Year Two - Here We Go Again!

Hello!

Welcome back to the summer of vegetables and my attempt to blog about the delicious finds I will get each week from my Bay End Farm CSA.  Today was the first pick up and I was eager to get there. Because of the mild winter here in the Northeast at one point there was a chance the CSA was going to start a little earlier. And then we had a really dry spring and that chance went away.  Of course today it is pouring cats & dogs and after a couple weeks full of rain that drought seems like a distant memory. My own plantings are flourishing from all this rain and the early warm weather as well.

Back to my haul for the week, this is what the first week's bag contained:

Surrey Arugula
Plum Purple Radishes
Joi Choi
Yukina Savoy
Lettuce
Broccoli Rabe
Rhubarb
Young Garlic
Chives

I'm really excited for the different greens and once again trying to find different ways to prepare them. Of course the young garlic just seems to call out "saute them with me."  I'm also interested in trying to get better at preparing the broccoli rabe.  The hard part will be deciding what to do first.  I will tackle that dilemma in a few hours.  For now it's back to work! 

Beef Stew

I have never been a huge fan of beef stew but usually once a year I get a hankering for it.  Part of the reason is that I like my vegetables to not be mushy which is why I use small vegetables in almost whole pieces. This time I wanted to really develop good flavour so it wasn't just some beef broth with meat and veggies in it.  My inspiration came from the pantry vegetables I still have from the CSA (onions, potatoes, garlic).  I read quite a few recipes and came up with one of my own.  I have to say I was pretty pleased with the results and it was all because the broth was so delicious.  They key was working the stock all day so it was full of layers of flavour and marinating the meat again to build the flavour base.

Beef Stock
20 cups of water
10 beef boullion cubes
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Bunch of fresh parsley
1 T black peppercorns, crushed
2 T kosher salt
1 t fennel seeds, crushed
1 t ground sage
3 bay leaves
1 whole onion, cut into quarters
1 large carrot, cut into chunks
4 cloves of garlic, in skin and smashed
2 celery stalks, cut into quarters

Combine all the ingredients in large stock pot, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and let cook on stove uncovered for several hours. Stock should reduce by half.  Drain out vegetables & herbs and reserve stock to make stew. 

Marinated Beef
1 1/2 lb beef chuck, cut into 1" chunks
Salt & Pepper
3 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic, peeled & smashed
Good quality red wine

Make sure beef is cut into pieces all similar in size and seasoned with salt & pepper. Place in a glass bowl with bay leaves and garlic. Pour enough wine to just cover the meat  Put mixture in fridge and let it sit at least 4 hours or as much as overnight.  Remove bay leaves and garlic.  Scoop meat from wine with a slotted spoon and reserve both  meat and wine.

Beef Stew
Olive Oil
1 c of flour, seasoned with salt & pepper
Marinated Beef
1 1/2 lb boiling onions, peeled
1 lbs fingerling potatoes, cut in half
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed from stems
1 sprig of rosemary, leaved minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
Reserved wine from beef marinade
1 lb baby carrots
Beef Stock

Heat oil in a large dutch oven.  Dredge meat lightly in seasoned flour.  Shake excess flour off meat before placing in dutch oven.  Brown meat on all sides and if necessary do so in batches taking care not to crowd the pan.  Set browned meat aside.  Add more oil to the dutch oven if needed.  Put onion in dutch oven and cook 2-3 minutes and then add potatoes and garlic.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in thyme, rosemary and tomato paste.  Add red wine and make sure heat is on high.  Bring wine to a boil and ensure you are deg-lazing the bottom of the pan.  Add beef and carrots and then pour in beef stock.  Add just enough stock to cover the meat and vegetables.  This is a big mistake people make in adding too much stock so then it boils the meat and doesn't taste as good.  Once this mixture is simmering, turn the heat to low, cover and cook 1 hour until vegetables are cooked and meat is tender.  Serve with chopped parsley on top. 

