SIO Recipes for Week 23

Some fun projects in the mix this week–stuffed and roasted pumpkin and pumpkin pie and kimchi. Lots of quicker things too. Happy cooking!

Beet Dip with Sage and Thyme, Goat Cheese and Toasted Nuts
Barley and Vegetable Soup with Harissa
Baked and Stuffed Pumpkin
Vietnamese-style Napa Cabbage and Chicken Salad
Kimchi
Turkish Style Leeks with Carrots and Rice
Pumpkin Pie

Beet Dip with Sage and Thyme, Goat Cheese and Toasted Nuts
–adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi

This brilliantly colored puree is a wonderful appetizer or snack. The original recipe calls for Za’ atar, a wonderful spice mixture which I don’t always have on hand. I do have both thyme and sage in my garden and thought the combination was a great substitute. If you have Za’ atar by all means use it—use 2 teaspoons of it instead of the sage and thyme.

Makes generous 2 cups of dip

About ½ lb cooked, trimmed beets (4-5 small-medium)
½ up Greek yogurt or plain regular yogurt
1/2 a small jalapeno (discard some or all seeds if sensitive to spice)
2 small cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon chopped fresh or ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or dried sage
Sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Thinly sliced chives or green onions
Toasted, chopped hazelnuts or walnuts
1-2 ounces crumble feta or fresh goat cheese
Good olive oil
Bread or crackers for dipping

Cook the beets (or bake) until tender. Peel and roughly chop. Put the beets, yogurt, hot pepper, garlic, syrup, herbs, salt and olive oil in a food processor and process until fairly smooth. I like a little bit of texture. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Put puree in a bowl and top with green onions, nuts, feta and a good drizzle of oil.

Barley and Vegetable Soup with Harissa 

Serves 4, generously

I made my own harissa (the North African pepper and spice paste) the other day and it’s delicious and I’m putting it in/on everything. It enlivens this simple fall soup. I based mine on this recipe—feel free to give it a try or use a store bought one.

If you have already cooked grains on hand, use those and add them at the end. If you have pearl barley or bulgur it will cook quickly and can be cooked in the soup. If you have whole grain faro or bulgur you might want to cook it separately since they take a bit longer and your veggies might turn to mush.

Add sausage to this or any leftover meat if you’d like to make it heartier or add beans or chickpeas. Add some of this week’s kale for more color and flavor . . .

Olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 leeks, well washed, halved lengthwise and cut into ½-inch half rounds
3 carrots, scrubbed and chopped
2 potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small-ish dice
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 -2 tablespoons harissa (the spice level really varies with harissa so taste it and start slowly to make sure it doesn’t get too hot)
Salt
5 cups stock or broth of your choice (or more or less if you want soupier or stewier)
3/4 cup barley, faro or brown rice (uncooked—see headnote, or 1 ½ cups cooked grains)
Chopped fresh parsley
Good olive oil

In a large pot heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions, leeks and carrots and a few pinches of salt and sauté for about 10 minutes until softening. Add the spices and potatoes and grains (if you’re using uncooked ones) and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Add the stock/broth (use slightly more if you have uncooked grains as they’ll absorb some of it)  and harissa and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook until everything is tender. Taste and adjust with more harissa, salt, etc. Serve topped with plenty of parsley and good olive oil.

Baked and Stuffed Pumpkin Roasted
–adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Around my French Table

This is the most delicious, beautiful fall dish. It’s perfect for a regular old dinner (though it does take almost 2 hours to bake so maybe a weekend dinner) or a Thanksgiving treat. But it’s so easy and so adaptable that you should add it to your regular repertoire. It’s wonderful with cooked rice instead of bread (gets almost a risotto-like texture), additions of cooked spinach or chard, cooked sausage or ham chunks, with peas (straight from the freezer),. . .

Serves 4-6 (depending on size of pumpkin)

1 pie pumpkin, about 4 – 5 lbs (just adjust the amount of filling if your pumpkin is smaller or larger – though you don’t want to go too much larger as it takes awfully long to cook)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 lb (or slightly more) stale bread, sliced and cut into ½-inch chunks
1/3 lb cheese, such as sharp cheddar, Gruyère, Emmenthal or a combination, cut into ½ chunks or grated
2-4 garlic cloves (to taste), finely chopped
2-4 strips bacon, booked until crisp, and chopped
¼ cup snipped fresh chives or sliced scallions (green onions)
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
½ cup of cream or half and  half
½ cup milk
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350F. You can using a baking sheet, a pie pan (as seen above), or a dutch oven with a diameter that’s just a tiny bit larger than your pumpkin. If you bake the pumpkin in a casserole, it will keep its shape, but might stick to the casserole, so you’ll have to serve it from the pot which is fine too.

