What’s In The Box? December 18-21

Winter Solstice
Enjoy the longest night of the year this week by lingering over a cozy supper: sage-infused buttered noodles topped with our rustic tomato-squash sauce, fresh pumpernickel bread and pickled mushrooms, plus a beautiful Washington Syrah and a crisp radicchio salad tossed with housemade Champagne-orange vinaigrette. A bounty of seasonal produce, including plump cranberries, celeriac and cauliflower, is also on hand to incorporate into this leisurely and luscious meal.

Here’s what you’ll find in your box this week:

Lagana Foods Casarecce Pasta

Made in downtown Seattle, Lagana’s casarecce—‘homemade’ in Italian—is hand-crafted using semolina flour and water, then cut to shape using traditional bronze dies. Tender and light, this lovely pasta is delicious tossed with fragrant sage-infused butter (see this week’s recipes), then topped in our housemade tomato-squash sauce and Grana cheese.

Housemade Tomato-Squash Sauce

A play on our classic family recipe, this rustic sauce combines sun-ripened tomatoes, garden-grown herbs and fresh garlic with seasonal winter squash. Rich and velvety in texture, it pairs beautifully with pasta for a hearty, yet healthful, entrée.

Pumpernickel Bread

Baked by our favorite local bakery in Snohomish, this slightly-sweet rye bread loaf is wonderful re-warmed in a 350-degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, then sliced and served with our pickled mushrooms to whet your appetite before digging into a bowl of pasta.

For a Song Syrah

Selected by sommelier Yashar Shayan of Impulse Wine, this wonderful wine is complex, smooth and elegant, without being overbearing: Coming from two of the state’s top vineyards, Winebau and Olsen, it is well balanced and great with the likes of roast beef, herbed lamb and hearty pasta. The Syrah feature classic flavors of black cherries and blueberries, notes of black pepper and hints of sage with a touch of acacia and crushed rocks.

Grana-Style Cheese

Made in our farmstead creamery, this hard Grana-style cheese is crafted from part-skim cow’s milk to allow for longer aging of 24 months or more. Ideal for grating over soups and pastas, the drum-shaped cheese is turned and rubbed with olive oil during aging to create a smooth, golden rind.

Farm Fresh Eggs

As they spend more time snug in their coop, our heritage breed laying hens are enjoying an extra helping of grain to supplement their diet, in turn supplying us with eggs in beautiful shades of brown, blue and green.

Pickled Mushrooms

Luscious local mushrooms pickled with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, roasted sweet peppers and fresh herbs.

Dried Cranberries & Pecans

This sweet-salty combination is wonderful tossed with crisp radicchio and this week’s vinaigrette.

Champagne-Orange Vinaigrette

A crisp dressing made from olive oil, fresh orange juice, Champagne vinegar and freshly-chopped shallots.

Organic Fruits & Vegetables

This week’s produce selection includes cauliflower, celeriac, Russian Banana fingerling potatoes, Delicata squash, Bolero carrots and Cippolini onions, plus crisp Lady apples, sweet Mandarin oranges and fresh cranberries.

Seasonal Greens

Peppery arugula and Castelfranco radicchio.

Housemade Pickled Okra

Excellent served alongside this week’s Cajun fare, our quick-pickled okra is spiced with peppercorns, vinegar and an assembly of fresh herbs.

Fresh Garden Herbs

Fresh sage, Italian parsley and shallots from the greenhouse and walled garden at Bella Luna Farms, plus German Hardy white garlic from Local Roots Farm.