Fall Week 10: Extra Recipes for Thanksgiving Break

This is a collection of recipes for your Thanksgiving dinner table that all use items from last week's share. There are entrées, stuffings, side dishes, sauces, and desserts all listed below. Scroll all the way to the bottom for a recipe from the team at Spring Rain Farm where we got the cranberries!

Happy Eating!
Love,
Anna P. & The BMSP Team

Sweet Potato Cranberry Leek Stuffing

Uses: Sweet potatoes, leeks, fresh cranberries, apples, fresh thyme
Additional Shares: Bread, eggs
You will also need: Chicken broth, celery, garlic, parsley, paprika, garlic salt, butter, olive oil, pepper
Read More »

A Taste of Fall

As we fly through October, the weather gets colder and grey days seem to outnumber our sunny ones! Though many get the blues when the sun hides its face, cold and rain are things I’ve learned to look forward to. Where I’m from, it rarely gets cool enough to enjoy a good bowl of hot soup (which is a real shame because my mom is the queen of soup!).

To help those of you avoid those cold, rainy day blues, I have an incredible recipe for wonderful butternut squash soup to which my friend introduced me the other day. Not only is it simple enough to make in a college dormitory kitchen, the recipe (which I’ve posted below) makes a generous portion! When we made our batch, the butternut squash, garlic, and onions were all from Market Shares, making this soup even more delicious. The natural sweetness of the squash blends perfectly with the garlic and onions; if it’s too sweet for you or if you just want to add another flavor to the mix, sprinkle some gorgonzola cheese on top.

For those of you in college dorms, this soup really is ideal. While the squash, onions, and garlic bake in the oven, you can study, clean your room, or even attend a choir rehearsal (as I did!). All of the utensils required are standard, except perhaps the blender… Ask around. I’m sure someone has one you could use (and maybe you could promise a cup of yummy soup in return).

This soup is simple, flavorful, and makes for a perfect pick-me-up on those cold, wet days. Enjoy!

Katie Hay

BMSP Volunteer Fall 2014

Spotlight: Sweet Potatoes

About

"Sweet potatoes are as American as apple pie! Native Americans were growing sweet potatoes when Columbus came in 1492, and by the 16th century, sweet potatoes were being cultivated in the southern states, where they became a staple in the traditional cuisine... Today, sweet potatoes are used in cuisines all over the world as a satisfying and versatile vegetable with a well-earned reputation for nutrition." The sweet potato "sweetness intensifies as the sweet potato is cooked, creating the deep caramel flavor we love." [source]

Varieties
There are three main varieties of sweet potato produced in the United States. [source]

A favorite for mashing or roasting, the COVINGTON has rose colored skin and super sweet orange flesh. Eat it whole with your favorite toppings or cut into wedges and bake as a side dish.

When life gives you beets... make a cake!

This cake, adapted from Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables, is chocolate heaven. When my uncle (a self-proclaimed beet-hater) tasted it, he kept asking my mother how she got it to be so moist and delicious. She tried to dodge the question, but he kept at it until she admitted the secret ingredient: beets! He was certainly surprised, but that didn’t stop him from going back for seconds. I always ask for it on my birthday because it’s just that good.

Cary Chapman

BMSP Volunteer Fall 2014

Spotlight: Husk Cherries

About

Husk cherries go by many names - ground cherries, golden strawberries, Chinese lanterns, and in French as the very charming Amour-en-Cage, or ‘caged love’, just to name a few. [source] We on the BMSP team were divided about whether they more resemble cherries or cherry tomatoes. They are often overlooked because of their parchment-like outer coating, despite their sweet and versatile flavor. "These little gems are in the same genus as tomatillos - hence the similar papery husk - and the same family as tomatoes. Ground cherries taste slightly sweet and tropical, with a texture that's somewhere between a tomato and a grape." [source]

"What tastes like a cherry tomato injected with mango and pineapple juice, and looks like an orange pearl encased in a miniature paper lantern? No, I'm not just trying to cram as many fruit references into one sentence as possible. It's a real plant: Physalis pruinosa, aka the 'ground cherry'." [source]

Community Post

Clara's Kitchen

Check out these two amazing recipes that shareholder Annalisse Daly made with her daughter Clara (the toddler many of you have admired at Market Day the past few seasons). Annalisse also shared two of her own great cooking tricks!

