Aloo Gobi

Serves 4

A simple Indian dish perfect for these cold winter days that is sure to warm you from the inside out. Cauliflower and potatoes are simmered in an indian spiced curry to create a nutrient-dense, rich, and satisfying meal. To make it more of a complete meal, I like to add chickpeas into the mix or put it on top of a bed of quinoa.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp avocado oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped

• ½ tbsp cumin seeds

• 1 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves separated and chopped

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 2 tsp salt

• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

• 1-inch piece of ginger, grated

• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

• 1 medium cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets

• 2 large potatoes (or about 5 small), cut to into bite sized cubes

• 1 tsp garam masala

• Pinch red pepper flakes

• 1 lime, cut into wedges

• Salt + pepper, to taste

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cumin seeds. Saute for a few minutes, until onion softens. Next, add in the cilantro stems (not leaves) , turmeric, and salt. Saute for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the garlic, ginger, and canned tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and then add in the cauliflower, potato, and garam masala. Stir until the cauliflower and potatoes are all coated in the curry. Cook, covered, for about 15 minutes or until potatoes and cauliflower are tender, but not mushy.

Remove from heat and stir in the chopped cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime. Add more salt and spice, to taste. Serve with lime wedge and cilantro to garnish, if desired.

Recipe and photo by Natalie Bickford. 

Timothy's 1st Place Potato Salad

Timothy's is the bottom potato salad.

On July 6th, we celebrated barbecue and picnic season with a hugely successful potato salad contest -- over 200 folks cast votes for their favorites! We had three winners, and now they are sharing their secrets for your potato salad success!

Ingredients

• 3 pounds yellow fleshed potatoes (Finn or Yukon Gold)

• a few chopped roasted peppers that have been pickled in a mixture of 2 parts white wine vinegar and 1 part sugar with a rosemary branch

• 1 bunch Italian parsley, roughly chopped

• 2 T crushed coriander seed (toasted in a pan or not)

• 1 bunch chives, chopped

• 3 T capers, rinsed and chopped

• dijon mustard

• Apple cider vinegar

• Olive oil

• Salt

• A few twists of black pepper

1. Boil the potatoes gently in a pot of salted water until a toothpick inserts with ease. Don’t overcook!

2. Let cool until able to handle and with a paring knife remove the skin. Chunk the potatoes into various sizes and place in a bowl.

3. Add the pickled peppers, chopped parsley, crushed coriander seed, chopped chives.

4. Make a vinaigrette with the mustard, cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. I’ve left the quantities bland on purpose as this will be to taste. Generally I like ¼ to ⅓ vinegar to olive oil plus a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

5. Place the vinaigrette in a ball type jar and shake vigorously until somewhat emulsified.

6. Pour over the bowl of ingredients and give a gentle stir. Taste! Add more vinaigrette if needed. Same goes for the salt. Try to do this while the potatoes are still a bit warm. Let sit for a few minutes and taste again. More vinaigrette needed, more capers, more anything? Enjoy!

Andrew's 2nd Place Potato Salad

Andrew's potato salad is in the top right hand corner.

On July 6th, we celebrated barbecue and picnic season with a hugely successful potato salad contest -- over 200 folks cast votes for their favorites! We had three winners, and now they are sharing their secrets for your potato salad success!

Ingredients:

• all the herbs you can get your hands on (choose based on your own herb-love! de-stem them all, and set aside a good handful or two of herbs you'd like to toss in at the end. parsley is perhaps the most suited)

• olive oil

• 6-8 golden potatoes

• mayonnaise (or Veganaise!)

• lemon juice

• white wine vinegar

• dijon mustard

• garlic

Optional additions, for crunch :

• celery

• fennel

• green beans, blanched/cooled

1. Cut each of these vegetables diagonally on the grain (less stringy, more attractive!).

2. Bring some water to a boil. Salt it generously. Drop in the potatoes. Cut the peel off the lemon with a very sharp knife, then into thin strips, then chopped into bite-sized pieces. Place the peel in a small bowl, cover just barely with white wine vinegar, and let sit to macerate.

3. Put loads of de-stemmed herbs into a food processor (or Vitamix, if you have one, or blender, or bowl/jar with immersion blender).

