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[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 into the end of the second week of our Fall CSA and, so far, there seems to be as much, if not more, in our boxes than we had in the summer share.
Both weeks we got several small wintersquashes that were tan with deep green stripes, some oblong and some more pumpkin shaped. I've never cooked these before and decided to try my hand at stuffing them when we had friends over this weekend. The abundance of kale we had found it's way into the squashes as well.
Winter Squashes stuffed with Kale, Sausage and Orzo
serves 4-6
8 small winter squashes, halved, seeds scooped out
2 bunches kale, stems removed, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 sausage links, I used a chhicken/fontina sausage, sliced
approx 1/4 to 1/3 lb orzo pasta, cooked according to package directions
1 can white beans, drained
1/2 cup dried cranberries
olive oil
1 T chopped basil
salt/pepper to taste
about 1/3 cup dry white wine
1 pat butter, about 1 T
grated Parmesan, if desired, for topping, about 1/2 cup
Preheat oven to 350
Place cut squash in a large roasting pan that has about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom, cut side down. Roast for 1/2 hour to 45 minutes, until they are almost fully tender. This time may vary greatly depending on the squash you use. Mine wereVERY hard and took a bit longer than the 45 minutes.
In the mean time, cook the orzo to package directions and drain.
Cook the sausage slices over medium heat until cooked through and lightly browned, Remove from pan.
In same pan, add olive oil to coat and cook onion and garlic over medium/low heat until softened. Add the chopped kale and cook, stirring, until the kale has cooked down a bit and is tender. Remove from pan. If you used a chicken/cheese sausage there may be quite a lot of browned bits in the pan. Turn heat to high and add the wine to browned bits, scraping to incorporate them. When reduced and thickened, lower heat and swirl the butter in.
Mix Orzo, sausage, kale mixture, liquid from pan in large bowl with the cranberries, beans, salt/pepper to taste and the basil. Taste and adjust seasoning. It it seems dry, toss with a bit more olive oil.
Remove squash from pan, turn over and lightly salt and pepper the insides. Drain all water from pan and put the squash back in, cut side up this time. Fill with the orzo mixture, mounding as much in as will fit, top with grated Parmesan, if using, and put back in oven for about 1/2 hour to heat through.
The beans and cranberries worked well, along with the squash, to offset the bitterness of the kale and the richness of the sausage. They were a hit.
[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]
Our older son is finished with his Master's Degree and came back from Texas last week so there hasn't been much time for posting. To make up for it, here is a longish post with a couple of recipes.
This week was week 22, the last week of the regular farm share. As you can see, we got a terrific assortment of goodies. This has been a wonderful experience which will continue as we have also purchased a fall share which takes us into December and then will continue to use what we've frozen and put by and also focus on buying local produce.Without any reservations whatsoever, we will definitely sign up the CSA next year as well. We've enjoyed it and have definitely saved a considerable amount of money as well.
Here are some things I've learned along the way:
- The day the farm share arrives is the day to prep as much as possible. Wash, spin and bag the greens right away they're much more likely to be used throughout the week. A paper towel thrown in the bottom of the bag keeps them fresh longer.
- Be realistic about what's actually going to be used during the week and blanch, roast, can, freeze the rest in the beginning. Otherwise, the vegetables will wither and age while waiting in the fridge. Ask me how I know.
- Plan the meals around the vegetables. For me this didn't mean eliminating meat but it did take a back seat and I think we've had a much healthier diet because of that.
- Be open to new combinations. I probably wouldn't have gone to the supermarket and bought turnip greens, hot peppers, eggs and goat cheese with the plan of combining them in an omelet for dinner, but the results were delicious.
We used the cabbage from last week as part of our son's first dinner home. I love the name of this dish, which comes from the sounds it makes while cooking.
Bubble and Squeak
1 small head cabbage, cored and coarsely shredded
1 medium onion, finely chopped, or 2 small leeks, white part only, finely sliced
4 -5 medium/large Potatoes, preferably a yellow or gold variety
2 T butter
2 T olive oil
Salt, pepper
1 T caraway seeds, optional
Scrub the potatoes and partially cook, leaving the skins on. The quickest way to do this is to pierce them a couple time with a knife and microwave for about 4 minutes. Let sit until cool and then cut into 1/2" cubes.
Heat oil and butter in a large, heavy skillet and cook the onions or leaks over medium/low heat until softened. This will take about 10 minutes for the onions or up to 20 minutes for the leeks.
Do not brown.
