january 25 weekly menu | winter table

Farm Fresh

beets, braising greens, carrots, celeriac, leeks, parsnips, portabella mushrooms, potatoes, squash

What’s for Dinner?

As I was unpacking my Hood River Organic CSA box, and saw the gorgeous, just harvested portabella mushrooms, I knew it would be a scrumptious week.  These, and a type of squash I’ve never tried (buttercup…I’ve since learned it’s the cousin to butternut!)…it is really like Christmas!  Even if you don’t belong to a CSA, pick a veggie or two that looks intriguing, and explore its underestimated possibilities.  I think you’ll be surprised and delighted!  And don’t forget about winter Saturdays at the Portland Farmers Market!

Friday – pizza night!

potato & rosemary pizza (Gourmet)

Saturday

parsnip puree (Traci Des Jardins)
roasted carrots (Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa)
grilled new york steak

Sunday

mushroom bourguignon (Deb Perlman, Smitten Kitchen)
braised leeks (Gourmet)

Monday

celeriac, apple, potato soup (Tiny Urban Kitchen)
baguette

Tuesday 

southwestern stuffed  squash (Jessie Price, Eating Well in Season)
corn tortillas

Wednesday 

curried red lentil and greens stew (Bon Appetit)
naan

Thursday 

beet and avocado salad (Alice Waters, Chez Panisse)
roasted salmon (Mark Bittman, How to Cook Everything, The Basics)
baguette

_____________________________________________________

Friday – pizza night!

potato & rosemary pizza (Gourmet)

Super fun, super interactive, super delicious way to use those veggies – Pizza Night!  The Gourmet recipe is included just a guide as to how to pre-prepare the potatoes.  Use the amount of potatoes that seems reasonable – two pounds seems like a lot for pizza toppings!  I would do these ahead, having them all ready for the topping assembly line.  Potatoes and rosemary on pizzas is a wonderful combination.  Caramelize some leeks for an extra special touch.  And experiment with the cheeses -mozzarella, fontina, parmesan, chevre – they all sound amazing.  For the meat-lover…can you say bacon?!?  Seems like this pizza would be best without the red sauce, but you might need some for the one who can’t live without their tried-and-true pepperoni!  My solution to the very loose “colorful” veggie requirement I have is a bag of Earthbound Farms arugula.  Gasp.  Yes, even I break down sometimes.  Piled on top of pizza just out of the oven – perfect!

Saturday 

parsnip puree (Traci Des Jardins, Jardiniere)
roasted carrots (Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa)
grilled new york steak

Parsnip puree is rich, creamy, and delicious.  I halve this recipe, and just use enough butter so it tastes perfectly yummy.  The simplicity of these roasted carrots will convert even the most avid cooked-carrot-hater.  I’d say 1.5 – 2 pounds is right for four people.  These veggies are the perfect complement to steak, and heck, if it’s not raining, break out the grill.  Any simple marinade will do – olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, maybe some red wine or balsamic vinegar.  New Seasons is featuring Country Natural New York steak this week – we treat ourselves when they do.  Along with our gorgeous parsnips and carrots, the steak becomes a side, sliced thinly, and passed around the table.  One pound is plenty for four of us.  Little tricks like this, and steak night feels downright healthy and responsible!

Sunday

mushroom bourguignon (Deb Perlman, Smitten Kitchen)
braised leeks (Gourmet)

All right, already splurged on the red meat this week, but believe me, this mushroom bourguignon is NOT going to feel like any sacrifice!  This has all of the indulgence of Julia’s classic, without the beef.  And seemingly without the day’s commitment – it’s been brilliantly translated into a weeknight meal.  I’m not trusting that entirely.  I’ll first give it a shot on Sunday, just in case.  I’ll use my entire pound of portabellas, and add another pound of creminis.  Buy the pearl onions in a bag from the freezer case – no one needs to stand peeling a hundred tiny onions.  Served over egg noodles and with a dollop of sour cream, this is the moment your kids are going to declare they love mushrooms!  As for the side, I could use all my leeks in this braised version.  Last time I made them, we fought over the last creamy bit.

Monday

celeriac, apple, potato soup (Tiny Urban Kitchen)
baguette

Well, perfect!  A soup not only highlighting winter root vegetables, but including my gorgeous green apples included in my CSA box. Eyeballing this recipe, I’d double it, especially considering it is the dinner.  And a superb one it will be, with its mix of sweet, savory, and bacon-ey, if anyone jumps at the chance to add the crumbled bacon, prosciutto, or pancetta on top.  I can’t imagine a more perfect use for my HRO baguette, either browned into garlicky croutons to float on top, or served as is, soft and chewy for dipping.  As always, add a made-by-someone else roast chicken if someone will miss the meat.

Tuesday

southwestern stuffed  squash (Jessie Price, Eating Well in Season)
corn tortillas

I stuff four winter squash halves of any variety, often leaving out the sausage and adding more vegetables.  The buttercup squash (isn’t that the cutest name?) I received this week will be perfect!  You can throw the squash in the oven for roasting anytime (I often do this in the morning!); then all that’s left during the dinnertime rush is the filling and warming.  I’ll use carrots instead of the bell peppers, and a can of chopped tomatoes – fresh are still a long way off!  Any cheese you usually like with Mexican works here.  We love this with some warm corn tortillas, and maybe a bit of sour cream, salsa, and guac.  I can’t quite pass it off as “taco night”, but it’s close!  Scoop any leftovers out, filling and all, wrap it in a flour tortilla, and it’s a perfect lunchbox burrito!

Wednesday

curried red lentil and greens stew (Bon Appetit)
naan

This is a favorite Indian-inspired meal at our house.  I’m going to use my braising greens, but since this didn’t quite seem like a full “bunch”, I’ll also slice up some carrots, sautéing them at the same time as the onion.  If you missed out on the braised leeks, substitute leeks here for onions.  Add some thinly sliced jalapeños, lime wedges, and sour cream or plain yogurt for everyone to garnish as they wish.  Trader Joe’s and New Seasons both have decent packaged naan, but best would be to grab some piping hot from your favorite Indian restaurant or food cart.  Fabulous!  Heat it up for the kids’ (or your own!) thermos for easy lunches.

Thursday 

beet and avocado salad (Alice Waters, Chez Panisse)
roasted salmon (Mark Bittman, How to Cook Everything, The Basics)
baguette

Again, the critical beet tip:  roast them ahead of time.  Any time.  But don’t wait until the often frenetic dinner hour – you’ll very likely skip ’em.  Believe me, I speak from some experience of beets straight to the compost bin!  BUT, if you take an hour to roast the beets while you’re home doing something else (watching Downton Abbey, for example), you’re set for whatever you might want to do with them. (Quickly peel and slice after they’ve cooled.)  I don’t put anything on the beets while roasting – just wrap tightly in foil, and cook.  This Alice Waters beet and avocado salad is a cinch, with the beets ready to roll.  Simplify the dressing as much as you want – often my beet salads are just dressed with olive oil and vinegar (any kind).  But citrus with beets is amazing, so I’d probably take the extra minute for the zest.  I’ll use all of my beets, and just one avocado.  Add this simple, go-to Mark Bittman roasted salmon (wild Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets featured at New Seasons this week), and of course, the HRO mouth-watering baguette, and this is a weeknight meal that seems straight from The Heathman!

“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.

• curried celeriac soup (Mark Bittman, The New York Times)
• white bean and butternut squash soup (Alice Waters, The Art of Simple Food), again, any squash, and canned beans are OK