Mustard green season is upon us. And … bok choy season. And turnip season. Perfect timing with this weekend’s cooler temperatures.
Mustard green recipes here. White bean stew with greens and tomatoes for a cool Thursday evening?
Bok choy recipes here. Spicy ginger pork noodles for dinner tomorrow night?
Turnips, too. I’m favoring pan roasted turnips and radishes.
I’ve been grilling all the peppers that have arrived and then marinating them in chimichurri sauce, left over from testing a recipe for the AJC. Now I have peppers I can slice onto a sandwich, or peppers I can toss on a pizza (which is what we’re having tonight), or peppers I can stir into a dozen other recipes. They keep well in the refrigerator as long as there’s some olive oil over them, but they don’t keep forever.
But this bounty of eggplant. What are you doing with it? I’m probably making another eggplant parmigiana this weekend. It’s the one way I can serve eggplant that my husband will enjoy.
And I’ve been craving lentils since I had to try some lentil recipes for the paper. So was very pleased to see this recipe for a lentil-butternut salad. Yum. It’s from “My Pinewood Kitchen” by Mee McCormick.
Spiced Lentil Salad with Butternut Squash
In a medium bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon of the sea salt in the soaking water. Add the lentils and soak at room temperature for a minimum of 1 hour. Drain well.
When ready to make salad, adjust oven racks to the middle and lowest positions and heat the oven to 450 degrees.
Toss the squash with 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar, the remaining sea salt, and the black pepper. Arrange the squash in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast on the lower rack until well browned and tender, about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through roasting. Let the squash cool slightly. Decrease the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the lentils, 1 tablespoon of the oil, the garlic, coriander, cumin, ginger, and cinnamon; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the 4 cups water. Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes until the lentils are soft. Drain well.
In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, the remaining oil, and the remaining vinegar. Add the parsley and onion. Toss in the lentils and squash. Season with additional sea salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds or pepitas. Serve warm or at room temperature.