Delicata Squash and Roasted Mushrooms with Thyme

Recipe Courtesy of Gourmet.com
 

Ingredients

- 6 tablespoons olive oil
-1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
-3/4 teaspoon sea salt
-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
 - 2 lb delicata squash (3 medium), halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide slices
 - 2 lb mixed fresh mushrooms such as cremini, shiitake, and oyster, trimmed (stems discarded if using shiitakes) and halved (quartered if large)

Directions

- Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
-Stir together oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Toss squash with 2 tablespoons thyme oil in a shallow baking pan (1/2 to 1 inch deep) and arrange in 1 layer. Toss mushrooms with remaining 1/4 cup thyme oil in another shallow baking pan (1/2 to 1 inch deep) and arrange in 1 layer. Roast squash and mushrooms, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until vegetables are tender and liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated, 25 to 30 minutes.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms and Cream

Happy Thanksgiving from Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative! A few holiday favorites for some of our share items this week. This first recipe is another favorite adapted from Fine Cooking.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms and Cream
Serves 6

Ingredients
5 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise (5 cups)
olive oil
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ lb. mushrooms, halved if small or cut into 1-inch wedges
1 large shallot or 1 small onion, thinly sliced (½ cup)
¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Put the Brussels sprouts on a rimmed baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Spread in an even layer and season generously with salt. Roast until tender and browned, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
3. Heat a skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, add a tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter. When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms in an even layer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden-brown and tender and the mushroom liquid (if any) has evaporated, about 5 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and transfer to a plate.
4. Set the skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When the butter has melted, add the shallot or onion, season with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Return the mushrooms to the pan and add the Brussels sprouts and cream. Stir in a few grinds of pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the cream thickens and coats the vegetables nicely, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Low fat, Full flavor Broccoli Mushroom Soup

This soup is great way to incorporate all the items we willing receiving this week and leftovers from last week! I am not a fan of cream soups so this recipe was created inan effort to get a creamy texture without the heaviness of a cream and its fat.I also had leftover mashed potatoes at the time and they became the creamyelement in the soup. Broccoli andmushrooms are a great combo and sautéing the mushrooms in Marsala or Sherry cookingwine and some evo before incorporating them into the soup, in the end gives thesoup a rich full bodied flavor. Anotheradded richness is the roasted garlic. When I get a sleeve of garlic, I roast half the heads so I always havesome on hand in the frig. It is soft andcreamy, like butter and the flavor is incredible! Kick it up with some truffle oil when bakingand it’s really awesome. Another addedgarnish that I am going to use this time is some oven roasted potato chips tonestle in the bowl when serving to resurface the creamy potato base of thesoup. This is one of my husband’s favsbecause he really enjoys creamy soups and this is one that he doesn’t miss thecream!

Low fat, Full Flavor Creamy Broccoli Mushroom Soup
8-10 servings
3lb organic broccoli heads
4 cloves roasted garlic
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2T Extra virgin olive oil
Splash of white balsamic vinegar
2 T of basil pesto (prepared or homemade)
1 heaping cups of mashed potatoes
32 oz. container + 1 cup of organic chicken broth

1 cup thinly sliced portabella or cremini mushrooms
Marsala or Sherry cooking wine
2T Extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
fat-free half and half or 2% milk (optional)

1. Lightly steam the broccoliheads to retain bright green color, roughly chop. Reserve 1 cup of the broccoli for finishing.

2. Heat 2T of oil inyour soup pot. Add the onions and celeryand sauté until soft. Add the splash ofbalsamic vinegar while tossing over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until the garlicbreaks down into the onion and celery mix. Add the broccoli (reserve 1 cup) and potatoes; stir to combine over lowheat. Add the broth slowly, gently foldingeverything together. Let the soup simmeron low heat for about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat 2T of evo in medium sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms, cook until they start torelease their liquid and add at least a ¼ cup of cooking wine to pan. Keep sautéing on the higher heat, until thewine is absorbed into the mushrooms. Sautéthe mushrooms until they are almost golden and somewhat caramelized. You could add a 1/2T of butter while sautéingthis if you feel you need it.
4. When all the soup ingredients arebroken down, turn off heat and use a hand blender to puree it. If you feel the soup is too thick at thispoint, add a little water or you could add fat free half & half, 2% milk, etc.to thin it out to your liking. Stir inthe reserved chopped broccoli and the mushrooms. Give the soup about two quick hits with theblender if you want to incorporate them a little more. You could also serve them on the side to beplaced in individual servings, as well as a cheddar cheese or oven baked potatochips.

Green Bean Casserole

This recipe is an adaption of chef Joaquin Baca's (The Brooklyn Star), published in the November 3, 2009 edition of The New York Times. It can be adapted to make a smaller dish by halving the amounts.

