We have an abundance of delicious sweet potatoes, carrots and butternut that we need you to eat up this week. We grow the varieties that taste best. Waltham Butternut and Orleans Sweet Potatoes are so sweet you don’t need to add anything! But you can . . .
Where to get them (and lots of other great veg):
Saturday December 14th, 11am-2pm @ 28 South St, Ashland MA
Sunday December 15th, Noon-4pm @weston nureries Winter Farmers Market (its a fabulous market with outstanding fresh bread, pasta, cheese, meat, honey, syrup and crafts galore!
Here are some great recipe ideas form our friend and recipe guru Jess Girotti!
BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND KALE
UPSWING FARM INGREDIENTS
1 small butternut squash
1 bunch kale
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED ON HAND
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Black Pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder (more to taste)
DIRECTIONS: Peel, seed and cube the butternut squash. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add squash and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Cook for several minutes, turning gently with a spatula, until squash is deep golden brown and tender (but not falling apart.) Remove to a plate and set aside.
Remove stems from kale and tear leaves into pieces. In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat and add in the kale. Toss it around with tongs and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the cooked squash and gently toss together.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve as a side dish with chicken or beef, as a main veggie dish, or as a filling for quesadillas or sandwiches.
Recipe adapted from thepioneerwoman.com
HERB ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH SWEET POTATO, CARROTS & ONION
UPSWING FARM INGREDIENTS
1 butternut squash
1 large sweet potato
1 cup carrots
1 sweet onion
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED ON HAND
2-3 tablespoons of olive, avocado, or coconut oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash, peel and chop veggies and place in large bowl. Drizzle cooking fat of choice over veggies and add thyme, salt and pepper. Mix until all veggies are well coated. Transfer to a large baking sheet and roast uncovered for about 30 minutes.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve alongside turkey or pork with a green salad.
WARM WINTER VEGETABLE SALAD
UPSWING FARM INGREDIENTS
1 small red onion
1 small sweet potato, cut into 1” pieces
1 carrot, peeled and cut into ¾ inch pieces
1 small beet, peeled and cut into ¾” pieces
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into ¾” pieces
1 small celery root, peeled and cut into ¾” pieces
1 small beet, peeled and cut into ¾” pieces
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED ON HAND
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
¼ cup walnuts (optional)
1 ½ tsp balsamic vinegar
1 ½ tsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley – Don’t have any? Try one of the other farms
1 ounce feta, crumbled (1/4 cup) – Don’t have any? Try Couet Farm – you can substitute any salty cheese
DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 425°. In a medium roasting pan, toss the onion, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, celery root and beet with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and roast for about 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender and lightly browned in spots.
Meanwhile, spread the walnuts in a pie plate and toast until golden, about 6 minutes. Transfer the walnuts to a work surface and coarsely chop.
In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar with the lemon juice, mustard and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fold in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vegetables and walnuts to the dressing and toss. Top the salad with the feta and serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe courtesy of FoodandWine.com
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve on its own or as a side dish to chicken or poultry.
ROASTED CARROT, SQUASH AND SWEET POTATO SOUP
UPSWING FARM INGREDIENTS
1 butternut squash (about 2 lbs)-peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 onions, peeled and cut into 8 wedges each
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED ON HAND
3 tablespoons EVOO
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds) – OPTIONAL
3 tablespoons chopped dried cranberries
DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Divide the squash, carrots, sweet potatoes and onions between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle 1 tbsp. EVOO over each baking sheet; toss the vegetables to coat. Roast until lightly browned, rotating the pans halfway through cooking, about 25 minutes.
In a large saucepan, combine the roasted vegetables and 8 cups water; bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Using a blender and working in batches, puree the soup, transferring pureed portions to a clean pot; season with salt and pepper. (The soup can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
In a heavy, medium skillet, heat the remaining 1 tbsp. EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the pepitas and stir until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the cranberries and sage and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat; season with salt and pepper.
Stir the soup over medium heat until it simmers. Ladle the soup into bowls; top with the pepita-cranberry mixture and a sprinkling of pepper.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve with a green salad and crusty whole grain bread.
STUFFED CARNIVAL SQUASH
UPSWING FARM INGREDIENTS
2 carnival squash
1 onion
3 cups kale
3 tsp sage
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED ON HAND
Olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1-2 cups protein — sausage, chicken, pork, tempeh, or baked tofu
1 cup cooked grains and/or nuts — barley, quinoa, millet, farro, rice, walnuts, almonds, pecans
1 cup shredded cheese
DIRECTIONS: Heat oven to 375°F. Cut the squash in half from stem to root. Scoop out the seeds. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the squash halves cut-side-down in a baking dish and pour in enough hot water to fill the pan by about 1/4 inch. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and roast the squash until very soft and tender when poked with a fork or paring knife, approx. 40 minutes.
Prepare the filling. Saute your protein of choice in a splash of olive oil until cooked through. Set aside. Chop onion and sage and saute until onions are translucent. Finely chop kale and add to the onions for the last few minutes of cooking time, until wilted. Add protein back in along with your cooked grain/nuts and taste and adjust the spices, salt, and pepper to your liking.
Divide the filling between the squash halves — it’s fine to really stuff the wells and mound the filling on top. Sprinkle with cheese and pop back in the oven until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
VEGETABLE PANCAKES
UPSWING FARM INGREDIENTS
1/2 small head cabbage, very thinly sliced (1 pound or 5 to 6 cups shreds)
4 medium carrots, peeled into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
5 kale leaves, ribs removed, leaves cut into thin ribbons
1 small leek, white part only, thinly sliced on an angle
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED ON HAND
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
Cooking oil – canola or olive
DIRECTIONS: Toss cabbage, carrot, kale, leek and salt together in a large bowl. Toss mixture with flour so it coats all of the vegetables. Stir in the eggs. Heat a large heavy skillet on medium-high heat. Coat the bottom with oil and heat until shimmering but not smoking.
Add 1/4 of the vegetable mixture to the skillet, pressing it out into a 1/2- to 3/4-inch pancake. Gently press the pancake down flat. Cook about 4 minutes per side or until browned.
Keep them warm in a 200 to 250 degree oven until needed.
SERVING SUGGESTION: Great with eggs and or sausages. Serve with an Asian dipping sauce if desired.
Upswing Farm 