I’m craving bright salads after the weekend of rich foods. And I snagged this one-line recipe from Chef Jenn Louis (off her facebook feed) of Lincoln Restaurant and Sunshine Tavern: Slowly caramelize carrots in a pan. Finish with butter, pomegranate molasses and a squeeze of lime juice. I made it and it was great. My slightly expanded recipe is below.

It’s been a pleasure creating recipes for you this season. Happy holidays and happy continued cooking! Katherine Deumling, Cook With What You Have

Caramelized Carrots with Pomegranate Molasses
Celery Root Remoulade
Lemony Grated Carrot and Seed Salad
Warm Grated Carrots with Cumin, Garlic and Sesame Seeds
Onion and Winter Squash Panade
Parsnip and Celery Root “Cake”
Roasted Beet Salad

Caramelized Carrots with Pomegranate Molasses

Chef Jenn Louis of Lincold Restaurant and Sunshine Tavern occasionally posts one-line recipes on her Facebook page. I made this one and it was delicious. I fleshed our her very brief instructions based on what I did.

5 medium carrots, scrubbed and cut into thin batons
1/2 tablespoon or so olive oil
Salt
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons Pomegranate molasses
Juice of half  a small lime

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet that can accommodate the carrots in one layer. Add  the carrots and few pinches of salt, Stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes at his heat. Turn the heat down to medium, cover the pan and continue cooking, stirring every few minutes to make sure they’re burning, for about 10-15 more minutes until tender and caramelized. Add the butter and pomegranate molasses and stir well and cook for just a few more seconds. Add the lime juice and serve.

Celery Root Remoulade

This is the classic French way to prepare celery root–and it is so very good. The celery root softens a bit but keeps that fresh, earthy flavor–such a treat of a dish! A classic Celery Root Remoulade exclusively uses mayonnaise in the dressing, which is good but I suggest a combination of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise for a slightly tangier and fresher flavor here but by all means use just mayonnaise if that’s what you have.

And again, quantities are approximations so adjust depending on the number of people you’re feeding, etc.

Scant 2 lbs celery root, peeled
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup whole milk Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
A little white wine or cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

You can either grate the celeriac in a food processor or if you can, use a mandolin to cut it into matchsticks. Toss the grated or cut celeriac with 1 teaspoon sea salt most of the lemon juice. Let rest for at least 15 minutes and up to 30.

Whisk the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the veggies. Mix well and adjust seasoning.

Lemony Grated Carrot and Seed Salad
–adapted from Breakfast Lunch Tea by Rose Carrarini

You can add cooked white beans to this salad for a more robust version. Make a little extra dressing and you have a great lunch or light supper.

Or with a simple frittata and a piece of good bread, this makes a lovely dinner.

Serves 6-8 as a side

1 cup sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds) (this may seem like a lot but use it all if you can–it really makes the dish)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 generous pinches of sea salt
6 medium carrots, grated
2-3 tablespoons finely chopped chives, parsley, mint, cilantro etc.

Dressing:
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus possibly more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
About 3 tablespoons good olive oil

Preheat oven to 350.

Toss the sunflower seeds with a teaspoon or two of oil and several pinches of salt and roast on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes, turning frequently, until they are crisp and golden. Set aside to cool.

Place the grated carrots in a serving bowl. To make the dressing whisk together the lemon juice, salt, pepper and oil. Pour the dressing over the carrots and mix well. Sprinkle with the chives and the seeds, mix again, and adjust seasoning and serve.

Warm Grated Carrots with Cumin, Garlic and Sesame Seeds

I tossed this dish together for lunch one day. It took about 7 minutes to make and became a keeper in our household. I happened to have black sesame seeds, which were extra pretty, but by all means use regular ones if that’s what you have.

4 cups grated carrots (grated on large holes of a box grater)
1 heaping teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (see headnote)
2 cloves garlic, slivered
2 tablespoons olive oil

Dressing:
¼ cup Greek yogurt (whole milk preferably)
Juice from half a lemon (or more to taste—you want it nice and tart to counter the sweetness of the carrots)
½ teaspoon harissa (or more to taste)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the seeds and garlic and stir to coat with oil and let cook for about 1 minute. The seeds will start popping and get very fragrant. Don’t let the seeds or garlic burn. Add the grated carrots and stir well. Cook, stirring almost constantly for about 2-3 minutes just to soften the carrot.

Mix the dressing ingredients, with the exception of the cilantro together well. You want it to be quite thin so add a little water if it’s too thick.

Serve the warm carrots with a generous drizzle of the dressing and cilantro, if using.

Onion and Winter Squash Panade

Panade ready to bake

If you bought too much bread for stuffing (as I did) you can use some of it here or even substitute some leftover stuffing for some of the bread in this dish (as I did). Just make sure it’s a hearty, rustic loaf with a good crumb and crust. I used an aged cheddar cheese.

Olive oil
2-3 large onions (2 lbs), halved and thinly sliced
3-4 sprigs thyme, leaves picked or 2 teaspoons dried (can omit in a pinch)
½ a medium butternut squash (or other winter squash), peeled and cut into ¾-inch dice for about 4 (or more) cups
1/2 medium loaf rustic bread (1/2 lb), torn in to chunks (see headnote)
1 ½ cups grated cheese (sharp cheddar, gruyere, aged Asiago; Parmesan, etc.)
Salt
3 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken (or turkey) stock (I usually use homemade veggie bouillon but used turkey stock this time)

Preheat oven to 400F

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan. Cook onion stirring occasionally until soft and golden brown. No need to caramelize. Stir in the thyme.

In a medium heatproof dish layer about a third of the onions. Sprinkle over some of the bread and cheese and squash and a little salt. Repeat until all the ingredients have been used. You want to be able to see a little of each on the top. Bring stock to a simmer and pour over the dish.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 20 – 30 minutes or until the top is golden and crunchy and the stock has been absorbed by the bread. Run under the broiler for a few minutes if it’s not crispy enough.

Parsnip and Celery Root “Cake”
–adapted from Tender by Nigel Slater

You want to slice your veggies very thinly. A sharp knife works great if you’re comfortable and a bit practiced and the food processor is a good alternative too.

Serves 4-5

1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 large or 3 small (or 2 medium!:) parsnips, scrubbed and thinly sliced.
1/2 a medium celery root, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme, chopped up a bit
6 tablespoons vegetable broth or stock (I use veggie bouillon)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees F.

Toss the sliced onion and veggies in a large bowl with the thyme, at least 1 teaspoon of sea salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper. You need to be generous with the salt.

Put the butter in a baking dish and place it in the oven while it’s preheating. When the butter is melted add the veggie mixture and combine well and pack the veggies down as evenly as possible. Pour the stock or bouillon over the mixture. Place a piece of wax paper or aluminum foil over the veggies and press down firmly. Bake for an hour and then remove the foil and turn your oven up to 425 (or to broil if you’re in a hurry) and cook for another five minutes or so until the top is nicely browned and the veggies are very tender.

Roasted Beet Salad

Delicious and so simple. As I always say, I roast (or boil) all my beets at once and then use them in various ways—salads, sandwiches, snacks, etc.

You’ll need to use your judgment on how much dressing to make based on how many beets you’re using.

Beets (however many you want/need to use)
Pomegranate molasses or a combination of honey and lemon juice or lemon and orange if you have both
Olive oil
A little ground coriander (toast whole seeds and coarsely crush if you can)
Parsley or arugula or any other green or leafy thing you have (optional)
Salt

Scrub and trim beets and roast in a 400 degree oven, covered (with a little water), until tender. If your beets are large you can halve or quarter them to speed up the baking time. When tender, set aside to cool. Peel the beets and cut them into wedges.

In a small bowl mix a bit of Pomegranate molasses or honey and citrus juice, olive oil, salt and coriander. Toss the beets (still warm is fine) with the dressing and add any herbs or greens you’d like. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Radicchio, Fennel and Carrot Salad with Sage and Parmesan
Grated Beet and Apple Salad
Pureed Beets with Yogurt and Za’atar
Potato (and Celeriac) Gratin
Mashed Potatoes (and Celeriac)
Grilled Butternut Squash, Carrot & Fennel Salad w/ Ginger Sesame Dressing
Braised Shallots
Butternut Squash “Pumpkin” Pie

Radicchio, Fennel and Carrot Salad with Sage and Parmesan

This is a fresh, robust salad perfect for a weeknight supper or Thanksgiving. You can scale it up or down and change the ratio of vegetables any way you’d like.

Serves 4-6 as a side

1 smallish head radicchio, halved and (core removed and tossed if there is one) and thinly sliced
2 small-medium carrots, scrubbed and cut into matchsticks or julienned (by all means use a mandolin if you have one)
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into matchsticks
2-3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1 ounce (or more) Parmesan or aged Asiago (Asiago Stella) thinly shaved
1 teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped

Dressing:
11/2 – 2 teaspoons apple cider syrup (or honey or maple syrup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine or sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Put all the salad ingredients in a large bowl or on a platter. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and then pour dressing over salad. Gently toss to thoroughly mix. Taste and adjust seasoning with more vinegar, oil or salt and pepper.

Grated Beet and Apple Salad
–adapted from Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry

This is bright, refreshing, and crunchy.

2 large beets, peeled
2 large apples, cored, peeled
1/4 cup apple juice/cider (or 1 tablespoon of maple syrup)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup golden raisins (or regular ones or dried currants)

Coarsely shred (raw) beets and apples on box grater or in a food processor fitted with large grater attachment. Put the grated apples and beets in large mixing bowl and set aside.

Heat apple juice in small saucepan or skillet over high heat until boiling. Cook until reduced to one tablespoon, about 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Add apple cider vinegar to reduced apple juice and slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drizzle dressing over shredded beets and apples, add raisins, and toss well to coat and meld flavors.

Pureed Beets with Yogurt and Za’atar
–from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sam Tamimi

This is a gorgeous, easy to make and elegant dish. It would make a wonderful appetizer for Thanksgiving.

I just eat it by the spoonful and spoon it into warm pita bread. It makes quite a bit so halve the recipe if you’d like but go ahead and roast all beets while you’re at it and use half for something else.

6 medium beets (1 1/2 pounds), trimmed and scrubbed
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 small red chile, seeded and minced
1 cup plain whole-millk Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon za’atar (middle-eastern spice mix including hyssop and sesame seeds—I found it at People’s co-op recently). You can substitute a mixture of dried thyme and toasted sesame seeds.
Salt
1/4 cup roasted skinned hazelnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 350°. Put the beets in a small roasting pan and add 1/4 cup of water. Cover with foil and bake for about 1 hour, until tender. Let cool slightly.

Peel the beets, cut into wedges and transfer to a food processor. Add the garlic, chile and yogurt and pulse until blended. Add the olive oil, maple syrup and za’atar and puree. Season with salt. Scrape into a wide, shallow bowl. Scatter the hazelnuts, goat cheese and scallions on top and serve with bread.

