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[Posted by Ruth]
The late summer/early fall boxes have been brimming with great stuff. Eggplants, leeks, ripe tomatoes, the sweetest corn of the year so far and more. I wanted to put a meal together that let me dive right into the box this week. The eggplant, leeks and tomatoes definitely seemed to belong together and I'd been reading a lot about oven frying eggplant slices, so I decided on a deconstructed version of Eggplant Parmesan.
Deconstructed Eggplant Parmesan
serves 4
1 recipe Oven Fried Eggplant, see below
1 recipe Tomato/Leek sauce, see below, or your favorite sauce - it should be quite thick
8 oz smoked mozzarella or fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Heat oven to 375. Leave the eggplant slices in the pan (see below), spoon sauce on top, enough to cover, top with sliced cheese and bake until cheese is bubbly; about 5-10 minutes, depending on how warm everything already is when you put it in the oven.
First to the oven fried eggplant. Is it just as good as pan fried eggplant? Of course not. Don't be an idiot. Fried is crisper and better. But, unless you're working hard at gaining weight, why not find a good alternative? I was intrigued by the recipes that incorporated mayonnaise and wanted to try that. I didn't think it was worth the bother to coat both sides and flip over half way through cooking and decided to also add some cheese to the mix. We all liked it that way so, for me, this one is definitely a keeper.
Oven Fried Eggplant
2 medium/large eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/2" discs
Salt and pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 T olive oil, plus more for greasing pans
Preheat oven to 375 and grease 2 heavy jelly roll pans. Toss the sliced eggplant with a little salt and pepper and set aside. Blend the mayonnaise, bread crumbs, cheese and olive oil. Season with a bit more salt and pepper to taste. Spread the mayonnaise mixture on one side of each eggplant disc. Spread enough to cover fully but not too thickly. Place uncoated side down on greased pans and bake at 375 for 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the pans once or twice to ensure even browning. When topping is nicely browned and eggplant is cooked through remove from oven and let sit a while before trying to handle if you are using these in a different recipe.
For our version, I made a fresh tomato leek sauce and we topped it offt with smoked mozzarella. The verdict on the smoked mozzarella was split. Half of us preferred the flavor and the other half would have preferred the less dry fresh mozzarella.
Tomato/Leek Sauce
This was a good way to use the herbs our CSA provided us to plant earlier in the season
4 or 5 Large ripe tomatoes, cored and diced
2 large leeks, white part only, halved and sliced thinly
2 T olive oil
2 sprigs rosemary
6 sprigs oregano
1 small bunch fresh basil
5 sprigs thyme
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 T honey
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a heavy pan, heat the olive oil and add the leeks. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until they soften. Add the diced tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a steady simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until thickened. To use to top the eggplant discs, cook until most of the liquid is evaporated and the sauce is quite thick.
[Posted by Ruth]
Our CSA, Stone Gardens Farm gave us a really great opportunity to purchase a Spring Greens share in addition to our full share and our first small pickup was this week. In our box we got a bunch of leeks, 2 pounds of very sweet baby carrots, a good sized bag each of baby lettuce and Asian mix and a dozen fresh eggs. It felt to good to be back picking up our box of fresh produce. It has definitely be a tough winter at the grocery store. Having regular access for part of the year to truly fresh food really spoils a person. I found myself looking down my nose at almost everything in the stores during these 'dark days'.
With the fresh leeks in hand and Spring in the air, a tart seemed like the thing to do.
Tart of Spring Leeks with Avocado
I used the same, healthier version, olive oil crust I used in this recipe.
You can use this or your favorite tart crust.
Roll crust out and place in a removable bottom tart pan.
Filling:
2 Ripe Avocados, halved and sliced lengthwise.
a bit of lemon juice to coat the Avocado slices and keep them green
1 small bunch of leeks, most of the green cut off, split in half lengthwise, cleaned and finely sliced
1 T Olive Oil
5 oz Fresh Goat Cheese, or other cheese, if you prefer
Salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 425. In a nonstick pan, heat the olive oil and gently cook the leeks with a bit of salt and pepper until they are softened. In the case of the leeks we used, they were already so fresh and tender they needed very little time in the pan. Larger leeks will take a bit longer to soften. Remove pan from heat.