Add the cabbage, potatoes and salt and pepper, stir to distribute the butter and oil and cover. Cook over medium, low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage has softened. If it begins to stick, add some more butter or oil and lower the heat, if necessary. When softened, raise the heat a bit , adjust the salt and pepper, add 1 T caraway seeds, if using, and cook, stirring often, until some of the potatoes brown a bit. This works well as a side dish for salmon, which is what we had, or pork chops, ham or corned beef.
Here, by the way, is the previous week's farm share.
For the last two weeks, I've been roasting and freezing the butternut squash for use later. This turns out to be an incredibly easy process.
Easiest Roasted Butternut Squash
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Poke a few holes in the squash but don't bother to peel it or cut the ends off.
Place in pan or on baking sheet and bake, uncovered until it's softened and the skin is beginning to brown. Approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the squash.
Remove from oven and while still fairly hot, slice in half. Scoop out the seeds and strip the skin off. The skin strips off very easily, which if you've ever peeled a raw butternut squash you'll love!
To freeze as a puree just process in a food processor and, when cool, bag in freezer bags. If you leave it unseasoned, you'll have the option of using it for either sweet or savory dishes later on.
[Posted by Ruth]
It's been a classic Fall in New England kind of weekend; crisp air, patches of dark clouds scudding across bright blue sky, leaves swirling on the deck. It gave me the urge to put things by, to clean out drawers, to make soup, to capture this short season before the next one closes in. First, there was a lot of blanching and freezing to do.
Corn, green beans and pureed eggplant all packaged and frozen. Then, a roasted fall vegetable soup.
Roasted Autumn Vegetable Soup
For the roasted Vegetables:
3 Turnips - peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 Small butternut squash - peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 Bunch baby carrots - washed, scraped and the larger ones cut into 1/2 or 1/3s
1 T Olive oil
1 T Maple syrup - grade B for best flavor
Salt
Preheat oven to 350. Toss vegetables with salt, olive oil and maple syrup in a shallow baking dish and bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours, turning occasionally, until vegetables are quite soft and a bit caramelized.
Remove from oven and set aside.
For the soup:
Roasted vegetables from above
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 T butter
5 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
2-4 cups water (add more or less, depending on desired consistency)
Salt, Pepper to taste
1 T Maple syrup
4-6 dashes Tabasco Sauce
In heavy soup pot over low/medium heat, cook onion and thyme leaves in melted butter until onions are translucent and quite soft and thyme is fragrant. Don't brown. Turn off heat. Add vegetables and 1 cup or more of the water and begin to puree with an immersion blender. ( place in food processor or blender at this point) Blend, adding water as needed until you have a smooth, thick soup. Add maple syrup, Tabasco sauce and salt and pepper to taste and heat over low/medium heat until heated through, taking care to not let it stick. Serve with more fresh thyme, kale chips, croutons or crusty bread. Makes about 8 cups.
[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
I've found a pretty elegant and simple way to use up just about any leftover vegetable. In his terrific book, "More Fast Food My Way", Jacques Pepin has a recipe for Oeuf Cocotte. His calls for a base of creamed mushrooms, but you can use just about anything. In our case, I used some of the leftover 'panic ratatouille' that I tend to make on Wednesday nights when I realize that I need to use up the rest of the vegetables before the next onslaught arrives on Thursday. It's a simple combination of cooked vegetables (or meats, chicken or whatever combination you like) and a bit of cheese, topped with an egg and poached in a water bath on the stove top. I had the day off today and this made a lovely late breadfast.
Oeuf Cocotte (Adapted from More Fast Food My Way by Jacques Pepin)
Per single serving:
Approx 1/2 cup of leftover ratatouille, cooked greens or mixture of cooked leftover vegetables and sausage, bacon, etc.
1 T half and half or light cream
2 T grated cheese (I used Gruyere)
1 egg
1 very small pat of butter
salt and pepper to taste
Have a saucepan with a cover deep enough to hold the ramekins and have the cover fit. Fill with enough hot water to come about 1/2 way up the ramekins.
For each individual serving fill a 1 cup ramekin or custard cup about half full of your already cooked vegetable mixture. If your mixture is a little on the dry side sprinkle the tablespoon of half and half or cream on top. Top with the grated cheese. Carefully crack the egg and place over the top of cheese. Sprinkle a small amount of salt and pepper over the top of the egg (just enough the season the egg) and top with the pat of butter. Place the ramekin in the pot of water and bring to a gentle boil. Cover the pot (not the individual ramekins) and simmer on low heat for 5-8 minutes, just until the white of the egg is set and the yolk is still quite runny. Serve immediately with bread or toast points to soak up the yolk.
