What's in the box this week?
Week 18
Empire
Harrow Sweet Pears
Peppers
Broccoli Rabe
Cider
Butternut
Apple Crisp
www.marthastewart.com
One of the definitive desserts of fall, apple crisp is easy and economical. Test kitchen tip: Empire, Gala, or Braeburn apples are especially good in this recipe.
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
3 pounds apples, such as Empire, Gala, or Braeburn, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Cut butter into flour, using a pastry blender or two knives, until mixture is the texture of coarse meal. Add oats, and use your hands to toss and squeeze mixture until large, moist clumps form. Transfer to freezer to chill while you prepare apples.
In another large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice, cinnamon, and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Transfer to a shallow 2-quart baking dish, and sprinkle with topping mixture. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until golden and bubbling, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
Sugar Pumpkin Soup with Chipotle Cream
www.foodnetwork.com
1 medium pumpkin, about 4 pounds
1 tablespoon butter
2 slices bacon, diced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus 1 cup for garnish
1/4 cup orange juice
Large pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Whole leaves flat-leaf parsley, as a garnish
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Halve the pumpkin from top to bottom and place it, cut side down, on an oiled baking sheet. Bake until the pumpkin can be easily skewered, 45 to 60 minutes. Cool for about 20 minutes. With a spoon, remove the seeds and discard. Scrape the pulp and reserve. Discard the skin.
Melt remaining 1 tablespoon of the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and the bacon is just turning golden, about 7 minutes. Add the pumpkin and stock and simmer until the pumpkin falls apart, about 30 minutes. Let cool for about 20 minutes.
In batches, puree the soup in a blender on high speed, 3 minutes per batch, until very smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean soup pot and add the cream, orange juice, and nutmeg. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
If the soup is too thick, correct the consistency with additional water or stock. Chop 1 tablespoon chipotle pepper. Whip 1 cup cream to soft peak. Stir peppers into cream. Ladle the hot soup bowls.
Broccoli Rabe with Caramelized Onions
www.simplyrecipes.com
Olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced into slivers, lengthwise (with the grain)
1 large bunch of broccoli rabe (raab, rapini), rinsed and cut into 2-inch long pieces
2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Brown the onions: Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onions, spread out in a thin layer. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened and then lightly browned.
(Tip: to speed up the caramelization process you can sprinkle a pinch of sugar over the onions.) If the onions start to dry out at all, lower the heat (you can add a little water to them too.) They should brown, but not get dried out.
2 Blanch the broccoli rabe: After you start the onions, bring a large pot of water to a boil. The onions take at least 15 minute to cook, so you'll have time to get the water boiling. Salt the water (about a tablespoon of salt for 3 quarts of water).
Prepare an ice bath, fill a large bowl half way with ice water.
Add the rabe to the boiling water. Blanch for 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove from the boiling water and put in the ice bath to stop the cooking. Shocking the rabe with ice water will also help keep the rabe bright green colored.
Note that some people blanch their rabe, some do not. Rabe can be rather bitter, so blanching will help take the edge off of the bitterness. If your rabe isn't particularly bitter, or you like bitter greens, you can easily skip this blanching step.
Drain the ice water from the rabe. Use a clean tea towel to gently wring out the excess moisture from the rabe.
3 Sauté the rabe and onions with chili flakes and garlic: Once the onions are lightly browned, remove them from the pan to a bowl. Using the same pan, add another Tbsp of olive oil and heat the pan on high heat. Add the chili flakes. Once the chili flakes start to sizzle, add the garlic.
Once the garlic just starts to brown at the edges add the broccoli rabe and the onions.
Toss the rabe mixture so that it gets well coated with the olive oil. Cook on high heat until most of the moisture is gone, about 5 minutes if you blanched first, a minute or too longer if you skipped the blanching.
Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans
www.recipeforperfection.com
Rich, sweet roasted acorn squash doused in maple butter and filled with maple butter roasted pecans, then topped with blue cheese crumbles.
2 acorn squash
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 pinch sea salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Blue Cheese crumbles to taste
Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a baking dish with foil or parchment for easy cleanup.
