Recipes of the Week - October 31st

Sometime Farmer Sue's recipes for our picnic @ the farm made with Catalpa Ridge Farm ingredients:

Squash Quiche (makes 2 quiches)

2 c. winter squash, peeled & cubed
1 c. cottage cheese
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. pumpkin spice
2 graham cracker pie shells

In a pan with a small amount of water, cook the squash for about 10 minutes or till tender. Drain.
In a blender, mix together cottage cheese & eggs till smooth. Add squash & milk and blend till smooth.
Divide the mixture equally into 2 graham cracker crust pie shells & bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes. Sprinkle with pumpkin spice!
(I made this the night before & then warmed it up on the campfire - It was a hit!)

Squash & Carrot Quick Pie (makes 2 pies)
2 c winter squash, peeled & cubed
1 c fresh carrots, cleaned & sliced
2 c of light cream
4 eggs
2 cups of shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, provolone combination)
2 graham cracker pie shells
In a pan with a small amount of water, cook the squash for about 10 minutes or till tender. Drain.
In a blender, mix together the squash & carrots and blend until smooth. Add the light cream & eggs and blend until same consistency. In 2 graham cracker pie shells divide the shredded cheese equally between the two, then top it with the squash mixture. Bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes. (I made this the night before & then warmed it up on the campfire - another hit!)

Recipes of the Week - October 24th

Using your un-ripe tomatoes - they may or may not ripen. You can put them into a paperbag with an apple to try to get them to ripen up. You can also make fried green tomatoes!!!

OVEN ROASTED GARLIC POTATOES
3/4 lb. red potatoes
6 lg. garlic cloves (unpeeled), flattened
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cut potatoes into 1 1/4 inch wide wedges. Combine potatoes, garlic, oil and rosemary in 8 inch square baking dish. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until potatoes are tender and crusty, stirring occasionally. Bake 45 minutes. Discard garlic, serve potatoes hot.

GOLDEN RAISIN ROSEMARY MUFFINS
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. golden raisins
1 tsp. dry rosemary leaves
1/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
Simmer raisins, milk and rosemary. Remove from heat, add butter. Stir until melted, then cool. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin pan. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg to cooled mixture then dry mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes.

APPLE CELERY SALAD
3 med. size apples
1 1/2 c. celery, sliced
1/2 c. walnuts, chopped
1/4 c. mayonnaise or salad dressing
2 tsp. sugar
Dash of ground allspice
1 tsp. lemon juice

Pare and quarter, core and dice 3 apples. Stir in celery and walnuts. Blend in remaining ingredients in 1 cup and pour over mix.

PAIN de CAROTTESfrom: http://frenchfood.about.com
Pain de carottes translates as carrot bread but this is really more like a carrot flan, flavored with tarragon.

1/4 lb. of carrots
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4-cup crème fraîche
1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

For garnish: radishes, raw baby carrots, peas
Wash and peel the carrots. Cut them into small pieces and cook them in a pot of boiling, salted water about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°. Purée the carrots in a blender, food processor or food mill.
Mix the carrot purée with the beaten eggs and crème fraîche. Add the tarragon and season with salt and pepper.
Generously butter a savarin (small ring mold) mold. Pour in the carrot mixture and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and unmold onto a serving plate.
To serve: Arrange the radishes, baby carrots and peas in the center of the pain de carottes and serve.

Recipes of the Week - October 17th

Baked Acorn Squash
1 Acorn Squash, halved
2 pats of butter
2 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
Salt & pepper

Scoop the seeds out of each half with a spoon. Add 1 pat of butter, 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, salt and pepper to the hollow scoop of each half.
Place on a greased cookie sheet and roast for about 1 hour @ 375°F or until tender when flesh is poked with a fork.

Acorn Squash Puppies From www.cdkitchen.com

1 Acorn squash (1-3/4 lb size)
2 cups Self-rising cornmeal
1/4 cup All-purpose flour
1 large Egg; lightly beaten
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 cup Onion; finely chopped
Vegetable oil

Cut acorn squash in half crosswise; remove from seeds. Place squash, cut side down, in a shallow baking dish or pan. Add water to baking dish to depth of 1/2 inch. Bake at 375F for 45 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Scoop out pulp, discarding shells. Place pulp in container of an electric blender or food processor; process until smooth. Measure 1-1/4 cups squash puree; set aside. Reserve any additional puree for other uses.

Combine cornmeal and flour in a bowl; make a well in center. Set aside. Combine squash puree, egg, milk, and onion. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.

Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a Dutch oven; heat to 360F. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls into hot oil. Cook 2 minutes or until golden, turning once. Drain on paper towels. This recipe for Acorn Squash Puppies serves/makes 2 dozen.

Maple Pumpkin Sauté RecipeFrom www.cdkitchen.com

4 cups cubed peeled fresh pumpkin
1 1/2 cup chopped Apple
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup raisins
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray; cover pumpkin mixture, and cook over medium-high heat 20 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in syrup, salt, and ginger. This recipe for Maple Pumpkin Saute serves/makes 4


Outrageous Onion Relish
1 ½ cups finely chopped onion
1/4 t. parsley, crushed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t. sugar
1 T. water
1/4 c. tomato sauce
2 T. catsup
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

In 2 qt. pan combine onions & water. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Add tomato sauce, catsup, sugar, parsley, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Simmer 20 min. or until onions are just tender. Serve hot or cold.