Green Bean Casserole
Serves 8

Ingredients
1 pound button mushrooms, sliced
2 small red onions, chopped
1 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (can substitute with dried, using a lesser amount)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds green beans, trimmed
¼ cup sliced toasted almonds
½ cup fine dry bread crumbs
½ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
6 pearl onions, thinly sliced (can substitute using fresh or dried medium to large yellow or white onions)

Directions
1. In a food processor, combine half of the mushrooms and onions (red and pearl). Purée to form a paste, and set aside. In a large, wide saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add remaining mushrooms. Stir, increase heat to high, and sauté until mushrooms release their liquid, then become golden and begin to crisp around edges.
2. Add garlic and thyme, and stir for about 30 seconds. Add mushroom-onion paste and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring constantly, 10 to 15 minutes. Add cream and stock, and season with salt and pepper to taste. At this point mushroom mixture may be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and set aside a large bowl of ice water. Add beans to boiling water and cook until bright green and barely tender, about 1 minute. Drain and immediately plunge into ice water. Drain well.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine green beans, mushroom mixture, almonds and ¼ cup breadcrumbs. Transfer to a baking dish 9 by 12 inches by 2 inches high, patting down to compact and level mixture. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup breadcrumbs. Bake, uncovered, until beans are tender and top is lightly browned, about 35 minutes.
5. To garnish, place oil in a small skillet and heat until it simmers. Place flour in a mixing bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add sliced pearl onions, toss to coat and fry until golden, 30 to 45 seconds. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle on casserole.

Lentil Soup with Kale

101 Cookbooks, from which I've adapted the following lentil soup recipe, is one of my favorite resources to use when looking for a new recipe to try. Heidi Swanson initially conceived the website as a way to record recipes she cooked from her vast cookbook collection. Swanson is also the author of two cookbooks herself, including Super Natural Cooking and Super Natural Every Day.

Lentil Soup with Kale (adapted from this 101 Cookbooks recipe)

makes 6-8 generous servings

6 C water

2 C green lentils, picked through and rinsed

2 t olive oil

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

1/4 C chopped garlic scapes

1/2 C chopped white mushrooms

1 28-ounce can organic fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 C water

1 C low-sodium organic vegetable broth

3 C loosely packed (torn) kale leaves (I just tore the leaves from the stalks into bite-sized pieces)

1. Bring a large pot of water (6 cups) to a boil. Add in the lentils and cook until softened, about 20-25 minutes.

2. While the lentils are cooking, heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the bottom of the pot and saute the onions with the salt until softened. Add in the chopped garlic scapes and mushrooms and saute for several more minutes.

3. Stir in the fire-roasted tomatoes, water, and veggie broth. Decrease the heat and allow the mixture to simmer.

4. Add in the cooked lentils and simmer for a few more minutes.

5. Stir in the kale and cook for one to two minutes more.

6. Spoon each serving into a bowl. Top with a drizzle of olive oil or small dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Collard Wraps

Here's a quick and easy snack or appetizer to use up those collards & mushrooms from this week. Adapted from this recipe at Rawthentic Soul.

Ingredients
Equal parts of the following five ingredients (adjust based on how many collard greens you have to fill)
Avocado
Shredded Carrots
Shredded Zucchini
Thinly Sliced Onions
Chopped Portabello Mushrooms

Enough Bragg's Liquid Amino to coat the ingredients above
Collards (washed, stems removed)

Directions
1. Combine the first five ingredients
2. Toss in Bragg's Amino to coat, stir all ingredients well
3. Open up a collard, inside facing up.
4. Scoop a healthy quantity of veggie mix onto the leaf (drain excess from bowl if there's too much liquid)
5. Roll like a burrito
6. Serve!

Vegetarian Pad Thai

I'm a huge fan of recipes that take less than 30 minutes to prepare, and this recipe definitely meets my requirements. And the fact that not only is it easy, but it is also delicious, too, makes it a winner in my book.

Vegetarian Pad Thai (adapted from Everyday Food magazine)

makes 4 servings

8 oz wide rice noodles

1/2 pkg organic shiitake mushrooms, chopped

1 bunch organic scallions, chopped into thin slices, green and white (and/or red) parts separated

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 t vegetable oil

2 T fresh lime juice (1 lime)

3 T tamari (or soy) sauce

2 T dark brown sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 C cilantro leaves, rinsed and patted dry

1/4 C unsalted peanuts, chopped

1 pkg firm tofu, cut into cubes and dry-fried

1. Cook the rice noodles according to the manufacturer's instructions. (Some require boiling in water, others just need to sit in hot water for a certain amount of time.)

2. Whisk together the lime juice, tamari sauce, and brown sugar. Set aside.

2. Add the vegetable oil to a skillet and heat to medium-high.

3. Add the chopped mushrooms and saute until softened and lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the chopped scallions (white and/or red parts only) and minced garlic cloves. Cook, stirring constantly, for an additional minute.

4. Add the lightly-beaten eggs to the skillet. Use a rubber spatula to agitate the eggs. Cook until just set, about 30-45 seconds.

5. Remove the egg mixture from the skillet and place on a plate.

6. Add the cooked noodles to the skillet. Pour the lime-tamari-brown sugar mixture over the noodles. Use tongs to evenly coat the noodles with the sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

7. Add the egg mixture to the noodles. Use tongs to break up the eggs and evenly distribute the ingredients. Cook for 1-2 minutes longer. Stir in the green parts from the scallions. Add in the dry-fried tofu and continue cooking until heated through.

