Butternut Squash Sweet Potato & Leek Hash

Ingredients:
1/2 large butternut squash [or one small]
1 medium sweet potato
1 medium leek
2-3 tablespoons of preferred vegetable oil [I used rice bran]
1/4 garlic granules
sea salt
coarse ground pepper
2 eggs [optional]

Peel, halve and scoop out the seeds from the butternut squash. Peel and halve the sweet potato. By using a medium thick cheese grater, grate them them onto a tea towel or other absorbent material to soak up the extra moisture they'll release. Sprinkle with a touch of salt and set aside for about 15 minutes.

Cut the bottom and top off the leek. Peel the outer layer or two off the leek and slice into thin medallions. In a medium sized pan [I used my cast iron skillet] heat your oil over low to medium heat. Cook them while stirring occasionally until they start to become translucent.

Once the squash and sweet potatoes are done resting, toss them in with the leeks. Add a bit more salt, pepper and garlic granules. Mix together well, add in another dash of oil if necessary and cook on low for about 7-10 minutes. Allow the mixture to brown on the bottom. Stir or flip to brown the other side. Repeat until you've found your desired texture.

Once the hash is just about done and you're feeling in the mood for it, crack two eggs over top and cover with a lid. Remove from heat and do not lift cover, the eggs will cook themselves in about 5 minutes.

LIVING SIMPLY GLUTEN FREE

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Collard Rolls

 Today's delicious recipe comes from CSA member Sherrie, who writes a gluten free food blog called Living Simply Gluten Free. Sherrie is sharing her CSA experience and recipes on her blog, so be sure to check it out! If we're lucky, she may contribute a few of her creations to our blog as well, so keep your eyes peeled!

 

Ingredients:

-collard greens, 8-10 leaves

-1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

-2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

-1 large shallot, chopped

-1/4 tsp. garlic granules

-1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes [optional]

-2 TBS. butter or Earth Balance organic coconut spread

-sea salt to taste

Directions:

- Wash each leaf one by one, by hand and pat dry. Now cut off the stems so just the leaves are left behind. Fill up a large sauce pan with water and heat over high. Once the water has started to boil, reduce the heat to low. Place the leaves in the water and gently boil for about 3-5 minutes or until they've become pliable and bright green. 

- Fill up a medium sized pan with water and a pinch of salt; bring this to a rapid boil. Toss in the sweet potatoes and cook until the potatoes are soft and can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain the sweet potatoes and toss them back into the pot. Mash lightly by hand with a hand masher. Now add in the cooked quinoa, garlic granules and red pepper flakes; mix together. Taste the mixture and if desired, season with a little sea salt.

-To make the rolls simply take each leaf with the 'stem' end facing you and the rounded end pointing towards the top of your counter space. About an inch from the bottom of the leaf spoon on 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of the sweet potato mixture. Fold over the bottom section, tuck the sides in and roll up like you would a burrito. Don't worry this can take some practice! Repeat until each leaf if filled and rolled. 

- In a large frying pan heat together the chopped shallots and butter [or coconut spread] over low heat. Once the butter is melted down and the shallots are heated through pour the mixture into a small bowl and set aside. Fill the pan with the rolls and pour the shallot mixture over the top; cover with a lid and simmer on low for about 10-15 minutes. The leaves will get darker on the bottom, but should not get browned. So, if this starts to happen either turn down the heat or remove them from the heat altogether. 

Serves: 4 

Total time: 40 minutes

Julia's Plain Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This second holiday recipe comes from Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home by Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, originally published in 1999. Enjoy!

Julia's Plain Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Serves 6

Ingredients
2 lbs. sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon or more salt
freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons or more room temperature butter
half-and-half or heavy cream or milk
a few gratings of fresh ginger, to taste (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Meanwhile, scrub the potatoes under running hot water, remove any blemishes, and plunge a small sharp knife down about an inch into each potato in 5 or 6 places, to let out baking steam.
2. Arrange the potatoes a prepared baking pan, in 1 layer. Bake in the lower middle level of the preheated oven for about an hour, or until they are thoroughly tender when squeezed and a knife pierces through them easily. Cut each potato in half lengthwise and then open up to cool.
3. Scrape the flesh into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, and mash with a mixing fork or potato masher. Or put them in your heavy-duty mixer to break out at slow speed with the paddle attachment--careful not to go too fast and turn them gluey. Blend in salt and pepper, and the butter and/or cream or milk. Taste very carefully and correct seasoning, folding in the optional fresh ginger to taste.

