-Cut a squash in half and scoop out the seeds and fibers with a spoon. Brush the cut surface with a thin film of oil and set the squash, cut side down on a sheet pan.
Bake at 375 degrees until the squash look wrinkled and soft - anywhere from 40-60 minutes. Season with butter, salt and pepper to serve.
-Soak 1 pound of Teggia beans from 3-12 hours (beans are fresh so soaking can be brief).
-Finely chop the following:
2 cloves of garlic
1 leek
2 TBS of fresh thyme.
-In a large ovenproof pot, heat 2 TBS olive oil and then add the chopped garlic, leeks and thyme.
-Sauté for 5 minutes, then add the drained beans, 8 cups chicken broth or water and 1 tsp sea salt.
-Bring to a boil on the stove and then put them in the oven until the beans are buttery and soft, about 1.5 to 2 hours.
-Stir in 2 TBS butter (optional) and serve warm.
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-In a saucepan, combine 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and ½ cup of minced onion and 3 cloves minced garlic.
-Cook for 3-4 minutes until onions and garlic are translucent.
-Add 1 cup Arborio rice and stir to coat.
-Add 2 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock, 2 cups chopped snap peas or snow peas and 2 small chopped fennel bulbs.
-Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and then add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt.
-Transfer to a 1-quart soufflé dish and cover with another 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of finely chopped green onions and dill.
-Bake for 35-40 minutes until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.
We grew the variety Uchiki Kuri from Japan this year; it was prolific and wonderful.
-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
-Very carefully cut 1 red kuri squash in half through the middle.
-Scoop the seeds out of each half.
-With out peeling the squash, lay each squash cut-side down.
-Using a sharp knife, cut into thin slices, about ¼ inch wide-each slice should have some rind on it.
-Toss the slices with some olive oil, a big pinch of salt, some freshly ground pepper and some spices. (Thyme, rosemary or sage would work well.)
-Spread some olive oil on a large baking sheet (you may need 2 baking sheets).
-Arrange the squash slices so that they don’t overlap, then sprinkle with salt.
-Bake for about 25-35 minutes, checking often at the end so the squash doesn’t burn (the bottom of the squash cooks a lot faster).
This is an awesome Martha recipe.
-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees with a rack set in the center of the oven.
-Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or use a Dutch oven that is slightly larger in diameter than your pumpkin (in which case, you will need to serve your pumpkin from the Dutch oven, as it may stick, but it will keep its shape better this way).
-Using a sharp, sturdy knife, cut off top of 1 pie pumpkin, working around the top with the knife inserted at a 45-degree angle to cut off enough to make it easy to work inside the pumpkin; reserve top.
-Remove seeds and strings from cap and pumpkin with a spoon.
-Season inside of pumpkin generously with salt and pepper.
-Place on prepared baking sheet or in Dutch oven; set aside.
-In a large bowl, toss together the following until well combined:
¼ pound stale bread, sliced and cut into ½ inch cubes
¼ pound Gruyere, Emmenthal or cheddar cheese (or a mix of all three), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped and cooked until crisp
1 TBS fresh thyme, minced
-Pack into pumpkin; it should be well filled but not overstuffed. (You may need to add some more bread and cheese or some of the filling may not be necessary to use.)
-In a small bowl, stir ½ cup heavy cream with some freshly grated nutmeg to combine.
-Pour over filling; filling should be moist but not swimming in cream.
-Place top on pumpkin and transfer to oven; cook until filling is bubbling and pumpkin flesh is tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
-Remove top and continue baking until liquid is slightly evaporated and top of filling is browned, 20 to 30 minutes more.
-Carefully transfer pumpkin to a serving platter (or serve in Dutch oven, if using) and serve.
-Cut the stem end off of a head of garlic.
-Put in a pieces of aluminum foil or a small baking dish with a lid.
-Douse with good olive oil and sea salt.
-Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned.
-Once it has cooled a little, put the garlic head in a high speed blender and add about 1/3 cup olive oil and a big pinch of sea salt.
