November 30, 2011 CSA Delivery

Recipe Suggestions from Conne Ward Cameron

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

Quesadillas stuffed with Greens and Feta
Potato and Rutabaga Gratin
Apple-Cranberry Turnovers
Peanut-Popcorn Balls

A lightweight box but plenty of good things to eat.

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Quesadillas stuffed with Greens and Feta
An adaptation of a recipe from the Los Angeles Times, this dinner goes together quickly.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 pound collard greens, chopped, rinsed but not dried
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup diced feta cheese
12 corn tortillas
1/4 pound low-moisture mozzarella, cut in small dice

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook until it softens and begins to color, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the greens with any water remaining on the leaves as well as the salt, red pepper and garlic. Cook until greens are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir often. Remove from the heat and stir in the feta. Set aside.

Heat a medium cast iron skillet over high heat . One at a time, warm each corn tortilla until it just starts to blister, about 1 minute. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the greens on one half of the warmed tortilla. Sprinkle over some of the diced mozzarella and use a spatula to fold the tortilla in half around the filling. Cook 30 seconds, then flip onto the other side and heat until mozzarella melts, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 250-degree oven until all of the quesadillas have been made.

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Potato and Rutabaga Gratin
Adapted from a recipe in the November 2011 issue of Saveur magazine. Potatoes and rutabagas are a great combination.

4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 pound rutabagas, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 tbsp. minced thyme leaves
2 cups (about 4 oz.) grated
Gruyére cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 425°. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 6 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook until smooth, about 1 minute. Add milk and cream, and stir until smooth. Add potatoes, rutabagas, and 2 tsp. thyme, and bring mixture to a boil; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are slightly tender and broken apart, about 5 minutes. Stir in half the cheese and salt and pepper, and then transfer to prepared baking dish; top with remaining cheese and bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining thyme before serving.

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Apple-Cranberry Turnovers
Leftover cranberry sauce or relish from Thanksgiving? Perfect here. Or use dried cranberries instead. These turnovers are buttery and flaky and go together in a flash. If you buy a box of phyllo especially for this recipe, wrap the remaining phyllo well and refrigerate it for up to a week, or return it to the freezer.

1 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, quartered, cored and sliced
1/2 cup cranberry sauce or dried cranberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
16 sheets fresh or frozen phyllo sheets
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Powdered sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine apples, cranberries, sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Toss to coat.

Lay one phyllo sheet on your work surface. Brush with butter, top with a second sheet and brush it with butter. Fold phyllo in half lengthwise making a long strip. Place a scant half cup apple mixture about two inches from the bottom short side. Fold one corner of the strip over the apple mixture, then fold the phyllo back and forth, like a flag, to enclose the filling. Brush with melted butter and arrange on baking sheet. Continue with remaining phyllo and filling.

Bake turnovers until golden, about 35 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over turnovers and serve warm or at room temperature.

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Peanut-Popcorn Balls
This weather makes me think of eating popcorn balls, something we made at home as kids. You could adapt this idea for any nut, but this reminds me a bit of Cracker Jacks.

5 cups popped popcorn
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place popcorn and peanuts in a large bowl; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and corn syrup to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat; stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Quickly pour over popcorn mixture and mix well.

When cool enough to handle, quickly shape into ten balls. Let stand at room temperature until firm; wrap in plastic wrap.

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Once again, that’s it from me for this week.

conne

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