BEEF STEW

Apple Crisp with Honey Cinnamon Ice Cream

I've done a couple of posts about pumpkins this fall so I thought today I'd turn my attention to the other abundant crop this time of year - apples.  However I don't have my own recipe to post tonight because when it comes to baking I tend to relay on others expertise.  I am a big fan of Ina Garten because she loves to cook classic dishes with a twist to elevate the flavours but doesn't make things too complicated.  I have been itching to make some type of cinnamon ice cream and of course what would go better with that then apple crisp. This past weekend afforded me the perfect opportunity as we were having a family get together. 

For the apple crisp check out Ina Garten's recipe here - I didn't change a thing but really appreciated the citrus zest and juice especially with it being both lemon and orange.  My crisp didn't crisp up in the 60 mins cooking time so I then turned on the broiler and cooked it for a few minutes more - beware I did not leave the oven during this time because a second too long and it could easily burn.

In my quest to find a cinnamon ice cream I thought it would be even better to find a one that used honey as the sweetener instead of sugar. I also didn't want to make what I'm discovering is a custard ice cream base and those use eggs.  So I wanted a more simple preparation.  I found the perfect recipe in terms of what I was looking for here and it turned out to be delicious. This is the reason I bought the ice cream maker - the chance to make flavours you don't find in the store when you have an inspiration. 

This was the epitome of a fall dessert - sweet apples with a crispy crunch and a creamy, warm ice cream melting over the top. Yummy!

APPLE CRISP & HONEY CINNAMON ICE CREAM

Ziti with Pumpkin and Sausage

Happy Halloween!!

I saw a recipe for Pumpkin and Sausage Penne recently and that was my inspiration for this dish which I thought was a perfect dinner for Halloween. Some carbs you can burn off while walking the neighborhood with good protein and spinach for vitamins.  Plus yummy pumpkin for a very festive feel!  Be sure to check out my post on making your own fresh pumpkin - so worth the effort. 

Ziti with Pumpkin and Sausage
1 lb ziti pasta, I used semolina but a whole wheat pasta would be great here
12 oz chicken apple sausage, cut into 1" pieces
Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Chicken Stock, about 1 1/2 cups
Pumpkin Beer, half a bottle
2 cups fresh pumpkin (or 1 can pure pumpkin)
Fresh Grated Nutmeg
Grated Cinnamon
Salt & Pepper
Fresh Spinach, 9 oz bag
Heavy Cream, one turn of pan

Cook pasta according to package directions to al dente and reserving 1 cup of starchy pasta water before draining - be sure to salt your water well so your pasta tastes good.  Meanwhile heat oil in large skillet and add sausage, cooking until brown.  Add onion and cook for few minutes then add garlic and cook until onion is softened being careful not to burn garlic.  Also season with salt at this step.  Add pumpkin, stock, beer, a good grating of nutmeg, a good punch of cinnamon and pepper.  I add quite a few turns of black pepper as I want to be sure to add the heat from the pepper to counteract the sweetness from the sausage and seasonings.  Bring this mixture to a simmer, reduce heat and cook until it starts to thicken.  If it gets to thick this is where you can add the pasta water to thin it out. 

Just before pasta is done add the spinach to the pumpkin mixture and stir until wilted.  Drain pasta and add to skillet and combine.  Taste to adjust seasoning and you may need to add a little more pasta water to help sauce cover all pasta.  Add cream just before serving and be sure to combine.  You can also use a little sour cream or creme fraiche here or just omit it. I don't want to make a cream sauce but think the small addition at the end helps round out the sauce. And of course be sure to taste and adjust seasonings before serving!

Vegetarian Option: You could easily substitute hearty mushrooms for the sausage here and use a vegetable stock to make a vegetarian dish.  It would be delicious!

