Thai Butternut Squash Red Curry

This recipe is a People’s staff favorite! It’s quick and easy to cook and if you make a double batch, you’ll have warm and satisfying leftovers to enjoy all week long.

• 1 tablespoons coconut oil (or any oil really)

• 1 large shallots, chopped (or 2 small)

• 2-2 ½ cups diced butternut squash (about 1.5 pounds)

• 1 tablespoon grated ginger

• 2-3 tablespoons Thai Home Red Curry Paste

• ½ tablespoon yellow curry powder

• 1 (15 ounce) can coconut milk

• ¾ cup vegetable broth

• 2 teaspoons Fysh sauce

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 3-4 cups fresh spinach or kale

• basmati rice, crushed cashews/ peanuts (optional), cilantro, lime wedges for serving

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallots and saute them for 5-6 minutes or until they just begin to get golden. Add the butternut squash and grated ginger, stir to coat with the oil.

Add the red curry paste, yellow curry powder and stir until all the butternut squash is nicely coated. Continue to cook the curry paste for 2-3 minutes or until it’s fragrant. Add the broth, coconut milk, Fysh sauce, and sugar. Let the sauce come to a simmer before covering. Lower the heat and allow the squash to cook all the way through, about 12-18 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when you can easily pierce the butternut squash with the tip of a knife. Stir in the baby spinach and allow it to wilt (if using kale, add it before the butternut squash becomes soft so that the kale has enough time to wilt).

Serve with basmati rice topped with crushed nuts, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Recipe adapted from LittleSpiceJar.com.

Beet, Orange, and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

• 5 medium-sized beets

• 2 avocado

• 5 oranges (a mix of varieties works well here)

• Optional: Fresh herbs, feta or goat cheese, toasted nuts or seeds

Citrus Vinaigrette

• Zest from ½ a lemon

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 ½ teaspoons white wine vinegar

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 garlic clove

• Salt 

• Black pepper

Heat the oven to 400°.

First, roast the beets! Cut off the beet greens down to about an inch. Wrap the whole beets in a foil pouch or use a covered baking dish, which will help the beets steam. Bake the beets for 50-60 minutes, or until they are tender when poked with a knife. Remove the beets from their cooking receptacle and cool. Peel the beets and then, slice them into rounds about ¼ inch thick. 

While the beets are roasting, prepare the oranges. Carefully cut away the peels using a sharp knife, trying to remove as much of the white pith as you can. Then slice the oranges into rounds around the middle (so that each slice has a piece of every natural orange segment). Aim for the slices to be about ¼ inch thick. 

Then make the vinaigrette. Put the lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil in a small bowl. Smash the garlic clove with the heel of your hand or a knife, remove the peel, and add it to the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper and shake to combine. Let this mixture hang out for at least 10 minutes, and remove the garlic clove before using. Refrigerate any leftover dressing and use on green salads, roasted or steamed vegetables, and any other salads your mind dreams up. 

When the beets and oranges are sliced and your vinaigrette is made, thinly slice the avocados. 

At this point, you can throw all of the components into a bowl and toss them with the dressing. This salad looks really lovely on a platter, too, in which case you can artfully lay out the citrus, then the beets, then the avocados, then anything else you might be adding, and then drizzle the dressing over top. Enjoy!

Mixed Vegetable Japanese-Style Pancakes

by Katherine Deumling

This is a variation of Okonomiyaki, which are Japanese cabbage pancakes. This recipe is a great template – you can use whatever bits and pieces of vegetables you have on hand and make a great pancake. From shredded kohlrabi or carrots to green onions, bok choy leaves and broccoli, most any combination will work.

Makes about 15-18 4-5-inch pancakes.

• 2 cups broccoli, finely chopped (like ¼-1/2-inch pieces), stems and florets

• 2-3 scallions, thinly sliced

• 3-4 small turnips, cut into matchsticks or grated on the large holes of a box grater (I prefer matchsticks since grating makes the batter a bit wet but either way will work)

• 3 cups bok choy leaves and stems, mustard greens, chard or beet greens, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems, chopped (optional)

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

• 4-5 eggs

• Scant ½ cup flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Oil for pan frying

Sauce:

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon Sriracha or other spicy chili sauce

• 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce

In a large bowl whisk the eggs with the flour, salt, sesame oil and soy sauce into a fairly smooth, thin batter. There may well be a few lumps but they will work themselves out so don’t worry about them.

Add all the vegetables and herbs and mix well. Taste for seasoning. You’d be surprised how much salt they need.

Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in the largest skillet you have over medium high heat. I make my pancakes about 5 inches in diameter but make them as big or small as you like. You can one very large one and then cut it into wedges. Cook about 3 minutes on either side until nicely browned and crisp. Proceed with the remaining batter. You can keep them warm in a 250 degree oven.

Mix together the mayonnaise, Sriracha and soy sauce and serve the pancakes topped with the sauce.

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Preserved Meyer Lemons

Preserved lemons are a classic component of North African cuisines, but are a flavor powerhouse adaptable to all kinds of foods. Try them in soups, salad dressing, pasta dishes, with roasted veggies, and anything else where their pleasant tang might be welcome. You can also add warm spices like whole cinnamon, cloves, or cardamom when you add the peppercorns and bay leaves if you’d like!

Ingredients:

• 3 to 5 organic Meyer lemons

• Kosher salt

• 1 heaping teaspoon black peppercorns (optional)

• 2 bay leaves (optional)

Scrub three to five organic lemons, enough to fit snugly in a roughly pint-sized jar with a tight-fitting lid. Slice each lemon “vertically” from the top to about half an inch from the bottom, nearly cutting them into quarters but leaving the pieces attached at one end. Rub kosher salt over the cut surfaces and then reshape the fruit. Cover the bottom of the jar with more kosher salt. Fit all the cut lemons in, breaking them apart if necessary. Sprinkle salt on each layer.

Press the lemons down to release their juices. Add the peppercorns and bay leaves to the jar. Squeeze additional prepared lemons into the jar if you can fit them.

Close the jar and let ripen at a cool room temperature, shaking the jar every day for 3 to 4 weeks, or until the rinds are tender to the bite. Then store the jar in the refrigerator.

To use, remove a piece of lemon and rinse it (you can add more fresh lemons to the brine as you use them up.). Scrape the white pulp from the rind and mince the rind. Add the rind at the very end of cooking, or use it raw. The pulp can be added to a simmering pot of soup or stew.

Smoky Hoppin’ John

Ingredients

• 1½ cups dried black-eyed peas

• ½ cup uncooked brown rice

• 5 teaspoons olive oil

• 1½ cups finely chopped onion

• 1½ cups chopped red bell pepper

• 1 cup thinly sliced celery

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• ¾ cup unsalted vegetable stock

• ½ cup water

• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

• ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika

• ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper

• 1/3 cup chopped tomato

• 4 teaspoons chopped green onions Instructions

Sort the black-eyed peas, removing any stones or debris. Rinse the beans, and then soak them overnight or for 8 hours. Drain the beans, then put them in a pot and cover with water. Bring up to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for 30-60 minutes, or until the beans are soft.

While the beans are simmering, cook your brown rice: combine the rice with 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring it up to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for 45 minutes or until tender. Alternatively, cook the rice in your rice cooker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

When the beans begin to soften, season them with salt. When they’re done cooking, drain them and set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and sauté for 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add rice, stirring to coat. Add the stock, ½ cup water, salt, paprika, thyme, black pepper, and ground red pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas and cook uncovered for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with tomato and green onions.

Adapted from My Recipes

Pumpkin Seed Parsley & Cilantro Pesto

by Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have

This is so delicious and you can use either parsley, cilantro, or both, which is maybe my favorite version. Just make sure you toast the pumpkin seeds first. It doesn’t have any cheese in it, but is rich from the large amount of pumpkin seeds. 

I use a food processor for this but if you don’t have one you can make a slightly less uniform version by finely and mincing/chopping everything by hand as finely as you can. 

You can use this pesto as a spread on crostini or sandwiches, or stir it into scrambled eggs. It’s delicious mixed with either plain yogurt and/or mayonnaise for a dip or sauce for roasted vegetables, meats or fish. You can dilute it with water, cream, more oil and/or lemon juice) for a dressing for grain or bean salads. And of course you can serve it with pasta like basil pesto. Be sure to thin it with a bit of hot, starchy pasta cooking water in that case. 

 Yields about 1 ¼ cups

• 1/2 bunch parsley, washed and shaken dry, tough stems discarded and leaves roughly chopped

• 1/2 bunch cilantro, washed and shaken dry, leaves and stems roughly chopped

• 2 small cloves garlic, minced

• 2/3 cup toasted, cooled pumpkin seeds 

• 1/2 cup olive oil (or more)

• Salt, to taste

• 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice (more, to taste)

Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Shake the pan frequently to ensure even toasting. The seeds begin popping when they’re just about done. It will take about 5-7 minutes for them to turn a bit golden and pop. Be careful not to burn them and put them in a bowl cool completely before using in the pesto. If you leave them in the pan to cool the may get too dark. 