Potato (and Celeriac) Gratin

If you have celeriac leftover form last week (like I do) you can use some of it in this gratin.

I make this in an 8 x 13” dish and we eat it over several days but by all means halve the recipe if that seems like too much.

5 medium potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced into rounds
½ medium celeriac, peeled and cut into slices about the size of the potato slices (celeriac cooks slightly more quickly than potatoes so if the slices are little thicker that’s OK)
½ onion, very thinly sliced
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt (or a bit less finer salt) and plenty of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons flour
11/2 cups grated sharp cheddar, gruyere or other grating cheese
2 cups milk (preferably whole)
½ cup water or chicken or vegetable broth or more broth and less milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the vegetables in a large bowl. Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a small bowl and sprinkle it over the vegetables and mix well. Spread half the mixture in the baking dish, flattening the contents a bit. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Spread the remaining potato mixture over the cheese and top with the rest of the cheese. Pour the milk and water or broth over the mixture and cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for about 35 minutes. The liquid should be bubbling vigorously now. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes or so until everything is tender. Run the pan under the broiler for a few minutes if it’s not nicely browned.

Mashed Potato (and Celeriac) Tips

I make mashed potatoes once a year, at Thanksgiving. I’m not sure why I don’t make them more often. They are wonderful. If you are making mashed potatoes, I’m a bit of purist and think they’re best made with a mixture of whole milk or cream—you can decide the ratio, and butter. Be sure to have your milk, cream and butter all melted together and good and hot when you are ready to mash. Don’t skimp on the salt and don’t worry about getting them too smooth. Mashed potatoes get gluey quickly (never put them in a food processor—they’ll turn into a lump of glue) so just quickly mash them by hand.  They also absorb much more liquid than you might think so, again, don’t skimp on the milk/cream.

For really fluffy mashed potatoes use a ricer. I just mash them in the pot with an old fashioned masher as I like a bit of texture.

By all means use a mixture of boiled or steamed potatoes and celery root for the mash. It will be a lighter and very tasty adaptation.

I use about ½ cup milk and 4 tablespoons butter for 2 lbs of potatoes (or other vegetables, though I think Celeriac needs less butter than potatoes do).

Grilled Butternut Squash, Carrot & Fennel Salad w/ Ginger Sesame Dressing

This dish is inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s new book Plenty More though it’s different enough to be barely recognizable. The original recipe includes 5 ounces of udon noodles so by all means add those if you’d like. Curious what you think of it.

½ cup rice vinegar
1 1/2 –inch piece ginger cut into very thin matchsticks
1 ½ tbs sugar
1 small-ish butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice or 2-inch x 1/3-inch batons which is what the original recipe suggests and what I did above but it’s a bit of a pain to do (about 1 ½ lbs trimmed)
2 tablespoons peanut oil (or sunflower or olive)
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered and cut into very thin slices, crosswise
2 small-medium carrots, cut in half lengthwise and then into very thin half rounds crosswise
1 cup cilantro leaves and fine stems, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (likely a bit more)
2 teaspoons sesame seeds (black or regular)

Heat the vinegar, ginger and sugar in a small sauce pan, stirring frequently until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

In a large heavy skillet heat the oil over high heat and add just enough diced squash to cover the bottom. You don’t want to crowd the pan. Sprinkle with salt. Fry the squash, turning after a few minutes until starting to blacken and get soft. Proceed with the remaining squash, adding oil if needed.

When the squash is done put it in a bowl and toss with half of the dressing and set aside to cool.

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet for just a couple of minutes until a shade darker and fragrant. Be careful not to burn them.

Add the sliced carrots and fennel, cilantro, salt and sesame seeds to the squash and pour over the remaining dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt if needed. Serve immediately.

Braised Shallots (or Shallots and Onions)
–adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

A perfect side dish for most anything. Wonderful with most any roasted, grilled, braised meat though I just enjoyed these with the parsnips and braised greens. They are rich and luscious and so easy and make your house smells wonderful for hours.

1 tablespoons butter or olive oil
5-6 shallots or 3 shallots and 1-2 onions
2 bay leaves
3-thyme sprigs
2 teaspoons sugar
generous 1/3 cup dry white wine
Salt

Peel the shallots and let them break apart where they naturally do. Then cut them in half lengthwise.

Heat the butter or olive oil (or a combo) in a large, heavy skillet with the bay leaves, thyme sprigs and sugar over medium-high heat. Stir things up a bit so the sugar doesn’t burn. Add the shallots and coat to toss and then cook for 8-10 minutes, shaking the pan or stirring occasionally, until the shallots are nicely browned. Take care not to burn them and turn down the heat if they’re getting dark too quickly.

When they’re nicely browned pour in the wine and a few pinches of salt. Then cook at a gentle simmer, covered until the shallots are tender and coated in syrup about 15-20 more minutes. You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of water if things dry out too much.

Butternut Squash “Pumpkin Pie”

I included this recipe (slightly adapted) a few weeks ago but now it’s really pie time. And I think butternut squash makes the best pie.

*You can also just bake the custard in ramekins set in a pan with water coming half way up the side of the ramekins, until the custard is set.

I swear by the Chez Pim pie crust technique and recipe (nothing but butter, flour and water). Give it a try if you’d like or use your favorite recipe/technique.

Unlike many others I do not blind bake my crust for pumpkin pie. Instead I bake it on a pizza stone in a very hot oven (for the first 15 minutes) and then reduce the temperature. This way my crust doesn’t burn and get brittle (which I find if I blind bake and then add the custard which needs a good 45 minutes to bake itself) and the bottom crust does just fine. You always get a little sogginess with a wet custard like this but I think it’s just perfect.

1 9-inch single crust Pie shell, chilled (not partially baked using ½ of above recipe or your favorite pie dough)
1 ¾ cups baked butternut squash (bake halved, seeded squash, cut side down at 400 degrees until very tender. Cool, peel and mash a bit)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
Scant 3/4 cup (lightly packed) light brown sugar
1 cup whole milk or cream
1/4 cup sour cream
 or Greek yogurt (which is what I use)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum  (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lightly sweetened lightly whipped cream, for topping

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F. If you have a pizza stone, put it on the rack you’re going to use and then preheat. Setting the pie pan directly on the pizza stone helps the crust bake nicely and not get soggy, especially since we’re not pre-baking the crust.

Roll out your pie dough and place it in a pan, making sure to gently press the dough fully into the pan. Trim the overhanging dough with a sharp knife all around leaving at least a 1-inch overhang. Flour your fingers and crimp the dough by pushing your right pointer finger into a “v” shape created with the thumb and pointer of your left hand, holding the edge of dough. Repeat around the whole pie, re-flouring your fingers as needed, to make a pretty, crimped rim. Chill pie shell in the fridge while you make the filling.

Put all of the filling ingredients in a food processor and process for 1 minute or so, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice and pour the filling into the chilled pie shell. Alternatively whisk all the ingredients well in a bowl.

Bake for 15 minutes at 450, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for 35 to 45 minutes longer or until a knife inserted close to the center comes out clean. (If you don’t want to create a slash in your masterpiece, tap the pan gently—if the custard doesn’t jiggle, or only jiggles a teensy bit in the very center, it’s done.) Transfer the pie to a rack and cool to room temperature.

Serve the pie with lightly sweetened whipped cream

So much warm deliciousness in these recipes this week. Stay warm and happy cooking!

Oh and with that cabbage, cut into wedges (leave core attached so they stay together) and drizzle with olive oil and some salt and bake on a sheet pan at 425 until the edges are quite browned and the cabbage is tender. Serve as is with a  bit more salt or drizzled with a simple vinaigrette and a dusting of Parmesan if you’re feeling fancy. Delish!

White Bean and Chicory Soup
Wilted Chicory
Cumin Lime Coleslaw
Roasted Pumpkin Wedges with Sriracha Yogurt Dressing
Warm Celery Root and Green Lentil Salad with Hazelnuts
Celery Root Soup
Kale and Bean Soup with Pasta

White Bean and Chicory Soup

This is my idea of a perfect wintery bowl of soup. You could make it heartier if you serve the soup over a garlicky slice of toasted bread. Of course you could add bacon or sausage or any kind of leftover meat but I like the simplicity of the white beans and escarole, just finished with good olive oil and black pepper. If you have cooked white beans on hand this comes together in 30 minutes, tops.  And this is even better the next day.

Serves 6 -8

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon fresh or dried oregano or sage, finely chopped
6-7 cloves garlic, mashed and roughly chopped
3 -4 cups white beans, cooked and drained (cooking liquid reserved)
1 head Sugarloaf chicory (about 1 lb), torn or chopped into bite-sized pieces
4-5 cups liquid–I use a combination of bean cooking liquid and veggie bouillon broth (you can use water or chicken stock or vegetable stock too)
Good olive oil for serving
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and herbs and cook for a few more minutes. Add the beans, liquid and escarole and bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until the escarole is tender. You can serve as is or remove a few cups of the soup and then return to the pot, for a creamier texture. Adjust seasoning with salt. Serve, not too hot, drizzled with good oil and plenty of black pepper.

Wilted Chicory

This is a very simple technique that just begs for a fried or poached egg or maybe some fish or a lovely bowl of beans and good olive oil as an accompaniment.

Wash and trim the chicory. Cut the leaves into wide strips. Sauté in olive oil, covered, until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add a splash of vinegar, and serve.

Cumin Lime Coleslaw

I’ve made several versions of this salad lately and it’s a nice compliment to the richer, warmer foods of the season. And the carrots are so sweet and crunchy are such a colorful addition.

½ a small to medium cabbage (about 6 cups sliced), cut as thinly as possible
2 medium carrots (optional), grated on the large holes of a box grater or in the food processor
2-3 green onions, very thinly sliced (optional–or just use some thinly sliced regular onion instead of green onions)
handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped (optional)
1/2 cup toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds (optional)

Dressing
Juice of 1 lime (or lemon)
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons good-tasting olive oil or more to taste
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or sour cream or mayonnaise
1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (if you’d like you can toast 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds in a dry skillet for a couple of minutes until fragrant and a shade darker-be careful not to burn-and crush those for a more vibrant flavor)
pinch of red pepper flakes or a small hot pepper like Serrano or Jalapeño, minced (or more if you like spice)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the cabbage in a large salad bowl. Add scallions and cilantro and/or mint and carrot, if using. Mix all dressing ingredients well in a small bowl and pour over veggies. Mix well. Let rest for 20 minutes or more, to soften vegetables and let flavors meld. Toss in sunflower or pumpkin seeds, if using and adjust seasoning.

Roasted Pumpkin Wedges with Sriracha Yogurt Dressing
–slightly adapted from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi

I made this with butternut squash the other day, as that was what I had, and it was divine. I’m sure it will be good with pumpkin too and since I actually prefer to make pumpkin pies with butternut squash I use my pumpkins for more savory dishes, like this one.

