Thoughts on approaching this week’s box from subscriber Conne Ward Cameron.
Sad, sad day. The last CSA box of the season. But tomatoes! Red ones and green ones. I was so surprised. Perhaps you were, too.
Mark Bittman just put out a recipe for Pasta with Winter Squash and Tomatoes. Never would I have imagined I would find most everything I needed in today’s box.
Pasta with Winter Squash and Tomatoes
Bittman writes: “If we’re being truthful, this sweater weather recipe should really be called ‘winter squash and tomatoes with pasta,’ as the 2 pounds of squash far outweigh the 1/2 pound of penne it calls for. I think that’s a good thing. Every single piece of pasta gets a generous coating of sauce, and there’s even some left behind after the pasta is long gone. That’s what bread is for.”
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup sliced shallots (I’m using onions)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 to 2 pounds peeled, cubed, or shredded butternut or other winter squash, about 5 cups
1/2 pound cut pasta, like ziti or penne
Freshly chopped parsley or Parmesan for garnish
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, shallots and pepper flakes and cook for about a minute; add tomatoes and squash, and cook with some salt and pepper.
When squash is tender – about 10 minutes for shreds, 15 or so for small cubes – cook pasta until it is tender. Combine sauce and pasta, and serve, garnished with parsley or Parmesan.
So for the last box, I’ve got a few more recipes to offer to tide us all over until next May. (May! That’s five months away!)
Apple Crisp – so sorry I don’t remember the original source for this. But yummy. And easy.
Topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Zest from 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup toasted pecans
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled
Apples:
4 apples, cored and diced
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons bourbon, rye, or Scotch
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Make topping: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, lemon zest, nutmeg and salt until well combined.
Add pecans and pulse just until pecans start to break apart, 2 to 3 pulses. Some whole pecans should still be visible.
Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles a coarse meal with pea-sized chunks.
Toss apples, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and whiskey in a large mixing bowl until evenly combined. Transfer to baking dish and cover with crisp topping, spreading it into an even layer across the dish. Do not pack topping down with your hands. Bake until topping is darker in color, sandy, dry, and firm to the touch, about 45 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Butternut Squash Au Gratin (another Mark Bittman recipe from “How to Cook Everything Fast”)
1 large butternut or other winter squash (2 to 2 ½ pounds)
3 sprigs fresh sage
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cup cream
1 cup hazelnuts, pecans, or pistachios, chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Cut the squash in half crosswise, trim and peel it, scoop out and discard the seeds, and cut it into chunks. Shred the squash in a food processor with a grating disk (by far the easier method) or by hand with a box grater.
Strip the sage leaves from 3 sprigs and chop them.
Put the squash in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Add the sage, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper; toss and spread in an even layer. Pour 1 cup cream over the top.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake until the squash is tender and the cream is bubbly and thick, 15 to 20 minutes.
When the squash is tender, uncover the dish, sprinkle the Parmesan over the top, and sprinkle with the nuts. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the top is lightly browned, about 5 minutes more.
Let cool for a minute or 2 before serving. Serves four.
Carrot Ribbon Salad – another recipe whose original source is lost in the mists of time
2 cups shelled fresh peas (I’m seeing snow peas at the farmers market so slivering those into this salad)
1 pound large carrots
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
In a saucepan, cook peas in a small amount of boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes or just until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold running water until cool. Peel carrots. Using a vegetable peeler, peel carrots lengthwise into very thin strips.
In a large mixing bowl combine peas, carrots, and green onions. In a small mixing bowl combine honey, vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss gently. Cover and chill 2 to 4 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon.
Sweet Potato Green Onion Cakes
And finally a recipe from Southern Living. I’m seeing such pretty green onions at the markets that I’m looking for all kinds of ways to use them. They call for microwaving the potato – which is quick. But you could absolutely roast it, just not to melting since you want to be able to grate the potatoes. Just roast until barely tender.
4 medium-size sweet potatoes (about 2 1/4 lb.)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup flour
2 red jalapeño peppers, chopped (optional but maybe you have a few lurking in the freezer from prior boxes)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions, divided
1/4 cup canola oil
Lime wedges
Pierce 1 sweet potato several times with a fork. Place on a microwave-safe plate; cover with damp paper towels. Microwave at HIGH 8 to 10 minutes or until tender. Let stand 5 minutes. Peel potato, and place in a medium bowl; mash with a fork. Peel remaining sweet potatoes, and grate, using the large holes of a box grater. Stir grated potatoes into mashed potato. Gently stir in eggs, flour, jalapenos, salt and 1/4 cup green onions just until combined.
Pour oil into a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, and heat over medium heat to 350 degrees. Carefully drop mixture by tablespoonfuls, in batches, into hot oil, pressing lightly to flatten. Cook 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. If not serving immediately, place drained sweet potato cakes on a wire rack over an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven up to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup green onions just before serving. Serve with lime wedges.