Garlic Delicata Squash

Nancy writes that this recipe from AllRecipes.com is "...very simple and very good—semicircles of delicata squash dressed with olive oil and fresh parsley and garlic. You can serve this hot from the oven or at room temperature."

Garlic Delicata Squash
Ingredients
3 delicata squash
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Peel delicata squash, slice in half lengthwise, and remove seeds. Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place in baking dish, and toss with olive oil, garlic, and parsley.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until tender.

Baked Squash and Cranberries

Thank you to Nancy, from our Ardmore CSA pick up site, for sharing two of her new favorite squash recipes!

Baked Squash and Cranberries
(Courtesy of Cooks.com)
Serves 8

Ingredients
2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cup water
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raw cranberries, washed and picked over for stems
freshly grated nutmeg

Directions
Cook the squash, covered, in salt water in a large saucepan over high heat until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain well; let stand in a colander for at least 30 minutes, or press down with your hand to force out moist of the liquid. Puree the pulp in a food processor or put through a food mill; it should yield about 4 cups (if not, adjust proportions of other ingredients accordingly). Add the eggs, butter, sugar, salt and pepper. Blend thoroughly. Fold the cranberries into the mixture, reserving several for garnish. Pour into a buttered 2-quart baking dish; top with grated nutmeg and reserved berries. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350 degree oven until squash is golden and does not shake in the middle when jiggled, about 45 minutes.

Dandelion Salad with Anchovy Dressing

Kate, one of our D.C. site hosts, writes, "Since dandelion greens are in the boxes this week it seems like a good time to share one of my family's favorite dandelion recipes. This one is really quick if you already have the croutons on hand."

Dandelion Salad with Anchovy Dressing
Serves 4 to 6

Adapted from Potager: Fresh Garden Cooking in the French Style, by Georgeanne Brennan, published in 2000.

This is a vibrant alternative to the traditional dandelion salad with bacon, chopped hard-cooked eggs, and green onions. The garlic anchovies stand up to the greens and the combination is savory rather than bitter.

Ingredients
½ cup Savory Croutons (see recipe below)
6 flat anchovy filets in oil, drained
2 largish or 3 smallish cloves garlic
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper
2 bunches dandelion greens, washed & dried

Directions
Prepare the croutons and set aside. To make the dressing, in the bottom of a salad bowl, mash the anchovies and garlic together with the back of a fork or a pestle. Gradually stir in the olive oil, then a few generous grinds of black pepper. Set aside. Trim any thick, woody stem ends off the dandelion greens, leaving only the tender leaves. If the leaves are large, cut them on a long diagonal, into 2 or 3 pieces. Leave the small leaves whole. You should have about 3 cups of leaves. Add the greens to the salad bowl. Toss them with the anchovy dressing until they are thoroughly coated. Scatter the croutons over the top of the salad and serve.

Savory Croutons
Ingredients
8 slices dry French Bread
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons minced mixed fresh herbs, such as oregano, thyme and rosemary

Directions
Without removing the crusts, cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, reduce the heat to low, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bread cubes and cook slowly over low heat until golden and crusty, about 4 -5 minutes on each side. When done, sprinkle the cubes with the salt and herbs, turn a few times in the pan & then remove to a paper towel to drain & cool. Makes about 4 cups.

Eggplant Croquettes

Thank you to Mary, a CSA shareholder in Wyomissing, PA, for sharing the following recipe from AllRecipes.com. She writes, "This one was delicious...a little naughty being that it is deep fried, but you could also bake them. Enjoy!!"

Eggplant Croquettes
Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants, peeled and cubed 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs 2 eggs, beaten 2 tablespoons dried parsley

2 tablespoons chopped onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup vegetable oil for frying 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1.	Place eggplant in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on medium-high 3 minutes. Turn eggplant over and microwave another 2 minutes. The eggplant should be tender, cook another 2 minutes if the eggplants are not tender. Drain any liquid from the eggplants and mash.
2.	Combine cheese, bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, onion, garlic and salt with the mashed eggplant. Mix well.
3.	Shape the eggplant mixture into patties. Heat oil in a large skillet. Drop eggplant patties one at a time into skillet. Fry each side of the patties until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes on each side. Patties can be frozen before frying and cooked later.

