Twenty Bag | Oct 12

In the October 5 Twenty Bag: Tuscan kale, sweet potatoes, red leaf lettuce, pickling cucumbers, basil, summer squash, arugula and bok choy.

Thank you Harleston Towles and Rooting Down Farm!

I love bok choy and while there are plenty of ways to prepare it, I enjoy it the most simply added to a richly flavored soup stock. My favorite recipe for stock comes from the annals of Food Network’s esteemed chef/ host, Emeril Lagasse. With the cool weather upon us, the timing couldn’t be better for pulling out your favorite stock pot and trying Emeril’s Basic Chicken Stock.

On to the root vegetables. I’m forgoing my trusty sheet pan in favor of this stovetop prep for sweet potatoes—Red Curry Lentils with Sweet Potatoes—a recipe I found that showcases the heart-healthy legume in a veggie-centric main dish spiced with the warm flavors of India.

For more ideas, 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 of any kind begin to wilt at any point or at pick up, put them in a big bowl of ice water for 20-30 minutes.  Almost all produce is washed and should go in the refrigerator. Kale, lettuce, pickles, squash, and bok choy should all go in a plastic bag of sorts.  Arugula should stay in its plastic bag.  Basil protected in a plastic bag with dry paper towel, or in a vase of water on the counter if not too wilted upon pick up.  Sweet potatoes on the counter or in a cool dark place in the pantry.