Daikon is a large white radish, often 12 inches or more long. It has a mild radish flavor. It is harvested in fall and keeps well in cool places or refrigeration for a long time. It is also known as the "vegetable crowbar" for the power that it has to break up hard soils and penetrate into them many inches, pulling up minerals and nutrients that other annuals can't reach.
What can you do with daikon?
* cut up into small cubes and put into salads, serving radish duties
* cut or slice and put into stir fries; daikon complement nearly any Asian stir-fry vegetable dish
* peel and grate finely, sprinkling with a little salt and a few drops of soy sauce, and serve as a relish; goes well with Asian and non-Asian types of meals
Shredded Napa Salad
1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms (about five) or use five fresh shiitakes if you have them
1/2 pound shredded Napa cabbage
2 scallions, trimmed and sliced
2 ounces peeled, sliced and quartered daikon radish
Pour boiling water over the shiitakes, let soak 20 minutes, remove hard stems and slice (for fresh shiitakes, just wipe off and slice). Toss all the vegetables well. Mix with dressing and serve. You can use a commercial Asian-type dressing to save time, or make your own: 2 tbs vinegar, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp dry mustard, 2 tbs soy sauce (tamari), 1/8 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1/4 cup olive oil. Shake all together well. Stir in enough to moisten the salad, or serve on the side.
Napa and Daikon are good buddies, also forming the basis for the Korean kim chee. You can make kim chee at home by lactofermentation. It is really pretty easy. You will need a 1/2 gallon jar (such as a canning jar) with a screw-on lid.
Napa Kim Chee
1 pound Napa cabbage, cut in quarters lengthwise, then crosswise into 1 to 2" pieces
1 pound daikon radish, peeled and sliced very thin
2 tablespoons peeled and minced garlic
2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
6 scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 tablespoon flavorful chile powder
3 tablespoons sea salt or pickling salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Mix 6 cups of water with 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons salt, stir until salt dissolves. Plunk the cabbage and radish down in the water (you'll need a large bowl). Make sure it all gets wet. Push it under a few more times during the next 8-12 hours.
In another bowl, put the ginger, garlic, scallions, chile powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Pull the vegetables out of the first bowl, reserving the water, and put into the second. Stir well, so that the seasonings are well distributed. Then pack the flavored vegetables into your half-gallon jar, pushing down some to eliminate air, but not absolutely squishing. This amount should just about fill up a half-gallon jar. Pour all the liquid from the second bowl (the one with the seasonings) into the jar, and top it up with leftover brine from the first bowl. Now, screw on the lid loosely, put the jar in a saucer, and put it on the back of your kitchen counter.
If your kitchen is cool in the winter, put it next to your frig or on top of it to help the kim chee out a little. It will probably take the full week. 70 degrees is ideal. If your kitchen is hot in the summer, such as 80 degrees, it may be done at five days or even before.
Wait.... tick tock tick tock. After five days or so, take a clean spoon and sample the juice. Is it sour enough? No... leave it another day. Yes... you're done. Tighten down the cap, store jar in refrigerator or reliable cold storage (under 45 degrees).
Do NOT change the recipe by decreasing the salt; the salt is essential to allow the vegetables to ferment properly and not go off into mold or unfriendly bacteria.
Koreans eat kim chee in great quantities; it is a delicious and healthy condiment. They also make it with a tremendous variety of ingredients. You can serve it with rice or meat dishes; you can make kim chee pancakes which are a delicious savory dinner pancake. Mix 1 cup rice or wheat flour, 1/2 cup drained and finely chopped kim chee, and water enough to make a thin batter.
Cook in an oiled non-stick skillet, turning once to make sure it is cooked.
One trick to the best kim chee is to use the right chile powder. Cayenne is so hot that, to my taste, it overrides the rest of the flavors. I like an ancho chile powder, medium heat, nice dark color. Hatch is good too. I realize that these chiles are out of the 100-mile range. You can get sensational southwestern chile powders at Native Seeds/SEARCH, an organization which is preserving the traditional southwestern food crops.
Whenever you help yourself to kim chee, use a clean spoon or fork. Don't lick the fork and reintroduce into the kim chee; you want to keep your personal germs out of it, to promote long-term storage. It will keep for many months in your frig.
White Radish Soup
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock, or part stock and part water
6 dried or fresh shiitake mushrooms
3 cups bean sprouts
1 pound daikon, peeled and cut into 3/4" pieces
soy sauce
If you are using dried mushrooms, put in bowl, pour boiling water over, and soak for 20 minutes. Then remove hard stems and slice the mushrooms. Reserve soaking water and add to soup (be sure not to pour in the little bits of gravel in the bottom). For fresh mushrooms, just remove stems and slice.
