CSA Week 23: November 1 to November 7

This Week’s Share

Share Notes

• Chicory, Pan di Zucchero: This delicate looking cold hardy chicory, also know as Sugarloaf, has delicious crisp sweet white hearts great for making fresh winter salads with flavorful dressings. Both inner and outer leaves are great for lightly sauteing or adding to soups also.

• Winter Squash, Delicata: As the name indicates, Delicata squash have a more delicate and tender skin than most other winter squash, and as such you can cook and eat them without worrying about peeling if you prefer.

Recipes

Beet Recipes

Winter Borscht
From Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert

3/4 to 1 pound stewing beef or chicken,  chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
8 cups water
2 cup potatoes, chopped
1/2 head/bunch chicory, kale, or beet greens (or cabbage), shredded
1 cup beets, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup pearl barley
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons dried dill (or 1/4 cup fresh dill), chopped
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Brown meat and onions in 1 to 2 tablespoons oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, 10 minutes. Add all other ingredients (except for chicory/kale/beet greens and parsley) to the pot, bring to a boil, and cover and simmer for 30 minutes. If using cabbage for your green, you may include it at this time. Add chicory/kale/beet greens and parsley to the pot and simmer until barley is cooked and meat is tender, another 10 minutes.

Orange Glazed Beets
From Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka

1 1/2 pounds beets, trimmed and scrubbed (set aside green for later use if desired)
1 large orange
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Small pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of kosher salt
1 tablespoon corn starch

Preheat oven to 450˚F. Wrap each beet and foil and bake in the center of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a knife easily slips into flesh. When just cool enough to touch slip off the skins. Cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Using the large holes of a grater, remove the zest from the orange in long thin strips. Set aside. Juice half of the orange to get 4 teaspoons juice. Stir the orange juice and brown sugar together until well combined. Stir in the lemon juice, cloves and salt.

Put the beets in a pot or deep frying pan large enough to hold them comfortably. Pour the juice mixture over the beets. Using a rubber spatula, fold the beets into the liquid until well coated. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn the beets over in the liquid. Cook for 5 to 10 more minutes. While the beets are cooking, stir the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water together in a small dish. Mix a little of the hot cooking liquid into the cornstarch mixture. Fold the cornstarch mixture and orange zest into beets. Cook until the sauce thickens.

Chicory Recipes

Chicory, Fried Ham and Pear Salad
From Gourmet, November 2006

2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar
Generous1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 pound thinly sliced Black Forest or other baked deli ham (substitute seasoned tempeh for vegetarian option)
2 firm-ripe Bartlett pears (8 ounces total; preferably red)
1 head Pan di Zucchero (chicory), chopped crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (10 cups)

Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, chives, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Reduce heat to moderate and fry ham, 2 slices at a time, turning over once, until golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain and cool slightly. Stack fried ham and chop into roughly 1- to 2-inch pieces. Halve pears lengthwise and core, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Combine chicory, ham, and pear slices in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

Roasted Squash, Chestnut & Chicory Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
(see below in Winter Squash recipes)

Sweet Pepper Recipe

Sweet Pepper Pasta Toss with Kale
From www.allrecipes.com

1 (8 ounce) package uncooked farfalle (bow tie) pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 to 3 sweet peppers, chopped
1 to 2 cups roughly chopped kale
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pinch dried basil
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in peppers, kale and garlic. Season with basil, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper and cook until vegetables are tender. In a large bowl, toss cooked pasta with skillet mixture. Sprinkle with feta cheese to serve.

Winter Squash Recipe

Delicata Squash Rings
From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

2 Delicata squash
1 ½ tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Chopped parsley or Gremolata (¼ cup chopped parsley, 1 clove minced garlic and zest from ½ a lemon combined)

If desired, peel the squash with a vegetable peeler, slice off the ends, and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Cut the squash into rings about 1/3 inch thick. Heat the oil in a wide skillet, add the squash, and fry over medium heat until richly colored on the bottom, about 6 minutes. Turn and cook on the second side until tender. Remove to a serving plate, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with parsley or gremolata.

Roasted Squash, Chestnut & Chicory Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
From Gourmet, November 2004

2 tablespoons olive oil plus additional for greasing
2 Delicata squash
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup peeled cooked whole chestnuts (from a 7- to 8-oince jar), cut into thirds
4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices pancetta (6 ounce total), cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup fresh cranberries, finely chopped
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1 head Pan di Zucchero (chicory), trimmed and torn into 2-inch pieces (10 cups)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large shallow baking pan with foil and oil generously with olive oil. Cut off stem end of squash, then halve lengthwise. Discard seeds, then cut squash into 1/2-inch-thick slices (no need to peel the Delicata, their skin is edible). Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and gently toss to coat. Arrange in 1 layer in lined baking pan and roast until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn squash over with a spatula. Add chestnuts to pan in an even layer, then continue to roast until squash is golden and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Keep warm, covered with foil.

While squash is roasting, cook pancetta in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet over high heat until browned, about 4 minutes total. Transfer pancetta with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, reserving fat in skillet. Reheat pancetta fat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add cranberries and brown sugar and stir once to combine. Remove from heat and add water, stirring and scraping up brown bits from bottom of skillet. Transfer cranberry mixture to a medium bowl and whisk in mustard, remaining tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss together chicory, roasted acorn squash, and chestnuts. Just before serving, toss with dressing and sprinkle with pancetta. Serves 6.