Fall CSA Week #2 Dinner Inspiration
[As for my inspiration from the CSA last night… first & foremost, a shout out of gratitude to all the Edgewater Farm employees who make it possible for us to enjoy these veggies. This week’s hurricane brought with it severe devastation to Jamaica. If you’re a CSA member, or driving by the farmstand on a Wednesday night, please consider donating to the hurricane relief jar which will be split between Roy, Strong, Georgie, Jasper and Garnet to send home to their families.]
In typical Edgewater Farm fashion, I typed this at what felt like the last possible moment on Tuesday evening catching the final rays of sunshine today in my backyard- amidst sniffles, sneezes and crumbs- with one my kids running his wheelbarrow disrobed from the waist down and showing me his recently filled underwear in the playhouse oven… while I was inside starting dinner & trying to think about how to introduce myself in this week’s newsletter. Needless to say we've had a wardrobe change & I'm now back from singing the ABCs (SERVESAFE training dies hard) while washing hands.
I can't believe I've been at Edgewater for 13 seasons. This summer, I took a leap of faith and decided to follow my heart into Functional Nutritional Therapy, which aims to help people optimize their digestion, blood sugar regulation, hydration, fatty acid handling & mineral balance by incorporating nutrient dense, whole foods into their lives. In June, I began work at the Gentle Landing Birth Center , and I am having more fun than I even anticipated. The variety of clients and their challenges is almost as unpredictable and diverse as the trials and tribulations of farm life! I've always enjoyed a challenge, and it's been fun to turn my attention beyond what to do with 3 bushels of tomatoes and towards sharing simple, approachable, nutrient dense ideas with mothers that incorporate our local produce. I've had so much fun working with clients at the birth center that I'm opening up private sessions to folks this fall. If you're interested in working together or learning more, please check out my offerings!
I often don't have time or the attention span to follow recipes. The more people I work with, the more I realize I'm not alone! So what are we to do?? Introducing... (drum roll please)
The Three-Night Roasted Vegetable Dinner (12-15ish servings)
Night 1: A smorgusboard of roasted vegetables & a protein of your preference
Night 2: Tacos or quesadillas made with leftovers
Night 3: Soup made with leftover bones &/or salad.
With last night’s box, I'm roasting up these beauties with olive oil, salt, pepper.
For the spice-lovers in the crowd: I really love the Claremont Spice Shop & Little Istanbul in White River Junction.
For those trying to teach their children how to prepare meals for you in the future: forget about those dull wooden kids knives and enlist the help of this little device that still seems to make Anne Sprague smile with complete joy at the efficiency of kitchen help while using it.... the wizard. Even our Farmstand’s head chef, Alex, uses it, though she claims her chef ancestors would be rolling over in their graves to see her setting down her knife for this device. It's faster than a knife, I'm telling you!
PART I: Vegetable Roasting
Preheat the oven to 325'-350' F.
Sweet potatoes & carrots- chop up leaving the skins on & pop in the oven tossed with olive oil, salt & pepper... or leave whole to really maximize the nutrition. This will, however, obviously lengthen the cook time.
Carrots & sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamin A, as beta-carotene, which help us see & fiber which promotes gut health.
Golden plum tomatoes, yellow onion or leeks, carmen peppers (my favorite!) & broccolini can also be chopped up. Also- Garlic. I like to mince up at least 6 cloves per sheet pan and let them sit for 10 minutes to release their potent nutrients. Toss in as many of those hot peppers as you dare, those babies really bring the heat, and you may want to proceed with care, especially if you've married into an Irish family! Pull the pan out & toss with the carrots & sweet potatoes & olive oil. This is when I would also toss on chicken legs, fish, sausage, meatballs, beans, chickpeas, or whatever other protein you might enjoy.
Golden tomatoes are also a nice source of vitamin A & C- but lycopene is actually richest in red tomatoes and, believe it or not, tomato paste- So feel free to toss a little tomato paste into your sheet pan of vegetables! I cannot speak highly enough of the benefits of onions & leeks (AND GARLIC!) They are a wonderful source of quercetin, an antioxidant & anti-inflammatory, sulfur- with antiviral & antibacterial properties (can you say perfect for this time of year?!) and allium compounds which help reduce blood pressure & cholesterol. Peppers are another great source of vitamin C- 1 raw bell pepper fufills about 150% of your RDA of vitamin C- so save one out & let your immune system thank you! Broccolini is another heavy hitter for vitamin C and keep in mind that cruciferous vegetables are a wonderful source of sulforaphane which has anti-cancer properties
Chop up the chard & mix in the last 15 minutes of cooking. Roasting generally takes about an hour. Cilantro can be added at the very end.
Chard is a well-known source of Vitamin K. Cilantro is considered a heavy metal binder & delicious addition as long as you don't have a genetic variation that makes it taste like soap. I often recommend people serve their fish with a side of cilantro pesto if they're concerned about heavy metal exposure. If you're wondering if you should use the stems, the answer is YES! Our in-house chef & fearless leader this year, Alex Mentus had me in awe of her stem usage which included her stellar cheese sauce, pickled and vegetable stocks. Shout out to her at Rooted Anchor for tips & tricks or for your next catering event!
PART II: A Grain of Rice
Adding a grain to my roasted vegetables & protein always feels like a nice comforting way to round out the meal. Thanks to my old Edgewater friends- Kathleen Maslan & Allie Boeri for their helpful tips for rice cooking that may be game changers for you. For tonight's dinner I plan to use that beautifully fragrant lemon grass (bruise/ chop into large pieces to release flavor) in the pot with the rice to infuse the coconut milk & bone broth. For the adventurous, add other spices like coriander, curry, paprika, cumin, garlic or onion powder with some seaweed to up the nutritional content!
#1- My note: At bare minimum, rinse your brown rice till the water runs clear. If I'm planning ahead, overnight soaking is the gold standard to enhance the nutritional value, reduce arsenic levels & enhance flavors.
#2- “First knuckle method” by my original tutor in all things savory-Kathleen Maslan
Once you have your rice rinsed, put your finger on top of the rice and add a liquid up to the first knuckle of your index finger. It is the perfect amount of liquid to cook rice in every time, no measuring cups to dirty.
#3- "Oven Risotto" (“Oven Rice”) brought by the redheaded greenhouse guru- Allie Boeri
Add liquid using the first knuckle method & whatever herbs/ spices you desire. Pop into the oven at 350-375'F. Let cook for 45 minutes-1 hour. Add cheese or other fresh herbs at end if desired.
PART III: Enjoy!