A Changing of the Guard

It's a landmark in every growing season: the first winter squash. Though it is 80 degrees, intensely muggy, and very much still summer, the acorn squash are ready to go in shares this week. We have 8 regular weeks left to go (followed by special bonus weeks and holiday shares at a select few stops), which means that this season is far from over (and you can join any time, remember).

Still - winter announces its intentions in the beginning of the Squash Transition. This week's family shares see both summer and winter squash varieties; both zucchini and acorn. They'll surely be working on passing the baton for the next few weeks, these most prevalent of vegetables, so be on the lookout for recipes that incorporate either. You can send them our way too!

It's always fun to get creative in the kitchen, so we hope you're working magic at home. Be prepared for more cool weather crops to come and savor these remaining weeks of all the bright colors of summer: peaches, sweet corn, eggplant, and tomatoes. Soon enough, we'll have the ruddy root vegetable occupying their space, along with all the versions of brassica oleracea you can dream up. Here, in this moment, we occupy a culinary transition, a foot in two worlds, and it's pretty good to be here now.

Be sure to let us know all about your favorite parts of Week 12's shares over on Instagram or Facebook!

Sauteed Corn and Peppers

Courtesy: Food Network

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups fresh corn
1 bell pepper, halved, stem, seeds, and ribs removed, and cut into ¼-inch dice
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

In a non-stick skillet, heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking Add corn and pepper dice and saute, stirring, until tender but still crunchy, about 3 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes and cook 15 more seconds. Season with salt and pepper.

Baingan Bharta - Roasted Eggplant Mash

Courtesy: Cook with Manali
Instant Pot Version
(shareholder submitted)

Ingredients:

For roasting the eggplant:

1 medium eggplant
3 large garlic cloves

For the baingan bharta:

1-½ tablespoon vegetable oil
4 large garlic cloves chopped
1 inch ginger chopped
1 green chili or to taste, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
½ teaspoon red chili powder or to taste
1 teaspoon coriander powder
¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Instructions:

Rinse the eggplant and pat dry. Brush it with little oil all over. Then make few slits all over the eggplant with a knife. In 3 of those slits, insert a large clove of garlic. Put the eggplant directly on heat and roast, turning often for around 10-12 minutes until completely roasted.
Once roasted (to check if its done, insert a knife inside the eggplant, it should go easily) use a pair of tongs to remove the eggplant from heat and wrap in an aluminium foil to cool.
Once cooled, remove the skin. Meanwhile also chop the roasted garlic.
Transfer the roasted eggplant to a bowl and mash using a fork or potato masher. Set it aside.
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add chopped garlic (different from the ones used while roasting the eggplant), ginger and green chili. Saute until they start changing color, around 2 minutes.
Then add in the chopped onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Don't brown them.
Add the chopped tomatoes and mix. Cook the tomatoes for around 5 minutes until very soft and you notice oil oozing out of the masala.
Add the mashed roasted eggplant into the pan along with the chopped roasted garlic and mix well.
Add the red chili powder and mix. Also add the coriander powder and salt and mix to combine. Cook the bharta for another 5 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring often.
Stir in the chopped cilantro and mix. Remove pan from heat.
Serve baingan bharta hot with fresh rotis!

Baked Risotto with Roasted Vegetables

Courtesy: Epicurious

Roasted Winter Vegetables Ingredients:

2 lb/910 kg winter squash or pumpkin, parsnips, carrots, beets/beetroots, or a mix
2 medium red or yellow onions, quartered
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Handful of fresh parsley, coarsely chopped, for garnish

Baked Risotto Ingredients:

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
¾ cup/150 g Arborio rice
¼ cup/60 ml dry white wine
2 to 2-¼ cups/480 to 540 ml hot water, homemade or packaged organic chicken broth, or a mix
¾ tsp kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup/30 g freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel and cut the vegetables into equal sized pieces, about 1-in/2.5-cm chunks. Toss vegetables and onions in olive oil in a large bowl and season generously with salt and pepper.
Spread the pieces out in a single layer on one or two roasting pans/trays so that the vegetables don't touch. Roast until the veggies are lightly browned and just tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the vegetable. Remove and toss with additional olive oil.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in an ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it is soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil. Stir in the wine and cook until the wine has evaporated, 1 minute more. Stir in 2 cups/480 ml of the hot water, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven. Bake on the bottom rack during the last 25 minutes of roasting time for the vegetables. After 25 minutes, check the risotto. Most of the liquid should be absorbed and the rice just cooked.
Remove the risotto from the oven and stir in another 1/2 cup/120 ml hot cups of water, and the butter and cheese.
Serve topped with roasted vegetables with thin shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Changing of the Guard

Sauteed Corn and Peppers

Baingan Bharta - Roasted Eggplant Mash

Baked Risotto with Roasted Vegetables

Single Share

Family Share

Make Your Own Tomato Sauce

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