Pumpkin inspiration and a cranberry crumble

Edit: I'm adding a picture and putting in my 2 cents worth about a stuffed winter squash. I didn't have the stuff to make Shannon's stuffed pumpkin. Instead, I cut off the top of the squash, smooshed some butter and salt and pepper around in the cavity and chucked a little bit of broth inside, covered it and baked it at 400degrees until it started to get soft-ish. I threw in a mixture of cooked brown rice, raisins and chopped cashews and baked it until the squash was done and the stuffing warm. . ooo my tasty! And it looks so pretty to serve!
No pictures from me today. Shannon over at Pietown made this amazing stuffed pumpkin. I can't wait to try it out, as we have some winter squash sitting around that I can't bring myself to chop and peel to make soup out of. I'm excited.

And, last night, I took a kick butt apple cranberry crumble to our local soup night. A quick word about soup night. Here in a small town, us hippie eater have got to stick together. We're a tight knit, yet very welcoming group. My dear friend Suzanne makes huge vats of soup once a month and everyone gathers there with bread or salad or wine in hand to make a great feast. Last night, I was inspired by another blogger and took over a tree of gratitude. We all made leaves and wrote what we're thankful for on them and decorated the tree until it was full and bright and made me feel good.

So, the cranberry crumble. Abby ate cranberries raw, puckered up her lips and ate another, and another and another until her whole face was red and her fingers stained!
I didn't bother to peel the apples, put it in a pretty pie plate, omitted the nuts and lowered the sugar significantly in both the fruit and the crumble. It was beautiful and I'm sad I didn't get a picture.

Apple Cranberry Crumble Recipe

This recipe is from the Taste of Home Holidays & Celebrations Cookbook.

6

servings

1¼ hours 15 min prep

3	cups chopped peeled apples
2	cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
3/4	cup sugar
1	cup oats (old-fashioned or quick-cooking)
3/4	cup packed brown sugar
1/3	cup all-purpose flour
1/2	cup butter, melted
1/2	cup chopped pecans (optional)

1. In a greased 8-in. square baking dish, combine apples and cranberries; sprinkle with sugar.
2. In another bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour and butter; sprinkle over cranberry mixture. (Top with pecans if desired.).
3. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until browned and bubbly.
4. Best served warm.

Oh the humanity!

I took the last of the apples from our tree and made one glorious quart of apple sauce. I took it outside to photograph it and :
Oh no! Luckily, the farmer's market has apples, so I can buy them up and make more.
This meal doesn't look nearly as good as it was. I'm putting it here so I remember later.
Put some chicken thighs in a cast iron skillet, cook them with some oil for a while.
Add a whole mess (like 1/3 cup) of grated ginger, a few cloves of sliced garlic, a bunch of soy sauce and water and poach until the chicken is mostly done. Add carrot slices, cooked brown rice and chopped greens. Keep cooking until everything comes together nicely, the carrots are tender and the greens have shrunk down to size. Serve with soy sauce at the table. Even Abby ate it.
And, this is a winter cobbler. All manner of roots and tomatoes and lentils in the bottom and biscuits on top. I cut them out with a star cookie cutter hoping that Abby would be excited to eat it with the stars. This picture makes it look like some sort of sea star mass murder. . . it was tasty. I put two recipes together-ish, substituted 1 cup whole wheat flour in the biscuits and used all of the roots I had on hand: potatoes, turnips, carrots, parsnips, onion, garlic. You could put celery root or rutabaga in here. . .yum.
Martha Stewart's recipe is here.

