Well, the in-basket for my small farm newsgroup is filling up a lot quicker these days.  Must be time to start thinking about spring planting!  Truth be told, we’ve not only been thinking a lot about it for a while, we’ve been actively doing something about it.  We have that luxury out here in SoCal.  Unfortunately, many of our farming brethren aren’t blessed with relatively mild weather conditions we have here.   Yeah, I know, we’ve had more than our fair share of rain lately but it’s not as bad as digging yourself out from several feet of snow, or so I would imagine.

I don't know about you, but in the Winter all I want to do is stay inside and eat something warm and comforting. And what is more comforting than potatoes and cheese? Answer: nothing.  Check out this recipe for gratin using German Butterballs.  It is worth staying in for.

Potato Gratin

• 4 pounds of German Butterball Potatoes
• 2 cups heavy cream, plus some to cover
• 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
• 2 sprigs each fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary
• 2 garlic cloves, cracked
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Halve the potatoes and toss them into a large baking dish and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, put the cream, butter, herbs, and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, to infuse the cream with flavor. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the hot cream mixture through a strainer over the potatoes, (discard the herbs and garlic), if there is not enough cream to go 3/4 of the way up the potatoes then pour some additional cream on top to make up the difference. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and top begins to brown. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

*Copyright Food Network and Rachel Ray

After a busy day at the Farmers Market last Sunday, we stopped by our local Whole Foods Market in Venice.  We were there to participate in their Buy Local Campaign, talk to the customers, and sample our crops.  Displayed beautifully was our fresh harvest of Romanesco cauliflower, Chioggia, Gold, and Bulls Blood beets, sunchokes, brocolli, and all our colors of heirloom potatoes and carrots.  We sampled, we talked farming, nutrition, cooking, and shared many recipes. 

The energy and excitement was amazing and that ancient connection between farmer and eater was really going on.  It was great to see familiar faces and friends we see weekly at our Certified Farmers Markets as well to meet new interested people who want to know where their food comes from.  
  

Our props to Whole Foods and their customers for understanding that eating local means food that tastes better, is more nutritious, better for the environment, benefits the local economy, and builds a sense of community.  

Here at Weiser Farms we feel very fortunate to farm in this wonderful unique place on earth and especially to have the love and support of such a great, diverse, receptive community.  Thank you!

 If you didn't get the chance to see us, you can now find our produce at various Whole Foods markets in the Los Angeles region.

**And a special thank you to Daniel Beaman, who was kind enough to spend the day with us, taking all these beautiful photos!

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Creme Fraiche and Caviar*

Ingredients

• 2 dozen fingerling potatoes, washed and scrubbed, halved lengthwise
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, needles stripped from the stems and chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
• 1 (3-ounce) jar osetra caviar
• Minced fresh chives, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the potatoes with 1/2 cup of olive oil, rosemary, and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Coat a small roasting pan with the remaining olive oil and put the potatoes in the pan, cut-side down. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the potatoes are tender on the inside and golden on the outside.

Let the potatoes cool slightly and then arrange on a serving platter. Serve the potatoes with the creme fraiche, caviar, and chives for self-service hors d'oeurves. This goes great with champagne. If you wish, spread each potato with a 1/4 teaspoon of creme fraiche and 1/2 teaspoon caviar instead of dipping.

*This recipe is from Food Network and Tyler Florence 

One of our supporters, Tierra Sur at Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard, CA, hosted a Weiser Family Farm’s Dinner last Thursday, December 10^th. And what a wonderful experience it was! Despite the cold, rainy weather, the atmosphere was warm and toasty.

 Chef Todd Aarons prepared a wonderful four course meal, paired with Herzog wines, using our vegetables in the most delicious and imaginative ways possible!

 Thank You to the Herzog family and Chef Todd Aarons, for supporting and promoting local and family farmers!

Hey everyone.  Can you believe Thanksgiving is almost here?  That last month went by so fast.  I'm sure all of you have been starting to put a menu together in your mind by now, but let's talk side dishes.  Onions are a Thanksgiving must and I think this might just be the perfect dish for you:

Pearl Couscous Gratin with Caramelized Onions and Blue Cheese*

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or butter, plus more for the dish

2 thinly sliced onions

Salt and Pepper

Parsley Pesto (see below for recipe)

1 egg

2 1/2 cups cooked pearl couscous

4 ounches of blue cheese

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

Grease a 2-quart souffle or gratin dish or an oblong baking pan.  Preheat oven to 350.