Recipes of the Week - October 10th

Cooking with Daikon Radishes:

Start by washing your radishes under cold running water. Trim the roots & stem ends. You can peel them with a vegetable peeler or paring knife (this will often reduce their pungency). They can be cut into small pieces or grated. Cooking will also diminish the pungent taste of radishes. They can be stir-fried, sautéed or steamed. Use your Daikons the same way you would use any other radishes. They are a very popular Asian vegetable and are found very often on Chinese Buffet tables.

Daikon Radish Pickles

· 1 1/2 cups chopped daikon
· 3/4 teaspoon salt
· 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
· 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
· 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

In a mixing bowl, toss daikon with salt. Cover, and refrigerate until 1 to 2 tablespoons of water is released, about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse daikon, removing as much salt as possible. Pat dry with a paper towel, and return to bowl. Stir in rice vinegar, black pepper and, if desired, sesame oil. Cover, and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Don't toss the radish greens but cook them up!!! They will have a peppery flavor and you may even like them raw in salads or on sandwiches. Cook radish greens the same way you would other leafy greens.

Roasted Vegetablesfrom allrecipes.com

1 small squash, cubed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
1 red onion, quartered
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). In a large bowl, combine the squash, red bell peppers, sweet potato, and Yukon Gold potatoes. Separate the red onion quarters into pieces, and add them to the mixture.

In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.

Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.

Winter Squash Casserolefrom allrecipes.com

6 cups mashed winter squash
1/2 cup butter, melted
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

TOPPING:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup slivered almonds

In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Pour int a ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.

Combine topping ingredients and crumble over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Storing Apples - The temperature and relative humidity during storage are critical for maximum storage life. Proper storage conditions for apples are a temperature near 32¡F and a relative humidity between 90 and 95 percent. Apple varieties, such as Red Delicious, stored under optimum conditions may be stored up to 3 to 5 months. Apples stored at a temperature of 50¡F will spoil two to three times faster than those stored at 32¡F. If the humidity during storage is low, apples will dehydrate and shrivel.

Recipes of the Week - October 3rd

Fuzzy Gourd Stir-Fry

We tried this recipe this weekend with the fuzzy gourd:
Garlic (1-2 cloves chopped)
Fuzzy Gourd (sliced into thin rounds)
Chopped Onion (about ¼ cup)

Place about 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet and start stir-frying the garlic. Add the gourds rounds and continue to stir fry until they are a light brown (or longer if you like softer squash). Saute the onions and add to the squash. Serve as a nice side dish. Note: we did not peel the gourd prior to cooking and it was fine, but many prefer to peel it).

You can use any zucchini recipes to cook your fuzzy gourd !

Freezing Winter Squash
Wash and cut squash in chunks; remove seeds. There's no need to peel. Blanching Time: Winter squash must be thoroughly cooked before freezing. Boil, steam or cook chunks in pressure cooker until tender. Scrape pulp from the rind; mash or press through a sieve. Cool immediately.

Squash Equivalents: from- http://homecooking.about.com
Most winter squash, including pumpkin, buttercup, and butternut, can be used interchangably in recipes. Need to know how much acorn squash to use in your recipes? Here are some equivalents.
• 1/3 to 1/2 pound raw unpeeled squash = 1 serving
• 1 pound peeled squash = 1 cup cooked, mashed
• 2-1/2 pounds whole squash = 2-3/4 to 3 cups pureed
• 1 pound trimmed squash = 2 cups cooked pieces
• 1 pound squash = 2 to 3 servings
• 12 ounces frozen squash = 1-1/2 cups

Winter Squash Pie

· crust for a 1-crust 9-inch pie, homemade or purchased
· 1 winter squash, about 2 pounds (2 cups mashed)
· 3 tablespoons melted butter
· 1 cup whipping cream
· 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
· 3 tablespoons maple syrup
· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
· 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
· dash ground red pepper
· 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
· Sweetened whipped cream
· ground cinnamon

Prepare crust; place crust in a 9-inch deep-dish pieplate; trim and crimp edges. Cover and place in freezer while filling is being prepared. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Place squash halves, cut sides up, in a shallow baking dish or pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50 to 55 minutes or until squash is tender, basting frequently with butter. Let squash cool enough to handle. Remove and discard squash seeds. Remove squash pulp, discarding shells. Mash pulp. Place 2 cups mashed pulp in a large bowl.

Add 1 cup whipping cream, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, ginger, allspice, red pepper, and the beaten eggs to mashed squash pulp; whisk until well blended. Pour mixture into prepared pastry shell.

Bake squash pie at 350° for 40 to 50 minutes, or until set in center. (Shield piecrust with strips of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary). Cool completely.

Garnish each serving with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream; sprinkle each dollop with cinnamon.

Maple-Glazed Pears with French Toast From www.usapears.com

· 1 cup maple syrup
· 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
· 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
· ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
· Pinch salt
· 4-5 firm but ripe

Anjou pears, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, and each half cut lengthwise into 5 wedges

French Toast

• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 8 thick slices bread
• Butter for griddle

In a 10-inch saute pan over medium heat, warm the syrup and then add the butter. Stir until the butter is melted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the wedges of pear and simmer, basting frequently, until the pears are tender when pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes. Set aside and keep warm To make the Fresh toast: Combine the eggs and milk in a medium bowl and beat until well combined. Add a pinch of salt. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-high ehat. One at a time, duck a slice of bread into the egg mixture, coating both sides of the bread thoroughly. Duck as many slices as will fit on the griddle and reserve the rest for a second batch. Lightly butter the griddle or pan and arrange the coated slices in the pan. Cook on one side until nicely browned and then turn and brown the other side. Keep warm while you make the second batch. Have ready 4 warm plates. Arrange 2 slices of French toast on each plate and top with some of the maple-glazed pears, spooning extra sauce over top. Serve immediately. Serves 4