Heat stock, add mushrooms and radish, simmer 10 minutes. Add bean sprouts, bring to a boil, simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Taste broth and add soy sauce as needed for the saltiness you desire. Done! A very soothing and warming soup in the winter.
BTW don't use commercial bouillon cubes to make the stock; it just won't be the same. You can make a vegetable stock with chopped vegetables such as onion, carrot, scallion, parsnips, zucchini, celery, and washed dried shiitake mushrooms. If you make your stock, save the mushrooms out for the finished soup (you don't have to soak them; you already have). Just pull out of broth and slice. The rest of the vegetables can go into the compost (or feed them to your chickens). Simmer the broth 30 to 50 minutes, fish out mushrooms, strain the broth. Then season the broth with salt, soy sauce and optionally a little toasted sesame oil. Can be used in a variety of Chinese dishes.
Showing posts with label Cresset. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cresset. Show all posts
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Week 2 - Return to Our Roots
Yes, this is the time of year we need to return to our Roots. The green leafy things are mostly done for, except for Napa, cabbage, collards and kale. Most root vegetables are biennials: they spend their first growing season storing away lots of energy, so that the second year they can pour it all into sending up a seed stalk and making lots of seeds.
Familiar and not-so-familiar root vegetables include carrots, onions, beets, turnips, rutabagas, radishes, and parsnips. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are tubers, rather than roots. Tubers are also storage organs, providing the plant a head start next spring.
Garlic is special: the bulb is also a storage organ, but it wants to be planted in the fall and harvested in mid-summer. Well-stored garlic can last at least six months, and I have stored my garlic from one harvest to the next.
In temperate climates such as ours, root vegetables filled people's plates from November through March, when the fresh wild greens start to come in. And all of the marvelous roots and tubers I mentioned grow very well in our area. Roots on the winter table not only support local eating, they are key to seasonal eating, nutritious and warming for the cold weather.
Cresset vegetable share members have parsnips in their share this week, as well as carrots, and turnips last week. With that you can make the all-time favorite dish: Roasted Root Vegetables.
Almost everybody likes these.
Roasted Root Vegetables
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 pound carrots, peeled
1 pound parsnips, peeled
1 pound turnips, peeled
salt to taste
Herbs to taste: rosemary, oregano, marjoram, thyme
Cut carrots and parsnips in half or quarters lengthwise, then into 2 inch lengths. Cut turnips into thick slices, then cut in quarters or eighths depending on size. You want the sizes of the vegetables to be about the same so they finish cooking together.
Put oil or butter into a baking dish, add vegetables and mix well. Sprinkle with herbs. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then stir again, moving the outer veggies to the center and vice versa. Bake another 15 minutes, or until nicely browned. Sprinkle with salt.
Feel free to vary the roots: rutabagas and beets also work well, as do potatoes. Fingerlings or new red potatoes will hold up to the baking process better than russets.
Parsnip and Carrot Puree
1 pound peeled and trimmed parsnips
1 pound peeled and trimmed carrots
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
butter
salt to taste
Cut parsnips and carrots into small pieces, and put into large saucepan. Pour milk over, bring to boil, simmer 20 minutes, until vegetables are very tender. Let cook a few minutes, then puree in blender. Return to saucepan, add 1 cup cream and salt to taste.
Decorate with a little butter, melted on top.
I had pureed parsnips and carrots in Ireland; they were wonderful.
I had to ask what the dish was; it looked like mashed sweet potato but tasted different.
You can pull the same trick with parsnips and potatoes; in this case use the russets or older red potatoes, since you WANT them to fall apart. Turnips and carrots make a somewhat spicier puree, but also good.
Turnip-Carrot Potage
1 medium russet potato, peeled and cut in 1" pieces
1 largish turnip, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
3 medium carrots (or 1 large) peeled and sliced into 1/2" rounds
1 small onion, diced
4 medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2 medium stalks celery, cut in 1/2" pieces
2 cups fresh parsley, spinach, or other tender green, chopped,
or you can use 1/4 cup dried parsley
salt to taste, up to 1 tablespoon.
butter or olive oil
Put all vegetables except greens into large saucepan, add 4 cups water and simmer 15 minutes. Add greens, cook another 10 minutes. Stir in the salt and let cool a little. Put it through a blender or a food mill. Sprinkle with pepper and/or celery seed, and stir in a little butter to each serving.
Dill weed can be used in place of some of the parsley, either fresh or dried, maybe 1/4 cup fresh dill weed or 1 tablespoon dried. You can experiment with other mild herbs such as tarragon and basil in smaller quantities.