ZITI WITH PUMPKIN & SAUSAGE

Chicken Tortilla Soup

One of my most favorites and most often made dinners is Chicken Tortilla Soup.  I make this many ways depending on how much time I have and what ingredients I have on hand. Sometimes I add black beans or corn and omit the chicken.  Sometimes I roast the chicken or use leftover or put raw sliced chicken into rapidly, boiling stock to cook it in the soup.  Tonight I took the time to make a really flavorful stock and roast the chicken it their own seasonings.


Jenabeth's Chicken Tortilla Soup
Olive Oil
Chicken Breasts, on the bone with skin
Salt
Ancho Chili Pepper Powder
Cumin


Roast chicken ahead of time.  Drizzle olive oil over chicken breasts and then season with salt, ancho chili pepper and cumin. Use your hands to rub seasonings into chicken.  Cook chicken on sheet tray in a 375° over for 30 minutes.  Let chicken cool.  Remove skin & bones and shred chicken. Set chicken aside while preparing soup.

Olive Oil
Onion, chopped

Jalapeno Pepper, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
Red Bell Pepper, chopped
Salt

2 T Cumin
1 T Ancho Chili Pepper Powder
2 t Mexican Oregano
4 T Tomato Paste
1/4 cup Silver Tequila
Chicken Stock

Couple tablespoons of honey

Make soup base.  In large dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, season, and cook until softened.  Add jalapeno and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes.  Add bell pepper and cook until starts to soften.  Add cumin, ancho chili pepper, oregano and tomato paste.  Cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add tequila and cook for a few minutes.  Add chicken stock and taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary.  If heat is too much add a few squeezes of honey.  Bring stock to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add shredded chicken and cook for 10 more minutes. 

Serve the soup with your favorite toppings.  I top with crushed tortilla chips, slices of avocado, squeeze of fresh lime juice, sprinkle of diced red onion and lots of fresh cilantro!

CHICKEN & TORTILLA SOUP

Fresh Pumpkin

The week before last we got a small pumpkin from the CSA and it's been sitting on my counter as decoration. But I LOVE everything pumpkin - pumpkin bread, pumpkin beer, pumpkin pie, pumpkin coffee - so I really wanted to use the fresh pumpkin to bake something.  Making fresh pumpkin isn't that hard and is so worth the effort.

Baked Fresh Pumpkin
Preheat the oven to 350 Cut the pumpkin in half and clean out the seeds. Cover a sheet tray with tin foil. Place the sides cut side down on the sheet. Cook for around an hour or until the pumpkin is soft. Cool. Scoop the pumpkin from the ski and put into a food processor until the mixture is smooth.  Use just like canned fresh pumpkin in all your recipes.  It can be frozen and saved for up to 6 weeks to use later.

I used my first fresh pumpkin of the season to make a Pumpkin Bread Pudding.  Click here for the recipe I used.  I tried it with dried cranberries which I love but I did not like in this recipe. I made it a second time with pecans and it was so delicious. 

I'm going pumpkin picking this weekend and will be picking up several sugar pumpkins to make lots of fresh pumpkin.  My Mom is responsible for the pies at Thanksgiving so I'll give her the fresh pumpkin. But I suspect I'll be making another batch of bread pudding before the fall is over!

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING

Soups On! Big Time!!

Wow this blog things turned out to be harder than I expected - at least doing it with any consistency. It seems it's like most things in my life I either do it 150% or not at all - there isn't much middle ground in how I do things.  Today was the last CSA pick up of the season. I can't believe 20 weeks has gone by!  One of the things I love about this time of year is having a big pot of soup on the stove.  In the last few weeks I've made Linguica and Kale Soup two times.  It seems I like kale more than I realized which I guess one of the points joining a CSA - trying things I may not normally have tried.  Living close to New Bedford and Fall River there is a large Portuguese population and we can get great linguica and chorizio in our grocery stores.  I've been really enjoying this soup - you need to try it as it's a great one pot meal with lots of flavour and with beans & kale very good for you. 