And I’m SURE you will easily consume all of this even if you use both of your pumpkins.

1 (or two) pie pumpkins, cut in half, seeds and strings removed and cut into1-inch or so wedges, leaving skin on
½ – 1 teaspoon cinnamon (depending on size or quantity of pumpkin(s)
1 teaspoon or more sea salt
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

¾ cup Greek yogurt (or plain whole milk regular yogurt)
2 teaspoons Sriracha or comparably hot sauce

½ – ¾ cup very finely chopped cilantro, stems and all
1 garlic clove, minced and then mashed with some coarse salt with the side of a chef’s knife on the cutting board until you have a paste
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
A little more salt

1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts or hazelnuts (chopped up if using the nuts)

Preheat Oven to 425 degrees

Toss the pumpkin wedges with the cinnamon, some salt and olive oil and spread on baking sheets and bake until tender and starting to brown. Let cool a bit and peel off skins.

Meanwhile, stir the Sriracha and yogurt together in a small bowl. In another bowl mix the cilantro, garlic, salt and olive oil.

Put the warm pumpkin wedges on a platter and dollop with yogurt sauce, drizzle with herb sauce and sprinkle with seeds/nuts—how’s that for a lot of good adjectivesJ!? Enjoy!

Warm Celery Root and Green Lentil Salad with Hazelnuts
–adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

This dish is substantial enough to make a light main course. The earthy flavors of the nuts and the lentils are balanced by the sharpness of the vinegar and the fresh mint. Don’t skimp on the salt – lentils need a lot of it. You can serve this warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4

1/3 cup hazelnuts, roasted and roughly chopped (optional but very good)
1 cup small French green lentils 
(these hold up well when cooked and are thus good for salads—don’t use the larger, brown lentils as they’ll get too mushy)
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 small celery root, peeled and cut into ¾-inch x 1/4 –inch chips 
(more or less)
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons fresh mint, roughly chopped (or parsley)

Put the lentils, water, bay leaves and thyme sprigs in a small saucepan. Simmer for about 20-22 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but just a bit al dente, then drain in a sieve. Remove and discard the bay leaves and the thyme sprigs.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring plenty of salted water to a boil, add the celery root, and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain.

In a large bowl, mix the hot lentils (make sure they don’t cool down – lentils soak up flavors much better when they’re hot) with the olive oil, the vinegar, a few grinds of black pepper and plenty of salt. Add the celery root, stir, taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Add the mint and hazelnuts and stir again.

Celery Root Soup
–adapted from Davidlebovitz.com

David Lebovitz is one of my favorite bloggers/chefs. His writing is witty and transporting and I trust his recipes implicitly and only tinkered a bit with this one. This is delicious, elegant and easy to make. If your celery root is smaller or you want to make a smaller batch just adjust everything accordingly.

8-10 Servings

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced (or 2 leeks, cleaned and chopped)
Sea salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
One large celery root (about 3-pounds), peeled and cubed
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
 or broth
3 cups water
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
, more to taste
Scant 1/8 teaspoon chile powder
Croutons and good olive oil for serving

In a large pot, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the onion (or leeks) and cook for about five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic cloves and season with salt, and continue to cook until the onions and garlic are soft and translucent.

Add the celery root and stock or broth. (Or use all water.) Bring to a boil, then reduce to a lively simmer. Cook, partially covered, until the celery root pieces are soft about 40 minutes–the time will depend on the size of your celery root chunks.

Add pepper and chile powder, then purée using an immersion blender or transfer to a blender or food processor and do in batches. Be really careful with the hot liquid if you’re using a blender or processor. Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. If the soup is too thick, it can be thinned with water or stock or even a little cream but I like the purity of the soup without.

I like the soup served with good, crusty croutons and a little good olive oil and more black pepper. You can vary the soup by adding some pieces of crisp bacon as a garnish or a dollop of sour cream. Chives or parsley would be a nice garnish.

Kale, Bean and Pasta Soup
–inspired by Amy Scattergood via the Wednesday Chef

This makes a lot but it keeps well too, though the pasta gets a bit softer but I don’t mind that the second day. This is written for a full share but feel free to reduce the quantity, however you need to, for your share size.

Serves 8 to 10

1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons, divided
2 leeks, cleaned and sliced or 2 onions, finely-diced
2 medium carrots, chopped
3 cups dried pinto or cranberry beans
Sea salt
2 bunches lacinato kale, cleaned, stemmed and coarsely chopped
3 cups orecchiette pasta or 2 cups tubetti or something like that

1 tablespoon fresh minced sage
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon lemon juice or cider vinegar
Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

In a 4-quart soup pot heat 1/4 cup of olive oil and cook the leeks, carrots and onions over medium heat until softened, 8-10 minutes.

Add the dried beans and 12 cups of water. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with the lid, stirring occasionally. After about 35 minutes, add 1 tablespoon of sea salt. Continue to cook, covered, until the beans are soft, another 10-15 minutes or so—will depend on the freshness of your beans.

With a slotted spoon, remove 1 cup of the beans and, separately, 2 tablespoons of bean cooking liquid and set both aside. Add the kale to the soup, stirring in a few cups at a time as the greens wilt. Cover, and continue to cook for 8 to 10 minutes more until the greens are tender, then remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and reserve.

In a food processor, combine the reserved beans and bean cooking liquid, sage, parsley, paprikas and lemon juice, the remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth, then check for seasoning, adding more salt if desired, or bean liquor to aid in blending.

Just before serving, stir the cooked pasta into the soup. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with about 2 tablespoons of spiced bean purée. Grate Parmesan over the top of each bowl to taste and serve immediately.

SIO Recipes for Week 25 

It’s going to get cold this week and but I did include  a few hearty salad recipes along with the warm dishes like the braised radicchio, the leek and chicken dish and the stuffed delicata recipe. Pick up a bunch of cilantro this week (if you like cilantro) for the beet salad and the Brussels sprout dish. Happy cooking and stay warm!

Beet, Fennel and Walnut Salad with Garlicky Dressing
Brussels Sprouts with Thai-style Fish Sauce Dressing
Radicchio, Orange and Olive Salad
Quickly Braised Radicchio
Stuffed and Baked Delicata Squash
Chicken with Leeks and Lemon
Leek Notes

Beet, Fennel and Walnut Salad with Garlicky Dressing

This photo was taken of my version with celery but sub fennel in this week.

I toss together a lot of beet salads, some of which make it into the recipe collection. This one, as they always do, resulted from what I happened to have on hand. Adapt as you see fit and originally I made this with celery but fennel makes a great, crunchy substitution with the sweet, robust beets and the sharp zing from the garlic is a particularly fun combination.

Serves 2-3

4 roasted (or boiled), cooled and peeled beets, cut into large dice or wedges
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and then sliced 1/8-1/4-inch thick and then diced
2 cloves garlic, minced and then mashed into a paste with some coarse salt on the cutting board with the side of a chef’s knife (or put through a press)
1/3 cup (or more) cilantro, stems and all, roughly chopped
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
1-2 ounces feta, crumbled
1 scallion, thinly sliced (optional–use a little onion or shallot if that’s what you have)
1 tablespoon (or more) sherry or red wine or cider vinegar
2 tablespoons (or more) good olive oil
Salt

Whisk the mashed garlic with the olive oil and vinegar. Toss this dressing with everything else, except the beets. Gently toss in the beets. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Brussels Sprouts with Thai-style Fish Sauce Dressing
–inspired by Food52.com

I used both cauliflower and Brussels sprouts in this version but just Brussels sprouts are delicious.

The first time I made these for dinner I ate 2/3 of it by myself. This is a strong, fresh flavored dish. I make it just with Brussels sprouts or a mixture of cauliflower and Brussels sprouts or just cauliflower. You can certainly use broccoli or other roasted vegetables too. I misread the quantity of Brussels sprouts we were sign to get this week so if you decide to make this and halve a half share I would suggest dicing your delicata squash and roasting it alongside the sprouts to make a what will I”m sure be a beautiful and delicious variation on this dish. . .or try it with fennel–I bet that would be good too.

Serves 4

2-3 tablespoons very thinly sliced cilantro stems, plus 1/2 cup leaves
3 tablespoons chopped mint (optional—it’s great with and without so don’t make a special trip for mint)
1 lb pounds Brussels sprouts (family share gets 1 lbs this week) or 1/2 lb and 1 delicata (see headnote)
Fish Sauce Vinaigrette
2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce (adjust to taste — some fish sauce brands are saltier than others)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 to 3 Serrano chilies very thinly sliced, seeds intact (or more traditionally Thai birds eye chilies which are hotter)

For the vinaigrette, combine the fish sauce, water, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and chilies in a jar. Taste; If too salty, add more water and/or lime juice. This vinaigrette will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Combine the vinaigrette, cilantro stems, and mint in a bowl, and set aside.

Peel away any loose or discolored outer leaves of the Brussels sprouts, trim the ends and cut the sprouts in half. Cut any especially large ones in quarters. Wash well and pat dry.

Now you can either roast the Brussels sprouts in a 400 degree oven tossed with a bit of olive oil or you can start them on the stove top in 2 large skillets, cut side down in a splash of oil. If you do the latter, cook them undisturbed like this over medium high heat for about 8-10 minutes until nicely browned on the cut side. Then move the skillets to the oven and continue roasting for about 15 minutes until tender but not at all mushy.

And if you don’t have two large skillets or are cooking more sprouts for a larger crowd, roast them in the oven: toss them with 1 tablespoon of oil per pound and spread them on a baking sheet, cut sides down. Roast in the oven, checking for browning every 10-15 minutes, tossing them around with a spatula only once they start to brown nicely. The sprouts are ready when they are tender but not soft, with nice, dark brown color.

When ready to serve (warm or at room temp), toss the Brussels sprouts with the dressing to taste and cilantro leaves and mint, if using, and toss once or twice to coat. You might not need quite all the dressing so start with 2/3 of it.

Radicchio, Orange and Olive Salad

This is a gorgeous salad with robust flavors and citrus fruits are just starting to show up and it’s getting COLD this week so I guess it’s time!

Serves 4

1 small to medium head radicchio, washed, dried and cut into bite-sized pieces (you want about 4 cups of radicchio)
1 orange
Handful of cured black olives, pitted
2-3 tablespoons parsley leaves (optional)
1-2 tablespoons thinly sliced red onion or shallot
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon vinegar of your choice
About 2 tablespoons good olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the top and bottom off the orange and set it on one end. With a sharp serrated knife cut away the peel and pith and then cut the sections way from the membrane. Reserve any juice to add to the salad.

Put the radicchio in a salad bowl and add the orange slices, halved, if large, and the remainder of the ingredients. Toss gently and taste and adjust seasoning.

Quickly Braised Radicchio

Serves 4

This is simple and delicious and a good foil for any meat or stewed bean or lentil dish.

