This Week's Delivery Saturday October 23, 2010

“It's weird...you know the end of something great is coming, but you want to hold on, just for one more second...just so it can hurt a little more.”

Store In The Fridge:

CHERRY BELLE RADISH – Path Valley Farms

CHIOGGIA BEET ROOTS – JACOB HOSTETLER

HAKUREI TURNIPS – SECOND SPRING FARM

BROCCOLI – Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables

Store In A Cool Dry Place

BUTTERNUT SQUASH – SECOND SPRING FARM

FUJI APPLES – PAPA’S ORCHARD

Recipes

Apple and Butternut Squash Soup

¼ cup olive oil
1 2-lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2 flavorful apples, preferably Gala, peeled, cored, and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
¾ tsp curry powder
¾ tsp ground mace
½ tsp ground cardamom
1 cup good-quality apple cider
1 quart chicken stock (vegetable works fine as well)
½ tsp salt
¼ freshly ground pepper, preferably white

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the squash, apples, and onion, and stir to coat with oil.

Sauté uncovered, stirring occasionally, for ten to fifteen minutes, or until onion is transparent.

Stir in the mace, curry, and cardamom, and continue cooking until the onion begins to brown.

Add the cider. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook for three minutes. Add the stock, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer the mixture, partially covered, for another 35 minutes, or until squash is tender.

Working in batches, blend mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth (be careful to not overfill, as hot liquid could expand when machine is switched on, making a huge, burning-hot mess). Return soup to the stockpot. Reduce the soup, uncovered, over medium-low heat, to about one-fourth. Stir occasionally. Stir in salt and pepper, and serve hot.

Serves 4-5.

braised turnips, onions & carrots
1 T butter (use non-dairy spread for a vegan version)
2 small turnips, sliced
1/2 sweet onion, cut into thin slices
1 large carrot, sliced on the diagonal
1/2 yellow pepper, sliced
1/2 c vegetable broth
1/2 t sugar
4 sprigs of thyme
salt & pepper

In a large pan, melt butter over medium-high heat and add turnips, onions, and carrots and yellow pepper. Gently toss vegetables around the pan until glistening and warm. Pour in vegetable broth and add in sugar. Put a lid on the pan and let everything come to a boil. Add in thyme. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the turnip and carrots can easily be pierced with a fork. Season with lots of black pepper and add salt if needed.

broccoli crunch slaw
1 large head of broccoli
1/4 red onion, diced
1/4 c roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/4 c dried cranberries
2 T greek yogurt
2 T mayo
juice of 1/2 lemon (or the whole thing, depending on taste)
couple of dashes of hot sauce
a small squirt of honey
salt & pepper to taste

Use a large knife to thinly chop up the broccoli into a rough slaw. Dump into a medium sized bowl along with the red onion, almonds, and cranberries. Put the remaining ingredients into a small jar with a lid and shake. Taste & adjust seasoning if necessary. Pour onto broccoli slaw and toss until everything is coated.

with thanks,

christy and tom