Tonight in putting away the last CSA pick up my mind was already thinking of the many soups I could make in the coming week. Instead I decided to do a marathon cooking session and freeze some of the soups.  This will be great as the hectic holiday season approaches and I can have homemade soup for dinner on the nights I don't feel like cooking.  You can see the three soups I made below - Charred Eggplant & Tomato, Leek & Potato and Roasted Butternut Squash.  I did puree all the soups but I love serving them with a big piece of crusty bread. 

Linguica and Kale Soup
Olive Oil
1 lb linguica, cut into half circles
1 onion, chopped
Handful of baby carrots, cut into thirds
3 potatoes, diced
1 cup Pumpkin beer
1 can white beans, rinsed
Chicken Stock
1 lb kale, stems removed and cut into bite size pieces
3 sprigs of fresh thyme, tied in kitchen twine
Salt & Pepper
In a large dutch oven, cover bottom with olive oil over medium high heat.  Add linguica and cook for 3-5 minutes.  Add onion and cook until onions start to soften before adding carrots & potatoes.  Cook for 5-7 minutes until veggies start to cook.  Use beer to deglaze pan and cook for a few minutes. Add beans to pot and enough stock to cover all vegetables.  Drop in kale and thyme. Stir, season and bring to boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. This is one of those great soups that is better the next day!.  Serve soup with a grating of Parmesan Cheese over top. 

Charred Eggplant and Tomato Soup
3 small eggplants, chopped
8 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Chicken Stock
Handful of basil leaves, rough chopped

Place eggplants, tomatoes and onion on large sheet tray in single layer.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper.  Toss vegetables to coat well.  Place in 425°oven and cook until vegetables start to brown around the edges (about 30 mins).  Pour about a cup of stock into blender then add vegetables & basil and blend well. Add more stock if necessary until desired consistency.   Put soup on pot and warm on stove top until heated through.  Serve immediately with homemade croutons.

Note: You can roast the eggplant and onion and add canned tomatoes after in the stock pot if you don't have fresh tomatoes on hand.

Potato Leek Soup
Olive Oil
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

4 leeks, sliced into half circles & cleaned
4 baby red potatoes, diced
2 Yukon gold potatoes, diced

3 sprigs of fresh thyme, tied in kitchen twine
Chicken Stock

Handful of fresh parsley, rough chopped
Salt & Pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot.  Add leeks, season, and cook until softened, add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.  Add potatoes, season, and cook for 5 minutes.  Add enough stock to cover potatoes and  add parsley & season.  Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes until potatoes are completely softened.  Pour entire mixture into a blender (removing thyme bundle first), by batches if necessary, and puree soup until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Note: Be sure to check the seasoning all along in this soup. Potatoes soak up salt so you want to be sure there is good seasoning or the soup will be very bland.  I also do not peel the potatoes but be sure to use baby potatoes with softer peel so it purees well.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
1 large butternut squash, peeled & diced
Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper
1 Onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced
4 large carrots, peeled & diced

Chicken Stock
3 sprigs of fresh thyme, tied in kitchen twine
Bay leaf

Place butternut squash on sheet pan in single layer.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper.  Place in 425°oven and cook until squash is softened and starting to brown around the edges.  Just before squash is done heat dutch oven over medium high heat on stop top and drizzle olive oil in bottom.  Add onions, season and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes being careful not to burn garlic.  Add carrots and cook for 5 minutes.  When squash is cooked add to pot, cover with chicken stock. Season stock with salt & pepper and add thyme & bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes for flavours to blend.  Remove bay leaf and thyme. Pour entire mixture into a blender, by batches if necessary, and puree soup until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired. 
Note: You can certainly by pass roasting the squash and add it to the soup pot when you add the carrots.  You will need to simmer it for a bit longer though to ensure squash is completely softened. 

LINGUICA AND KALE SOUP