Super User

Super User

Hearty Greens, Squash and Pepper Stew with Beans and Olives


This one is adapted from an Epicurious.com recipe. Serves 4.

3 TB olive or sunflower oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 lb to 2 lb. winter squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 bell peppers, seeded, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 bunch kale or tatsoi, thick stems trimmed, leaves cut crosswise into 2-inch strips
1 tsp dried rubbed sage, or 2 tsp chopped fresh
6 cups cooked white beans, such as Jacobs cattle or soldier
2/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted, halved
Freshly grated sharp, hard cheese, such as Crawford Family Farms Picante

Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add squash and sauté. Add bell peppers and stir to coat with onion mixture. Add broth. Cover and simmer until squash is just tender, about 10 minutes. Mix greens and sage into stew. Cover and cook until greens wilt, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add beans and olives and stir until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer stew to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle generously with cheese.

Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Fennel and Spinach Soup

Fennel and Spinach Soup


If you are unhappy with the texture after pureeing, you can strain the soup for a satiny smooth texture. Serves 4.

3 TB unsalted butter
3 cups chopped fennel
2 cups minced Walla Walla onions
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup (packed) fresh spinach leaves
1 TB dry sherry

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add fennel and onion. Sauté until just translucent, about 15 minutes. Add broth to cover veggies and the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30-40 minutes. Puree soup in small batches in blender until smooth, adding spinach to last batch before pureeing. Return soup to same pot. Stir in sherry and taste for seasoning. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream or cream cheese and a sprinkling of fennel fronds.

Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Lentil and Spinach Soup

Lentil and Spinach Soup


Serve this soup with a dollop of plain yogurt or creme fraiche with a toasted slice of Red Hen whole-wheat bread on the side. Serves 4.

2 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leeks
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped sweet peppers
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano, or 1 TB freshly chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
9 1/2 cups (or more) water
1 lb dried lentils (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 lb. spinach, stems removed, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add next 4 ingredients; sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in cumin, oregano, bay leaf, and dried crushed red pepper. Add 9 1/2 cups water and dried lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until lentils are tender, adding more water by 1/2 cupfuls to thin soup, if desired, about 25 minutes. Add spinach and cilantro; simmer until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Baked Winter Squash and Apples with Maple Syrup

Baked Winter Squash and Apples with Maple Syrup


Serve this yummy dish with grilled sausage or spoon over cooked wheat berries or barley. Adapted from Epicurious.com. Serves 12 as a side.

2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds winter squash (about 2 medium), peeled, seeded, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges, then crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 6 cups)
2 pounds apples, peeled, quartered, cored, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 6 cups)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
Freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook squash in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well. Combine squash, apples and cranberries in buttered 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Season generously with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Combine maple syrup, butter and cider vinegar in heavy small saucepan. Whisk over low heat until butter melts. Pour syrup over squash mixture and toss to coat evenly. Bake until squash and apples are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Cool 5 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with foil; chill. Rewarm covered in 350°F. oven about 30 minutes.)

Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Warm Brussels Sprout and Spinach Salad with Bacon

Warm Brussels Sprout and Spinach Salad with Bacon


Adapted from a recipe at Epicurious.com. To make a vegetarian version, omit the bacon, increase the caraway seeds by 1/2 teaspoon, the oil to 3 tablespoons and use balsamic vinegar to add extra flavor. Serves 6.

4 slices of bacon
1/2 cup leeks, thinly sliced
1 pint Brussels sprouts, trimmed, steamed for 3 minutes, and chopped fine (about 1 3/4 cups)
1 tsp caraway seeds
2 TB sunflower oil
3 TB cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon maple sugar, or to taste
1/2 pound spinach, tough stems discarded and the leaves washed well and spun dry (about 8 cups)

In a heavy skillet cook the bacon over moderate heat until it is crisp and transfer it to paper towels to drain. Heat the fat remaining in the skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute for 2 minutes. Increase the heat to moderately high heat, add the Brussels sprouts with the caraway seeds. Saute, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sprouts are tender and pale golden. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the oil, the vinegar, and the sugar, and add the spinach. Sauté the mixture over moderately high heat, tossing it, for 1 minute, or until the spinach is wilted. Season the salad with pepper and sprinkle it with the bacon, crumbled.

Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Curried Squash Soup with Green Garnish

Curried Squash Soup with Green Garnish


Meg made this soup the other night for her and Pete. It will work equally well whether you have the pie pumpkin or kuri squash in your share. Mix the left over green garnish with eggs and cheese to make a frittata for a second evening's meal.

1 winter squash, such as pumpkin or kuri, peeled and sliced thin
2 pinches sea salt
1 15 oz can coconut milk
2 pinches yellow curry powder
salt and pepper to taste

For garnish:
1 TB sunflower or olive oil
1 large leek, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch mustard greens, washed, dried and chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste

Steam squash, sprinkled with salt, in a large pot over medium heat, until soft. Puree with coconut milk, curry powder, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.

While squash is steaming, heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic and saute, stirring frequently, until leeks are translucent, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add mustard greens, salt and pepper. Saute, stirring frequently, until mustard greens turn deep green, about 5 minutes, decreasing heat if necessary. Taste for seasoning. Ladle hot squash soup into bowls and garnish with the sauteed greens.

