Spicy Garlicky Broccoli Salad

Recipe Courtesy of Hilla, a CSA friend at our Forest Hills CSA, and blogger at www.morethancarrots.com

This recipe calls for just a pinch of red pepper flakes.  Use more if you like very spicy food.

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, or to taste 
2 pounds broccoli (1-2 bunches) 
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
4 large cloves garlic, minced 
2 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds 
Large pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste 
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1. Mix together the red wine vinegar and the salt in the bottom of a large bowl.
2. Separate the crowns of the broccoli from the stems.  Cut the crowns into bite-sized florets.  Using a peeler, peel away the tough outer layer of the broccoli stems.  Quarter the stems lengthwise, and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Add the broccoli to the red wine vinegar, and stir to combine.
3. Place the olive oil, garlic, cumin seeds, and red pepper flakes into a large pan.  Over medium heat, warm the oil and stir the garlic and cumin seeds until they sizzle.  (Be careful to avoid burning the garlic, as it can happen quickly.)  Remove the pan from heat, stir in the sesame oil, and immediately pour the oil over the broccoli.  Stir to combine.  Allow the broccoli to marinate for an hour, and adjust salt if necessary.  Serve immediately, or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Adapted from the New York Times, February 29, 2008.

Kohlrabi Salad

Adapted from The Farm to Table Cookbook, by Ivy Manning, and Chef Fearn Smith of The Farm Café via Orangette.

2 medium red or green kohlrabi bulbs
1 large carrot, peeled
1 tsp. fennel seed
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 small garlic clove, pressed (optional)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 cups pea shoots (optional)

Trim away any stems from the kohlrabi bulb. Using a sharp chef’s knife or a sharp vegetable peeler, cut and discard away its tough outer skin. Then julienne the kohlrabi, using either a mandolin or the same sharp knife. (Because kohlrabi is hard and dense, I found the mandolin to be a bit precarious, so I used a little of both.) Julienne the carrot too.

In a small dry skillet, toast the fennel seeds over medium heat until they begin to brown slightly and smell toasty. Transfer them to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, and grind them into a coarse powder.

In a small bowl, combine the fennel seeds, vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic, if using. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and sesame oil. Pour over the vegetables and toss to coat. Taste, and add more salt, if needed.

Chop the pea shoots, if using, into 1-inch pieces and toss into the salad immediately before serving.

Yield: 6 servings

Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch

2 cups strawberries, hulled & quartered
2 cups rhubarb, chopped
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
4 tablespoons walnut or canola oil

Toss together strawberries and rhubarb. Place in the bottom of a pie or casserole dish. In a mixing bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, walnuts, and oil. Sprinkle mixture over fruit. Cover lightly with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 375°F, about 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

From Cooks.com via CSA Member, Karyn

Cilantro Pesto

1/3 cup walnuts or pine nuts 
1-2 cloves garlic, to taste 
1 large bunch cilantro, roots and larger stems trimmed, washed and thoroughly dried
Squeeze of ½ lime
¼-1/2 cup olive oil 
¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano (optional if you want to make this vegan)
Salt and pepper to taste

Place nuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add cilantro and lime, and pulverize. If using arugula, add now, and process until you’ve got a coarse-looking puree. Add oil, going gradually; stop machine and taste for herb/oil ratio. Add more if it feels “dry.”

Scrape down sides of bowl as needed, and transfer pesto to a small mixing bowl. Fold in cheese, if using, and season with salt & pepper. Makes about 1 cup, maybe more.

Source: Washington Post, 6/15/09

Rutabaga Oven Fries

1 large rutabaga cut into oven fry strips
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp each of cinnamon, ground cumin, paprika, and salt

Mix the olive oil with the herbs. Toss in the rutabaga pieces and coat them in the mixture. Spread out on a cookie sheet. Roast at 400F, turning once, until they’re nicely browned, about 45-60 mins.

Pureed Rutabagas with Pan-Fried Leeks

6 C peeled and diced rutabagas
6 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 large leek, thinly sliced and separated into rings
2 tbsp. butter, room temperature
¼ C half-and-half
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground white pepper

Cover rutabagas with lightly salted water in a medium saucepan; cook until tender, 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 4 tbsp. olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat; add and sauté leeks until dark brown. Drain on paper towels; reserve. Drain rutabagas and purée with butter, the remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil, half-and-half, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Spoon or pipe rutabaga purée into individual dishes; sprinkle leeks on top. Serve hot.