4. Glug in about 1/4-1/2 cup of olive oil (depending on how big a potato salad you are making). Blitz, scrape down the sides, drop in a touch of water, blitz again.

5. Put 1/3-1/2 cup of mayonnaise/Veganaise in a bowl. Scrape out the herby oil into the mayonnaise/Veganaise. Whisk to incorporate. Squeeze or drizzle in lemon juice. Add 1 tsp white wine vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard.

6. Make garlic paste with two cloves of garlic: In mortar and pestle, sprinkle with salt and smash into a paste. With a garlic press, press through, salt the garlic on the cutting board, wait a few minutes, then mince to the point of paste. With a microplane, grate the garlic, sprinkle with salt, and chop vigorously into a paste.

7. Take the garlic paste and mix it into smoothly into your herb and mayonnaise/Veganaise stuff.

8. If more zing is needed or desired, add dijon mustard to taste.

9. Roughly chop the herbs you've set aside.

10. When the potatoes are tender (poke with a fork to see), remove them from the water to cool a bit. Chop the bigger pieces further with a knife. Mash some potatoes partially with a potato masher. It is very important to add the seasoned mayonnaise/Veganaise at this point, while the potatoes are cooling off but still quite warm.

11. Let this sit for several minutes. Toss in the chopped herbs, the lemon peel pieces, and any additional vegetables for crunch, season with loads of black pepper, toss in loads of flaky salt, let cool further and enjoy at room temperature.

Avocado Cilantro Lime Sauce

I love this sauce on a Mexican quinoa bowl or as a topping for tacos. Yum!

Ingredients: 

• 1 medium avocado

• 1 cup cilantro

• 1 clove garlic

• juice of 3 limes

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• ¼ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp cumin

In a food processor or high-speed blender, add all of the ingredients except for the olive oil and blend until combined. With the blender on, add in the olive oil. Add some water to make the sauce thinner, if desired.

Recipes and photos by Natalie Bickford.

Arugula Hazelnut Pesto

This is one of my favorite pesto variations. The arugula adds a wonderful pepperiness to the pesto. Feel free to mix and match herbs, greens, and nuts!

Ingredients: 

• 1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts

• 1 cup arugula

• 1 cup basil

• 1 cup grated Parmesan (or sub ½ cup nutritional yeast)

• 1-2 cloves garlic

• ½ cup olive oil

• juice from 1 lemon

In a food processor or high-speed blender, add all of the ingredients except for the olive oil. Process/pulse until roughly chopped. While the blender is running, slowly add in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Recipes and photos by Natalie Bickford.

Chimichurri

This is an excellent staple sauce to have in the fridge and will keep for a couple of weeks. All you need are some fresh herbs and the rest you will likely have on hand in your pantry. Typically eaten with steak, but excellent on all other proteins, vegetables, and grains.

Ingredients:

• Handful of fresh parsley

• Handful of fresh cilantro

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1-2 cloves garlic

• salt and pepper, to taste

• ¼ cup olive oil

In a food processor or high-speed blender, add all ingredients except for olive oil,. Pulse until coarsely chopped. With blender or processor on, slowly pour in the olive oil to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Recipes and photos by Natalie Bickford.

Romesco Sauce

This sauce has a wonder smoky flavor from the roasted peppers and smoked paprika. It is very versatile, making a great topping for fish, red meat, poultry, veggies, and grains. You could pretty much put it on anything!

Ingredients:

• 1, 8 oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained

• 1-2garlic cloves

• 1-2 tsp smoked paprika

• ¼ - ½ cup roasted hazelnuts

• 1 tbsp lemon juice or sherry vinegar

• salt and pepper, to taste

• ¼ cup good olive oil

In a food processor or high-speed blender, add all of the ingredients except for the olive oil. Pulse until finely ground, then, with the blender or processor on, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until smooth. If too thick, thin out with some water. Add salt and pepper, to taste. 

Recipes and photos by Natalie Bickford.

