Fall Enjoyment

Sweet potatoes - we receive them unwashed so they will keep longer. Their skins are very delicate and washing will nick the skins, causing them to have openings that will cause the potato to rot. Gently wash them right before using. Sweets are best stored in a cool, well ventilated place - I store mine in wooden boxes. Right now they are in the garage, but when the air turns colder I will bring them to the basement. Cold storage is not good for sweet potatoes - it changes the chemistry and the sugar content will drop causing bitter tasting potatoes and can also make the texture woody. Sweet potatoes can be peeled, boiled and mashed, alone or with other veggies such as potatoes, turnips, celeriac and rutabaga. They are delicious cut up and added to a veggie roast. Baked and eaten plain, especially now that they are at their optimum sweetness. We also have a lot of recipes for sweet potatoes on this site, if you are looking for something a little different.

Fennel - fall crops of this licorice tasting veggie are so much fun, because it goes so well with apples and bitter greens such as escarole, endive, and radicchio and it is so delicious when braised as part of a stew or pot roast. Use a mandoline to slice it thin for raw preparations such as salads. The use of lemon juice and zest in a salad dressing that incorporates fennel is delicious. I also love it sliced thin with a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and then Parmesan curls shaved over the top. Fennel and lentils are also meant to be together - cook up lentils with onion, fennel, salt and pepper and simmer until lentils and veggies are tender. Serve with a beautiful piece of salmon or roasted chicken. Fennel will keep for at least a few weeks when stored in plastic in the fridge.

Bok Choy - many people don't really know what to do with bok choy, but it is actually one of the easiest, fastest veggies to cook. It is also delicious raw and can be incorporated into a green salad, with the stalks providing a nice crunchy texture. I like to cook it by either stir frying or sauteing. Chop up some garlic and saute and then add the bok choy, which has been halved or quartered - this past week's crop is large, so quarter it and use a large saute pan. Since these are large, I add a bit of stock, but not much - just enough so the garlic doesn't burn. Add minced ginger and move the bok choy around along with garlic and ginger, when getting close to desired doneness, add soy sauce. Remove from pan and serve with a drizzle of sesame oil, if desired. Bok choy will store in the fridge in plastic for about a week.