Farmer's Market + Turnip Salad and Rhubarb Muffin Recipes
Time for my weekly farmer's market post! I didn't take a picture this week because it was busy here so I didn't think of it until we ate half of the produce. *g* We were actually lucky to be able to go at all since it was storming all night on Friday into 7-8 am Saturday morning. However, it cleared and vegetables were bought. Yum!
This week I bought asparagus, more white turnips, the only packet of snap peas (score!), broccoli, garlic scapes (yay!), baby bok choy, strawberries, and salad greens. The garlic scapes I made into pesto to serve with a Spanish tortilla (a thick potato/sausage omelet) that we had for breakfast on Sunday. Very excellent but it is a good idea to refrain from breathing on people for the rest of the day. And we nommed the strawberries right up all throughout the weekend. We also had a couple of big salads with the salad greens and snap peas though we do still have enough lettuce for a few more. Seriously, the head of lettuce was gigantic!
Here are a couple of recipes that I've made in the past week or two with previous local produce.
The first is a raw turnip salad. The secret to that is slicing the turnips VERY thin. That way they soak up the flavor of the vinaigrette and provide a really great spicy crunch on the salad. If you choose to use the turnip greens instead of spinach, saute them until wilted in a bit of oil before tossing them with the rest of the ingredients.
Baby White Turnip Salad with Toasted Pecans and Bacon
The second is rhubarb muffins. My rhubarb cake came out so well that, not only did I make another on Friday for my in-laws, but I decided to try muffins as well. The cinnamon provides a lovely contrast to the tartness of the rhubarb and the sour cream keeps them quite moist.
Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins
Baby White Turnip Salad with Toasted Pecans and Bacon
1/4 c pecan halves or pieces
4 small white turnips
3 oz bacon
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1-2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 green garlic stalk or green onion, sliced on the bias
4 c baby spinach
Preheat the oven to 350F. Toast the pecans in the oven just until they start to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Slice turnips as thin as possible (use a mandoline if you have one). Put into a bowl of iced water to keep crisp.
In a non-stick pan, saute the bacon until crunchy. Remove from the pan and set aside, reserving the fat. While the bacon is cooking, prepare the vinaigrette: combine vinegar with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in about 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil. Set aside.
Heat the bacon fat in the same pan as before. Once hot, add the green garlic/onion and saute until tender.
Remove the sliced turnips from the iced water bath, dry them with a kitchen towel and toss with the vinaigrette. Arrange the turnip slices and their greens in a mound and sprinkle bacon and pecans on top.
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Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins
2 c (9 oz) flour
3/4 c sugar
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c sour cream
4 oz (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 c 1/4-inch-diced rhubarb (7 oz)
For the topping:
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with spray oil or coat with butter.
Make the muffin batter: In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt and whisk to blend. Then, in a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Gently stir the sour cream mixture into the dry ingredients with a spatula until the batter just comes together, being careful not to overmix. Stir in the diced rhubarb. Note: the batter will be thick.
Divide the batter among the muffin cups, using the back of a spoon or a small spatula to settle the batter into the cups. The batter should mound a bit higher than the tops of the cups.
Make the topping: In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Sprinkle a generous 1/2 tsp. of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over each muffin.
Bake the muffins until golden brown, spring back most of the way when gently pressed, and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully lift the muffins out of the pan-if necessary, loosen them with the tip of a paring knife-and let them cool somewhat. Serve warm.
This week I bought asparagus, more white turnips, the only packet of snap peas (score!), broccoli, garlic scapes (yay!), baby bok choy, strawberries, and salad greens. The garlic scapes I made into pesto to serve with a Spanish tortilla (a thick potato/sausage omelet) that we had for breakfast on Sunday. Very excellent but it is a good idea to refrain from breathing on people for the rest of the day. And we nommed the strawberries right up all throughout the weekend. We also had a couple of big salads with the salad greens and snap peas though we do still have enough lettuce for a few more. Seriously, the head of lettuce was gigantic!
Here are a couple of recipes that I've made in the past week or two with previous local produce.
The first is a raw turnip salad. The secret to that is slicing the turnips VERY thin. That way they soak up the flavor of the vinaigrette and provide a really great spicy crunch on the salad. If you choose to use the turnip greens instead of spinach, saute them until wilted in a bit of oil before tossing them with the rest of the ingredients.
Baby White Turnip Salad with Toasted Pecans and Bacon
The second is rhubarb muffins. My rhubarb cake came out so well that, not only did I make another on Friday for my in-laws, but I decided to try muffins as well. The cinnamon provides a lovely contrast to the tartness of the rhubarb and the sour cream keeps them quite moist.
Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins
Baby White Turnip Salad with Toasted Pecans and Bacon
1/4 c pecan halves or pieces
4 small white turnips
3 oz bacon
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1-2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 green garlic stalk or green onion, sliced on the bias
4 c baby spinach
Preheat the oven to 350F. Toast the pecans in the oven just until they start to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Slice turnips as thin as possible (use a mandoline if you have one). Put into a bowl of iced water to keep crisp.
In a non-stick pan, saute the bacon until crunchy. Remove from the pan and set aside, reserving the fat. While the bacon is cooking, prepare the vinaigrette: combine vinegar with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in about 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil. Set aside.
Heat the bacon fat in the same pan as before. Once hot, add the green garlic/onion and saute until tender.
Remove the sliced turnips from the iced water bath, dry them with a kitchen towel and toss with the vinaigrette. Arrange the turnip slices and their greens in a mound and sprinkle bacon and pecans on top.
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Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins
2 c (9 oz) flour
3/4 c sugar
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c sour cream
4 oz (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 c 1/4-inch-diced rhubarb (7 oz)
For the topping:
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with spray oil or coat with butter.
Make the muffin batter: In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt and whisk to blend. Then, in a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Gently stir the sour cream mixture into the dry ingredients with a spatula until the batter just comes together, being careful not to overmix. Stir in the diced rhubarb. Note: the batter will be thick.
Divide the batter among the muffin cups, using the back of a spoon or a small spatula to settle the batter into the cups. The batter should mound a bit higher than the tops of the cups.
Make the topping: In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Sprinkle a generous 1/2 tsp. of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over each muffin.
Bake the muffins until golden brown, spring back most of the way when gently pressed, and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully lift the muffins out of the pan-if necessary, loosen them with the tip of a paring knife-and let them cool somewhat. Serve warm.