Winter Vegetable Cobbler

From: Classic Vegetarian Recipes

Serves 4

1 T. olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

8 small onions, halved

2 celery stalks, sliced

9 ounces rutabaga, chopped

2 carrots, sliced

½ small cauliflower, broken into florets

9 ounces mushrooms, sliced

14 ounce can chopped tomatoes

¼ cup red lentils

2 T cornstarch

3-4 T water

1 ¼ cups vegetable stock

2 t Tabasco

2 t chopped fresh oregano or parsley

Sprigs of oregano to garnish

Cobbler Topping:

2 cups self-rising flour

¼ cup butter

1 cup grated cheddar

2 t chopped fresh oregano or parsley

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup skimmed milk

Salt

1. fry onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Add celery, rutabaga, carrots and cauliflower and fry 2-3 more min.
2. Remove pan from heat and add, mushrooms, tomatoes and lentils. Mix the cornstarch with water and add to the pan with stock, Tabasco, oregano. Bring to a boil stirring until thickened. Transfer to a casserole pan and bake at 350 F. for 20 minutes.
3. To make topping, sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter, then stir in most of the cheese and herbs. Beat the egg and mix and add enough to the dry ingredients to make a dough. Knead and roll to ½ inch thick. Cut into 2 inch rounds. Remove casserole from oven and increase the temp to 400 degrees. Arrange the rounds around the edge of the dish, brush with the egg and milk and sprinkle with cheese. Cook 10-12 min. Garnish and serve.

Turn, Turn, Turn

"To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose. . . "
And so, another season is over. Daylight savings ends this weekend. It's time to warm up some of those soups that you all froze earlier in the season and enjoy our last share from our wonderful community sponsored agriculture farm! A big thanks to Farmers Doug, Lee and Hannah and all of the great farm members, interns and volunteers for our wonderful food.
There were some great comments on the blog on last week's entry. Thanks to all who spent the time to share your thoughts. I did a very random drawing and pulled Jess B's name out of the hat. So, Jess. . .you won the big fat vegetarian cookbook. I'll leave it at the drop site for you!

And now, how will we fare over the winter without our beloved farm shares? Remember to go to the farmer's market on Saturdays, clean out your freezers and check back here to find yummy recipes.
Winter Squash ideas: If you're like me, you have a stash of winter squash and roots around. Winter squash are great for roasting with your roots. There's a great roasted root soup recipe here. You can make soups by following this recipe and substituting other winter squashes for the butternut or maybe pear for the apple. This is a favorite soup in our house that marks autumn for us. I cut it out of a neighborhood newspaper in Seattle years ago, so I don't have the author to credit.
Have a wonderful winter!

Butternut Squash and Curried Apple Soup

4 Tbl. Butter
2 cups chopped sweet onion
1 Tbl. curry
1 butternut squash (~ 1.5 lbs or more for a thicker soup) peeled, seeded and chopped
2 tart green apples, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 cups vegetable broth
1.5 tsp. hot pepper sauce (tabasco)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. each marjoram, rosemary
1 cup apple juice (or to taste)
salt and pepper

sour cream and apple slices for garnish

1 Melt butter in stockpot, add onions and curry. Cover and cook over low until onions are tender, about 20 min.

2 Add squash, apples, broth, hot pepper sauce, salt, marjoram, and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until squash and apple are tender, about 25 min.

3 Using a potato masher, mash soup to the consistency that you’d like. Alternatively, blend soup in batches in a food processor or blender and return soup to stock pot.

4 Add apple juice and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and apple slices if desired.

Makes about 6 servings

All American Pot Pie

I have to admit that I just plain cut and pasted this recipe, including the pictures, from a different blog. I wanted to use this recipe for this week's post, but didn't want to type it all out. A wee google search led me to this fabulous entry. However, the other blog didn't credit the author of the recipe. I will. I will also include my notes in italics. It's a mighty tasty way to use a ton 'o veggies and have a really filling meal. There's no reason why this has to stay vegetarian, cooked chicken chunks would be a wonderful addition. I like to make the dough ahead of time so it can chill while I'm making the filling.

All American Pot Pie from Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons.

Filling:
1/2 T butter
4 C total of any of the following veggies: corn, carrot, red bell pepper, zucchini, spinach leaves (firmly packed), sliced onions, potato...(left over roasted winter squash chunks, mushrooms, summer squash, parsnips from last week's share, even beets would be tasty).
1 small garlic clove, minced
3 T flour
1 C warm milk
1 pinch fresh or dried thyme
3/4 t salt
black pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a skillet. Saute the vegetables for five minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic, saute for five minutes more. Sprinkle three tablespoons flour over the veggies and stir over the heat for two more minutes. Add the warm milk slowly, stirring all the while to avoid lumps. Stir in the thyme. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook it until the it thickens. Continue to cook until the vegetables are tender. Add one-fourth teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Put into a 9 or 10 inch casserole or deep pie dish. (At this point you can cover the dish and chill it for up to 2 days, if you'd like to bake it later).