We hope you'll all be inspired by the beauty, deliciousness, adorableness, and handy tips that follow, and continue to send us your favorite recipes and photos of the dishes you make with your share at info@brownmarketshares.com.

Thank you so much Annalisse! Read what she has to say about each of the recipes below.

Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte

"I really truly did try to get a picture of just the food, but my chef-in-training decided she couldn't wait to taste test the results. All the other pictures have a suspicious-looking dimpled hand slyly pulling the pie plate off the table.

This recipe uses the last of the market share potatoes and green onions from a couple weeks ago and the yellow summer squash from last week."

Summer Week 6: Recipes for Fresh Herbs

Still have some of your fresh herbs from Thursday? Here are the links to the recipes that our Program Development Intern Maddy Rotman suggests for each herb, as well as the flavor buddy suggestions from The Flavor Bible that were in the newsletter.

PURPLE BASIL goes well with garlic, Italian cheeses such as mozzarella, Parmesan, or ricotta, tomatoes, blueberries, lemon, bell peppers, and in pesto.

Purple Basil Lemonade

Raspberry Purple Basil Ice Pops

Spotlight: Fava Beans

About

"If all you know about fava beans is that Hannibal Lecter favored them with a nice Chianti, it’s time to get better acquainted (with favas, that is). They're an ancient member of the pea family and have a nutty taste and buttery texture all their own." [source] A sweet treat, fava beans often carry a bad reputation because many American recipes require extra peeling that can make it can be hard to prepare them. But never fear! Favas are a delicious staple of many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, and there are many different, enticing ways to prepare them.

"Fava beans are a staple of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. Young favas can be used unpeeled, but as they mature, their tough outer skins need to be removed. It's well worth the effort—their rich flavor is wonderful in everything from light salads to hearty stews." [source]

Coordinator Reflections: Lemme See Your Grill(z)

Perhaps nothing says summer more than trying to get my relatively unstable charcoal grill to catch fire. Stability and safety aside, I absolutely love grilling. I grill pretty much all things and would never discriminate based on food group - meats, veggies, fruits, breads, and cheeses all have a spot on my grill. This weekend I’ll be hanging out with my grill (and hopefully some friends) figuring out creative ways to grill this week's share.

First, I'll start by mixing olive oil, vinegar, thyme, and honey in a small bowl. Next I'll chop the tops off the sugar snap peas and snow peas from Freedom Food Farm and toss them in the mix with some salt and pepper. Then the fun part. Turn on the grill and massage the Red Russian kale with some olive oil and throw it on the grill once its hot! Keep the stems on because it will be easier to manage and you can remove them once it's done if you like. Flip it just once, after it is crispy and charred, about two minutes.

Once the kale is off the grill and cool, I'll rip it into smaller pieces and top with the sugar snap pea and snow pea mix. If you are feeling adventurous this whole dish is amazing over a 'schmear' of ricotta. And you can always add thinly sliced cucumber to the cold salad.
A previous BMSP coordinator used to call this a Hot-N-Cold salad and that is still what I call it today (Hey Leah!).

Make sure you have your summer shady/mojito/ice tea of choice in hand, as grilling is a hot adventure, and you will absolutely want something refreshing. Please share your grill successes and failures with the BMSP community - we want to know what's tasty when it's charred!

Taylor Lanzet

Program Development Coordinator

Community Post

Pat's Kitchen

We received an awesome idea from shareholder Patricia Falcon for a quick, easy Carrot Mushroom Soup with Rice recipe she invented. You can make it in an office kitchen, and it uses the mixed carrots we've been receiving from Four Town Farm the past few weeks. Thank you so much for sending this to us, Patricia - it looks great! We hope that you and anyone else reading this will continue to share your BMSP-inspired culinary adventures with us.