Using a sturdy knife, cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin. Cut a big enough cap that it’s easy to hollow out the inside. Clear away the seeds and strings from the cap and the inside of the pumpkin. Rub the inside of the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper and put it on the baking sheet, pie pan or in a pot.

In a large bowl toss the bread, cheese, garlic, bacon, and herbs together. Season with pepper—you probably have enough salt from the bacon and cheese but  taste to be sure—and pack the mix into the pumpkin. The pumpkin should be well filled—you might have a little too much filling, or you might  need to add to it. Stir the cream, milk and nutmeg with a bit of salt and pepper and pour it into the filled pumpkin. You don’t want the ingredients to swim in the liquid, but you do want them nicely moistened with liquid about half-way up the cavity. It’s hard to go wrong though. Better a little wetter than too dry.

Put the cap in place and bake the pumpkin for about 2 hours—check after 90 minutes—or until everything inside the pumpkin is bubbling and the flesh of the pumpkin is easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove the cap for the last 20 minutes or so of baking to brown the top and let any extra liquid evaporate. Transfer very carefully to a serving platter if you baked it on a sheet. Serve, scooping out plenty of pumpkin with each serving or serve it in slices.

Vietnamese-style Napa Cabbage and Chicken Salad

I know you’ve seen this one before but it’s so good I can’t help myself.

Serves 4-6

Dressing:

2 Serrano or 1 jalapeño chili, seeded (unless you like more heat) finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ of a small onion (red or yellow or ½ bunch of scallions), thinly sliced
5 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 medium carrot, grated
1/2 cup or more cilantro and/or mint, roughly chopped

In a large salad bowl mix the dressing ingredients. Let sit for a few minutes and make sure the sugar dissolves. Add the veggies and chicken, if using. Mix well, adjust seasoning and stir in cilantro or mint.

Kimchi

–slightly adapted from Tigressinapickle.com

There are entire books on this wonderful Korean condiment and it can be made with many different kinds of vegetables, spices and aromatics. Here is a fairly classic, basic version that uses the traditional napa cabbage. I sometimes halve this recipe which works great but if you’re making it, it’s worth making the whole one or close to it. It’s just a one gallon jar and it keeps well and you’ll start putting it on everything. . . .at least I do!

Kimchi-making does not have to be exact. It’s best to taste as you go. Here are the approximate ratios that I have found work best for me.

• 1 part root vegetable(s) for every 5 parts cabbage. I use carrots, but turnips, daikon, radishes and the “honorary root” kohlrabi also work well.
• for every 5 pounds of cabbage and roots I add the following:
• 1 bunch green onions/scallions – white and green parts
• 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons dried chile pepper (korean pepper is the most common of course, but i have found aleppo pepper to be a perfect substitute. If either are hard to find for you, mix hungarian (sweet) paprika two to 1 with cayenne and you’ll approximate the level of heat.)
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup sea salt per quart of water for brine. (I use coarse sea salt, if yours is fine, it should be a scant 1/4 cup). note on water: chlorinated water can inhibit fermentation. It’s best to use spring or distilled water. Approximately 3 quarts of brine are needed for every 5 pounds of cabbage and roots.

Equipment:

• for every 5 pounds of cabbage and roots you will need a 1 gallon container (or 2 half gallons/4 quarts) for the fermentation process. I use a 1 gallon jar.
• you’ll also need a few large bowls or containers to soak the vegetables overnight.

This is the basic technique:

• clean and core cabbage, chop into approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces. Clean roots (Carrots, daikon, etc.) and slice very thin. I like to use a mandoline for this.
• make brine by combining salt and water. I make it in 1/2 gallon jars, shaking the jar until the salt dissolves.
• soak the cabbage and roots overnight in brine. Fill the containers with cabbage and roots and press down. Add some brine, cover with a plate and press down some more. add more brine as needed to submerge completely. Keep plate on top overnight and let it sit out at room temperature. After 8-12 hours drain the cabbage & roots, reserving most of the brine.
• chop up all of the aromatics and add sugar, mix together. combine this mixture with the drained cabbage and roots. If you are doing a large batch it is better to break it up into a few bowls to evenly combine.
• fill your fermentation containers with the mixture. Do not pack it too high or too tight, 3/4 full is perfect. add some of the leftover brine to cover completely. You will not need all of the brine.
• if you are using a crock with weights, place the weights on top of the mixture to submerge. If you are using glass jars, I use the plastic bag method–fill a ziploc bag with extra brine and seal it. Use this to weigh down the vegetables so they stay submerged. It’s good to check the kimchi once a day and give it a little stir with a wooden spoon to push any pieces that might have escaped to the top back in.
• ideally the fermentation container will be in a moderately warm environment, low 70′s is perfect. At that temperature it will take approximately 5-6 days to complete fermentation. I’ve definitely made batches in cooler weather and they were just fine but took a bit longer.
• taste! don’t be afraid to taste everyday! 2 or 3 days into it you will notice the bite of raw vegetable has dissipated. A day or two after, when you remove the weight, you’ll smell the sweetest, most delicious smell. then you’ll know your nearing the end of the fermentation process. It’s really up to you and your taste buds to decide on when it is ‘done’. Note: if something has gone wrong there is usually no question, your nose will know. It will smell bad. But this has never happened to me, and if you make sure your utensils, vessels and hands are clean it shouldn’t happen to you either.
• transfer to storage jars and store in the fridge for up to a year or even more. Technically speaking the fermentation process is still happening only at a much slower rate due to the lower temperature in your refrigerator.

Turkish Style Leeks with Carrots and Rice
–slightly adapted from Adam Ried from the Culinate.com collection

This is one of those clever dishes where vegetables and grains seamlessly blend and in this case a little rice goes a very long way–adding heft and texture but really not much volume. The parsley and lemon are wonderful finishes.

Serves 3-4

¼ cup good olive oil
1 onion, diced
Salt
4 carrots, well scrubbed but no need to peel and cut on the bias into thin slices
4-5 medium leeks (about 2½ pounds), white and much of the green part (just cut off the greens where it seems they get tougher and more fibrous), halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
¾ cup chicken or veggie bouillon or water
¼ cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt and turn the heat down a bit and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is very soft and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Add the carrots and cook, stirring once in a while, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the leeks and a bit more salt and cook, stirring frequently, until they soften, about 10 minutes. Add the broth and adjust the heat to medium-high, and bring to a strong simmer. Add the rice and ½ teaspoon salt, stir to incorporate, adjust the heat to very low, cover the pan, and simmer (without stirring or lifting the cover) for 25 minutes.

Remove the cover, stir the mixture once or twice, replace the cover, and set aside off the heat for 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and parsley and stir to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, if necessary, and pepper to taste, and serve hot or warm.

Pumpkin Pie

Pie with your own pumpkin puree is fun and delicious and you can also use butternut squash or other squashes but pumpkin is fun and classic. Pumpkin flesh can be a bit stringy so if you don’t have a food processor (in which to make the filling) you might want to mash the cooked pumpkin through a sieve for a nice smooth texture.

This is fairly classic pumpkin pie recipe, with the exception of the sour cream and optional rum.

I swear by the Chez Pim pie crust technique and recipe (nothing but butter, flour and water). Give it a try if you’d like or use your favorite recipe/technique. http://chezpim.com/bake/how-to-make-the-perfect-pie-dough

1 9-inch single crust Pie shell, chilled (not partially baked using ½ of above recipe or your favorite pie dough)
1 ¾ cups pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 cup whole milk or cream
1/3 cup sour cream
 or Greek yogurt (which is what I use)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons dark rum  (optional)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Lightly sweetened lightly whipped cream, for topping

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F. If you have a pizza stone, put it on the rack you’re going to use and then preheat. Setting the pie pan directly on the pizza stone helps the crust bake nicely and not get soggy, especially since we’re not pre-baking the crust.

Cut the pumpkin(s) in half and remove all seeds and strings. Keep seeds to clean and roast for a snack if you’d like. Put the pumpkin cut side down on a baking sheet and bake until very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove from oven, let cool and scoop out the flesh.

Roll out your pie dough and place it in a pan, making sure to gently press the dough fully into the pan. Trim the overhanging dough with a sharp knife all around leaving at least a 1-inch overhang. Flour your fingers and crimp the dough by pushing your right pointer finger into a “v” shape created with the thumb and pointer of your left hand, holding the edge of dough. Repeat around the whole pie, re-flouring your fingers as needed, to make a pretty, crimped rim.  Chill pie shell in the fridge while you make the filling.

Put all of the filling ingredients in a food processor and process for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice and pour the filling into the chilled pie shell. Alternatively whisk all the ingredients well in a bowl.

Bake for 15 minutes at 450, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for 35 to 45 minutes longer or until a knife inserted close to the center comes out clean. (If you don’t want to create a slash in your masterpiece, tap the pan gently—if the custard doesn’t jiggle, or only jiggles a teensy bit in the very center, it’s done.) Transfer the pie to a rack and cool to room temperature.

Serve the pie with lightly sweetened whipped cream

Many hearty and fun recipes this week–old favorites, adaptations of old favorites and a silky soup. If neither of the kohlrabi recipes below appeal, make a quick kohlrabi and carrot slaw with lime juice, plenty of parsley, minced garlic, olive oil and some thinly sliced onion. Happy cooking!

Dry-fried Beef with Kohlrabi and Carrots
Black Beans, Delicata Squash, Avocado and Cilantro
Roasted Carrot and Cumin Soup with Crispy Pancetta
Kohlrabi and Parmesan Fritters
Roasted Sweet Peppers with Parsley and Garlic
Lentils, Roasted Peppers and Parsley (and Sausage)
Kale Salad with Peanuts and Mint
Green Rice (with Sweet Peppers instead of Anaheims)

Dry-fried Beef with Kohlrabi and Carrots
–slightly adapted from Pure Beef by Lynne Curry

This recipe is from a wonderful cookbook by Lynne Sampson Curry of Joseph, OR. If you like beef and eat local grass fed beef or are curious about cooking grass fed beef properly and creatively, this book is a must have.

1 lb. top round steak, very thinly sliced against the grain 1/4-inch thick
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
3-4 medium carrots, scrubbed (no need to peel) an cut into matchsticks as best you can
1 medium-large kohlrabi, peeled and cut into matchsticks (depending on how large yours is you may not need the whole thing)
2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thinly and then cut into fine strips, divided
3-4 green onions, trimmed and chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine (mirin)
¾ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
Rice for serving

Season the beef with the salt. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet (or wok) over high heat. When smoking, add the beef and stir until the beef is no longer pink. Try to keep the beef in a single layer in the wok and cook it until the juices have almost evaporated, about 4 minutes. Then stir the strips of meat gently, until they sizzle and turn a darker shade of brown, and additional 2-3 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate and cover.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat. Add the carrots and kohlrabi and cook, stirring constantly, until they start to soften but retain some crispness, about 4 minutes.  Add them to the beef.

Add the ginger and the green onions to the pan and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and rice wine and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the beef and vegetables back into the pan along with the sesame oil and stir until hot. Serve immediately with some freshly ground black pepper and the chopped cilantro. Serve with rice.

Green Rice (with Stuffed, Roasted Sweet Peppers)

This is a childhood favorite dish that I have included here before. I recently tried it with sweet peppers (since that’s what I had) instead of Anaheims and it was delicious too and since you have lots of parsley and sweet peppers this week, give it a try.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno, minced (seeds and all) or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large bunch parsley, rinsed well and bottom half of stems removed. Chop the remaining stems and leaves fairly finely
2 cups long grain white (or brown—will take longer to cook) rice
4 cups milk (2% or whole – not skim)
6 sweet peppers (you can use fewer too), roasted over a gas burner until black and blistered or under the broiler
6 ¼-inch thick slices of sharp cheddar (to fill each pepper) about 1 1/2 x 4 “
Salt

Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven or pot for which you have a tight-fitting lid, over medium-high heat. Add the rice to the pan and stir well to coat with oil and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onion, garlic, hot pepper or chili flakes and parsley and mix well and sauté for 2-3 more minutes. Add the 4 cups of milk and a generous 1 ¼ teaspoon of salt (you may still need more—it takes quite a bit) and bring to a boil but be careful, milk boils over easily and makes a big mess so stay close by. Turn down to very low and cook, covered for 12- 15 minutes.

Carefully peel the peppers, remove the stem and cut down one side of the pepper to remove the seeds. Try to keep the peppers are intact as possible—not a big deal if you don’t but easier to manage if you do. Lay the peeled, deseeded peppers on a cutting board and place a slice of cheese inside each one.

After the rice has ben cooking for about 20 minutes (if you’re using white rice otherwise 35 minutes) and much of the milk has been absorbed, use a large spoon to lift up some of the rice and place the stuffed pepper in the spot you’ve made and re-cover with rice. Continue until you’ve more or less evenly placed all the peppers in the rice. Cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the rice is tender and the peppers heated through and the cheese melted. I like to turn the heat up again at the very end to create a bit of a crust on the bottom of the pan. This is a bit risky since you don’t want to burn the rice. Serve hot, making sure everyone gets a pepper.

Black Beans, Delicata Squash, Sweet Peppers, Avocado and Cilantro

This is really just a suggestion of ingredients to combine and a loose technique.. You can add more sweet peppers, hot peppers, spices, other herbs and/or add cheeses or toasted nuts. It’s such a joy to quickly toss together ingredients like this and have a vibrant dish for any time of day.

Quantities are completely up to you as are the ratios. Just taste and adjust with citrus and other seasonings.

