Can she bake a cherry pie?

[hrj]

I rather enjoy the "menu planning by what's ripe" aspect of the CSA box, but this week I'm getting it from all sides. I did a brief pass through the backyard yesterday when unloading the new roses and discovered that one branch of the cherry tree was perfectly ripe. (The cherry tree is a triple-graft and evidently the three varieties ripen at different times.) So tonight I'm having as much cherry pie as one can make with 20 cherries (and a few raspberries thrown in for make-weight). I also noticed that the sorrel had sent up some flower stalks, which had to be *ahem* nipped in the bud. So I had a good double-handful of sorrel leaves from those as well. Thus, the addition of sorrel soup to the menu tonight. The CSA contribution was a root vegetable dish that I've adapted from Anthimus nos. 52 & 53.

52. Turnips are good. They can be eaten boiled in salt and oil, or they can be cooked with meat or bacon, provided that vinegar is added to the recipe for flavor.

53. Parsnips and carrots are good when boiled well and mixed in other dishes. They are also diuretic. If they are eaten fried, parboil them first in water.

My version:

Slice and parboil turnips, parsnips, and carrots, as available (only turnips and carrots this time). Mince bacon and start it rendering. Optionally, add chopped onion at this point (because everything is better with onion) and brown. Toss the root vegetables in with the bacon and saute. Finish with a splash of vinegar and salt to taste. (Today's dish also had a sliced sausage and a bit of grated cheddar on top, but that was more from the "what's in the fridge" side.)

Comments

[allison-is.livejournal.com]

That sounds yummy! I love root veggies.

[kahnegabs.livejournal.com]

The stuff I harvest out of my little garden gets eaten raw right after the picking. I guess I needed to use a larger space. It's sure good though.

[onalark.livejournal.com]

I like to lightly blanch my parsnips, toss 'em in oil, and roast them at high temperature in the oven 'til they're toasty and delicious. Good also with potatoes and carrots, and an excellent side for pretty much any hearty protein.

[ichseke.livejournal.com]

I'm a roaster, too -- any root veg, but also tender spring/summer stuff like asparagus and squash. Even sugar-snap peas, as long as you keep an eye on them.

[hrj.livejournal.com]

I don't do much roasting for practical reasons. Since I'm only cooking for one (most of the time), it seems a waste of energy to heat the oven for one serving of things. And I dislike making more than a couple servings of a dish at a time -- either I get tired of eating it every day, or I put it in the freezer and its never quite as good. I have a small electric oven that works for baking single-serving batches, but I don't know how well it would work for roasting.