Last Chance:  Holiday Gift Baskets
Well the clock is ticking down to the end of 2011, and it's that time again...time to order your Terra Firma holiday gift baskets.  That's right, this is the one time of the year that you can share the Northern California organic love directly with your produce-starved relatives in places like Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Orange County.  The baskets this year will have pistachios, walnuts, Satsuma Mandarins, and Asian Pears.  Baskets are $29 to locations in California and $39 shipped out of state (shipping included).
To order a gift basket, simply head over to your online TFF account and go to the Web Store, then select "Holiday Gift Basket".  In the "comments" section, enter the name and address of the recipient, as well as any short message for them.  If you are ordering multiple baskets, you must place a separate order for each.
In order to guarantee that everyone gets their basket on time, we need to ship them out on time --  remember, we a farm, not Amazon.com.  All orders for gift baskets must be placed by midnight on December 11th.  Late orders will not be accepted!

In Your Boxes
The big news this week is Cauliflower!  Yes, this is a pretty common vegetable available 24/7/365, but  long-time Terra Firmers know that our winter coli is a seasonal treat.  We harvest our cauliflower at a less mature stage than the plastic-wrapped stuff, so it's mild and tender.  And when the heads mature in cold weather, like the 27 degrees we had last night, it makes the curds even tastier.  We use the natural wrapper leaves of the plant to protect the head instead of artificial means.  They are 100% biodegradable.

Escarole makes another appearance in your boxes today.  The heads this week look a lot like lettuce, and you can use them the same way -- raw in salads -- just don't expect the leaves to taste exactly the same.  Escarole has a slight bitterness which mostly disappears when you cook it or toss it with a strongly flavored dressing like a classic Caesar or, say, a bacon/lemon/garlic mixture.  Like head lettuce, Escarole needs to be carefully washed before eating to remove all the grit that collects at the base of the leaves.  Pull all the leaves apart, soak in water, then rinse each leaf base off before soaking a second time and draining.

Meyer Lemon season starts today as well.  These dark yellow citrus have juice that is slightly sweeter than regular lemons.  It's the perfect addition to a pan of roasted cauliflower or sauteed escarole (see below).  And don't forget the zest (peel) -- grated and finely minced, it adds an aromatic note to desserts, sauces, and other dishes.
 

Got Garlic?
We received an email from a subscriber last week who has built up a stockpile of TFF garlic and is wondering what to do with it.  Because we haven't received many complaints about garlic, I assume this isn't a problem for most of you, but for those in the same boat, here are a few quick suggestions.  This week's recipe also features garlic.
-- Roast it.  Rub a whole head with olive oil (rubbing the driest layers of skin off first) and bake it whole at 350 degrees until it is brown and bubbling.  Spread it on bread or sandwiches or add to creamy soups.  Baking it this way takes the edge of the garlic and mellows it.
-- Make soup.  Garlic soup is a rich tradition in Spain.  Saute 4 minced cloves in olive oil until tender, then add broth or just water and a few pieces of stale bread.  Simmer for 1/2 hour, season with salt and pepper.  Top with a poached egg.
  -- Broth.  Even simpler, simmer boiling water with 4-6 halved cloves of garlic.  Use to make soup or sauce.  Freeze what you don't use for the next time.
-- Pasta.  The quickest homemade pasta sauce ever is minced garlic sauteed in olive oil with red pepper flakes and anchovies. If you like, add finely chopped broccoli, kale, or other green vegetable.   Toss with linguine and parmesan cheese.

Recipe -- Garlicky White Beans with Escarole and Lemon
If you make the beans the night before, this recipe takes about 15 minutes.  If you like beans but find yourself too busy to cook them, an old-fashioned crock pot makes it super easy.
For the Beans: 
In the morning, soak 2 C. cannellini beans in lots of water.  Drain them when you get home from work, then cover with water again and bring to a boil.  Add 2 cloves garlic, halved, and 1/2 t. salt.  Simmer until tender.
If you have leftover beans, you can store them in a plastic container for 5 days.

Separate the leaves of 1 head of escarole and soak in a large bowl of water for 5 minutes.  Remove the leaves, rinsing each one individually in clean water.  Roughly chop the leaves.
Dice 1 small onion.
Remove the zest from 1 meyer lemon, then juice it and reserve the juice.
Heat 2 T. olive oil in a large pan then add the onion, the lemon zest, and a dash of chile pepper flakes.  Saute over low heat until the onion begins to brown.
Raise the heat and add the escarole.  Saute until it is completely tender and beginning to brown slightly.  Add the lemon juice and stir until it is absorbed.
Add 4 cups total beans and broth to the escarole.  You can make this dish thick and stew-y by adding mostly beans, or soupier by adding equal parts beans and broth.
In addition to serving this as a soup or stew, with bread, you can pour over chunky pasta.  Top with grated manchego cheese.