Mizuna Salad with Dried Cranberries and Roasted Delicata


Nothing like it's summer counterpart, this fall salad celebrates the flavors of autumn. Serves 8.

6 TB cranapple or apple cider
3 TB apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 small shallot, minced
7 TB sunflower or extra-virgin olive oil
2 TB butter, divided
2 unpeeled medium delicata squash, halved, seeded, cut into 24 wedges total
1 lb mizuna greens, chopped (about 12 cups)
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Whisk cider and vinegar in bowl. Add minced shallot, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in oil. Rewhisk before using. Preheat oven to 450°F. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of squash wedges. Cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer squash wedges to rimmed baking sheet. Repeat 2 more times with remaining butter and squash wedges. Sprinkle squash with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss mizuna with half of dressing. Divide among plates; top with squash. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with dried cranberries.

Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Portuguese Style Autumn Vegetable Stew

Portuguese Style Autumn Vegetable Stew


This is a warm and flavorful dish, perfect for a chilly fall evening. Serve this vegetarian stew over cooked wheat berries. Or, to make a meat version, add 1 lb. Portuguese Linguiça, or another spicy sausage. If adding the sausage, try omitting the potatoes, cutting down on the stock by 1 cup, and serving over mashed potatoes. Serves 4-6.

1 TB sunflower or olive oil
2 small sweet onions, sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 medium sweet peppers, cut into 1.5 thin strips
2 small bulbs fennel (or 1 large), stalks trimmed, core removed, sliced into 2 thin strips
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 TB Hungarian Paprika
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 tsp dried oregano, or 1 TB freshly chopped
1/4 cup red wine
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 lb. potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 cubes

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed, large saute pan with deep sides, over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, until onions are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add sweet peppers and fennel. Saute for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, oregano, red wine, stock, parsley and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove cover, increase heat slightly, and simmer for 5 more minutes. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve warm.

Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Meatloaf Stuffed with Herbed Ricotta Cheese

Meatloaf Stuffed with Herbed Ricotta Cheese


Suzanne Podhaizer, the Food Writer for Seven Days and Seven Nights, volunteered to contribute some of her recipes to the Good Eats newsletter. This is the first we've been able to include, but we look forward to more of her inspired creations later in the share.

1 pound ground beef
1 pound pastured veal
1 medium onion, minced
a few cloves garlic, minced
Breadcrumbs
2 eggs
2 cups ricotta
Seasonal herbs, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Nutmeg, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
For the meatloaf: In a large bowl, mix the beef and veal with the minced onions and garlic. Add an egg (my favorite part is blending in the egg with my hands) and some breadcrumbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the filling:
Blend the ricotta with the remaining egg and any herbs you desire. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of nutmeg, if desired.

Putting it together: We used an oval, 2 1/2 quart Le Creuset oven for this, but it could be adapted to numerous kinds of vessels. Place about two-thirds of the meat mixture into your baking dish. Spread the meat across the bottom of the dish and build up a thick layer around the sides, creating a space for the ricotta mixture. Add the ricotta. Place the remaining meat on top, covering the ricotta completely. Bake for around an hour, until the top has browned and feels like a well-done hamburger when you press on it gently (it won't give much). Enjoy with a nice salad, or maybe with some grilled pac choi.

Variation: For extra flavor, try glazing the top of the meatloaf with some homemade ketchup, or some other sort of tomato product prior to baking.

Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Kimchi

Kimchi


If you didn't grab an Edible Green Mountains, here's the kimchi recipe from the fall edition. There's lots more explanation in the magazine, though. Makes 2 quarts.

3 hot chili peppers, such as Thai bird, serrano or jalapeno, or more to taste
4-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped, or more to taste
6 garlic cloves, chopped, or more to taste
2 pounds Napa, Savoy or green cabbage, center core removed and very thinly sliced
1 daikon radish or 2 to 3 black Spanish radishes, thinly sliced (red radishes work, too)
3 leeks, thinly sliced crosswise
4 large carrots, thinly sliced crosswise
1 celery root, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced (You can use the kohlrabi from the share!)
8 tsp fine sea salt or pickling salt

Using a food processor or mortar and pestle, make a paste of the chili peppers, ginger and garlic.

Toss together the cabbage, radish, leeks, carrots, and celery root (kohlrabi) in a large container, layering it with the salt and spicy paste. Use your hands to mix it all up, rubbing the paste into the veggies; then wash your hands immediately.

Using the blunt end of a meat hammer, rolling pin or other similar tool, pound the mixture to release the vegetable juices. You will know that you have pounded enough when you can push the veggies down with your hand and they are covered by the released brine.

Pack your vegetables into wide-mouth quart mason jars. You must really push to pack the veggies down tight, allowing the brine to rise to the top. You want the brine to rise up about 1/2 inch above the veggies to allow for some evaporation during fermentation. Find something that will hold the veggies down under the brine. Weight down with a jar filled with water.

Leave your jars on the counter out of the sun. Fermentation usually takes about a week, but you can begin testing your veggies after 3 or 4 days. If any mold forms on the brine, just scoop it out and continue fermenting. Once fermentation is complete, remove the water jar and cover, screw on the jar lid and place in your refrigerator, where it will keep at least until next summer.

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