Pumpkin recipes

Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate Chips

(These cookies are "cakey")

1 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin puree

1/2 cup butter (1 stick) melted

1 cup Agave

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1/2 cup quick or whole rolled oats

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 /2 tsp cloves

1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325 F

2. In food processor, blend first set of ingredients (pumpkin, agave, butter, vanilla)

3. Beat eggs in bowl. Add pumpkin blend.

4. Combine dry ingredients. Add to pumpkin/egg mixture and mix until well combined.

5. Add chocolate chips. Add additional oats if too moist or if desired.

6. Scoop onto cookie sheets and bake approximately 17-20 minutes. (or press them a bit flatter and bake for 12 - 15 minutes).

Pumpkin Bread / Muffins

3 eggs

1 cup Agave or (2 1/4 cups sugar)

1 cup oil

1 Tbs vanilla

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 tsp cinnamon

2 cups mashed pumpkin

1. Preheat oven to 350 F

2. Beat eggs with agave (or sugar)

3. Slowly add oil, then vanilla.

4. Combine dry ingredients.

5. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture. Add mashed pumpkin.

6. Spread into loaf pans or muffin tins.

7. Bake for 55 minutes in loaf pans or approximately 25 minutes in muffin tins.

Early September

I haven't posted in an eternity (can't believe I actually thought I would be able to keep it up!).

Anyway, perhaps during the winter I can go back and post stuff I made, but here's what I made this week.

Ratatouille (my secret ingredient - pesto!)

Leek and goat cheese tart in an olive oil press-in crust

Pesto and fresh pasta

Not-from-a-can-and-box ranchero beans and spanish rice (for burritos)

Chicken salad wraps (with chicken, avocado, red onion, romaine lettuce with a dijon-lemon vinagrette)

Swiss Chard Almond Croustade

Hamburgers

Crispy Bok Choy Slaw

Sauteed Tatsoi with garlic scapes (yup, still have some!)

Dilly potato salad

Veggie dip with fresh herbs

Still plan to make: eggplant caponata

Recently made:

Bread and Butter Pickles

Zucchini bread and butter pickles

Zucchini bread

Thinking of making this week:

Zucchini bread (see a pattern here?)

Squash and Kholrabi filling for empanadas (or just to eat)

Something with lots of cilantro :-)

Spanish Potato tortilla

Recipe - Beet and Fennel Salad

From: http://www.yumsugar.com/1028850

Beet and Fennel Salad with Fried Capers
From Sunset, January 2004

1 1/2 pounds beets (greens trimmed), rinsed
2 tablespoons salt-cured or brined capers (see notes)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Salt
1 head fennel (about 1 lb.)

1. Place beets in an 8-inch square baking pan. Add 1/2 inch water. Cover with foil and bake in a 375° regular or convection oven until tender when pierced, 45 to 60 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel beets and cut into wedges; place in a bowl.
2. Meanwhile, in a fine wire strainer under cold running water, rinse capers well, then pat dry with paper towels. Pour olive oil into a narrow 1- to 1 1/2-quart pan over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add capers and fry, gently shaking pan occasionally, until buds unfurl slightly and edges turn pale brown and crisp, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour into a fine strainer set over a 1-cup glass measure; transfer capers to paper towels to drain.
3. Measure 3 tablespoons of the reserved oil into a small bowl and stir in the vinegar and salt to taste. Pour over beet wedges and mix gently to coat.
4. Rinse fennel; chop and reserve a few of the feathery green leaves. Trim off and discard stalks, root end, and any discolored bits from head. Cut head in half lengthwise, then cut halves crosswise into thin, crescent-shaped slices. Reserve 1/4 cup sliced fennel; add remainder to beets and mix to coat.
5. Mix reserved fennel slices with remaining tablespoon oil. Arrange over beet mixture and sprinkle salad with fried capers and reserved chopped fennel leaves (see notes).

Recipe - Pasta w/Fennel, Garlic Scapes and Zucchini

Roast Fennel in Olive oil until tender (to prep fennel, chop off the stalks and cut the bulb in half lengthwise - rinse out dirt). Trim end but not so far as to make the bulb fall apart. Save the stalks and some fronds.

Saute in olive oil - garlic scapes chopped, chopped zucchini and/or summer squash, and some fennel stalks until all is tender. Put over pasta (such as bowtie), add chopped roasted fennel bulbs, sprinkle on some fresh parsley and grated romano cheese.

Sprinkle on some chopped fronds (the leafy part of the fennel) if you want!

