Sunchoke, Rutabaga & Mushroom Cakes with "Caesar" Dressed Baby Bitter Green Salad, Croutons, and Braised Collards

Recipes by Farmers’ Chef James Edwards and Charlotte Coman.

Sunchoke, Rutabaga & Mushroom Cakes

• Oyster mushrooms, sliced ¼-inch thick

• Sunchokes

• 1 Rutabaga

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 5 cracks black pepper

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 eggs

In a skillet over medium-high heat add a swirl of canola oil. Add mushrooms and sauté until deep golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool. Do not clean pan.

Using a cheese grater, grate the sunchokes and rutabaga into a bowl. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, flour, and eggs, and mix well to combine. In the bowl separate the cakes into about seven portions of equal size. Using your hands, squeeze out excess juice from each portion, and them into balls. Gently press each ball to flatten the top and bottom, while shaping the sides. Your patties can either look chubby like crab cakes, or thinner like potato pancakes. Your call!

Return skillet to medium-high heat and coat with canola oil. Sear cakes on top and bottom for a few minutes, until each side is golden brown. 

"Caesar" Dressing

• 3 egg yolks

• 1 clove garlic, grated or minced

• Sea salt and pepper to taste

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• ¼ cup olive oil

• Pinch of smoked paprika

• Pinch of espelette

Combine all ingredients in a jar. Shake vigorously to emulsify. Toss with bitter greens. 

Croutons

• Yellow Dog cranberry pecan rye bread, cubed

Toss with EVOO and toast in a hot skillet for a few minutes until each side is golden brown. Sprinkle atop bitter greens salad. Serve with braised collards (find the recipe here) and sunchoke, rutabaga & mushroom cakes drizzled with extra dressing.