Olive oil
½ onion, thinly sliced
1 head radicchio, washed and roughly chopped into large bite-sized pieces (no need to dry it well—you want a little water clinging to the leaves)
Sea Salt
2 tablespoons sherry, red or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar or honey

In a large, heavy skillet heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat until softened a bit. Add the radicchio and a few pinches of salt and toss well. Sauté for about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the vinegar and sugar or honey and combine well. Cook for another minutes or two. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot or warm.

Stuffed and Bake Delicata Squash

I made this with Sweet Dumpling squash but it’s just as good with Delicata.

This is a beautiful, fairly quick and highly adaptable dish. Unlike my usual stuffed pumpkin recipe, you steam the halved squash on the stove top which speeds things up considerably. I tested this with Sweet Dumpling squash as you see in in the photo but delicatas will work perfectly. Some other ideas for variations.

• Use cooked quinoa, barley, lentils, orzo pasta, or bread instead of rice.
• Use oregano, rosemary, marjoram, savory, chives or any combination of herbs you’d like.
• Use any kind of cheese you’d like or omit entirely.
• Add diced, cooked bacon or sausage or leftover meat of any kind.
• Use cream or a meat stock instead of the broth.
• Use coconut milk instead of the stock and add a little ginger, cumin, turmeric or coriander.

Serves 4

2 Delicata squash
2 1/2 cups cooked rice (or other grain/filling, see above)
Scant 1 cup veggie bouillon broth or any kinds of broth or stock or milk or cream (see above)
4 tablespoons herbs, chopped (I used parsley, thyme and sage here)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or any cheese you like)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
2 teaspoons harissa (optional)
Olive oil

*Note: make sure you salt the filling well.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and membrane to expose the cavity. Set the squash cut side down in a wide, heavy skillet. Pour water in to about 1/2-inch up the side of the squash. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the pan. Bring to a lively simmer and cover until tender, about 10 minutes. Check occasionally to see if there is enough water and to check the squash. It cooks remarkable quickly. Remove the squash from the pan and set aside.

In a bowl mix the remaining ingredients and taste and adjust seasoning. Fill the squash with the mixture, packing it in well. Drizzle the top of the filling and squash with olive oil. Set in a baking dish–an 8 x 8-inch pan works well for 2 sweet dumplings bake for about 35 minutes until hot through. Run under the broiler for a bit more color if you’d like.

Serve cut in halves or quarters.

Chicken with Leeks and Lemon

I think of this as both comfort and company food. It’s fairly straightforward to make and is always delicious and elegant. For a quicker alternative you can cook the leeks down with the broth and wine until silky and then toss in pieces of chicken breast (instead of whole thighs) that will cook very quickly.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 chicken thighs (bone in with skin)
4 leeks, well rinsed, cut in half lengthwise and then cut into 3-inch lengths
1 small glass (4 ounces) of dry white wine (or dry vermouth)
1 ½ cups chicken stock or veggie stock or bouillon (see recipe below)
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
3-4 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the chicken thighs skin side down and cook until pale golden, then turn and cook a few more minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and add the leeks to the pan. Cover and let them cook gently until they are soft over medium heat. You don’t want to brown them so turn the heat down more if they start to darken. When they start to soften add the wine, broth, lemon juice and zest and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, return the chicken to the pan and then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in the parsley, adjust seasoning with salt and/or lemon and serve over rice or with boiled potatoes.

Leek Notes

If you don’t want to make the chicken dish with the leeks, just sauté them slowly I a bit of butter or olive oil and a little fresh or dried thyme until soft and then spread them on toasted bread and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil or stir them in scrambled eggs or start a soup this way and add carrots and fennel to it.

SIO Recipes for Week 24

The Castelfranco Chicory (Radicchio) is a beautiful treat this week. I give you a risotto recipe for it but you can by all means make a salad with it. If your sensitive to the slight bitterness soak the leaves in ice cold water for a while. And dress is with a nice strong vinaigrette with mustard, a little garlic, a little sweetener of some kind–I love a little syrup made be reducing apple cider–and good olive oil.

Carrots with Ginger, Curry, and Cilantro
Risotto with Beans and Castelfranco Radicchio
Roasted or Sautéed Celery Root
Long-cooked Chard and Onions
Spiced Butternut Squash with Lentils and Wilted Chard
Root Vegetable Soup (Carrots, Celeriac, Parsnips)
Parsnip and Carrot “Latkes”

Carrots with Ginger, Curry, and Cilantro

One-line recipe from Chef Jenn Louis of Lincoln Restaurant and Sunshine Tavern:

Melt a bit of butter, add curry powder, garlic and fresh ginger. Add blanched carrot coins, sea salt and cilantro leaves.

Risotto with Beans and Castelfranco Radicchio

This is creamy, delicious and perfect for blustery weather.

You could add a diced sweet pepper to the onions at the beginning or use spinach instead of radicchio, skip the beans entirely or substitute diced winter squash, use barley instead of rice. . . you get the idea.

Serves 3 to 4

5 cups vegetable broth (or homemade veggie bouillon broth) or chicken stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
1 cup pearled risotto rice (arborio, carnaroli, etc.)
1 cup cooked beans (borlotti, pinto, white, etc. )
5 cups chopped castelfranco radicchio
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Assiago Stella cheese, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring the stock or broth to a low simmer. In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and thyme and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine if using and cook, stirring until mostly absorbed, about one minute. Add a couple of ladlefuls of stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the stock a ladleful at a time when the rice starts drying out. Cook until the rice is tender then add the beans and a bit more broth–you want it a bit soupy as the beans will absorb some liquid and you want it nice and creamy.  Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the radicchio. Cook for another minute or two until wilted and tender and then stir in the cheese and butter and taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Long-cooked Chard and Onions

This is a bit of an atypical way to cook chard since you cook it for a quite a long time. It is well worth it though—silky and rich.

Wash a large bunch of fresh chard. Separate the leaves from the stems and reserve stems for another use or slice them thinly and use them in this dish. Cut the leaves into 1-2 inch ribbons. Slice a large onion and begin stewing it and the stems, if using, in some olive oil in a good-sized sauté pan. When the onion has softened a bit add the chard, season with salt and pepper, cover and stew, stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes. The moisture from the leaves and onions should be enough to cook it, slowly, but if it gets too dry you can add just a little water. Remove from heat when the vegetables are silky and tender.

I’ve used this as a pizza topping with some feta, as a pasta sauce or just a side to whatever else I made for dinner. It’s also wonderful with eggs.

Roasted or Sautéed Celery Root

The first of the season’s celery root gets treated in one of two ways in my kitchen. Either I cut it into thick, French fry-like batons and sauté it with our without a little bacon in my largest cast iron skillet until tender. It needs plenty of salt.

Or, I roast batons or dice, tossed in olive oil and salt on a sheet pan in a 400 degree-oven until tender and browning. I might then dress it with some minced garlic and chopped parsley or eat it just as is.

Spiced Squash, Lentils and Chard

This is my idea of a perfect winter dish. I typically make this with fresh arugula but wilted chard or spinach is a lovely alternative.

Serves 6 as a side

¾ cup French green lentils
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt (more to taste)
1 small bunch chard, leaves separated from stems (reserve those for another use), washed and chopped
2-3 ounces feta or soft goat cheese, crumbled
1 – 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 375ºF.  Place squash on a baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons oil, cumin, paprika, and salt.  Roast 20 minutes.  Turn squash over.  Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile cook lentils in boiling salted water until tender but firm in a large pot, about 25 minutes. About 5 minutes before the lentils are done add the chard. Drain everything well and let cool just a bit.

Combine lentils, chard, squash, and oil from baking sheet with vinegar and 1 tablespoon good olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper. Toss well. Gently stir under cheese when ready to serve.

Root Vegetable Soup (Carrots, Celeriac, Parsnips)

This is just a template, an idea, of how to use the lovely roots that are showing up in a nice, warm soup.

If you have time roast all the vegetables and then sauté a bit of onion, add the roasted veggies (or roast some onion along with the other veggies instead) and enough broth and a few sprigs of thyme or a bit of chopped sage. Simmer for 10 minutes and then blend with an immersion blender or regular blender or food processor or just coarsely mash by hand. Add salt a squeeze of lemon juice or splash of cider vinegar or soy sauce. Add more broth or water if it’s too thick—keep cooking it if it’s too thin.

Top with crouton, toasted seeds or nuts and chopped fresh herbs with olive oil salt and maybe a little garlic.

Parsnip and Carrot “Latkes”

This is also more of an idea/technique than a recipe and it’s not an authentic latke. Be that as it may it’s a great, great way to enjoy winter (especially root) veggies.

The quantities listed are approximations and can be adjusted based on what you have on hand, your taste, etc. For the below recipe you want about six cups of packed, grated veggie.

3 small parsnips, scrubbed and grated on the large holes of a box grater or shredded with a food processor (you probably won’t need to peel them or remove the core but see if either seems very fibrous)
3-4 medium carrots, scrubbed and grated (same as parsnips)
½ a medium onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or oregano, mint or chives or about a teaspoon of chopped sage or thyme, fresh or dried)
2 eggs
¼ cup flour
1/3 cup half and half, cream or whole milk (or water)
Salt (at least 1 teaspoon sea salt)
Freshly ground pepper
A few tablespoons of oil for pan-frying
Greek yogurt or sour cream for serving

Let the grated veggies rest, sprinkled with a little salt, in a large bowl while you prepare the batter (you can also skip this step and I often do). In a smallish bowl whisk the egg(s) with the flour and cream (if using), salt and pepper. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the veggies with your hands, a big handful at a time. Return to the bowl, add the onion and herbs and finally the batter. Mix well. Taste for seasoning before you start frying. Under salted latkes are no fun.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Scoop spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot pan. Flatten each one a bit with a spatula. Leave them alone for a few minutes until the sides start getting crispy and golden. Flip carefully and continue cooking until both sides are nicely browned. Eat hot topped with Greek yogurt or sour cream.

SIO Recipes for Week 23

Some fun projects in the mix this week–stuffed and roasted pumpkin and pumpkin pie and kimchi. Lots of quicker things too. Happy cooking!

Beet Dip with Sage and Thyme, Goat Cheese and Toasted Nuts
Barley and Vegetable Soup with Harissa
Baked and Stuffed Pumpkin
Vietnamese-style Napa Cabbage and Chicken Salad
Kimchi
Turkish Style Leeks with Carrots and Rice
Pumpkin Pie

Beet Dip with Sage and Thyme, Goat Cheese and Toasted Nuts
–adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi

This brilliantly colored puree is a wonderful appetizer or snack. The original recipe calls for Za’ atar, a wonderful spice mixture which I don’t always have on hand. I do have both thyme and sage in my garden and thought the combination was a great substitute. If you have Za’ atar by all means use it—use 2 teaspoons of it instead of the sage and thyme.

