Have we talked about blistered green beans before? I hope not, because I’ve got a recipe to share. It’s from Alexandra Stafford of alexandracooks.com. You do have a head of garlic left over from a week or so ago? Love her very clear direction on how to make sure this is seasoned the way you’d like and how to get blistered but not burnt beans.
collards
(2021) Winter Squash and Mushroom Curry
If cooler nights are putting you in the mood for curry, love this recipe for butternut and mushroom curry from Madhur Jaffrey, printed in the New York Times. Perfect for the tiny butternut that was in our box. It’s sometimes nice to have a smaller vegetable to work with (like those small Japanese eggplants). This is comfort food, Indian-style, and mushrooms are usually available at our local farmers markets. Curry leaves are available at shops that sell Indian groceries. I purchased a small batch awhile back and keep it in the freezer. I have to say, though, that you could skip the curry leaves. I find their contribution to a dish is pretty subtle.
(2021) Pimento Cheese & Crackers
We received a pretty red pepper in our box this week — an inspiration to reach out to Annie (the pre-pandemic Rogue Baker of Grant Park) for her excellent pimento cheese recipe. With thanks to Annie, here it is.
(2021) Roasted Eggplant with Tahini, Pinenuts and Lentils
And I liked the idea for Roasted Eggplant with Tahini, Pinenuts and Lentils as a variation of the baba ghanoush many of us probably make every year. From Serious Eats.
(2021) Eggplant Focaccia With Ricotta and Olives
And then we got two Italian eggplants. I’ve got two recipe ideas below – neither is quick to cook, but both delicious. The Focaccia with Ricotta and Olives makes a delicious lunch. I’m hoping to get mine baked before we head out to the beach so we’ll have squares available for snacking on the road and enough left for a light dinner with a salad.
(2021) Sweet Potato Ideas
I know I spend a lot of time saying, “I don’t remember ….” but I truly don’t remember a year when the watermelon season has been so long. It’s been wonderful for me since watermelon is by far my favorite melon, but I know not everyone feels the same way. Did I mention freezing some of the watermelon and then pureeing with a bottle of rosé? Instant frosé!
And of course we have about a dozen recipes including watermelon curry on grassfedcow.com.
I hear that some boxes included delicata squash, but in our box we received a HUGE sweet potato. In this case, “I remember” last year’s first arrivals of sweet potatoes also being similarly huge. I’m excited and know that apples are not far behind. September is just around the corner!
With apologies to Georgia, I share a message I received from the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission. So many interesting ideas! (For some reason, North Carolina thinks “sweet potato” is all one word ….)
(2021) Charlotte’s Favorite Sausages & Veggies in Rice
Last night I finally tried Charlotte’s go-to recipe, sausages cooked in rice. I think we found a new family favorite, and another way to hide 3 cups of squash. (Psst: they didn’t even know it was in there!) That tomato in my box that didn’t survive its encounter with the watermelon? It joined the squash and onion in the rice. The end result was similar to risotto all cooked in a single skillet. Bueno.
(2021) Tomato Salad with Pine Nuts and Pomegranate Molasses
Pomegranate molasses, a thick pomegranate syrup, can be found at Middle Eastern markets, some supermarkets, and online.
(2021) Summer Vegetables in Spiced Yogurt Sauce
This is also a recipe from the New York Times and totally adaptable for what is in this week’s box. You should swap out vegetables as you prefer. I’ve just been in the mood for Indian food, so this really appealed to me this week. We ran a recipe for Chicken Korma from Aroma Bistro in Roswell a week or two ago and testing that recipe just made me crave Indian spices.
(2021) Melon, Cucumber and Cherry Tomato Salad
I haven’t cut into those melons yet. They’re in the refrigerator chilling. But I’m sharing a recipe I saw in the New York Times for a melon, cherry tomato and cucumber salad. Nothing particularly unusual in it, except for the concept. I just wouldn’t have thought to add melon to a tomato and cucumber salad. That’s the great thing about looking for and sharing recipes. It’s always fun for me to look for things that sounds intriguing and just a bit different from what I’d traditionally make.