This week’s box included: peppers, tomatoes, summer squash, spaghetti squash, watermelon, eggplant, garlic, okra, cucumber cherry tomatoes, potatoes.
A bounty of Cubanelle peppers (I think they’re Cubanelle peppers!) this week means I’ll be doing some pepper grilling this week. Something about the combination of char and peppers is just so appealing to me. Then I chop up the peppers and use them in salads or to make my husband’s very favorite snack, pimento cheese. We’re headed to the beach for a week, so we need lots of pimento cheese as fuel for the holiday.
While I’m at it, I’ll grill that okra. Last week’s okra went into a stew with a Riverview onion, Riverview green beans and some of those grape tomatoes. It’s childhood comfort food for me and I served it on top of grits. As always we have plenty of okra recipes at https://grassfedcow.com/ingredient/okra/.
And what about that adorable tiny spaghetti squash? At least our was tiny – not much bigger than a grapefruit. There are ideas for what to do with yours at https://grassfedcow.com/ingredient/spaghetti-squash/.
I was tickled to see zephyr squash make its appearance and there’s a recipe for squash and pasta that cooks out all the water on the squash so you don’t end up with a watery dish. It’s brilliant. I think the original recipe called for zucchini, but since we don’t get a ton of zucchini in our boxes, I’ve adapted lots of zucchini recipes for yellow or Zephyr squash.
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.
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.
Squash Butter Spaghetti
From Smitten Kitchen
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for pasta water, and to taste
8 ounces spaghetti, cooked al dente
1 cup pasta water, reserved
1 1/4 pounds squash, trimmed, coarsely grated
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1/2 cup grated parmesan
Handful fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
Boil spaghetti in well-salted water until it’s 1 minute shy of fully cooked. Before you drain, reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water and set aside.
Melt butter in your empty pan over medium-high heat and add the garlic, stirring it into the butter for one minute before adding the squash, salt, and red pepper. Cook the zucchini, stirring from time to time, for 13 to 15 minutes. It will first let off a puddle liquid, the liquid will cook off, and the zucchini will become soft and concentrated. If the squash begins to brown, reduce the heat slightly. Stir frequently for 2 more minutes, chopping it down into smaller bits with the edge of your spoon or spatula, until it reaches an almost spreadable consistency.
Pour in 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and stir up anything stuck, then add drained pasta, and cook together for 2 minutes. Use tongs or two forks to pull up the zucchini butter sauce into the pasta strands, tossing frequently, and adding some or all of the remaining pasta water as needed to loosen. Toss in half of the parmesan and basil and mix, then transfer to a serving bowl. Finish with remaining parmesan and basil.
Eggplant Focaccia With Ricotta and Olives
From The New York Times.
For the Dough:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the bowl
3/4 cup lukewarm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 1/2 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/4 cups bread flour, plus more as needed
For the Topping:
3/4 pound eggplant, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup pitted olives
1/4cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 fat garlic clove, minced or finely grated
5 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or oregano leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried
2/3 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup fresh ricotta, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish
Torn fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Oil a large bowl and set aside. (This is for the rising dough.)
Add water to another large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir 1/3 cup oil and salt into yeast mixture. Stir in flour until a soft, shaggy dough forms.
If kneading by hand, turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Or knead in a stand mixer equipped with the dough hook for 3 to 5 minutes. The dough is ready when it’s elastic but somewhat sticky and damp. If the dough seems unmanageable and won’t come off your hands, add more flour, a little at a time.
Place dough in the oiled bowl and turn to coat it lightly with oil. Cover bowl with a plate or plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
While dough is rising, make the topping: Combine eggplant and salt in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Mince half of the olives and slice the other half.
In a small saucepan, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium. Add garlic, stirring constantly, and heat until opaque, about 1 minute. Add the minced olives and anchovies, if using. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until the oil is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour oil over eggplant. Add thyme or oregano and toss until evenly coated. Set aside and cool completely before using.
Lightly oil an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Working on a floured surface, roll dough into an 11-by-16-inch rectangle, then transfer it to the oiled baking sheet and press the dough to the sides. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange eggplant slices evenly over dough, and scatter tomatoes and sliced olives on top. Drizzle any leftover oil from the bottom of the eggplant bowl on pizza.
Bake until edges and underside are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Using a spoon, top with dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper and basil leaves on top, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Roasted Eggplant with Tahini, Pinenuts and Lentils
Serious Eats
For the Lentils:
2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (about 1 cup; 170g)
2 small stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 1 cup; 115g)
1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 cup; 225g)
6 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
12 ounces (340g) brown or de Puy lentils
2 bay leaves
4 cups homemade vegetable stock or water (about 1L) (see note)
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons (10ml) red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or sherry vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
For the Eggplant:
2 large Italian or small globe eggplants, about 1 pound (450g) each
4 tablespoons (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large sprigs fresh rosemary
To Serve:
2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 cup pine nuts (about 2 1/2 ounces; 70g)
1 recipe Tahini Sauce With Garlic and Lemon
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
For the Lentils: Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 450°F to prepare for roasting eggplant. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add lentils, bay leaves, stock or water, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, cover with the lid partially ajar, and cook until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. (Top up with water if lentils are at any point not fully submerged.) Remove lid, stir in vinegar, and reduce until lentils are moist but not soupy. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover, and keep warm until ready to serve.
For the Eggplant: While lentils cook, cut each eggplant in half. Score flesh with the tip of a paring knife in a cross-hatch pattern at 1-inch intervals. Transfer to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, cut side up, and brush each eggplant half with 1 tablespoon oil, letting each brushstroke be fully absorbed before brushing with more. Season with salt and pepper. Place a rosemary sprig on top of each one. Transfer to oven and roast until completely tender and well charred, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and discard rosemary.
To Serve: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and pine nuts in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Cook, tossing nuts frequently, until golden brown and aromatic, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to halt cooking. Stir half of parsley and rosemary into lentils and transfer to a serving platter. Arrange eggplant halves on top. Spread a few tablespoons of tahini sauce over each eggplant half and sprinkle with pine nuts. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and rosemary, drizzle with additional olive oil, and serve.