CSA Members 2009: Newsletter Archive

Holiday Delivery #1

Dear CSA Members,

This week's delivery arrives with several delicious recipes, some new and some that I've made year after year. I always find cooking for others, like growing vegetables for others, to be a soul-nourishing task. That's not to say that I'm particularly skilled in the kitchen -- I tend to wander off and burn things on the stove top if I'm not careful. I'm slow to chop, I don't like peeling, my pies are never the beautiful, perfectly crusted masterpieces that you see so easily presented by their bakers. . . but they usually taste pretty good. In fact, working with the best ingredients, and simple enough recipes, good food shines through the weak points in my cooking.

I revel in waking up at 5:00 am to start with holiday baking (perhaps I shouldn't say revel. The first hour is pretty rough). The point is, cooking for my friends and family, for a gathering that I have anticipated for weeks, is a joyful activity for me. I have so little time to cook during the Summer months that I try to put aside all my concerns about making it perfect and just aim to make it delicious.

My hope for you, our extended family, is that you all have a joyful week of cooking and eating. May everything you put your hands to be blessed by your good intention and your love for great food.

Boistfort Valley Farm's gone Year-Round!

See our Winter offerings and sign up now!

Leek and Wild Mushroom Stuffing

ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1/2 pound fresh chanterelles, gently cleaned and sliced
• 1 pound button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 8-ounce French bread baguettes, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend

procedure

Combine 1 1/2 cups hot water and dried porcini in small bowl. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 30 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to work surface; chop finely. Pour mushroom soaking liquid into small bowl, leaving any sediment behind, and reserve.

Add chanterelle mushrooms to a large dry skillet and cook over medium-high heat until most of the water evaporates. Add butter and button mushrooms; sauté 10 minutes. Add leeks and garlic; sauté 5 minutes.

Add wine, thyme, and porcini mushrooms. Cook until almost all wine evaporates, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover mushroom mixture and porcini soaking liquid separately and chill. Reheat mushroom mixture to lukewarm before continuing.) Transfer mixture to very large bowl.

Mix bread into mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper; mix in egg.

To bake stuffing in dish:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add enough reserved mushroom soaking liquid to stuffing to moisten (3/4 cup to 1 1/4 cups). Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Bake uncovered until heated through, about 40 minutes.

To bake stuffing in turkey:

Loosely fill main cavity and neck cavity of turkey with stuffing. Add enough mushroom soaking liquid to remaining stuffing to moisten slightly (1/4 cup to 3/4 cup, depending on amount of remaining stuffing). Generously butter baking dish. Spoon remaining stuffing into prepared dish. Cover dish with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake stuffing in dish -- alongside turkey or while turkey is resting -- until heated through, about 25 minutes. Uncover stuffing in dish. Bake until top of stuffing is slightly crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.

Adapted from Bon Appétit, November 2002, by Rochelle Palermo Torres

Roasted Parsnips and Carrots

ingredients

• 1 pound parsnips, scrubbed
• 1 pound carrots, scrubbed
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme

procedure

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut carrots and parsnips into 2-inch lengths, halving as needed so that all the pieces are about the same size. Add salt and pepper, and toss in a large bowl. Melt butter and add the brown sugar and vinegar, then pour over vegetables and toss to coat. Spoon into a large shallow baking dish (large enough so that the parsnips and carrots are only one layer deep). Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and stir in the thyme. Continue to bake until the parsnips are lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork, 10-15 minutes longer.

Adapted from The Herbfarm Cookbook by Jerry Traunfeld

Delicata and Roasted Mushrooms with Thyme

ingredients

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 lb delicata squash (3 medium), scrubbed, halved lengthwise, seeded, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch-wide slices
• 2 lb mixed fresh mushrooms such as cremini, shiitake, chanterelle, and oyster, trimmed (stems discarded if using shiitakes) and halved (quartered if large)

procedure

Stir together oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Toss squash with 2 tablespoons thyme oil in a shallow baking pan (1/2 to 1 inch deep) and arrange in 1 layer. Toss mushrooms with remaining 1/4 cup thyme oil in another shallow baking pan (1/2 to 1 inch deep) and arrange in 1 layer. Roast squash and mushrooms, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until vegetables are tender and liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated, 25 to 30 minutes.

