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.