Gratin & Crisp Grateful

I made several recipes with the food from my share last week, starting with dessert which I sometimes do have first. Enjoy!

Apple Crisp with Oat Topping

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds apples
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup unbleached organic flour
1/3 cup steel cut organic oats (mine was already mixed with flax seed)
6 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: Serves 6

PREPARATION

Peel, core and chop the apples; toss in a bowl with lemon juice. In a separate bowl, combine the 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; add to the apples and toss to combine.

In another bowl combine flour, the remaining brown sugar and oats. Cut butter into 8 small pieces, and cut butter into flour with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture is crumbly.

Butter a 9-inch square baking dish. Spread apple mixture in bottom of baking dish then sprinkle with flour mixture. Bake at 375° for 30 to 45 minutes, or until apples are tender and topping is lightly browned.

Serve the crisp warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzling of heavy cream. I also like to eat it cold.

Sautéed Shredded Cabbage and Squash Gratin with Red Quinoa

 

Click on title for recipe details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soy-Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Radishes

and

Soy-Roasted Fennel & Carrots

Yield: 4 side-dish servings

Time: 35 to 40 minutes

Oil for greasing the pan
1 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1/2 pound, cleaned whole radishes
2 tablespoons peanut oil (I used EVOO)
1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce (use more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Black pepper

Oil for greasing the pan
2 large fennels, cut into large 3/4 inch slices (amount can be increased to taste)
6-8 large carrots, carrots, cut into coins(amount can be decreased or increased to taste, I liked having more carrots)
2 tablespoons peanut oil (I used EVOO)
1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce (use more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Black pepper

Heat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 13- by 18-inch baking sheet. Toss the Brussels sprouts with the oil, soy sauce, mustard, and a little black pepper. Transfer to the greased baking sheet in an even layer and roast until the sprouts are partially tender, about 15 minutes. Stir and raise the oven temperature to 400°F. Continue to roast, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the sprouts are browned and fully tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

 

Balsamic Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Gourmet | November 1998

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 pounds sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons fine-quality balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup nonfat sour cream
preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F.

With a fork prick sweet potatoes in several places and on a baking sheet bake in middle of oven until very tender, about 1 1/4 hours. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove skins and discard. In a food processor blend potatoes with vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon until smooth. Transfer potatoes to a bowl and stir in sour cream until combined well. Season potatoes with salt and pepper. Sweet potatoes may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat sweet potatoes, covered, in a 350°F. oven about 30 minutes.

Serve sweet potatoes sprinkled with remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.

Gratin of Turnips and Onions

1/2 pound turnips, peeled and grated
1 onion, chopped fine
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
1/3 cup heavy cream

In a bowl toss the turnips and the onion with the cornstarch, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste and transfer the mixture to a buttered 9-inch-square baking dish, patting it down. Drizzle the cream evenly over the mixture, sprinkle the mixture with the remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan, and bake the gratin in the middle of a preheated 375¡F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden.

 

Recipes I’m going to try –

Sweet Potato-Sausage Soup

If you like a little heat, swap in spicy Italian sausage for the sweet.

PREP: 20 MINS TOTAL TIME: 40 MINS SERVINGS: 6

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced large
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 sweet potatoes (1 pound total), peeled and diced medium
4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup small pasta shells
4 cups roughly chopped mixed greens, such as kale and Swiss chard
Grated Parmesan, for serving

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes.

Add sweet potatoes, broth, and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook 3 minutes less than package instructions. Reduce to a simmer, add greens, and cook until pasta is tender and greens are wilted, 4 minutes. Serve with Parmesan.

Napa Cabbage Wedge Salad with Apples and Buttermilk Dressing

Author Notes: A fresh take on the classic wedge salad, with Napa cabbage, crisp apples, red onion, and a robust, creamy buttermilk Parmesan dressing. – Elizabeth Stark

Serves 4 to 6

For the buttermilk Parmesan dressing:

1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 to 3 tablespoons buttermilk
2 tablespoons finely crumbled or shredded Parmesan

In a small mixing bowl, combine the garlic, sherry vinegar, Dijon, and sea salt with a fork. Whisking vigorously with the fork, drizzle in olive oil and then whisk in sour cream. When mixture is thick and creamy, slowly whisk in buttermilk. Finally, add the crumbled Parmesan, and whisk vigorously to combine. Chill dressing in the fridge while you prepare the salad.

For the Napa cabbage wedge salad:

1 small head Napa cabbage
1 small red onion
2 crisp apples (Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Braeburn are all favorites)
2 tablespoons tablespoons crumbled Parmesan, plus a few bits for crumbling over finished salad
1 tablespoon minced chives
Sea salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Keeping the core intact, slice Napa cabbage lengthwise into four equal quarters. Arrange on a large platter. Either with a mandoline or a sharp knife, carefully cut the red onion into paper thin slices. Core and cut apples into 1/8-inch thick slices. In a medium-sized bowl, toss apples and onions with a pinch of sea salt and a tablespoon of the prepared dressing. Tuck dressed onion and apple slices all around and between the leaves of the cabbage wedges. Drizzle the Napa wedges with most of the remaining dressing. Finish with chives, a pinch of sea salt, plenty of fresh ground black pepper, and scattered Parmesan.

