This week’s box included: sweet potato, pepper assortment (including cubanelles, bell, and poblanos), butternut squash, spaghetti squash, garlic, eggplant, popcorn
What was your prize in today’s vegetable lottery? I heard that some of us had boxes with lettuce, some had boxes with pak choi, and some (lucky us!) had boxes with mustard greens. Not that I have anything against lettuce or pak choi, but yay! for mustard greens. I love these slightly bitter greens for the great counterpoint they make for sweeter fall flavors (looking at you, sweet potato).
We posted this recipe for Curried Sweet Potato and Mustard Greens Salad back in 2015 and it’s a winner. I just wrapped up a story about dates so I am all about using these sweet, sticky fruits in ways that show how nicely they play with other ingredients. Like the date chutney here.
Did you know that dates are being harvested right now? Yes, it’s date harvest season in those hot, hot parts of the world (including the intersection of California, Arizona and Mexico) where dates are grown. So eat seasonally, Riverview fans. Enjoy some dates!
Speaking of hot, hot parts of the world …. I learned that dates need 100 days of temperatures over 100 degrees to set and ripen fruit. Given what’s happening with global temperatures, is it too long before we’re enjoying date bars instead of strawberry shortcake?
I digress …. but also a big yay! for a new batch of popcorn, too. What a great box.
If you don’t want to eat curried sweet potatoes, how about sweet potato burgers? This is a recipe from Alexandracooks.com. If you’ve struggled with veggie burgers that don’t hold their shape – Ali’s got great tips in this recipe.
Sweet Potato and Mushroom Veggie Burger
Note from Ali: For quick prep, I use a food processor fitted with the shredder attachment to grate the sweet potatoes and mushrooms. If you don’t have a food processor, don’t cut the sweet potato into wedges — it will be easier to grate the sweet potato with a box grater if it’s whole. Once you have this veggie burger mix on hand, you can keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days. I love broiling 2 or 3 patties at a time — great for a quick lunch or dinner. You can also cook a bunch at a time and store them in the fridge. I find these delicious cold, straight from the fridge, so don’t be afraid to cook them ahead of time.
She suggests serving with mashed avocado or quick-pickled onions. I say, date chutney from that sweet potato and mustard green recipe!
1/2 cup quinoa
kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil or grapeseed oil, plus more for frying
1 shallot or small red onion, minced to yield about 1/3 cup
pinch red pepper flakes
5 to 6 ounces cremini mushrooms, about 8, or 1 portobello
1 medium sweet potato, about 11 oz, scrubbed but not peeled, cut into wedges, see notes above
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely minced parsley or cilantro
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
3 eggs, beatenIn a medium pot, combine the quinoa with 1 cup of water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand covered. You should have about 1 1/2 cups.
Meanwhile, place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil. When it shimmers, add the shallots or onion and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cover, turn the heat down to medium, and cook until the shallots soften, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, run the mushrooms down the chute of a food processor fitted with the shredder attachment. Run the sweet potato wedges down the chute next. (If you don’t have a food processor, shred the sweet potato using a cheese grater and finely mince the mushrooms.) Dump the mushrooms and sweet potatoes into the pan with the shallots. Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook until the vegetables are just soft, about 2 minutes more. Season with salt to taste. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the cooked quinoa, panko, parsley, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Stir to combine. Taste. This is your chance to get the seasoning right. If it needs more salt and pepper, and them now. Add the eggs, and stir to combine.
Make a test patty: Place a large skillet over high heat. Add oil to coat the bottom in a thin layer. Scoop out some of the quinoa mix with your and cup it to form a ball. Gently flatten to form a patty. When the oil shimmers, carefully lower the patty, season with salt and pepper, cook 2 minutes, or until underside is deeply golden brown, flip, cook 2 minutes more. Remove from skillet. Let cool briefly. Taste, make adjustments to your vegetable mix accordingly — if the patty fell apart, add another egg. If it feels too wet, add more panko. Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if necessary.
Form patties using a 1/3 to 1/2 cup measuring cup. Scoop out the mix, squeeze with your hands, form into a ball, then pat to form into a patty—mixture will be delicate/wet. Portion out all of the mixture.
To pan-fry the patties: Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add more oil if necessary — there should be a thin layer. Carefully lower patties into the oil and cook two to three minutes a side or until each side has formed a nice, golden-brown crust. It’s best to let the patties cook undisturbed for a minute or two before peeking to check for doneness—you want to give them a chance to develop a crust.
To Broil: Heat your broiler to high. Line a sheet pan with foil. Brush it lightly with olive oil. Place formed veggie patties on top. Brush tops lightly with oil. Season with sea salt. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until beginning to lightly char. (No need to flip — broiling on one side should suffice.)