Topic: Root vegetables

Recipe #8 RED Curry with Tofu and Vegetables

This week we're heading to Southeast Asia for inspiration for making the most of winter's produce. The flavors of Thailand - rich and creamy coconut milk, red curry (corinader, cumin, chiles, lemongrass, galangal), salty and umami-packed fish sauce and bright, fresh basil or cilantro - make for an easy and flavorful curry, served over rice. Jarred or tinned curry paste (we like Maesri brand) make this a super quick and easy weeknight supper. You control the heat of the finished dish by altering the amount of curry paste, though beware of the burst of head clearing vapors when the paste is added to the Dutch oven: a vent hood or open window is your good friend here

Recipe #6 Roasted Vegetable Tart

What's a great way to use up leftovers or all those odds and ends rolling around in the bottom of the vegetable drawer? What's also perfect for a special lunch, light supper or conversation-starting appetizer? And comes together easily, making the best use of whatever you've got on hand? Why a vegetable tart of course!! The key to keeping this tart crisp, crunchy and flavorful is cooking the slower cooking vegetables (read: root vegetables) and those that will release a lot of liquid - like summer squash, mushrooms, peppers - before placing them on the crust. Your best friend here is keeping frozen puff pastry on hand; that way you're ready to go at a moment's notice.

We love the connections that we've made with the local organic farming community over our almost 20 years delivering organic food in the greater Boston area, and the part we've played in helping the farmers build their businesses and support one another.

In 2008 Michael Docter of Winter Moon Roots in Hadley, MA approached Boston Organics about supplying us with their storage carrots. He was building his business, a carbon neutral 30 acre organic root vegetable farm and needed a reliable market for his produce. We agreed to purchase 1000 lbs of carrots per week, ensuring he could get his business off the ground and the rest is history. We've relied on his beautiful, organic root vegetables ever since.

Just last week we learned from another of our suppliers, Atlas Farms, about a GoFund me campaign to help Rosendo Santizo, stay with me here, buy Winter Moon Farms from Michael.