Sunday, November 23, 2025

Cream of the Crop Recipe 20: Veggie Rice with Celery Root Meatballs

 

Recipe of the Week: 
Meatballs with Celery Root

Meatballs with Celery Root and Vegetable Rice
by Miriam Meir

The perfect fall weeknight dinner.  

Ingredients

for the meatballs:
1 large celery root, peeled (2-3 cups)
1 tbsp olive oil 
1 lb ground meat (I used lamb from our share!)
2 eggs
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup yogurt or heavy cream
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 tbsp kosher salt

for the rice: 
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 parsnips, peeled and diced
1 turnip, peeled and diced 
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon allspice 
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 garlic cloves 
2 cups mixed rice, rinsed

Step 1. 
Chop the celery root into 1" cubes. Sautee in olive oil for 15 minutes. Let cool a bit. 
Combine all meatball ingredients, including the celery root, and let the flavors blend during the time you're starting the rice. 

Step 2.
In a medium-large pan with a tight-fitting lid, sautee the onions in olive oil over medium low for about 7 minutes, until translucent. Add chopped vegetables (except garlic) and spices, stir to cover with oil (add a little oil if necessary). Cook for 5 more minutes.
Add garlic, rice and salt. Mix well and cook for a minute or two. 
Add 4 cups water. It should cover the rice and vegetables. If it doesn't, add another cup. 
Bring to a boil, stirring gently. Then cover, lower the heat to its lowest, and cook for 45 minutes. 

Step 3.
Form slightly flattened balls from the meat mixture and fry in olive oil until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Serve warm with the rice. 

Tip
I've been experimenting so much with cabbage this season, my family claimed to be all cabbaged out. But then I found the ultimate way to make cabbage
Heat oven to 330F. Place sheet of aluminum foil on the counter, cover with baking sheet. Wash large cabbage and place on sheet. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges, but keep them attached on the bottom. Mix 1/4 cup chili crunch, 1/4 cup olive oil, thyme, fresh ground black pepper, kosher salt, and 1 tbsp maple or honey. Brush on all sides of the cabbage, pour the rest of the mixture in the center, seal the aluminum foil, and bake for 3 hours.    

 


About Miriam
Miriam is a mom, a teacher, and a part-time grad student. Her family's kitchen is broadly Mediterranean, and inspired by their heritage: Belgian, Israeli, Moroccan and Syrian.

Monday, November 3, 2025

Cream of the Crop Recipe 19: Cabbage Cake

Recipe of the Week: 
"Cabbage Cake"

Cabbage Cake
by Miriam Meir

Ingredients
1 large cabbage head
2 cups round rice (e.g. risotto, pancetta, or paella)
4 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
leaves from 5-6 thyme sprigs
1/4 cup olive oil 
2 onions, diced
1 pound ground lamb or lamb stew cut in 1/2 inch pieces
kosher salt
1 tbsp cumin seeds, crushed
1 tbsp whole allspice, crushed
fresh ground black pepper
juice from 1 lemon

Step 1. 
Rinse the cabbage in cold water. Peel off the outer leaf. Cut out the stem: make a "hole" of about 1.5".
Boil the cabbage head whole in salted water for 15 minutes. Remove the cabbage from the water and let cool. Reserve the cooking water. 

Step 2.
Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, and place in a large bowl. Mix in the garlic.

Step 3.
Chop the onions. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan, and saute the onions over low heat with a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar (if desired), for about 5-7 minutes, until soft and translucent.
Add the lamb, cumin, allspice, and ground pepper. Saute for 5 minutes until the meat is browned a little. 
Add the lamb and onion mixture to the rice. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and mix well. 

Step 4.
Oil a heavy pan or dutch oven with 1 tbsp olive oil. Line the bottom of the pan and its sides with cabbage leaves. Get a layer of ~4 cabbage leaves on all sides of the pan. 

Step 5.
Spoon the rice and lamb mixture into the pan over the cabbage layer. Cover the top with the remaining cabbage leaves.
Place a heatproof plate inside the pan and press down gently. The plate will serve as a weight to hold down the cabbage. 
Pour in 3-4 cups of the cabbage cooking water. You want the water to be about 1/2 inch above the plate. Add the lemon juice. Bring the to a boil, then cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. 

Step 6.
After 20 minutes, if you still have water in the pan, cook on low, uncovered, for up to an additional 10 minutes, until the rest of the water evaporates. 
Remove the heatproof plate. 
Place a serving plate or a shallow dish over the top of the pan, and carefully turn the pan over. 

The moment of truth:

And you can actually cut this with a cake knife: 


 


About Miriam
Miriam is a mom, a teacher, and a part-time grad student. Her family's kitchen is broadly Mediterranean, and inspired by their heritage: Belgian, Israeli, Moroccan and Syrian.


 

As always, please visit our blog for recipes over the past dozen years, and send us your recipes if you find something that you really love and that utilizes our current distribution.

 

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