Makes generous 2 cups of dip

About ½ lb cooked, trimmed beets (4-5 small-medium)
½ up Greek yogurt or plain regular yogurt
1/2 a small jalapeno (discard some or all seeds if sensitive to spice)
2 small cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon chopped fresh or ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or dried sage
Sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Thinly sliced chives or green onions
Toasted, chopped hazelnuts or walnuts
1-2 ounces crumble feta or fresh goat cheese
Good olive oil
Bread or crackers for dipping

Cook the beets (or bake) until tender. Peel and roughly chop. Put the beets, yogurt, hot pepper, garlic, syrup, herbs, salt and olive oil in a food processor and process until fairly smooth. I like a little bit of texture. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Put puree in a bowl and top with green onions, nuts, feta and a good drizzle of oil.

Barley and Vegetable Soup with Harissa 

Serves 4, generously

I made my own harissa (the North African pepper and spice paste) the other day and it’s delicious and I’m putting it in/on everything. It enlivens this simple fall soup. I based mine on this recipe—feel free to give it a try or use a store bought one.

If you have already cooked grains on hand, use those and add them at the end. If you have pearl barley or bulgur it will cook quickly and can be cooked in the soup. If you have whole grain faro or bulgur you might want to cook it separately since they take a bit longer and your veggies might turn to mush.

Add sausage to this or any leftover meat if you’d like to make it heartier or add beans or chickpeas. Add some of this week’s kale for more color and flavor . . .

Olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 leeks, well washed, halved lengthwise and cut into ½-inch half rounds
3 carrots, scrubbed and chopped
2 potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small-ish dice
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 -2 tablespoons harissa (the spice level really varies with harissa so taste it and start slowly to make sure it doesn’t get too hot)
Salt
5 cups stock or broth of your choice (or more or less if you want soupier or stewier)
3/4 cup barley, faro or brown rice (uncooked—see headnote, or 1 ½ cups cooked grains)
Chopped fresh parsley
Good olive oil

In a large pot heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions, leeks and carrots and a few pinches of salt and sauté for about 10 minutes until softening. Add the spices and potatoes and grains (if you’re using uncooked ones) and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Add the stock/broth (use slightly more if you have uncooked grains as they’ll absorb some of it)  and harissa and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook until everything is tender. Taste and adjust with more harissa, salt, etc. Serve topped with plenty of parsley and good olive oil.

Baked and Stuffed Pumpkin Roasted
–adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Around my French Table

This is the most delicious, beautiful fall dish. It’s perfect for a regular old dinner (though it does take almost 2 hours to bake so maybe a weekend dinner) or a Thanksgiving treat. But it’s so easy and so adaptable that you should add it to your regular repertoire. It’s wonderful with cooked rice instead of bread (gets almost a risotto-like texture), additions of cooked spinach or chard, cooked sausage or ham chunks, with peas (straight from the freezer),. . .

Serves 4-6 (depending on size of pumpkin)

1 pie pumpkin, about 4 – 5 lbs (just adjust the amount of filling if your pumpkin is smaller or larger – though you don’t want to go too much larger as it takes awfully long to cook)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 lb (or slightly more) stale bread, sliced and cut into ½-inch chunks
1/3 lb cheese, such as sharp cheddar, Gruyère, Emmenthal or a combination, cut into ½ chunks or grated
2-4 garlic cloves (to taste), finely chopped
2-4 strips bacon, booked until crisp, and chopped
¼ cup snipped fresh chives or sliced scallions (green onions)
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
½ cup of cream or half and  half
½ cup milk
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350F. You can using a baking sheet, a pie pan (as seen above), or a dutch oven with a diameter that’s just a tiny bit larger than your pumpkin. If you bake the pumpkin in a casserole, it will keep its shape, but might stick to the casserole, so you’ll have to serve it from the pot which is fine too.

Using a sturdy knife, cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin. Cut a big enough cap that it’s easy to hollow out the inside. Clear away the seeds and strings from the cap and the inside of the pumpkin. Rub the inside of the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper and put it on the baking sheet, pie pan or in a pot.

In a large bowl toss the bread, cheese, garlic, bacon, and herbs together. Season with pepper—you probably have enough salt from the bacon and cheese but  taste to be sure—and pack the mix into the pumpkin. The pumpkin should be well filled—you might have a little too much filling, or you might  need to add to it. Stir the cream, milk and nutmeg with a bit of salt and pepper and pour it into the filled pumpkin. You don’t want the ingredients to swim in the liquid, but you do want them nicely moistened with liquid about half-way up the cavity. It’s hard to go wrong though. Better a little wetter than too dry.

Put the cap in place and bake the pumpkin for about 2 hours—check after 90 minutes—or until everything inside the pumpkin is bubbling and the flesh of the pumpkin is easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove the cap for the last 20 minutes or so of baking to brown the top and let any extra liquid evaporate. Transfer very carefully to a serving platter if you baked it on a sheet. Serve, scooping out plenty of pumpkin with each serving or serve it in slices.

Vietnamese-style Napa Cabbage and Chicken Salad

I know you’ve seen this one before but it’s so good I can’t help myself.

Serves 4-6

Dressing:

2 Serrano or 1 jalapeño chili, seeded (unless you like more heat) finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ of a small onion (red or yellow or ½ bunch of scallions), thinly sliced
5 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 medium carrot, grated
1/2 cup or more cilantro and/or mint, roughly chopped

In a large salad bowl mix the dressing ingredients. Let sit for a few minutes and make sure the sugar dissolves. Add the veggies and chicken, if using. Mix well, adjust seasoning and stir in cilantro or mint.

Kimchi

–slightly adapted from Tigressinapickle.com

There are entire books on this wonderful Korean condiment and it can be made with many different kinds of vegetables, spices and aromatics. Here is a fairly classic, basic version that uses the traditional napa cabbage. I sometimes halve this recipe which works great but if you’re making it, it’s worth making the whole one or close to it. It’s just a one gallon jar and it keeps well and you’ll start putting it on everything. . . .at least I do!

Kimchi-making does not have to be exact. It’s best to taste as you go. Here are the approximate ratios that I have found work best for me.

• 1 part root vegetable(s) for every 5 parts cabbage. I use carrots, but turnips, daikon, radishes and the “honorary root” kohlrabi also work well.
• for every 5 pounds of cabbage and roots I add the following:
• 1 bunch green onions/scallions – white and green parts
• 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons dried chile pepper (korean pepper is the most common of course, but i have found aleppo pepper to be a perfect substitute. If either are hard to find for you, mix hungarian (sweet) paprika two to 1 with cayenne and you’ll approximate the level of heat.)
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup sea salt per quart of water for brine. (I use coarse sea salt, if yours is fine, it should be a scant 1/4 cup). note on water: chlorinated water can inhibit fermentation. It’s best to use spring or distilled water. Approximately 3 quarts of brine are needed for every 5 pounds of cabbage and roots.

Equipment:

• for every 5 pounds of cabbage and roots you will need a 1 gallon container (or 2 half gallons/4 quarts) for the fermentation process. I use a 1 gallon jar.
• you’ll also need a few large bowls or containers to soak the vegetables overnight.

This is the basic technique:

• clean and core cabbage, chop into approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces. Clean roots (Carrots, daikon, etc.) and slice very thin. I like to use a mandoline for this.
• make brine by combining salt and water. I make it in 1/2 gallon jars, shaking the jar until the salt dissolves.
• soak the cabbage and roots overnight in brine. Fill the containers with cabbage and roots and press down. Add some brine, cover with a plate and press down some more. add more brine as needed to submerge completely. Keep plate on top overnight and let it sit out at room temperature. After 8-12 hours drain the cabbage & roots, reserving most of the brine.
• chop up all of the aromatics and add sugar, mix together. combine this mixture with the drained cabbage and roots. If you are doing a large batch it is better to break it up into a few bowls to evenly combine.
• fill your fermentation containers with the mixture. Do not pack it too high or too tight, 3/4 full is perfect. add some of the leftover brine to cover completely. You will not need all of the brine.
• if you are using a crock with weights, place the weights on top of the mixture to submerge. If you are using glass jars, I use the plastic bag method–fill a ziploc bag with extra brine and seal it. Use this to weigh down the vegetables so they stay submerged. It’s good to check the kimchi once a day and give it a little stir with a wooden spoon to push any pieces that might have escaped to the top back in.
• ideally the fermentation container will be in a moderately warm environment, low 70′s is perfect. At that temperature it will take approximately 5-6 days to complete fermentation. I’ve definitely made batches in cooler weather and they were just fine but took a bit longer.
• taste! don’t be afraid to taste everyday! 2 or 3 days into it you will notice the bite of raw vegetable has dissipated. A day or two after, when you remove the weight, you’ll smell the sweetest, most delicious smell. then you’ll know your nearing the end of the fermentation process. It’s really up to you and your taste buds to decide on when it is ‘done’. Note: if something has gone wrong there is usually no question, your nose will know. It will smell bad. But this has never happened to me, and if you make sure your utensils, vessels and hands are clean it shouldn’t happen to you either.
• transfer to storage jars and store in the fridge for up to a year or even more. Technically speaking the fermentation process is still happening only at a much slower rate due to the lower temperature in your refrigerator.

Turkish Style Leeks with Carrots and Rice
–slightly adapted from Adam Ried from the Culinate.com collection

This is one of those clever dishes where vegetables and grains seamlessly blend and in this case a little rice goes a very long way–adding heft and texture but really not much volume. The parsley and lemon are wonderful finishes.

Serves 3-4

¼ cup good olive oil
1 onion, diced
Salt
4 carrots, well scrubbed but no need to peel and cut on the bias into thin slices
4-5 medium leeks (about 2½ pounds), white and much of the green part (just cut off the greens where it seems they get tougher and more fibrous), halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
¾ cup chicken or veggie bouillon or water
¼ cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt and turn the heat down a bit and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is very soft and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Add the carrots and cook, stirring once in a while, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the leeks and a bit more salt and cook, stirring frequently, until they soften, about 10 minutes. Add the broth and adjust the heat to medium-high, and bring to a strong simmer. Add the rice and ½ teaspoon salt, stir to incorporate, adjust the heat to very low, cover the pan, and simmer (without stirring or lifting the cover) for 25 minutes.

Remove the cover, stir the mixture once or twice, replace the cover, and set aside off the heat for 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and parsley and stir to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, if necessary, and pepper to taste, and serve hot or warm.

Pumpkin Pie

Pie with your own pumpkin puree is fun and delicious and you can also use butternut squash or other squashes but pumpkin is fun and classic. Pumpkin flesh can be a bit stringy so if you don’t have a food processor (in which to make the filling) you might want to mash the cooked pumpkin through a sieve for a nice smooth texture.

This is fairly classic pumpkin pie recipe, with the exception of the sour cream and optional rum.