Beet and Endive Salad
1/2 pound beets, cooked
3/4 pound endive or chicory (you can use escarole or sugarhat
lettuce) sliced thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Peel, chop and cook the beets by steaming or in boiling water.
Or you can use Ursula's lactofermented beets--UNCOOKED. In this case you probably won't need as much vinegar since they are naturally sour.
In your salad bowl, mix oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir in
the beets, whatever form you have, and the endive. Stir well
and serve.
You can also add chopped apple to this salad, or a little slivered red onion.
Familiar and not-so-familiar root vegetables include carrots, onions, beets, turnips, rutabagas, radishes, and parsnips. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are tubers, rather than roots. Tubers are also storage organs, providing the plant a head start next spring.
Garlic is special: the bulb is also a storage organ, but it wants to be planted in the fall and harvested in mid-summer. Well-stored garlic can last at least six months, and I have stored my garlic from one harvest to the next.
In temperate climates such as ours, root vegetables filled people's plates from November through March, when the fresh wild greens start to come in. And all of the marvelous roots and tubers I mentioned grow very well in our area. Roots on the winter table not only support local eating, they are key to seasonal eating, nutritious and warming for the cold weather.
Cresset vegetable share members have parsnips in their share this week, as well as carrots, and turnips last week. With that you can make the all-time favorite dish: Roasted Root Vegetables.
Almost everybody likes these.
Roasted Root Vegetables
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 pound carrots, peeled
1 pound parsnips, peeled
1 pound turnips, peeled
salt to taste
Herbs to taste: rosemary, oregano, marjoram, thyme
Cut carrots and parsnips in half or quarters lengthwise, then into 2 inch lengths. Cut turnips into thick slices, then cut in quarters or eighths depending on size. You want the sizes of the vegetables to be about the same so they finish cooking together.
Put oil or butter into a baking dish, add vegetables and mix well. Sprinkle with herbs. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then stir again, moving the outer veggies to the center and vice versa. Bake another 15 minutes, or until nicely browned. Sprinkle with salt.
Feel free to vary the roots: rutabagas and beets also work well, as do potatoes. Fingerlings or new red potatoes will hold up to the baking process better than russets.
Parsnip and Carrot Puree
1 pound peeled and trimmed parsnips
1 pound peeled and trimmed carrots
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
butter
salt to taste
Cut parsnips and carrots into small pieces, and put into large saucepan. Pour milk over, bring to boil, simmer 20 minutes, until vegetables are very tender. Let cook a few minutes, then puree in blender. Return to saucepan, add 1 cup cream and salt to taste.
Decorate with a little butter, melted on top.
I had pureed parsnips and carrots in Ireland; they were wonderful.
I had to ask what the dish was; it looked like mashed sweet potato but tasted different.
You can pull the same trick with parsnips and potatoes; in this case use the russets or older red potatoes, since you WANT them to fall apart. Turnips and carrots make a somewhat spicier puree, but also good.
Turnip-Carrot Potage
1 medium russet potato, peeled and cut in 1" pieces
1 largish turnip, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
3 medium carrots (or 1 large) peeled and sliced into 1/2" rounds
1 small onion, diced
4 medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2 medium stalks celery, cut in 1/2" pieces
2 cups fresh parsley, spinach, or other tender green, chopped,
or you can use 1/4 cup dried parsley
salt to taste, up to 1 tablespoon.
butter or olive oil
Put all vegetables except greens into large saucepan, add 4 cups water and simmer 15 minutes. Add greens, cook another 10 minutes. Stir in the salt and let cool a little. Put it through a blender or a food mill. Sprinkle with pepper and/or celery seed, and stir in a little butter to each serving.
Dill weed can be used in place of some of the parsley, either fresh or dried, maybe 1/4 cup fresh dill weed or 1 tablespoon dried. You can experiment with other mild herbs such as tarragon and basil in smaller quantities.
Beet and Endive Salad
1/2 pound beets, cooked
3/4 pound endive or chicory (you can use escarole or sugarhat
lettuce) sliced thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Peel, chop and cook the beets by steaming or in boiling water.
Or you can use Ursula's lactofermented beets--UNCOOKED. In this case you probably won't need as much vinegar since they are naturally sour.
In your salad bowl, mix oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir in
the beets, whatever form you have, and the endive. Stir well
and serve.
You can also add chopped apple to this salad, or a little slivered red onion.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Week 1 - Oh my gosh! All that Squash
Cresset Winter share members just got their entire season's supply of winter squash and pumpkins in one gunny sack. This is because squash and pumpkin need to be stored at warmer temperatures, 55-65 degrees F., and the farm does not have facilities, but all of us do. So you can use your squash and pumpkin as home decor, just don't forget to eat them too!
Keep them in a basket, on a rack, or somewhere else that they can get air, and look them over once in a while. It would be good to use or preserve them by the middle of January, if you can. See my post on Pumpkins for some ideas on using those beautiful fruits.
Delicata Squash
These are small cream-colored squash with green or orange lines. Their shell is hard when uncooked, but becomes tender enough to eat when roasted. The seeds of Delicata are a real treat: small and tender when roasted.
Cut the squash in two lengthwise, scraping out the seeds. The seeds of Delicata are a real treat, so don't miss this opportunity. Take off the strings, put the unwashed seeds into a pie tin with a little butter and salt, and bake with the squash, stirring occasionally. Take them out when they are a nice rich brown but not burnt.
Bake the squash cut-side down on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes, until tender. You can serve them as is, with a dollop of butter. Or, after baking 30 minutes, turn them right-side up, and stuff them. Then return to the oven for
another 25-30 minutes to get the stuffing nicely cooked through.
My favorite Delicata stuffing, adapted from "Moosewood":
Saute 1/2 lb chopped mushrooms and 1/2 cup chopped onion with 1 clove crushed garlic in butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1 cup cottage cheese, 3/4 cup bread crumbs or cooked rice, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, and other dried herbs to taste. Pile into partially-cooked shells and bake 25-30 minutes. The skins are so tender by now that you can eat them along with the filling.
You could modify this by using grated cheese rather than cottage cheese, using quinoa instead of rice, or using spices such as cumin, coriander and chile powder instead of the parsley. You could add sunflower seeds or toasted chopped nuts. There are just any number of ways to vary this recipe.
Black Forest Squash
These are the dark green, somewhat conical fruits. The seeds of this variety have very heavy shells, and are not so good for roasting. Ursula asks Cresset members to save the seeds from their Black Forest squash, to plant next year.
You can bake and stuff this squash similarly to Delicata though the skins will not be fork-tender. Or you can bake it and scoop out the filling to use like pumpkin, or mixed with pumpkin. The flesh is denser than pumpkin flesh. To use in your pumpkin recipes, you might need to stir in a little water. To bake: cut in half, scoop out seeds and strings, put on cookie sheet cut side down and bake until tender.
You can also cut the squash into strips and peel it. Be careful with the knife since the skins are very hard. The peeled chunks can be added to soups and will cook to tenderness in 10-15 minutes depending on the size you cut.
Gypsy Soup (adapted from "Moosewood"; I love that book)
2 cups chopped peeled winter squash
2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped bell peppers
1 cup chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (canned is fine)
2 teaspoons paprika or mild chile powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon salt
dash cinnamon
1 bay leaf
tamari
olive oil
Saute onion, garlic, celery and squash in several tablespoons of olive oil until onions soften. Add seasonings except tamari, and 3 cups water. Simmer 15 minutes, covered. Add peppers, tomatoes and chickpeas. Simmer another 10 minutes or so. Season with tamari to taste.
You can use sweet potato or pumpkin instead of the squash. You can use peas or beans instead of the bell peppers. You can add some diced carrot if you wish. You could use diced celery root instead of the celery, or just omit it. You could add one link of spicy of Italian sausage, cut into chunks, at the beginning of the simmering period. You can omit the tamari, checking the soup for salt before serving. This is a dish that is eminently localizable (once we find the garbanzos).
Preserving the Squash
The squash should keep at cool room temperature for a couple of months, allowing you to cook them up as needed. Or you can preserve them for next year.
You can bake your pumpkins and/or Black Forest squash until tender, run the flesh through a food mill or a blender, and pack the puree into hot canning jars, just like canning applesauce. Process in pressure canner or boiling water bath (check directions of your canner). Or you can freeze the puree, for your own pumpkin pies next year.
If you have a fruit dryer, you can peel the pumpkin or squash and cut into thin slices, then dry until leathery, not quite crisp but certainly not damp. Put into glass jars or ziplock bags. These will keep a long while and can be put into soups, or rehydrated and cooked to a puree for use in pumpkin bread. Some people like to snack on them as is, sweet and tasty.
I have not even mentioned pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin cookies, etc. etc. You can use your own cooked pureed winter squash or pumpkin in any of these dishes.
Keep them in a basket, on a rack, or somewhere else that they can get air, and look them over once in a while. It would be good to use or preserve them by the middle of January, if you can. See my post on Pumpkins for some ideas on using those beautiful fruits.
Delicata Squash
These are small cream-colored squash with green or orange lines. Their shell is hard when uncooked, but becomes tender enough to eat when roasted. The seeds of Delicata are a real treat: small and tender when roasted.
