What To Do With Ted's Delicious Cabbage?

Check out this great article on winter cabbage salad, by Mark Bittman at nytimes.com.

As mentioned in Ted's letter, there is always delicious Borscht! Especially if you're starting to accumulate a collection of beets, like myself. Here is a recipe from epicurious.com that is pretty close to the successful Borscht I have made myself. If you don't want to make the beef stock from ribs, you can simply cut about 2lb beef chuck into 1" cubes and brown the meat. Then add a combination of store bought beef stock and water ( about a 1-1 ration totaling 12 cups) and bring to a boil. Simmer the beef for about 1-1 1/2 hours (while beets roast) until tender, then proceed to the next step of the recipe.

Best Wishes in the Kitchen

Dear 2007 CSA members,

Can you believe the season is over?! It seems not long ago we all eagerly showed up at the garden to pick up the first share....

Before we all hibernate for winter, I thought I'd post a note for those of you that have cooked the recipes I collected for this season's Garlic Press. If you have learned how to use seemingly exotic veggies, found favorite dishes, discovered new flavors or cooking techniques or just had a good meal or two, then my efforts were worthwhile.

Some of the recipes are my own, many are from my favorite cookbooks and a few were new even to me. I have came across some real goodies in my searches and with thanks to members who have shared recipes with me. I love to cook and hope you have enjoyed these recipes as much as I have enjoyed sharing them with you.

I wish you all the best through the coming winter months. Stay warm and keep cooking!

Yours truly,
Heather

Beet and Chipotle Soup

Recipe by Katharine Kagel, Cooking with Cafe Pasqual’s

(serves 4 to 6)
2 pounds whole beets, stems trimmed to less than 1-inch
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup full-bodied red wine
6 cups water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 white onion, coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup sour cream, plus 1/4 cup for garnish
2 chipotle chiles in adobo (you’ll find these canned)
Fresh chives or other herb, chopped for garnish

Put the beets, stock and wine into a large soup pot and add the water. The liquid should cover the beets by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil and let simmer, covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Fork test the beets for tenderness before removing them from the pot. Remove the beets with a slotted spoon and reserve the cooking liquid in the soup pot. When the beets have cooled enough to handle, peel them and remove the stems and roots. Cut up 1/2 cup of 1/2-inch diced beets for garnish and set aside.

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, and when it is melted, add the onion and brow sugar. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the onions, coarsely shopped beets, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, 1/2 cup sour cream, and chiles in adobo to the beet liquid in the soup pot. Whirl everything in the container of a blender until smooth (in batches if needed). The soup can be served hot of cold; if cold, chill for at least 6 hours. Garnish with the reserved beets and 1 Tablespoon of sour cream, then garnish with chives.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Recipe from Gourmet, October 1995

I love risotto and this is one of the best recipes I have come across.

(serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side)
1 small butternut squash, pumpkin or kabocha, (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 large garlic clove, sliced thin
1 1/4 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger root
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup Arborio or long-grain rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
chopped fresh chives and Parmesan for garnish

Preheat oven to 450°F. Halve squash lengthwise and discard seeds. Peel one half and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Put diced squash and remaining half, cut side down, in an oiled baking pan and season with salt and pepper. Bake squash in middle of oven, stirring diced squash occasionally, until tender and browned lightly, 15 to 20 minutes. Holding halved squash in a kitchen towel, scoop out flesh.

In a saucepan bring broth and water to a simmer and keep at a bare simmer. In another saucepan cook onion, garlic, and ginger root in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Stir in rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed. Stir in 1/4 cup broth and cook, stirring constantly, and keeping at a simmer throughout, until absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until about half of broth has been added. Stir in all squash and continue simmering and adding broth in same manner until rice is tender and creamy-looking but still al dente, about 18 minutes in total. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon risotto into 2 shallow serving bowls and garnish with chives and Parmesan curls.

Veggie Burgers

You can make these with different fall veggies (just make sure you have roughly the total quantity called for), they are delicious, and they freeze well and can be warmed in the oven for a quick weeknight meal.

(makes 8 burgers)
4 each carrots and parsnips, grated (about 2 cups each, 4 total)
1 large sweet potato or small winter squash, grated (about 2 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2-6 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
sea salt
1 each handful parsley and ciantro, chopped
whole wheat english muffins, good cheese and Dijon mustard for serving

Combine all veggies in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. In batches, pulse in a food processor adding 1-2 tablespoons more oil only as needed to process until coarsely chopped and moist. (If it’s too wet, they’ll be mushy). Return mixture to large bowl. Mix in 1 egg, bread crumbs, seeds, chopped herbs, salt and pepper. Use your hands like you would with any burgers to mix until well combined. If the mixture is too moist, add more bread crumbs. If it’s not sticking, more oil. Form the mixture into balls, and place on a non-stick backing sheet. Press flat with the palm of your hand to form patties. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the patties are soft and golden brown. Serve them on english muffins with good cheese and Dijon. When cool, layer any uneaten burgers in a flat container with wax paper between them and freeze. To cook from frozen, place the burgers in a 375˚ oven until warmed through, about 20 minutes.

Mashed Potatoes and Celery Root

Recipe by Tyler Florence from Eat This Book

(serves 4)
1 1/2 pound celeriac bulbs, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
Chopped chives and extra virgin olive oil for garnish

Put the celery root and potatoes in a medium saucepan with cold water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon salt, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until very tender. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup liquid. Pass the vegetables through a ricer or food mill into a large bowl. Stir in the cream and butter until absorbed and the mixture is smooth. Add enough cooking liquid to make a soft puree. Season with salt, pepper, garnish with chives and a drizzle of olive oil.

Curried Squash & Mushroom Soup

This easy and delicious recipe was given to me years ago by my friend, Beth Sugarman. It has since become a fall favorite at my house, and just this past week I made it with some incredible oyster mushrooms from the Grand Army Plaza Green Market.

(serves 6)
2 medium acorn or 1 large butternut squash
(I used a mix of 4 small squashes from Ted and it was awesome )
2 ½ cups water or stock
1 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium clove crushed garlic
8 oz. any type of mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 ¼ tsp. salt
a few dashes cayenne
optional: fresh lemon juice
* Serve with plain yogurt &/or chopped almonds.

Cut squash in half and bake in a 375’ oven on a baking tray until soft and pierces easily with a fork. (This can be a day in advance, just refrigerate till ready to make soup.) Cool, discard seeds and scoop out the insides. Put in blender with water/stock and puree till smooth. Combine with orange juice in a large pot. Meanwhile, heat butter over medium heat and add garlic, onion, salt and spices in a skillet. Saute until the onion is very soft – add a little water if it sticks. Add mushrooms, cover and cook 10 minutes. Add the saute’ to the squash, scraping the skillet well to salvage all the good stuff. Heat everything together very gently. Taste to correct seasoning. Serve garnished with a dash of cayenne and a squeeze of lemon juice. You can serve immediately or simmer a while and the flavors will mature. Freezes well.