Shaved Asparagus and Kale Socca with Leek Pesto

Socca, also known as farinata, is chickpea flour flatbread that is popular in the Ligurian Sea coast. It’s super easy to put together, inexpensive, and it provides a protein-rich, gluten-free, and vegan base that lends itself well to a variety of toppings. Any pesto and vegetable combination can be used, so feel free to experiment!

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

For the socca

• 1 cup chickpea flour

• 1 tsp sea salt

• fresh ground black pepper

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup water, room temperature

For the leek pesto

• 1 medium leek, halved lengthwise and chopped

• 1 cup cashews, toasted

• 1 clove garlic

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan (optional)

• 3 tsp mellow white miso paste (I used chickpea miso)

• zest and juice from 2 lemons (about ¼ cup lemon juice)

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• salt and pepper, to taste

For the shaved asparagus and kale

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 5 thick stalks of asparagus, shaved

• 1 cup loosely packed kale

• 1 tbsp fresh chopped mint

• fresh grated Parmesan or Manchego cheese (optional)

Instructions

For the leek pesto, in a food processor or high-speed blender, add the leek, cashews, garlic, Parmesan (if using), miso, and lemon juice. Blend until it reaches a uniform consistency, then add in the olive oil and blend until smooth. Taste and add salt, pepper, or more lemon juice, to taste.

For the socca, preheat the oven to 450 and place your cast iron skillet in the oven. In a medium bowl, combine the chickpea flour, salt, and pepper. Add in 1 cup of room temperature water and 2 tbsp of olive oil and whisk to combine. Let sit for 15 minutes, or until it resembles a thinner pancake batter. Add water if too thick.

Remove the pan from the oven, add 1 tbsp olive oil and swirl to coat. Pour in the batter and let bake for about 15 minutes, or until the center is firm and edges begin to turn golden. Set aside and let cool while you prepare the shaved asparagus and kale salad.

For the shaved asparagus and kale, in a mason jar, combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, Dijon, salt, and pepper. Shake vigorously to emulsify. Place the kale in a medium bowl and pour half of the dressing on top. Using your hands, massage the kale for about 1 minute to break it down. Add in the shaved asparagus, mint, and remaining dressing. Toss gently to combine.

To assemble, spread about ½ cup (or more) on top of the socca in an even layer. Then top with the shaved asparagus, kale salad, and fresh grated Parmesan or Manchego cheese, if desired. Slice and serve immediately! 

Recipe and photo by Natalie Bickford

Spiced Spaetzle with Dandelion Greens and Caraway/Black Pepper Soured Cream

Ingredients

the spaetzle:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons toasted and roughly-ground caraway seeds

• lots of cracked black pepper

• 7 large eggs

• 1/4 cup milk

the sauce:

• 1 tbsp butter

• 2 tbsp flour

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 1/2 cups of soft white cheese, grated

• smudge of mustard

• salt

the greens:

• 1 bunch dandelion greens

• olive oil

the soured cream:

• store-bought short tub of sour cream (or make your own—combine 1 cup cream with 1 tbsp buttermilk; leave out, covered, for 2 1/2 days. creme fraiche on the tangier side)

• 1 tbsp toasted and roughly-ground caraway seeds

• generous cracking of black pepper

To make the spaetzle

Start with the flour in a mixing bowl, incorporate the caraway seeds and black pepper, then make a well in the center. Crack all the eggs in a separate bowl, mix thoroughly (but don't beat heavily) with a fork, then pour into the well. Start to mix with a spatula, then pour in the milk as you go to make a smooth batter. If it seems to get too gummy or thick, thin out with a little water or more milk.  The consistency should really be rather like pancake batter.

In a third mixing bowl (your largest), get an ice bath ready to receive the cooked spaetzle. 

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Take a small scoop (less than a ladle will hold) of the batter and put it in your colander with holes big enough for batter to drop through in little dots. With a flexible spatula, push and scrape the dough over the bottom of the colander so that tiny nubbins of dough fall through and into the water. When your scoop of batter has gone through (you may have to pause once or twice to stir the pot of spaetzle so they don't stick together), after one a half to three minutes of cooking time (you will know when they are ready), remove with a spider strainer. Drop into the ice bath. Stir lightly, and let them settle. 