Process the seeds and garlic in a food processor until quite fine. Add herbs and a few pinches salt and process again until its very finely chopped. Add oil and pulse a few times and taste. Adjust for salt and add just a touch of lemon juice. You don’t want a pronounced lemon flavor, but just a little to brighten everything up. 

Use as a spread or mix with mayonnaise or yogurt (see headnote) for a dip or dilute for a dressing/sauce.

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Cauliflower Steaks with Parsley Dijonnaise

by Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have

Quick and fun to make, look at and eat. If the “steaks” don’t hold together, don’t worry. The pieces will all be delicious.

Serves 4 

• 1 small to medium head cauliflower, washed

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise or whole milk Greek yogurt

• 1 1/2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon-style mustard

• 1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 

Trim any leaves (and reserve to add to stir fries, soups, etc.) from the cauliflower and cut off the most fibrous base of the stem/core. Don’t remove the core though. Most of it will get deliciously tender and you need it to keep the “steaks” together.  Set the cauliflower upright on a cutting board. Cut the cauliflower in half and then working out to the edges, cut each half into about 1-inch thick slices. Some florets will fall off and that’s fine. Fit them around the edge of the steaks in the pan. You’ll probably end up with some steaks the full 1/2 size of the cauliflower and some smaller steaks.

Heat a couple of tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place as many steaks as you can fit in one layer in the pan. Sprinkle generously with salt. Cook, covered, for about 3-4 minutes on each side, salting the other side too, until deeply browned and just tender pierced with the tip of a knife. Repeat with remaining cauliflower.

Mix the mayonnaise, mustard and parsley in a small bowl. Serve the steaks hot with the dijonnaise.

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People’s is partnering with Cook With What You Have, a subscription-based, online seasonal recipe collection created by People's Member-Owner Katherine Deumling. Katherine empowers you to cook freely and build creativity and confidence with every dish. Cook With What You Have is providing a discounted subscription to the Recipe Collection for People’s Member-Owners & Customers for $29/year, or $2.99/month (40% off retail).  Use discount code PEOPLES to subscribe at www.cookwithwhatyouhave.com, if you’re interested. Katherine will also be teaching classes at the Co-op in the winter, so keep an eye out. 

Sweet Curry Pomegranate Rice

By Brita Zeiler, Bulk Herb & Tea Buyer

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil

• 2 tablespoons sweet curry powder 

• 1/4 cup coconut flakes

• 2 cups long grain brown rice

• 5 cups water or stock

• salt to taste

• 1 pomegranate seeded

• 1/4 cup cilantro finely cut (optional)
  

Sauté the diced yellow onion in the ghee or coconut oil in a medium size pot over medium heat until the onion is translucent.

Add the sweet curry powder and coconut flakes and sauté lightly to evenly toast spices, for about 30 seconds. Keep an eye on the pot, stirring constantly to make sure nothing burns! Turn heat down from medium to low if needed.

Add rice and water to the pot and stir for a few seconds to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. 

Add salt to taste. I like about 3 tablespoons. 

Cover the pot with a lid and let simmer on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes. Stir the rice about every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking. Taste occasionally for done-ness. 

Once the rice is fully cooked, remove from heat and serve with a garnish of pomegranate seeds and cilantro. You should have about 4 generous servings.

Raw Winter Squash with Brown Butter, Pecans & Currants

Even with its few references to “man salads” (what does that mean? can I not dig a hearty salad?), Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons was far and away my favorite cookbook of 2017. I have been reaching for it constantly all summer, and can’t wait to tuck into some of the fall and winter recipes.  This dish offers a totally new-to-me way enjoy squash – raw! With brown butter, pecans, and currants, it still feels squarely wintry.

Ingredients

• ½ cup dried currants

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar

• 1 pound of pumpkin or butternut squash

• 3 scallions

• ½ teaspoon dried chile flakes

• Salt and pepper

• ¼ unsalted butter or vegan butter*

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• Pumpkin seed oil (optional)

• ½ cup lightly packed mint leaves (or substitute parsley)

• ½ cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped

Put the currants in a little bowl and add the vinegar. Let them soak for 30 minutes.

Trim the scallions, including about 2 inches worth on the green part. Thinly slice them (at an angle if you are feeling fancy) and soak them in ice water for 20 minutes or so, then drain them thoroughly.

Peel and seed the squash or pumpkin. Use a vegetable peeler to slice off thin ribbons of squash. If you run into hard bits, just use a knife to slice them as thinly as you can! The pieces don’t need to be uniform – just nice to eat.

