10.5.16 Wisconsin Grown | Part 22

We’re definitely seeing an increase in root veggies these days. It’s got me all autumn-crazy, thinking cozy fall thoughts and trying not to overdo it in these early weeks. After all, we have months and months of wintery cold ahead of us to get our fill of roots. But alas, I can’t help it.

My latest MO is to roast everything I can get my hands on. It’s a strategy I highly recommend. The best laid meal plans can sometimes go astray, and at the end of the week, I’ll inevitably find myself with more veggies that have yet to be cooked. My solution? Roast ‘em. Sheet pans full of whatever veg happens to be hanging in the back of the fridge, tossed simply with a olive oil, salt, pepper, and maybe some herbs or garlic if I’m feeling fancy. The result gets me one step closer to dinner. I use my roasted veggies as a quick easy side, as fillings for tacos, pureed into satisfying soups, or toss them with a vinaigrette and some sort of grain for a salad. Regardless, my method has kept many a vegetable from being forgotten, and makes cooking on those nights you’d rather not cook so much easier.

That being said, I have big plans for this week’s box of veggies. With plans like these, we may not need to resort to batch roasting this week at all, but it’s nice to have a backup plan. Here’s what we’re cooking with this week.

I thought I may have been out of the woods in the beet department this year guys, but it was not to be. This week’s CSA box boasted a huge bunch of the most gorgeous Chioggia Beets, making me once again question, why oh why do I hate them so? Le sigh. Luckily there are people out there who’ve figured out ways to make them tolerable (or even incredibly delicious if you’re into the whole beet thing). I’m thinking things like Things I Made Today’s Smoky Beet and Lentil Salad and Naturally Ella’s Cracked Spelt Risotto with Roasted Beets. I’ll let you know how it goes.

I will say, that as much trouble as I have with beets, Rutabagas make me happy. The giant one from this week’s CSA box is going to make a great addition to this Chicken and Root Vegetable Stew with Parmesan Biscuits. Or perhaps boiled, pureed with plenty of butter, and served alongside this Maple Soy Glazed Salmon. Who are we kidding, this rutabaga is giant. We’re obviously going to have enough for both.

With all these beets and giant rutabagas, inevitably comes Beet Greens and Rutabaga Greens. These will be great subbed for kale and mustard greens in Bon Appetit’s Winter Greens Gratin.

This week brings with it more Potatoes. Let’s be honest guys, I will never get tired of eating potatoes. Roasted, boiled, mashed, baked, latke-fied - I could eat potatoes forever. Especially if I do things like roast them and serve them warm with garlic turmeric sauce ala Dolly and Oatmeal.

We're also seeing the last of the last of the Tomatoes this week, along with a few bonus Green Tomatoes. This can only mean one thing - The Gourmet RD’s Fried Green Tomato BLTs.

I never met a fritter I didn’t like. Thanks to more Broccoli, Smitten Kitchen’s Broccoli Parmesan Fritters will soon be mine.

Our Red Peppers and Onions are getting roasted up with balsamic vinegar, and tossed with farro and a lemon herb vinaigrette for this Farro Salad with Balsamic Roasted Vegetables.  

I was excited to see Radicchio make an appearance this week. A big beautiful head of this deliciously bitter stuff means I’m torn between The First Mess’s Grilled Butternut and Radicchio Pizza and Food52’s Radicchio Salad with Manchego Vinaigrette. Decisions, decisions.

If basil is the herb I associate with summer, Sage is the one I most associate with fall. Therefore, a large bundle of it in the box this week calls for some serious fall cooking. I’m thinking Alexandra Cook’s’ Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter, which kindof sounds like the epitome of fall. And any extra is getting dried and saved for future fall cooking.