Beet & Black Radish Relish

A quick raw pickle that improves as it marinates, though it won’t last long. Goes with goat cheese, orange segments, kielbasa, roast beef, eggs, smoked fish, etc…

2 oz black radish, grated
8 oz red beets, peeled & grated
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar or honey, or more to taste
Sea salt, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and thoroughly mix, tasting for desired sweetness and saltiness.

LB's recommendation for Kale White Bean Soup

Laura Beth, a committed recipe follower, prefers to find good recipes from more skilled chefs versus developing her own. This is her favorite kale white bean soup recipe from the internet. It’s vegetarian but would also be great with sausage or leftover turkey.

Carrot Ginger Soup

Our crew leader, Anna, shared this recipe, and the soup, with us this fall. Anna worked as a pastry chef in New York before moving back to Maine. She says: “Use the sweetest carrots you can find for this soup, which is light and vegan but has a ton of body from the sheer amount of carrot that goes into it. Perfect with a hunk of buttered bread.”

Ingredients

2 Tbsp canola or other neutral oil

2 medium shallots, sliced

1 large clove garlic, smashed

½ tsp ground allspice

¼ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground coriander

4 lb. carrots, cut into roughly 1” dice

2 quarts water

1 bay leaf

¾ oz. fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

⅛ oz. fresh turmeric, peeled

Salt & pepper, to taste

Celery salt, dried dill, cayenne to taste (optional)

In a large pot, combine oil, shallots, garlic, allspice, cumin and coriander and cook over low, sweating the alliums and toasting the spices. Once shallots and garlic are very soft and translucent and coriander gives off a toasty smell, add carrots, water, bay leaf, ginger and turmeric, and allow to come to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, reduce heat to low and cover to simmer until carrots are soft but not mushy, about 20-30 min. Remove bay leaf and puree all contents of the pot, while hot, in batches in a blender. Season to taste. Garnish with toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds and crispy shallots or fried onions. Cayenne and/or ground ginger may need to be added to soup upon reheating as the ginger loses its bite over time.

Green Chile Stew

This recipe is from our crew member Addison, who moved from Colorado to work at the farm. We’re so glad she did, and brought this southwestern stew recipe with her:

“I thought I was leaving green chiles behind when I moved. It’s been so nice to watch them growing at the farm this year. This is my mom’s recipe that would make good use of the frozen chiles and pork (and a jar of salsa verde?). I’ve also made it vegetarian by tossing in some extra Rancho Gordo beans in lieu of the pork and using veg broth. These New Englanders don’t know what they’ve been missing!”

We adapted this recipe to what’s available in Maine in the winter, and can say this is a delicious and warming stew!

GREEN CHILE STEW

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. veg. or olive oil

1 large onion (or 2 medium) chopped

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

4 Tblsp. flour

½ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. ground pepper

1 ½ lbs. pork tenderloin or chops, cut in ¼” cubes (or extra can of beans to make vegetarian; we used black beans along with the pintos)

3 cups pork or chicken broth (or veggie broth; we used water and the roasted chile juices)

1 cup roasted green chilies, chopped (1 package frozen from Whatley Farm)

½ tsp. oregano

1 tsp. salt

1 can tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, more or less to taste (we used Heirloom Salsa)

1 jar Salsa Verde

2 chipotle peppers, diced (optional)

Smoked Salt and Pepper (optional, adds great smoke flavor)

2 - 3 cups pinto beans and/or black beans (we used both for the vegetarian version))

STEP 1

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion & garlic, cover and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes to wilt the onions (do not brown).

STEP 2

Raise heat to medium, stir in flour, cumin, & black pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to cook the rawness out of the flour. The onions will ball into clumps, but that doesn’t matter. When it just begins to color, remove pan from heat and gradually pour in the broth, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.   

STEP 3

Add all remaining ingredients, except beans and cilantro. Return pan to heat and bring to boiling point, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lightly puree, if desired, with a mixing wand or blender. Add beans and cilantro at end to heat through. Enjoy!

Momma Whatley's Sweet Radish Apple Slaw Recipe

In a large mixing bowl, combine:
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp honey
3 Tbsp mild flavored oil such as grapeseed or sunflower oil
1 Tbsp finely chopped onion or 2-3 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
2-3 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
Optional - 1 Tbsp finely chopped ginger

Shred with food processor with shredding disk (larger holes) or the largest holes on a box grater:
6 small winter radishes (or larger equivalents!), peeled and trimmed
1 large carrot, peeled
1 or 2 crisp apples, peeled and cored (the apple could be chopped up instead of shredded if you prefer, which is how I do it for bigger bites of apple)

Toss all ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill for an hour before serving.