Sweet Potato Pie

2 medium sweet potatoes
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 pie crust* (see recipe at bottom)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pour 1 1/2 inches of water into a medium stockpot with a strainer basket and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes, cover, and steam until fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Strain sweet potatoes, place in a large bowl, and let cool to room temperature. Mash them to a smooth puree with a fork or a potato masher (you should have 1 1/4 cups puree; discard any excess). Add butter, lemon juice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt, mixing after each addition.

In a small bowl, beat egg yolks lightly with a whisk for about 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat until they're a creamy lemon-yellow color, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add egg mixture to sweet-potato mixture and stir until eggs are thoroughly incorporated and filling is a consistent bright-orange color. Add flour a little at a time, stirring after each addition, until thoroughly incorporated. Add buttermilk and stir to incorporate.

With a clean, dry whisk and in a separate bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks, about 1 1/2 minutes. Gently fold egg whites into sweet potato — buttermilk mixture until thoroughly combined. Pour mixture into prepared piecrust and bake on middle rack of oven until the center is firm and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove pie from oven and cool completely on a rack. Serve at room temperature with a scoop of ice cream on the side.

PIE CRUST RECIPE

1 1/2 cup sifted, flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup ice water

Sift dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Sprinkle in butter and refrigerate 30 minutes. Dust work surface with flour. Preheat oven to 325°F. Cut butter into dry ingredients using a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water, a tablespoon at a time and tossing mixture with a fork to combine after each addition, until pastry holds together when pinched. Gather pastry into a round disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15 minutes or until ready to use. Roll out dough to a 12-inch round. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan. Fold any excess dough that hangs below pan rim on top of rim so you have enough to crimp. Cut off excess to patch any holes or tears. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before filling or prebaking. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil over dough and carefully scatter pie weights in pan. Bake on middle rack for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove pie weights and foil, prick bottom of crust with a fork, and bake until bottom of crust appears dry, about 10 minutes.

LEMON-GLAZED SWEET POTATOES

3 medium sweet potatoes
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. dark-brown sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 325F.  Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch thick slices.  Butter a 13x9 baking dish and arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer. Mix brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Pour evenly over potatoes, cover with aluminum foil, and bake until potatoes are fork-tender, about 45 minutes. Remove foil, return potatoes to oven, and bake until glaze becomes syrupy, about 5 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Classic Fried Green Tomatoes

Large green tomatoes, sliced into rounds approx. 1/4 inch thick
Whole Egg(s), beaten
Corn Meal
Canola Oil
Salt and Pepper

Pour a thin layer of oil into a frying pan and place over medium high heat. Dunk tomato slices in beaten egg and then in corn meal. Fry, flipping over once, until golden and crisp on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. 

Green Tomato Chutney

1 Lemon, chopped finely and seeded
1 Garlic clove, chopped finely
5 cups Chopped Green Tomatoes
2 1/4 cups Brown Sugar
1 1/2 cups raisins
3 ounces chrystalized ginger - or- 3/4 cup fresh ginger root
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
2 cups Chopped Red Pepper 

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and simmer slowly until the green tomatoes are very tender (this can take an hour or two). Preserve for future use by filling clean half -pint jars with chutney, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Store in the fridge or you can process in a boiling water bath.  

From the old edition of Joy of Cooking cookbook.  

PICKLED DAIKON RADISH WITH LEMON

1 1/2 lbs daikon peeled and very thinly sliced (use a mandolin if you have one)  
1/4 cup kosher salt  
1 teaspoon sesame oil  
1 T honey
1 T seasoned rice vinegar  
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice  
1 garlic clove, minced  
3 two-inch pieces of lemon zest 

Toss the daikon with the salt and pour into a colander. Let it rest for 15 minutes over a bowl or in the sink. Make a brine by whisking together sesame oil, honey, rice vinegar, lemon juice and garlic in a large bowl. Rinse the daikon well under running water and then spread it out to dry on a clean dish towel, rolling it up gently so as to extract as much moisture as possible from the radish. Add the daikon to the brine along with the lemon zest and coat well, letting it marinate for one hour. Eat immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 month. Makes 2 cups.  

Recipe courtesy of Full Belly Farm.

Savoy Cabbage with Ginger & Garlic

1 head savoy cabbage, cored, shredded across in approx 3/4-inch slices
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. minced garlic
salt & pepper
1 1/4 tbsp. minced ginger
juice of 1 lime

Heat wok or large skilled over medium high heat, then add oil. Add cabbage and stir fry until cabbage just starts to wilt.  (Do not overcook.)  Add garlic, salt, pepper and cook 1 minute. Add ginger and cook 1 additional minute. Drizzle with lime juice and serve. 

