Roasted Parsnips and Carrots

This recipe came in the farm notes with my November holiday share from my CSA. They adapted the recipe from The Herbfarm Cookbook by Jerry Traunfeld. I added a shallot to the recipe which worked really well. The shallot I used is bigger than any shallot I've even seen in the store. You could use an onion or a few smaller shallots. This dish makes about 4 servings but I think it should reheat well or be a good addition to a frittata. The sugar and vinegar gave the dish some sweetness but not too much. Other root vegetables would substitute well, although I've found that not all root vegetables need the same cooking time, sweet potatoes for example seem to cook faster than their counterparts when everything is equally sized.

1 lb parsnips, scrubbed
1 lb carrots, scrubbed
1 large shallot
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tbs dark brown sugar
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 tbs coarsely chopped fresh thyme (mine was more like dried because it had been hanging out for a few weeks)

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the parsnips and carrots into similarly sized pieces. Cut the shallot(s) into chunks, these can be larger than the other vegetables. Combine veggies in a bowl and toss with salt and pepper. Melt butter and add the brown sugar and vinegar. Pour over vegetables and toss to coat. Put coated vegetables in shallow baking dish - hopefully in one layer. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring half way through. Remove the pan from the oven and stir in the thyme. Bake until the parsnips are lightly browned and fork tender, about 10-15 minutes longer.

Cheddar Cauliflower Soup

I have been very neglectful of the whole blog posting thing. I have some excuses - moving, internet issues, laziness. I have a large backlog of things to post. This was the first meal that I cooked in my new apartment. I had cauliflower, leeks, and carrots left over from the last of my summer CSA and I wanted to make a soup with them, preferably the cheesy kind. With a little help from google I found an appropriate recipe from Food in Jars to use as a starting point. The soup turned out delicious. I used the vegetables and quantities that I had on hand. One of the best things about soup is that it is flexible and forgiving. Think about vegetables that would blend well with a creamy cheddar sauce - onions, broccoli, potatoes.

recipe adapted from food in jars

1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
2-3 large carrots, diced
3 leeks, well-washed and sliced
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup white wine
~1 quart vegetable stock
pepper
salt

3 tablespoons butter
3 heaping tablespoons flour
3 cups milk/milk alternative
1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese
freshly grated nutmeg
pepper
salt

• soak chopped cauliflower in cold salted water for 30 minutes (this gets rid of all the bugs - I think bugs are more of an issue with organic cauliflower/broccoli and less of an issue with their conventional counterparts)
• saute vegetables in the oil/butter mixture until soft and browned, be careful not to burn the butter
• deglaze pan with the wine, making sure to get all the brown bits off the bottom
• add enough stock to cover the vegetables, cover and simmer until veggies are soft (10-15 minutes depending on size)

while veggies are simmering make cheese sauce

• melt the butter in a medium sauce pan
• add the flour and stir to blend, cook until color darkens a bit
• slowly add the milk and whisk until smooth (maybe helpful to remove from heat)
• cook milk/flour mixture until it begins to thicken
• add the cheese and stir until blended
• add salt/pepper and freshly grated nutmeg

hopefully your vegetables are soft when you are done with your cheese sauce

• blend vegetable mixture (immersion blender, food processor, etc)
• add cheese sauce and mix
• add salt/pepper to taste
  

Curried Singapore-Style Noodles

Every time I post a blog entry, I feel like I need to have a story to go along with it. This one is short and simple. I asked Jordan to cook something for dinner while I was at gym boot camp one night and this is what he came up with. Its really tasty and delicious. He made it with chicken, but I think it would taste great with shrimp too.

Adapted from Hannaford Fresh (March-April 2009)

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb angel hair pasta
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 C low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/4 C low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 C carrots, julienned
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 medium zucchini, julienned
• 2 medium leeks, white parts only, sliced into thin rings
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tsp asian-style hot chili sauce

Optional Ingredients

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 8-oz. packages of super-firm tofu, drained, patted dry, and cubed
• 1 lb large shrimp (41-50 count), peeled, deveined, tails removed
• 1 lb chicken, cubed

Recipe

1. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente (~4-5 minutes). Drain. Return to pot and toss with sesame oil.
2. In a small bowl, mix vegetable broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar. This will be the sauce to add later.
   
3. Prepare optional ingredients over med-high heat with 2 tsp oil (chicken (~10 mins), tofu (~5 mins), shrimp (~2-3 mins)). Set aside when done and tent with aluminum foil.
4. In same or different pan from chicken, add the leeks, carrots, bell pepper, and zucchini. Cook and continuously stir for 4 minutes.
5. Add remaining ingredients (scallions, garlic, ginger, curry powder, hot chili sauce). Stir in and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add optional ingredients.
7. Pour vegetables over noodles and mix until evenly distributed.
8. Pour sauce over noodles, stirring once again until evenly distributed. Re-heat mixture over med-high heat and serve.

Servings Original recipe says 4, I say 5-6.

Zucchini Carrot Bread

I love zucchini bread, zucchini muffins, etc. For this recipe, I cut down the sugar a little and subbed out some of the zucchini for carrots. I made one loaf with dried cranberries and walnuts and the other one plain. This recipe makes 2 loafs.

recipe adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup grated carrot
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Directions:
1. preheat oven to 350°F
2. in a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
3. mix in grated zucchini and carrots and then melted butter
4. sprinkle baking soda and salt over mixture and blend
5. add the flour, a third at a time
6. add spices
7. fold in nuts and cranberries if using
8. divide batter between 2 buttered loaf pans
9. bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick is clean
10. cool in pans for 10 minutes and then on wire racks