The Dough:

(the recipe originally calls for twice as much dough as is written here. I have to agree that it was too much, so I'll leave the modified amounts here).
1/4 Cup (1/2 stick) cold butter
3/4 cups flour
1/4 t salt

Cut a half-stick of cold butter into three-fourths cups of flour and one-fourth teaspoon of salt (cut the butter until the pieces are no larger than a pea). Add two tablespoons of ice water and stir to incorporate all the flour. Add more water or flour as necessary to make a soft moist dough. Work it in the palm of your hand on a hard surface. Form it into a flattened ball. Chill the dough for thirty minutes.

Roll the dough into a circle slightly larger than the diameter of the casserole dish. Place it on top and pinch the rim so it clings to the dish. Cut four one-inch long slits in the dough.

Bake at 400 degrees for about twenty minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the crust golden. (I like to bake it on top of a cookie sheet to catch any spills. ..and there will be spills). Serve and enjoy!

For those of you who are members of the Salt Creek Farm CSA: Don't forget to comment to this entry so I can do a drawing for an end of the season gift. Sorry to all of you who aren't here in Port Angeles, the prize is a huge book and I can't mail it. . . so just locals this time!

Delicata

Delicata squash is an unsung hero. People think that all winter squashes are the same: stringy, messy, hard to peel. I had no idea what to do with delicata when I first saw it, but it's easy: cut off the ends, cut in half long ways, scoop out the seeds, cut half moons with the skin on, fry in olive oil and dip in some yogurt sauce. . . sweet goodness.

Mac and Cheese with Squash yum!

Healthy Macaroni and Cheese Serves 6 Ricotta and pureed squash give this slimmed-down but familiar dish its creaminess.

1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound) peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 cup homemade chicken stock, or low sodium canned, skimmed of fat
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon course salt plus more for water
freshly ground pepper
1 lb. of elbow pasta
4 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
4 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese (1 oz.)
1 tablespoons fine bread crumbs
1 teaspoon olive oil
olive oil cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Combine squash, stock, and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash contents of saucepan; stir in nutmeg, cayenne, and salt, and season with black pepper. Stir to combine.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add noodles; cook until al dente, according to package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl; stir in squash mixture, cheddar, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
3. Lightly coat a 9-inch-square baking dish (4 inches deep) with cooking spray. Transfer noodle mixture to dish. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and oil; sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture.
4. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top, 30 to 40 minutes more. Serve immediately.
   

Note: 350 calories, 6 g fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 57 g carbohydrate, 505 mg sodium, 16 g protein, 2 g fiber.

From Martha Stewart's Website. Yummy.

Stew is Yummy

Here's a recipe I'm trying today. I'll post pics if it looks good.
update: This is amazing! I might not put quite as much cayenne in next time so Abby can eat it, but it is VERY good. I didn't have parsnip, so I increased the carrots and added them when the parsnips would have gone in and I used a whole smaller pumpkin instead of two kinds of squash. Yup. . .yummy.

FALL VEGETABLE STEW

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup of carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
• ½ onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 leek, cleaned and sliced
• 1 cup of pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup parsnip, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 cups of potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup dark leafy greens, washed and sliced
• ½ cup chopped Italian parsley
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (28 oz)
• 2-3 tbsp Moroccan spice
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

• Saute the carrots, onions, leek and celery over medium heat until the vegetables turn a caramel brown
• Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds
• Add 5 cups of water, the tomatoes, and the garlic
• Bring the stew to a boil for 15 minutes
• Lower the heat and add the remaining vegetables (except for the greens and herbs)
• Cover the pot and gently cook for another 30 minutes
• Season with salt and pepper
• Add the greens and herbs right before serving
• Garnish with olive oil and toasted pumpkin seeds

Make your own Moroccan spice!

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Blend together and store in an airtight container.

It's already over?!?!