Here is the description Pat sent us, along with a photo of her creation!

Community Post

Pavitra's Kitchen

We received some FABULOUS photos from shareholder Pavitra Govindan of dishes she made using items from the share this past semester that we want to share with all of you as inspiration for your own culinary adventures. Summer is approaching, and with it lazy summer afternoons - the perfect time to take on adventurous cooking projects! We hope that our summer shareholders will be up to the challenge, and hope that we'll continue receiving photos like these from all of you.

In addition to using some recipes from this blog, Pavitra made a delicious-looking Kohlrabi Salad with Roasted Potatoes with a recipe of her own invention, and adapted this recipe for Roasted Potatoes, Shallots and Kale with Caramelized Garlic Dressing to use onions and a garlic lime dressing instead! Mmmmmm.

Kohlrabi Salad with Roasted Potatoes

Roasted Potatoes, Onions, and Kale with Garlic-Lime Dressing

Spring Week 7: Extra Recipes for Spring Break

Couscous Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

Ingredients from your share: butternut squash, cranberries (if you still have them)
You will also need: onion, couscous, chick peas, goat cheese, orange zest, assorted spices
Read More »

Spring Week 6: Recipes

Swiss Chard Ravioli

Ingredients from your share: swiss chard, ricotta, egg
You will also need: gyoza wrappers, butter, garlic, fresh sage, rosemary, thyme
Read More »

Fall Week 7: Recipes

Watermelon Radish & Carrots with Sesame Vinaigrette

Ingredients from your share: watermelon radish, carrot
You will also need: apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar), garlic olive oil, sesame oil, tamari or fish sauce, sesame seeds

Read More »

Summer Week 10: Recipes

Zucchini & Corn Ravioli

Ingredients from your share: zucchini, corn, garlic
You will also need: pasta dough (flour, salt, water, eggs), olive oil, lemon zest
Note: You might be surprised by how easy it is to make ravioli without a pasta machine or ravioli maker. Use this guide to prepare the ravioli without special equipment (you can use a kitchen knife in place of the ravioli cutter). While the ravioli may not be uniform in size, it will taste delicious and impress your family and friends!

Read More »

Summer Week 9: Recipes

Eggplant Cheese Casserole

[image source]
Uses: eggplant, green pepper, tomatoes, basil, onion
You will also need: olive oil, mozzarella or parmesan (or other cheese of choice)
Time: 1 hour (approximate)
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Summer Week 8: Recipes

Open-Faced Grilled Eggplant Sandwich with Pesto, Tomatoes, and Fresh Mozzarella

Uses: eggplant, tomatoes (substitute cherry tomatoes)
You will also need: basil pesto, olive oil, mozzarella, bread or buns
Time: 30 minutes to let the salted eggplant sit + 10 minutes to cook/assemble sandwiches
Description: Hearty, filling, and delicious! Feel free to add basil leaves or another herb instead of pesto.
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Summer Week 7: Recipes

Ricotta Pizza with Peaches

Uses: Peaches, basil
You will also need: ricotta, balsamic, olive oil, pizza dough
Read More »

Summer Week 4: Recipes

Cucumber Caprese Bites

Uses: cucumber, possibly mozzarella (cheese shareholders)
You will also need: basil, cherry tomatoes, possibly mozzarella
Time: 5-10 minutes
Description: Perfect outdoor summer snack. There are aso great for hosting dinners or parties (4th of July anyone?).
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Summer Week 3: Recipes

Zucchini Pasta with Garlic Scape Pesto

Uses: Garlic scapes, zucchini
You will also need: peas, basil, garlic, walnuts, nutritional yest, olive oil, salt & pepper
Time: 10-15 minutes
Description: All things green thrown into a bowl, bringing a health twist to one of my favorite Italian recipes on earth. Serves 2-4. Gluten-free | dairy-free | sugar-free | vegan | soy-free | raw
Read More »
Alternative: Nut-Free Garlic Scape Pesto