Twenty Bag | Dec 8

Curly kale, cauliflower, lettuces and arugula, fennel, sage, sweet potatoes, broccolini, beets—another awesome winter harvest courtesy of our mild Lowcountry temps.

Thank you Harleston Towles and Rooting Down Farm!

Here’s a refreshing fennel salad that balances out all the rich dishes that go hand in hand with the holidays.

Or…

Sheet pan roast the beautiful rainbow beets and toss thick chunks of the super healthy vedge with lettuce and arugula and dress with a classic French vinaigrette. The beets’ color, texture and contrasting sweetness transform the salad into a special dish for the holidays.

The lettuce mix is also great fodder for a power smoothie, blended along with a cup or so of kale and other veggies you may have on hand for a light lunch. It’s a burst of energy in a blender and a nice way to take a break from those heavy holiday meals.

Looking for a restaurant quality soup for a holiday event that’s both festive and healthy? Check out this recipe from chef Meredith Adams for Sweet Potato Bisque. It’s a showstopper I craved from the former Eurasia Cafe & Wine Bar.

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 beet greens from beets. Kale, cauliflower, fennel, sage, broccolini, and beet greens should all go in a big plastic (or reusable) bag to retain moisture. If the cauliflower develops black spots at all, it is because of the increased humidity lately and is fine to eat. Sweet potatoes on the counter or pantry in cool dark place. Beet roots in crisper in plastic (or reusable) bag will keep for months.