Potato Leek Soup

Amy, one of our Philadelphia site hosts, writes, "This week I made a Potato Leek soup that was amazing—it was all I ate for 2 whole days (all I wanted to eat)." Be sure to check out her awesome recipe blog (often features recipes created and inspired by LFFC produce) at http://esseppis.blogspot.com/.

Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
olive oil
4 leeks
2 lbs potatoes
3 to 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed and stems discarded
4 to 5 stems of French Sorrel (from the CSA swap box this week!), stems removed and rough chopped
6 to 7 cups water
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper

Directions
To clean your leeks:
First peel off the outer layer by just pulling down from the top. Cut off the tough tops (right below where the leaves start to fan out) and the roots at the end. Cut the leek in half lengthwise and turn the flat side of each half down against the cutting board. You can cut each half separately if you are more comfortable with that, but I place them next to each other and slice down both stalks together—about 1/4-1/2 inch pieces. Toss all the sliced leek pieces into a large bowl. Fill the bowl with cold water so the leeks float to the top with room for the dirt to fall to the bottom away from the leeks. Separate the rings of the leeks so all the dirt falls to the bottom. Carefully scoop the leeks out and on to a clean dish towel to drain and dry.

After the leeks are prepped, prep the potatoes. Peel and dice the potatoes (1/4-1/2 inch). I use my big dutch oven, but any large pot will work. Heat up some olive oil in the bottom of your pot (just enough to coat). Add in your leeks. Keep heat around medium - you want the leeks to soften and wilt, but not brown. Add a bit of kosher salt to help them wilt down. It will seem like a lot a first but as the heat up and you stir it occasionally it will wilt down. It will take about 10 minutes. Then add the herbs (I had thyme & French Sorrel) and some fresh ground pepper. Add in 6 cups of the water.

Add the potatoes & bay leaves. Cover and simmer the pot for 30 minutes. Take off the lid and turn off the heat. I use an immersion blender (but I am sure a regular blender will work, just be careful and don't fill too much and cover the top with a towel before turning on) to puree the whole thing right in the pot. Make sure you take the bay leaves out first. If it's too thick for you (it is never too thick for me!), add a some more water, a little at a time till it is at the consistency you like. Taste and adjust s&p if it needs it.

If you want some potato chunks in your soup, first only add 1.5 lbs of the potatoes and follow the instructions. Once the soup is pureed, turn back on the heat and add the half pound of diced potatoes left and let simmer for 30 mins. You'll have a nice creamy soup with little bites of potatoes.

Baked Apples

This is my absolute favorite fall dessert—enjoy!

Baked Apples
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 sweet-tart apples
brown sugar
cinnamon
raisins

Directions
Place cored apples in a glass baking dish. Fill hollowed centers with packed brown sugar, raisins, and cinnamon. Fill baking dish with water—water should cover the bottom half of the apples. Bake in a 350° oven until apples have reached desired softness.

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Harvest Apples

Another fall favorite, adapted from MyRecipes.com, September 2004.

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Harvest Apples
Serves 6

Ingredients
4 to 5 baked apples
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 pork tenderloin
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
½ cup white wine, apple juice, or apple cider
1 cup heavy cream or whole milk
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Season tenderloin with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Cook onion in skillet 5 minutes. Turn heat to high, and add wine, juice, or cider; cook about 2 minutes, scraping bottom of skillet. Stir in cream or milk, mustard, and rosemary.
3. Pour cream mixture over tenderloin, and bake at 350°, basting occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 155°. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. (The pork will continue to cook.) Slice into 1/2- to 3/4-inch slices, and serve with baked apples and mustard cream sauce.

