Dec 1

Dec 1 Twenty Bag | Dec 1

In the December 1 Twenty Bag: Pointed cabbage, cauliflower, cherry belle radish, beans mix, cilantro, red leaf lettuce, broccolini, squash and zucchini. A fabulous haul this first day of Winter.

Thank you Harleston Towles and Rooting Down Farm!

Some of you may be questioning my declaration of December 1 as the first day of winter. I wondered about it too, and after a little research found an article in National Geographic that explains the difference between day one and twenty-one—known as the winter solstice.

In any case, the temperatures certainly feels wintry—overnight, blowing out the soggy warm weather we’ve been experiencing the past several days. Yay—I can wear my new winter coat!

Back to the kitchen. I’m excited to see the return of pointed cabbage, a nutrition-packed cruciferous sweetheart so tender and flavorful it needs little prepping. My go-to—braised cabbage with wine and nutmeg—is ridiculously simple to put together.

For the other crucifers in the Bag, try these also easy-prep recipe favorites: Food Network host Rachel Ray’s creamy linguine with broccolini and creamy cauliflower soup.

Or…

Warm up your kitchen with a heartwarming cauliflower gratin that goes in the oven loaded with butter and gooey Gruyere.

If you still have some butternut squash from a previous Bag hanging around (I do) toss it into a big soup pot with the beans mix and a bunch of other yummy flavors and ladle into this comforting minestrone.

Or...

Showcase the pretty string beans in a cold bean salad that boasts a sweet and tangy flavor profile.

And if you still have a few stems of the beautiful fresh herbs from the Nov 23 Bag in the fridge, here’s an easy weeknight pasta dish to which you can add the fragrant sage.

A quick search of sweetgrass + grits will take you to plenty more recipes—all curated with an eye toward the weekly Twenty Bag harvest.

Harleston’s storage tips: If greens begin to wilt at any point or at pick up, put them in a big bowl of ice water for 20-30 minutes. Remove radish tops when you receive your bag. Save for juicing, or sauteeing if you see fit. Cauliflower, cilantro, lettuce, broccolini, and squash can keep for a while in a plastic bag. Cabbage and radish roots fine in a crisper. Beans can stay in their little plastic bag.