Thanksgiving is arriving, and we have had a good rain. It feels like autumn. We at the Riverside Food Coop are thankful for our members, moving us closer to our grocery store. We would love to move ahead with this project.
Ask your friends to become members. I think they will thank you for the nudge.
Gaytan Family Farm
Bell Peppers - Red and Green
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Onion Bag
Celery
Romaine Lettuce
Huerta del Valle
Cilantro
Sage
Corona Farm
Pumpkin
The Grove
Seminole pumpkin
RFC Add-In
Rosemary
Tangerines
Not a member yet? Why not? Click here to join the co-op at $100 for full membership. Be a member and a co-owner, bringing the power of economic independence to Riverside. Members can subscribe to our crop box too! $27/month with delivery available for $7.50/month. You benefit, your community benefits, and our partner farms and growers benefit.
Our feature vegetable this month is Seminole pumpkin (or Seminole squash) from The Grove, a certified organic farm here in the Green Belt owned by Deborah and Hassan Ghamlouch. It's a Florida native, great for hot weather and easy to grow with no insect problems. You can read more at this website, from which the preparation tips and recipe below come too.
Seminole Pumpkin Puree
From South Seminole Farm and Nursery
Cut pumpkin in half. Remove string and seeds. Place face down in microwave and cook on high 3 ½ to 4 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then scoop by spoon and puree in blender or food processor until smooth. Can be stored in refrigerator for two-three weeks or can be frozen.
Cooking Fresh Seminole Pumpkins
To cook fresh Seminole Pumpkin, heat the oven to 350° F. Split the Seminole pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and stringy pulp. Place Seminole pumpkin halves, cut side down on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake for about one hour or until very tender when pierced with a fork. Spoon the soft pulp out of the shell and use it in the recipe. There will be a lot of fluid in the bottom of the pan, use this to add flavor to your soup or save it to add to stock another day.
Savory Seminole Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
16 oz Seminole pumpkin
1 large can chicken stock
2 tbsp butter
1 large onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
8 oz mushrooms (chopped)
2 carrots (chopped)
2 celery stalks (chopped)
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
4 slices bacon fried and broken into bits
Directions
In a skillet, sauté onions, garlic, celery and mushrooms in butter. Add to a large soup pot; add chicken broth, Seminole pumpkin, carrots, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil then simmer uncovered for fifteen to twenty minutes. Blend with a hand blender until smooth.
Ladle into soup bowls. Top with a dollop of sour cream and bacon bits and serve.
Fall and winter means root vegetables too. Root vegetables are just perfect for roasting. First let’s look at technique, and small touches to change them from good to fabulous.
Roasting Vegetables
Make sure your oven is hot. 425 degrees is a good temperature. This lets the vegetables crisp on the outside, but not get mushy.
Cut pieces into like sizes. You can mix carrots, potatoes, sweet potato, broccoli, and others, but they should be about the same size. You can also separate them into like cooking times: cauliflower and broccoli together, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes in a different pan. You could also roast the longer cooking things first, then add the quicker cooking.
The veggies should be coated with olive oil (or avocado oil), and seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Be careful not to crowd them. There should only be one layer.
Allow them to char. That’s where the flavor is.
Flip the veggies about half way through the cooking time.
General Roasting Times for Vegetables
Cooking times are for roasting vegetables at 425°F.
Root vegetables (beets, potatoes, carrots): 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how small you cut them
Winter squash (butternut squash, acorn squash): 20 to 60 minutes, depending on how small you cut them
Crucifers (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts): 15 to 25 minutes
Soft vegetables (zucchini, summer squash, bell peppers): 10 to 20 minutes
Thin vegetables (asparagus, green beans): 10 to 20 minutes
Onions: 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how crispy you like them
Tomatoes: 15 to 20 minutes
Sprinkling on a mixture of Panko bread crumb, parmesan cheese olive oil and red pepper flakes during the last ten minutes of roasting adds crunch and zing. About a half cup of bread crumbs, quarter cup of parmesan and ½ tsp. (or more to taste) red pepper flakes mixed with 2-3 tbsp. olive oil per pound of vegetables. The oil ensures the bread crumbs will crisp.
Once you have roasted vegetables, you have the beginning of many meals. They make a great side dish, either a variety mixed together, or one kind.
Roasted veggies are a great addition to an open face tart. Add cheese to the dough, add your roasted veggies, and bake until the crust is done.
You can use hummus as your base, especially if your vegetables are more Mediterranean such as eggplant, tomato, onion, zucchini and red peppers. The process is the same as the cheese tart.
A mixture of sweet potatoes and beets with Gorgonzola and thyme baked on a crust is different and quite yummy.
Roasted vegetables are a great soup starter. Add to vegetable broth, add a green such as spinach, chard or kale, and season to taste. Think about which flavors you like together when composing your soup.
They are great on pasta, sauced in a way that complements your choice of veggies. Cheese can be used or not. I would try red sauce with eggplant, onion, tomato, and zucchini. A light vinaigrette would work well with veggies and crumbled feta cheese. Bacon could be added, if that pleases you.
And lastly, dream up a casserole using your leftovers. You will need liquid, either broth to moisten bread crumbs, or dairy if you like. Cheese can be added, either a stronger cheese such as Gorgonzola, or an accent cheese, such as Parmesan. Having a jar of caramelized onions in your refrigerator can take such a casserole right over the top.
I will include the link here for caramelizing onions in a slow cooker. Spending an hour preparing these, then storing them in the freezer and/or refrigerator makes so many good meals possible. I love them on a burger, veggie or beef, or with roast meats, or just on French bread with a small amount of good cheese.