Put the squash in a large bowl and add the currants with their vinegar, the scallions, the chile flakes, and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss to combine, and taste. Adjust the seasoning if it’s not quite right.

Brown the butter! Melt it in a small saucepan over medium heat. Keep cooking the butter, swirling the pan every few seconds. The milk solids in the bottom of the pan will turn a deep golden brown and start to smell nice and nutty, which will take about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of the pan. This technique should also work for vegan butter, but you could also gently heat an equal amount of olive oil and add a bit of balsamic butter to enrich the flavor.

Once the butter is browned, pour it over the squash and toss it to coat all the slices. Add the olive oil and a little drizzle of pumpkin seed oil if you have it. Toss it again, and taste. Does it need anything else? If not, add the mint and pecans, toss one more time, and serve right away.

Simple, Spicy Squash Bake

This recipe, adapted from Denis Cotter’s cookbook Wild Garlic, Gooseberries, and Me, is one that I have returned to every fall and winter for many years. Because of the chocolate and the almonds, it has a mole-like richness that I really love. It cooks for a long time, so will help warm up the house and makes for a great Sunday evening dinner when you’re doing things arounf the house. It also keeps really well and scales easily, so it’s a nice one to make in big batches and eat throughout the week. I like it with tortillas or even a quesadilla, but have also enjoyed it with rice. Pickled peppers or onions, chopped cilantro, scallions, and sour cream are all awesome on top.

Ingredients

• 1 can pinto beans

• About  1 1/2 cups winter squash

• A few glugs of olive oil

• 4 - 5 big leaves of kale (3 1/2 ounces)

• 2 tablespoons butter (or more olive oil)

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 - 4 red jalapeno chiles, halved, seeded, and chopped (you can also use green ones or another red chili, or leave it out if you aren’t into spicy stuff)

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes (I like the the Muir Glen fire roasted ones)

• 2 teaspoons paprika

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 ounce of almonds, dark roasted and finely ground

• About half of a 70% dark chocolate bar (about 1.5 ounces), broken into pieces

• Salt

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cut the squash into chunks, about 3/4-inch squares. You probably want to peel the squash unless it’s a thin-skinned variety like delicata. Put the squash in a roasting pan and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast the squash in the oven for about 20 minutes until caramelized on the outside but still firm. Reduce the oven temperature to 250°. (If you’d rather, you can cook to squash on the stove to a similar state.)

Cut the kale into thick slices, without bothering to remove the stem. Melt the butter (or heat the oil) into an oven-proof casserole dish or cast iron skillet and fry the onion with the chiles over a low to medium heat for 20-30 minutes, until caramelized. Add the garlic and fry for three minutes more. Add the tomatoes and paprika, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the ground almonds, chocolate, squash, beans, kale, and a teaspoon of salt. Stir until the chocolate has melted. Cover the pan and put it in the oven to cook for 2 hours.

Warm Kale & Sweet Potato Salad with Miso Dressing

By Kathering Deumling

This is colorful and delicious and fairly quick to make. Substitute collard greens if you don’t have kale. You can use any miso, but if yours is red or another, darker kind start with a little less and add to taste, as the darker they are the stronger they get.

Serve 4-6

• 1 teaspoons olive oil

• Salt

• 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into very small dice (1/3-1/2 inch or so)

• 1 large bunch kale, any tough stems removed, leaves washed but not dried and thinly sliced crosswise

• 1/3 cup or more chopped cilantro

• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon white miso (or whatever you have, see headnote)

• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more, to taste

• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil or other fairly neutral oil

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot add the sweet potato dice and several pinches of salt. Cook, without stirring for about 3-4 minutes until you can smell them and they take on some color. Toss and continue cooking until just tender and nicely browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Add kale to the hot pan and another pinch of salt. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for a minute or two to wilt. Stir and cover again and turn heat down to medium and cook for a couple more minutes until softened but not mushy. Add a sprinkle of water if things are too dry. The time it will take to get them just tender will depend on your type of kale. Lacinato takes a bit longer than the Russian types. When tender remove from pan and put in a serving dish and let cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together the miso, oil, vinegar and chile flakes in a small bowl. Add sweet potatoes to the kale and add cilantro and scallion and finally dressing. Stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning with more vinegar if needed or a squeeze of lime juice to brighten it.