8. Serve up the noodles on individual plates. Top each portion with cilantro leaves (which you'll notice I forgot to add to my entree pictured above, oops!) and chopped peanuts. Garnish with a lime wedge (or two).

Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms

This is one of my favorite treats—easy to make and easily adaptable!

Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms
Serves 4 (appetizer servings)

Ingredients
1 package cremini (baby bella) mushrooms
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
olive oil
1 half onion, 2 to 3 shallots, or 4 to 5 scallions, all minced
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
ground cayenne pepper, to taste
chives, finely chopped, to taste (optional)
⅓ 8-ounce package cream cheese
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cheddar, mozzarella, or grated Parmesan
breadcrumbs

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse mushrooms and remove stems from caps. Set caps aside and finely mince mushroom stems.
2. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. When hot, add mushroom stems, onions, shallots, or scallions, and garlic. Cook until lightly browned. Remove from heat.
3. In a bowl, mix together stems, onions, shallots, or scallions, and garlic with cayenne pepper, chives, cream cheese, and additional cheese.
4. Lightly coat the bottom of the mushroom caps with olive oil. Arrange on a baking sheet and fill with the cream cheese mixture. Top with breadcrumbs and bake in the oven until golden brown. Serve hot.

Portobello Mushroom Burgers

Emily from Philadelphia is another shareholder that will be sharing her family's CSA experience this season on her blog, Organic Lunch. She added sliced radishes and fried scallions to this portobello mushroom burger recipe from AllRecipes.com.

Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients
4 portobello mushroom caps
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
4 (1 ounce) slices provolone cheese

Directions
1. Place the mushroom caps, smooth side up, in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, basil, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pour over the mushrooms. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or so, turning twice.
2. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
3. Brush grate with oil. Place mushrooms on the grill, reserving marinade for basting. Grill for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until tender. Brush with marinade frequently. Top with cheese during the last two minutes of grilling.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy and Mizuna with Tofu

Thank you to CSA shareholder Wendy from Philadelphia for submitting this January 2011 Bon Appétit recipe. Shareholders Neil and Makaylia from Ambler also recommend this recipe, and report that a small handful of mint leaves makes a delicious addition.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy and Mizuna with Tofu
Serves 4

Ingredients
3½ tablespoons soy sauce, divided
4 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
3½ teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar, divided
1 14- to 16-ounce container extra-firm tofu, drained
2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 baby bok choy, leaves separated
12 cups loosely packed mizuna (about 8 ounces)
½ package shiitake mushrooms or baby bella mushrooms (Wendy's addition!)

Directions
1. Whisk 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and ½ teaspoon vinegar in bowl.
2. Stack 2 paper towels on work surface. Cut tofu crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices; cut each slice crosswise in half. Arrange tofu on paper towels and let stand 10 minutes. Pat top of tofu dry.
3. Heat peanut oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu and cook, without moving, until golden brown on bottom, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer tofu to paper towel to drain, then place tofu on sheet of foil and brush both sides with soy sauce mixture.
4. Wipe out any peanut oil from skillet. Add 2 teaspoons sesame oil and place skillet over medium heat. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining 1½ tablespoons soy sauce and 3 teaspoons vinegar, then mushrooms, then bok choy. Toss until bok choy wilts, 1 to 2 minutes. Add mizuna in 2 batches, tossing to wilt before adding more, 1 to 2 minutes per batch. Season greens with salt and pepper. Add tofu to skillet. Toss gently to blend. Transfer to platter.

Butternut Bean Soup

Winter squash is an incredible vegetable—encased in a hard, protective skin that allows us to store it for up to several months! Winter squash is also very nutritious, as it is an excellent source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, and manganese. In addition, winter is also a good source of folate, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B1, copper, vitamin B6, niacin-vitamin B3, and pantothenic acid. (Source: The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://whfoods.org/.) The following winter squash recipe comes from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, published in 2007.

Butternut Bean Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients
1½ cups dried white beans, soaked overnight and drained
3 medium portabella mushroom caps, sliced (optional)
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon sage
4 teaspoons rosemary
2 butternut or blue hubbard squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
olive oil

Directions
1. Combine beans and spices in a large sauce pan, add water to cover amply, simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until beans are tender and most water has cooked off. Add mushrooms toward the end.
2. While beans are cooking, drizzle a large roasting pan with olive oil and arrange squash skin-side-down. Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes, until fully tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and serve each half squash filled with a generous scoop of bean soup.

Herbed Mushrooms with White Wine

The following recipe is courtesy of AllRecipes.com (http://allrecipes.com/).

Herbed Mushrooms with White Wine
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ pounds fresh mushrooms
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ cup dry white wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions
1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place mushrooms in the skillet, season with Italian seasoning, and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Mix the wine and garlic into the skillet, and continue cooking until most of the wine has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with chives. Continue cooking 1 minute. Serve hot.