Store In A Cool Dry Place:
Delicata Squash-Tuscarora Mountain Farm
Sweet Potatoes- Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables
Stayman Apples- Papa's Orchard
Store In The Fridge:
Red Russian Kale-Second Spring Farm
Wax Beans-
Arugula-Second Spring Farm
Recipes:
Ingredients
1 delicata squash, halved and seeds scooped out (you can save them and roast them for snacking!)
1/2 large garlic clove, minced
extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 15-oz can small white beans (such as navy beans), drained and rinsed
about 2 large handfuls greens - baby spinach, chopped chard, chopped collards,(or your kale!) - washed and spun dry
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/8 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the squash halves (cut side up) on a sheet pan or in a baking dish. Drizzle the surfaces with some olive oil, and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake in the oven until the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife or fork, about 1 hour. Remove the squash halves from the oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, make your filling: heat a little extra-virgin olive oil (about 1-2 Tbsp) in a saute pan over medium heat until hot, then add the minced garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the greens and saute until wilted. Now add your drained, rinsed white beans and continue cooking the mixture until the beans are heated through. Stir in the chopped fresh sage, season to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, and set aside to cool slightly.
Now you'll fill the squash halves: first, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese. When the bean and green mixture has cooled slightly, stir half of the breadcrumb mixture into it -- this will help bind the filling together slightly. Divide this filling mixture between the cooked squash halves, mounding it in each.*
Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumb and cheese mixture over the top of the filled squash halves. Drizzle some olive oil over the top of each squash half. Return the pan to the oven and bake the squash halves until the topping is golden, about another 15 minutes or so (check a little bit before so the topping doesn't burn.)
Miso Wax Bean Salad – serves 4 as a side dish
- 1/2 pound (about 5-6 handfuls) fresh yellow wax beans – ends snipped
- 1 tablespoon dashi miso paste (this kind already has the dashi in it for soup – use whatever kind you have access to)
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- 1/3 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts
- a handful chopped fresh cilantro
- fresh ground black pepper and salt, to taste
- Start a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Have a large bowl full of ice water on hand at the ready to stop the beans from cooking once blanched.
- While the water is coming to a boil, add your miso paste to a small mixing bowl. Drizzle in the rice wine vinegar and sesame oil and whisk it until the miso paste has incorporated into the other ingredients and the dressing is smooth. Taste dressing for salt level and adjust to your liking.
- When your water has come to a boil, drop the trimmed wax beans into the water. Blanch for 1-2 minutes. With a slotted spoon or tongs, pull them out and drop them into the ice bath – this will stop them from cooking further and getting soggy. Leave them in the ice bath for a minute or so then drain the beans thoroughly.
- On a serving platter, arrange the wax beans in an even layer. Drizzle the dressing over the beans. Top with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro and chopped peanuts. Grind a touch of fresh black pepper over the plate. Serve immediately – the beans will get too soggy if you wait to serve them once they're dressed.
Garlic Vinaigrette For Arugula
Adapted from In the Green Kitchen, by Alice Waters
4 servings
Ingredients
1 small garlic clove
Salt
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 tbsp good olive oil
(use the washed arugula as your lettuce)
Directions
Put a peeled garlic clove and 2 big pinches of salt in a mortar and pound into a puree, with no chunks remaining. Add the wine vinegar, grind in some black pepper, and taste for the balance of salt and vinegar. Allow to macerate for a few minutes and whisk in olive oil. Taste the dressing with a leaf of lettuce. It should taste bright and lively without being too acidic or too oily; adjust the salt, vinegar, or oil as needed.
To dress a salad, put several generous handfuls of washed and dried lettuce into a large bowl. Toss with about three quarters of the vinaigrette, and taste. The lettuce should be lightly coated but not overdressed; add more dressing as needed.
*A squeeze of lemon juice added to the dressed salad at the last moment can add a brightness that brings up all the flavors.
with thanks,
christy and tom
