This week’s box included: Okra, Cucumbers (salad + Kirby), poblano peppers, watermelon, potatoes, delicata squash, eggplant, collards, cherry tomatoes
It feels a little schizophrenic to be looking at a watermelon sitting in the same box with collard greens. What season are we in? I don’t know if everyone got collard greens, but that’s what’s in our box today. I remember Charlotte telling me many years ago that she didn’t understand all the fuss about kale. Her preference would always be collard greens. And we have lots of collard green recipes at grassfedcow.com. If you aren’t feeling like cooking up a big mess of greens, how about Collard Green-Olive Pesto? Or Collard Green Salad with Spicy Brittle? Or make a batch of Ginger Sesame Collard Slaw?
Also in our box were three delicata squash and I’ve got a great recipe, appended below, for this lovely squash that doesn’t need peeling before you enjoy it – Roasted Delicata Squash with Tahini and Herb Salad from Martha Stewart Living about 5 years ago. We also got some big chunky red potatoes, two slicer cucumbers, three Kirbys, an eggplant and a quart of grape tomatoes.
But mostly today, I’m here to talk about gumbo.
It was brought to my attention that we don’t have any gumbo recipes at grassfedcow.com. At first I was surprised. Really? But as I thought about it, I realized I’ve stayed away from gumbo recipes because they can be a bit complicated. Making a roux can be daunting. They tend to require lots of ingredients. And they usually make a big, big batch. So gumbo making may not be for everyone, but if you’re thinking a pot of gumbo would be a great way to use up the okra in your box this week (our little brown bag was filled with some pretty large okra pods), then I’ve got three gumbo recipes to offer. All have been published in the AJC and there’s one that doesn’t include okra.
Gumbo from Ray’s on the River – with shrimp, oysters, crab, andouille sausage and okra
Gumbo from The Optimist – with andouille, no okra and shrimp basically as a garnish
Gumbo from Red Snapper – okra, clams and other seafood of your choice
Roasted Squash with Tahini and Herb Salad
Try the poblano pepper in this instead of the serrano. Won’t be as hot, but definitely flavorful.
1 delicata squash, halved, seeded, and cut into 1-inch wedges
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 serrano, seeded and minced
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini
3 cups mixed fresh dill, cilantro, and mint
3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle squash with oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast, flipping once, until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together lime juice, honey, serrano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 3 tablespoons oil. In a separate bowl, mix yogurt, tahini, 3 tablespoons water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Spread yogurt mixture on a platter. Top with squash, herbs, and sesame seeds. Drizzle with lime dressing.