Serves 4

2 cups cooked (or canned), drained black beans
1 avocado, diced
2 sweet peppers, trimmed and diced or thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro, leaves and stems, well washed, dried and roughly chopped
2-3 cups winter squash, roasted and cut into bite-sized chunks (don’t need to peel your delicata squash)
1 tablespoon thinly sliced onions
1/2 a garlic clove, minced (optional)
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Toss everything together on a platter or large bowl. Taste, adjust seasoning and enjoy.

Roasted Carrot and Cumin Soup with Crispy Pancetta
–Inspired by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall via Racheleats.com

Serves 4

2 lbs carrots, scrubbed and trimmed and cut into chunks
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into chunks
2 shallots or 1 – 2 leeks, cleaned and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
1 large or 2 smaller garlic cloves, peeled and very finely chopped.
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
A good pinch of red pepper flakes
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
4 thin slices of pancetta or bacon (or salted, toasted pumpkin seeds)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Put carrots and onions on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt roast for about 35 minutes until they are soft, deep in color and caramelized at the edges.

In a soup pot gently sauté the shallot and/or leek in the butter until soft and translucent.

Toast the cumin seeds in a small dry skillet pan over a moderate heat, it only takes a couple of minutes until they smelt nutty and warm. Put the toasted seeds in a mortar and grind well.

Add the roasted carrots and onion to the soup pot pan, then add the ground cumin and pinch of chili flakes to the pan, stir. Add the chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes or so. Blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Fry the bacon or pancetta until crisp and rippled at the edges then break into small pieces and garnish the soup. Alternatively top with toasted, salted, coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds.

Kohlrabi and Parmesan Fritters

I find these addictive. They’re perfect with some Greek (or whole milk yogurt) that you’ve doctored with a little minced garlic, salt and lemon juice and/or lots of chopped dill.

You can also double the recipe. I know the kolrabi are big again this week!

About 10 3-inch fritters

12 ounces kohlrabi (about 4 cups chopped), peeled and chopped into small-ish chunks
2 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (or other grating cheese—sharp cheddar is fine too)
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley (optional but very good—can sub other herbs)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
A pinch of red pepper flakes and several grinds of black pepper
Olive or vegetable oil for frying
Lemon wedges (optional)

Cook the kohlrabi in a pan with 1/2–inch or so of water for 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile lightly beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Add the flour, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper and parsley. Then, add kohlrabi and, using a potato masher, mash it up a bit. You want to keep the bits recognizable, but small enough (1/4- to 1/2-inch chunks) that you can press a spoonful of the batter into a fritter in the pan. Once mashed a bit, stir the remaining ingredients together. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add a tablespoon or two of oil. Once the oil is hot drop about 1/3 cup batter into the pan, then flatten it slightly with your spatula. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving an inch or so between each. Once brown underneath, about 2 to 3 minutes, flip each fritter and cook on the other side until equally golden, about another 1 to 2 minutes.

Serve with yogurt or just a squeeze of lemon juice to offset the sweetness of the kohlrabi.

Roasted Sweet Peppers with Parsley and Garlic

This is the way sweet red peppers are prepared in many parts of Italy. It’s very simple and very good. This dish keeps well in the fridge for 4-5 days so make extra and enjoy it for a while. And use however much parsley and garlic you like. It’s really a matter of taste.

4-5 sweet red peppers
10 sprigs of parsley, big stems discarded, chopped
1 medium clove garlic, minced
Good-tasting olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Set oven to broil.

Rinse peppers. Place them on a baking sheet and place about 4-6 inches under the broiler. Broil, turning as one side blisters and turns black. When they are blackened all around remove from oven, place in a bowl and cover with a dishtowel. Let steam and cool until you can handle them. Remove the stems and seeds. Chop into large-ish pieces (1 ½ – 2-inch square). Toss in a bowl with the remainder of the ingredients. Adjust seasoning. Let sit to let flavors marry for 15 minutes if you can. Serve with bread, cheese, grilled anything, salads, a frittata, etc. . . Great on sandwiches as well.

Lentils, Roasted Peppers and Parsley (and Sausage)

This is a wonderful way to turn some of the above, roasted peppers, into a beautiful meal.

1 ½ cups small green or brown lentils (they hold their shape better than the more common, larger brown ones)
1 bay leaf
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 carrot, scrubbed and cut into a few pieces (optional)
Salt
2 teaspoons red wine or sherry vinegar
2 sausages of your choice (I like Pastaworks’ Italian pork sausages best)
Olive oil
Roasted peppers (above)

Put the lentils, bay leaf, garlic clove, and carrot in a large saucepan. Cover generously with water and add ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook, partially covered for about 20 minutes. Check frequently at this point for doneness. You want tender lentils that are still more or less holding their shape. It make take a bit longer.