Katherine Deumling is a long-time People’s Member-Owner who has created an online Seasonal Recipe Collection that empowers you to cook freely and often, building creativity and confidence with every dish. Cook With What You Have is providing a discounted subscription to the Recipe Collection for People’s Member-Owners and customers for $29/year, or $2.99/month (40% off retail).  The site is organized by vegetable/herb/fruit and is centered on flexible, creative templates that allow you to substitute as needed. Use discount code PEOPLES to subscribe at www.cookwithwhatyouhave.com, if you’re interested. 

Homemade Condiments for the BBQ & Beyond

By Sofie Sherman-Burton, Marketing & Membership Manager

Cooking (and eating) outside is one of my favorite parts of warmer weather. On the first warm days of spring, you’ll usually find me texting friends to see who’s free right now and running to the store for a bag of briquettes. Hanging out while the grill heats up, throwing an odd assortment of things on the grill and then onto a plate, and getting a whiff of the lingering smell of smoke in my hair are all quintessential summer moments that I think back to with potent jealousy in January. I also really love condiments and making my own. A few jars of sauces or toppings in the fridge can turn some wonderful (but maybe boring) grilled vegetables into something transcendent. These are all also pretty cheap, pretty easy, and adaptable for uses away from the grill.

Cider Mayonnaise

The first time we made this, my partner declared it “the sharp cheddar of mayo.” That’s not so far from the truth: the apple cider vinegar adds an extra tang that makes this mayo kind of special. I like dipping all kinds of things in it (veggies, potatoes) and of course slathering it on buns.

Ingredients

• 1 large egg yolk

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 ½ cups neutral oil (like canola)

In a food processor, blend the egg yolk, salt, mustard, and vinegar. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil until the mixture is thick, emulsified, and looks like mayo! Store in the refrigerator in a lidded container for up to 7 days. Makes about 1 ½ cups. You could also try making this by hand with a whick or in a blender. Recipe from Poole’s: Recipes and Stories from a Modern Diner by Ashley Christensen.

Basic Country Mustard

There are so many ways to customize this mustard and make it your: brown mustard seeds are spicier than white ones, you can try a variety of vinegars (start with apple cider or white wine), sweeten it, add your favorite herb (like thyme, oregano, or rosemary). No matter what route you take, mustard is super easy to make and just takes a little time!

Ingredients

• Ingredients

• 6 tablespoon mustard seeds

• ½ cup mustard powder

• ½ cup water or beer

• 3 tablespoons of vinegar

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)

• 2 tablespoons honey or agave (optional)

• ¼ cup minced herbs (optional)

Grind the mustard seeds for a few seconds in an electric grinder, or use a mortar and pestle. They should be mostly whole, but crushed. Pour those seeds into a bowl and add the salt and mustard powder. Add your turmeric, sweetener, or herbs here, too, if you’re using them. Pour in the water or beer and stir well. When everything is incorporated, let the mixture sit for ten minutes (the longer you let it sit, the mellower it will be). When you’re ready, pour in the vinegar. Put your mustard in a glass jar with a lid and store it in the fridge. It will be a bit runny, but should thicken over night. Wait at least 12 hours before using. You should end up with about a half a cup of mustard , which will keep for up to a year in the fridge. Adapted slightly from honest-food.net.

Pickled Red Onions

When I have a jar of pickled red onions in the fridge, I put them on just about everything. They’re perfect on tacos, grilled cheese, and pizza, but also on salads, soup, grilled veggies, or atop a rice bowl. They add a great vinegar-y crunch but their pretty pink color might be reason enough for my enthusiasm. This method, which doesn’t even require turning on the stove, is a perfect place to start. If you want to get more creative, bring the sugar, salt, vinegar, and water to a boil on the stove with your desired spices: try fennel, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, allspice berries, sprigs of rosemary or thyme or oregano, dried chili….

Ingredients

• 1 red onion, sliced into half moons as thin as you can manage

• 1 garlic clove sliced thinly or just thoroughly smashed

• 2 teaspoons sugar (you could use honey or agave instead)

• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

• ½ cup white vinegar (or use white wine vinegar)

• ½ cup water

Put everything in a pint jar (or a bigger one if you had a big onion!), screw on the lid tightly, and shake the jar until the salt and sugar have dissolved. If you see granules on the bottom, keep shaking. Let the jar sit out at room temperature for 20 minutes or so. You can eat them right away, or pop them in the fridge. They’ll keep for up to two weeks. Recipe from Small Victories by Julia Turshen.

