September 7, 2011 CSA Delivery

Recipe Suggestions from guest contributor Kim Stewart

Miso Harissa Delicata Squash
Curried Apple Couscous

Ok – have patience as I try to stand in for our wonderful recipe aficionado Connie :)

With the nice cool weather we are having this week it just makes sense to open up your box and find two of my all-time Riverview fall favorites inside – Delicata Squash and Apples!

This little squash gave me all kinds of trouble trying to figure out what to do with it the first year I was a subscriber, but since then I can’t wait to see it every year. Contrary to its name – the delicata squash is not so delicate and can keep for several months. I’ve actually had some that kept for over 2 months on the counter. It is fantastic baked or steamed and served as a side dish with butter and herbs.

To bake: halve the squash lengthwise on the oblong side. Place the squash cut side down or up (depending if you want to put a little butter in the well), cover and bake for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Brush with a little butter or evoo some salt and your favorite herbs.

To microwave: halve the squash, place in a dish and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Microwave for about 10 minutes. If you put a little liquid in the dish with the squash it will stay nice and moist.

One of my favorite websites to find delicious recipes for our CSA boxes is Heidi Swanson’s www.101cookbooks.com – she is a fantastic vegetarian cook and her recipes are always delicious. Sometimes they may sound a little out there – like combining Miso and Harissa – but trust her, they work! For the curried apple couscous, I’m going to use some of those pretty red bell peppers from our box this week for a splash of color and flavor with the fall apples.

Here are a couple recipes for our fabulous box this week:

Miso Harissa Delicata Squash
From www.101cookbooks.com

1/2 pound small fingerling potatoes, washed and dried
3/4 pound delicata squash
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white miso
1 tablespoon harissa paste (available in a tube at Whole Foods)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 ounce kale, de-stemmed and finely chopped
4 radishes, very thinly sliced
1 1/2 ounces Marcona almonds, toasted pepitas, or other toasted nuts

Preheat the oven to 400F. If the potatoes aren't tiny, slice them into pieces no larger than your thumb. Cut the delicata squash in half length-wise, and use a spoon to clear out all the seeds. Cut into 1/2-inch wide half-moons. You can leave the peel on these squash.

In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, miso, harissa. Place the potatoes and squash in a large bowl with 1/3 cup of the miso-harissa oil. Use your hands to toss well, then turn everything out onto a baking sheet. Bake until everything is baked through and browned, about 25-30 minutes. Toss once or twice along the way after things start to brown a bit. Keep an eye on things though, you can go from browned to burned in a flash.

In the meantime, whisk the lemon juice into the remaining miso-harissa oil. Taste, it should be intensely flavorful, but if yours is too spicy or salty, you can dilute it with a bit more olive oil or lemon juice. Stir the kale into the leftover dressing and set aside.

Place the warm roasted vegetables in a bowl and toss with the kale mixture, radishes, and almonds.

Serves 2 to 4.
Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 30 min

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Curried Apple Couscous Recipe
www.101cookbooks.com

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 medium apples, cored and chopped
3 green onions, washed, trimmed, and thinly sliced
1 cup whole wheat couscous (or regular)
1 3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
Small handful of mint, chopped (or basil or cilantro)

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat add 3 tablespoons of the butter, the curry powder, and a couple generous pinches of salt, and cook for a minute or until the spices are fragrant. Stir in the chopped apples and cook for about 3 minutes, enough time for the apples to soften up a bit and absorb some of the curry. Scoop the apples from the pan and set aside in a separate bowl.

In the same pan, again over medium-high heat, add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Stir in the green onions, let them soften up a bit and then add the water and salt. Bring to a boil, stir in the couscous, cover and remove from heat. Steam for 5 to 10 minutes and then use a fork to fluff up the couscous. Stir in the apples, pine nuts, and chopped mint. Season with more salt and curry powder to taste.

Serves 6.

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Enjoy!!

Kim Stewart

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