I can’t believe the season is already over. A big round of applause and appreciation to our fabulous farmers Doug, Lee, Hannah, the interns and all of the working members who put in their time, sweat and love to providing all of us such wonderful local food!

Here’s a fun recipe that uses it’s leftovers for an imaginative soup! It’s from the Every Day Food section on the Martha Stewart website.

Roasted Fall Vegetables
Serves 8; Makes about 12 cups; Prep time: 20 minutes; Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
2 pounds butternut squash (about 1 medium), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 pounds red new potatoes (12 to 14), well scrubbed and quartered
1 pound medium red onions (about 2 to 3), peeled and quartered
1 pound carrots (6 to 8 medium), halved lengthwise, if thick, and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
4 to 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1. Preheat oven to 450°. Divide vegetables and garlic between two rimmed baking sheets (or line with parchment paper, if desired, for easy cleanup); dividing evenly, toss with oil, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper
2. Roast until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, 40 to 50 minutes, tossing them and rotating sheets from top to bottom halfway through. Serve hot or at room temperature. (To store: Let cool, place in an airtight container, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Pour off any accumulated liquid before using.)

Here’s the other recipe to take your roasted vegetables and make soup! When I made this, I used pumpkin and all of the random roots I had around: carrots, potatoes, onion, garlic, beets, turnip etc. The beets turned the soup a beautiful red/pink color. I used stock instead of water and didn’t bother running the veggies through a sieve. I just used my handy dandy hand blender right in the pot (but not while the pot is over the heat. . . you’ll get a melted little blender).

Roasted Fall Vegetable Soup Serves 4; Prep time: 15 minutes; Total time: 15 minutes
6 cups (about 1/2 recipe) Roasted Fall Vegetables, recipe above
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Bread or crackers, for serving (optional)
1. Working in batches, purée vegetables in blender with a total of 4 to 5 cups water. Pour each batch through a fine-mesh sieve into a large saucepan, pressing purée through with a spoon or rubber spatula.
2. Thin purée with additional water, if necessary; heat soup over medium. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve with bread or crackers, if desired.

Have a fabulous winter everyone! Keep checking back here because I'll keep posting winter recipes!

Sheperd's Pie is Yummy

Recipe Corner:
I love sheperd's pie because it can include any veggies you might have on hand. I use this recipe as a launching point and every time I make it, it's a little different. This page in my cookbook is riddled with notes and splatters from some good cooking. As a fairly staunch eggplant non-eater (I know, it's blasphemy. . . but I can't stand the stuff), I leave it out and add all kinds of other stuff. Included in my list of extras are: summer squash, roasted winter squash, corn, carrots, broccoli, extra celery, tofu crumbles (the frozen fake ground beef stuff), crumbled veggie burgers, bok choi, kale or other greens or anything else that's on hand. Yum! This recipe is really kid-friendly without the sauce. However, I think the Dilled Horseradish Sauce is what makes this really stand out as a favorite. Put the straight horseradish on the table for those who really want to clear their noses!

SHEPHERD'S PIE
Adapted from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen
Preparation time: 45 minutes, plus 30 minutes to bake.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

A deep-dish casserole with vegetable hash on the bottom and garlicky mashed potatoes on top.

Mashed Potato Topping
(Make this first):

2 large potatoes.
1 tablespoon butter.
1/2 cup milk.
3 large cloves garlic, minced.
Salt and pepper to taste.
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Peel or scrub the potatoes, and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Cook in plenty of boiling water until soft. Drain and transfer to a medium-large bowl. Add the butter, garlic, and milk and mash well. Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the parsley. Set aside.

Vegetable Hash:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups minced onion
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 stalk celery, minced
1 pound mushrooms, chopped
1-pound eggplant, diced
1 medium bell pepper, minced
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
1 cup (packed) grated sharp cheddar
1/4 cup fine bread crumbs
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
Cayenne to taste
Paprika for the top
Dilled Horseradish Sauce (recipe follows)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 ºF. Lightly spray a 2-quart casserole or its equivalent with nonstick spray. (You can also use a 9 x 13-inch baking pan).

2. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the onion andsauteté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until it begins to soften.

