A Life, Lived

Sautéed Broccoli Rapini with Potatoes

The last couple of CSA shipments had some young rapini in the delivery. While this vegetable is well-known in Italy you won't find it on many tables here in North America.

I guess that the CSA delivery means that North America has at last discovered this wonderful vegetable, but I’m convinced that people would like it more if it were prepared correctly. The secret to cooking broccoli rapini is to boil the greens briefly before sautéing to rid them of their excessive bitterness and to tenderize the stalks. Some people discard the stalks, but the thicker ones, once peeled, are delicious. To avoid overcooking the delicate buds, cook the stems for a minute first before adding the florets to the pot. After draining, the rapini are finished in the saute pan with olive oil and garlic. This second step when cooking vegetables is called “ripassare,” meaning that the vegetable is passed again in the frying pan.

We had this side dish this week with some grilled pork chops - it was a wonderful addition to the table!

Sautéed Broccoli Rapini with Potatoes

2 Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled

1 bunch broccoli rapini, about 1½ pounds

1 tablespoon sea salt

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

6 large cloves garlic, bruised but left whole

In a saucepan, combine the potatoes with enough cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. They should be fully tender but not falling apart when cooked. When cool enough to handle, peel the skin from the potatoes, cut them lengthwise into quarters, and then cut crosswise into medium-thin slices. Set aside and let them cool.

Detach the stems from the tops of the vegetable. Using a small, sharp knife, peel the skin from the thicker lower stalks of the rapini (most of the bottom portion of the stalk) and cut them crosswise into approximate 2-inch lengths.

Fill a large pot with plenty of water to cover the greens and bring to a rolling boil. Add the peeled stems along with the salt, cover partially, and cook over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Now add the florets and cook them together with the stems until the vegetable is tender but not mushy, 3 to 4 minutes more. Note that if the stalks are at all crisp, they will remain bitter. Drain the greens, reserving a little of the cooking liquid and set it aside separately.

In a nonstick skillet large enough to accommodate the potatoes and the greens, warm the olive oil over low heat and add the garlic. Sauté over medium heat until the garlic is nicely softened but not colored, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a side dish. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the cooked potatoes. Sauté until they are golden and crispy all over, about 12 minutes, then transfer to another side dish. Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat, return the rapini and the garlic cloves to the pan. Sauté until the greens are nicely coated with the olive oil and the garlic and heated through, about 3 minutes; if they appear a little dry, add a little of the reserved cooking water as needed. Return the potatoes to the skillet and toss all together. Adjust for seasoning and serve immediately.

Chinese Braised Beef with Turnips

Yesterday I wrote about the weekly deliveries of sweet potato in our CSA. Today's recipe features another regular 'visitor' - turnip. Turnip is a tricky thing for me - we had it regularly as a child and I HATED it! Hated it with a passion. As an adult while I have come to appreciate it a bit, I do not go out of my way to find it. With the CSA subscription it finds ME!

YEAH

I console myself with the knowledge that it is organic and local so it isn't screwing up the environment or messing adversely with my health.

Part of the fun has been finding ways to cook with it that don't cause the retching that accompanied the scoop of turnip placed on my plate as a wee lad.

This is a traditional Chinese-style beef stew that's super easy to make and tastes great, especially over steamed white rice. Daikon radish is a typical component, but turnips are a perfectly acceptable substitute (less pungent/bitter-spicy than the daikon).Our CSA farm (can I call it 'our' farm?) grows the traditionally Chinese style-turnip so it was perfect for this. All you need for this dish is one pot, a few ingredients, and a bit of time. It’s so easy to make…just get everything in the pot, turn the heat down, and go do some laundry, watch a few episodes of your favourite TV show, or file the giant pile of paid bills that had been growing since October (that’s what I did).

 

Chinese Braised Beef with Turnips

2 lbs beef brisket, washed, pat dry and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces

1 tablespoon oil

5 slices ginger

1 cup shaoxing wine

2 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce

3 star anise

8 cloves

1 teaspoon of sugar

5 cups of water

1 large turnip, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces

Prep your beef. Heat cooking oil and ginger in a wok or Dutch oven over high heat. Add the beef and lightly brown all sides. Then add the shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, anise, cloves, sugar and 3 cups of the water (reserve last 2 cups for later). Simmer over very low heat for about 75 – 90 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking or burning.

After that, the sauce should be almost dry. This is a good time to skim out any excess fat. Then add the turnips and the last 2 cups of water. Allow the stew to simmer for another 30 – 40 minutes, until the turnip is soft and tender. Serve hot over rice.