Drain the lentils when they are tender and discard everything but the carrot. Chop it up more finely and add it back in. Add the vinegar and a bit of olive oil.

Meanwhile slice the sausages into round and sauté in a bit of olive oil until cooked through and browning a bit. Mix the sausages into the lentils.

Chop up some of the roasted red peppers and stir those into the lentils as well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Kale Mint Salad with Peanut Dressing
–inspired by Food52

Serves 4-6

The mint, kale and peanuts make for a strong, vivid and almost rich salad.

1 bunch kale, well washed and any tough stems trimmed and then cut as thinly as you can (I used half mustard greens and half kale since that’s what I had and it was delicious too)
1-2 medium carrots, grated on the large holes of a box grater (optional—but pretty and a nice sweet addition)
¾ cup fresh mint, chopped
1 cup dry roasted peanuts (alternatively you can use toasted walnuts)

Peanut/Sesame Dressing:

3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoons tahini (optional—I like the combination very much though)
3 tablespoons hot water
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons sesame oil
¼ -1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes (or more if you want a bit more heat)

Toss the chopped kale, chopped mint and the nuts together in a large bowl.

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Alternatively to you can blend or process the dressing until smooth.

Pour two-thirds of the dressing over the kale, mint and nuts and toss well, making sure you’re really covering the kale well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Yes, I think it’s really fall now. Lots of fall-like dishes here this week. Pick up a bunch of cilantro and cook some white beans (for two of the dishes this week) if you’d like. The Cilantro, Chard and White Bean Soup is really one of my all time favorite meals. And I have been so enjoying all the sweet peppers and below are a couple of my favorite pepper recipes.

Portuguese Chard, Leek, White Bean and Cilantro Soup
Radicchio, Beets, Filberts/Walnuts, Goat Cheese/Blue Cheese
Hubbard Squash Note
Roasted Squash and Beets with Dukkah and Thyme
Roasted Pepper Salad with Cumin, Sherry Vinegar and Jamon Serrano
Quick-Pickled Sweet Peppers with Rosemary
Romesco with Roasted Potatoes
Leeks and White Beans with Sausages

Portuguese Chard, Leek, White Bean and Cilantro Soup

This is my favorite soup, I believe, of all time. If you have cooked (or canned) beans on hand this soup comes together in 20-30 minutes and is one of the most satisfying one-dish meals I know.

1 cup dried white beans, soaked (cannelini, great northern, Ayers Creek white beans of any kind, Rancho Gordo Marrow beans . . . ) or 1 14 oz. can of cannelini or other white beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 leeks (about 2 generous cups, chopped), well washed, cut in half lengthwise and cut into half-rounds
5 large cloves garlic
6 cups home-made veggie bouillon broth or vegetable stock
2 cups packed cilantro
1 large bunch chard, stems removed, coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
sliced crusty bread (4 slices)
4 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste
Good olive oil for drizzling

Cook the soaked beans in water with a clove of the garlic until soft about 25 minutes if small. Drain and set aside. You could also use canned beans.

Heat olive oil in a large pot. Sauté the leeks in olive oil until limp. Add three cloves of garlic, minced. Continue sautéing until the garlic is soft but not brown about 2 minutes, lower heat as needed. Add four cups of the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the beans and continue to simmer for a minute or two. Add the chard to the pot and cook for a few minutes. Blend the cilantro with the reserved 2 cups of bouillon in a blender. Add the cilantro mixture and season with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a rapid simmer. Crack eggs into soup, cover and let poach about 5 minutes until the yolks and whites are just set.

While eggs are cooking toast the bread slices and rub with remaining garlic cloves. You can rub one or both sides of the toast with garlic–depending on much you love garlic. Lay the bread in the bottom of a soup bowl. Ladle the soup over. Top with poached egg. Drizzle with good olive oil and grind some pepper over the top.

Beets, Radicchio, Goat Cheese/Blue Cheese and Filberts/Walnuts

I made this with the addition of the last bit of lettuce from last week’s share but it was 90% radicchio. I used filberts and goat cheese and it was wonderful.

A classic and wonderful combination of ingredients.

3 roasted or boiled beets, peeled and diced or cut into bite-sized wedges
About 4 cups radicchio, washed, dried and torn or chopped
½ cup or more toasted walnuts or filberts, roughly chopped
2 ounces fresh goat cheese or blue cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon sherry or red one vinegar (more to taste)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss the radicchio and nuts with the dressing ingredients. Add the cheese and beets and gently toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Hubbard Squash Note

I love Hubbard squash. Its dense, rich meat is great in “pumpkin” pies as well as stews, mashes, sautés, etc. If you have some time or can do it in advance, you’ll make it easier on yourself if you bake the squash whole (or halved and seeds and strings removed) in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes or so which softens it enough to peel and cube it more easily.