Courtesy of Recipezaar

Roasted Winter Squash Risotto

3 lb butternut, sunshine or buttercup squash
6 cups nonfat chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (9 oz)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
5 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 oz)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
4 oz arugula or baby spinach (6 cups), stems discarded and leaves very coarsely chopped

Roast squash: Preheat oven to 450°F. Halve squash lengthwise and seed, then cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-wide slices and season with salt. Roast slices, skin side down, in a shallow baking pan in middle of oven until tender and golden, about 50 minutes. Set aside 6 crescent-shaped squash slices for serving and keep warm. Cut flesh from remaining slices into 1/2-inch pieces, discarding skin.

Start risotto after squash has been roasting 40 minutes: Bring broth to a simmer and keep at a bare simmer, covered. Meanwhile, cook onion in butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add rice, garlic, and cumin and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup simmering broth and cook at a strong simmer, stirring frequently, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is creamy-looking but still al dente (it should be the consistency of thick soup), about 18 minutes total. (There will be leftover broth.) Stir in squash pieces, then stir in cheese, salt, sage, and arugula and simmer, stirring, 1 minute. (If necessary, thin risotto with some leftover broth.) Serve risotto immediately, spooned over reserved squash slices.

Gourmet Magazine, November 2001

Maple Glazed Winter Squash

1 butternut, or 2 acorn or 2 sweet dumpling winter squash

4 tsp. maple syrup, divided
1 tsp. butter, divided

Preheat oven to 375°. Cut squash just below stem. Cut bulb in half lengthwise. Remove and discard seeds and membranes. Place squash halves, cut sides up, on a broiler pan; place 2 teaspoons maple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon butter in each squash half. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until the squash is tender, brushing cut sides with syrup mixture every 20 minutes.

Salad Turnips with Miso

From Gourmet Magazine, September 2009

3 tablespoons white miso
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
1 bunch Japanese turnips with greens
1 1/3 cups water
2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

Stir together miso and 2 tablespoon butter. Discard turnip stems and coarsely chop leaves. Halve turnips (leave whole if tiny) and put in a 12-inch heavy skillet along with water, mirin, remaining tablespoon butter, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then boil, covered, 10 minutes. Add greens by handfuls, turning and stirring with tongs and adding more as volume in skillet reduces. Cover and cook 1 minute. Uncover and continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until turnips are tender and liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Stir in miso butter and cook 1 minute.

Fingerling Potato & Shallot Homefries

1 pound fingerling potatoes

salt
olive oil
2 large shallots, diced

Place the potatoes in a pot, cover them with water and season the water abundantly with salt. Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until a fork slides in and out of them easily. Drain potatoes and cool.

Coat a large saute pan generously with olive oil. Add the shallots, season with salt and bring the pan to a medium high heat. Saute for 7 to 8 minutes or until the shallots are soft.

Slice each fingerling potato into 1/4" rounds. Add to the pan, toss with shallots and cook until potatoes are lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.

Shallot Vinaigrette Dressing

2 tablespoons French red vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh shallots
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon heavy cream or yogurt 

Using a blender, add first 5 ingredients and, with blender running, add oil. Continue blending. Add in lemon juice and then the optional cream or yogurt.

Kale Chips

This is a super easy recipe that turns kale leaves into crunchy chips reminiscent of thin potato chips!

1 bunch kale (any variety)
2 tsp. olive oil
sea salt
sesame seeds (optional but delicious!)

Preheat oven to about 375 F degrees.  Wash and dry kale. Tear the leaves off the thick stems into bite size pieces.  Discard the stems. Spread evenly in a single layer on cookie sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle to taste with sea salt and sesame seeds.  Bake for about 15 minutes, until edges are just light brown and kale is crispy when moved in pan.  Watch carefully and don't let them burn!

PENNE WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS & RADICCHIO

16 ounces dried or fresh penne pasta 
salt 
1 head radicchio 
2 teaspoons olive oil 
1 large onion, thinly sliced 
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup fresh or frozen peas (thawed) - optional
1/4 cup crumbled ricotta salata or goat cheese

In saucepot, prepare penne as label directs in boiling salted water. Drain penne, reserving 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Return penne to saucepot. Meanwhile, cut radicchio lengthwise in half. Remove core, then cut crosswise into 1/2" slices. Set aside. In a 12" skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion and cook until browned and soft, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vinegar, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute longer. Increase heat to medium-high; add radicchio and cook 2 to 3 minutes until wilted. Add onion mixture, peas, and reserved pasta cooking water to penne; toss to mix well. Serve, sprinkled with cheese.

HONEY ROASTED SWEET POTATOES

2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces and put in a 9 by 13 baking dish. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, honey and lemon juice. Pour mixture over potatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the salt, and bake, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, until potatoes are tender.