Hello Rootabaga Subscribers,
Thank you for joining us for another delicious week of local eating. If you follow us on Facebook or Instagram (@uprootedmarketandcafe) you’ll already know that we have new potatoes in-store! I can’t believe its new potato season already, and we are so excited to be sharing them in this week’s Rootabaga subscription. They’re always so creamy and tender, and they’ve arrived at the perfect time to make this week’s recipe – Savoury Rhubarb Crisp! Think roasted new potatoes, rhubarb, rosemary, and feta in a honey vinaigrette topped with an oat and slivered almond crumble topping. It might sound a bit out of the ordinary, but I was amazed and delighted by the unique flavour combination, it’s really a delicious meal. More on that below. This week we’re also very excited to welcome back bunched carrots! In perfect time to greet us for the summer solstice. In all, the small subscription this week has:
Bunched Carrots – Elmbridge Farm, spray-free
New Potatoes – Elmbridge Farm, spray-free
Rhubarb – Elmbridge Farm, spray-free
Romaine Lettuce – Elmbridge Farm, spray-free
Hot House Tomatoes – Stokdijk Greenhouses, conventionally-grown
Asparagus – Vermeulen Farm, conventionally-grown
The large share has everything above as well as:
3lbs of new potatoes instead of 2lbs
1lb of asparagus instead of ¾ lb
1 lb of hot house tomatoes instead of ½ lb
3 Mini Cucumbers – Stokdijk Greenhouses, conventionally-grown
Onions – Country Magic, conventionally-grown
I have really been enjoying finding new ways to eat and enjoy rhubarb outside of sweet crisps and stewed rhubarb. I’ve tried these Rhubarb Brownies: https://www.theendlessmeal.com/dark-chocolate-rhubarb-brownies/ – delicious. This Rhubarb Lentil Curry: https://www.lowlyfood.com/recipe/savoury-rhubarb-and-cinnamon-red-lentil-curry/. And last, this yummy Savoury Rhubarb Crisp. The original recipe poster touted it as a Savoury Rhubarb and Potato Tray Bake, but the oat crumble topping made it very reminiscent of a baked crisp to me, with savoury notes coming from rosemary, fennel seeds, and feta cheese. I urge you to give this unique recipe a try! The original recipe can be found here: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/feb/19/anna-jones-rhubarb-recipes, I only made slight adjustments to the quantities to change the recipe from metric to imperial.
- 1 ½ lbs potatoes (2lbs of potatoes were given in the small share, 3lbs in the large)
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons runny honey
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- 1 cup cubed Ran-Cher Acres Feta
- ⅔ lb rhubarb, cut into ½ centimeter slices (1lb given in each share)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ⅔ cup Newfound Rolled Oats
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut any large potatoes into halves or quarters, and place them on a baking sheet. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper, most of the rosemary, the bay and fennel seeds. Mix the vinegar, honey and three tablespoons of oil, and pour half of it over the potatoes, saving the rest for later. Toss everything together to coat the potatoes, then roast for 25 minutes, until they are beginning to turn golden.
- Once the potatoes have had their time, take them out of the oven, add the feta and rhubarb, gently toss to mix, and roast for another 15-20 minutes.
- While this cooks, heat the butter in a frying pan with the remaining rosemary and add the oats, chopped almonds and a good pinch of salt. Move everything around the pan until the flakes are golden and smell buttery and toasty, then transfer to a bowl to cool.
- The bake is ready when the rhubarb has softened but is still holding its shape and the potatoes are burnished and crisp. Pour the rest of the honey dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat everything. Sprinkle the oats over the top and serve with a side of fresh greens.
I’m really happy that I found this recipe! It’s pretty simple and uses readily abundant summer ingredients. And it’s a fun one to serve to adventurous guests as it’s outside the regular meal repertoire. You could also make a dairy-free version of the dish by substituting Acadiana Extra-Firm Tofu for the feta cheese. Please let me know if you make it, I’d be curious to hear what you think.
One last tip for your bunched carrots this week – did you know that you can eat carrot tops? This tip comes from a lovely customer at Uprooted, who told me about carrot top pesto. Something like this recipe: https://yupitsvegan.com/carrot-top-pesto/. I look forward to trying it with the greens of my bunched carrots and I love the idea of adding some fresh mint and green onion as the recipe poster suggested.
That’s a wrap for this week folks. Stay tuned for more fresh food offerings and recipe ideas next week!
Until next time,
Robin