How To Make Caramelized Onions in a Slow Cooker www.TheKitchn.com.
Here is recipe that makes cabbage an interesting side dish.
Roasted Cabbage with Mustard Vinaigrette
From The Kitchn. Serves 4 to 8.
For the cabbage:
1 medium head green or red cabbage (about 3 pounds), outer leaves removed
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the vinaigrette:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
Directions
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 450°F.
Cut the cabbage through the core into 8 wedges. Lay the wedges cut-side down on a large roasting pan or baking sheet and drizzle very lightly with oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette: Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl until combined; set aside.
Flip the cabbage wedges and roast until browned at the edges, about 15 minutes more. If the edges aren't browned enough for your taste, put the cabbage back in for 5-minute increments until they are. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve immediately.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Roasted Carrot Soup
From Food 52. Serves 4.
Ingredients
6 to 8 large carrots
¼ cup olive oil
salt
6 cups of vegetable stock, low sodium
1 piece ginger, 1” long, peeled
1 sprig thyme, plus more for garnish
½ large, sweet onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Peel and cut the carrots into 1/2-inch rounds. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the carrots with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Set an oven rack 6 to 8 inches from the heat source and turn on the broiler. Broil the carrots until they brown and soften, turning them over with a spatula every 5 minutes or so; this should take 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil, add the ginger and the sprig of thyme and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Put the onion in a medium stock pot with the remaining olive oil. Brown the onion over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, and then add the carrots.
Remove the ginger and thyme from the stock and add the stock to the pot with the onions and carrots. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the carrots are soft enough to puree.
Use an immersion or a standard blender to puree the mixture until smooth. If the soup seems too thick, add more stock or water and reheat gently. Add salt and pepper to taste. To serve, garnish with chopped fresh thyme.
If you are tired of roasting, here is an alternative. This method will work with almost any firm vegetable. Suggestions: quartered peeled small beets; halved, peeled, medium carrots or parsnips; or 1” thick fennel wedges
Honey Glazed Vegetables
From Bon Appetit. 4 servings.
Ingredients
Combine:
1 lb. hardy vegetables
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. honey
Generous pinch of salt
Directions
Add with 1 cup of water in a large sauté or saucepan over medium high heat. Cover, bring to a simmer and cook, adding water by the tablespoon if pan is dry before vegetables are done. Done when the vegetables are crisp-tender. The center should still be firm, 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove the lid and cook until liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Then cook, tossing vegetables occasionally until browned, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of vegetables to pan. Toss vegetables to coat. Season with salt.
Here is a salad substitute for Thanksgiving. It can be made ahead and travels well. It can also be out of the refrigerator for up to two hours without wilting.
Thanksgiving Slaw
From The Kitchn. Serves 8.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
For the salad:
1 small head green cabbage (about 2 1/2 pounds, or about 10 cups shredded cabbage)
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Make the dressing: Whisk the vinegar, oil, maple syrup, Dijon, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the red onion and stir to combine. Let sit at least 10 minutes for the flavors to meld. Meanwhile, prepare the cabbage.
Make the salad: Cut the cabbage into eight wedges through the core, then cut the core from each piece. Thinly slice the cabbage wedges crosswise to shred.
Add the shredded cabbage, almonds, cranberries, and parsley to the dressing and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
When you want raw veggies, give this slaw a try.
Broccoli Slaw
From The Kitchn. Serves 12.
Ingredients
1/3 cup currants or dried cranberries
2 pounds broccoli (about 1 large head)
1/4 pound red onion (1/2 small onion), finely chopped
3/4 cup almonds, slivered or roughly chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Directions
Heat 1/2 cup water to boiling and pour over the currants in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes, then drain off the water.
Shred the broccoli in a food processor using the grater disk (the attachment with the holes, not the blade). In a large bowl, combine the shredded broccoli, currants, red onion, and almonds.
Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and a generous quantity of fresh pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if needed. Allow to sit for 30 minutes (or an hour in the fridge) so the flavors can mingle.
This pasta dish with broccoli is easy and filling. It can be made ahead, and would make a good potluck dish.
Broccoli and Feta Pasta Salad
From TheKitchn. Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 pound tri-color pasta
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium head broccoli, chopped into 1/2-inch florets
8 ounces feta cheese
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Flaky salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Directions
Cook the pasta according to package directions in a generous quantity of boiling, well-salted water. Drain and return to the pan or a large bowl and toss until coated with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli and cook until crisp-tender — about 5 to 7 minutes. Toss the broccoli with the cooked pasta.
Crumble the feta cheese into the pasta, and stir in the olives as well. Whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and vinegar and toss with the pasta. Season generously with salt and pepper. Refrigerate overnight, or until serving.
Broccoli Pesto
From The Kitchn. Serves 4 as a pasta sauce.
Ingredients
1 pound broccoli, trimmed and cut into large chunks
2 tablespoons water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1/2 cup feta cheese, divided
1/4 cup water
Directions
Cut the broccoli into small florets and steam on the stove or in the microwave with the 2 tablespoons of water. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Cook the onion and garlic until it just begins to soften, and then add the broccoli. Cook for several minutes or until the onion turns translucent. Add the parsley and cook until it's well-wilted. Pour in the lemon juice and simmer for about two minutes.
Transfer to a blender and add 1/4 cup of the feta cheese and the 1/4 cup water. Purée until smooth, adding a drizzle of olive oil and a little more water if it sticks and turns to a lump. Purée until as smooth or chunky as you prefer.
Taste and add any necessary additional salt and pepper. Serve with a good ridged pasta like the rotini above.