October 23, 2016
The sweets, and other things are here!
By Linda Dansbury

Sweet potatoes are here! Proper storage is important for keeping sweets for any period of time. Sweet potatoes should never be stored in the fridge - the low temps cause cellular changes which effects both cooking and taste of the potatoes. They prefer to be stored at a temp range of 55-60 degrees, which is difficult to maintain. If you have a basement or garage, they are probably the best bet, although when temps really start to drop they will need to be moved inside from the garage. They also like it dark, so if you want to try and store them for any real length of time, wrap them individually in newspaper and then place in a bag or box. I have read that placing an apple in the box/bag keeps the potatoes from sprouting, but I have never tried this myself. Do not try to store the potatoes with bad bruises or open cuts - cook those immediately.

Sweets are delicious roasted - I love to do a mixed roast of the various items we receive this time of year: potatoes, leeks, sweets, celeriac, turnips, winter squash, kohlrabi. They also are delicious boiled and mashed, either alone or in combination with potatoes and celeriac.

Celeriac is a little known and under appreciated veggie, maybe because it looks a little intimidating. It is delicious both raw and cooked. They are able to store for long periods of time in plastic in the fridge. The main thing is to be careful when peeling them (however Derek and Dana don't peel them). Cut a bit off each end and then sit it on the cutting board and with a sharp knife slice/peel down the sides, trying not to take much of the flesh. Then slice or chopped as desired. There are several recipes on this site, including Celeriac Remoulade and Celeriac and Potato/Leek Puree.

Napa cabbage - We have been receiving different cabbages over the past several weeks - have you wondered what the differences are and if they are interchangeable? The "regular" green/red, round cabbage with the smooth leaves is the strongest tasting and takes the longest to cook to get to be tender, if you are going that route vs using in a slaw. The next one is savoy, which is also round, but with pretty, crinkled leaves. It is less strong and cooks a bit faster than green/red cabbage. Napa is the mildest and fastest cooking of the 3 and is the choice for stir fries and other Asian dishes. They all store very well when in plastic in the fridge.