CSA Week 12

Vegetable List

Brussels Sprouts
Savoy Cabbage
Swiss Chard
Fairy Tale Eggplant
Lacinato Kale
Muir Lettuce
New Red Fire Lettuce
Green Bell Peppers
Red Bell Peppers
Hotties! Aji, Poblano, Green Chile, and Jalapenos
Conservor Shallots
San Marzanos
Sungolds
Tomatoes
Winter Squash! Red Kuri, Green Cheese, and Kabotcha
PYO Herbs
PYO Flowers

Notes from the Farm

There is always a surprise or two with the vegetables each year... this year it was with the Aji peppers.
The Aji peppers look dangerous... very dangerous... but they're not!
We had been warning folks about them for weeks, putting them up against habaneros and really they weren't popular... I realized I was kinda just talking about something I didn't understand, and so, I ate one... what's the worst that could happen? (It can be bad, real bad, in case you're wondering)
And holy guacamole was I surprised... they're sweet. I think they're sweeter than a red bell pepper... I ate one after another getting just a little heat up towards the seeds... annnnd then I got a pretty spicy one. Turns out one in four or five has a little speed on the fastball, but if they are opened, seeded and washed under hot water, all that face melting heat goes away and you just get the warm, sweet Aji kablammo!
And just like that, I've set myself up for my favorite agricultural talking point (for many of you, you can just skip ahead to the recipes... broken record time starts now)...
Much of the heat in hot peppers (not all of it, some of it is in the walls [the mesocarp, the meat]) is in the endocarp... it's a film-like coating around the seeds and the inner walls of the pepper. If you cut your peppers in half, and rinse them under hot water, rubbing the pepper as you rinse, you can take out a ton of heat of hot peppers! Rinse away that filmy endocarp!
I love spice, I don't love heat! A properly prepared hot pepper can give sooooo much flavor to whatever you're cooking, but none of the ear bleeding heat. Highly recommended by our staff.




Recipes

Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash (or any winter squash)

1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 cup homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock, skimmed of fat
1 ½ cups nonfat milk
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated (1 ounce)
2 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon olive oil
Olive-oil, cooking spray
½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine squash, stock, and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash contents of saucepan; stir in nutmeg, cayenne, and salt, and season with black pepper. Stir to combine.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles; cook until al dente according to package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl; stir in squash mixture, cheddar, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking dish (4 inches deep) with cooking spray. Transfer noodle mixture to dish. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and oil; sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture.
Cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top, 30 to 40 minutes more. Serve immediately.


Orecchiette with Butternut Squash (or any winter squash) and Sage

Coarse salt
12 ounces orecchiette
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 small butternut squash, halved and peeled, seeds and pulp scooped and reserved, flesh cut into ½-inch pieces (4 cups)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup packed fresh sage leaves
1 ⅓ cups whole-milk ricotta, for serving
Poppy seeds, for serving
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Add squash seeds and pulp. Cook, stirring occasionally, until seeds puff and turn golden, 10 minutes. Season with salt; transfer to a plate. Add 2 tablespoons butter to skillet; melt. Add sage and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 2 minutes. Transfer to another plate. Add squash flesh to skillet. Season with salt, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 minutes.
Stir in pasta, 1/2 cup pasta water, and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Simmer until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Add more pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, until pasta is evenly coated; season with salt. Top with squash pulp and seeds, sage leaves, ricotta, and poppy seeds. Drizzle with oil and serve.


Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup

2 ¼ pounds kabocha squash
1 onion, peeled and quartered (8 ounces)
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting
Kosher salt
⅓ cup seeded and sliced dried ancho chiles (1-2 chiles)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 ear corn, shucked
¼ cup pepitas (green hulled pumpkin seeds)
¼ cup sour cream
Lime wedges, for serving
Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack on the top third. Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, then cut into 2-inch wedges. Combine squash, onion, and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle generously with oil and season with salt; toss to coat, then spread in a single layer. Roast until squash is tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 30 minutes, rotating pan and flipping vegetables halfway through (remove garlic and reserve if browning too quickly). Let cool slightly; when cool enough to handle, remove skins from squash and discard.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add chile strips and spices; toast, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and chile has softened slightly (1-2 minutes). Add roasted vegetables and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare garnishes: Using tongs, roast corn over an open flame on medium-high, or under the broiler, turning occasionally, until kernels are tender and charred in spots, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, cut corn kernels off of cob. Heat pepitas in a small skillet over medium-high, stirring, until toasted and popping (about 4 minutes). Set aside. To make crema, mix sour cream and 2 tablespoons water.
In batches, puree soup in a blender. Season with salt. Strain for smoother texture, if desired. Return blended soup to the pot and reheat gently on the stove. Divide into bowls and serve with blackened corn kernels, toasted pepitas, crema, and lime wedges.