recipe courtesy of our dear neighbor Phyllis Bleiweis

Sunchokes are in their prime right now!  We have been digging lots these little sweet starchy nuggets.  They become sugary with cold weather and taste great in warm soups for this season.

Here’s Phyllis’ version of a creamy sunchoke soup:

8 oz sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes), peeled and boiled for 12 to 15 minutes

1/4 tsp prepared mustard

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and Pepper

3 Tablespoons flour

3 Tablespoons butter

2 cups hot vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup milk or light cream

Puree first 5 ingredients.  Make roux with butter and flour.  After cooking for a few minutes, slowly add 2 cups broth, stirring until smooth.  Cook 10 minutes.  Stir into puree, thin with milk or cream.  Correct seasonings and heat through.

courtesy of Marie Nygren (www.serenbefarmhouse.com)

Marie concocted this dish for one of our cooking demos at the market this fall.  It was absolutely delicious!  Sweet and savory and a perfect texture.  This recipe is a winner!

3 rutabagas (med-large size), peeled and chopped

1 Granny Smith Apple, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon Apple Jack Brandy

Kosher Salt and Tabasco

Unsalted Butter

Bring 6 cups water to boil. Put 2 tablespoons salt in. Put chopped vegetables in water and cook until vegetables tender.  Drain, reserving broth.

In a food processor, place 2 cups vegetables at a time and puree. May need to add reserved cooking liquid to help with the puree but do not want it too mushy.

Place first batch in a bowl and proceed with next. Add 1-2 tablespoons
of butter to puree to melt. Continue until all vegetables pureed. Add salt to taste. Then 1 tablespoon apple brandy and 2 or more dashes Tabasco. May add more of salt, brandy, Tabasco and butter to taste.

This can be made ahead and reheated in a 350 oven.

Tempura Batter

from the Joy of Cooking

Whisk together in a medium bowl until blended:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together until blended:

1 egg

1 cup cold water

Combine them and mix with a fork just until blended. The batter will be lumpy. Use immediately. Fry in 3 inches vegetable oil.

Here’s a great seasonal recipe forwarded to me by Diana, one of our CSA members.

This recipe is by great Southern chef Scott Peacock.

Ingredients
1/2 pound okra
1/2 cup sliced red onion
2 cloves garlic, germ removed and thinly sliced
1 cup cherry or heirloom tomatoes, or a mixture of both (cherries can be halved or left whole, depending on their size; heirlooms should be cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces)
1/2 cup field peas or string beans (optional)
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Rinse the okra in cold water and drain well. Trim the stems from the okra tops, but don’t remove the caps. Slice the okra lengthwise and put in a mixing bowl. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, peas or beans and mint leaves. Drizzle the olive oil over and season well with salt and pepper. Toss to mix and transfer to a Silpat-lined baking sheet or oiled pan.

Roast in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, giving the vegetables a toss if needed.
Serve hot, warm or room temperature.
Serving Size
Serves 6

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp sesame oil

3 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp ginger

1 apple, or canned fruit like mandarin oranges

1 medium head chinese cabbage

1/3 cup golden raisins

minced onion

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or other herb

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds or sliced almonds

sliced radishes

Method:

Combine vinegar, sugar, oil and ginger in large bowl; stir until sugar dissolves.  Stir in fruit.

Add cabbage, raisins, onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds; gently stir until well combined.

This is also a great make-ahead dish: cover, refrigerate overnight, and the cabbage softens slightly and the tangy flavors blend even more.

Be creative and try variations.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burritos

from: www.littlebirdeats.wordpress.com

5 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3½ diced onions
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon minced fresh green chile
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground coriander
4½ cups cooked black beans, (2 cans)
2/3 cup lightly packed coriander leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Another pinch of salt
8 eight-inch flour tortillas

1. Preheat the oven to 350F

2. Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender – about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, warm the oil in a medium frying pan/skillet and add the onions, garlic and chile. Cover and cook on a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes.

4. Add the cumin and coriander to the onion mixture, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside.

5. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, coriander leaves, lemon juice, salt and cooked sweet potatoes. Then use a potato masher to smash together.  Combine with onion mixture.

6. Lightly oil a large baking dish. Spoon about 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the filling in the centre of each tortilla, roll it up and place it, seam side down, in the baking dish.

7. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until piping hot.