Cut the squash in two lengthwise, scraping out the seeds. The seeds of Delicata are a real treat, so don't miss this opportunity. Take off the strings, put the unwashed seeds into a pie tin with a little butter and salt, and bake with the squash, stirring occasionally. Take them out when they are a nice rich brown but not burnt.
Bake the squash cut-side down on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes, until tender. You can serve them as is, with a dollop of butter. Or, after baking 30 minutes, turn them right-side up, and stuff them. Then return to the oven for
another 25-30 minutes to get the stuffing nicely cooked through.
My favorite Delicata stuffing, adapted from "Moosewood":
Saute 1/2 lb chopped mushrooms and 1/2 cup chopped onion with 1 clove crushed garlic in butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1 cup cottage cheese, 3/4 cup bread crumbs or cooked rice, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, and other dried herbs to taste. Pile into partially-cooked shells and bake 25-30 minutes. The skins are so tender by now that you can eat them along with the filling.
You could modify this by using grated cheese rather than cottage cheese, using quinoa instead of rice, or using spices such as cumin, coriander and chile powder instead of the parsley. You could add sunflower seeds or toasted chopped nuts. There are just any number of ways to vary this recipe.
Black Forest Squash
These are the dark green, somewhat conical fruits. The seeds of this variety have very heavy shells, and are not so good for roasting. Ursula asks Cresset members to save the seeds from their Black Forest squash, to plant next year.
You can bake and stuff this squash similarly to Delicata though the skins will not be fork-tender. Or you can bake it and scoop out the filling to use like pumpkin, or mixed with pumpkin. The flesh is denser than pumpkin flesh. To use in your pumpkin recipes, you might need to stir in a little water. To bake: cut in half, scoop out seeds and strings, put on cookie sheet cut side down and bake until tender.
You can also cut the squash into strips and peel it. Be careful with the knife since the skins are very hard. The peeled chunks can be added to soups and will cook to tenderness in 10-15 minutes depending on the size you cut.
Gypsy Soup (adapted from "Moosewood"; I love that book)
2 cups chopped peeled winter squash
2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped bell peppers
1 cup chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (canned is fine)
2 teaspoons paprika or mild chile powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon salt
dash cinnamon
1 bay leaf
tamari
olive oil
Saute onion, garlic, celery and squash in several tablespoons of olive oil until onions soften. Add seasonings except tamari, and 3 cups water. Simmer 15 minutes, covered. Add peppers, tomatoes and chickpeas. Simmer another 10 minutes or so. Season with tamari to taste.
You can use sweet potato or pumpkin instead of the squash. You can use peas or beans instead of the bell peppers. You can add some diced carrot if you wish. You could use diced celery root instead of the celery, or just omit it. You could add one link of spicy of Italian sausage, cut into chunks, at the beginning of the simmering period. You can omit the tamari, checking the soup for salt before serving. This is a dish that is eminently localizable (once we find the garbanzos).
Preserving the Squash
The squash should keep at cool room temperature for a couple of months, allowing you to cook them up as needed. Or you can preserve them for next year.
You can bake your pumpkins and/or Black Forest squash until tender, run the flesh through a food mill or a blender, and pack the puree into hot canning jars, just like canning applesauce. Process in pressure canner or boiling water bath (check directions of your canner). Or you can freeze the puree, for your own pumpkin pies next year.
If you have a fruit dryer, you can peel the pumpkin or squash and cut into thin slices, then dry until leathery, not quite crisp but certainly not damp. Put into glass jars or ziplock bags. These will keep a long while and can be put into soups, or rehydrated and cooked to a puree for use in pumpkin bread. Some people like to snack on them as is, sweet and tasty.
I have not even mentioned pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin cookies, etc. etc. You can use your own cooked pureed winter squash or pumpkin in any of these dishes.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Week 18 - A Pumpkin of Your Own
Cresset CSA shareholders now have a couple of beautiful pumpkins from their share, with more to come for winter shareholders. Pumpkins are more than just home decor! You can actually eat them, and they are delicious! (This presupposes that you have not made jack-o-lanterns out of all your pumpkins. The soot from the candle is not very tasty.)
Pumpkins keep for a month or more at cool room temperatures. Racks are better than boxes, so they get a little air circulation around them.
How to prepare your pumpkin
You have decided to transform a beautiful orange item of home decor to food. Cut your pumpkin in half at the equator. Clean out the seeds and strings. STOP! Don't throw the seeds away. Separate the strings from the seeds, and put the unwashed seeds into a pie pan, with a little butter and salt. Now, throw the strings away (better: compost them).