When all the dough has been used and you have an ice bath full of spaetzle, pass through another colander like you've finished making packaged spaghetti, discarding the ice water and getting as much moisture off the spaetzle as you can. Place into a buttered baking dish and let rest.

Make the sauce

Take a tablespoon of butter, melt it in a small saucepan, toss in 2 tablespoons of flour, whisk together, lower heat and cook till the roux starts to color slightly.  Add one cup of whole milk and whisk again to incorporate the flour/butter. Continue whisking at medium high heat until the mixture starts to thicken, then return to low. Add approximately 1 1/2 cups of soft white cheese (havarti, swedish farmer’s cheese, fontina, something like that). Stir until melted/incorporated into the sauce. Season with a little mustard and salt. 

Pour the sauce over the spaetzle, tossing to coat. Top with another cheese of your choosing in patterns over the dish. Bake at 350° until it resembles a finished dish of macaroni and cheese (approx 30-45 minutes). 

When the spaetzle is all ready to serve, wash a bunch of dandelion greens under the sink, then toss directly into a wok, large cast iron, or small soup pot.  Cook on medium-high until the color has intensified and they've wilted. Break some of them up if you like and toss with a mild oil to help them glisten and not stick together. 

In a bowl, artfully arrange the dandelion greens, add some spaetzle, throw in a bit of flaky salt (and maybe a small dollop of fine mustard), then top with a large serving of the caraway seed and black pepper soured cream. 

Recipe courtesy of Andrew Barton, photo credits Peter Schweitzer.

Celeriac, fennel & orange salad

Ingredients

• 1 celeriac

• 1 fennel bulb

• 3 blood oranges

• 1 large navel or cara cara orange

• olive oil

• almonds, a handful

• almond oil (if you have it)

• white wine vinegar

1. Prepare a big bowl with cold water. Drop in some lemon juice from a bottle or a fruit.

2. Peel the celeriac. Drop into the lemon bath immediately.

3. Trim the fennel (reserving the tops with fronds) and slice into thin boomerangs. Move them to the lemon bath. Take out the celeriac, cut it in half, put the other half back. Keep cutting the celeriac now, first into 1/4 inch discs, returning to the lemon bath each time, then into thin-to-medium matchsticks. Move the finished pieces right back to the lemon bath, then repeat with the other half.

4. Cut the oranges into 1/4 inch rounds. Trim off the peels with a paring knife. Cut little triangular pieces, removing center seeds and any remaining pith so you have clean and beautiful jewels of citrus.

5. Drain the lemon bath, add more lemon juice, a splash of white wine vinegar and almond (or olive) oil. Toss to dress.

6. Chop the handful of almonds roughly, just making sure some pieces are quite small.

7. Assemble each serving separately. Take the celeriac and fennel pieces, make a nice pile, add pieces of orange, sprinkle with some almonds and drizzle with some good olive oil. Crack on black pepper, toss on some finishing salt, then tear fennel fronds over the whole thing.

Recipe courtesy of Andrew Barton, photo credits Peter Schweitzer.

Quinoa Veggie Bowl with Cheez Sauce

These bowls are very adaptable, feel free to use any grain and any combination of seasonal veggies. 

Ingredients

For the Cheez Sauce

• ½ cup almond milk

• ¼ cup nutritional yeast

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp tamari

• fresh ground black pepper

• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

• ¼ tsp cumin (optional)

For the bowl

• ½ cup quinoa, cooked

• ½ cup grated carrot (about 2 medium)

• 2 cups roughly chopped kale, steamed

• 1 avocado, thinly sliced

• handful of cilantro, roughly chopped

• ½ cup roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

 

For the cheez sauce, add all ingredients into a small pot. Turn the heat to low and whisk the ingredients together until combined. Remove from heat and set aside.

Divide the quinoa into two bowls. Assemble the remaining ingredients on top of the quinoa and finished with a generous amount of cheez sauce. Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Natalie Bickford.

