Okay, let me just get this out there right away. This dish started out as baby food for my first child. At the time, many of our friends wanted to come over and play with him, and stayed for dinner. At some point, I was too tired to make separate dishes for grown-ups, so I just served what I had made him (a trio of purees if I recall correctly), and it was a hit. So here it is, in its amended grown-up form.
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Here’s a riff on a salad I had at a friend’s restaurant. I use baby arugula in lieu of basil, but if you can find basil, use it by all means. I cook the beets longer than I usually would so they take on a texture similar to tomatoes, and you could use different colored beets just as you might use various tomato types, just remember to keep the red beets separate while prepping until the last moment as they will stain everything.
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As the greenhouse fills with starts and the first direct-seeded spring crops sprout in the fields, we’ve been thinking about how much easier it is to get organic seed than it used to be.
In fact, one of the encouraging trends that we have witnessed over the last fifteen years of farming is the development of a viable organic seed industry (no pun intended). We have always sought out organic seed, and certified organic growers are obligated to use organically grown seed when it is available, but it has not always been as available as it is now.
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I recently started playing in the Watsonville Community Band and the conductor likes to warm-up for every rehearsal and concert with a piece called In the Bleak Midwinter by Gustav Holst. This mid-winter has not been very bleak so far, but at last this week we got some rain and blustery winds, so we can feel like mid-winter is upon us at least momentarily! We’re still far below average rainfall for the year, however, and this storm has not really amounted to much.
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from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
I usually make a potato salad with caramelized leeks and pancetta, but I needed a vegetarian version for this weekend. I had some lacinto kale in my High Ground Organics CSA box, so I decided to add that.
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from http://culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.com/2011/10/asparagus-fennel-leek-risotto.html
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INGREDIENTS:
2-3 medium to large Fennel bulbs, stalks removed and halved through the root with the width, 1 frond reserved if you wish
½ large brown onion, peeled and cut through the root
Vegetable stock or water as needed (Around 1 cup)
1 tablespoon sugar or honey
1 tablespoon butter, cut into pea sized bits
Salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon fresh thyme
Olive oil as needed
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INGREDIENTS:
3-4 medium potatoes such as Romanze or Desiree, sliced into 1/8th inch or ¼ inch slices (around 2 cups or more)
6 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1 inch long pieces
1 medium brown or white onion, peeled and cut into medium dice
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 tablespoon minced thyme
1 teaspoon minced rosemary
Neutral flavored oil if needed
3 eggs
1½ cups half-and-half
Salt and pepper to taste
1 nine-inch pie crust (use your favorite recipe )
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Here’s a dessert idea for the squash from http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t–68974/squash-squares.asp
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 eggs, beaten
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INGREDIENTS:
for salad:
1 lb beets (preferably chioggia), trimmed and peeled
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup roasted pistachio nutmeats
for salad:
1 lb beets (preferably chioggia), trimmed and peeled
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup roasted pistachio nutmeats
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Usually it’s Steve who gets to try out new tools for the farm. But not this time.Prepare Winter Luxury pumpkin, moschata squash (cheese pumpkin), butternut squash or other pie pumpkin either by oven roasting in a covered heavy pan with enough liquid to allow the squash to cook until soft without browning or by allowing cubed squash to cook in a pot of water on top of the stove until tender (check with a fork). Allow the cooked squash to completely drain and cool and puree in a food processor. Add pumpkin pie spices. For every 2 cups of pureed squash add 1 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. of ginger, 1/4 tsp. cloves and 1/2 tsp of salt. Since you’re essentially making a custard, add your custard ingredients: 2 eggs, 1 can of evaporated milk (or 1 cup of whole milk or light cream) and 3/4 cup sugar. Everything should be nice and blended to pour into a deep unbaked pie crust. Bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 45 minutes to an hour depending on your oven and the depth of your pie. Check for firmness toward the end of the baking time (you want a firm custard), but don’t let the pumpkin filling over cook or scorch.