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Put the pumpkin halves, cut side down, on a rimmed cookie sheet or large baking dish, with a little water. Bake until you can run a fork through the skin and the skin and flesh are tender (30-45 minutes for most pumpkins). Put the seeds in the oven at the same time.
The seeds are done when they are brownish and crispy. Yum.
No need to remove the hulls; they are crunchy and tasty too.
Take the pumpkin out of the oven. Scoop the tender flesh away from the skin. At this point you can run the flesh through a food mill, blender, or sieve to remove remaining strings or fibers.
You can freeze the pulp, or process it in canning jars like applesauce, or just fix yourself a fresh pie or some soup.
Note: Most winter squash can be baked in a similar way. You can roast the seeds of the squash which have smaller seeds; some winter squash have big heavy seeds. You can mix winter squash pulp with pumpkin pulp for pies or soups. The canned pumpkin that you would buy is mostly winter squash, which is why it is so thick.
Here is a link to other wonderful pumpkin recipes:
Simply Recipes - Pumpkin Seeds
Fresh Pumpkin Pie
for a 9-inch pie:
2 cups fresh pumpkin
2/3 cup honey
3 to 4 teaspoons your favorite pumpkin pie spices:
-cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamon, cloves (take it easy
on the cloves)
1 cup milk
four beaten eggs
1/2 tsp salt
an unbaked pie crust
Mix the pumpkin with the honey, spices, and salt. Then mix in the milk and eggs. Pour into crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then at 350 degrees until done, about 50 minutes.
To make a 10-inch pie, make 1 1/2 recipe (e.g. 3 cups pumpkin, etc.)
You can make pumpkin custard the same, without the crust. Use a glass pie pan or shallow round baking dish, and put it in a hot water bath (a larger pan with about an inch of water in it).
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Pumpkin Nut Waffles
2 cups flour (your choice; white, whole wheat, rice, etc.)
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat the three egg yolks, mix in the milk, melted butter and pumpkin. Beat the three egg whites stiff, fold into batter. Pour onto waffle iron, sprinkling each with 2 tablespoons chopped nuts. Cook till done (by your waffle iron instructions).
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Pumpkin Rarebit Soup (adapted from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest)
4 cups cooked pumpkin
1 cup stock or water
1 1/2 cups beer or ale
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 tsp salt
3 medium garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp soy sauce
black pepper to taste
cayenne or chili powder to taste
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Mix the pumpkin with the stock, heat with the beer in a large saucepan. Let it simmer. In a small skillet, melt the butter and saute the onions and garlic, then add to the soup. Add remaining seasonings to taste, then the cheese. Simmer partially covered
20-30 minutes.
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Finally, a recipe that does NOT require baking and pureeing the pumpkin. Choose a nice small shapely pumpkin for this dish.
Mexican Stuffed Pumpkin
One nice small pumpkin
2 lbs lean ground beef
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces ground ham (optional)
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
dash cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3/4 cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped pimento-stuffed olives
1 cup tomato sauce (homemade or commercial) or 1 1/2 cups
chopped tomatoes
3 eggs, beaten
Brown the beef in the oil, with the ham, onions, and green pepper. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer 15 minutes. Stir in three beaten eggs. Fill the pumpkin, pressing down, then top with lid. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Let rest 15 minutes before serving. To serve, scoop out some filling and some of the flesh of the pumpkin.
Pumpkins keep for a month or more at cool room temperatures. Racks are better than boxes, so they get a little air circulation around them.
How to prepare your pumpkin
You have decided to transform a beautiful orange item of home decor to food. Cut your pumpkin in half at the equator. Clean out the seeds and strings. STOP! Don't throw the seeds away. Separate the strings from the seeds, and put the unwashed seeds into a pie pan, with a little butter and salt. Now, throw the strings away (better: compost them).
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Put the pumpkin halves, cut side down, on a rimmed cookie sheet or large baking dish, with a little water. Bake until you can run a fork through the skin and the skin and flesh are tender (30-45 minutes for most pumpkins). Put the seeds in the oven at the same time.
The seeds are done when they are brownish and crispy. Yum.
No need to remove the hulls; they are crunchy and tasty too.
Take the pumpkin out of the oven. Scoop the tender flesh away from the skin. At this point you can run the flesh through a food mill, blender, or sieve to remove remaining strings or fibers.
You can freeze the pulp, or process it in canning jars like applesauce, or just fix yourself a fresh pie or some soup.
Note: Most winter squash can be baked in a similar way. You can roast the seeds of the squash which have smaller seeds; some winter squash have big heavy seeds. You can mix winter squash pulp with pumpkin pulp for pies or soups. The canned pumpkin that you would buy is mostly winter squash, which is why it is so thick.