Roasted Winter Squash and Beets with Dukkah and Thyme

I love this combination of creamy, sweet roasted squash and beets and the warmly spiced, crunchy Dukkah. Dukkah (the spice and nut mixture) is delicious sprinkled on most anything—roasted vegetables, salads, grilled meats, you name it. This dish makes a lovely side or lunch with some hummus and toast and/or a green salad. You can use other vegetables as well but this combination is particularly beautiful and delicious.

This is a little bit of a project–timing the toasting of the spices and then letting them cool but it’s well worth it and it makes enough for quite a few dishes/meals.

Dukkah:

1/2 cup almonds
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Roasted winter squash and beets, cut into bite-sized chunks, warm or at room temperature
1 teaspoon thyme leaves, fresh or dried, chopped or crumbled a bit
Olive oil
Salt

For the dukkah: In a medium skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds until golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a work surface to cool, and then finely chop them.

Put the coriander and cumin seeds in the same skillet and toast, stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a spice grinder and allow them to cool completely before coarsely grinding.

In a medium bowl, combine the almonds with the ground spices.

Put the sesame seeds in the same skillet and toast them over medium heat, stirring until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the spice grinder.

Toast the coconut in the skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until golden (be careful not to burn!), about 2 minutes. Add the toasted coconut to the grinder and let it cool completely.

Grind the sesame seeds and coconut to a coarse powder. Combine with the almond and spice mixture and season with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container. Dukkah will keep for 1-2 months but will begin to loose its fragrance after that.

Toss the roasted vegetables with a bit of olive oil and a little salt. Sprinkle generously with dukkah and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve.

Roasted Pepper Salad with Cumin, Sherry Vinegar and Jamon Serrano

This is a Spanish-style composed salad. I make it several times a year when peppers are abundant and varied in the early fall. It’s a beautiful, even elegant dish and worth all the roasting and peeling time.

8 peppers, ideally a sweet Italian roasteres—broiled until blackened and blistered and seeded and peeled and coarsely chopped
4 – 5 roma or other sauce-type tomatoes, quartered, sprinkled with salt and roasted in a very hot (450~) oven until soft and browning around the edges, about 15 minutes
1/4 of a medium (red) onion, sliced as thinly as you can
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 hardboiled eggs, finely chopped
Salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons sherry or champagne or red wine vinegar
olive oil
salt and pepper
8-10 slices Jamon Serrano or Prosciutto

Arrange the roasted peppers and tomatoes on a platter. Scatter over the slivered onions and sprinkle the hardboiled eggs over the vegetables.

In a small bowl mix the cumin, salt, olive oil, pepper, garlic and vinegar. Drizzle the dressing over everything and top with the slices of jamon. Enjoy with some good bread.

Pickled Sweet Peppers with Rosemary

These simple pickled peppers are fun to have around to serve on burgers, as part of an antipasto plate, or on egg salad crostini or sandwiches.

For about 3-4 pints:

3 lbs sweet red and/or yellow roasting peppers
A little olive oil
Salt

Brine:

2 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
Handful of fresh rosemary leaves
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Combine the vinegar, sugar and rosemary leaves and red pepper flakes in a saucepan. Simmer covered for about 3 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the broiler and position the rack about 8 inches from the element. Wash and dry the peppers and cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds and veins. Rub peppers with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Arrange peppers, skin side up on baking sheet and broil until skin is blistering and peppers have softened a bit, about 6-10 minutes. Check and reposition peppers to ensure even broiling. When cool enough to handle peel the peppers as best you can—it’s fine if some of the skin sticks to the peppers. Pack the peppers into jars and add the still-warm brine. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. They’ll keep for many months.

Romesco

This sauce is quite forgiving. The important thing is that it has a good bite from vinegar, the texture from the grilled bread and the sweetness of the slowly fried garlic and ground almonds. Many combinations of peppers will work.

2 sweet peppers, broiled until black and blistered, deseeded and peeled or 2 dried New Mexican chilies
1 large tomato, fresh or roasted and frozen (and then thawed)
1 fresh or dried Aci Sivri pepper (Ayers Creek farm in Gaston Oregon grows and sells these mildly hot Turkish peppers at the Hillsdale Farmers’ Market, near Portland) (optional)
1 small fresh hot pepper (Czech Black, Serrano etc) roasted and peeled and deseeded or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, fried slowly in olive oil until golden brown and soft
1 thick slice crusty bread, fried in the garlic oil until dark brown and crisp
2 tablespoons toasted almonds (marcona almonds if you have them, though I never do and regular ones work fine)
2 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar or a combination (or less if you’re using the New Mexican chiles)
1/3 cup olive oil, or more as needed
Salt

If you’re using dried New Mexican chilies destem and seed them and simmer them with 3/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar for 5 minutes. Drain most of the liquid but reserve the rest in case you need a bit more kick. And if you’re using New Mexican chiles then only add 2 teaspoons of vinegar since the rehydrating liquid will have infused the peppers with some vinegar.