Squash and Red Lentil Curry

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups onion

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 tbsp fresh ginger

• 2 teaspoons (or more) curry powder and garam masala

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed

• 1 cup red lentils

• 1 cup fresh tomato or 1, 15 oz canned tomatoes drained

• 1 can coconut milk

• Salt

• Olive oil

• 4 cups water

• Lime wedges

• Cilantro

Directions

Saute onion, garlic, ginger and spices in olive oil. Add squash, lentils, tomato and salt. Then add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring until the squash is tender for about 20 minutes. Stir in coconut milkand simmer until heated through, about 1 minute. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro and enjoy as this dish makes you comfy cozy.

Quinoa Blood Orange Delicata Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1-2 large onions, cut into long thin slices

• ¼ cup avocado oil

• pinch of salt

• ½ cup quinoa, cooked

• 1 medium delicata squash, cut into ½ inch wedges

• 1.5 tbsp olive oil

• ¼ tsp pink Himalayan sea salt

• 2 blood oranges, sliced into rounds

• 1 medium avocado, sliced into 1 inch cubes

• 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped

• ½ cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

• ¼ tsp salt

• fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat ¼ cup of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté until onions soften, then turn the heat down so the onions are simmering gently in the oil. Let it simmer on low for about 30-45 mins, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Onions are done when softened, golden brown, and slightly sweet.  Remove from heat and set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 425F. In a bowl, combine the squash, oil, and salt and toss to coat. Pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, flipping about half way through. Remove from oven and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, delicata squash, blood orange, avocado, spinach, almonds, and ¼ cup of the caramelized onions. In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tbsp olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the quinoa and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Natalie Bickford.

Saag Aloo, Wild rice with Apricot & Tamarind, & Fry bread

A hot July: my orach (mountain spinach) was about to bolt and I'd just dug up the first new potatoes. Not knowing what to do with the tiny stray potatoes and a crop of baby leaves that had never gotten to maturity (the hot weather confused the poor, spinachy plants), I scratched my head a bit and came up with this. So it’s a Northwest ingredient, home gardener/farmer's market devotee's early summer celebration with Indian flavors.

This recipe is my basic saag recipe created when living in a large college co-op, and it can be applied easily to be just as tasty using regular spinach, larger potatoes, older onions and garlic, etc.

Time/mess saver hint: Process all of the garlic, ginger, and onion ahead of time; the night, or several hours before, saving in a lidded glass jar. At the same time, you can cook the rice (since it takes longer than the saag) and simply reheat it before eating.

For the Saag

Ingredients

• Orach or spinach: two or three bunches, enough to fill a large salad bowl

• New potatoes, a few handfuls

• Coriander seeds

• Fenugreek seeds

• Mustard seeds

• Turmeric

• Cumin

• 5-7 cloves of fresh garlic

• Nub of ginger, slightly less than the size of your thumb

• One small spring onion

• Yogurt

• A little cream

Instructions

1. Boil the new potatoes in salted water until fork tender.

2. Peel and finely chop the garlic, onion and ginger. You should have equal portions of all. They can be arranged in little piles, then combined, or just messily tossed together. I like to chop them with a meat cleaver. This takes time. Don't be tempted to do it in a food processor. They will get mushy inappropriately early. This is where you can pause overnight if need be, and save yourself the mess on the day of. They may lose pungency, but if kept in a sealed jar, they remain strong enough.

3. Heat the butter and canola oil in tall, medium-sized saucepan (or soup pot if you are making a lot). The taller the pot the better. Add the coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, a pinch of turmeric and a pinch of cumin to the fat. Fry the spices until the seeds start to pop. Add the onions/garlic/ginger. Turn the heat down a bit and cook, stirring with a metal spatula or something else that won't be stained by the turmeric. When the onions are clearly translucent and the garlic has yet to burn, add the washed orach or spinach. Fold actively into the spice paste. Add the leaves in loads, turning the heat down now to medium-low.

4. Cook until the leaves have broken down/incorporated with the spice paste. Turn off the heat. Add several spoonfuls of yogurt, some salt, and a trickle of cream if you have it handy. Process in a food processor if you have a vast quantity, or with a hand blender (you may want to move it to a jar if your pot isn't tall enough to prevent splatter). Chop the new potatoes and fold them in. Let the saag hang out for a while if you can, reheating it slowly before eating.