Bon Apetit!

St. Rose’s Garden Workshop – Cover Crops

 

 

Three Fall Salads and a Dessert!

Here are 4 recipes to make the most of your fall produce!

Brussels Sprout Salad with Apples, Cranberries, and Walnuts

An awesome way to use a lot of brussels sprouts and get in some fall flavors!

(http://www.rachelcooks.com/2013/11/18/brussels-sprouts-salad-apples-cranberries/)

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 and 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 1 granny smith apple (or another tart, firm apple)
• 1 green onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
• 3/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese

1. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, maple syrup and olive oil. Set aside.
2. Slice Brussels sprouts very thinly, more or less shredding them. I used the slicer blade on my food processor to quickly and safely perform this task. Pour the shredded Brussels sprouts into a large mixing bowl. Cut the apple into matchstick sized pieces and toss in a bit of the dressing (1-2 teaspoons). Add these to the large mixing bowl with the Brussels sprouts. Also add the green onion and dried cranberries. Pour dressing over this mixture and stir well so that everything is coated. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes to let flavors meld.
3. Just prior to serving, top with cheese and walnuts.

Wilted Greens Salad with Squash, Apples, and Country Ham

A unique warm salad that screams fall!

(http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/wilted-greens-salad-with-squash-apples-and-country-ham)

• 10 cups fresh turnip or beet greens, or savoy spinach (about 2 bunches), bottom stems trimmed
  
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt plus more for seasoning
  
• 2 cups 1′ cubes peeled butternut squash
  
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
• 4 ounces thinly sliced country ham or prosciutto, torn into pieces
  
• 1 apple, such as Braeburn or Fuji, quartered, cored, thinly sliced
  
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
  
• 2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lemon juice
  
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk
  
• Coarsely cracked whole black peppercorns

1. Gently rub greens with 2 Tbsp. salt in a large bowl. Let stand, checking often, until the greens begin to release water and soften, about 15 minutes. Rinse in two changes of cold water. Squeeze greens dry and pat with a kitchen towel; transfer to a clean bowl.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Toss squash with 1 Tbsp. olive oil on prepared sheet; season with salt. Roast squash, turning occasionally, until lightly browned and tender, 20–25 minutes. Let cool.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add ham and cook until crisp, 1–2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
4. Add squash, apple, shallot, lemon juice, and remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil to greens. Toss to combine; season to taste with salt. Divide evenly among plates. Drizzle with buttermilk. Arrange fried ham over. Season with cracked pepper.

Tangy Cabbage Slaw 

A great use for cabbage that is so versatile–side dishes, on top of tacos, in sandwiches!

(http://www.chow.com/recipes/30732-tangy-cabbage-slaw)

• 1/2 cup small-dice red onion (about 1/2 medium red onion)
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 3 medium limes)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 medium head of green or red cabbage (about 2 pounds)
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1. Whisk together the onion, 3 tablespoons of the lime juice, the oil, measured salt and pepper, sugar, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and garlic in a large bowl until combined; set aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the cabbage.
2. Slice the cabbage in half through the core. Cut a V-shaped notch around the white core on each half; discard the core. Slice each half lengthwise into quarters and thinly slice each quarter crosswise into 1/8-inch-wide strips.
3. Add the cabbage and cilantro to the bowl with the dressing and toss to combine. Refrigerate, tossing once or twice, until the flavors have mellowed and melded, about 1 1/2 hours. Add the remaining tablespoon of lime juice, toss again, taste, and season with more salt and pepper as needed before serving.

Cranberry-Apple Crisp with Oatmeal Streusel Topping

It isn’t fall without a nice warm dessert!

(http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cranberry-Apple-Crisp-with-Oatmeal-Streusel-Topping-105840)

Topping

• 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Filling

• 2 12-ounce packages cranberries
• 1 1/4 pounds Golden Delicious or Fuji apples (about 3 medium), peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple juice or cider

For topping:
Combine brown sugar, oats, flour, and salt in large bowl; toss to blend. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture comes together in moist clumps. Cover; chill while preparing filling. (Topping can be prepared 1 day ahead; keep chilled.)

For filling:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Combine cranberries, apples, sugar, and apple juice in heavy large pot. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring often. Boil until cranberries are tender and juices thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer filling to prepared dish. Sprinkle topping over.

