In the February 8 Twenty Bag: Broccoli crowns, cauliflower, celery, rainbow carrots, rutabagas, baby beets, cilantro, South Georgia/North Florida Mandarin oranges

Thank you Harleston Towles and Rooting Down Farms!

I’m making a quick turnip potage since that’s what I’m seeing in my Bag. The beautiful greens add a pop of color and flavor to the soup but are fragile and won’t last, so I’m hopping on it right away. The recipe calls for blanching the greens for two minutes till tender. I scoop them out with a spider strainer and use the same pot of boiling water to blanch a bunch of bok choy that I’ve chopped into bite sized pieces and will add to the potage for some nice crunch.

Here’s a lovely recipe for Roman Style Braised Fennel that combines the vegetable’s delicate anise flavor with a bit of shallot, lemon, white wine and a few other ingredients to produce an easy but sophisticated side dish.

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. Remove beet greens and rutabaga tops upon receiving Bag. Store beet greens, rutabaga tops, broccoli, celery, and cilantro in a plastic bag of sorts to retain leaf moisture. Let cauliflower breathe a little bit so that it doesn't get black spots on the head. Carrots, beets, and rutabaga bottoms will keep for months in a plastic bag. Oranges best in the fridge or on the counter.