Wow, what a season it has been! 24 weeks of fantastic vegetables and friendly farmer’s faces for our weekly/bi-weekly pickups. I feel so lucky to be part of this community and to benefit from the loving care of Emily and her farm team.

This week I decided to make some celebration recipes – recipes that take a little bit more time and effort, but really celebrate the final harvest of this year. I started of this season in week 1 with a rhubarb mint cocktail and so decided to mirror it this week with a very autumnal cinnamon rosemary Old Fashioned. This cocktail can easily be a mocktail – just replace the bourbon with ginger beer or tonic water. The stuffed mushrooms are made with an absolutely divine parsnip puree – so even if you don’t want to make the mushrooms, make the puree! It is silky, sweet, creamy, and would be a perfect replacement for mashed potatoes. The arugula salad is ‘jeweled’ with quick-pickled cranberries and spicy roasted sweet potatoes. It’s a salad that’s jam-packed with flavour and really beautiful to look at (but even more wonderful to eat!).

I want to say a huge thank you to Emily and the farm crew for this incredible season. One thing I love about Root Radical is that it’s not just about the vegetables (though that would be great too) – it’s about community. Emily puts her heart into this farm and to fostering a thriving and loving community. If you made it out to a work bee or the harvest celebration, you have experienced how much Emily values community engagement, land stewardship, and collective creativity. Eating our Root Radical vegetables is so much more than individual health – it’s about the health and vibrancy of our communities and of the land.

Also a big thanks to all of you who have engaged with this blog, tried recipes, and let me know how they went! It’s been such a fun season for me, and I have so loved learning about tips, tricks, and tweaks from you. And now, for the last time….

More Magnificent Meal Musings:

Watermelon Radish, Orange, and Feta Salad
Rosemary Feta Biscuits
Layered Carrot Cake
Vegetarian “Poutine” with Roasted Potatoes, Steamed Kale, Rosemary Mushroom Gravy, and Green Onion
Carrot Friendship Pie
Parsnip Puree, Double Jay Steak, and Sauteed Kale

Rosemary Cinnamon Cocktail

This recipe comes from the blog Salted Plains – it's absolutely perfect for a chilly November night. You can easily make it non-alcoholic by using the syrup with tonic water and/or ginger beer, and just forgo the bourbon. I didn't have any ice cubes ready, so I used some frozen cranberries instead, and I think it looks great!

Ingredients

Cinnamon Rosemary Simple Syrup

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup water
1 large sprig rosemary
2 cinnamon sticks

For the Cocktail

4 teaspoons cinnamon rosemary simple syrup
3 dashes angostura bitters
2 ounces bourbon
1 orange peel
rosemary sprig for garnish optional

Instructions

Start with making the simple syrup. In a small saucepan, combine honey, water, rosemary sprigs, and cinnamon sticks over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently until honey has dissolved into water. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Once cool, remove rosemary and cinnamon sticks and transfer to an airtight container.
When ready to make cocktail, add 4 teaspoons of the cinnamon rosemary simple syrup and 3 dashes of bitters to an Old Fashioned glass. Swirl syrup and bitters around in glass. Add bourbon, ice, orange peel, and stir. Store extra simple syrup in airtight container in refrigerator. Enjoy!

Parsnip-Stuffed Mushrooms

This is a great recipe to whip out if you have a bit more time than usual and want to impress yourself and/or your guests. There are two steps involved – making the silky and sweet parsnip puree, and then stuffing the mushroom caps and baking them. In total it takes about 30 minutes, but you're not left with a full meal – these mushrooms would make a lovely side dish or a great appetizer.

Ingredients

Parsnip Puree

1 1/2 cups peeled and finely diced parsnip
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup milk

Stuffed Mushrooms

12-16 cremini mushrooms, stemmed and cleaned
1/4 cup washed and finely chopped spinach
parsnip puree
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Start by making the parsnip puree. Combine all ingredients in a pot, bring to a low boil, and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until parsnips are tender. Place parsnips in a blender, reserving most of the liquid. Blend, and add more liquid as needed until you have a silky but still thick consistency.
Preheat the oven to 375.
While the puree is still hot, stir in the spinach, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Toss the mushroom caps with olive oil, and fill each one with the puree mixture. Place on an olive oil greased baking sheet, and bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately,

Jeweled Arugula Salad

I call this salad jeweled because of the vibrancy of the quick-pickled cranberries and the roasted sweet potatoes. All together this salad feels hearty and is packed with flavour. To make it vegan simply leave out the feta, and add in your favourite vegan alternative (vegan cheese, cannellini beans, etc.). This recipe was inspired by my friend Annie who made an excellent kale salad with pickled cranberries for a friendsgiving feast. I think about that salad often, so it was time to make a version of it!

Ingredients

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

3 cups sweet potatoes, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp cayenne (or more if you really like heat!)
salt

Pickled Cranberries

1 cup dried cranberries
4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 Tbsp water
2 cinnamon sticks

Salad Assembly

1/2- 1 bag arugula
1 container feta cheese
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 cup pickled cranberries
favourite salad dressing of choice! I used a simple lemon vinaigrette.

Instructions

Start by making the sweet potatoes. Preheat oven to 400. Toss all ingredients into a bowl and then arrange on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
While sweet potatoes are baking, pickle the cranberries. Place all ingredients in a pot on the stove and set to a low simmer. Cranberries should plump up, and should be ready in about 20-30 minutes. They should be acidic, sweet, and taste of cinnamon.
Assemble the salad by placing arugula in a big salad bowl, and top with sweet potatoes, cranberries, feta, and pumpkin seeds.

Week 24: Rosemary Cinnamon Cocktail + Parsnip-Stuffed Mushrooms + Jeweled Arugula Salad