Epic Christmas Recipes
Holiday cooking already stressing you out? Us too. Luckily, Local Roots’ Christmas Bundles take all the stress out of planning your feast(s) by delivering high quality - and high flavor - produce right to your neighborhood. Our ingredients come from the farm already delicious, so your job is already halfway done by the time you get them home. Still need some inspo? Check out these recipes, designed to maximize your Local Roots goods and minimize your stress!
Savory bread pudding
Adapted from NY Times
Think stuffing on steroids - we're talking MAINS not sides
Ingredients
1 tbsp. Evoo
½ lb. mushroom, sliced
½ lb. onion, sliced
Leafy greens or other vegetables (optional)
½ lb. sourdough bread, stale and sliced approx. 1” thick (use the rest in the days before!)
1-2 tsp. Of your favorite herbs
1-2 garlic cloves (optional)
Salt and pepper
½ cup of melty cheese (like Gruyere)
¼ cup of crumbly cheese (like Parmesan)
4 pasture raised eggs
2 cups milk
Directions
1. Cut one garlic clove in half (if using) and rub the bread slices with it. Mince all of the garlic. Cut the bread into cubes
2. In a pan, heat oil over medium in a heavy skillet, then add onions and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally until both begin to soften. Add minced garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper. If using other vegetables, saute until desired texture.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 2-quart baking dish, gratin, or souffle dish with preferred oil or butter.
4. In a large bowl, toss together bread cubes and sauteed vegetables with grated cheeses. Transfer to baking dish.
5. In another bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste, then pour over bread mixture. Allow mixture to sit for about 5 minutes before transferring to oven so that the bread can absorb some of the custard.
6. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until bread is puffed and browned. Remove from oven and serve warm or hot. 
Classic rack of lamb with herbs and garlic
Adapted from Food and Wine
This is a showstopper made easy! Lucky for you, our lamb is so flavorful on it’s own - all it needs is a little extra nudge and somebody to cook it!
Ingredients
2 tbsp. Evoo
½ head garlic, cloves peeled
3 shallots or onion
2 tbsp. herbs (such as rosemary or thyme) or 3-4 tbsp of Sumacin Me Crazy
1 2-lb. rack of lamb, frenched (as comes from Local Roots)
Salt and pepper
Recipe
1. In a food processor, combine garlic, olive oil, and herbs until garlic is finely chopped and the mixture resembles a rough paste.
2. Liberally salt and pepper the rack of lamb on all sides. Rub the garlic-herb mixture all over them, covering completely. Place rack fat-side up on rimmed baking sheet and add in diced shallots and let stand for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake lamb in upper third of oven for 15 minutes. Turn and bake for another 10 minutes, until meat is medium-rare.
4. Transfer rack to a carving board and let stand upright for 10 minutes. Carve between rib bones and serve immediately.
5. Optional - make a dressing for your lamb by pureeing kale, lemon, olive oil and salt+pepper in an immersion blender. Quantities of ingredients are to taste. Drizzle dressing over lamb. 
Updated Christmas Slaw
Think: zippy, bright
Traditional holiday slaws are heavy and only contribute to the creamy richness of the meal, rather than counterbalance it - but not ours!
Ingredients
1 head green or red cabbage, sliced into strips, approx. 2 cups
5 watermelon radishes, peeled
2 carrots, peeled
2 tart apples, quartered
Scant ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. Honey
1 lime, juiced
½ cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper
Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, honey, mustard, and lime juice to make the dressing.
3. Using a box grater or a food processor, shred watermelon radishes, carrots, and apples into thin strips. Chop cabbage into long thin strips. Add to mixing bowl and toss with hands to coat with dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste
3. Cover and chill in fridge for 1 hour. Add cilantro before serving.
A Better Pot Roast
Uses: chuck roast, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, onion, mushrooms
Think: is anything more festive than a warm stew, cooked low and slow and with lots of love (and wine)?
The best thing about this pot roast - other than how easy and delicious it is? It’s better on the second day, so make it ahead and ease your load on the day-of.
Gravlax with Caraway, Coriander, and Mustard-Dill Sauce
We love this dish because it's a luxurious hors d'oeuvres that makes you look like a pro & it’s customizable! The most important ingredient is Wild Alaskan Salmon - hey, you can find that in our Christmas bundle. Isn't that convenient?
Slow cooker sweet potato and carrot mash
Christmas mash 2.0
There are a million ways to prepare sweet potatoes and all of them are perfect, but we couldn’t leave you without something mashed (and boy, is this a decadent mash). The sweet potatoes and carrots from Local Roots farms are incredibly sweet so we recommend holding off on the sugar til you've given the mash a taste, then add in sugar if you find necessary.
(slaw photo from Ugly Vegan Kitchen)
Rather have a taste first?
Local Roots Experiences are fun, pop-up events where we bring the farm to you!
Become a Harvest Club Pick Up Location
Are you a NY based cafe, bar, or neighborhood business? Become a Harvest Club pick up location and have community members come to your establishment each week to pick up their Local Roots harvest.
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