One Pot Pasta with Whatever is on Hand

by Caitlin Gaylord Churchill, Perishable & Dairy Buyer and Co-Manager

I love this dish because it’s so easy. For it to be a meal, I reason, there should be at least a half hour of me throwing vegetable peels on the floor and in my hair while I braise and nearly burn something else. It doesn’t have to be that way, but I feel most comfortable with a little chaos around me – it’s hard for me to embrace the easy. So put your long hair up with two pencils or a rubber band and listen up:

You can edit this dish in many ways to fit what you have around and what you like. The basic idea is that you get a salty pot of water boiling, add the pasta and when there is 3-4 minutes left in the pasta’s cooking cycle, add some veggies that will cook also. If you’re adding a frozen veg, defrost it in the colander with a water rinse before adding to the pot. Veggies like broccoli could take longer or be cut smaller, your choice. Veggies such as fresh chard or spinach could be put in with a minute to spare so they don’t overcook.

Ingredients

• 200 grams legume-based pasta

• 1 pound of fresh green beans

• 2 cups frozen shelled green peas

• Sea salt for cooking water and garnish

• 4 tablespoons cold-pressed olive oil

• Zest and juice of 1 organic lemon

• 4 tablespoons capers

• A large handful fresh mint, leaves only

Instructions

Put a large pot of water on the stove and heat over a high flame.

While the water is heating up, wash, trim, and chop the beans. Shell the peas (or take them out of the fridge or freezer). Wash and roughly chop the mint. Once the cooking water is boiling, salt it generously (it should taste salty).

Add the pasta and set a timer for about three minutes before the suggested cooking time. Three minutes before the pasta is done, add the beans and peas. Cook for three minutes. Drain well and place back in the pot. Add the olive oil (important to keep the pasta from sticking!), lemon zest, drained capers and a few pinches of sea salt. Season to taste. Fold in the fresh mint and serve.

Vegetable Ideas

• Diced carrot

• Diced summer squash (seriously, lets use ‘em up)

• Green beans

• Frozen peas (FAVORITE)

• Broccoli florets

• Cauliflower florets

• Edamame

• Frozen or fresh spinach

• Chard leaves

Seasoning

• Sundried tomatoes, garlic, & basil

• Coconut milk, curry, & peanuts

• Tahini dressing, made with tahini, lemon, garlic, & water in the food processor

Beets, Buckwheat, & Chevre

By Caitlin Gaylord Churchill, Perishable & Dairy Buyer and Comanager

Originally this was a recipe for roasted beets and farro, which I found on the illustrious FoodNetwork.com. I don’t find farro to be that interesting of a grain, so this is the jazzed up version. It takes a little longer to prepare, but I find that it’s more interesting. You can leave out the cheese entirely and it’s still delish.

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds small beets (I like to mix red and yellow)

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• Sea Salt and Black Pepper

• 5 sprigs thyme

• 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled

• ½ cup shelled raw pistachios

• ½ cup pitted prunes, diced

• 4 tablespoons salted butter or earth balance

• 1½ cups buckwheat kasha

• 3 cups of vegetable stock

• 4 ounces chevre or Heidi Ho vegan goat cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Cut beets into halves. Combine the beets, olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, some pepper, the thyme sprigs, and the garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Cover with foil and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until easily pierced with a paring knife. During that time on another rack in the oven, roast the pistachios for 5 minutes. Set aside both to cool completely.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan or deep saute pan over medium heat. Add the buckwheat and stir until coated with butter and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the prunes and add 3 cups of stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer on low for 25 minutes. With a paper towel, remove the skins from the beets. Quarter the beets and add them to the bowl with the cooked buckwheat. Fold in the toasted pistachios.

Squeeze the roasted garlic into a small bowl. Mash it with a fork and season with salt and pepper, and then stir it into the salad. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Top with the crumbled goat cheese.

Angelica's Kitchen Potato Leek Soup with Greens

By Caitlin Gaylord Churchill, Perishable & Dairy Buyer and Comanager

When I was in my late teens and early twenties I would sometimes go into The City (you know, New York) for a weekend with friends. I had very little money, but what money I had I hoarded and then spent exclusively on restaurant food. I would walk all over and eat samosas in a basement level quicky mart with cab drivers on the lower east side, and then oysters at the cavernous Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station. One place that was frequently on the list to visit was Angelica’s Kitchen – one of the first hip vegetarian restaurants ever. Gluten Free Corn Bread – they had it before it was cool. This potato leek soup is like a free trip to that restaurant. It’s familiar and comforting but somehow also bright and healthy. It comes out a lovely green once it’s pureed. The only next level cooking tool you might need is an immersion blender – you could use a regular food processor but it would take a lot of ladling hot soup back and forth – not my favorite way to pass the time.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 large leeks, whites only

• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled

• 4-5 cups of vegetable stock

• 1 pound yukon gold potatoes diced into ½” cubes

• 2 bunches of spinach or watercress, washed, drained and coarsely chopped (frozen is fine if defrosted)

• 1 tablespoon tarragon, leaves only

• Juice of 1 lemon, fresh

Instructions

Combine the ¼ cup oil, leeks and whole garlic cloves in a heavybottomed pot or deep sauce pan over medium heat. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.