For the rice

Ingredients

• Wild rice

• Dried apricots

• Tamarind

Instructions

1. In a rice cooker or small saucepan, cook the quantity of rice appropriate for your serving of saag. For two people, about 1/2 cup of rice works well. For wild rice, use twice as much water as rice, so in this case, 1 cup.

2. Halfway through cooking, when most of the liquid has reduced, add chopped turkish apricots and one spoonful of tamarind paste. Stir to distribute. The apricots should absorb the liquid and plump up. The tamarind adds an exciting depth of flavor.

For the fry bread

Ingredients

• Whole wheat flour

• White flour

• Salt

Instructions

1. I insist on this being as simple as possible. The idea is, you have a curry and you want something extra, delicious and filling, to scoop it up. It is not the time for your baker's hat.

2. Take one handful of white flour and one handful of wheat flour. Mix them in a bowl with a pinch of salt or two. Add water, starting with 1/4 cup, then adding teaspoons at a time if it needs more moisture. Mix and beat around with your fists.

3. Let rest for a hot second while you attend to some other detail of your dinner.

4. Knead again once the glutens have activated and the dough becomes smoother and smoother. Bang out into circles. Stretch/toss like pizza, roll out or just press.

5. Heat a cast iron (preferably a thinner one) and add a slim pour of plain oil. Take a metal spatula and scrape it across the pan 3 or 4 times to distribute the oil evenly.

6. Gently lift and set the flatbread down in the skillet. Cook on high, watching it puff up slightly and checking the bottom for the perfect combination of browning/slight charring/softness. Flip and cook on the other side for only 30-45 seconds. Remove, immediately spread with butter (which will melt) and sprinkle on some flaky salt.

Top the saag with fried paneer

Instructions

1. In the scheme of the meal, after the fry bread is done, everything else can easily bekept warm and/or reheated.

2. Taking advantage of the hot cast iron (from the frying of the bread), and repeat the process with the slim glug of oil, scraping to distribute, and add square slices of paneer cheese.

3. While the first side is frying, dish up your plates with fry bread, rice, and saag. Flip the paneer when the underside is lightly browned in an appetizing manner. Remove when the other side reaches the same color.

Recipe courtesy of Andrew Barton, photo credits Peter Schweitzer

Jerry Traunfeld’s Root Ribbons with Sage

Ingredients

• 2 lbs root vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, burdock, rutabagas, yams (avoid beets)

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped sage

• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Wash and peel the roots and discard the peelings. Continue to peel the vegetables from their tops to the root tips to produce ribbons, rotating the roots on their axis a quarter turn after each strip is peeled, until you're left with cores that are too small to work with. (You can snack on these or save them for stock.) Alternately, you may use a mandolin.

Melt the butter with the sage in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir for a minute to partially cook the sage. Add the root ribbons and toss them with tongs until they begin to wilt. Add the salt, a good grinding of black pepper, the maple syrup, lemon juice, and about 3/4 cup of water.

Continue to cook the vegetables over medium heat, turning them with tongs every minute or so, until all the liquid boils away and the ribbons are glazed and tender, about 10 minutes total. Serve right away, or cool and reheat in the skillet when ready to serve.

Recipe by Natalie Bickford adapted from Food52

Portobello Mushrooms stuffed with Root Vegetable Farro Risotto

Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 4 large Portobello mushrooms, stems removed

• olive oil

• 2 large carrots, quartered length-wise and cut into ½-inch cubes

• 2 beets, cleaned and cut into ½-inch cubes

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 cup farro, rinsed and soaked for at least 30 minutes or overnight

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 cup dry white wine

• ¼ cup nutritional yeast (or parmesan)

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp fresh thyme or parsley

• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Rub the portobello mushrooms lightly with olive oil (about 1/2 tablespoons) and place them, bowl side facing down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes, to par-cook them.

Toss the carrots and beets in one tablespoon of olive oil and arrange on another parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place vegetables in the oven to roast. Roast the carrots and beets for about 20 minutes, or until tender with a slight crunch. 

In the meantime, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil into a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt to the pan. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onions are clear and soft.