Arrange the avocado slices around the tart pan, season with salt and pepper. Top with the leeks, distributing evenly and dot over the top with the cheese. Bake for approx. 25 minutes, until cheese has browned a bit and crust seems done. Remove from oven and let sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Can be served hot or at room temperature.
It was just what I was going for, light, fresh and definitely like Spring.
[Posted by Ruth]
Thanksgiving brought us a week off from the weekly Fall CSA. On the one hand, I found I really missed the weekly infusion of vegetables, on the other hand, it gave me a chance to get a handle on what was already in-house. This is the first week in a while that I'm heading to the pickup with an empty fridge and a clear conscience.
With all the Thanksgiving preparations underway last week, I was in the mood for something different for dinner. I was longing for Butternut Squash Ravioli but wondered if I was nuts for adding that project into the pre-holiday mix. Turns out, it's totally doable on a weeknight, with a few cheats:
- Roast the butternut squash over the weekend. Just pierce the skin in a few places, place whole into a 350 degree oven and roast until soft; 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on the size and hardness of the squash. Let cool a bit, peel, seed and puree. Store the puree in the fridge until later
- Buy wonton wrappers. These have become readily available in most areas.
- Get some helpers when putting the ravioli together. I started out with my husband and older son helping but we had to dismiss my husband due to excessive finger licking.
Butternut Squash Ravioli with Leek and Pea Cream Sauce
1 Butternut Squash, prepared as above
1 16 oz container of Ricotta Cheese
1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
salt and pepper to taste (don't skimp on the salt and pepper as there is a VERY small amount of filling in each ravioli and you want the flavor to come through)
1 or 2 packages of wonton wrappers
Olive oil and salt for pot of water
For the Sauce:
2 Leeks, white parts only, halved lengthwise and finely sliced
2 Garlic cloves, minced
Olive oil
1 cup light cream
1 cup frozen peas
Freshly grated nutmeg, a small pinch
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
For the Ravioli. Bring a large pot of salted water with some olive oil in it to a simmer. Do not bring to a full, rolling boil. Mix the pureed squash with the Ricotta, thyme, salt and pepper in a food processor. If you are using a different sauce or just some browned butter you can also add some minced or roasted garlic.
Keep the wonton wrappers loosely covered with a damp paper towel to prevent drying and have a cup of water handy. To fill put a small amount of the squash filling on one half of the wonton wrapper, wet your finger and run it over the edges on one half and seal, folding diagonally. After a few practice rounds, you'll be able to judge how much filling you can use before it begins to seep out. Anywhere it seeps out will come open in the water.
As you put them together, cover the assembled ones with another damp paper towel and try to lay them out flat as they tend to stick together if piled up. When they are all assembled, cover while you make the sauce. (Or have your helpers assemble them while you make the sauce!)
For the sauce:
In a heavy pan, cook the leeks and garlic in olive oil over medium/low heat until quite soft. Add the cream, salt, pepper and peas, raise heat to medium/high and cook, stirring constantly until the peas are cooked and the cream has reduced and thickened a bit. Add nutmeg, taste and adjust seasoning.
Place the Ravioli in the simmering water, stir very gently, raise heat just enough to keep it at the simmer and cook until just tender. This will take 3-5 minutes during which you should watch them, and check one periodically.
Remove from water to a platter, top with sauce and the shaved cheese. With help, this weeknight dinner was ready and on the table in just under 1 hour.
One squash made quite a lot of filling. We decided to just fill one package of wonton wrappers, which made enough for 4 for dinner. The leftover filling also made an interesting side dish the next day.
[Posted by Ruth]
We're big fans of pies and tarts, both sweet and savory, around here. The problem is that, while I'm very happy with my standard butter pastry crust, it calls for a lot of butter; making it seem better suited for special occasions than for weeknight dinners. It really is kind of pointless to feel proud of eating all these vegetables if I surround them with sticks of butter.
So, I did some looking around and found a savory olive oil tart crust that's quick and easy and almost guilt-free. I'll never replace my flaky crust completely, but this will mean more tarts around here. This week's tart is a mix of escarole, leeks and goat cheese. It made both a good dinner and a tasty brown bag lunch cold the next day.
Savory Olive Oil Tart Crust.
