November 2, 2011 CSA Delivery

Recipe Suggestions from Conne Ward Cameron

click here to see photos of the entire box for this week, from Marcia Killingsworth.

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
South American Butternut Squash Stew
Braised Cabbage
White Bean Stew with Greens and Tomatoes
Winter Greens Lasagna
Creamy Curried Sweet Potato Soup

Special thanks to Suzanne Welander for her great list 101 things to do with kohlrabi last week. I'm glad my computer is almost back to "normal" and I'm back in the world of communication.

Lots of ideas here for hearty fall and winter food. First - we’ve got two recipe suggestions from members this week. Very exciting!

Joy Carter sent us a recipe for Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. She doesn’t remember the website she found this on, although it might have been Pioneer Woman. Joy said she’s had lots of peppers in her garden this year so she’s been seeking new ways to use them. Our green peppers that came in today’s box will ultimately turn red, if you don’t already have roasted red peppers stashed away in your freezer.

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

3 whole red bell peppers
2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
Flat leaf parsley, finely minced
Fresh Parmesan, shaved or grated
1/2 pound (to 1 Pound) Pasta: Orecchiette, Penne, Fusilli, Etc.

Roast red peppers, and then place in a Ziploc bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers, then removed seeds. Set aside.

Lightly toast pine nuts in a skillet. Set aside.

Puree peppers with pine nuts. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add plenty of salt.

Pour in cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, and then stir together.

Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped parsley and plenty of shaved Parmesan.

Give thanks for Italy.

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Thanks to Andrea B. who picks up her Riverview box in Grant Park for sending in this recipe from the February 2010 issue of Cuisine magazine.

South American Butternut Squash Stew
The recipe headnote says it’s an iconic South American stew called locro, and a perfect winter meal when served with crusty bread. This would be a great use for that jar of tomato sauce in this week’s box.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound link Italian sausage or chorizo, casing removed
4 cups sliced onions
6 cloves garlic, sliced
4 pounds butternut squash, seeded, peeled, diced (7-8 cups diced squash)
1 (14.5 –ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 pound green beans, halved
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper
Crumbled feta or cotija cheese
Roasted squash seeds

Heat oil in a large saucepot over medium heat. Add sausage, cook, breaking up chunks with a wooden spoon until sausage is browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in onions, cook until they begin to soften, 8-10 minutes. Stir in garlic, cook 1 minute more.

Stir in squash, tomatoes, broth, jalapeno, oregano and paprika. Partially cover pot, reduce heat to medium-low. Cook stew, stirring occasionally, until squash is almost tender, about 20 minutes.

Add beans and corn, partially cover the pot, cook 10 minutes more. Stir in cilantro and season to taste. Garnish with cheese and squash seeds.

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It’s great to see cabbage making its appearance in the box again after the long summer hiatus. Here’s a recipe for braised cabbage with Indian spices. It comes from the New York Times, published last January.

Braised Cabbage

1 1/2 pounds cabbage
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil
2 whole cloves
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
20 curry leaves
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons peeled, julienned fresh ginger
1/2 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1 cup chopped fresh or canned tomato
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
Kosher salt

Cut cabbage into 6 to 8 wedges, with the widest part no more than 2 inches, leaving the core intact so the wedges stay together while cooking. Place a heavy skillet, large enough to hold wedges fairly snugly, over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the cabbage, and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes a side. Transfer to a plate, and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium-low, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and heat until it shimmers. Add cloves, mustard seeds, curry leaves, bay leaf, shallot and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add ginger, turmeric, 1 tablespoon jalapeño, tomato and broth. Season with salt to taste. If desired, add more jalapeño to taste.

Increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Add cabbage, fitting it tightly together in the bottom of the pot. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and braise cabbage until tender, about 10 minutes, turning it once halfway through cooking. Remove and discard cloves, curry leaves and bay leaf. If desired, serve with rice.

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I am sorry to say that I have no idea where I got this recipe. The combination of white beans with greens is a classic though, and the addition of Parmesan adds a jolt of umami that makes the combination so satisfying. You could use every green in the box in this stew – mustard, kohlrabi, collard and turnip. And substitute that jar of canned tomato sauce if you don’t have fresh tomatoes left from previous weeks.

White Bean Stew with Greens and Tomatoes

2 pounds mixed greens, larger stems removed, and leaves chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper
Grated Parmesan

Fill a large pot halfway up with water. Bring to a boil and then toss in the greens. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Drain in a colander.

Wipe out any excess water in the pot. Then pour in the olive oil and turn the heat to medium. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Add the tomatoes, turn the heat to medium-high, and when the mixture comes to a boil add the beans. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.

Reduce heat to a simmer and add the greens. Cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add some grated Parmesan to finish.

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And one more recipe for greens, this one for a variation on lasagna. It’s from a recipe writer named Amy Wisniewski. If you haven’t used your greens in lasagna, give this a try. With the heavy cream and crème fraîche it’s pretty rich. You could substitute a white sauce made with skim milk instead.

Winter Greens Lasagna

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, medium dice
3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
2 pounds greens, washed, tough stems removed, and coarsely chopped (about 18 cups)
1 1/2 cups crème fraîche
1 (9-ounce) box no-boil lasagna noodles
1 pound ricotta
2 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 5 ounces)

Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the onion and garlic, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Add the cream and a few handfuls of greens and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly wilted. Continue adding greens a little at a time until they all are slightly wilted. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender, completely wilted, and coated in cream, about 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper and remove from heat.

Spread 1 cup of the crème fraîche evenly over the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Cover with a layer of 4 noodles, allowing them to overlap slightly. Using a slotted spoon, scoop a third of the greens mixture from the cream and evenly spread it over the noodles, then cover with a third of the ricotta and a quarter of the Parmesan. Repeat to make two more layers, and end with a final layer of noodles on top. Evenly pour 1/4 cup of the warm cream over the noodles. Mix together the remaining crème fraîche and Parmesan and spread it evenly over top.

Cover the lasagna with foil and bake until bubbling and starting to brown, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top is browned completely and the sauce is bubbling, about 10 minutes more. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

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Last recipe – a curried sweet potato soup. Yum! This one is adapted from one that appeared in Marion Burros’ “Eating Well” column in the New York Times in 1999. You can substitute butternut squash for the sweet potatoes, and plain yogurt for the goat cheese.

Creamy Curried Sweet Potato Soup

1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon coarsely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2-1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
6 cups vegetable broth, or as needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 teaspoons fresh goat cheese

Heat the oil in a pot large enough to hold all the ingredients. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until it begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, turmeric, and red pepper flakes, if using, and stir well. Add the sweet potatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.

Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (The soup can be made ahead to time and refrigerated. Reheat slowly to serve.) If the soup is too thick, add a little more stock.

Ladle into mugs, top each serving with a teaspoon of cheese, and stir to melt a little.

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that’s it from me. see you over next week’s box.

conne

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