Thai Curry Sweet Potato Soup

This year, in the dead of our vile Canadian winter (dead being an accurate description), every one of our CSA deliveries includes some organic sweet potatoes. Between that and the squash and cabbage I am longing for spring and fresh veggies growing in the sunshine. In the meantime we have eaten more so-called cold storage veggies than I ever have before. LOL

I suspect, in particular, that I have eaten more sweet potatoes this winter than I have in my life. Sweet potatoes just weren't something we ate. A good thing I suspect - I avoided those sickly sweet potato casseroles with marshmallows that too many are synonymous with the veggie.

It has been a challenge coming up with ways to cook with them. This recipe had been popping up in my Facebook feed from Foodland Ontario for weeks before I finally clicked through and had a look. Am I ever glad that I did!

The mildly spiced soup will bring some joy to your life. It freezes well but you likely will eat it all up so there will not be much left for the freezer . . . at least that was our experience. In addition to the great taste it comes together quickly . . . unlike some soups which require hours of simmering this one is ready in about 45 minutes making it a great choice for a weeknight meal.

Thai Curry Sweet Potato Soup

2 tbsp (25 mL) vegetable oil
1 medium Ontario Onion, chopped
2 cloves Ontario Garlic, minced
2 tsp (10 mL) finely grated fresh gingerroot
1 tsp (5 mL) each ground cumin, coriander and turmeric
1/4 tsp (1 mL) crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups (500 mL) vegetable or chicken broth
4 cups (1 L) cubed peeled Ontario Sweet Potatoes (about 1-1/4 lb/550 g)
1 can (14 oz/398 mL) light coconut milk
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lime juice
Salt
Garnishes (optional):
1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped roasted peanuts
Finely grated lime rind, fresh Ontario Coriander or Parsley

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric and red pepper flakes, stirring until onion is softened, about 3 minutes.

Add broth, sweet potatoes and coconut milk; bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to low; cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Let cool slightly. Purée in batches in blender or food processor or with hand held blender until smooth. Return to saucepan. Stir in lime juice. Season to taste with salt. Serve garnished as desired.

Variation: Omit coconut milk and increase broth to 3-1/2 cups (875 mL). Add 1 tbsp (15 mL) packed brown sugar.

Squash, Chickpea, and Red Lentil Stew

Paul and I have been trying to add some variety to our meals including one meat-free meal each week. This has proven to be a challenge for me because I am basically a big, ol' carnivore. LOL

The other day I was searching for a recipe that would help use up the glut of squash we had from our CSA and this one popped up from the folks at Eating Well. Modeled on North African stews, this aromatic vegetarian main course could be served over brown rice or steamed spinach.

We found it to be very flavorful and the left overs were even better.  The cilantro, peanuts & even some extra lime juice are musts - I wouldn't make it without them as they add an additional texture and layers of flavour.

Squash, Chickpea, and Red Lentil Stew

3/4 cup dried chickpeas
2 1/2 pounds kabocha squash or butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup red lentils
4 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon saffron
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Soak chickpeas in enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches for 6 hours or overnight. (Alternatively, use the quick-soak method: Place beans in a large pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.) Drain when ready to use.

Combine the soaked chickpeas, squash, carrots, onion, lentils, broth, tomato paste, ginger, cumin, salt, saffron and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker.

Put on the lid and cook on low until the chickpeas are tender and the lentils have begun to break down, 5 to 6 1/2 hours.

Stir in lime juice. Serve sprinkled with peanuts and cilantro.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Our weekly CSA deliveries have included a squash each week for the past while. It hasn't taken long for us to be overrun with squash. A few weeks ago I carved into a giant butternut squash for a recipe and I have had the remaining squash hanging out in the fridge taking up room ever since. I was determined to take care of it yesterday.

While checking out recipes using google, this one popped up. It's by Lidia Bastianich who certainly knows a thing or 79000 about Italian food. Gnocchi are various thick, soft dough dumplings that may be made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, egg, cheese, potato, breadcrumbs, or similar ingredients. Gnocchi can be light as air or heavy and doughy. When I have attempted to make them at home they have fallen into the latter category. SIGH

This type of gnocchi is a speciality of Friuli - the northern region of Italy that borders Slovenia and Austria. It is a mountainous region known for it's food (of course, which region in Italy is NOT known for it's food?) This particular recipe hails from Trattoria Da Tonia a restaurant many list as one of the best in the region.