3. Add garlic, salt, pepper, celery, mushrooms, eggplant, and bell pepper. Stir until well combined, cover, and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the herbs, stir, and cover again. Cook for about 5 more minutes, or until the eggplant is perfectly tender. Remove from heat.

4. Stir in the peas, 1/2 cup of the cheddar, the bread crumbs, and the vinegar. Add cayenne to taste. Spread this mixture into the prepared casserole or baking pan.

5. Spoon and/or spread the mashed potatoes over the vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar on top, and dust with paprika.

6. Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and bubbly around the edges. Make the sauce while the casserole bakes. To serve, spoon a little sauce onto each plate. Add a chunk of "pie" potato side-up, and spoon extra sauce over the top. Serve hot.

Dilled Horseradish Sauce
2 Tbs. Butter or Canola oil
1-2 Tbs. unbleached while flour (depending on desired thickness)
1 1/4 cups warmed milk
1 TBS prepared horseradish
a scant 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs minced fresh dill
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt butter or heat oil in a medium-small saucepan. Whisk in the flour, and cook over low heat, whisking often, for about a minute.

Whisk in the milk, and continue to cook over low heat, whisking frequently for another 5 minutes. Stir in horseradish and salt, and remove from heat. Stir in the dill and black pepper just before serving.

I'm in Delicata Heaven!

I love winter squash. Here are a few hints and tips from The Victory Garden Cookbook:

• Small chunks of squash are a good addition to soups and stews
• Squash cooked with pot roast or a braised dish of any kind will thicken the sauce nicely when mashed.
• Raw squash is a delightful snack or addition to a crudités platter
• Squash is low in sodium, so it’s a good choice for restricted-salt diets.
• Use the flesh as well as the blossoms for squash tempura. Just cut into thin, flat strips, dip in batter, and deep-fry.
• Freeze leftover squash—it’s delicious reheated.
• Use small amounts of cooked squash added to yeast breads or pancake batters to give color and moisture.
• Use pureed in soups.
• Store squash at 50-55 degrees in a dry spot with low humidity. (If stored below 50 degrees, squash will suffer chilling injuries and start to deteriorate.) Don’t put squashes in your basement—it’s probably too moist and they will be more likely to rot; an attic or any other cool, dry spot is your best choice.
• Winter squash stores so well that there’s no need to can or freeze it. However, cooked squash freezes nicely, and it’s a convenience to have it ready to eat.

So, don’t just use your winter squash as autumn decorations. .. eat it up!

Recipe Corner
It’s winter squash time! Yay! Our first year or two getting farm shares, we didn’t really know about delicata squash. In case you don’t know yet, delicata are long skinny winter squash. The look a bit like a more yellow and hardier cucumber. The skin is thin enough to leave on so you don’t have to peel it before cooking or eating. My favorite way to serve delicate is to cut it up into rings, scoop out the seeds and fry it up in some olive oil and salt and pepper and serve it like onion rings. . .yummy.
Here’s a recipe that I found at our farmer’s market a few years back. I think it might have been from Nash’s farm stand, but I’m not sure. I sometimes cook the delicata with the leeks and set aside while cooking the rest. Also good with baked tofu thrown in and served over rice.

Steamed Delicata with Tomato-Leek-Cilantro Dressing
2 lbs delicata
pinch of salt
½ cup cilantro
olive oil
1 cup diced leek
1 ¼ tsp. ground cumin
flaked hot pepper
pinch of cloves
2 tbs. cider vinegar
½ tsp. honey
2 med. Tomatoes

1. Cut squash lengthwise. Remove seeds. Cut into ½ “ slices
2. Set squash in steamer basket over boiling water. Sprinkle with salt and let steam until tender, but not falling apart
3. Chop Cilantro, warm oil in skillet over moderate heat. Add leek. Sauté until just brown, add cumin, hot pepper flakes and cloves. Toss a quick minute.
4. Reduce heat. Add vinegar, honey and tomatoes and toss a few minutes until juicy.
5. Remove from heat, stir in more olive oil and ½ of the cilantro.
6. Spoon over squash, top with remaining cilantro.