Add the farro and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2-3 minutes, or until it smells nutty. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the white wine and continue to stir until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add 1 cup of broth and continue stirring until it has been absorbed. Continue this process, adding the stock in 1/2- to 3/4-cup amounts, until the farro is tender. Some of the grains should begin to splay open. If more liquid is needed, just use water. When the farro is ready, stir in the nutritional yeast, thyme/parsley, and lemon juice. Stir in the roasted carrots and beets (or other root vegetables). Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste

Flip the mushrooms on the baking sheet so that the bowl side faces up. Fill each cap with a heaping 1/2 cup (or so) of risotto. Top with a sprinkle of parmesan, if you’d like.  Transfer the mushrooms to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Recipe by Natalie Bickford. Recipe adapted from Food52.

Butternut Squash Soup with Miso and Coconut

Serves 6-8, perfect for leftovers throughout the week. 

Ingredients

• Olive oil

• 4 ½ cups water

• 4 tbsp plus 1 tsp white miso paste

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated

• 2 ½ tsp cumin

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

• one 3 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

• ½ cup full-fat coconut milk

• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Directions

First, make your miso stock. Put 4 cups of water into a saucepan and heat to a simmer. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of water together with the miso, and pour that into the saucepan. Bring to a simmer, but don't let it boil.

Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of a large, heavy pot. When it's hot, add the onion and sweat it until it's translucent. Stir in the ginger, cumin, and cayenne, and toast spices for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Deglaze with a ladle-full of your miso stock.

Add the cubed butternut squash and the salt, mixing everything to combine, and then pour in the rest of the miso stock. Simmer until the squash is completely tender, about 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat, and purée the soup in a food processor or with a hand blender, being careful of the hot liquid. At this point you can strain for a super-smooth soup, or you can leave it how it is -- up to you!

Return the puréed soup back to the pot, and stir in the coconut milk. Taste, adjust for seasoning and spice. 

Serve warm, with bread on the side.

Recipe by Natalie Bickford.

Hazelnut Crusted Miso Delicata Squash

Ingredients

• 1 delicata squash, halved and cut into ½ inch wedges

• 2 tbsp miso paste

• 2 tbsp hot water

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar

• ¼ cup hazelnuts, ground (1/3 cup ground)

• 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

• pinch of salt

• pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

• fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375F. Combine miso paste and hot water in a medium bowl and whisk to dissolve the miso paste, until smooth. Add in the olive oil and vinegar and whisk to combine. Add the squash to the bowl and toss to coat. Pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

In a food processor, add the ground hazelnuts, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes (if using) and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the nut mixture onto the squash, doing your best to evenly coat them. Once each wedge is covered, gently press the mixture down with your fingers so that it sticks. Carefully flip the squash over and repeat on the other side. A bit tedious, but so worth it!

Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, carefully flipping each wedge half way through. Squash is done when easily pierced with a fork and crust is browned. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with some fresh chopped parsley, if you please! This is great as a side or on top of a salad. Enjoy!

Recipe by Natalie Bickford.

Squash & Mushroom Rye Galette with Goat Cheese and Fried Shallots

My mom made the savory pies from The Moosewood Cookbook and The Enchanted Broccoli Forest for my late-teen birthdays and other special occasions around that time. My college roommates would also make them for me, on the opening nights of plays or on my birthday or whatever. It was the primary dish that could put an ear-to-ear grin on my face. In my adult life, I've made them often, but probably not often enough. Nothing is more nostalgic and comforting. This fall version is meant as suggestion for a particularly nice seasonal flavor profile, but also as a jumping off point to whatever flavors suit your fancy.

First, rye pie crust

Ingredients

• 1 cup white flour

• a generous 1/2 cup dark northern rye flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 stick unsalted butter

• 5-8 tsp ice water

Instructions

Freeze the stick of butter. Place the flours, salt and cut/crumbled butter into a food processor and blitz. Many quality pie recipes discourse on the fine pleasures of rubbing the butter in with your hands. I agree, but it is easier to get perfect, flaky crust by forming pebbles of cold butter, and this is much more achievable in the food processor. After blitzing for 30 seconds or so, stop, check, then pulse. Add 2 teaspoons of water, pulse again and move to another bowl. 