Sweet Potato and Pear Soup

Chris, LFFC's CSA Operational Coordinator, shares this fall favorite with us. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato and Pear Soup
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
1 large white onion, finely chopped
1 small white onion, finely chopped
5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
3 firm pears, plus 2 to 3 more
3 cups vegetable stock
½ cup cream
nutmeg, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the onion, and cook for 5-6 minutes or until softened but not brown.
2. Add the sweet potatoes and pears and cook, stirring, for 10-12 minutes with the lid on.
3. Add the stock to the pan - just enough to cover the vegetables, and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes and pears are soft.
4. Remove half the liquid with a ladle - keep to add back in after blending.
5. Blend the mixture until smooth with an immersion blender. Stir in cream and reserved liquid.
6. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Serve hot.

Sweet Potato Peanut Soup

The following is adapted from an Emeril recipe, courtesy of www.planetgreen.com, and it's perfect for a chilly fall evening! A few of us are still getting Roma tomatoes in our shares, but if you don't have them on hand you always can substitute with canned tomatoes.

Sweet Potato Peanut Soup
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
1½ pounds sweet potatoes
5 tablespoons peanut oil
8 each Roma tomatoes, halved and seeded
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 cup onions, julienned
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
½ to ⅓ cup smooth peanut butter (depending on preference)
1 cup unsweetened light coconut milk
1 quart vegetable broth
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped, roasted peanuts (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Coat the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and roast in the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the potatoes are fully roasted and fork tender. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the potatoes and discard the skins. Reserve the sweet potato flesh until ready to use.
3. Place the tomatoes in a small mixing bowl and coat with 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Lay the tomatoes on a baking sheet, skin side up, and season with salt and pepper. Place the sheet pan in the oven and roast the tomatoes until the skins are caramelized and wilted, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the tomatoes from the oven, discard the skins, and set the tomatoes aside until ready to use. (Disregard this step if you are using canned tomatoes.)
4. Set a 4 quart stockpot over a medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of peanut oil. Add the curry powder to the pot and toast for about 30 to 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the onions and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic to the pot and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
5. Add the roasted sweet potatoes and tomatoes to the pot. Add the peanut butter, coconut milk, and vegetable stock to the pot and stir to blend. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Blend in batches until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with the chopped peanuts. Serve hot.

Warm Root Salad in Horseradish Vinaigrette

This is another kohlrabi recipe that I'd like to try soon, as the new red potatoes will be in our share for the first time this week! This recipe is adapted from A Veggie Venture blog. The author writes that this is a "concept" recipe, so be creative and adapt based upon what you find in your share.

Warm Root Salad in Horseradish Vinaigrette
"Allow about 2 cups unroasted vegetables per serving for a main dish, about 1 cup per serving as a side dish."

Salad Ingredients
2 medium purple-top turnips, ends trimmed, peeled with a carrot peeler, cut cross-wise about ⅓-inch thick, then diced
2 kohlrabi, ends and knobs strimmed, peeled with a paring knife, cut cross-wise about ⅓-inch thick, then diced
1 sweet potato, peeled with a carrot peeler, cut cross-wise about ⅓-inch thick, then diced
2 small potatoes, skins on, cut cross-wise about ⅓-inch thick, then diced
½ celeriac, peeled with a paring knife, cut cross-wise about ⅓-inch, then diced
3 parsnips, ends trimmed, peeled with a paring knife, quartered lengthwise, woody cores removed and discarded, then diced
3 carrots, ends trimmed, thick ends halved or quartered with carrot left intact, then cut cross-wise
1 onion (or 2 to 3 fresh onions), peeled and roughly chopped
1 ounce pancetta, diced small (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Vinaigrette Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 to 8 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons horseradish, or more, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prep vegetables and toss in a bowl with olive oil. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet (you may need two, depending on the amount of vegetables used) and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 60 minutes, stirring well after 30 minutes, and stirring well and adding pancetta after 45 minutes.
2. While the vegetables are roasting, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Mix the roasted vegetables with the vinaigrette and taste and adjust seasonings. Serve over lettuce greens (no need to dress the greens, the horseradish vinaigrette will be enough) with good bread and butter.

Vegan Kale Cake with Sweet Potato Filling

Photo by CSA shareholder and professional food photographer, Evi Abeler (www.eviabeler.com).

