Twenty Bag | Jan 20

Baby head lettuce, broccolini, cauliflower, beets, spring onions, parsley, sweet potatoes, Rainbow carrots—quite the winter haul. I caught up with farmer Harleston Towles to find out how he manages the temperature ups and downs typical of the Lowcountry this time of year.

“We put a perforated cloth fabric over the plants to protect them from the cold,” explains Towles. “The covers provide 4 to 6 degrees of protection. We’re also using them to push crops—they let light through and act like a greenhouse. On a warm, sunny day inside the cover it’ll be 10 degrees warmer—it’s about promoting growth.”

Labor intensive for sure. Thank you Harleston for keeping my kitchen stocked with my favorite things!

With temperatures taking a sharp turn downward soon, a comforting soup is high on my to-make list in the coming days. Creamy cauliflower comes to mind—it is so simple to make and totally soul-warming, with or without the heavy cream I realized was optional when the cauliflower itself became creamy after a buzz with the immersion blender.

The humble sweet potato rises to its highest use, in my opinion, in Chef Meredith Adams’ bisque recipe. Store them until you’re ready to use them in this sherry and truffle oil-laced dish in a cool, dark place. Another good use: an easy-to-execute African Ground Nut Stew my daughter Liz swears by for yummy results.

Great in a green salad along with a handful of arugula, the baby head lettuces keep well in the crisper stored in an airtight container or reusable bag, as do the beets, cauliflower, carrots, broccolini and parsley. The latter two I sometimes store like a bouquet of flowers in a cup of water—I love the way they look in my fridge!

My latest favorite pasta dish showcases broccolini paired with linguine in a rich cream sauce—an easy weeknight meal that may become your fav too! Put the parsley to its highest use in another great pasta classic, linguine and white wine clam sauce.

Sub the spring onions for leeks in my go-to quiche recipe that combines the traditional gruyere with whatever other cheeses I have on hand—usually Jarlsberg and pecorino Romano. My mouth is watering as I write!

A quick search of sweetgrass + grits will deliver more ideas for the beets, carrots and several other of the veggies in this week’s bag.

Cheers!