Brussels Sprouts and Sunchokes...Together!

Tis' the season of kale, sunchokes, Swiss chard, and Brussels sprouts....our tough winter vegetables. Not sure what to do with these seasonal crops? Here are a couple of recipes courtesy of our garden friend and volunteer Carol....thank you Carol!

Brussels Sprouts and Sunchoke Salad 

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 50 mins Serves: 4 as a side dish

Ingredients

Any leftover protein (beef, pork, chicken, tofu, or just leave it as a vegetarian/vegan)
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 pint sunchokes, cleaned, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups Brussels sprouts, cleaned, trimmed and thinly sliced (keep any loose leaves to put on the salad later on)
2 sprigs rosemary
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt pinch ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
2 teaspoons maple syrup
Juice of 1/2 a lemon 
Shaved Parmesan, or aged cheddar Cheese (optional)

Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Heat your oil or butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, then add in your protein and cook until browned and caramelized, about 2 minutes (unless you are using bacon, then just cook until crisp). Remove with a slotted spoon, place on a plate lined with paper towel and set aside.

1. Add in another tablespoon or two of oil or butter, then add in your thinly sliced sunchokes over medium-high heat. Cook until blistered and becoming slightly tender, about 6-8 minutes, then add in the thinly sliced Brussels sprouts (but save some raw leaves for a pretty finishing touch). Toss in the rosemary, salt, and pepper, stir to combine, and allow to cook for an additional 6-8 minutes, until almost completely tender. Add in the meat, whisk together the mustard, maple syrup, and lemon juice, and toss to combine. Place in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes, until everything is tender and warm.

2. Remove the pan from the oven, toss with the raw Brussels sprouts leaves and cheese, adjust seasonings as desired, and serve warm (although this tastes great reheated for lunch the next day or for breakfast with a fried egg on top, too).

3. Recipe by The Crepes of Wrath at http://crepesofwrath.net/2013/01/07/brussels-sprouts-and-sunchoke-salad/

Enjoy!!



Bean and Swiss Chard Soup

Chard!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup white dry beans cooked, or 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
3-4 cups vegetable broth, depending on desired thickness
1/2 bunch Swiss chard (or kale), ribs and stems removed and roughly chopped
Freshly grated parmesan for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, cook onion, carrots, and garlic in olive oil until
veggies soften. Add white beans, vegetable broth, and chard. Cook
until the chard has softened, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to
taste. Serve with parmesan cheese. For those who can't do dairy, add some fresh parsley or non-dairy cheese instead......and voila!