This has to be my new favorite dessert! It's a creation of CSA shareholder Laura Forer, who picks up her share in Harlem, NYC. Her online bakery, Waltzing Matilda's NYC, specializes in unique Australian pastries. Laura adapted a carrot cake recipe that she found on Hell Yeah It's Vegan! Blog to create the cake, and a vegan vanilla-banana custard recipe from Food.com to create the fabulous filling. (http://hellyeahitsvegan.com/, http://www.food.com/). Thank you, Laura!

Kale Cake with Sweet Potato Filling
Filling Ingredients
2 cups soymilk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
⅓ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 sweet potatoes, boiled and blended until smooth
1 tablespoon vegan margarine
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pinch nutmeg

Cake Ingredients
2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspon baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons flax seed meal
¾ cup warm water
1 to 1½ cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups blanched, shocked, and chopped kale (about 2 bunches)
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Icing Ingredients
2 8-ounce containers Tofutti cream cheese
¼ to ½ cup vegan margarine
¾ to 1½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling Directions
1. Whisk cornstarch, sugar, and salt together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
2. Add milk and sweet potato and whisk until lumps disappear.
3. Heat over medium heat, whisking, until the custard thickens.
4. To test whether the custard is thick enough, dip a wooden spoon into the mixture and run your finger through the coating.
5. When the custard is thick enough, the trail will not close back up.
6. Take the custard off heat. Whisk in vegan margarine, vanilla, and nutmeg.
7. Cool with a plastic sheet pressed to the surface to prevent a skin from forming.

Cake and Icing Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 8×8″ pans with parchment paper. In a small bowl, sift together dry ingredients (flour through salt). In a large bowl, whisk together flax seed meal and water. Beat in sugar and oil. Add vanilla and blanched and shocked kale and mix until combined. Add dry mix and stir until moistened. Fold in walnuts. Pour equal parts into pans. Bake for 18-20 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes.
2. For the icing, beat together Tofutti cream cheese and vegan margarine. Add vanilla and powdered sugar; whip until smooth. Do not overbeat.
3. Use a knife to loosen edges of cake from pans. Using parchment paper, lift cakes out of pans. Carefully remove parchment paper from one cake. Frost one cake with sweet potato filling and one cake with icing. Layer and serve chilled.

Golden Spinach and Sweet Potato Healthy Sauté

Spinach is ranked as one of the top “World’s Healthiest Vegetables,” as it is extremely rich in all sorts of vitamins and minerals, as well as high in phytonutrients such as beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin and flavonoids, which provide antioxidant protection. (Source: The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://whfoods.org/.) The following recipe comes from The World’s Healthiest Foods.

Golden Spinach and Sweet Potato Healthy Sauté
Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon chicken or vegetable broth
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cardamom
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 ounces spinach
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of broth in a large stainless steel skillet. Healthy Sauté onion in broth over medium heat for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and continue to sauté for another minute.
2. Add seasonings and lemon juice and stir to mix thoroughly. Add broth and sweet potatoes. Simmer covered over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Add spinach to sweet potatoes. Cook uncovered for a few more minutes to allow sauce to thicken. Add cilantro, salt, and pepper.

Bourbon Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole with a Pecan Crust

This recipe comes from the November 2010 edition of Fine Cooking. The author writes,
“This dish is nothing like the marshmallow-topped Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole of old. Sautéed apples, a crunchy pecan crust, and spicy mashed sweet potatoes make for a sophisticated update.”

Bourbon Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole with a Pecan Crust
Serves 8

Ingredients
3 to 3¼ pounds sweet potatoes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
4 ounces toasted and very finely chopped pecans (about 1 cup)
1⅓ cups fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
8 ¼-inch-thick slices fresh ginger, unpeeled and crushed
2 whole star anise
1 2- to 3-inch cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons bourbon
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1¾ pounds apples, peeled, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced

Directions
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and bake them on the sheet until completely tender when pierced with a fork, 55 to 60 minutes. Let rest until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Discard the sweet potato skins and put the flesh in a medium mixing bowl. With a potato masher, work the sweet potatoes until they’re well mashed (they don’t have to be perfectly smooth). Set aside.
2. Now prepare the crumb topping. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and combine with the pecans, breadcrumbs, parsley, and two big pinches of salt in a small bowl. Set aside
3. Combine heavy cream, ginger, star anise, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Bring to a full boil (watch carefully so that it doesn’t boil over) and remove from the heat immediately. Let steep for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a liquid measuring cup, pressing down on the solids with a spatula to extract all of the liquid. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the bourbon, the vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
4. In a skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples, season with ¼ teaspoon salt, and toss well. Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly browned, 8 to 9 minutes. Lower the heat if the apples are getting too dark, but not so much that they soften without browning. Turn off the heat, carefully add the remaining 2 teaspoons bourbon and stir until it evaporates, a few seconds. Pour in ⅓ cup of the infused cream and stir until the apples have absorbed most of it, a few more seconds. Set the pan aside and let the apples cool for about 15 minutes, turning them occasionally to release steam.
5. Butter a shallow 9x13-inch baking dish. Add the remaining cream to the mashed sweet potatoes and mix thoroughly. Season to taste with salt. Arrange the apples across the bottom of the baking dish. Spread the sweet potato mixture over the apples in an even layer. Top with the pecan-crumb mixture. Bake the casserole at 375 degrees until the crumb topping is dark brown (it will be browner around the edges) and the casserole is heated through, about 25 minutes.

Sweet Potatoes and Greens

The following recipe, courtesy of current White House chef, Sam Kass, was submitted by our Bala Cynwyd CSA site host, Hannah. She writes, “It was delicious, even without the cinnamon, cloves and honey.”

Sweet Potatoes and Greens
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 or 3 large sweet potatoes
2 bunches of greens (chard, kale or collards)
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground gloves
salt and pepper
¼ tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil

Directions
1. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces
2. Heat half the oil in pan over medium heat, and add potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just brown on all sides and soft (about 12-15 minutes, depending on size). When cooked, add spices and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, wash the greens (do not dry), remove stems and cut leaves into small pieces. Heat remaining oil over medium heat, add the garlic and cook for a minute before adding greens. Stir often and cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Combine potatoes, honey and lemon juice with the greens, stir and serve.

Sweet Potato Pie

This recipe is adapted from Allrecipes.com. Absolutely delicious!

Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
1 pound sweet potatoes
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup milk
2 eggs
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust (see our "Best Ever Apple Pie" blog post for crust recipe)

Directions
1. Boil sweet potato whole in skin for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. Run cold water over the sweet potato, and remove the skin.
2. Break apart sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a souffle, and then will sink down as it cools.

Sweet Potato Vichyssoise

Hernandez Sweet Potatoes at Bellview Organics.

Below is Jeanine's second recipe suggestion, from GrowEatCook.com, published in November of 2008. The author writes, "Sweet Potato Vichyssoise is a fantastic summer-time chilled soup, but can also be served hot on a cold winter evening."

Sweet Potato Vichyssoise
Ingredients
Soup
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk
4 garlic clove
1/4 cup white wine
2 medium-large sweet potatoes
4 cups water
2 leek
1/4 cup cream

Garnish*
1 tablespoon butter
corn, cut from cob, canned, or frozen
shallots
garlic
chipotle peppers
water
red wine vinegar

Directions
1. Heat pot over medium heat. Add 2 tbs. butter. Add onions, garlic, leeks and celery. Sweat for about 5 minutes. Deglaze with white wine.
2. Add potatoes and water. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
3. Puree soup. Add cream. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
4. Chill soup.
5. While soup is chilling, heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the garnish ingredients. Sauté without shaking the pan, for 3 minutes, or until the corn becomes sweetly aromatic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Puree chipotle peppers with 1/4 cup water and 1 tbs. red wine vinegar
7. When soup is chilled, garnish with corn and a drizzle of the chipotle puree.

*Winter version: garnish with spicy sausage and diced scallions.

Sweet Potato Soup

This deliciously simple fall recipe comes from Simply in Season, by Cathleen Hockman-Wert and Mary Beth Lind, published in September of 2009.

Sweet Potato Soup
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
1 medium onion
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (can substitute with peeled, chopped winter squash, such as butternut)
5 cups vegetable broth
2 cups canned tomatoes with juice
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
¾ cup orange juice

Directions
Sauté onion in 1 teaspoon oil in a soup pot until translucent. Add chopped sweet potatoes and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until sweet potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in tomatoes and ground pepper. Purée in blender or food processor until smooth. Return to soup pot. Add orange juice (and additional water if needed), heat gently until hot and serve.