Add pinch of salt, lower the heat, cover and cook 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.

Add the potatoes and enough stock to cover them, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Add the spinach or watercress to the soup and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add tarragon and remaining olive oil, and then blend the soup until creamy with an immersion blender, or in a blender or food processor. Stir in lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste.

If the soup is too thick, thin with additional stock to desired consistency.

Best polenta, mushrooms & kale

A quick supper for an autumn weeknight, celebrating some staples of the Northwest. 

Ingredients

• About a cup of cremini mushrooms

• Butter (or substitute olive oil)

• Olive or canola oil

• 1 cup polenta (maybe some special kind, grown near you, with no GMOs! Like the kind sold at People’s Food Co-op in bulk!)

• Salt

• Kale, just a few leaves

• About 1 cup of oyster or other more unusual mushrooms

• Black pepper

• Mustard

• Beer or wine (optional)

Slice the cremini mushrooms. Put butter and a small drizzle of oil in a cast iron pan, raise the heat to high and add the mushrooms. Stir to coat, reduce the heat to medium and cook without crowding until they start to color on one side. Flip them with a spatula and cook until colored on the other side. Towards the end, turn the heat back up to high and press down on them with your spatula. The remaining water should sputter out and evaporate, and the edges should crisp just perfectly. Swiftly remove and set aside. 

Cook the polenta in a heavy-bottomed saucepan: mix the polenta with 4 cups of water, 1 teaspoon salt and olive oil, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, stir. When it first starts to really thicken, add the cremini mushrooms and a knob of butter. When it starts to thicken dramatically, reduce the heat to as low as it’ll go and stir in another pat of butter. De-stem the kale leaves and cut them into ribbons. Stir them in, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the polenta rest so that the kale can steam. 

In the mushroom pan, add more butter and oil. Cook the fancier mushrooms in pulled-apart pieces on medium-high heat. Add a drop of mustard, maybe a splash of beer or wine if you are drinking any. Add some salt and a heavy cracking of black pepper. 

Serve the polenta with kale ribbons in a bowl, topped with the fancier mushrooms and a dusting of flaky salt. 

Extra ideas

This kind of dinner can also be made with delicious polenta triangles. This is an adaptation of “Erico’s Easy Polenta,” on the back of the Golden Pheasant bag. 

Ingredients

• 3 1⁄4 cups lukewarm water

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup polenta

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for frying

• 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for the dish (or use olive oil)

Butter a ceramic baking dish. Pour in the water. Stir in the salt to dissolve it. Add the polenta and olive oil, stirring to distribute the oil and avoid clumping. Bake at 350 degrees F, uncovered, for 50 minutes. Run a fork through it, spread melted butter over the top with a rubber spatula, and bake for 10 more minutes. Let cool, then cut into triangles. Fry up in oil, and top with mushrooms and kale or other delicious things. Roasted squash, roasted garlic, roasted cauliflower?  Chickpea curry? Ratatouille? 

Celeriac, Fennel & Orange Salad

Ingredients

• 1 celeriac

• 1 fennel bulb

• 3 blood oranges

• 1 lemon

• 1 large navel or cara cara orange

• olive oil

• almonds (handful)

• tarragon

• white wine vinegar

Prepare a big bowl with cold water. Drop in some lemon juice from a bottle or a fruit. 

Peel the celeriac. Drop into the lemon bath immediately. 

Trim the fennel (reserving the tops with fronds) and slice into thin boomerangs. Move them to the lemon bath. Take out the celeriac, cut it in half, put the other half back. Keep cutting the celeriac now into thin-to-medium matchsticks. Moving the finished ones to the lemon bath, then repeating with the second half of the vegetable. 

Cut the oranges into 1/4 inch rounds. Trim the peels with a paring knife. Cut little triangular pieces, removing center seeds or any remaining pith, so you have clean and beautiful jewels of citrus. 

Drain the lemon bath, add more lemon juice, a splash of tarragon white wine vinegar, and olive oil. Toss to dress. 

Chop the handful of almonds roughly, just making sure some pieces are quite small. 