(makes enough to line one 10-11" tart pan)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil, optional (or herb of your choice)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup cold water
Whisk flours, salt and herbs together to blend. Use a fork to mix in the olive oil and water. When the dough comes together, give it a few quick kneads right in the bowl. Add a few more drops of oil and water, if necessary, to bring the dough together. At this point, you can roll it out immediately and line the tart pan. It takes a little work to roll it out, but you will be able to get it quite thin. Line the tart pan, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1/2 hour. During this time you can preheat the oven and make your tart filling.
Escarole and Goat Cheese Tart
Preheat oven to 400.
1 bunch escarole, roughly chopped, thicker parts of stems removed
2 small leeks or a small onion, finely chopped
5 pieces of bacon, excess fat removed and chopped
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
4 oz. fresh goat cheese.
Cook bacon over medium heat until cooked through and beginning to crisp. Do not over-brown. Add leeks or onions to pan and continue to cook until they are soft but not brown. Stir in the escarole and cook, stirring, until it begins to wilt but is not fully broken down.
In the meantime, whisk the eggs and milk together and season with salt and pepper.
Distribute the escarole, bacon mixture in the bottom of the tart shell. Pour the egg mixture over the top and dot all over with the goat cheese. Bake at 400 for 25-35 minutes, until the custard feels firm in the middle and the top of the goat cheese is beginning to brown. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack at least 10 minutes before serving. Can be served hot, room temperature or cold.
Drunken Carrots...
I also had some fun with the carrots this week. My company imported a new Limoncello that I've been working with. It was still out on the counter the other night, so it wound up in our carrots. It turned out to be a great combination. If you have any Limoncello in the house, give it a try. No real recipe here, just slice carrots and cook, covered, in a saute pan with a small amount of water until almost tender. Take the lid off and add a bit of butter, 2 or 3 tablespoons of Limoncello, salt and a generous amount of pepper. Cook stirring, until most of liquid evaporates and forms a glossy coating on the carrots.
[Posted by Ruth]
This week brought new additions to our farm share. We got two enormous sweet potatoes and the first Brussel sprouts. I know Brussel sprouts are not for everybody, but my husband and I love them. The trick with them is to not overcook them; that's when they become 'cabbagey'.
Looking at the sweet potatoes and turnip greens sitting on the table made me want to use them in a soup, juxtaposing the sweet of the potato with the bitter from the greens. Since I had a freezer full of chicken stock thanks to the freezer special for chicken from Stone Gardens Farm (and, yes, I took the feet too!), soup seemed like a great idea. This soup bears a passing resemblance to Italian Wedding soup.
Sweet Potato and Turnip Green Soup with Meatballs
(This makes a large pot, enough for dinner for 4 the first night w/ leftovers for another night)
10 cups chicken stock, homemade if you have it
3 small leaks - just the white and tender green portion
2 very large sweet potatoes (about 2 1/2-3 lbs) peeled and diced
1 bunch turnip greens, leaves coarsely chopped and some of the stems finely chopped
2 cans white beans, drained
1 batch meatballs - recipe follows.
salt and pepper to taste
Bring stock to a simmer and add in leaks, sweet potatoes and turnip greens. Simmer until all vegetables are cooked through and quite soft. Add drained white beans and meatballs and simmer very gently for about 10 more minutes. Enough for the flavors to blend but not enough to break up the meatballs. Adjust salt and pepper and serve w/ crusty bread. Like most soups, this is even better the next day.
Meatballs
2 lbs ground meat (I use 1 lb each of beef and pork)
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 egg
Approx 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, add more if necessary to bind
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T chile sauce or Ketchup
2 T prepared horseradish
1 T prepared mustard
salt, pepper to taste
olive oil for pan
Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil a large jelly roll pan or other baking sheet. Cook onion in a bit of olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Mix all ingredients, except the olive oil for pan, in a large bowl, preferably with your hands or a large fork. Don't over mix, stop when all ingredients are incorporated and before you smush the meat up too much. Form into small/bitesized meatballs, place on baking pan and bake at 375 for approx 30 minutes; until browned on the bottom and cooked through. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before putting in the soup. Note: you can use this same recipe for a meatloaf. Just reduce oven temp to 350, form into a loaf and bake for 50-60 minutes, topped w/ more chile sauce or ketchup if you like
