Tag: squash

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JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 18 – OCTOBER 4, 2022

OCTOBER 4, 2022

Hi Everyone,

As we move toward our grand finale for this CSA season, the root vegetables and winter squashes dominate.

This week’s recipe is for butternut squash and bacon risotto, a totally yummy use for squash. You can use any winter squash in this recipe, but I like the butternut best.

WINTER SQUASH AND BACON RISOTTO

Ingredients
  • 2 TBS olive oil
  • 1/2 sweet onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 1/3 c. cooked butternut squash
  • 3 c. chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 c. Arborio rice
  • 2/3 c. white wine
  • 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
  • 4 slices cooked bacon, chopped
Instructions

1. Add the cooked squash to the chicken broth and bring it to a simmer. Keep warm.

2. Heat the oil in a large pan on low heat. Add the onion, garlic salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, until the onion is softened.

3. Add the rice to the large pan and stir to coat with the oil and seasonings. Add the wine and stir, scraping up all the bits in the pan. Cook on low heat until the wine is absorbed.

4. Slowly, 1 cup at a time, add the broth and squash mixture to the rice. Stir the mixture frequently until the liquid is absorbed. Continue doing this, one cup at a time, until all the broth and squash mixture is absorbed.

5. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Top with the chopped bacon.

Enjoy!

HELPFUL HINT: To cook squash, pierce it in several places and microwave until soft. Then cut it open, remove the seeds and then remove the meat from the skin. You could also just buy it already cooked in any supermarket.

ANOTHER HELPFUL HINT: This is a sl-o-o-w dish. If you are in a hurry, leave it for another time. It is totally worth the time you have to put into it, though.

Have a delicious week!

Best,

Judi

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JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 9 – AUGUST 2, 2022

AUGUST 2, 2022

Hi, Everyone,

By now you are all Professional Veggie Lovers. I suspect you are also Profesional Leftover Veggie Accumulators. So, this week we have a recipe to use up all the aging produce in the fridge. It’s a traditional provencal dish called a tian. This dish is easy to make and quite delicious. Crusty bread is great for dunking into the juices.

VEGETABLE TIAN

Ingredients

5 to 9 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

10 sprigs fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, and/or basil

1/2 tsp fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 lbs tomatoes

1/2 lb zucchini, green or yellow, or other summer squash

1/4 lb eggplant

1/4 lb red onion(s)

Crusty bread

Directions

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 400° F. Pour 2 TBS of the oil into the baking dish, tilting it so the oil coats the bottom and the sides. Scatter over half the garlic and a little more than half of the herbs and season generously with salt and pepper.

2. Slice the vegetables: they should be cut about 1⁄4 inch thick. They should all be about the same size, so you might want to cut them in half the long way before slicing them. This is good for the looks of the dish, but it isn’t necessary, so don’t stress over it.

3. Arrange the vegetables in the dish in tightly overlapping circles. Try to squeeze the eggplant between slices of tomato and put the squash and onions next to one another. Keep the circles tight; the vegetables will soften and shrink in the oven. Season generously with salt and pepper, and then put the remaining slivers of garlic in among the vegetables. Top with the remaining fresh herbs and drizzle over as much of the remaining oil as you desire.

4. Place the tian on a baking sheet lined with foil, parchment, or a silicone baking mat. Bake the tian for 70 to 90 minutes, until the vegetables are meltingly tender and the juices are bubbling.

Serve the tian a few minutes out of the oven or allow it to cool to room temperature. Either way, you’ll want bread…a lot of it.

Leftovers can be kept covered in the fridge for a day or two. You can either pull it out a few hours before serving or, if you’d like, warm it in a microwave or a 350-degree oven.

NOTE: The olive oil adds flavor. You should use the best quality oil you can. The more you add to the dish, the more flavorful “sauce” you’ll get for dunking.

ANOTHER NOTE: You don’t need to use the above specific vegetables. You can use any vegetables you like.

This is a very satisfying dish for a summer evening. Don’t forget the bread!

And have a delicious week!

Best,

Judi

 

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JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 23 – NOVEMBER 10, 2020

NOVEMBER 10, 2020

Hi Everybody,

As we approach the end of our season, I want to thank everyone who came to the site with an open mind and a pleasant disposition to pick up their shares. Everyone made the best of the situation, and that is wonderful. Special thanks to Anastasia Saltarelli, our fearless Site Manager.

Today’s recipe is an offbeat squash dish – squash lasagna! I hope you enjoy it.

 

WINTER SQUASH LASAGNA

1 – 8-ounce container ricotta (whole milk or part-skim)
4 oz. mozzarella (whole milk or part-skim ), shredded
1 tsp. freshly grated or ground nutmeg
1/4 c. grated Parmesan
2 TBS grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and pepper
1 bunch spinach, thick stems discarded
1 large or 2 small winter squash, roasted and pureed
6 raw lasagna noodles
 
  1. Heat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, nutmeg, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Fold in the spinach.
  2. Spread 1/2 cup of the squash puree on the bottom of an 8-in. square baking dish. Add two lasagna noodles on top and spread a third of the remaining squash over the top. Place dollops of the ricotta mixture on top (using about 1 cup). Layer the remaining 2 noodles on top. Spread with the remaining squash and dollop with the remaining ricotta mixture.
  3. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 Tbsp Parmesan, cover tightly with an oiled piece of foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until the noodles are tender and the top is golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve this dish with a green salad and some crusty Italian bread. Enjoy!

