Seasonal Recipes | Organic Food Recipes | Healthy Organic Recipes | Sequatchie Cove Farm

This was a delicious alternative to mashed potatoes on a fall menu.  It would be excellent served with a herbed pork tenderloin and some grilled okra.  The natural sweetness of this squash is such that you could also turn this mash into a pie without any added sugar.  Yum!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 large Kabocha squash, (or one whole if small) peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 tablespoons of melted butter
• 1/2 nutmeg, grated
• 1-2 tablespoons of dried ground orange peel, or zest of one orange
• 1 teaspoon of cardamom
• dash of ground cloves
• sea salt to taste
• 4 tablespoons of butter or margarine
• Juice from 1/2 lemon

Method:

In a glass baking dish, coat the squash with the melted butter mixed with the nutmeg, orange peel, cardamom and cloves.  Sprinkle with sea salt and bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes to one hour.  Remove from oven and transfer to a serving dish.  Add butter or margarine and lemon juice and mash with a potato masher to desired texture.  Add more sea salt to taste.

Filed under: Seasonal Food Recipes on September 16th, 2009 | Comments Off

Basil Ice Cream

Make at least one day ahead before serving with squash.

(I did get a few hints from one of the Lindley brother’s at Alleia for this one, but had to work out the details on my own.  I like the original best, but this one will do for home-made)

• 4 cups (packed) basil leaves.
• 2 star anise
• 2 cups of half and half
• 1 cup of sugar
• dash of salt
• 3 quarts of cream
• seeds from one vanilla bean pod

In a large sauce pan, boil 2-3 cups of water.  Add the basil leaves and cook until tender and dark green.  Remove from heat and let cool.   In a small saucepan heat the half and half with the sugar, salt and the star anise, stirring occasionally, on low heat until it just starts to boil around the edges.  Remove from heat and cool to at least room temperature.  Remove the star anise pods from the half and half and combine drained, cooked basil leaves and half and half in a blender.  Puree until mixture turns green and has very few leaf specks remaining.   Combine the basil mixture with the cream and vanilla bean in an ice cream maker and freeze as directed.

Maple & Spice Delicata Squash

There are many ways in which you can serve the squash and ice cream.  The squash is softer if left in large pieces while roasting, and like chewy candy if sliced thinly for roasting.  It’s delicious however you choose to cut it up.  For this recipe, I cut the ends big enough to use as ‘bowls’ for the squash, and sliced the rest very thinly, then diced the cooked pieces and sprinkled it on the ice cream as a candied garnish.

Scrub the skins of two small delicata squash with a vegetable brush to remove any soil or spots.   Cut in half and scoop out the seeds.  Do not remove the skins.  On this winter squash, they are edible and nutritious.    Slice or dice the squash to desired thickness and place in a glass baking dish.

Blend the following ingredients together and pour over the squash:

• 1/2 stick of unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup of real maple syrup
• a hefty dash of cinnamon
• a dash of cloves
• 1/2 to 3/4 of a whole nutmeg, grated
• a dash of sea salt

Bake at 375 degrees for about 1/2 hr to 45 minutes, depending on how thickly the pieces are sliced.

Serve slightly warm with ice cream.

Filed under: Seasonal Food Recipes on September 8th, 2009 | Comments Off

Ingredients:

• 1 package of active dry yeast
• 2 1/2 cups of bread blour
• 1 Tablespoon of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of sea salt
• 1 cup of water
• 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• (for flavored crust, add chopped fresh herbs or other seasonings as desired)

To prepare the dough in a bread machine:

Add ingredients in the order listed.  Set on dough cycle for a 1.5 lb loaf.  When the machine says the dough is ready, leave in longer so the dough has an extra chance to rise.   This will make the crust more workable and less elastic, for a perfect, tasty pizza.

To prepare the dough by hand:

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix well.   Once everything is together well, knead the dough (dusting with a little flour if too sticky) until a soft, smooth ball forms.  Place in a bowl, cover with a towel, and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.   Remove from the bowl and knead again, until the dough is smooth.  Let rise a second time, until the dough has more than doubled.

To prepare the pizza crust:

If you have a well-seasoned pizza stone, heat in the oven at 375 degrees while you prepare the crust.  Remove dough from bowl or machine pan and place on a large board that has been dusted with corn meal.   Form the dough into a disc and roll it out with a rolling pin.  If it is still not as large as your stone or baking sheet, you can try stretching it gently by lifting it off the board, draping the dough over your fists, and working around the circle by punching your fists into the dough.  If you want to impress your children, or give them a good laugh, you can try tossing it in the air, spinning the dough with each toss.  This will certainly make a mess, but leave the audience happy.

Once the dough is the correct size, place on the hot pizza stone or baking sheet and brush with a little olive oil.  Bake blind for at least 10 minutes, but up to 20 if you like a crispier crust.  Remove from the oven and top with your favorite ingredients.

Pizza topping suggestions:

Pesto, roasted red peppers, onions, shiitake mushrooms, sliced okra, sliced zucchini or squash, roasted eggplant, sliced tomatoes, and sliced fresh mozzarella.  Bake at 400 degrees until done.