I swear by the Chez Pim pie crust technique and recipe (nothing but butter, flour and water). Give it a try if you’d like or use your favorite recipe/technique. http://chezpim.com/bake/how-to-make-the-perfect-pie-dough

1 9-inch single crust Pie shell, chilled (not partially baked using ½ of above recipe or your favorite pie dough)
1 ¾ cups pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 cup whole milk or cream
1/3 cup sour cream
 or Greek yogurt (which is what I use)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons dark rum  (optional)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Lightly sweetened lightly whipped cream, for topping

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F. If you have a pizza stone, put it on the rack you’re going to use and then preheat. Setting the pie pan directly on the pizza stone helps the crust bake nicely and not get soggy, especially since we’re not pre-baking the crust.

Cut the pumpkin(s) in half and remove all seeds and strings. Keep seeds to clean and roast for a snack if you’d like. Put the pumpkin cut side down on a baking sheet and bake until very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove from oven, let cool and scoop out the flesh.

Roll out your pie dough and place it in a pan, making sure to gently press the dough fully into the pan. Trim the overhanging dough with a sharp knife all around leaving at least a 1-inch overhang. Flour your fingers and crimp the dough by pushing your right pointer finger into a “v” shape created with the thumb and pointer of your left hand, holding the edge of dough. Repeat around the whole pie, re-flouring your fingers as needed, to make a pretty, crimped rim.  Chill pie shell in the fridge while you make the filling.

Put all of the filling ingredients in a food processor and process for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice and pour the filling into the chilled pie shell. Alternatively whisk all the ingredients well in a bowl.

Bake for 15 minutes at 450, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for 35 to 45 minutes longer or until a knife inserted close to the center comes out clean. (If you don’t want to create a slash in your masterpiece, tap the pan gently—if the custard doesn’t jiggle, or only jiggles a teensy bit in the very center, it’s done.) Transfer the pie to a rack and cool to room temperature.

Serve the pie with lightly sweetened whipped cream

Many hearty and fun recipes this week–old favorites, adaptations of old favorites and a silky soup. If neither of the kohlrabi recipes below appeal, make a quick kohlrabi and carrot slaw with lime juice, plenty of parsley, minced garlic, olive oil and some thinly sliced onion. Happy cooking!

Dry-fried Beef with Kohlrabi and Carrots
Black Beans, Delicata Squash, Avocado and Cilantro
Roasted Carrot and Cumin Soup with Crispy Pancetta
Kohlrabi and Parmesan Fritters
Roasted Sweet Peppers with Parsley and Garlic
Lentils, Roasted Peppers and Parsley (and Sausage)
Kale Salad with Peanuts and Mint
Green Rice (with Sweet Peppers instead of Anaheims)

Dry-fried Beef with Kohlrabi and Carrots
–slightly adapted from Pure Beef by Lynne Curry

This recipe is from a wonderful cookbook by Lynne Sampson Curry of Joseph, OR. If you like beef and eat local grass fed beef or are curious about cooking grass fed beef properly and creatively, this book is a must have.

1 lb. top round steak, very thinly sliced against the grain 1/4-inch thick
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
3-4 medium carrots, scrubbed (no need to peel) an cut into matchsticks as best you can
1 medium-large kohlrabi, peeled and cut into matchsticks (depending on how large yours is you may not need the whole thing)
2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thinly and then cut into fine strips, divided
3-4 green onions, trimmed and chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine (mirin)
¾ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
Rice for serving

Season the beef with the salt. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet (or wok) over high heat. When smoking, add the beef and stir until the beef is no longer pink. Try to keep the beef in a single layer in the wok and cook it until the juices have almost evaporated, about 4 minutes. Then stir the strips of meat gently, until they sizzle and turn a darker shade of brown, and additional 2-3 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate and cover.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat. Add the carrots and kohlrabi and cook, stirring constantly, until they start to soften but retain some crispness, about 4 minutes.  Add them to the beef.

Add the ginger and the green onions to the pan and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and rice wine and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the beef and vegetables back into the pan along with the sesame oil and stir until hot. Serve immediately with some freshly ground black pepper and the chopped cilantro. Serve with rice.

Green Rice (with Stuffed, Roasted Sweet Peppers)

This is a childhood favorite dish that I have included here before. I recently tried it with sweet peppers (since that’s what I had) instead of Anaheims and it was delicious too and since you have lots of parsley and sweet peppers this week, give it a try.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno, minced (seeds and all) or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large bunch parsley, rinsed well and bottom half of stems removed. Chop the remaining stems and leaves fairly finely
2 cups long grain white (or brown—will take longer to cook) rice
4 cups milk (2% or whole – not skim)
6 sweet peppers (you can use fewer too), roasted over a gas burner until black and blistered or under the broiler
6 ¼-inch thick slices of sharp cheddar (to fill each pepper) about 1 1/2 x 4 “
Salt

Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven or pot for which you have a tight-fitting lid, over medium-high heat. Add the rice to the pan and stir well to coat with oil and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onion, garlic, hot pepper or chili flakes and parsley and mix well and sauté for 2-3 more minutes. Add the 4 cups of milk and a generous 1 ¼ teaspoon of salt (you may still need more—it takes quite a bit) and bring to a boil but be careful, milk boils over easily and makes a big mess so stay close by. Turn down to very low and cook, covered for 12- 15 minutes.

Carefully peel the peppers, remove the stem and cut down one side of the pepper to remove the seeds. Try to keep the peppers are intact as possible—not a big deal if you don’t but easier to manage if you do. Lay the peeled, deseeded peppers on a cutting board and place a slice of cheese inside each one.

After the rice has ben cooking for about 20 minutes (if you’re using white rice otherwise 35 minutes) and much of the milk has been absorbed, use a large spoon to lift up some of the rice and place the stuffed pepper in the spot you’ve made and re-cover with rice. Continue until you’ve more or less evenly placed all the peppers in the rice. Cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the rice is tender and the peppers heated through and the cheese melted. I like to turn the heat up again at the very end to create a bit of a crust on the bottom of the pan. This is a bit risky since you don’t want to burn the rice. Serve hot, making sure everyone gets a pepper.

Black Beans, Delicata Squash, Sweet Peppers, Avocado and Cilantro

This is really just a suggestion of ingredients to combine and a loose technique.. You can add more sweet peppers, hot peppers, spices, other herbs and/or add cheeses or toasted nuts. It’s such a joy to quickly toss together ingredients like this and have a vibrant dish for any time of day.

Quantities are completely up to you as are the ratios. Just taste and adjust with citrus and other seasonings.

Serves 4

2 cups cooked (or canned), drained black beans
1 avocado, diced
2 sweet peppers, trimmed and diced or thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro, leaves and stems, well washed, dried and roughly chopped
2-3 cups winter squash, roasted and cut into bite-sized chunks (don’t need to peel your delicata squash)
1 tablespoon thinly sliced onions
1/2 a garlic clove, minced (optional)
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Toss everything together on a platter or large bowl. Taste, adjust seasoning and enjoy.

Roasted Carrot and Cumin Soup with Crispy Pancetta
–Inspired by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall via Racheleats.com

Serves 4

2 lbs carrots, scrubbed and trimmed and cut into chunks
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into chunks
2 shallots or 1 – 2 leeks, cleaned and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
1 large or 2 smaller garlic cloves, peeled and very finely chopped.
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
A good pinch of red pepper flakes
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
4 thin slices of pancetta or bacon (or salted, toasted pumpkin seeds)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Put carrots and onions on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt roast for about 35 minutes until they are soft, deep in color and caramelized at the edges.

In a soup pot gently sauté the shallot and/or leek in the butter until soft and translucent.

Toast the cumin seeds in a small dry skillet pan over a moderate heat, it only takes a couple of minutes until they smelt nutty and warm. Put the toasted seeds in a mortar and grind well.

Add the roasted carrots and onion to the soup pot pan, then add the ground cumin and pinch of chili flakes to the pan, stir. Add the chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes or so. Blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Fry the bacon or pancetta until crisp and rippled at the edges then break into small pieces and garnish the soup. Alternatively top with toasted, salted, coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds.

Kohlrabi and Parmesan Fritters

I find these addictive. They’re perfect with some Greek (or whole milk yogurt) that you’ve doctored with a little minced garlic, salt and lemon juice and/or lots of chopped dill.

You can also double the recipe. I know the kolrabi are big again this week!

About 10 3-inch fritters

12 ounces kohlrabi (about 4 cups chopped), peeled and chopped into small-ish chunks
2 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (or other grating cheese—sharp cheddar is fine too)
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley (optional but very good—can sub other herbs)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
A pinch of red pepper flakes and several grinds of black pepper
Olive or vegetable oil for frying
Lemon wedges (optional)

Cook the kohlrabi in a pan with 1/2–inch or so of water for 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile lightly beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Add the flour, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper and parsley. Then, add kohlrabi and, using a potato masher, mash it up a bit. You want to keep the bits recognizable, but small enough (1/4- to 1/2-inch chunks) that you can press a spoonful of the batter into a fritter in the pan. Once mashed a bit, stir the remaining ingredients together. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add a tablespoon or two of oil. Once the oil is hot drop about 1/3 cup batter into the pan, then flatten it slightly with your spatula. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving an inch or so between each. Once brown underneath, about 2 to 3 minutes, flip each fritter and cook on the other side until equally golden, about another 1 to 2 minutes.

Serve with yogurt or just a squeeze of lemon juice to offset the sweetness of the kohlrabi.

Roasted Sweet Peppers with Parsley and Garlic

This is the way sweet red peppers are prepared in many parts of Italy. It’s very simple and very good. This dish keeps well in the fridge for 4-5 days so make extra and enjoy it for a while. And use however much parsley and garlic you like. It’s really a matter of taste.

4-5 sweet red peppers
10 sprigs of parsley, big stems discarded, chopped
1 medium clove garlic, minced
Good-tasting olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Set oven to broil.

Rinse peppers. Place them on a baking sheet and place about 4-6 inches under the broiler. Broil, turning as one side blisters and turns black. When they are blackened all around remove from oven, place in a bowl and cover with a dishtowel. Let steam and cool until you can handle them. Remove the stems and seeds. Chop into large-ish pieces (1 ½ – 2-inch square). Toss in a bowl with the remainder of the ingredients. Adjust seasoning. Let sit to let flavors marry for 15 minutes if you can. Serve with bread, cheese, grilled anything, salads, a frittata, etc. . . Great on sandwiches as well.

Lentils, Roasted Peppers and Parsley (and Sausage)

This is a wonderful way to turn some of the above, roasted peppers, into a beautiful meal.

1 ½ cups small green or brown lentils (they hold their shape better than the more common, larger brown ones)
1 bay leaf
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 carrot, scrubbed and cut into a few pieces (optional)
Salt
2 teaspoons red wine or sherry vinegar
2 sausages of your choice (I like Pastaworks’ Italian pork sausages best)
Olive oil
Roasted peppers (above)

Put the lentils, bay leaf, garlic clove, and carrot in a large saucepan. Cover generously with water and add ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook, partially covered for about 20 minutes. Check frequently at this point for doneness. You want tender lentils that are still more or less holding their shape. It make take a bit longer.