Here is a link to other wonderful pumpkin recipes:
Simply Recipes - Pumpkin Seeds
Fresh Pumpkin Pie
for a 9-inch pie:
2 cups fresh pumpkin
2/3 cup honey
3 to 4 teaspoons your favorite pumpkin pie spices:
-cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamon, cloves (take it easy
on the cloves)
1 cup milk
four beaten eggs
1/2 tsp salt
an unbaked pie crust
Mix the pumpkin with the honey, spices, and salt. Then mix in the milk and eggs. Pour into crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then at 350 degrees until done, about 50 minutes.
To make a 10-inch pie, make 1 1/2 recipe (e.g. 3 cups pumpkin, etc.)
You can make pumpkin custard the same, without the crust. Use a glass pie pan or shallow round baking dish, and put it in a hot water bath (a larger pan with about an inch of water in it).
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Pumpkin Nut Waffles
2 cups flour (your choice; white, whole wheat, rice, etc.)
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat the three egg yolks, mix in the milk, melted butter and pumpkin. Beat the three egg whites stiff, fold into batter. Pour onto waffle iron, sprinkling each with 2 tablespoons chopped nuts. Cook till done (by your waffle iron instructions).
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Pumpkin Rarebit Soup (adapted from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest)
4 cups cooked pumpkin
1 cup stock or water
1 1/2 cups beer or ale
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 tsp salt
3 medium garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp soy sauce
black pepper to taste
cayenne or chili powder to taste
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Mix the pumpkin with the stock, heat with the beer in a large saucepan. Let it simmer. In a small skillet, melt the butter and saute the onions and garlic, then add to the soup. Add remaining seasonings to taste, then the cheese. Simmer partially covered
20-30 minutes.
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Finally, a recipe that does NOT require baking and pureeing the pumpkin. Choose a nice small shapely pumpkin for this dish.
Mexican Stuffed Pumpkin
One nice small pumpkin
2 lbs lean ground beef
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces ground ham (optional)
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
dash cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3/4 cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped pimento-stuffed olives
1 cup tomato sauce (homemade or commercial) or 1 1/2 cups
chopped tomatoes
3 eggs, beaten
Brown the beef in the oil, with the ham, onions, and green pepper. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer 15 minutes. Stir in three beaten eggs. Fill the pumpkin, pressing down, then top with lid. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Let rest 15 minutes before serving. To serve, scoop out some filling and some of the flesh of the pumpkin.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Week 17 - Shades of Green - Kale and Escarole
This is Week 17 for the Cresset Community Farm Summer 2007 vegetable share. You have Kale and Escarole in your share this week. They are sturdy fall and winter greens, not as well known as lettuce and spinach, but nutritional powerhouses in terms of vitamins and minerals.
Kale comes in a variety of forms, which include Lacinato, otherwise known as dinosaur kale (because it looks positively prehistoric); Red Russian which has a red cast to the green, with more delicate leaves and flavor; Curly, with tightly curled fringed leaves. There are others, too.
My favorite Kale recipe is Caldo Verde, a Portuguese traditional soup. The long slow cooking brings about a marvelous flavor that will surprise you.
Caldo Verde
1/2 lb kale (any type), washed and chopped; you can use
mustard greens for part of this amount
1 pound potatoes, chopped
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
6 cups water
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 link spicy sausage (optional), cut up
1 cup cooked small white beans (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil to taste
Put the water in a kettle, add the kale, potatoes, onion and garlic, the beans and/or sausage. Bring to a simmer and cook covered for 2 hours, until kale is really tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add one or more tablespoons olive oil if you like.
*************************************
Escarole looks something like lettuce, with a flatter open head and heavier leaves. You can use it like lettuce, in raw salads, by cutting it finer. It has a mild, slightly bitter flavor that is perfect in salads. It is also great in cooked dishes, where you might use spinach although cooked escarole has more of a warm and sweet flavor than spinach. You can also stir-fry it plain in
a little olive oil, seasoning with salt and a few drops of
vinegar.
Escarole Frittata
1/2 head of escarole, cut into medium pieces and washed well
1/2 onion, cut small
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 eggs
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup grated mild cheese such as havarti or fontina
Heat a little olive oil in a medium-sized skillet, add the onion and cook until it starts to soften, then add the garlic and escarole. Reduce heat to saute gently and stir until greens are fairly tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Beat the eggs in a bowl, then stir in cheese and the cooked vegetables. Wipe out the pan, add a little more olive oil, and
pour the egg mixture into the pan, cooking at medium heat until
eggs are nearly set. At this point you can run it under the
broiler for a few minutes to cook the top, or carefully flip it
over, or leave it covered at low heat for a few minutes.