Halve the squashes, then scoop out and discard the seeds and strings.
Melt the butter with the maple syrup and sea salt, then stir to combine. Brush the cut sides of the squash with the mixture, allowing it to puddle in the center of each half.
Stir the pecans into the remaining butter/syrup mixture and set aside.
Bake the squash in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and scoop the pecans evenly into each squash half. Return the pecan-filled squash halves to the oven for 10 minutes.
When finished, garnish with blue cheese crumbles and serve warm.
Grilled Ratatouille Pasta Salad
www.epicurious.com
Slice up grilled eggplant and zucchini and toss with hot pasta, fresh tomatoes, herbs, and mozzarella for an almost instant ratatouille-inspired pasta dinner with all sorts of nice chargrilled flavors.
2 medium zucchini (about 1 1/2 lb.), halved lengthwise
1 medium or 2 small eggplants (about 1 lb.), cut into 1" wedges
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
10 oz. penne or casarecce pasta
1 large or 2 medium heirloom or beefsteak tomato (about 1 lb.), cut into 1" pieces
8 oz. Ciliegini (mini fresh mozzarella balls), drained, halved
2 Tbsp. white balsamic or white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. thyme leaves
1 cup basil leaves
Prepare a grill for medium heat. Toss zucchini, eggplant, and 1/4 cup oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Grill, turning often, until steamy, tender, and charred all over, 8–12 minutes. Return to baking sheet and let cool.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Slice grilled vegetables into bite-size pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Add tomato, cheese, vinegar, thyme, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and 1/2 cup oil and mix to combine. Drain pasta and immediately add to bowl with vegetables. Mix well to combine, then top with basil.
Ratatouille
www.marthastewart.com
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large eggplant (1 pound), cut into 1-inch pieces
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 large yellow onions (1 pound total), diced large
1 head garlic, cloves smashed and peeled
2 bell peppers (any color), seeded and diced large
2 large zucchini (1 pound total), diced large
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram or oregano leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tomatoes and juices on a rimmed baking sheet and use your hands to break tomatoes into 3/4-inch pieces. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and bake until thickened, 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a colander, toss eggplant with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Let sit 20 minutes, then squeeze out excess liquid. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 4 tablespoons oil over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until onions and garlic are soft, 5 minutes. Add peppers and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, bay leaf, and marjoram to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and cook at a gentle simmer until vegetables are tender but not mushy, 15 minutes. Season to taste with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Tomatillo Salsa Verde
www.allrecipes.com
"This authentic Mexican salsa verde has a fabulous flavor. Use it on chicken enchiladas or as a condiment for any dish that needs a little extra zip!"
1 pound tomatillos, husked
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 serrano chile peppers, minced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
2 cups water
Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, and chile pepper into a saucepan. Season with cilantro, oregano, cumin, and salt; pour in water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the tomatillos are soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
Using a blender, carefully puree the tomatillos and water in batches until smooth.
Creamed Kale
www.foodnetwork.com
Bobby Flay
2 pounds kale, center stalks removed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Blanch the kale in lightly salted water until tender, rinse in ice water, drain and cut into 1/2-inch ribbons. In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the kale, cream and nutmeg. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, or until the cream has reduced and thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cucumber Nut Bread
www.allrecipes.com
Thanks to our CSA member, Karen, for sharing this great recipe!
cooking spray
2 cups peeled, seeded, and shredded cucumber
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray 2 5x9-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
Place shredded cucumbers into a colander and let drain for about 30 minutes.
Stir eggs, vegetable oil, sugar, vanilla extract, drained cucumber, and pecans together in a large bowl. Whisk flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and cloves in a separate bowl. Stir dry ingredients into the cucumber mixture until batter is thoroughly combined. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans.
Bake loaves in the preheated oven until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of each loaf comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let loaves cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing from pans to finish cooling on wire racks.
Purple Cauliflower Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette
1 head purple cauliflower
1 head green or white cauliflower
1 cup chopped sunflower seeds (or chopped toasted walnuts)
⅔ cup golden raisins (can use dried cranberries)
4 bunches of scallions
1 cup walnut vinaigrette (see recipe below)
sea salt
pepper
red pepper flakes as needed
Cut out the bottom core of cauliflower. Discard
Slice cauliflower as thin as you can. Mandolin is best, but you can slice with good sharp knife.