The gnocchi were easy to make - the only challenging part was remembering that the recipe requires two days of prep - on the first day you roast the squash and set it to drain. One the second day you make and cook the gnocchi. These gnocchi were light - almost too light as some broke apart in the boiling water . . . likely because we had more than a 1 1/2 pound squash. Nonetheless they tasted amazing!

We served these with a butter sage sauce. It is one of the easiest, and we think tastiest, pasta sauce. You just melt a stick of butter, toss in some chopped fresh sage (can you believe I still have fresh sage in the garden in December?????), let it sit for while the gnocchi is cooking. When the gnocchi are ready toss them in the butter sauce and serve with a heavy flurry of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano (no green can of Kraft here folks!!!)

It's a simple but complex dish -so typical of Italian food.  Because it has few flavourings the quality of your ingredients will really make or break things here.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

1 butternut squash , about 1 1/2 pounds
2 eggs, beaten
1¼ teaspoons salt
1½ cups flour

Starting the night before, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Halve the squash, scoop out the seeds, wrap it loosely in foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake until tender when pierced, about 35 minutes.

Scoop out and discard the seeds. With a large spoon, scoop the pulp from the skin directly into a fine sieve. Set the sieve over a bowl to catch the liquids, cover and allow the squash to drain overnight in the refrigerator.

Next day, puree the squash in a food processor, transfer the puree to a large bowl, and add the eggs and salt. Mix well, add the flour, and blend thoroughly. The dough should be soft and quite sticky.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Using a teaspoon, scoop up some of the dough (about a walnut-size piece) and use a finger to slide it into the water. Cook the gnocchi in batches of ten to fifteen, poaching them for 2 minutes after the rise to the surface. Remove them with a slotted spoon. Set them aside to drain, and repeat the process until the remaining dough is used up.

Cabbage and Apples with Riesling and Caraway

When our CSA started arriving with a ginormous cabbage every week we were soon looking for ways to use all of that cabbage up. This recipe, from Fine Cooking, jumped out for me - no, not because of the riesling! LOL Cabbage, apples, and caraway are one of my favourite flavour combinations - bringing back memories of a wonderful pork roast mom used to make when we were kids.

The author of this recipe suggested serving the cabbage with roast pork or sausage. I have a lot of sausages in the freezer so we went with that.

We thought that the results were wonderful - this was a perfect fall meal!

Cabbage and Apples with Riesling and Caraway

1 teaspoon salt (divided use)
1 medium head green or Savoy cabbage (about 3 pounds), cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided use)
1 ½ pounds apples, such as Granny Smith or Pink Lady, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ -inch-thick slices
1 teaspoon sugar; more as needed
¼ cup white wine, preferably riesling
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, lightly toasted

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the cabbage, return to a boil and cook until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples, spreading them evenly. Season with a generous pinch of salt, sprinkle with the sugar and cook, tossing occasionally, until lightly caramelized and just tender, (the apples should still offer a little resistance when pierced with a fork), about 5 minutes.

Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 1 ½ minutes. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, the cabbage, and caraway and continue cooking, stirring gently, until the butter has melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and a pinch more sugar, if necessary. Serve hot or warm. Serves 6 to 8.

CSA Farm Christmas Open House

A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from our CSA farm inviting us to their holiday open house. They promised treats, a chance to wander the farm, and an opportunity to gather evergreen for our holiday displays. Curious to see where our veggies come from (and of course happy to get some greenery for free) we decided to head out to the farm. We packed out trimmers, gloves, and headed out . . .

While we were dressed for cold weather Saturday was actually unseasonably warm. There was still a damp chill to the air so we appreciated the big fire that the owners had lit.

While we waited for others to arrive we nibbled some goodies and visited the farm animals.

I almost had a heart attack when this guy suddenly appeared in front of my camera. I think he was trying to lick the lens! Nonetheless, I managed to recover and grab this shot.

We walked to the front of the farm where there was plenty of dogwood. In the field next to where we were cutting the dogwood we saw what was left of where the mixed salad greens, arugula, bok choy, and turnips had been growing.

After filling a bag with beautiful red dogwood sticks and other interesting looking things we headed back to the forest. The farm itself is 50 acres and backs onto a large swamp/forested area. The swamp acts as a natural filter for the ground water in the area.

We wandered around the forest cutting evergreen boughs.

Once we had a full bag we headed back to the car and were on our way.

It was a great day and we were happy to finally have a sense of where all our wonderful fruit and vegetables come from every week.

Sweet Potato and Turnip Mash with Sage Butter

It is interesting to me that the vegetables giving me the most excitement lately are the ones I'd never go near as a youngster. This recipe is a perfect example of this - turnip???? NO THANKS

Yet here I am at 50 wondering what my problem could have been.