Drain the lentils when they are tender and discard everything but the carrot. Chop it up more finely and add it back in. Add the vinegar and a bit of olive oil.

Meanwhile slice the sausages into round and sauté in a bit of olive oil until cooked through and browning a bit. Mix the sausages into the lentils.

Chop up some of the roasted red peppers and stir those into the lentils as well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Kale Mint Salad with Peanut Dressing
–inspired by Food52

Serves 4-6

The mint, kale and peanuts make for a strong, vivid and almost rich salad.

1 bunch kale, well washed and any tough stems trimmed and then cut as thinly as you can (I used half mustard greens and half kale since that’s what I had and it was delicious too)
1-2 medium carrots, grated on the large holes of a box grater (optional—but pretty and a nice sweet addition)
¾ cup fresh mint, chopped
1 cup dry roasted peanuts (alternatively you can use toasted walnuts)

Peanut/Sesame Dressing:

3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoons tahini (optional—I like the combination very much though)
3 tablespoons hot water
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons sesame oil
¼ -1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes (or more if you want a bit more heat)

Toss the chopped kale, chopped mint and the nuts together in a large bowl.

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Alternatively to you can blend or process the dressing until smooth.

Pour two-thirds of the dressing over the kale, mint and nuts and toss well, making sure you’re really covering the kale well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Yes, I think it’s really fall now. Lots of fall-like dishes here this week. Pick up a bunch of cilantro and cook some white beans (for two of the dishes this week) if you’d like. The Cilantro, Chard and White Bean Soup is really one of my all time favorite meals. And I have been so enjoying all the sweet peppers and below are a couple of my favorite pepper recipes.

Portuguese Chard, Leek, White Bean and Cilantro Soup
Radicchio, Beets, Filberts/Walnuts, Goat Cheese/Blue Cheese
Hubbard Squash Note
Roasted Squash and Beets with Dukkah and Thyme
Roasted Pepper Salad with Cumin, Sherry Vinegar and Jamon Serrano
Quick-Pickled Sweet Peppers with Rosemary
Romesco with Roasted Potatoes
Leeks and White Beans with Sausages

Portuguese Chard, Leek, White Bean and Cilantro Soup

This is my favorite soup, I believe, of all time. If you have cooked (or canned) beans on hand this soup comes together in 20-30 minutes and is one of the most satisfying one-dish meals I know.

1 cup dried white beans, soaked (cannelini, great northern, Ayers Creek white beans of any kind, Rancho Gordo Marrow beans . . . ) or 1 14 oz. can of cannelini or other white beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 leeks (about 2 generous cups, chopped), well washed, cut in half lengthwise and cut into half-rounds
5 large cloves garlic
6 cups home-made veggie bouillon broth or vegetable stock
2 cups packed cilantro
1 large bunch chard, stems removed, coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
sliced crusty bread (4 slices)
4 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste
Good olive oil for drizzling

Cook the soaked beans in water with a clove of the garlic until soft about 25 minutes if small. Drain and set aside. You could also use canned beans.

Heat olive oil in a large pot. Sauté the leeks in olive oil until limp. Add three cloves of garlic, minced. Continue sautéing until the garlic is soft but not brown about 2 minutes, lower heat as needed. Add four cups of the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the beans and continue to simmer for a minute or two. Add the chard to the pot and cook for a few minutes. Blend the cilantro with the reserved 2 cups of bouillon in a blender. Add the cilantro mixture and season with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a rapid simmer. Crack eggs into soup, cover and let poach about 5 minutes until the yolks and whites are just set.

While eggs are cooking toast the bread slices and rub with remaining garlic cloves. You can rub one or both sides of the toast with garlic–depending on much you love garlic. Lay the bread in the bottom of a soup bowl. Ladle the soup over. Top with poached egg. Drizzle with good olive oil and grind some pepper over the top.

Beets, Radicchio, Goat Cheese/Blue Cheese and Filberts/Walnuts

I made this with the addition of the last bit of lettuce from last week’s share but it was 90% radicchio. I used filberts and goat cheese and it was wonderful.

A classic and wonderful combination of ingredients.

3 roasted or boiled beets, peeled and diced or cut into bite-sized wedges
About 4 cups radicchio, washed, dried and torn or chopped
½ cup or more toasted walnuts or filberts, roughly chopped
2 ounces fresh goat cheese or blue cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon sherry or red one vinegar (more to taste)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss the radicchio and nuts with the dressing ingredients. Add the cheese and beets and gently toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Hubbard Squash Note

I love Hubbard squash. Its dense, rich meat is great in “pumpkin” pies as well as stews, mashes, sautés, etc. If you have some time or can do it in advance, you’ll make it easier on yourself if you bake the squash whole (or halved and seeds and strings removed) in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes or so which softens it enough to peel and cube it more easily.

Roasted Winter Squash and Beets with Dukkah and Thyme

I love this combination of creamy, sweet roasted squash and beets and the warmly spiced, crunchy Dukkah. Dukkah (the spice and nut mixture) is delicious sprinkled on most anything—roasted vegetables, salads, grilled meats, you name it. This dish makes a lovely side or lunch with some hummus and toast and/or a green salad. You can use other vegetables as well but this combination is particularly beautiful and delicious.

This is a little bit of a project–timing the toasting of the spices and then letting them cool but it’s well worth it and it makes enough for quite a few dishes/meals.

Dukkah:

1/2 cup almonds
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Roasted winter squash and beets, cut into bite-sized chunks, warm or at room temperature
1 teaspoon thyme leaves, fresh or dried, chopped or crumbled a bit
Olive oil
Salt

For the dukkah: In a medium skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds until golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a work surface to cool, and then finely chop them.

Put the coriander and cumin seeds in the same skillet and toast, stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a spice grinder and allow them to cool completely before coarsely grinding.

In a medium bowl, combine the almonds with the ground spices.

Put the sesame seeds in the same skillet and toast them over medium heat, stirring until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the spice grinder.

Toast the coconut in the skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until golden (be careful not to burn!), about 2 minutes. Add the toasted coconut to the grinder and let it cool completely.

Grind the sesame seeds and coconut to a coarse powder. Combine with the almond and spice mixture and season with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container. Dukkah will keep for 1-2 months but will begin to loose its fragrance after that.

Toss the roasted vegetables with a bit of olive oil and a little salt. Sprinkle generously with dukkah and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve.

Roasted Pepper Salad with Cumin, Sherry Vinegar and Jamon Serrano

This is a Spanish-style composed salad. I make it several times a year when peppers are abundant and varied in the early fall. It’s a beautiful, even elegant dish and worth all the roasting and peeling time.

8 peppers, ideally a sweet Italian roasteres—broiled until blackened and blistered and seeded and peeled and coarsely chopped
4 – 5 roma or other sauce-type tomatoes, quartered, sprinkled with salt and roasted in a very hot (450~) oven until soft and browning around the edges, about 15 minutes
1/4 of a medium (red) onion, sliced as thinly as you can
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 hardboiled eggs, finely chopped
Salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons sherry or champagne or red wine vinegar
olive oil
salt and pepper
8-10 slices Jamon Serrano or Prosciutto

Arrange the roasted peppers and tomatoes on a platter. Scatter over the slivered onions and sprinkle the hardboiled eggs over the vegetables.

In a small bowl mix the cumin, salt, olive oil, pepper, garlic and vinegar. Drizzle the dressing over everything and top with the slices of jamon. Enjoy with some good bread.

Pickled Sweet Peppers with Rosemary

These simple pickled peppers are fun to have around to serve on burgers, as part of an antipasto plate, or on egg salad crostini or sandwiches.

For about 3-4 pints:

3 lbs sweet red and/or yellow roasting peppers
A little olive oil
Salt

Brine:

2 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
Handful of fresh rosemary leaves
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Combine the vinegar, sugar and rosemary leaves and red pepper flakes in a saucepan. Simmer covered for about 3 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the broiler and position the rack about 8 inches from the element. Wash and dry the peppers and cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds and veins. Rub peppers with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Arrange peppers, skin side up on baking sheet and broil until skin is blistering and peppers have softened a bit, about 6-10 minutes. Check and reposition peppers to ensure even broiling. When cool enough to handle peel the peppers as best you can—it’s fine if some of the skin sticks to the peppers. Pack the peppers into jars and add the still-warm brine. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. They’ll keep for many months.

Romesco

This sauce is quite forgiving. The important thing is that it has a good bite from vinegar, the texture from the grilled bread and the sweetness of the slowly fried garlic and ground almonds. Many combinations of peppers will work.

2 sweet peppers, broiled until black and blistered, deseeded and peeled or 2 dried New Mexican chilies
1 large tomato, fresh or roasted and frozen (and then thawed)
1 fresh or dried Aci Sivri pepper (Ayers Creek farm in Gaston Oregon grows and sells these mildly hot Turkish peppers at the Hillsdale Farmers’ Market, near Portland) (optional)
1 small fresh hot pepper (Czech Black, Serrano etc) roasted and peeled and deseeded or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, fried slowly in olive oil until golden brown and soft
1 thick slice crusty bread, fried in the garlic oil until dark brown and crisp
2 tablespoons toasted almonds (marcona almonds if you have them, though I never do and regular ones work fine)
2 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar or a combination (or less if you’re using the New Mexican chiles)
1/3 cup olive oil, or more as needed
Salt

If you’re using dried New Mexican chilies destem and seed them and simmer them with 3/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar for 5 minutes. Drain most of the liquid but reserve the rest in case you need a bit more kick. And if you’re using New Mexican chiles then only add 2 teaspoons of vinegar since the rehydrating liquid will have infused the peppers with some vinegar.

Process the toasted bread, garlic and almonds in the food processor until well-chopped. Add the remaining ingredients except the oil. Process everything until smooth, finally adding the oil. Taste and adjust seasoning. It should have a good vinegary kick. Thin with more of the re-hydrating liquid if desired.

Romesco with Roasted Potatoes

Good for a crowd, good at room temperature and just robust and beautiful and tasty! You can scale this however you want but it’s worth making a good amount and the potatoes can always be warmed up the next day if you have any leftover, and you could use leftover potatoes to make a hash or add to a scramble and top with more romesco.

2 1/2 lbs (or more–see head note) waxy potatoes
2-3 bay leaves
8 cloves garlic, unpeeled
Salt
Olive oil
Chopped fresh parsley
1 cup (or more) Romesco (recipe above)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Scrub the potatoes and cut into large chunks or leave whole if small. Toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic and bay leaves. Put potatoes into a large cast iron skillet or other oven proof dish or sheet pan. (You will finish the dish on the stove top so using something that can be in the oven and on a burner saves a step.) Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast for about 35-50 minutes until tender.