Toss with vinaigrette. You will want the vinegar to be pronounced. I found that the cauliflower doesn't hold the vinegar taste.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add in chile flakes.
Add golden raisins, chopped scallions, nuts, (reserve some nuts for garnish).
Walnut Vinaigrette
2 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoon dijon mustard
6 tablespoons walnut vinegar (can use white vinegar or champagne vinegar)
6tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons walnut oil
2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Infuse olive oil with chopped garlic for 20 minutes.
Put mustard in a jar and mix well with vinegar.
Slowly add olive oil. Mix well.
Add red pepper flakes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add nuts right before serving.
This is a recipe using two heads of cauliflower, making a lot of salad for a party.
You can cut this recipe in half.
Broccoli Casserole
www.marthastewart.com
2 heads broccoli (2 1/2 pounds), cut into florets, stems peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons melted
1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
8 ounces shredded Gouda cheese (about 3 cups)
30 saltine crackers, crushed (2 1/4 cups)
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In two batches, cook broccoli in a large pot of salted boiling water until slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Drain well.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high. Add onion and mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and starting to brown, about 7 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in milk in a slow, steady stream. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 9 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in mustard, Worcestershire, cayenne, sour cream, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cooled broccoli. Transfer to a 2 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. Combine crackers and remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over top of casserole. Bake until bubbling and top is browned, about 20 minutes.
Snow Peas with Thyme
www.allrecipes.com
1/2 lb. medium snow peas (or sugar snap peas), trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
salt, to taste
Preparation:10min › Cook:5min › Ready in:15min
Preheat oven to 230 degrees C.
Spread snow peas in a single layer on a medium baking tray, and brush with the olive oil. Sprinkle with shallots, thyme and salt.
Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes or until tender but still slightly crisp.
Roasted Kohlrabi with Parmesan
Peel 6 kohlrabi and cut into 1-inch wedges; toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt and a pinch of cayenne on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast at 450 degrees F, stirring every 10 minutes, until tender and golden, about 30 minutes. Toss with 3 tablespoons parmesan and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley.
Pasta with Spigarello, Bacon and Garlic
1 pound bucatini or linguini pasta
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 slices applewood-smoked bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 1 (1-pound) bunch spigarello (or other winter greens such as escarole, kale or chard, trimmed and torn into 3- to 4-inch strips)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh lemon juice, for serving Shaved or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
Preparation
Step 1 Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the vegetable oil and cook the pasta to al dente following the manufacturer's instructions. Drain the pasta, spreading it out onto a rimmed baking sheet, set aside while preparing the rest of the recipe.
Step 2 In the same pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. Strain the bacon from the fat in the pan, and drain the excess fat, leaving only 3 tablespoons fat in the pot. Stir in the garlic, then the greens, a handful at a time. Continue stirring until all of the greens have been added and are wilted.
Step 3 Stir the bacon back in with the greens, then the pasta, tossing to evenly combine the pasta and flavorings. Season with a pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper.
Step 4 Divide the pasta among warmed shallow bowls, topping each portion with a squeeze of lemon juice. Garnish each plate with Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve immediately.
Marge's Tomato Tart
Ingredients:
2 Large Tomatoes
1 Zucchini
1 Summer Squash
1 Large Potato
1/4 Cup Chopped Red Onion
2 Cups Cheese
2 Eggs, Beaten
1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 9" pie plate with Pam. Cut tomatoes into slices. Cut Zucchini, squash, and potato into thin slices. Combine zucchini, squash, potato, and red onion with 1 cup cheese, eggs, and seasoning. Arrange 1/2 of the tomato slices on bottom of pie plate. Spoon vegetable mixture over tomatoes, pressing slightly to flatten. Arrange the rest of tomatoes on top, then sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until veggies are tender and glazed (1 hour).
(Original recipe calls for Swiss cheese but cheddar or any combo of what you have is fine)
113 calories, 7 Protein, 5 Fat, 10 Carbs. Serves 8.