Have a delicious week!

Best,

Judi

 

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JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 21 – OCTOBER 27, 2020

OCTOBER 21, 2020

Hello Everyone,

There’s a chill in the air. Summer is definitely over!

Today’s recipe is a heartwarming stuffed winter squash dish. You’ll love it!

 

STUFFED WINTER SQUASH

1 medium kabocha, acorn, or butternut squash

1/2 tsp fennel seed

1/4 tsp pepper

Dash ground nutmeg

Dash ground cloves

1 TBS olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

FOR THE STUFFING:

3 medium carrots, finely chopped

2 shallots, chopped

1 TBS olive oil

5 fresh or dried figs, cut into eighths

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp pepper

Dash ground nutmeg

Dash ground cloves

3 TBS chopped pecans

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Wash squash; cut into 4 wedges (or to halves, depending on what kind of squash you’re using. Remove loose fibers and seeds from the inside and discard them.

In a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, combine the fennel seed, pepper, nutmeg, and cloves; grind until the seeds are crushed.

Brush the squash with oil. Sprinkle with salt and 3/4 teaspoon of the spice mixture. Place it on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake, uncovered,  for 35-40 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the carrots and shallots in oil until tender. Stir in the figs, water, salt, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and the remaining spice mixture. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes, or until the liquid is evaporated and the figs are tender. Stir in the pecans.

Fill the squash with the stuffing. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until heated through.

Enjoy!

And have a delicious week.

Best,

Judi

 

 

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JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 20 – OCTOBER 15, 2019

October 15, 2019

Hi Everybody,

Greens are back! One of the delights of Fall is that cool weather vegetables return.

So this week, I have a recipe for you that contains squash and greens. It’s a twist on panzanella salad, a popular Italian dish.

 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PANZANELLA SALAD

Ingredients
8 oz. country bread (torn into chunks)
4 TBS olive oil
1/4 c. grated Parmesan

Kosher salt

Pepper

1 lb. 2-inch cubes butternut squash

1 red onion (cut into wedges)
5 oz. baby kale, arugula, lettuce or any other green
1/4 c tahini
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. pomegranate seeds (optional)
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 425°F. In a large cast-iron skillet, toss the bread with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until it is golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and toss together with the butternut squash cubes and the red onion. Season with salt and pepper and roast, tossing after  12 minutes, until golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes total. Remove from the pan and place in your serving bowl. Fold in the greens and the reserved bread cubes.
  3. Meanwhile, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, and water. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with the squash mixture and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, if you are using them.

Enjoy!

HELPFUL HINT: Pomegranate seeds are a pain to remove from the outer skin. Buying them is a little pricey, but I think it’s worthwhile to pay the price and skip the additional labor.

Have a delicious week!

Best,

Judi

 

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JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 16 – SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

Hi Everyone!

As summer draws to a close, the vegetables are getting heartier – and heavier. Time to save your back – get something with wheels!

This week we find ourselves with  an array of beautiful ripe vegetbles that won’t have a long shelf life. They have to be used right away. So, it clearly is time for ratatouille! You can make it now and freeze it for a warm and rich treat during the cold winter months.

RATATOUILLE

INGREDIENTS

1 eggplant

3 Roma tomatoes

1 yellow squash

1 zucchini

 FOR THE SAUCE
1 TBS olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

14 oz crushed tomatoes (half of a 28 oz. can)
1 TBS chopped fresh basil

 

Herb Seasoning

2 TBS chopped fresh basil
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp fresh thyme

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1 TBS olive oil

SEASONING MIX

1 TBS chopped fresh basil, from 8-10 leaves
1/2 tsp teaspoon garlic, minced
1 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp fresh thyme

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

2TBS olive oil

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
  2. Slice the eggplant, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini into thin slices and then set aside.
  3. Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, and bell peppers until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and  then add the crushed tomatoes. Stir until the ingredients are fully mixed. Remove from the heat and then add the basil and thyme. Stir again and then smooth the surface of the sauce with a spatula.
  4. If you want to go for a killer presentation, arrange the sliced vegetables in  rows, (for example, eggplant, tomato, squash, zucchini) on top of the sauce in concentric circles, from the outer edge to the middle of the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, then bake it for another 20 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.
  6. Mix the herb seasoning ingredients and pour the mixture over the ratatouille.
  7. Serve while it’s hot. The ratatouille is also excellent the next day–cover with foil and reheat in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, or simply microwave.

I hope you enjoy this way to extend your enjoyment of nature’s bounty.

NOTE: You can add other vegetables: shallots, tomatillos, potatoes, different peppers. Go crazy! There’s no wrong way to  make this!

Enjoy!

And have a delicious week!

Best,

Judi