Add cold water, one tsp at a time, until the dough balls up. Roll the dough ball in flour, wrap in plastic wrap, then place in the fridge- 45m-hr. 

Second, squash/mushroom galette filling

Ingredients

• 1 red kuri or sweetmeat squash

• 1 medium or two small shallots

• 1/2 pound (or just slightly less) of wild mushrooms

• chèvre

• Hungarian paprika

Instructions

Cut the skin off the squash, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and pulp, then cut into long strips. Cut pieces about 2 1/2 inches long. Dress the pieces with a mixture of melted butter and olive oil. 

Cut the top off of a head of garlic, peeling the excess papery skin off too. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and set in the center of the squash. Bake at 400º for 30-45 minutes, moving the pieces of squash around in the oil, scraping off the bottom of the pan and adjusting the placement of the pan every 10 minutes or so. When the squash is tender and has begun to darken in color, take it out. If the roasted garlic isn't quite there yet, remove it to another pan and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, until soft/spreadable/meltingly tender.

Slice the shallot thinly, then chop the thin slices aggressively. Coat the bottom of a thin pan with oil.  Heat on high until the oil shimmers, then drop in the shallot pieces. Add salt. Leave for approximately one whole minute, then agitate. When they've started to crisp up, turn off the heat. The shallots will finish cooking in the hot oil. Drain and remove to a bowl, ready to be sprinkled on at the end.

Break apart the little ball of chèvre (the kind that comes rolled in paprika is great for this) into little pieces. Place in a bowl at the ready.  

Take the frozen, open galette dough out onto a work surface. Spread the roasted garlic in the center circle like a pizza sauce. Set the squash pieces on top of the roasted garlic spread. Bake at 425º for 10 minutes, then at 375º for 20 minutes, then at 325º for 10-15 more minutes to finish. By the time you're down to 325º it will be all cooked/ready.  You're just waiting for the crust to brown slightly and flake to perfection. 

During the last 10 minutes the galette is in the oven: heat some more butter and oil in the pan that recently held the shallots. Break apart the wild mushrooms into your preferred size. When the oil is hot, add them to the pan. Cover with a lid for one minute. Remove the lid and agitate the mushrooms. They'll have tenderized and gotten too moist; now you're cooking the excess moisture out of them. Press down on them with a spatula. Hear the water sizzle out of them. The pan-side edges should start to turn appetizingly brown. Flip over those mushrooms to do the other side. When all is pretty much done, turn down to low and hold until the galette is done.

When the galette is ready, pull it out and drop the chèvre pieces evenly over the squash. Scatter on the mushroom pieces, then sprinkle with the crispy shallots. Sprinkle the Hungarian paprika over the pieces of chèvre and add a light dusting of flaky salt on the sweeter, squash-heavy areas.

Recipe by Andrew Barton. Photo by Peter Schweitzer. 

Roasted Black Futsu Squash with Hazelnut Sage Pesto

Ingredients

For the pesto:

• 1 garlic clove

• ½ cup sage leaves (plus a few more for frying, optional)

• ¼ cup parsley

• ¼ cup hazelnuts

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 tsp miso paste

• pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

• ¼ cup olive oil

• salt and pepper, to taste

For the apple cider cranberries:

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1 cup unsweetened apple cider

For the squash:

• 1 black futsu squash (or other winter squash), cubed

• 1-2 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

For the pesto, in a food processor, pulse the garlic and herbs until coarsely chopped. Add in the hazelnuts and pulse again until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Add in the lemon juice, miso paste, red pepper flakes, and olive oil and pulse until incorporated. I like mine to still be a little chunky, but you could puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the squash on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the squash is cooked through. 

(Optional) While the squash roasts, heat 3 tbsp of butter or oil in a small pan over medium heat. Once melted and sizzles when you drop a leaf in, add in the sage leaves and fry for about 10 seconds, or until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel to cool. 

For the cranberries, heat the apple cider and cranberries to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the cranberries are rehydrated. 

Once the squash is done, transfer it to a bowl and generously toss with the hazelnut sage pesto. Top with chopped hazelnuts, apple cider cranberries and fried sage. Yum!

Recipe by Natalie Bickford.