Recipe - Pizza sauce

Saute garlic and vidalia onion (minced) in EVOO.

Add one box of Pomi Strained tomatoes (or tomatoes of your choice, preferable pureed)

Add a tsp or so of dried parsley, basil and oregano

1 1/2 tsp of sugar

3/4 tsp of sea salt

Simmer and adjust seasonings to taste!

Week 4

In my share this week (last week, technically - I picked up on Thursday)

Lettuce

Garlic scapes

Spinch

Kohlrabi (two huge green ones!)

Beets

Radishes

Kale

Cabbage (Napa)

Chard

Mixed Greens

and PYO (Pick Yer Own)

Strawberries!

Snap peas

Shell peas

Snow peas

Cilantro (YUMMY!)

Dill

What I'm making:

Ramen soup (noodles, spinach, pork, soft eggs)

Fried rice (with bacon and pork)

Wontons 2 ways (pork and tofu)

Asian Cabbage Salad

Caesar Salad

Pizza (see Pizza sauce recipe)

Kale and Tofu (sauteed with garlic scapes and olive oil, add tofu, some chinese bbq sauce from ribs the other day, eat with ramen noodles!)

Since this week and last week sort of blended together and I'm not picking up my share until Thursday again, here's what I'm making this week

Buttermilk chicken (coated with crushed corn flakes)

Spinach salad

Vegetable stock (using beet greens, kale and kale stems, onions, carrot, celery, peppercorns, bay leaves)

Minestrone soup (soaking my beans today, cooking them tomorrow)

Pesto

Humus

Cooking my beets - not sure how I'm eating them yet! I'm tempted to pickle them, but I don't know if I have time this week!

Cole slaw with Arrowhead cabbage from last week.

Recipe - Peanut Noodles

adapted from Working Mother Magazine - Feb/March 2006

1 lb spaghetti (I use whole wheat or soba noodles)

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter (get yourself a Wonder Cup for measuring stuff like peanut butter - http://www.amazon.com/Wonder-Cup-Two-Adjustable-Measuring/dp/B000I21N7O)

3 Tbs rice vinegar

6 Tbs soy sauce

4 Tbs sesame oil

4 Tbs fresh ginger (I use the jarred minced ginger)

1/2 tsp cayenne (optional - I put cayenne on my personal dish rather than in the recipe)

3/4 tsp sugar (haven't tried substituting Agave for this yet!)

1/2 cup hot water (usually take from pasta cooking water)

optional additions - sugar snap peas or snow peas, ripe mango, scallions cilantro, chopped peanuts, lime juice

1. Cook and drain spaghetti

2. Combine all other ingredients above (except optional additions) and whisk well until smooth.

3. Add spaghetti to sauce and mix well.

Serve with all the toppings you like best!

Recipe - Squash Fritters

I don't know where this is from originally, but this recipe is amazing! Great use for squash / zucchini and scallions.

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups grated summer squash / zucchini

1/4 cup flour

1 Tbs melted butter

2 chopped scallions (or onions and/or favorite herbs)

2 tbs parmesan or feta cheese (or favorite cheese)

salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and scoop 3 - 4 Tbs of mixture into hot oil (form a pancake shape and thickness). Fry both sides until browned.

Week 3

What is in our share this week:

Napa Cabbage

Arrowhead Cabbage

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Kohlrabi (purple!)

Lettuce

Beets

Radishes

Spinach

Strawberries!

What I'm making:

Asian Cabbage Salad (I'll make this when I do the sesame chicken/ peanut noodles again - requested by my family to repeat again this week!)

Dressing:
1/4 c. sugar (or less)
8-10 drops of Tabasco or 1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 tbs. sesame oil
1/3 c. oil
6 tbs. plain rice vinegar ( or a little more)

Other ingredients:
2 tbs. sesame oil (for frying seeds and almonds)
1/2 c. sliced almonds
1/4 c. sesame seeds
1 small head cabbage (any kind you prefer)

Combine dressing ingredients; set aside. Finely chop cabbage using a
food processor or by hand.

Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil in skillet and toss in almonds and
sesame seeds; cook until just lightly brown. Combine all together,
and chill - let marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Roasted Beets - to eat up plain, in a salad with goat cheese, or whenever!

Minestrone Soup (didn't make it last week - made the veggie broth for it!)

I made up my own recipe. I'll try to post soon.

Kohlrabi and Squash Empanadas (didn't make it last week either!)

