Braised Chicken with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

This was the PERFECT meal for last night.  It was warm, comforting, and delicious – like I said the PERFECT meal the night we had our first snow fall of the season.

Thursday Menu – Braised Chicken with Butternut Squash and Cranberries, Crust Whole Wheat Bread

Farm Share Food – Butternut Squash, Red Onion
 
Braised Chicken with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

CSA Bits'n'Pieces

Spicy Eggs

Mario Batali made the best eggs sometime last week on “The Chew”.  I made them for lunch the other day using a little leftover onion, some pieces of jalapeno from the freezer, and some leftover tomato sauce that I always use CSA garlic, onion, and carrot to make.  Delicious and quick!!!

Spicy Eggs

 

Olive Oil

¼ onion, roughly sliced

1 jalapeno, thinly sliced (keep the seeds for extra heat)

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 eggs

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Heat olive oil in a small to medium size skillet.  Add the onion and jalapeno.  Cook until beginning to soften and brown.  Add tomato sauce.  When sauce begins to boil crack eggs into the liquid to poach.  Cook until eggs set.  Salt and Pepper to taste. 

Mini Squash Muffins

 

Got about ¼ cup of squash or pumpkin puree leftover?  Make Mini Squash Muffins!  Add ¼ cup of puree and an extra egg to an 8.5 oz. corn muffin mix and bake in mini muffin tins.  Thanks to the October “Food Network Magazine” article for “A Month of Pumpkin” ideas for these muffins.

Turnips Greens

 

We got a bunch of turnips last week and again this week.  Today I made a batch of BraisedTurnip Greens.  I put ½ - ¾ cup servings in freezer bags.  I can get these out of the freezer for a quick lunch over pasta or with a thick slice of crusty bread.

Freezing Items

 

I cut up a Butternut Squash into about 1 inch cubes.  I had 2 freezer bags, I put half of the Butternut Squash cubes into each to freeze.

I roughly chopped  Broccoli Rabe, blanched it for 2 minutes, moved it to an ice bath, and drained it.  This has also been put away in the freezer.  It can be used as a substitute in any recipe calling for frozen spinach.

Last week I made Arugula Pesto and froze it in ice cube trays.

Today I did an inventory of my freezer.  I currently have 25 items in there from this year’s Vegetable CSA.  After our last delivery I’m thinking of sharing that list on the blog and spending the winter months working my way through them with more recipes to share. 

Mango Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potato

Recently in Food Network Magazine there was a pull-out for 50 Stuffed Potatoes.  There are so many to try.  Last night we tried Mango Black Bean.
Tuesday Menu – Mango Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Farm Share Food – Sweet Potatoes, tomato, jalapeno, cilantro, onion
 
I had jalapeno and cilantro in the freezer from earlier in the season. 
 
Mango Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
 
Printable Version

4 medium size sweet potatoes
1 15oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ cups frozen mango, defrosted
½ cup diced tomato
1 jalapeno, minced
2 T onion, finely diced
2 T cilantro, finely chopped
1 T olive oil
2 T lime juice
 
Bake Sweet Potatoes at 400 degrees for 50 minutes.
 
Mix together remaining ingredients.  Serve Black Bean Mango mixture spooned on top of baked Sweet Potatoes.

Week 20 of 2011

We got...  
Arugula, Beefsteak Tomatoes, Beets, Broccoli Rabe, Butternut Squash, Potatoes, Red Onions, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips
 
Fruit: Apples
 
My plans...
 
Arugula
I plan to make this Sauteed Shrimp with Arugula.  I also plan to make an Arugula pizza.  I did make Arugula Pesto last week.  I think I’ll use that as a sauce, put on the cheese, and then top with a few fresh arugula leaves.

Beets
Folks from the Harlem site of our same CSA farm are getting started on a blog.  Follow them on twitter at @HarlemCSA.  They suggested these Indian Spiced Beets.

Broccoli Rabe and Butternut Squash

I’ll freeze these to be used during those long winter months when I miss the CSA.

 

Sweet Potatoes

I love sweet potatoes that made with a dish that has some kick.  I’m looking forward to try this RoastedSweet Potato Salad with Cranberry-Chipotle Dressing.

Turnips

I have this recipe in my notes for Roasted Turnips with Tomatoes.  I’m intrigued but can’t find the link.  I’ll have to do some digging!

Squash, Manchego, and Balsamic-Onion Grilled Cheese

This past summer we watched Jeff Mauro become “The Next Food Network Star” as the Sandwich King.  Last night we tried one of his recipes for the first time.  One bite and we were sold!
Meatless Monday Menu – Squash, Manchego, and Balsamic-Onion Grilled Cheese, Salad
Farm Share Food – Carnival Squash, Onions, Tomatoes
 
Check out the link to Jeff’s sandwich.  He uses Butternut Squash and it has the recipe for starting from scratch.  I had leftover roasted Carnival Squash which became an ingredient in our sandwiches, making for a delicious dinner on another busy weeknight.
 