Mind you - I have been 'forced' to explore these veggies by our CSA - when turnips, sweet potatoes, and squash appear in your CSA delivery . . . you eat them happily!

This could not be an easier or more elegant side dish to serve and it utilizes so many fresh and in season ingredients from the garden, CSA's, and produce delivery boxes this time of year. Sweet Potatoes are often brought to the table as a sickening sweet side dish laden with butter, sugar, and marshmallows - not this version!

This is one delicious mash, peeps. If you like sweet potato pie, but wish it were a bit more savory or want a healthy twist on traditional, creamy mashed potatoes this is the recipe for you. According to the source recipe at Eating Well, a single serving of this orange beauty provides 180% of your daily value of Vitamin A! In addition “preliminary research suggests [sage] may improve some symptoms of early Alzheimer’s disease by preventing a key enzyme from destroying acetylcholine, a brain chemical involved in memory and learning. In another study, college students who took sage extracts in capsule form performed significantly better on memory tests, and their moods improved.” So there you go. Super simple recipe with a very impressive name and plenty of health benefits to boot!

The next time I make this mash I think I will add some crispy onions or shallots to the top when I serve it to add a texture contrast.

Sweet Potato and Turnip Mash with Sage Butter

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
8 ounces turnips (about 2 medium), peeled and diced
3 large cloves garlic
30 fresh sage leaves, divided (12 left whole, the rest cut into strips)
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked pepper

Place potatoes, turnips, garlic and 12 sage leaves in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are fork-tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain. Return the vegetables to the pan and keep covered.

Heat butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. As it melts and turns lightly brown, add the strips of sage and allow them to crackle and flavor the butter, about 1 minute.

Pour the sage and butter over the vegetables and smash with a potato masher. Stir in salt and pepper and serve.

Apples, Cabbage, and Pork Chops

Our CSA has been full of apples, cabbage, and other fall treats of late. The only problem is we never know the type of apples. I've been eating them and coking with them relatively interchangeably with good results.

With this recipe we cut them into large slices and sautéed them with green cabbage, to pair with some juicy pork chops. We used a mixture of apple cider vinegar and chicken broth to braise the cabbage and apples and added a little sugar, giving the dish some sweet-and-sour punch.

All in all, we thought it was a healthy, satisfying supper that allowed our local, organic apples to shine without being part of a pie.

Apples, Cabbage, and Pork Chops

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 medium-sized, tart apples, cored, peeled, and sliced into wedges
1 head of green cabbage, cored and sliced thin
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
4 center cut, bone-in pork chops (about 1 inch thick)
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Melt the butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the apple slices and cook for about two minutes, until they begin to soften. Add the cabbage, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, vinegar, and sugar, and stir the cabbage and apple mixture until it is coated, and cabbage is slightly wilted. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, then remove cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes (you want the cabbage to get soft but allow some of the liquid to evaporate). Stir occasionally, but be gentle. You don't want the apples to disintegrate.

While the cabbage and apples are cooking, make the pork chops. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Pour the flour onto a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.

Dredge each pork chop in the flour, coating all sides, and tap off any excess. Cook the pork chops about 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crusty. Remove from the pan, set on a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

When the cabbage and apples are finished cooking, top each chop with a heaping scoop. Note: You'll have extra cabbage and apples, but it tastes great leftover. Or, you can cook six pork chops if you have room.

Quinoa with Sauteed Kale

We have some kale in every CSA delivery. You can bet that I am always search for new ways to eat it.

This recipe was from the folks at Food and Wine magazine - in it kale iscombined with quinoa. Quinoa is considered a superfood because of its nutritional value, but it's also an incredibly versatile base for just about any flavor profile.

This was quick to pull together and tasted amazing - hiding the fact that it was quite healthy! LOL

Quinoa with Sauteed Kale

2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
4 cups water
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil plus 1
1 medium white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
10-12 large leaves of kale, stems removed, then roughly torn or chopped

In a medium pot over high heat, bring the quinoa, water and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the quinoa has fully absorbed the water, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Add the olive oil and onion to a large sauté pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the onions become translucent, about 4 minutes, add the garlic and the kale (in bunches if necessary). As the kale begins to wilt and reduce, continue to stir, and add 1/4 cup water if the kale sticks to the pan. Salt and pepper to taste, mix well, then remove from the heat.

In a large serving bowl, toss the cooked quinoa with the kale and onions. If the mixture is dry, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.