This week’s box included: sweet potatoes, apples, red tomatoes, green tomatoes, bell peppers, butternut winter squashes, apples, Italian sweet pepper(s), daikon radish, jalepenos, spaghetti squash. You can see a photo that can help with identification on our Facebook page or check out our weekly video on Instagram.
Need storage instructions? Visit our fruit & veggie home pages. Click on the pic and a new page opens with storage instructions and a list of recipes curated by Conne over the years.
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It was a surprise to find a spaghetti squash in today’s box but no greens. And so many tomatoes and peppers to remind us of warmer temperatures. Maybe bake the spaghetti squash and fill it with a sauce made from those tomatoes and peppers?
But the drop in temperatures meant I had to make soup for dinner. Yesterday afternoon I was looking at the various Riverview pumpkins and squash still performing their decorative function on my dining room table. It was time to turn them into food instead of decorations.
I chose a pumpkin and a large butternut squash, cut them in half, scooped out the seeds and baked them, cut side down in a roasting pan with a little water. Forty minutes later I had tender flesh I could puree and use in place of canned pumpkin puree in any number of recipes. I chose the two below – a creamy, spicy peanut and pumpkin soup that my husband enjoyed three servings of (!!) and wild rice and pumpkin soup that turned out more like a stew. Both recipes are keepers.
Don’t forget the daikon radish ideas on Riverview’s daikon radish page. Our big surprise is that when cutting the radish to fit in a storage bag, a piece fell on the floor where two of our dogs promptly competed for who would get to enjoy the juicy crunch. Now I know … if there’s leftover daikon here, I have at least two dogs who will be delighted to help finish it off.
Spicy Peanut and Pumpkin Soup
Adapted from Yewande Komolafe
I didn’t have the peppers specified so I used a jalapeno from a previous week’s box.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced (about 1½ cups)
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 habanero or bird’s eye chile
2 cups pureed pumpkin
3 cups water
1 (13-ounce) can coconut milk
1 tablespoon agave or honey (optional)
1/4 cup unsweetened natural peanut butter
Salt
In a large stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring frequently until softened and just beginning to brown around the edges, about 4 minutes. Stir in the chile and pumpkin purée, and whisk in the water or stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer on low, giving an occasional stir, for 20 minutes or until slightly reduced and thickened. Remove the chile after the soup simmers if you don’t care for much spice.
Add coconut milk, agave or honey (if using), and peanut butter to the pot. Using an immersion blender or working in batches in a standing blender, purée the soup until smooth. Season with salt and keep warm over low heat. Do not bring soup up to a simmer or boil at this point. (This reduces the risk of the oils in the peanut butter separating and breaking the soup’s smooth texture.)
Serve with a warm crusty baguette or chunks of warm sourdough for dipping.
Wild Rice and Pumpkin Soup
Adapted from Serious Eats
In this case, there is no wild rice in my pantry, but I do have many other varieties of rice on hand. I made this with basmati rice, which thickened up the soup so it became more of a stew than a soup. And no greens in this week’s box but thanks to the bountiful supply of greens last week. I still had both kale and turnip greens in my refrigerator. I used the kale.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 large leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, scrubbed and chopped
2 large celery stalks, thinly sliced
8 ounces mixed small mushrooms, sliced between 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
6 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups pumpkin purée
3/4 cup raw wild rice
1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups peeled and roughly chopped sugar pumpkin, kabocha, or butternut squash
2 packed cups stemmed and torn kale
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste
In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add leeks, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, sage, paprika, coriander, nutmeg, pepper, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in broth, pumpkin puree, wild rice, salt, and baking soda. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until rice has partially cooked through, about 30 minutes. Stir in pumpkin or squash and continue simmering, partially covered, until pumpkin or squash and rice are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in kale. Cook, uncovered, stirring often, until kale is bright green and tender, 3 to 5 minutes. If necessary, adjust soup with water to achieve desired consistency. Off-heat, stir in vinegar. Season with salt and additional vinegar to taste.