Remove foil and remove pan from the oven and set on the stove top. Smash the potatoes gently to flatten a bit but so they stay in one piece more or less. Cook over medium high-heat, undisturbed for 6-7 minutes until deeply browned. Remove bay leaves and discard. Put potatoes on a serving dish and squeeze roasted garlic out of its skins and toss with potatoes. Top with chopped parsley and romesco.

White Beans with Leeks and Sausage

I made up this dish a few years ago with some large, creamy, and amazingly delicious beans (mortgage runner beans) a friend grows. The flavor and texture combination is worth trying with whatever white bean (or borlotti/cranberry type) you have on hand. Be sure to soak them over night and then cook them slowly with a bay leaf, garlic clove and chunk of onion, until tender. And make sure to let the beans cool in their cooking liquid for at least an hour or two before using. This vastly improves flavor and texture of the beans. And this is why I never cook the beans when I need them in the moment but I cook them when I’m making something else and in the kitchen anyway and am not in a rush for them.

This is more technique than recipe and is one of those that can be endlessly adapted and is thus what I call a CSA heavy hitter. Use kale or onions instead of leeks, or all three; change the ratio of vegetables to beans. Use bacon instead of sausage or leftover chicken or no meat at all. The beans have plenty of protein and richness. Change the herbs to suit your taste/what you have on hand. Add spices, maybe chili flakes or cumin and coriander. Add a teaspoon or two of Dijon mustard and some garlic. Scale it up or down . . .you get the idea!

Olive oil
3 cups cooked beans, drained (see headnote)
2 pork sausages, spicy if you like, sliced into rounds or crumbled
2 large leeks, trimmed, well washed, cut in half lengthwise and then cut into thin half moons
1 teaspoon of fresh or dried thyme, savory or sage
Salt and pepper

In a large skillet heat a little olive oil over medium high heat. Add the leeks, sausage and herbs and a couple of pinches of salt. Stir well and sauté for a few minutes until the leeks start taking on a little color. Turn the heat down if things are browning too much. Cover the pan and cook for another 10 minutes or so until the leeks are soft. Stir in the beans and cook long enough to heat through. Season with freshly ground black pepper and ad salt if needed. Serve with another drizzle of good olive oil.

Kale Salad with Chickpeas, Tahini Dressing and Crispy Bread Crumbs
Potato Salad with Parsley and Red Onion
One-pot Pasta with Sweet Peppers and Delicata
Onion Jams
Salsa Verde
Sweet Pepper (Sausage) and Onion Pizza
Miso-roasted Delicata, Onions and Carrots

Kale Salad with Chickpeas, Tahini Dressing and Crispy Bread Crumbs

This salad is so surprisingly good, quick, hearty and adaptable. You can add grated carrot and some toasted sunflower seeds or different beans or spices. Adapt to suit your taste and pantry.

1 bunch kale, washed
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 garlic clove
1 slice good, crusty bread, well toasted and torn into small bits (optional) or toasted seeds or nuts
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste (you’ll likely need more)
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1-3 tablespoons water to loosen dressing if it gets too thick

Trim the bottom few inches off the kale stems and discard. Slice the kale into ½-inch ribbons. You should have 5-6 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.

Use the side of a chef’s knife, pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste or grate the garlic on a micro-plane. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Add the tahini, yogurt, the oil, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pepper flakes and whisk to combine. You may need to add some water to loosen the dressing a bit. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat the leaves) or work it in with your hands. Then add the chickpeas and the toasty crumbs, if using. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes or more to soften.

Potato Salad with Parsley and Red Onion

This is a lovely combination of flavors whether you use a creamy (yogurt or sour cream) dressing or a vinaigrette.

1/4 of a medium red onion (or more), sliced in half and then sliced into thin, half rounds
1.5 lb (or more or less), potatoes, scrubbed well
Generous ½ cup parsley, washed and chopped

Creamy Dressing:
½ cup Greek or plain whole milk yogurt or sour cream
2 tablespoons red wine or cider vinegar (or more to taste)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons good olive oil

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons red wine or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard, whole grain is great if you have it
4 tablespoons good olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Soak the onion slices in a bowl of ice water for 20 minutes (this removes some of their bite) or longer.

Cook the whole potatoes in plenty of water until just tender. It’s easy to overcook them so test regularly and take smaller potatoes out first. Let the potatoes cool—you can speed up this process but slicing them into rounds while they’re still hot and spreading them out on a board. You just don’t want to dress them when they’re really hot.

When the potatoes have cooled, drain the onions well and toss them with whatever dressing you made. Adjust for seasoning with salt, pepper and vinegar.

One-Pot Pasta with Sweet Peppers and Delicata Squash

It makes good leftovers and can be adapted with spices, herbs and other vegetables or meats even depending on your taste and/or what you have on hand. You can change the ratio of vegetable to pasta and if you add the fennel (as suggested below) you could reduce the pasta by ½ cup and reduce the liquid by a bit as well, in case you have fennel leftover from last week.

Generously serves 4-5

Oil
1 onion, diced (or 1 large leek, well washed, halved and thinly sliced)
2-3 sweet peppers, trimmed and chopped
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into small dice (optional–see headnote)
1 small-ish delicata squash, scrubbed but not peeled, halved, seeds and strings removed and cut into small chunks
1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme (optional)
1 ½ cups small pasta such as small elbow macaroni or ditalini (tiny tubes)
3 ½  cups water (or vegetable broth or chicken stock)
Salt
½ cup or so grated cheese (Parmesan or sharp cheddar or whatever grate-able cheese you have)
Black pepper

In a large heavy skillet heat about 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and thyme, sweet peppers and fennel, if using, and cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften. Add the squash pieces and a few pinches of salt and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring often. Add a little oil if it starts sticking. Add the pasta and the water and about ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir well, bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 8 minutes. Check occasionally to see if there is enough liquid. When the pasta and the vegetables are almost tender add the escarole and cook for 2 more minutes.  Most of the liquid should be absorbed at this point. Take it off the heat and stir in the cheese and add some black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if need be. Cook for another few minutes if at all watery. You want to have a silky sauce coating the pasta.

Red Onion Jams
–from the Minimalist (Mark Bittman in the NYTimes)

I promise it will not be hard to find ways to enjoy these savory jams!

Red Onion Jam with Red Wine and Rosemary: Thinly slice at least two large red onions (add more if you have them since they reduce a lot in the cooking and you can add any other kinds of onion or shallot as well) and cook them in olive oil until very soft. Add chopped rosemary and red wine, and cook until the jam thickens.

Onion Jam with Bacon and Bourbon: Thinly slice at least two large red onions (add more if you can and add any other kinds of onion or shallot since it will reduce significantly in the cooking) and cook in olive oil with chopped bacon (just a slice or two) until soft. Add a little bourbon and brown sugar to taste and cook until the jam thickens.

Salsa Verde (Italian Parsley Sauce)

This is a versatile, zippy Italian sauce. I often just make it with parsley, garlic, lemon juice or vinegar, oil and salt but the addition of capers and little onion makes it even more fun. Some versions include a couple of anchovies so by all means use them if you have them. And some include a hard boiled egg, the yolk mashes and combined with the other ingredients and the white, finely chopped and stirred in at the end.

You don’t need to use a food processor and I actually prefer the slightly rougher texture of it when all is chopped by hand but I often use the processor.

1 medium bunch parsley, well washed and stems removed (but don’t bother picking all the leaves off the remaining stems)
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1 small shallot or chunk of onion, finely diced (optional)
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed (optional) and chopped up a bit
2 small garlic cloves, minced
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white or red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Either finely chop everything  and zest the lemon and mix well or combine all the ingredients except the oil in the food processor and pulse until fairly uniformly and finely chopped. You don’t want to end up with a puree so don’t over do it. Drizzle in the olive oil and pulse a couple more times. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, lemon juice or vinegar if needed.

Suggestions for using it:

• Drizzle generously over roasted veggies
• Use as a spread for sandwiches
• Dress hardboiled eggs, canned Oregon Albacore and boiled potatoes
• Use as a dressing for a pasta or rice salad
• Dress white beans with it or stir it into a white bean puree for a delicious spread
• Stir a few tablespoons into a soup when serving.
• Delicious with sautéed shrimp or other seafood or grilled beef

Sweet Pepper (Sausage) and Onion Pizza

Sweet peppers, sausage and onions are a classic combination and probably my husband’s favorite pizza topping. You can also skip the sausage and use more onion and herbs. And late summer/early fall is the time of year to take advantage. I often use the whole wheat pizza dough from Grand Central Bakery, though I was a whole wheat pizza dough skeptic for a long time, I’ve been totally converted. But by all means make your own if you have time.

1 (14oz) ball pizza dough
3-4 sweet peppers, washed, halved, deseeded and cut into ½-inch slices
½ a large red onion, thinly sliced
1 4-ounce (more or less) pork sausage, spicy or mild, crumbled or sliced
3 tablespoons fresh herbs such as oregano, parsley and basil (I use these if I’m not using sausage but you could certainly do both)
Scant ½ cup Parmesan or Asiago Stella
Olive oil
Salt

Preheat oven (or grill) to 500 degrees with a pizza stone if you have one.

In a large skillet heat a little olive oil. Add the peppers and onion and a pinch or two of salt and cook rapidly, stirring often over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes until softening and browning. Add the sausage and cook for another 4-5 minutes. It doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through as it will finish in the oven.

Flour a pizza peel or the back of a cookie sheet. Stretch out your dough into a nice big round-ish shape and place on the peel. Working quickly brush the dough with a bit of olive oil and then evenly distribute the remaining ingredients, ending with the parmesan. You can also hold off and add the Parmesan at the end when you take it out. If you’re using fresh herbs, add them just before the pizza is done. Sprinkle the whole thing with sea salt.

With a decisive but careful couple of jerks of your wrist transfer the pizza directly onto the hot stone. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges are browned and the toppings are beginning to brown as well.

Miso-Roasted Delicata, Onions and Carrots

This is a recipe that is delicious with a great variety of vegetables and handy to turn to when you have a random assortment of things that need using up. This is delicious with kohlrabi, celery root, winter squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, turnips and pretty much any other vegetable that takes well to roasting. The quantity and combination of vegetables is completely up to you and you can easily scale the below recipe up or down.

You could serve this with/on some simply braised kale without some grilled sausages for a lovely fall meal. I also like to add chickpeas to the vegetables, adding another dimension and texture.

Serves 4

about 2 lbs vegetables: thickly sliced onions, sliced or cubed delicata and chunks of sweet pepper
1 cup drained chickpeas (optional but very good)
2 tablespoons miso (I typically use yellow or red–red being a bit stronger but use any kind you have on hand)
1 tablespoon soy sauce or Tamari
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup) or more to taste
2 tablespoons oil of choice (I use olive or grape seed)
Chopped parsley to finish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put the vegetables and chickpeas, if using, in a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients, except the parsley, and drizzle over vegetables. Toss well and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, tossing the mixture occasionally, for about 35-40 minutes until the vegetables are very tender and caramelizing around the edges. Serve topped with herbs.