And More!

September 15, 2011

UnitedHarvest

CSA Recipes and Food Preparation Support

Welcome to the United Harvest Newsletter!
Here's some great veggie tips for using your harvest!
Apples and pears: Preheat oven 350 degrees, chop fruit and mix with sugar and cinnamon, bake covered for a fruit sauce, uncovered hot apples (and pears)!
Beets: clean, boil, skin, cool, cut and mix in a bowl with: 1/2 c. chopped red onion, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper.
Celery: chop in your favorite salads or stuff with a nut butter or chop and saute in soup or stews.
Eggplant: slice and roast, use as a pizza topping or in a sandwich.
Chili Weather!
These two delicious chili recipes are filled with veggies! One uses pumpkin and zucchini the other uses butternut squash. Both may be frozen for future use! I've canned the first recipe omitting the pumpkin, and it works just fine!
Garden Chili
2 peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T chili powder
2 T ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, pressed
28 oz of tomatoes, blended
4 c. water
2 small zucchini, chopped
3 ears of corn
1-1/2 cups pureed pumpkin
1 can of red kidney beans
1 can of black beans
Sautee peppers and onions with olive oil for about five minutes. Add chili powder, cumin and garlic until fragrant, about one minute. Add blended tomatoes, water, zucchini, and pumpkin. Simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes. Add beans and corn until hot. Serve or store.

Butternut Squash Chili over corn spaghetti ---when you have an extra butternut squash---freezes well!!
1 butternut squash, peeled, cleaned, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
28 oz. whole tomatoes, blended
4 cups red kidney beans
8 oz. corn spaghetti
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and roast butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a deep roasting pan for 30 minutes. Place the other tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté on medium heat with onion and peppers until veggies are soft. Add garlic and stir for one minute. Add chili power, cinnamon and tomato. Simmer gently for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Add beans and squash and stir to mix flavors together. Serve over corn spaghetti.

Apple-butternut bisque---pears work well here too!!
1 butternut squash, peeled, cleaned and diced
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, halved
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3 Macintosh apples, peeled, cored and sliced
6 cups of veggie broth
1-1/2 tablespoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon of chili powder
Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until butternut squash is tender. Remove batches of the soup and blend until all soup is completed blended or use an immersion blender.

Butternut Green Risotto
About 3-1/2 cups veggie broth
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1-1/2 cups diced butternut squash
1 cup Arborio rice
4 tablespoons dry white wine
1 cup greens such as kale, chard or spinach, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Warm the broth and reserve. In a medium saucepan heat olive oil, place onions in pan and saute until tender. Add garlic, rosemary and thyme and cook for two minutes. Add squash, rice and dry white wine. Add enough broth to cover rice. Add more broth each time broth has been absorbed. When most but not all of the broth is absorbed, add greens and season. Stir often until rice has a “creamy” consistency, about 20 minutes.

squash, pear, cranberry bake---simple yet perfect for a holiday or Sunday dinner!
1 butternut squash, peeled, cleaned and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 pears, peeled, cored and sliced
2 cups dried cranberries
1 onion, chopped
½ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup olive oil
Preheat oven 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a shallow baking dish. Stir well allowing the olive oil and maple syrup to coat all ingredients. Bake for about 45 minutes or until squash is tender and carmelized. Stir occasionally.

carrots and parsnips
¼ c. olive oil
1-1/2 c. sliced leeks, rinsed well
8 large carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal, ½ inch thick
8 parsnips, peeled and sliced on the diagonal, ½ inch thick
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Warm oil in a large frying pan. Add leeks and sauté until soft. Add carrots and parsnips and sauté until crisp and tender about 17 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.


Veggie sauce---excellent for canning or freezing!
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 T rosemary
4 garlic cloves minced
2 cups of sliced baby bellas
4 c. veggie broth
3 c. tomatoes, peeled, diced, blended
1 c. red wine
20 sliced Kalamata olives
a handful of basil, chopped
Fresh black cracked pepper
Saute onions, carrots, and celery for five minutes. Add rosemary and garlic for one minute. Add mushrooms and continue to saute over medium heat until soft. Add broth, sauce and wine. Simmer for 30 mins.--2 hours. Add more sauce if needed. Add olives and basil 10 minutes before sauce has reached desired consistency. Season with black pepper.
Zucchini and Pepper Relish
By Marisa McClellan, Food in Jars

Makes 5 pints
6 cups chopped green pepper (approximately 8 peppers)
6 cups grated zucchini, squeezed of liquid (approximately 2 quarts)
2 1/2 cups grated onion (approximately 2 large onions)
4 cups apple cider vinegar, divided
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons sea salt
2 tablespoons mustard seed
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

Prepare a boiling water bath and 5 regular-mouth pint jars. Place lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.

Directions

Combine prepared green pepper, zucchini and onion in a large, non-reactive pot. Stir in two cups of apple cider vinegar and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat for approximately 30 minutes, until the vegetables have cooked down.
Drain the vegetables and return to the pot. Add remaining vinegar, sugar and the spices. Bring to a simmer and cook for five minutes. Remove pot from heat.
Ladle relish into prepared jars. Remove air bubbles with a wooden chopstick. Wipe rims, apply lids, tighten bands, and process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.


Tomato Jam
Makes 4 pints

5 pounds tomatoes, finely chopped
3 1/2 cups sugar
8 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon red chili flakes

Combine all ingredients in a large, non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce temperature to a simmer. Stirring regularly, simmer the jam until it reduces to a sticky, jammy mess. This will take between 1 1/2 and 2 hours, depending on how high you keep your heat.

When the jam has cooked down sufficiently, remove from heat and fill jars. Wipe rims, apply lids and twist on rings. Process in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes.










Hog Back Farm's Maple Puree

David Van Eeckhout

Arkansaw, Wisconsin

This tastes like Autumn but with a twist! This dish can be made two days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Stir over medium heat to re-warm. Olive oil may be substituted for butter.

4 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled (or well scrubbed), thinly sliced

1 butternut squash (about 3-1/2 lbs.) peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute until just tender, 8 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter. Add squash and saute until squash begins to soften, 8 minutes. Pour orange juice over vegetables. Cover and simmer until veggies are soft, 25 minutes. Uncover and simmer until all liquid evaporates, 5 minutes. Stir in maple syrup, cool slightly. Working in batches puree mixture in food processor until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl.


Turnips and Pears
Eileen Droescher
1 lb. turnips
3 pears
unsalted butter
1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly
2/3 cup walnuts, halves
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 lemon
fresh chopped parsley
Cut turnip in half, then into 1/4 inch thick slices. Cut pears in half, core and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Saute turnips in butter until tender and crisp. Add pears and onions. Cook while stirring mixture for about 3 minutes. Add walnuts. Cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon over mixture and sprinkle with parsley.