Beef empanadas

I had extra filling - maybe I will make more empanadas, or maybe put the filling into quiche (for the kohlrabi/zucchini one) and pie (aka meat pie).

Pickled cauliflower (will post recipe) - made this last fall and it was awesome (I finally got around to eating it this winter and my pregnant sister loved it! - I'll give her her own jar this time!)

Maybe....

Cabbage Pallya (http://archanacooks.blogspot.com/2007/06/veggies-cabbage-pallya-with-bell-pepper.html)

Thinking about trying this next time we get Kale...

Quinoa, Kale and Avocado salad (http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/05/28/healthy-summer-grub-quinoa-kale-and-avocado-salad/)

Embracing the radish

I have no grand expectations for myself for this blog. I simply was looking for a place to put my weekly menu plan (or ideas) and keep track of of my CSA share. I would love to include pictures, but that might be too unrealistic for myself at the moment. Actually it all started because I wanted to make a recipe book of my favorite recipes that come from my farm share. But that project is too big for this year, or so I think. Anyway....

Why radishes and turnips? I am no longer afraid of radishes, or turnips, or kohlrabi, or kale. After 4 years of CSA shares I am ready to want and use everything. Even if I'm the only one in my family eating some of them.

I'm not going to hold on to a bunch of radishes for 3 weeks only to put it in the food scraps when it starts to get yucky. Last week I made pickled radishes (they smell horrible but taste great!) - this week I made a spring turnip salad and used my escarole for something other than escarole soup.

This winter I started making a lot of things I used to buy premade - humus, chicken broth, beans... turnips became a regular part of my broth-making (and now I'm saving up my veggie tops in the freezer for vegetable broth)... soaking beans ahead of time became less daunting (just need to think ahead by a day!)... homemade humus never tasted better (and lasts much longer!).

I'm looking forward to making lots of pesto, cole slaw, and salsa this summer again as well.

Hopefully this blog will be of interest to at least one other person beside myself :-)

Week 2

Arugula

Lettuce

Radishes

Broccoli

Bok Choi

Escarole

Kale

Kohlrabi

What I'm making this week:

Sesame chicken with peanut noodles

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=1113

Ingredients

1 cup dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
4 tablespoons butter, melted
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Method

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a wide, shallow dish stir together bread crumbs, sesame seeds, paprika, salt and pepper. Put butter into a second wide, shallow dish. Dip chicken in butter, then roll in bread crumb mixture and transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet, arranging pieces so they don't touch. Use two baking sheets, if needed. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the juices in the meat run clear when checked with a knife. Transfer chicken to plates and serve.

Burritos of leftover brown rice, steak, broccoli, bok choy and teriyaki sauce (in whole wheat tortilla)

Salad with leftover sesame chicken and Newman's Family Style Italian Dressing (fantastic on chicken!)

Escarole sauteed in evoo, garlic, and shallots with cannelini beans on brown rice, drizzled with soy sauce

Kohlrabi & Squash Empanadas

http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/06/09/lovin-fresh-kohlrabi-squash-empanadas-recipe/

Minestrone soup (with Kale) - vegetable broth made with turnip/radish tops, broccoli stems, carrot, onion, celery, fresh parsley, bay leaves, peppercorns, and kale

Broccoli and cheddar quiche - pastry crust 1/2 whole wheat 1/2 white from Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook - basic quiche crust - cheddar cheese, broccoli filling, topped with 1/2 and 1/2 and buttermilk with eggs

Crunch bok choi slaw, adapted from

http://powissetfarm.blogspot.com/search/label/bok%20choi

The original recipe called for carrots. I used radishes instead!

Crunchy Bok Choi Slaw
¼ c. Rice Vinegar
1 TBS dark sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
¼ tsp salt
6 c. very thinly sliced Bok Choi
2 large radishes, shredded
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Mix all together, serve.

Week 1 - 2009

Week 1:

Lettuce

Spinach

Arugula

Broccoli

Bok Choi

Salad Turnips

Radishes

What I'm making this week:

Arugula Salad with tomatoes, red onion, and sesame soy dressing

Turkey Burgers and sauteed spinach

Coriander scallops with bok choi and brown rice and steamed broccoli

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Seared-Coriander-Scallops-with-Bok-Choy-and-Hoisin-23092

Bread and butter radishes

http://www.chow.com/recipes/10909

Spinach salad with potatoes, onion, corn, and bacon

Burritos (this week using 365 Ranchero Beans and Near East Spanish Rice for a quick meal on a busy night)