The Plot Newsletter

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Hello Reader,

There is a cardboard box on the stool by the kitchen in my friend's house. Inside sit three large butternut squash, waiting patiently to be cooked. In honor of these almost forgotten squash, I figured I’d whip up a medley of winter root vegetables from an old favorite recipe. If you happen to store these from your garden, then it's a great way to make use of homegrown produce. It’s a perfect accent to accompany meat (I paired with salmon), or a main course for vegetarians. The recipe is inspired by one of Mary Berry’s recipes and despite the author's stature as Great British Bake Off royalty, it is an incredibly easy and straightforward dish. 

The celeriac in the recipe is not as well known as it is in Europe, but it is celery root. It is the same celery that you may grow in your garden or see at the grocery store (Apium graveolens), but celeriac is a different cultivar grown for its dense, knobby root. Celeriac is a great hardy winter crop that has a shelf life of 6-8 months if stored between 32 and 41 °F and not allowed to dry out. It’s worth growing if you care about feeding yourself from your garden through the winter months. If you haven't stored it, you can find celeriac at your local farmers market, or a grocery store with a wide range of produce. 

Ingredients to serve 4:

• 600 g butternut squash

• 350 g celeriac

• 3 medium parsnips

• ¼ cup olive oil

• 5 sprigs of fresh thyme

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tbsp honey

• Finely grated zest of ½ small orange

• 1 tbsp orange juice

• Sea salt flakes

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Peel all vegetables. Cut the squash and celeriac into 1-inch chunks. Slice the parsnips lengthwise into quarters.
   

2. Place the vegetables in a large roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and toss well, making sure the bottom of the pan is lightly coated so nothing sticks. Tuck the thyme sprigs among the vegetables and season generously with black pepper.
   

3. Roast for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to turn golden.
   

4. While they roast, mix the honey, orange zest, and orange juice in a small bowl.
   

5. Remove the pan from the oven, drizzle the honey-orange mixture over the vegetables, and return to the oven for another 5–8 minutes, until deeply golden with crisp edges.
   

6. Spoon any pan juices over the vegetables and finish with sea salt flakes before serving.

Field Notes:

1. On a personal note, I purchased a ticket to visit Japan in May with my husband. It’s been over 15 years since I was there, and I can’t wait to return. Of course, I am planning some visits to some of the world’s best gardens, which I will share with you. One of them is the Wisteria Garden in Ashikaga Park seen below in full bloom. Is horticultural tourism a thing? It’s about to be. 🌸

Plotter’s Commons:

Kathleen from East Tawas Michigan shared this photo of their community garden in our private Facebook group last week. It looks like a peaceful and productive place!

Bulletin Board

Last week we started a Facebook group so you all could connect outside of the weekly newsletter. Here is the link again if you want to request access.

Written for 488 squash enjoyers. 💌
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Until next Thursday,
Ken Welch

About the Author

Ken Welch is a garden writer with a very serious degree in Horticulture. When his city lacked a community garden, he helped build one. Now, he teaches new gardeners how to grow their own food.

Cibus Est Imperium | Food is Power