For a thicker frittata, double the ingredients and use a little larger pan. Be sure to cook the top under the broiler or by
flipping. A frittata should be cooked all the way through,
though still tender.
*************************************************
Tatsoi - what is that vegetable with the small dark green roundish leaves and long stems, and what can I do with it? Tatsoi is an Asian vegetable that can be used either raw or cooked. You can chop it in with mixed salad greens. Or it can be part of a stir-fry with other vegetables and meats. Or you can stir-fry it by itself.
Stir-fried Tatsoi
Two bunches of tatsoi, washed and chopped
2 cloves peeled and sliced garlic
a little oil for frying (I like extra-virgin olive)
soy sauce
Heat oil in a skillet, add garlic, brown lightly. Then add tatsoi, stirring for a few minutes until stems are tender. It won't take long. Sprinkle on a little soy sauce to taste, and you are done. Nice side dish, packed with vitamins.
Tatsoi Pilaf
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup basmati or jasmine rice (uncooked)
1 medium to large bunch tatsoi, washed, trimmed, and chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon Thai-type chili paste, or 2-4 tablespoons your
favorite salsa
salt to taste
Melt butter in skillet, add rice and onion and stir until the rice starts to take on a golden or tan color. Then add the tatsoi, salt, and chili paste or salsa. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Bok choy could also be used.
Kale comes in a variety of forms, which include Lacinato, otherwise known as dinosaur kale (because it looks positively prehistoric); Red Russian which has a red cast to the green, with more delicate leaves and flavor; Curly, with tightly curled fringed leaves. There are others, too.
My favorite Kale recipe is Caldo Verde, a Portuguese traditional soup. The long slow cooking brings about a marvelous flavor that will surprise you.
Caldo Verde
1/2 lb kale (any type), washed and chopped; you can use
mustard greens for part of this amount
1 pound potatoes, chopped
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
6 cups water
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 link spicy sausage (optional), cut up
1 cup cooked small white beans (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil to taste
Put the water in a kettle, add the kale, potatoes, onion and garlic, the beans and/or sausage. Bring to a simmer and cook covered for 2 hours, until kale is really tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add one or more tablespoons olive oil if you like.
*************************************
Escarole looks something like lettuce, with a flatter open head and heavier leaves. You can use it like lettuce, in raw salads, by cutting it finer. It has a mild, slightly bitter flavor that is perfect in salads. It is also great in cooked dishes, where you might use spinach although cooked escarole has more of a warm and sweet flavor than spinach. You can also stir-fry it plain in
a little olive oil, seasoning with salt and a few drops of
vinegar.
Escarole Frittata
1/2 head of escarole, cut into medium pieces and washed well
1/2 onion, cut small
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 eggs
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup grated mild cheese such as havarti or fontina
Heat a little olive oil in a medium-sized skillet, add the onion and cook until it starts to soften, then add the garlic and escarole. Reduce heat to saute gently and stir until greens are fairly tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Beat the eggs in a bowl, then stir in cheese and the cooked vegetables. Wipe out the pan, add a little more olive oil, and
pour the egg mixture into the pan, cooking at medium heat until
eggs are nearly set. At this point you can run it under the
broiler for a few minutes to cook the top, or carefully flip it
over, or leave it covered at low heat for a few minutes.
For a thicker frittata, double the ingredients and use a little larger pan. Be sure to cook the top under the broiler or by
flipping. A frittata should be cooked all the way through,
though still tender.
*************************************************
Tatsoi - what is that vegetable with the small dark green roundish leaves and long stems, and what can I do with it? Tatsoi is an Asian vegetable that can be used either raw or cooked. You can chop it in with mixed salad greens. Or it can be part of a stir-fry with other vegetables and meats. Or you can stir-fry it by itself.
Stir-fried Tatsoi
Two bunches of tatsoi, washed and chopped
2 cloves peeled and sliced garlic
a little oil for frying (I like extra-virgin olive)
soy sauce
Heat oil in a skillet, add garlic, brown lightly. Then add tatsoi, stirring for a few minutes until stems are tender. It won't take long. Sprinkle on a little soy sauce to taste, and you are done. Nice side dish, packed with vitamins.
Tatsoi Pilaf
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup basmati or jasmine rice (uncooked)
1 medium to large bunch tatsoi, washed, trimmed, and chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon Thai-type chili paste, or 2-4 tablespoons your
favorite salsa
salt to taste
Melt butter in skillet, add rice and onion and stir until the rice starts to take on a golden or tan color. Then add the tatsoi, salt, and chili paste or salsa. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Bok choy could also be used.
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