Adapted from Gourmet, November 2004

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds Yellow Finn potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch dice
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, warmed slightly (too much heat will cause it to separate)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper

procedure

In a medium pot, add potatoes, a teaspoon of salt and just enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes. Drain. Return potatoes to the pan and set over very low heat, uncovered, for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, to let the potatoes dry out a little (too much moisture will dilute their flavor). Mash with a potato masher or fork. Beat the buttermilk into the potatoes with a wooden spoon until thoroughly incorporated. Beat in the butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Kabocha Squash Pie

for filling

• 1 medium squash
• 10 oz (1 1/3 cups) cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 c sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp brandy
• 2 eggs at room temperature

for crust

• 3/4 c (2 oz) walnuts
• 1/2 c packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 c graham cracker crumbs (about 7 crackers)
• Grated zest of one lime
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 c (2 oz) unsalted butter, melted

for serving

• Crème fraiche
• Ginger Butterscotch Sauce (recipe below)

procedure

Set up a large steamer basket or rack and steam squash whole until tender, about 1 hour. Flip the squash after 30 minutes or so. Make certain to replenish water in the steamer as needed -- do not boil the squash.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 325 degrees (F). Place walnuts on baking tray and toast in oven, stirring once or twice, until fragrant, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

In a food processor, combine walnuts with a few Tablespoons of brown sugar and pulse a few times until nuts are coarsely ground. In a large bowl, whisk nuts with graham cracker crumbs, remaining brown sugar, lime zest, crust spices and salt. Pour melted butter over the mixture, and mix with your fingers until butter is evenly distributed. Press evenly into a 10 inch glass pie dish. Bake crust until lightly browned, about 12 minutes, then set aside. Keep oven at 300 degrees.

When squash is cool, cut it in half and scoop out seeds and pulp. Scoop flesh into a measuring cup until you have 2 1/2 cups. In a food processor, process cream cheese with sugar, pie spices, and salt until light and smooth. Scrape down bowl, add squash and process until smooth. Mix in brandy, then eggs, one at a time. Finish mixing with a rubber spatula.

Place pie plate onto a baking sheet and scrape filling into crust. Bake until just set in center, about 1 hour. Let cool before serving, topped with crème fraiche and drizzled with butterscotch sauce.

Adapted from Pichet Ong

Ginger Butterscotch Sauce

ingredients

• 1 pound dark brown sugar
• 2 1/2 oz (about 4 inches) fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced into coins
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, pulp scraped
• 10 Tbsp (5 oz) unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 c heavy cream
• 3/4 tsp salt

procedure

Place sugar, ginger and vanilla pod and pulp in a heavy pot set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is molten and fragrant with ginger and vanilla, about 8 minutes. (it won't melt entirely but will be somewhat crumbly). Add butter (stand back, it will foam up), and stir until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes.

Pour cream and salt into pot, stirring, and bring to a simmer. Let sauce bubble until thickened, about 8 minutes. Let cool for at least 1/2 hour, then strain out ginger and vanilla pod. Warm sauce before serving.

Adapted from Pichet Ong

Cranberry-Apple Crisp with Maple Syrup

for topping

• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

for fruit filling

• 2 pounds apples, peeled, quartered, cored, thinly sliced
• 2 cups cranberries (about 8 ounces)
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• Chilled whipped cream

procedure

Make topping:

Mix flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon & salt in medium bowl. Rub in butter with fingertips until moist clumps form.

Make fruit:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 11 x 8 x 2-inch ovenproof dish (or another shallow 8-cup-capacity dish). Mix apples and next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Transfer to dish.

Bake fruit 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Crumble topping over. Bake until apples are tender, juices bubble thickly around sides and topping is golden brown, about 35 minutes longer. Let stand at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour. Serve with whipped cream.

Bon Appétit, January 1999

Creamy Kohlrabi and Apple Salad

ingredients

• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (if you haven't tried Greek Gods, you must)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon coarse-grained mustard
• 1 heaping tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
• a pinch of sugar
• 1 kohlrabi, bulb peeled and cut into julienne strips, stems and leaves discarded
• 1 small apple, peeled, cored and diced

procedure

In a bowl mix the yogurt until it is free of lumps, then mix in the lemon juice, mustard, parsley, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the kohlrabi strips and the apple, and combine the salad well.

Adapted from Gourmet, October 1992