Bake crisp until filling bubbles thickly and topping is crisp and deep golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

Hearty Vegetable Stew, Steamed Kale, and Mashed Turnips

This week, I made a fall feast with veggies from the CSA!

 

Hearty Lentil & Vegetable Stew

2 small eggplants
1 summer squash
3 tomatoes, diced
4 sweet potatoes, diced
2 cups split red lentils
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp:
cumin
curry powder
chili powder
basil (dry or fresh)
salt and pepper to taste

I just put all the ingredients in the slow cooker before leaving for class. The lentils take about 8h to cook–if you make this soup on the stovetop it would probably take about an hour. After the lentils and sweet potatoes are soft, you may wish to blend or puree the stew, depending whether you like your stew chunky or more smooth.

Mashed Turnips with Applesauce

I had never cooked turnips before, but I found this recipe for turnips with applesauce on cooks.com.

Turnip
Boiling water
Butter
Salt and pepper
1 c. hot applesauce

Peel turnip, removing a thick peeling and leaving no sign of green (the bitterness is between the peeling and the vegetable). Slice into medium sized pieces. Place in a saucepan and pour boiling water on top. There should be at least 3 inches of water in pan. Cover and boil quickly for 15 to 20 minutes. Never let the turnips change color as this means they are over cooked. Drain well.
Mash turnip and add applesauce, a good sized piece of butter and salt and pepper. Whip until light. (Also good with cooked pears).

(http://www.cooks.com/recipe/y360f6fm/turnip-with-apple.html)

My variations: I wanted a sweet dish with cinnamon, so I did not add the salt, pepper, or butter. Instead, I added pinches of brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. I also left the boiled turnips them in quarters rather than mashing them.

Steamed Dino Kale & Tomato

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small white onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 head dino kale, cut from the stems & chopped in strips
1.5 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the garlic and onions in a pan. When they are caramelized, add the tomato, kale, broth, and the salt and pepper, then cover and steam ~20 min.

 

NEW FEATURE – Recipes and Tips for CSA Produce

Please let us know if you have questions about any of these posts or if you try a recipe, let us know how you liked it; or let us know if you would like to feature a recipe of your own!

 

As you’ll see from this inaugural post, I made good use of my produce from the first two weeks and have a number of pretty simple recipes to share below.

First up is a dinner that would have been great for my boys when they were young (they’re 24 and 27 now–eeks!).

I took a bite of the burger and a cherry tomato together, oh yum!   Much better than regular processed ketchup with corn syrup in it.

 

One Pan Burgers with Pak Choi and Kohlrabi

Servings

4 burgers
2 Pak Choi
1 Kohlrabi Fries

 

Ingredients
1 lb of Clayton’s Organic Ground Beef divided into 4 patties
1 Medium to Large Pak Choi
1 Medium to Large Kohlrabi chopped into 1/4 inch think slices
3 Cloves of Organic Garlic, chopped
1 tsp of Gluten Free Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) or other vegetable oil

 

Saute garlic in olive oil, add Pac Choi, saute over medium heat until stems start to get tender, cover and saute over lower heat for another 5-10 minutes, remove cover and sprinkle greens with 1 tsp of soy sauce, raise heat, stir and saute another 2 minutes. Place greens in a serving bowl and set aside.

Raise temperature in pan and place burger patties, add Kohlrabi slices, and sear patties on both sides, then lower heat and cook for another few minutes, when the meat is still showing slight pink (there should be plenty of juice in pan), turn the Kohlrabi slices over and cover and cook until the burgers are browned completely on outside and to taste for medium-rare, medium or well-done.

 

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The ones below were cooked to medium with a slightly pink inside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I made two types of Coleslaw, both without mayonnaise, one with dairy and one without dairy and with onion.

Coleslaw with Red Wine Vinegar

and

Coleslaw with Zesty Dressing

I made some replacements for Zesty dressing recipe ingredients: I used Agave in place of sugar, used horseradish and dijon mustard as I didn’t have fresh horseradish, and used celery salt as I didn’t have celery seed.

Ingredients – Both Recipes
1 Red Cabbage (why do we call it red, when it’s really purple?
1 Green Cabbage
1 bag of Carrots

 

I doubled both recipe dressing ingredients, because I had way more than 4 cups of cabbage–2 green, 2 red and 2 cups of carrots shredded–as called for with the original amounts that are listed below.

Ingredients – Coleslaw with Red Wine Vinegar dressing
2/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp Caraway seeds
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 finely minced yellow onion
1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 Cup Sugar (I used Agave)
salt, pepper to taste

Toss cabbage, carrots, onion, put to side.

Whisk vinegar, sugar, mustard, season with sp to taste and then slowly whisk in oil to form thick and creamy dressing. Taste and correct as you like. Pour 1/2 of dressing mixture over vegetables in bowl and sprinkle in caraway seeds. Toss well, taste and add more dressing as you like. Refrigerate for up to 4 hours and then allow to come close to room temperature, then stir and serve.