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.

Baked Kale Chips

This is a well-loved favorite of many CSA members, but I wanted to share it with new members that may not have yet discovered this tasty treat! (The following recipe is courtesy of AllRecipes.com.)

Baked Kale Chips
Serves 6

Ingredients
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife, carefully remove kale leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite-sized pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoned salt.
3. Bake until edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stuffed Red Peppers

Thank you to Lauren, a CSA shareholder from Mount Joy, PA, for this wonderful recipe!

Stuffed Red Peppers
Ingredients
4 large sweet red peppers
1 pound ground chicken sausage
1/2 large onion
2 to 3 cups cooked brown rice
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 8oz cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions
1) Cut tops off peppers; cut peppers in half, remove seeds. Place peppers upside down on a microwave-safe plate; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender; set aside.
2) In a small skillet, cook chicken sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Remove from heat; stir in rice, garlic, parsley, salt, cayenne, cinnamon, paprika, and allspice. Remove from skillet and place in a separate bowl.
3) Add tomato sauce and broth to the skillet and bring to a boil. Stir in vinegar, basil, and half of the cheese. Stir finished sauce into the rice mixture, then spoon into peppers. Place in a greased shallow 2-qt. baking dish.
4) Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes more, or until peppers are tender. Serve with remaining sauce.

2010 CSA Season Extension Reminder!

Dear CSA Shareholders,

Don't forget to sign-up for the 2010 CSA Season Extension to enjoy fresh, organically grown produce throughout the holiday season!

To sign up:
1) Print out application form (available on our website, www.lancasterfarmfresh.com).
2) Fill out application form.
3) Make check payable to Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative.
4) Mail both application and check to Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative, Attn: CSA, 48 Eagle Drive, Leola, PA1 17540. Please postmark by November 1st.

Feel free to contact us at csa@lancasterfarmfresh.com with questions!

Your CSA Team,

Kathan and Evan

Casey's Fried Okra

Hi to everyone from Evan and Kathan!

LFFC's General Manager, Casey Spacht, gave us this great recipe for fried okra and we couldn't wait to share it:

Casey's Fried Okra
Ingredients
okra, cut into 1-inch pieces or smaller
olive oil
milk or rice milk
cornmeal
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Fry okra pieces in olive oil until golden brown and milk has been absorbed into okra. Sprinkle with cornmeal and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Butternut Squash with Onions and Pecans

Hello recipe bloggers and CSA shareholders!

Evan here. Earlier today I sent out an e-mail introducing myself to all of you. I'm excited to be working at LFFC and to be able to provide great suggestions for preparing some of your share items! Below is a new recipe I found for making one of my favorites, butternut squash. I tend to keep it simple, so I hope you'll appreciate this recipe for it's simple components. Many of our shareholders will be receiving a few of the items in this recipe in their share deliveries this week.

Butternut Squash with Onions and Pecans
From Christine L. - Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Butter
1 Large Onion, Diced
2 1/4 pounds Butternut Squash
1 Cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts
3 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:
Place Pecans (or walnuts) on an ungreased baking sheet. Toast at 375 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes. Peel the squash and remove the seeds. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes. There will be about 6 cups squash. Melt butter in a heavy large skillet over low heat. Add onion and saute until very tender, about fifteen minutes. Add squash and toss to coat. Cover. Cook until squash is tender but still holds its shape, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing. Stir in half of the pecans (or walnuts) and half of the parsley. Transfer mixture to bowl. Sprinkle with remaining pecans and parsley. Serve.

New to the Blog & Tatsoi recipe

Hi All- I am new to the blog. I enjoy trying new recipes- even if they aren't all winners! I don't have any new recipes to post today, but am looking for a tatsoi recipe. Any ideas??
Thanks and hopefully I'll have a good recipe to share soon...
Carolyn