Harvest Monday - January 27, 2014

I was wondering if I should bother with a Harvest Monday post today because it's samo samo, who wants to see the same carrots, the same celery, the same... but then I remembered, there was something new last week!

Pardon the fuzzy photo, it was getting to be dark when I harvested and photographed, but I just couldn't resist this shot of the somewhat anthropomorphically posed Monarch celeriac (um, not such a royal looking pose though). I guess it could be a royal looking octopus. Anyway, it was delicious prepared rather decadently with a topping of local sheepsmilk ricotta and feta which was enriched with creme fraiche (I was cleaning out the fridge, honestly). First I cubed the celeriac, then sauteed it with some chopped onion. After the mixture softened up I plopped dollops of the ricotta mixture over the top (which also had chopped fresh parsley mixed in), then the whole lot was baked at 350ºF for about 30 minutes. I served it with a salad of mache (store bought) with avocado and grapefruit (all store bought, oh well). Mmm mmm good.

Something else somewhat new and the beginning of an end - one of the lacinato kale plants is starting to bolt. Fortunately I caught it before the flower buds got too big or too infested with aphids. This bunch of kale went into a soup featuring Rancho Gordo Hutterite Soup beans and one of my Black Futsu squashes and a ham hock from Fogline Farms. Just what the doctor ordered for my honey who came down with a cold this weekend.

Ah, the same celery (just one of many harvests last week) and the same carrots. Last week I remembered to take advantage of the young tender celery leaves in a Celery Leaf Salsa Verde. My preparation was loosely based on the recipe from The Zuni Cafe cookbook. It was a mixture of chopped celery leaves and small stems, chopped parsley, chopped capers, minced meyer lemon rind,  meyer lemon juice, dried Aleppo pepper, minced red onion, minced salt packed anchovies, and lots of olive oil. One aspect of this mixture that was very pleasing to me was how many of the ingredients came from my garden - everything but the onion, anchovies, and olive oil - but all of those were local - even the anchovies came from Monterey Bay which I purchased fresh and salted myself. This salsa is fantastic mounded on top of grilled steak. Oh, I forgot my one new addition - I love walnuts and celery together so I added some chopped walnuts (also local) to the mix.

Is there anywhere in the US that is experiencing "normal" weather? At least the thermometer didn't register above 80ºF last week, it even dropped below 70ºF for a few days when the fog flirted with us - cool and moist, but you can't fool me - you're not RAIN. But, guess what, it might rain later this week!!! Keeping my fingers, and toes, and arms, and legs crossed.

Here's the harvests for the past week:

Circus Circus carrots - 5.2 oz.
Sugarsnax carrots - 1.3 oz
Dorato di Asti celery - 1 lb., 14.6 oz.
Monarch celeriac - 11.5 oz. (after trimming)
Lacinato kale - 11.5 oz.

The total harvests for the past week came to - 3 lb., 12.1 oz.
Which pushes the total harvests for 2014 up to - 10 lb., 9.8 oz.

Harvest Monday is hosted by Daphne on her blog Daphne's Dandelions, head on over there to see what other garden bloggers have been harvesting lately.