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Black Beans and Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients
1 large casserole/cake pan
2 large Onions
3 Yellow Peppers
3 Red Peppers
2 Orange Peppers
2 Green Peppers
5 Cloves of Garlic – minced thick
3 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp of Ground Cumin
1 Tsp of Red Pepper
SP to taste
1 Large can of fire roasted tomatoes
2-3 Cups of cooked brown rice
2 Cups of black beans (you can also use butternut squash in place of the black beans)
2 Tsp Better Than bullion

Saute 1/2 of the chopped garlic in 1/2 of the olive oil, add peppers and onions, saute for 15 minutes or so.

Add fire roasted tomatoes, saute another 10 minutes, stirring frequently and mashing up tomatoes in process. Take off the stove, cover and put aside.

You can prepare the peppers the night before if you like. Cut pepper tops off with a paring knife and remove membrane and seeds. Put a large pot of water to boil and blanch the peppers for 4 minutes.

Saute the other half of the garlic and olive oil, add 1 cup of juice from the beans or water, stir in 1 tsp of Better Than Bullion. Add Rice and Beans and stir to mix evenly, add cumin and red pepper and mix again, taste and correct, sp to taste.

Stuff the peppers whole standing up in casserole or cut in half and lay flat. Pour pepper, onion and tomato mixture over to cover. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350-375.

If you like you can put some shredded cheese over the casserole towards the end of the time in the oven or just sprinkle some grated cheese, parmesan or other on your plate. Enjoy! These are really great leftover.

 

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Quick Baked Eggplant

Ingredients
2 Medium Eggplants
EVOO
SP to taste

 

Cut up eggplant into 1 – 1-1/2 inch cubes, toss with olive oil or lay flat on foil covered cookie sheet and sprinkle evenly with olive oil, sp. Bake in Oven on 400-425 for 15-20 minutes. Remove and enjoy plain or serve with some Tzatziki sauce (made the day before). Either way, the eggplant is delicious.

 

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Wake-Up Juice

A fabulous combination made with my Omega VRT 330 juicer.

Ingredients
4-5 Large swiss chard leaves
4 Cups of green cabbage
2 Small apples
4 Medium to large carrots
1 Quarter size piece of fresh ginger

 

A refreshing and really nutritious way to start the day!

 

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Later this semester I’ll report on a recipe I will be trying.

Apple Bread Pudding

Bon Appetit !

Fall Semester CSA Anouncment!

St. Rose’s Fall CSA

Providing fresh, local, organic produce to the Fordham Community since 2012

Open to all Fordham University students and employees.

Share Options:

9 Week Vegetable Share = $156

9 Week Fruit Share = $108

**One share generally feeds 2-4 people**

Deliveries begin September 18th and end November 13th

See What a share looks like!

Don’t wait, you may forget!

Sign-up Deadline Sept. 11th at 5pm.

Please see the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Check us out on FaceBook and Twitter

St. Rose’s Summer CSA!

St. Rose’s CSA: Providing fresh, local, organic produce to the Fordham Community since 2012

How long does it last? Mid June -> Mid November

When do I get my share? Produce is delivered every Thursday for 22 weeks to St. Rose’s Garden, located off the southwest corner of the parking garage (by ram van) on Rose Hill Campus.

Here are your share options:

• 22 Week Vegetable Share = $340 ($15.50/week) OR $380 (if after noon, 4/11/14)
• 20 Week Fruit Share =  $240 ($12/week)
• 10 Week (every-other week) Fruit Share = $120 ($12/week)

Click here to see what was delivered during our summer 2013 CSA

Click HERE to Join!

Cost saving deadline is noon on 4/11/14

*****Final Deadline is noon on 4/24/14 *****

Why you should read, “Breaking Urban Ground for Community Gardens”

The article, “Breaking Urban Ground for Community Gardens” directly relates back to St. Rose’s Garden!

Continue reading the article here:

Why you should read, “How much water do YOU use?”

According to the enn.com article, “How much water do YOU use?” there is a  lot of ambiguity and confusion regarding the amount of water Americans use and how to be more efficient with water conservation. There is many variations on the perceptions of water use especially in urban areas. Hopefully this article will clear that up!

“Many Americans are confused about the best ways to conserve water and have a slippery grasp on how much water different activities use, according to a national online survey conducted by Indiana University Assistant Professor, Shahzeen Attari. Experts say the best strategy for conserving water is to…” continue reading at:

http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/47129

School Bus = Mobile Supermarket

The South Bronx is plagued with high rates of obesity and diabetes, compounded by poverty and poor access to supermarkets (see map) the South Bronx requires innovative solutions to solve these issues. Enter the “South Bronx Mobile Market”, a mobile farm stand started by Tanya Fields of  BLK Projek.

 

Read more in the recent NYT Times article by clicking below.