CSA Members 2006: Newsletter Archive

Dear CSA Members,

We hope this box of veggies finds you in a healthy, hungry and celebratory mood! This is our favorite time of year to invite friends we've missed over the summer and cook up a storm. I perused epicurious.com for tasty recipes that have been well received, and have included some of them here.

You will notice that we have not washed the potatoes. They tend to keep a bit better when unwashed; just make certain they are nice and dry when you put them in a cupboard (out of direct sunlight) or in your crisper drawer in the fridge.

NORTHWESTERN WILD MUSHROOM STUFFING

ingredients

• 2 cups hot water
• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 1 1/2 to 1 3/4-pound loaf unsliced egg bread, crust trimmed, bread cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 16 cups)
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 cups coarsely chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 3 medium leeks)
• 1 cup chopped shallots (about 8)
• 1 1/4 pounds crimini or button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted husked hazelnuts
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
• 2 large eggs, beaten to blend
• 3/4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

procedure

Combine 2 cups hot water and porcini mushrooms in medium bowl; let stand until mushrooms are soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving soaking liquid. Squeeze porcini dry; chop coarsely.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Divide bread between 2 baking sheets. Bake until beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Cool. Transfer to very large bowl.

Melt butter in heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leeks, shallots, and crimini and shiitake mushrooms and sauté until golden and tender, about 15 minutes. Mix in celery and porcini; sauté 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl with bread cubes. Mix in parsley, hazelnuts, thyme and sage. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill porcini soaking liquid and stuffing separately.) Mix eggs into stuffing.

To bake stuffing in turkey: Fill main turkey cavity with stuffing. Combine broth and 1/2 cup reserved porcini soaking liquid in large glass measuring cup. Add enough broth mixture to remaining stuffing to moisten (about 3/4 to 1 cup broth mixture, depending on amount of remaining stuffing). Spoon remaining stuffing into buttered baking dish. Cover with buttered foil. Bake stuffing in dish alongside turkey until heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is crisp, about 15 minutes.

To bake all stuffing in pan: Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 15x10x2-inch baking dish. Mix 3/4 cup reserved porcini soaking liquid and 3/4 cup broth into stuffing. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil and bake until heated through, about 1 hour. Uncover and bake until top is crisp, about 15 minutes.

Bon Appétit, November 1994

PAN-BROWNED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

ingredients

• 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts
• 1 medium shallot
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts

procedure

Trim Brussels sprouts and halve lengthwise. Cut shallot into very thin slices. In a 10-inch heavy skillet (preferably well-seasoned cast iron) melt 1 tablespoon butter with oil over moderate heat and cook garlic, stirring, until pale golden. Transfer shallot with a slotted spoon to a small bowl. Reduce heat to low and arrange sprouts in skillet, cut sides down, in one layer. Sprinkle sprouts with pine nuts and salt to taste. Cook sprouts, without turning, until crisp-tender and undersides are golden brown, about 15 minutes.

With tongs transfer sprouts to a plate, browned sides up. Add shallot and remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until pine nuts are more evenly pale golden, about 1 minute. Spoon mixture over sprouts and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

adapted from Gourmet, Sugar And Spice, February 1999, John Dombek, Santa Clara, UT

ROSEMARY POTATO SLICES

ingredients

• 2 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1.4 lbs potatoes, scrubbed
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt plus additional if desired
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced

procedure

Into an 8-inch baking pan pour half the butter, making sure it covers the entire bottom, and in the pan layer the potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, in separate rows, overlapping the slices. Sprinkle the potatoes with the salt, the rosemary, and pepper to taste, pour the remaining butter over them, and bake the potatoes in the middle of a preheated 425°F. oven, turning each row once with a long spatula, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they are crisp and golden. Sprinkle the potatoes with the additional salt.

Gourmet, January 1990

CARMELIZED UPSIDE-DOWN PEAR TART

ingredients

• 4 large firm-ripe Bosc pears (2 lb total)
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pastry dough (click for recipe)

procedure

Peel and halve pears, the core (preferably with a melon-ball cutter). Heat butter in a 9- to 10-inch well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then stir in sugar (sugar will not be dissolved). Arrange pears, cut sides up, in skillet with wide parts at rim of skillet. Sprinkle pears with cinnamon and cook, undisturbed, until sugar turns a deep golden caramel. (This can take as little as 10 minutes or as much as 25, depending on pears, skillets, and stove.) Cool pears completely in skillet.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round and trim to a 9 1/2- to 10 1/2-inch round. Arrange pastry over caramelized pears, tucking edge around pears inside rim of skillet. Bake tart until pastry is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cook on rack 5 minutes.

Invert a rimmed serving plate (slightly larger than skillet) over skillet and, using pot holders to hold skillet and plate tightly together, invert tart onto plate. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.

Gourmet, November 2003; originally published November 1997, Adapted from Betty Caldwell

PASTRY DOUGH

ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
• Special equipment: a pastry or bench scraper

procedure

Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until most of the mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 2 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) until incorporated.

Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork, or pastry will be tough.)

Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together with scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. Chill dough, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Cooks' note:
Dough can be chilled up to 1 day.

Gourmet, November 2003

WINTER SQUASH WITH BROWNED BUTTER AND ROSEMARY

Browned butter is butter cooked to a browner, nutty-tasting stage. It adds lots of flavor to the steamed squash.

ingredients

• 1 2-pound squash,peeled, halved, seeded, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices OR, for an easier option, halve and remove seeds, then place face down in a baking dish with 1/4 inch water. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

procedure

Steam squash until almost tender when pierced with fork. Cool squash slightly. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Continue to cook until butter is golden brown and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add squash and rosemary and toss until squash is tender, heated through and coated with browned butter, about 3 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Bon Appétit, January 2000