Contents of this week’s box, clockwise from top L: Butternut squash, Napa cabbage, sweet little peppers, daikon radish (the long white root), poblano peppers, apples, Italian sweet peppers, lettuce (or maybe you got a bunch of kale?), beautiful bunch of radishes, carrots, delicata squash.
We’ve been away for two weeks, taking a working vacation at a South Carolina beach. No cooking in that dreary rental house kitchen and every Tuesday I’d wonder, “What am I missing in the Riverview box this week?” as we ate very ordinary food from the restaurants there. I was craving greens and squash and anything really fresh. So glad to be back and enjoying the amazing box this week. Peppers galore, two kinds of radishes, huge carrots!, lettuce mix in a bag (maybe you had some while we were gone, but that feels like a first for me), delicata AND butternut …. and our first apples (again, you may have had some while we were away).
I’ve been dreaming up meals all afternoon but the first thing I’m going to fix is pork larb to serve in those big Napa cabbage leaves. We have lots of Napa cabbage recipes at grassfedcow.com, but I just want to spoon some savory seasoned crumbled ground pork in to those leaves and roll them up like enchiladas.
Daikons frequently offer a challenge, and generally, they just get bigger as the season goes on. I’m partial to the Lemongrass Pork Sandwich we’ve posted, with its quick pickled daikon and carrot. I’ll add some of those peppers from today’s haul.
In the spirit of this Saturday’s “sweet” holiday, maybe roast some Carrot Candy?
I can’t resist sharing this recipe from Epicurious, easiest way ever to deal with a butternut squash. Chop up that rounded base and other trimmings and turn it into soup but use the big beefy neck to an easy dinner. I love that this is skillet cooked, not roasted. Easier for someone like me, who likes to multi-task in the kitchen, to keep an eye on its progress.
Butternut Squash Steaks with Brown Butter-Sage Sauce
1 large butternut squash (about 3 lb.), preferably one with a long thick neck
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 sage leaves
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Cut the neck off squash; reserve base for another use. Trim the base off the neck then peel. Resting neck on cut base, cut in half lengthwise, creating two lobes. Trim off outer rounded side of each piece to create two 3/4-inch-thick “steaks.” Reserve trimmings for another use.
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium. Cook squash steaks, turning every 3 minutes, until deeply browned on both sides and fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Add butter, sage, and garlic to skillet, tilt pan toward you so that butter pools on one side, and use a large spoon to continually baste steaks with butter. Cook, basting, until butter is no longer bubbling, smells nutty, and is beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer squash steaks to plates and spoon sauce over.