Put 2 tablespoons oils or butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.  When the oil is hot or the butter is melted, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 20 minutes.

Whisk the cream, blue cheese, pesto, and egg together in a small bowl until blended.  Sprinkle salt and pepper and set aside.   

Spread the cooked couscous in the bottom of the prepared dish. Drizzle the cream and pesto mixture over the couscous.  Evenly distribute the blue cheese in the mixture (small clumps are fine) on top.  Add walnuts or pecans over the top with the remaining blue cheese and evenly distribute.

Bake until the edges and top are browned and bubbling.  30 to 40 minutes, depending on how deep your baking dish is.  Serve immediately or let rest for up to an hour and serve at room temperature.

Parsley Pesto

2 cups parsley leaves rinsed and dried

Salt

1/2 clove garlic, or more to taste

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or more

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Combine the parsley with a pinch of salt, the garlic, and about half the oil in a food processor or blender. Process, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary, and adding the rest of the oil gradually.

Add the vinegar, then a little more oil or water if you prefer a thinner mixture.  Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve or cover and refrigerate for up to a couple days.

*(c) Mark Bittman from his book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.  But if you like meat, also check out his book How to Cook Everything.

Now everyone knows that mashed potatoes are a staple at the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  At Weiser Family Farms we obviously love potatoes.  In fact, we eat, sleep, and dream potatoes. But if you are looking to doll up your mashed potatoes this year, don't worry we have got your back.

Why not add some Jerusalem Artichokes to the mash this year?  

By adding a new root vegetable to your mash your guests won't be able to tell just by looking, but once they have a taste them everyone will be blown away.  Jerusalem Artichokes just add this great richness to your mashed potatoes.  Trust me on this one.

Mashed Potatoes with Jerusalem Artichokes

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1-½ lbs. Jerusalem Artichokes

3 lbs. yellow fleshed potatoes, peeled cut into 2-inch pieces*

1 tsp. salt

½ cup crème fresh or sour cream

¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter

6 Tbs. chopped fresh chives

Fill large pot half full with cold water, add lemon juice.  Peel artichokes, cut into 1-inch pieces and add to pot. Bring to a boil.  Cover and boil artichokes until almost tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.  Return artichokes to pot.  Add potatoes, salt, and enough water to cover vegetables: bring to boil.  Cover and boil until vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes.  Drain.  Return vegetables to pot and set over low heat.  Add crème fresh and butter.  Mash until mixture is almost smooth.  Can be made 2 hours ahead.  Rewarm over medium low heat, stirring frequently.  Stir in chives

*this recipe says to peel your Jerusalem Artichokes, but I never do.  If you are the type of person who doesn't like potato skin in your mashed potatoes, then peel the Jerusalem Artichokes.  But if you don't mind, save yourself the effort.

Starting this week, we now have beets!  We have three different varieties: Golden, Bull's Blood, and Chioggia.  And for a limited time we will be selling them with the tops.  Beets just don't get any fresher than that.

Now is the time to start thinking about Thanksgivings and now that we have beets let's get into it.  I have the perfect recipe for you.  I make this all the time at home.  It is really easy, really good, and will really impress your friends and family.  Just beet it!

Salad of Roasted Beets and Arugula with Blue Cheese Dressing*

Ingredients

• 3 bunches baby beets, washed, trimmed, and halved    
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 handful fresh thyme sprigs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 bunches arugula, washed, dried, and hand-torn
• Celery leaves from 1 bunch celery, about 1/2 cup
• 1 cup walnut halves and pieces, toasted
• 1/2 pound blue cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 lemon, juiced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Lay the beets on a large sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle with the oil, toss the thyme on top, and season with salt and pepper. Fold up the foil tightly to make a sealed pouch and put it on a sheet pan. Bake until the beets are tender when pierced, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. (Drop a knife in the center of 1 beet; if it slides out without resistance, they're done.) Let the beets cool to room temperature and put them in a large mixing bowl. Add the arugula, celery leaves, and walnuts; toss to combine.

To make the blue cheese dressing: Put the blue cheese and sour cream in a bowl, mashing with a fork to combine. Add the chives, lemon juice, and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper; mix to incorporate, leaving a few chunks of cheese in the dressing. Thin out the dressing with a tablespoon of water, if you wish, to smooth out the consistency.

Pour the blue cheese dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat; season with salt and pepper. Put the salad on a chilled platter and serve.

*Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence and Food Network