-Blend until smooth and silky.
-Store in the fridge in a jar with a tight fitting lid, where it will stay fresh for about a week.
-Use on sandwiches, in soups and salad dressings.
-Horizontally slice 2 fennel bulbs into ¼ inch pieces. Be careful not to break apart the slices.
-Steam over high heat for 5-7 minutes until lightly tender. Place in a baking pan.
-Add 3 cloves finely chopped garlic, half a chopped onion and a pinch of salt over top of the fennel.
-Drizzle a splash of heavy cream over top, some crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and dot with butter.
-Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until the top is well browned.
This makes 4 servings.
-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Assemble the following…
-1 medium sized summer squash, diced into small cubes.
-1 large or 2 small tomatoes, chopped.
-1/2 cup bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls) or fresh mozzarella cut into ½ inch pieces.
-Heat 1 TBS olive oil and 1 TBS butter together in a skillet over medium-high heat.
-Add the diced summer squash and sauté for 5 minutes.
-Add the tomatoes and let cook for another 3 minutes.
-Lightly rinse 1 TBS capers and stir into the squash.
-Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
-Remove from heat and stir in a TBS or 2 of chopped herbs (cilantro, parsley and/or rosemary) and the mozzarella.
-Butter 4 ramekins.
-Divide the vegetable mixture between the ramekins.
-Crack 1-2 eggs into each ramekin, taking care not to break the yolks.
-Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and place in the oven.
-Bake until the whites are almost cooked, 8 minutes.
-Sprinkle each serving with 1 TBS freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
-Bake for 4-5 additional minutes, or until the white are cooked and the yolks are still soft.
-Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
-Skin 4 large tomatoes by making an X on the bottom of each tomato and then pouring boiling water over them and letting them sit for 5 minutes.
-The skins should peel off pretty easily.
-Cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze most of the seeds out and then dice the tomatoes. Set aside.
-Slice 2 eggplants in half the long way, and then score the cut side in a crisscross pattern.
-Heat 3 TBS of olive oil in a large skillet and fry the eggplant, cut side down until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
-Flip and fry the second side for a few minutes, remove from pan and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
-Wipe out the pan, and heat 1 TBS fresh olive oil, add the tomatoes and a l pinch of salt and cook for 5-10 minutes.
-Set the eggplant cut side up in a baking dish.
-Crumble 1/2 cup feta cheese overtop, add the tomato sauce and 1/2 tsp dried oregano.
-Cover and bake for 40 minutes and then uncover and bake for 5 more minutes.
-Position your oven rack in the lower middle and preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
-Rinse and pat dry 1 whole chicken or 4 bone-in breasts.
-Rub the outside of the chicken with 1-2 TBS olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
-Cut 1 bunch of carrots and/or 1 bunch of fennel bulbs into large pieces.
-In a large baking pan combine the vegetables and add the following:
8 whole cloves of garlic
4 TBS fresh minced dill, cilantro or parsley
2 TBS olive oil.
-Lay the chicken in the baking pan on top/nestled into the vegetables.
-Add a splash of sherry or white wine to the pan.
-For breasts, bake 45-50 minutes, until juice runs clear when pierced with a fork.
-For a whole chicken, bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a pie pan.
-To make the topping, coarsely grate 4 TBS butter into a bowl.
-Add ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup flour, ¼ cup chopped almonds, ¼ tsp salt, some freshly grated nutmeg and ½ tsp freshly grated lemon rind.
-Work the above ingredients in with the butter until you have a coarse crumbly mixture, then set aside.
-In a blender, combine the following:
-3 eggs.
-¼ cup honey.
-1 tsp vanilla.
-¼ tsp almond extract.
-Some freshly grated nutmeg.
-1½ cups milk.
-1/3 cup flour and a small pinch of salt.
Puree until smooth.
-Scrape down the sides and blend for a few more seconds. Set-aside until ready to use.
-Chop up about 2 pounds of pluots into a pie pan.