Filed under: Seasonal Food Recipes on September 1st, 2009 | Comments Off

Ingredients:

• 2 onions, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 1 lb boneless chicken, cut into cubes
• 2 large sweet peppers, sliced
• 2-3 medium zucchini or zephyr squash, cubed
• 3 Roma tomatoes, halved and sliced
• Grated fresh ginger
• Minced fresh lemongrass
• 3-4 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 can of coconut milk
• Sea salt to taste
• For extra heat, add 1-2 fresh hot peppers
• 1 bunch of chopped cilantro
• 3 tablespoons of your favorite green Thai curry powder or paste.

If you are having trouble finding a pre-made curry powder blend, here is a recipe.

(If there is anything else from the share that you are trying to use up, it will likely be great with this recipe as well… such as eggplant and shiitake mushrooms.  I don’t think it could get too busy in this summer curry!)

Method:

In a large wok, sautee the garlic and onion in oil until tender.  Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink.  Add the ginger, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, curry powder or paste, salt and hot peppers if using.  Cook a couple of minutes longer, then add the rest of the vegetables.  Stir until coated with spices, then add the coconut milk.  Simmer with the lid on for about 20 minutes.  Add the chopped cilantro and stir into curry before serving.

Serve with jasmine rice.

Filed under: Seasonal Food Recipes on August 26th, 2009 | Comments Off

This is one of those recipes that changes a little every time Mom makes it, depending on what she has in the kitchen.  Sorry about the non-specific quantities of certain ingredients.  Don’t worry though, I don’t think this one will fail, no matter how you make it.  Creativity should be the first ingredient…

Bolognese sauce ingredients:

(prepare one day ahead if possible)

• 2 lbs Sequatchie Cove Farm ground beef
• 3 small-medium onions, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, diced
• About 20 oz of mushrooms of any kind, sliced
• Two 15 oz cans of black olives, drained and halved.
• 12 oz tomato paste (unseasoned)
• 15-20 roma tomatoes, diced
• 3 bay leaves
• Fresh herbs:  Basil, oregano, thyme and sage (to taste)
• 1-2 cups of water
• Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare sauce:

Fry seasoned ground beef in a large stock pot on medium-high heat until brown.  Add diced onion and garlic and cook until they soften a bit.   Add mushrooms and cook until they have reduced in size.   Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Mom’s tips:  Leave the skins and seeds in the tomatoes, they are more nutritious if you eat everything.  Also, use as much of the fresh herbs as possible because they add important vitamins and minerals.  If you like your sauce to taste sweeter, add more basil, if you like it more savory, add more sage, and increase the thyme and oregano if you want a sharper flavor.

For the Eggplant dish:

Slice eggplant (and squash if you like)  into 1/2 inch slices and place in the bottom of a deep baking dish.  Cover with the Bolognese sauce and top with grated cheese. (If you are concerned about extra calories and fat, or if you prefer to be dairy free, it is still delicious without the cheese.)  Cover with foil and bake on 375 degrees for one hour.  Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Filed under: Seasonal Food Recipes on August 19th, 2009 | Comments Off

Okra Recipe suggested by CSA Member Lynn Harding

From: The Art of Seasonal Cooking by Perla Meyers | Publisher – Simon & Schuster

Ingredients:

• 6 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, & chopped
• Coarse salt
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 small dry red chili peppers, crushed
• 2 large onions, peeled, quartered, & thinly sliced
• 5 medium cloves garlic, peeled & finely minced
• 1 tbsp. finely minced fresh ginger
• 1 tsp.ground cumin
• ¼ tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 lb. okra, cut crosswise into ¼ -inch slices
• Salt & freshly ground black
• 3 tbsp. finely minced fresh or parsley

Method:

1. Sprinkle the tomatoes with coarse salt, place in a colander over a bowl, & let drain for 30 minutes.  Reserve the tomatoes & their juice separately.
2. In a deep 10-inch skillet heat the oil over medium heat, add the chili peppers, & cook until very dark.  Remove chili with a slotted spoon & discard.  Add the onions, garlic, & ginger, reduce the heat, & cook the mixture for 20 minutes, or until very soft & nicely browned.
3. Add the cumin, cardamom, nutmeg, & coriander & blend into the onion mixture.  Add the tomatoes & okra & season with salt & pepper.  Simmer, partially covered, for 25-30 minutes or until the okra is tender.  As the okra cooks, it tends to thicken the sauce.  If the sauce is too thick, thin with a little of the reserved tomato juices.  Taste & correct the seasoning.
4. Sprinkle with the optional cilantro or parsley and serve okra hot as an accompaniment to barbecued steak or spare ribs or grilled chicken.

Note: This dish can be made several days ahead of time and reheated, covered in a low (250º) oven.  It is also delicious as an accompaniment to fried eggs and leftovers make an excellent filling for omelets.

Filed under: Seasonal Food Recipes on August 18th, 2009 | Comments Off