Winter Market Recipes

ROASTED BEET SALAD

Serves 4
* 1 bunch (about 1 1/2 pounds) small to medium beets
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 8 cups baby spinach or arugula
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
* 3 ounces goat cheese, sliced


Preheat oven to 400̊F. Trim beets and scrub them, leaving about 1/2
inch of stems attached (reserve greens for another use). Place beets
in a casserole dish and drizzle with a little olive oil (about 1
tablespoon). Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast in middle of oven until
tender, about 1 hour.

When beets are cool enough to handle, slip off skins and stems.
Quarter beets and place in a bowl. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar or
lemon juice and toss. (Beets may be roasted 1 day ahead and chilled,
covered).

In a bowl whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon
juice or vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss greens with the
dressing and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve salad greens topped with beets. Arrange cheese slices on the
side, or shave on top, and serve with a crusty baguette.

(Thanks to Susie Quick from Honest Farm in Midway, KY, for sharing this
recipe!)

 

EASY GREENS BAKE
Serves 4

   * 6 free-range eggs, beaten
   * 1 bunch (about 1 gallon) fresh greens (kale, collards, Swiss
chard, spinach, etc.)
   * 1 medium onion (or 3-4 scallions), minced
   * 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces (optional)
   * 3 cloves garlic (or 1 stalk green garlic), minced
   * 3/4 cup milk of your choice (cow, goat, rice, etc.)
   * 2 cups finely shredded cheese of your choice
   * 1/2 tsp pepper
   * 1 tsp salt, optional
   * 1 Tbs olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Wash greens.  Strip leaves from stalks.  Chop stalks into 1/4 inch
pieces and set aside. Chop greens into bite-sized pieces.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add chopped stalks.  Cook
until almost tender (collard stalks take longer than spinach or Swiss
chard - should take about 5-10 minutes).  Add chopped leaves and cook
until tender (again, it varies with the greens, about 3-8 minutes.)
Drain, then press with a fork to remove as much water as you can.
(You can reserve the nutritious water and freeze for later use in
soups).

3. In the meantime, in a heavy skillet over medium heat, saute onions
and peppers in olive oil until onions are translucent.  Add garlic,
saute about 2 minutes more.  (If you want to skip this step, just
throw these ingredients in with the stalks and cook them all together,
though sauteeing brings out the flavor of the peppers and onions
better).

4. Grease a 9 x 12 casserole.  Pour in all the ingredients and mix
well.  (You can also throw everything in the food processor for a more
uniform texture.) The mixture will be thick, and you may need to press
it into the corners and smooth the top with a spoon.  (Sometimes we
mix this up in a bowl and spoon it into regular or mini-muffin cups to
make beautiful individual appetizers.)

5. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until set in center.  Slice and serve warm
or at room temperature.

 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

    * 2 pounds butternut squash, cut in chunks
    * 2 tablespoons olive oil
    * salt and pepper
    * 3 tablespoons butter
    * 1 large onion, diced
    * 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, cut in chunks
    * 12 fresh sage leaves
    * About 6 cups chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400F.

Toss the squash with olive oil in a roasting pan, season liberally with salt and pepper and roast about 20 minutes until somewhat softened and slightly browned. Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add the apple and saute for another 2 minutes. Tear 4 of the sage leaves into small pieces and add to the pot and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the squash and stir for 1 minute. Add 5 cups of chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.


Use a hand blender to puree the soup right in the pot, or let it cool slightly and puree in batches in a blender. Return soup to the pot and thin it with the rest of the chicken broth if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish this with roasted pumpkin seeds and the remaining sage leaves.

 

GREEK KALE SALAD

    * 2 bunches of kale, large stems discarded
    * 2 whole-wheat pita breads
    * 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
    * 2 T. fresh lemon juice
    * 1/4 t. crushed red pepper
    * Salt and freshly ground pepper
    * 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
    * 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, cut lengthwise into silvers
    * 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (2/3 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 400. In a large pot of boiling water, cook kale leaves until just tender; 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Transfer the kale to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze dry. Fluff up the leaves, coarsely chop them and transfer to a large bowl.


2. Brush both sides of the pita breads with olive oil and bake for about 8 minutes, or until crisp. Cut the pita into wedges.


3. In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup of olive oil with the lemon juice and crushed red pepper and season with salt and pepper. Add the grape tomatoes, olives and crumbled feta to the kale and toss. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Serve the kale salad with the toasted pita wedges.

 

RISOTTO WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SAGE

Serves 4

   * 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
   * 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
   * 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
   * 1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
   * 3 1/2 to 4 cups chicken broth
   * 1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 3 cups)
   * 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more to pass at the table
   * 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
   * Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a 4-quart or larger cooker. Add the onions and cook over high heat for one minute, stirring frequently. Stir in the rice, taking care to coat it with the oil.

Stand back to avoid sputtering oil, and stir in the wine. Cook over high heat until the rice has absorbed the wine, about 30 seconds. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of the chicken broth, taking care to scrape up any rice that might be sticking to the bottom of the cooker. Add the squash.

Lock the lid in place according to manufacturer's instructions. Over high heat bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for four minutes. Turn off the heat. Quick-release the pressure by setting the cooker under cold running water. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow steam to escape.

Set the cooker over medium high heat and stir vigorously. The risotto will look fairly soupy at this point. Cook uncovered over medium-high heat, stirring every minute or so, until the mixture thickens and the rice is tender but still chewy, usually three to five minutes. If the mixture becomes dry before the rice is done, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of broth. The finished risotto should be slightly runny; it will continue to thicken as it sits on the plate.

Turn off the heat. Stir in the parmesan, sage, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

 

SLOW BAKED BEANS

Makes 5 to 7 cups cooked beans

Since this process take a while, and since beans freeze very well, consider making a whole pound at once. Defrost frozen beans either at room temperature or in a microwave.

   * 1 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) dried beans, picked over and rinsed
   * 1 teaspoon sea salt
   * 1 medium onion, peeled and halved (optional)
   * 2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)
   * Boiling water
   * Olive oil
   * Chopped fresh herbs

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees.

Set the beans in a large Dutch oven or lidded ovenproof casserole. Sprinkle with salt. Add the onion and garlic. Pour in enough boiling water to cover the beans by 2 inches.

Cover and bake until the beans are tender, 1 to 4 hours, depending on size and condition. Check from time to time and add boiling water, if needed, to keep the beans covered.

If you're not sure whether the beans are done, cut a few in half. If done, there should be no opaque dot in the center.

Drain the beans, reserving the broth for your next soup. Toss the beans in a little olive oil, add some chopped fresh herbs, and serve.

FRENCH ONION SOUP
(serves 8)

2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
5 onions, thinly sliced
pinch of thyme
3.5 c. beef, chicken or veggie stock
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
8-24 slices rustic sourdough bread, toasted if fresh
1 1/2 c. grated swiss cheese
8 eggs

Heat the olive oil and butter in a soup pot until the butter is melted.  Add the onions and thyme and stir to coat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat.  As soon as they start to brown (after 15 min.) turn the heat down to medium-low and continue to cook, covered, stirring more often, until the onions are a rich brown color, about 40 min.

Stir in the stock, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered for 20 min.  Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the hot soup into a 8 ovenproof bowls (or if you don't have them, a large pyrex baking dish.)  Top each with bowl (or portion) with 1-3 slices of bread, 3 T. cheese and one cracked egg.

Broil or bake in a 450 degree oven until the eggs are cooked and the cheese is melted.