October usually brings our first killing frost. The temperature goes a few degrees below zero and kills any sensitive crops that were left uncovered. Crops under protection can wilt a bit, but don’t always die. Frost brings mixed feelings. While we’re sad to let go of some crops, overall, we’re grateful to have a few less crops to harvest while we focus on bringing in the fall crops. Besides harvesting, we have a lot of work to do cleaning up the fields and readying them to go into winter. Once we have snow cover, anything left undone awaits spring thaw.

Right around now, we really start to crave fall-harvested crops like delicata squash, daikon radish, and radicchio. We can feel our bodies happily responding when we eat them too. Lately, we’ve been thrilled by the sweetly bitter radicchio on our plates. Here’s a recipe from one of our favourite books, Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison.

Radicchio salad with walnut vinaigrette and toasted bread crumbs

serves 2 or 4

1 head Chioggia radicchio
1 egg, hard cooked
2 tbsp chopped parsley
sea salt

fresh bread crumbs crisped in olive oil and roughly chopped

walnuts to finish

a tiny drizzle of maple syrup (optional)

Walnut-shallot vinaigrette: makes about 1/3 cup

1 large shallot, finely diced
sea salt
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
3 tbsp walnut oil

1) Combine the shallot, salt and vinegar for the vinaigrette in a bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Then whisk in the mustard and walnut oil. If the vinaigrette is too sharp, whisk in a little more oil.
2) Quarter the radicchio head through the stem end, then slice the quarters very thinly crosswise.
3) Peel the egg and chop the white and yolk.
4) Toss the radicchio with the vinaigrette and the parsley. Arrange the radicchio on individual plates. Top with the chopped egg, bread crumbs and walnuts and serve.

You can also find more pictures of this recipe on the blog Dagmar’s Kitchen, here.

And here’s our monthly roundup of recipes we think look AMAZING using the foods we’re harvesting out of the fields right now!

Radicchio: Double-Beet Salad with Radicchio and Blue Cheese

Acorn (Jester) winter squash: Apple-Stuffed Jester Squash

Delicata winter squash: Better than Butternut, Roasted Delicata Squash

Winter Luxury pie pumpkin: Pumpkin Pie Fudge

Spaghetti Squash: Spaghetti Squash Crumble

Daikon radish: Korean Mixed Rice with Sashimi

Sunchoke/Jerusalem Artichoke: Smoked haddock and Jerusalem artichoke gratin

Red/Yellow/Orange Peppers: Roasted Red Peppers

Carrots: Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Sage Brown Butter

Beets: Refrigerator Pickled Beets

Kale: Creamed Kale au Gratin

Chard: Swiss Chard Casserole with Shiitake Mushrooms

Frisee Endive: Frisee au Lardons

Salad Mix: How to Make the Perfect Simple Salad

Sweet n Spicy Mix: Raw Mustard Greens Salad with Gruyere and Anchovy croutons

Spinach: Vegan Spinach Dip

Yokatta-na: How to Cook Asian Greens

Broccoli: Caramelized Broccoli with Garlic

Parsley, curly: Lebanese Tabbouleh

Parsley, flat leaf: Classic Italian Gremolata

Sage: Pumpkin Sage Biscuits

Thyme: Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Thyme

Green onion: Spinach, Cheese and Green Onion Pie

Hakurei turnip: Honey Glazed Baby Hakurei Turnips with Apples

Winter Squash Pie

For any variety of sweet winter squash, or a blend! Acorn, butternut, dumpling, pie

pumpkin, etc…

Crust:

1 C unbleached white flour

1/4 C spelt, kamut, almond, whole wheat or other hearty flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar (optional)

1/2 C chilled butter, cut into small cubes

1/2 – 3/4 C ice water

Filling:

1 1/2 cups plain, unsweetened kefir (could use plain, unsweetened yogurt)

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups well-drained winter squash purée (drain in cheesecloth and reserve liquid)

1/2 C pure maple syrup

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp mace or nutmeg

a pinch of salt

a splash or more of bourbon! (optional)

To make crust, combine flours, salt, and sugar. Cut in butter with pastry blender or fork.

Drizzle in 1/2 C of the water and mix. Continue adding water, tablespoon by tablespoon until dough just holds when you pull it together with your hands. Form dough into a ball and knead just a bit so it sticks together. Flatten slightly, and wrap in plastic or put in a container and let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour if you have time.

Roll out dough, place in 10-inch pie plate, and shape edges. Let crust chill in fridge for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line crust with foil and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, rotate plate. Bake 5-10 minutes more until crust is golden brown and crisp.

Remove plate from oven.

While crust is baking, whisk kefir, eggs and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Combine squash purée, maple syrup, spices, salt, and bourbon in a heavy-bottomed saucepan;

add some of the reserved squash liquid only if using yogurt (to thin filling mixture). Heat squash mixture over medium heat while stirring frequently, 5-10 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Whisk in kefir mixture slowly, until fully incorporated. Test for sweetness, and add more maple syrup if necessary. Pour mixture into pre-baked pie

crust. Bake pie for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Reduce heat to 300 degrees. Continue baking until edges are well-set and center is set, 30-45 minutes longer. Transfer pie to

wire rack and cool to room temperature. The pie will finish cooking as it cools at room temperature (not in the refrigerator).