Squash, Manchego, and Balsamic-Onion Grilled Cheese

Printable Version

12 half rings of leftover Spicy Roasted Squash, trimmed of skin

1 T butter, plus butter to spread on sandwich bread

1 large onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 t sugar

Salt and Pepper

8 slices country bread

1 pound manchego cheese, thinly sliced

1 cup almonds, toasted

 

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the onion and toss to coat onion with butter.  Begin to caramelize onions, 10 – 15 minutes.  When the onions begin to brown add balsamic vinegar, sugar, and salt & pepper to taste.  Continue to caramelize the onions, stirring often until the mixture thickens and a sweetness develops – about 15 minutes.

 

Build sandwiches.  Butter one sliced of bread.  On the unbuttered side add ingredients in this order – manchego, squash, onions, almonds, manchego.  Close with another buttered sliced of bread.  Build 3 additional sandwiches.

 

Heat griddle over medium heat.  Cook each sandwich 4 minutes per side.  Low and slow is the key to nicely crisped bread with melted, gooey insides.

Spicy Roasted Squash, Braised Mustard Greens

My husband asked what we were having for dinner and was not excited to hear we were having Braised Mustard Greens.  Guess what?!?  Those greens were the best part of dinner, he thought so too.  
Sunday Menu – Grilled Chicken Breast, Braised Mustard Greens, Spicy Roasted Squash
Farm Share Produce – Mustard Greens, Garlic, Carnival Squash
 
Braised Mustard Greens
NOTES: I followed this super simple recipe with great success.  With the garlic, I added some crushed red pepper and salt & pepper to mimic the seasonings I had in the chicken marinade and on the squash.
 
Spicy Roasted Squash
I got this recipe from a friend who loves the cookbook “Fresh Every Day” by Sara Foster.  She wrote this recipe to me in an e-mail from memory, but she got it from this favorite cookbook.
 
3 T unsalted butter
1 t salt
1/8-1/4 t cayenne, to taste
2 Carnival Squash, cut into rings or half rings with the skin on
 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
 
Melt butter and stir in salt and cayenne.  Place squash rings on a rimmed baking sheet prepared with cooking spray.  Brush butter mixture onto squash rings. 
Bake 10 minutes, flip and bake an additional 15 minutes until squash is tender.
 
NOTE: cutting the squash into half rings makes it easier to fit onto the baking tray.  Whole rings are for a prettier presentation when guests come to dinner.

Fried Green Tomato BLT

I love fried green tomatoes and was intrigued by a recipe from Kelsey Nixon for Fried Green Tomato BLT.  This sandwich has lots of great zing.  I made the bacon on the foreman grill while I fried up the green tomatoes and along with French Fries it was a great meal for a busy weeknight.

We haven’t gotten any green tomatoes from the CSA, but maybe.  Thanks again to Grandma’s garden for the green tomatoes!

 

Thursday Menu – Fried Green Tomato BLT, French Fries

Farm Share Food – Arugula

Other Local Produce – Grandma’s Green Tomatoes

 

Fried Green Tomato BLT

 

Printable Version

Spicy Mayonnaise:
 
½ cup mayonnaise
1 T lemon juice
½ t Dijon mustard
salt, to taste
1/8 t cayenne pepper
 
Whisk ingredients together and store in fridge until it’s time to build the sandwiches.
 
Fried Green Tomatoes:
 
1 cup flour , divided
1 egg
¼ cup buttermilk
½ t baking powder
¼ t baking soda
½ cup cornmeal
salt, to taste
¼ t cayenne pepper
8 slices green tomato, about 2 medium tomatoes
oil for frying
 
In a shallow dish add ¼ cup flour.  In a second shallow dish beat the egg and add buttermilk, baking powder, and baking soda.  Stir to combine.  In a third shallow dish add ¾ cup flour, cornmeal, salt and cayenne pepper. 
Dredge the tomatoes in flour, egg mixture and then coat with cornmeal mixture.  Place on a wire cooling rack in a rimmed baking sheet until ready to fry.  Repeat for all the tomato slices.
Heat oil in a skillet and fry tomatoes until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.  Fry tomatoes in batches and allow to cool on another rack until it time to build the sandwiches.
 
Sandwiches:
 
1 pound turkey bacon, cooked
1 cup arugula, heavy, rough stems removed
8 slices of thick bread
 
Spread spicy mayo onto 2 slices of bread.  Add arugula and 2 fried green tomato slices to one side and bacon to the other.  Build 4 sandwiches.