january 11 weekly menu | winter table

Farm Fresh

beets, carrots, celeriac, kale, leeks, mushrooms, potatoes, squash, turnips

What’s for Dinner?

Friday – pizza night!

leek, mushroom and Italian sausage pizza (The New Basics)
winter squash caesar salad  (The Seattle Times)

Saturday

pearl barley and root vegetable pilaf (Bon Appetit)
roasted salmon with butter (Mark Bittman, How to Cook Everything, The Basics)

Sunday 

beet and mushroom salad (James Beard, The Essential James Beard Cookbook)
chicken sautee with garlic (James Beard)
baguette

Monday

turnips and leeks in miso butter (Diane Morgan, Roots)
edamame
jasmine rice

Tuesday

pastaworks farro salad (Pastaworks)
baguette

Wednesday 

soft tacos with sauteed winter squash and chipotles (The New York Times)

Thursday 

rustic potato leek soup (Cook’s Illustrated, The Best 30-Minute Recipe)
baguette

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Friday – pizza night!

leek, mushroom and Italian sausage pizza (The New Basics)
caesar salad with winter squash (The Seattle Times)

My friend Sue has inspired me to get back on the friday pizza bandwagon.  (Not exactly sure why I fell off…quite possibly because of our desire to try every highly touted pizza maker in Portland, and believe me, that’s a LOT!)  The idea called to us both after reading Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal Vegetable, Miracle.  Whatever the season, whatever the available toppings, the author and her family put together delicious homemade pizza at the end of the work and school week.  I love this idea – combined with TV trays and a good movie, what could be better?   A fun routine to look forward to, everyone participates, and it’s truly amazing the unique and yummy pizza combinations we come up with using mostly just our CSA veggies.  Put carmelized onions or leeks with just about anything, and it’s sensational.  Experiment beyond mozzarella if you’re adventurous – chevre, fontina and many other cheeses would be the perfect complement, depending on your veggies of choice.  And I often will replace the tomato sauce with some of my pesto sauce from my summer basil haul.  Here’s a link to Barbara Kingsolver’s site and seasonal pizza ideas:  Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Vegetable Miracle.  

Sue very generously jump started me into my 2013 pizza resolve with an evening of interactive demonstration.  She swears by the Basic Pizza Dough in the New Basics  cookbook, and after trying every available canned sauce, declares Cento brand the hands-down winner (available at Sheridan Fruit for certain, probably others places as well).  Doubling the dough in this recipe will result in three very thin crust pizzas for this week, three (frozen) for next!  Simple.  But if you’re not up for homemade, New Seasons has a good pre-made dough, as do many bakeries and pizza restaurants (Hot Lips, Grand Central, etc.).  Have fun tasting and comparing them all!

We love this winter spin on the classic caesar salad – any winter squash will do!  Just par-bake, then peel and cut (see Wednesday’s squash information).  Purchase your favorite croutons – so many people do them well now, I don’t bother.  And I do anchovy paste instead of fillets, and halve the amount – seems to be a bit mellower and more family friendly.  One teaspoon paste is equal to one fillet.

Saturday 

pearl barley and root vegetable pilaf (Bon Appetit)
roasted salmon with butter (Mark Bittman, How to Cook Everything, The Basics)

The pilaf recipe is actually part of a larger roasted chicken dish.  I go back to it again and again, just for the pilaf part, making it a bit healthier by using a couple tablespoons of olive oil instead of the bacon and bacon drippings.  And I modify the recipe, using whatever root vegetable is calling out, and MORE of it – this week, I’ll use celery root, carrots and turnips.  And you can’t get simpler than this salmon suggestion – if you want to make it “fancy”, continue reading in the link and do the herb-roasted version.

Sunday

I just have to use my “Merry Christmas to Me” gift – The Essential James Beard Cookbook.  After seeing “I Love to Eat” at Portland Center Stage this week, I am inspired to learn more about our homegrown culinary hero!

beet and mushroom salad (James Beard, The Essential James Beard Cookbook)
chicken sautee with garlic (James Beard)
baguette

I’ll use all of my beets in this wonderful sounding winter-ish salad, and maybe not even any greens.   And of course, add one of those amazing baguettes that I get each week from HRO.

Monday

turnips and leeks in miso butter (Diane Morgan, Roots)
edamame
jasmine rice

Oh how I’m grateful for this cookbook – sure makes eating locally through the winter months in the Northwest a joy instead of a chore!  This looks like a quick and delicious weeknight meal.  I’ll double it for a main course for four, and add a bag of edamame to munch on too (in the shell, boiled, salted).  Hit the New Seasons meat and fish counter for a pre-marinated Asian option if the vegetarian option is not for you.

Tuesday

pastaworks farro salad (Pastaworks)
baguette

The great thing about this salad (besides it being SO good!) is that a beginning-of-the-week batch is perfect for lunches in the days to come.  It has that divine combination of earthy, sweet, tart, and spicy – adjust the harissa to your own personal spicy barometer.  And have fun trying different nuts, seed, and dried fruit combinations.

Wednesday

soft tacos with sauteed winter squash and chipotles (The New York Times)

I would skip the peeling and sauteing of the squash, and go right to the oven.  I cut whatever winter squash I’m using (this week acorn) in half, take out the seeds, spray the cut halves lightly with olive oil, and put them face down in a hot oven (maybe 400 or 425) until they’re done for whatever purpose you have.  If I’m eating them right out of the peel, about an hour or a bit more; if I just am par-baking to be able to peel and cut into pieces (like this recipe), maybe half that time.  I then drizzle the chunks of squash with olive oil and salt, toss, and bake them until they are recipe-ready.  If you any of those amazing local mushrooms on hand, those would also be great in this recipe.  No need to steam the taco shells – either lightly char over a gas flame, or just warm in foil in the oven.

Thursday 

rustic potato leek soup (Cook’s Illustrated, The Best 30-Minute Recipe)
baguette

This is not your French classic that is pureed until it’s silky smooth.  The potatoes are left with their skins on, and only partially mashed in the end.  It makes for a very substantial, satisfying dinner, and in only thirty minutes!  Toast some baguette slices in the oven topped with a favorite cheese for an extra special accompaniment.

“What the Kale?!?”

Don’t panic and get out the compost bin if all of the sudden you have a giant veggie delivery coming your way, and you still have a fridge full.  Here are a few suggestions for preserving the bounty!  (Soups and stews freeze wonderfully in those gallon zip lock freezer bags.

• roasted vegetable soup (Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Family Style); add 6-8 cups chicken or veggie broth and puree for soup.  Delicious topped with garlic croutons!
• red lentil and winter squash dahl (Katherine Deumling, SIO Blog Week 27)