Author Archives: Pumpkin Ridge Gardens

Radish Top Soup

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  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 1 cup chopped onions or leek
  • 8 cups loose packed radish leaves
  • 2 cups diced peeled potatoes
  • 6 cups water or stock
  • salt
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
  • Fresh ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large saucepan, add onions or leeks and cook until golden, approx. 5 minutes.  Stir in radish tops and cover pan.  Cook over low heat until wilted, 8-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook potatoes until soft in stock along with 1 tsp. salt.  Combine with radish tops and cook, covered, for 5 minutes to mingle flavors.  Puree finely in food processor or food mill.  Add heavy cream if desired.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve hot or cold.  Note: less butter can be used and cream is unnecessary.  We add whole radishes to the potatoes for more radish flavor.

Serves 4-6.

Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash.

Radish Salad

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  • 1 bunch radishes
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
  • olive oil
  • 2 to 4 ounces Parmesan
  • salt and pepper
  • radish sprouts, leaves, or arugula greens, optional

Set aside a handful of the most tender radish greens. Trim the radish roots, leaving just a bit of the stem, and wash them well. Wick up the excess moisture with a towel, then thinly slice, either lengthwise or crosswise. Put them in a bowl and toss with salt, chives, radish greens, and enough oil to coat lightly.   Put the radishes on a platter, shave the cheese over them, and add pepper and the optional greens, if using.

Adapted from Deborah Madison.

Radish Raita

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  • 2 cups plain yogurt
  • 6-8 radishes sliced
  • 1Tbs. fresh lime juice
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1 Tbs. minced green onion or shallot
  • ½  tsp. cumin
  • Salt

In a medium sized bowl, mix yogurt, radishes, garlic, onion, lime juice and cumin together.  Taste and salt to taste.  Serve as a condiment for spicy meat dishes.

Quick Pickles

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  • 2 unwaxed or peeled cucumbers
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 Tb fresh dill or 1 ½ tsp. dill seed
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1 Tb salt
  • 2 Tb honey
  • 3 Tb cider vinegar

Slice each cucumber lengthwise into 8 sticks.  Slice onion into rings.  Alternate layers of cucumber and onion in a broad non-metal dish.  Scatter dill and garlic on top.  Mix water with honey and salt to dissolve; add vinegar and pour this brine over the cucumbers.  Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours before using.

NOTE:  When ready to replenish the pickle container, add 1 Tb vinegar and 1 rounded tsp of honey to the brine and add more sliced cucumber and onion as needed.  Prepare a fresh solution after 2 or 3 batches have been made.

From American Wholefoods Cuisine by Nikki and David Goldberg

Quick Celery Root Salad with Capers and Lemon

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  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 head celery root, peeled
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons walnut oil
  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup juicy capers, rinsed
  • Small handful Italian parsley, chopped

Peel the celery root and shred it. Stop halfway through and sprinkle with a tablespoon of the lemon juice to keep the root from turning brown. Shred the other half and toss with another tablespoon of lemon juice. Salt and pepper liberally and toss.  Whisk the remaining lemon juice with the walnut oil, olive oil, sugar, and vinegar. Taste and adjust. Toss with the celery root, capers, and chopped parsley.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli Salad

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  • 1lb purple sprouting broccoli
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 Tbs.  olive oil
  • 1 Tbs. lemon juice
  • grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt & pepper

Blanch purple sprouting broccoli in salted boiling water for 30 second to 1 minute.  Refresh immediately in ice water that you have prepared ahead of time.  Slice yellow onion into half moons, saute in olive oil until clear (5 minutes over medium heat).  Remove from heat, add refreshed broccoli, mix, season with salt and pepper.  Add fresh lemon juice, mix in Parmesan and serve.  You can add cooked pasta such as penne or orchiette to make into a main course dish.

Pureed Rutabaga with a Cheesy Crust

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  • 1 rutabaga
  • 2 Tbs. butter
  • pinch of salt
  • handful of fresh herbs (eg. thyme, parsley), chopped
  • 4 oz. mature cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 3500. Peel the rutabaga and chop into 2cm chunks. Boil in a large pan of water for 15-20 min. until soft.  Drain the rutabaga and mash with the butter. Add the herbs and season with salt. Transfer the rutabaga to an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with cheese. Sprinkle the seeds on top of the cheese. Bake for 20 min, until the cheese is bubbling.

From Veg Box Recipes website; Riverford Organic Vegetables – http://www.riverford.co.uk

Pumpkin with Soup Inside

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  • 7-8 lb. pumpkin
  • 4 cups vegetable or beef broth
  • 4 Tbs. melted butter
  • 1 cup peeled, chopped tomato
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup rice
  • 1 cup minced leek
  • Bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup minced carrot
  • 1 cup sour cream (optional)
  • 1/2 cup minced celeriac or celery
  • 3 Tbs. chives (optional)

Cut a lid from pumpkin, leaving on stem as handle. Clean out seeds. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and brush on inside. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, with lid on, in preheated 400-degree oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté minced vegetables in 2 tablespoons butter until wilted, 5-10 minutes. Add broth; heat to boiling point. Add tomatoes and season to taste. Place uncooked rice in pumpkin. Add boiling broth and veggie mixture and float bay leaf on top. Cover and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender, but not soft. Place on serving dish. To serve, ladle out soup, scraping out portion of pumpkin with each serving. Garnish with sour cream and chives, if desired.

Serves six to eight.

Pumpkin Cookies

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  • ½ c. butter
  • 1 ½ c. brown sugar
  • 1 c. cooked, mashed pumpkin
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1 t. cinnamon
  • ½ t. allspice
  • ½ t. ginger
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 2 ½ c. flour
  • 3 t. baking powder
  • ½ c. walnuts

Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs, add pumpkin and vanilla.  Mix dry ingredients, add to creamed mixture, and stir in nuts.  Spoon onto greased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart, in round spoonfuls.  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Cool slightly and spoon over glaze if desired.

Glaze:

  • 1 ½ c. powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 3 Tbsp. pumpkin puree
  • 1-tsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. allspice.

Prima Sweet Green Tomato Pie

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  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 4 cups finely chopped green tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup raisins, mixed jumbo
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 2 teaspoons heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Make a pie crust and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Divide the dough in half. Place 1 piece of the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to an 11-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the crust with scissors or a sharp knife to within 1/2-inch of the outer rim.  In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture across the bottom of the prepared pie crust. Add the tomatoes, raisins and lemon juice to the bowl with the remaining flour mixture and toss to coat. Spoon the tomato mixture into the pie shell and dot with the butter. Roll out the remaining crust on a lightly floured surface. Place on top of the tomato filling and tuck the overlapping crusts into the pan, forming a thick edge. Crimp the edges to seal and cut small 1/2-inch long vents in a decorative pattern along the top crust. With a pastry brush, brush the top of the crust with the cream, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.