Assemble each serving separately. Take the celeriac and fennel pieces, make a nice pile, add pieces of orange, toss over some almonds, drizzle over some good finishing-olive oil, crack on black pepper, toss on some finishing salt, then tear fennel fronds over the whole thing. 

Recipe courtesy of Andrew Barton, photo credits Peter Schweitzer.

Rutabaga Fries with Paprika & Caraway Ketchup

Ingredients

• About one medium rutabaga per person

• Oil, enough to cover an inch of a pot or pan

• Salt

• Paprika

• Ketchup

• A tablespoon or two of caraway seeds

Peel and trim the rutabaga. Lob off the bottoms first, so they have sturdy footing as you trim around the edges. Cut into 1/4 inch disks, then further into your desired fry-shape. 

Heat the oil in a particularly heat conductive pan; a copper bottom Revereware pan is great for this. 

In a separate, dry pan, toast plenty (a teaspoon or two) of caraway seeds over medium heat. When they are fragrant, take them off the heat and tip into a mortar or onto a cutting board. Smash or chop them up, then stir into your preferred store bought ketchup. 

When the oil is quite hot for the frying, add the pieces of rutabaga a few at a time.

Using tongs to turn the pieces and remove them, use your own judgement/preference for deepening color and crispness. Remove to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain onto. Hold in an oven set to 200º until all the fries are done. Remove the paper towel, blotting once more.

Sprinkle on paprika and salt. Place until the broiler until starting to crisp. Turn over the pieces, repeat. Or simply roast in the oven for 5-10 minutes, turned up to 400º. When the fries have been re-crisped and the paprika is going dark, take them out, toss on a little more paprika and salt, then eat immediately with the caraway ketchup.

Recipe courtesy of Andrew Barton, photo credits Peter Schweitzer.

Candied Carrots with Herbs & White Pepper Sour Cream

Ingredients

• Carrots (good looking, smallish)

• Sugar (or honey, agave, or maple syrup if you prefer)

• Salt

• Oil

• Lots of herbs: mint, winter savory, rosemary, sage, oregano, parsley, or whatever you can get your hands on

For the white pepper sour cream (optional)

• Sour cream (plain yogurt would work well, too)

• White pepper

Trim the tops of the carrots and slice in half them lengthwise, all the way to the tip. Cook in boiling, salted water for about 3 minutes, until just tender. Remove to an ice bath, change the water after a minute or two. Drain when the carrots are cooled. 

In a bowl, dress the carrots with oil and a few pinches of both sugar and salt. Heat a flat, wide seasoned pan over medium-high heat. Place the carrots in the pan, cut side down. Let cook until those cut sides are starting to candy, but before any part burns. This involves very careful watching, and a lot of picking up carrots with tongs. I find this sort of thing fun, though– perhaps you do too?

Meanwhile, chop your heaping pile of herbs. 

Remove to a baking dish and place in a 300º oven (or transfer your oven-safe pan to the oven), where they will stay warm and continue to candy a bit. When all the carrots are in the baking dish, toss them with the herbs. 

When ready to serve, make up a dish of spicy sour cream. Take a few tablespoons in a bowl, add a drizzle of cold water, stir till smooth and just a bit thinner than usual. Add a full 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper, stir again, and serve. 

Recipe courtesy of Andrew Barton, photo credits Peter Schweitzer.

Aloo Gobi

Serves 4

A simple Indian dish perfect for these cold winter days that is sure to warm you from the inside out. Cauliflower and potatoes are simmered in an indian spiced curry to create a nutrient-dense, rich, and satisfying meal. To make it more of a complete meal, I like to add chickpeas into the mix or put it on top of a bed of quinoa.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp avocado oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped

• ½ tbsp cumin seeds

• 1 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves separated and chopped

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 2 tsp salt

• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

• 1-inch piece of ginger, grated

• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

• 1 medium cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets

• 2 large potatoes (or about 5 small), cut to into bite sized cubes

• 1 tsp garam masala

• Pinch red pepper flakes

• 1 lime, cut into wedges

• Salt + pepper, to taste

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cumin seeds. Saute for a few minutes, until onion softens. Next, add in the cilantro stems (not leaves) , turmeric, and salt. Saute for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the garlic, ginger, and canned tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and then add in the cauliflower, potato, and garam masala. Stir until the cauliflower and potatoes are all coated in the curry. Cook, covered, for about 15 minutes or until potatoes and cauliflower are tender, but not mushy.

Remove from heat and stir in the chopped cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime. Add more salt and spice, to taste. Serve with lime wedge and cilantro to garnish, if desired.

Recipe and photo by Natalie Bickford.