Category Archives: Weekly Notes

Week #23 (10/30 & 11/2)

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This week your basket contains: carrots, sweet peppers, Chinese cabbage, beets, WINTER SQUASH, garlic, broccoli, and Swiss chard.  

This week we are rich with greens.  Beet greens are almost exactly like Swiss chard and the two can be combined in any dish calling for either.  There are many greens recipes on our web site for inspiration.  In the meantime, this is one of our favorite recipes for beet root (and greens). 

BEET RISOTTO WITH GREENS AND FETA

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 ¼ c. chopped onion

1 ½ c. arborio rice

1 ½ Tbs. minced fresh ginger

1 tsp. crumbled dried rosemary

½ c. red wine

3 ½ cups finely chopped peeled beets

2 vegetable bouillon cubes

3 c. water

3 ½ c. chopped greens

4 oz. feta cheese

½ c. chopped toasted walnuts

To toast nuts, heat in a dry skillet over medium heat until they barely start to brown.  Stir often to avoid scorching.  Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add onion and cook until translucent.  Add ginger, rosemary and rice, stir to coat and cook a minute or two.  Add wine and cook until wine is absorbed, stirring constantly.  Add beets, bouillon cubes and water.  Cover and reduce heat.  Simmer for 20 minutes or until beets are tender, stirring occasionally.  Stir in greens and cook an additional 5-10 minutes.  Add cheese and stir until blended.  Sprinkle each serving with toasted walnuts.  Makes 8 servings.

Chinese cabbage is equally good cooked or raw.  We often use it for green salad (with a vinaigrette made with toasted sesame oil and soy sauce) or as a slaw.  This is a great dish for cooking the cabbage.

HOT AND SOUR CHICKEN STEW

1 pound chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

3 to 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, as desired

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Oriental sesame oil

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons cold water

2 cups sliced Napa cabbage

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions with tops

Sprinkle chicken with soy sauce and set aside. Discard stems from mushrooms. Slice caps in half and set aside.

Heat peanut oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture, garlic and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add broth, vinegar, sesame oil and reserved mushroom caps and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes.  In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with cold water and stir into stew. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened. Stir in bok choy and green onions; heat through.  Makes 4 servings.  Reprinted from Twenty Minute Chicken Dishes, by Karen A. Levin

This week you have either Carnival or sweet dumpling winter squash.  Both are related to Delicata squash, though they should be sweeter.  This recipe is a way to change up how you use winter squash.

SQUASH CORNBREAD

¾ cup yellow cornmeal

¾ cup flour

4 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. allspice

½ tsp. salt

½ cup soft butter

¼ cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 ½ tsp. lemon juice

1 cup pureed cooked winter squash

¼ cup milk

Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, spices and salt.  Cream butter, add sugar and beat until light.  Add eggs, lemon juice, squash and milk.  Beat together, then gradually add dry ingredients until well combined.  Pour batter into a buttered, medium-sized loaf pan.  Bake in a pre-heated 3500 oven for 50 minutes or until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean.  Cool in pan for ten minutes, remove and cool on rack.  From The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash.