Potatoes Roasted with Rosemary

Freshly dug potatoes have a flavor all their own - grocery store versions that have been sitting on the shelf are pale shadows of these babies.

The method is simple: Preheat the oven to 350F. Scrub off any earth, and slice them into wedges. Toss them in olive oil a bag or a container with a lid, and arrange them skin side down on a baking tray. Sprinkle with salt and rosemary, and bake for 30 minutes or until nicely browned and tender.

Kid Favorite Alert!

Served up by Tod Dimmick,

Everything Powisset Crock Pot

This delicious potluck dish was created by Christiane Oberli for Powisset Farm.

Prep time: 20 Min
Cook time: 6-8 hours unattended
Serves: 6-8

1 smoked ham hock
1 lb dried beans mix washed and sorted
3 carrots sliced
2 parsnips sliced
1 celeriac cubed
1 large red onion roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic skinned
1 tbsp salt
4 fresh sprigs parsley
3 fresh sprigs thyme
2 cloves
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp ketchup
water
4 peeled potatoes cubed

Place all except potatoes in crock pot and fill with water (allow beans to expand). Turn on low for 6 to 8 hours. Add potatoes 2 hours prior to serving. At time of serving, cut up ham hock and return all (bone included) to the pot. Enjoy with crusty bread slices.

Pumpkin Cheesecake in a Pumpkin Shell

Photo:
Tod Dimmick











If you like to inspire raised eyebrows, keep this rustic novelty in mind for Thanksgiving. The cook time is unattended, so you can do other things.














Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 30 minutes and 1 hour
Serves: 6-8

1 small sugar pumpkin, about 8-9" across
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup brown sugar or equivalent
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350F. With a large chef's knife, carefully slice the bottom of the pumpkin to make a "pie shell" about 2" deep. Scoop out the seeds and filaments from both sides of the pumpkin, and place flesh side down in a baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until flesh is soft. Cool for 10 minutes, and with a large spoon gently scoop the flesh out of the bottom shell, taking care not to get too close to the edge. Scoop the flesh out the the top half as well. Run the flesh through a food processor equipped with a cutting blade until you achieve a smooth consistency. You'll need 1 cup of this puree. The rest you can use for muffins or other fun things.

Preheat oven to 350F. Place the pumpkin shell in an oiled pie plate. Using a stand mixer (best option) or an athletic forearm to beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth and batter-like. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Add the eggs, the pumpkin, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to the cream cheese and thoroughly mix. Scrape the batter into your crust to 1/4 inch below the top edge, smoothing it out with the back of a spoon or rubber spatula, and slide into the oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on the counter for 20 minutes, and serve warm, or cover and chill.

Note: While making the puree is easy and part of the fun, this cheesecake can of course be made in a regular pie crust or graham cracker crust. 1 cup of puree = 1/2 can of the off the shelf stuff.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Pumpkin or Squash Puree

Whether you're looking for a simple vegetable dish or the namesake ingredient for a pie, pumpkin (or squash) doesn't need to come from a can - it's simple to prepare.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield depends on the size of the fruit.

Sugar pumpkin or winter squash

Option 1: Preheat your oven to 350F
Option 2: Use a vegetable steamer

If you want to use your oven, slice the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and the filaments. Place halves cut side down in a large baking dish, and add 1/2 inch water. Bake for half an hour or until the flesh is soft. Let cool, scoop out the flesh and run through a food processor with the cutting blade, or mash with a potato masher.

If you use a steamer, after cleaning out the pumpkin, cut it in to chunks and steam for 15 minutes or until flesh is soft, and proceed as above.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










Pumpkin, and winter squash, add a nutty richness to baked goods like these muffins. Kids like them, too.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time:25 minutes
Yield: 12 muffins

1 cup wheat bran
1 cup boiling water
2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar or equivalent
1/2 cup almond meal (or use more flour)
1/2 cup flax meal (or use more flour)
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 400.

Pour the water over the bran and set aside. Whisk the flour, flax meal, sweetener, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla, and whisk thoroughly. Stir in the bran, the pumpkin, and the pecans.

Distribute batter equally to lined muffin cups, and bake for 20 minutes or until muffins are firm and a toothpick inserted into the biggest one comes out clean.

Note: Liquid content will vary depending on the squash or pumpkin you use, add more flour or milk if necessary.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Balsamic Beets

Photo:
Tod Dimmick











Like with Swiss chard (the same family), the sweet, earthy flavor of beets pairs perfectly with balsamic vinegar.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 40-50 minutes
Serves: 4

1 large bunch beets, leaves and stems removed for another use.
1 TB butter
1-2 TB balsamic vinegar
Caramelized onions (optional)

Bring water in a large saucepan to a simmer and cook the beets for 40 minutes, or until tender. Place beets in a large bowl of cold or ice water for a minute, then remove the skins. Slice the warm beets into pieces about 1/4 inch thick.

Distribute to serving plates with a dab of butter, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Top with caramelized onions (optional).

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Apple Cobbler

Photo:
Tod Dimmick


We're getting in to apple season! Here's a great way to use flavorful local apples. Convention calls this dessert: I call it breakfast. This not-too-sweet hot fruit dish is perfect with a good mug of coffee on a cold morning. Food controversy alert: I like the apple slices with the peels for the texture and the nutrition. Jen and the kids would prefer those peels used for something else.

Prep time: 15 Minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves: 6 as a breakfast, probably 8 as a dessert

1 stick (8 TB) butter, melted
4 cups chopped apples
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 400. Spread half of the melted butter on the bottom of a 10x10 casserole dish, or an 8x12 baking dish, and pour in the apples. Sprinkle with half of the brown sugar, and the cinnamon.

Set out two large bowls. In one, beat the milk, eggs, oil, and remaining butter In the other, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour the liquid into the flour, and mix to form a smooth, thick batter. Spoon clumps of this batter onto the apples. Leaving the clumps separate creates the "cobble" effect when this dish is baked, but some people also like to spread the batter smooth.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the topping is cooked through. Use a big serving spoon to scoop out a helping, and flip onto serving plates so the apples are on top. Yum. Serving this for dessert calls for whipped cream or ice cream. Actually, serving this anytime calls for whipped cream.

Optional: A sprinkling of raisins with the apples adds additional flavor and sweetness (I might be tempted to reduce the sugar in this case).

Submitted by Tod Dimmick,
"The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Cabbage and Apple Salad

The fall CSA box features big heads of cabbage. These can be cooked, of course, but they are also perfect for salad.

Prep time: 5-10 minutes

1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded cabbage
1 large, crisp apple, cored, sliced and shredded
1 large carrot, shredded
2 TB shredded onion
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
cheese juice of 1 lemon
3 TB olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix the cabbage, apple, onion, raisins and cheese in a bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil; and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss and serve. This can easily be scaled to serve as many as you like.

Submitted by Tod Dimmick,
"The Foodie" at 1000radishes