I no longer remember where the name came from, but I think it has to do with the fact that the potato is cut into irregular bits, or “chips”. This method allows for some variation in how crispy the potatoes cook. Some will be chewy, or cracking, some meltingly tender, others will be crunchy. That is the joy of this dish. The Carolas are great for this with their nutty sweetness. Using your biggest sauté pan and a really large pot of boiling water are two keys to success with this recipe.
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Although it says “creamy”, there is no dairy in this soup. The creamy texture comes from roasting the cauliflower and adding a potato to the soup. Roasting the cauliflower brings out its sweetness and mitigates the funk that wet cooked cruciferous vegetables can show. This easy to make soup is wonderful in that you can flavor it so many ways; curry powder, saffron and smoked paprika, thyme and marjoram, cumin and oregano.
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This is a great side dish, and is quite flexible regarding seasonings. With its naturally sweet profile, these squashes do well seasoned with sweet or savory flavors, or both. Curry, cinnamon, garlic, sage, ginger-all of these alone or in combination can work. You can even add some apple juice into the mix. This method takes more work than simply steaming and pureeing the squash, but I think it coaxes a lot more flavor out so I am willing to take the time. The sautéing caramelizes the squash and brings out the sweetness and nutty qualities, where a simple steaming or boiling may leave you with more of a “green” vegetable flavor.
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I am not kidding when I call this recipe “Italian Style”. I got it while standing in line at the Aptos Farmers Market from two elderly Italian women. Their conversation was a pastiche of both English and Italian, and finally I just asked them for the recipe because it sounded so good. They were happy to share it with a “nice young boy”… The recipe is about balance of flavors, and the quantities are approximate. The onion is the bass-line, the peppers are the high notes. The sweetness of both links them in the middle and the raisins and pine nuts round out the flavors. I use this as a dish on it’s own, and use it as a part or base for many other dishes. Mix in other things to make it a main dish, or use it on pizza or in pasta.
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INGREDIENTS:
1 frying chicken, 2-3 lbs.8 slices bacon, cut in half
4 Hungarian sweet peppers
1 lg. onion
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This is not so much a recipe as it is a technique. Use just enough oil to lightly coat the peppers. Some recipes tell you to put the peppers into a plastic bag, but I am not sold on that idea, so I use a steel bowl and a pot lid, or find a plate or other bowl to fit. These peppers, once roasted, store well in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, or freeze beautifully for months. Use these as is for garnishing things, or use them as a base for other dishes. I have cooked these over an open gas burner (can be messy!), under the broiler, even in the sink with a propane torch, but my favorite way is on a grill.
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1 pound Kabocha squash, seeded
2 cups dashi* or water
1 tablespoon sake
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon of sugar (or less, to taste. This will be based on how sweet the squash is and how sweet you like this dish.)
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There are many versions of this salad, but the universal constant seems to be old bread and tomatoes and onions. I figure this salad grew out of the “cucina povera” canon, where waste, want not was the theme. Before Columbus, tomatoes were not part of this dish, but they certainly are now. This is a great way to use up older bread, but if you can’t wait, just rip up the bread early in the day and let it sit out a few hours, or throw it in the oven on low. I have also grilled or fried the bread for variation. Again, this is where a fixed-blade slicer can speed things up.
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This is another result of a Tour du Fridge. I usually have extra grains in the freezer just for dishes like this. When I cook grains I always make more than I think I’ll need so I can freeze some for dishes like this, or just for a mixed grain pilaf. Defrost gently in the microwave or float the bag in warm water. This dish is great with sausage.
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This is a riff on a dish I found in “Vegetables A to Z” by Elizabeth Schneider. The result is sublime. I find it interesting to note the changes in flavor as I eat the different colors of the leek, from the white to the palest green to the more uniform green. Try these as a starter or have as a side with roast chicken, salmon, or braised beef.
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