-Pour the batter over top, add the crisp topping and bake until puffed and golden, about 50 minutes.
-If desired, sprinkle pudding with a few TBS Amaretto as soon as it comes out of the oven.
-Serve warm with a pitcher of fresh cream or vanilla ice cream.
Cold weather and desserts seem to go hand in hand. Here's a recipe for a warm and comforting fall treat
-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a medium pie pan.
-To make the topping, coarsely grate 4 TBS butter into a bowl.
-Add 1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup chopped almonds, 1/4 tsp salt, some freshly grated nutmeg and 1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon rind.
-Work the above ingredients in with the butter until you have a coarse crumbly mixture, then set aside.
-In a blender, combine 3 eggs, 1/4 cup honey, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp almond extract, a small pinch of salt, some freshly grated nutmeg, 1 1/2 cup milk and 1/3 cup flour and puree until smooth.
-Scrape down the sides and blend for a few more seconds. Set-aside until ready to use.
-Core and thinly slice about 1 1/2 pounds Asian pears and/or Liberty apples into a pie pan.
-Pour the batter over top, add the crisp topping and bake until puffed and golden, about 50 minutes.
-If desired, sprinkle tart with a few TBS Amaretto as soon as it comes out of the oven.
-Serve warm with a pitcher of fresh organic cream or vanilla ice cream.
-Preheat the oven to 350.
-Remove the greens from one bunch of turnips.
-Tear the turnip leaves with your hands into medium sized pieces and set aside.
-Slice turnips as thin as possible.
-Put the turnips into a bowl of iced water.
-Toast ¼ cup pecans in the oven just until they start to brown, about 7 minutes at 350 degrees.
-Remove the pecans from the oven and set aside.
-Fry 4 slices of thick cut bacon until crunchy on the outside.
-Remove from the pan and set aside, reserving the fat.
-Prepare a simple vinaigrette:
-Combine 1-2 TBS Balsamic vinegar with a pinch each of sea salt and pepper.
-Slowly drizzle/whisk in about 1-2 TBS extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.
-Heat the bacon fat in the same pan.
-Once hot, add 2 cloves of minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
-Add greens to the pan, season with the following:
Sea salt
A splash of Balsamic vinegar
-Cook until the greens are wilted.
-Remove the sliced turnips from the iced water bath, dry them with a kitchen towel and toss with the vinaigrette.
-Chop up bacon into ½ inch pieces.
-Arrange the turnip slices and their greens in a mound and sprinkle bacon and pecans on top.
-Top with the vinaigrette and some chopped chives or cilantro and serve.
For the breadcrumbs:
-Cut the crusts off of 1 large slice of high-quality white bread and tear it into 1½ inch pieces.
-Process the bread in a food processor for 20-30 seconds until finely textured (you should have about ¼ cup crumbs).
-Transfer the crumbs to a dry skillet and add 3 TBS thinly sliced almonds.
-Toast until golden brown, 2-4 minutes.
-Take the pan off the heat and add 2 cloves of garlic put through a garlic press and.
-Season the crumbs with salt and pepper. Set aside but do not wash pan yet.
For the beans:
-Bring a large saucepan of water to boil, add 1 tsp salt and 1 pound of tipped and tailed beans.
-Cook until the beans are just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and then arrange the beans on a serving platter.
-Melt 4 TBS butter in the reserved skillet and then add the breadcrumbs to the butter.
-Heat for 1-2 minutes and then spoon the breadcrumbs over the beans and serve.
A Middle Eastern eggplant spread, so good!
-Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
-Prick 1 large or 2 small eggplants all over with a fork.
-Line a baking sheet with foil, set the eggplant on the baking sheet and cook turning every 15 minutes until the eggplant are soft, about 50 minutes.
-Cool the eggplant for 10 minutes and then cut it in half the long way.
-Scoop the flesh from the skin and place it in a colander set over the sink and let drain for 3 minutes.
-Transfer the eggplant to the work bowl of a food processor and add the following:
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 minced garlic clove
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1-2 TBS tahini paste
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper.
