 T. butter

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly coat a shallow 2-quart baking dish with butter.
  2. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with a layer of fennel slices. Cover with half of the potato slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Repeat layers until you’ve used up all your slices.
  3. Bring the half-and-half to a gentle boil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Pour it over the fennel and potato. (The half-and-half can be replaced with whole milk for a less rich dish.)
  4. Using a large spatula, press down on the top layer to submerge it. Dot with butter. Bake until potatoes are tender and the top is golden, about 1 hour.
(from Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables)


alejna said...

That gratin recipe sounds really good.

My favorite way to eat fennel is just sauteed with butter and salt. I slice it up thin, like I slice onions, and saute until the fennel is slightly browned, and slightly translucent.

I'm jealous that you get broccoli. Our farm doesn't grow it, apparently.

Suz said...

mmmmm...I love Broccoli Rabe. Yum.

BipolarLawyerCook said...

That sounds excellent. I have a similar recipe that uses half stock, half cream, and 1/2 c. grated parmesan. Mmmm. Hope it goes over well. I am a big believer that you can cure anything with cream.

niobe said...

mmmm.....fennel. It tastes like licorice, right?

aunt liz said...

Well, my CSA upstate only yielded tons of swiss chard, herbs and basil; made tons of pesto, will make apple butter this w/end and think about pickled beets too. Any excellent spicy apple butter recipes? I am furious about the Blackwater fiasco - uh oh rant

MotherPie said...

Your recipe sounds really yummy! Politics? Like religion and sex, not for the dinner table but for the blog? Sometimes I go there politically but my husband hates it when I do...

nonlineargirl said...

When we have a lot of greens and no specific plans in mind, we make frittata. It is pretty easy and so good with greens, whatever oniony thing we have around, plus goat cheese.

thrice said...

I've been kicking around the CSA idea for a couple of months. Maybe next year when I'm well enough to pick up the bounty. :-)