-Pulse briefly (about 8-10 seconds) until eggplant has a semi-smooth texture.
-Transfer to a serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap that is flush with the surface of the dip.
-Chill for 40-60 min.
-Top with a splash of extra virgin olive oil and serve with the following:
Triangles of pita bread
Kalamata olives
-Preheat your oven to 350.
-Put ½ cup of hazlenuts on a rimmed baking sheet.
-Cook until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice while they cook.
-Let cool then coarsely chop.
-Cut 1 pint of cherry tomatoes in half.
-Put cherry tomatoes in a large bowl and season with 1 tsp Celtic sea salt.
-Cook 12 ounces spaghetti or linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
-Drain pasta, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
-Puree the following together in a food processor:
3 tomatoes
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
3 TBS of the chopped hazelnuts
-Blend until smooth.
-Add to the bowl with the salted cherry tomatoes.
-Coarsely grate 2 small summer squash.
-Add the summer squash, spaghetti, pasta cooking liquid along with the following:
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
Freshly ground black pepper
-Divide the pasta among bowls, drizzle with more oil and top with the following:
1 oz shaved ricotta salata
The remaining hazlenuts
-Serve.
-Add 2 garlic cloves to the bowl of a food processor and chop.
-Add ¾ cup finely grated Asiago cheese and 1/3 cup unsalted pistachios.
-Process until nuts are finely chopped.
-Leaving the rubber band on, chop 1 bunch of arugula into thirds. Wash and spin dry.
-Add the arugula to the food processor, along with the following:
2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
1 TBS fresh lemon juice.
-Blend to a course paste and then add:
¼ cup olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste
-Stir very briefly.
-Cover and chill for up to 3 days.
-Leaving the rubber band on, cut 2 bunches of arugula into 3rds, discarding the last 1-3 inches of stem.
-Gently wash and spin dry.
-Toast ¼ cup pistachios or almonds and then chop when cool.
-Finely chop 1 tsp fresh dill.
-Halve and pit 16 Rainer Cherries.
-Combine the arugula, cherries, half the nuts and the dill in a large bowl.
-Whisk together the following:
1 TBS sherry vinegar
1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
-Gently toss with the salad.
-Arrange on a platter, sprinkle 2 ounces crumbled chevre goat cheese and remaining nuts over the top and serve.
For the dressing:
Combine the following:
1½ TBS sherry or tarragon vinegar
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
¼ tsp. sea salt
-Whisk together and let stand for 15 minutes.
-Stir in the following:
1 tsp Dijon mustard
6 TBS of walnut/and or extra-virgin olive oil
For the greens: Without undoing the rubber band, gently swish 1-2 bunches of arugula in some cold water, and then shake dry.
-Beginning from the top of the bunch of arugula, cut ½ inch strips off until you reach the bottom 2 inches and then discard the stems.
-Gently spin the arugula dry in a salad spinner.
-Put 1 tsp of butter in a small skillet over low heat.
-Add ½ cup walnut halves and toast until golden brown, 2-4 minutes.
-Coarsely grate ½ cup Pecorino Romano.
To assemble salad: Gently toss the arugula with the chopped chives, enough dressing to coat and a little salt.
-Heap on individual serving plates and top with a generous sprinkle of cheese and some walnuts.
-Whisk 2 TBS red wine vinegar and ¼ cup olive oil in a bowl until emulsified.
-Leaving the rubber band on, cut 1-2 bunches of arugula into thirds, discarding the stems.
-Wash and spin-dry the arugula.
-Plate the arugula.
-In a large bowl mix together the following:
3 slicing tomatoes, chopped into small dice.
½ pint Sungold cherry tomatoes, chopped in half.
½ a fennel bulb,shaved into very thin slices.
¼ cup pepperoncini,drained and chopped.
¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped.
-Drizzle with dressing; toss to combine and season with salt and pepper.
-Divide amongst the plates.
-Sprinkle with some crumbled feta cheese if desired.