Process the toasted bread, garlic and almonds in the food processor until well-chopped. Add the remaining ingredients except the oil. Process everything until smooth, finally adding the oil. Taste and adjust seasoning. It should have a good vinegary kick. Thin with more of the re-hydrating liquid if desired.

Romesco with Roasted Potatoes

Good for a crowd, good at room temperature and just robust and beautiful and tasty! You can scale this however you want but it’s worth making a good amount and the potatoes can always be warmed up the next day if you have any leftover, and you could use leftover potatoes to make a hash or add to a scramble and top with more romesco.

2 1/2 lbs (or more–see head note) waxy potatoes
2-3 bay leaves
8 cloves garlic, unpeeled
Salt
Olive oil
Chopped fresh parsley
1 cup (or more) Romesco (recipe above)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Scrub the potatoes and cut into large chunks or leave whole if small. Toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic and bay leaves. Put potatoes into a large cast iron skillet or other oven proof dish or sheet pan. (You will finish the dish on the stove top so using something that can be in the oven and on a burner saves a step.) Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast for about 35-50 minutes until tender.

Remove foil and remove pan from the oven and set on the stove top. Smash the potatoes gently to flatten a bit but so they stay in one piece more or less. Cook over medium high-heat, undisturbed for 6-7 minutes until deeply browned. Remove bay leaves and discard. Put potatoes on a serving dish and squeeze roasted garlic out of its skins and toss with potatoes. Top with chopped parsley and romesco.

White Beans with Leeks and Sausage

I made up this dish a few years ago with some large, creamy, and amazingly delicious beans (mortgage runner beans) a friend grows. The flavor and texture combination is worth trying with whatever white bean (or borlotti/cranberry type) you have on hand. Be sure to soak them over night and then cook them slowly with a bay leaf, garlic clove and chunk of onion, until tender. And make sure to let the beans cool in their cooking liquid for at least an hour or two before using. This vastly improves flavor and texture of the beans. And this is why I never cook the beans when I need them in the moment but I cook them when I’m making something else and in the kitchen anyway and am not in a rush for them.

This is more technique than recipe and is one of those that can be endlessly adapted and is thus what I call a CSA heavy hitter. Use kale or onions instead of leeks, or all three; change the ratio of vegetables to beans. Use bacon instead of sausage or leftover chicken or no meat at all. The beans have plenty of protein and richness. Change the herbs to suit your taste/what you have on hand. Add spices, maybe chili flakes or cumin and coriander. Add a teaspoon or two of Dijon mustard and some garlic. Scale it up or down . . .you get the idea!

Olive oil
3 cups cooked beans, drained (see headnote)
2 pork sausages, spicy if you like, sliced into rounds or crumbled
2 large leeks, trimmed, well washed, cut in half lengthwise and then cut into thin half moons
1 teaspoon of fresh or dried thyme, savory or sage
Salt and pepper

In a large skillet heat a little olive oil over medium high heat. Add the leeks, sausage and herbs and a couple of pinches of salt. Stir well and sauté for a few minutes until the leeks start taking on a little color. Turn the heat down if things are browning too much. Cover the pan and cook for another 10 minutes or so until the leeks are soft. Stir in the beans and cook long enough to heat through. Season with freshly ground black pepper and ad salt if needed. Serve with another drizzle of good olive oil.

Kale Salad with Chickpeas, Tahini Dressing and Crispy Bread Crumbs
Potato Salad with Parsley and Red Onion
One-pot Pasta with Sweet Peppers and Delicata
Onion Jams
Salsa Verde
Sweet Pepper (Sausage) and Onion Pizza
Miso-roasted Delicata, Onions and Carrots

Kale Salad with Chickpeas, Tahini Dressing and Crispy Bread Crumbs

This salad is so surprisingly good, quick, hearty and adaptable. You can add grated carrot and some toasted sunflower seeds or different beans or spices. Adapt to suit your taste and pantry.

1 bunch kale, washed
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 garlic clove
1 slice good, crusty bread, well toasted and torn into small bits (optional) or toasted seeds or nuts
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste (you’ll likely need more)
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1-3 tablespoons water to loosen dressing if it gets too thick

Trim the bottom few inches off the kale stems and discard. Slice the kale into ½-inch ribbons. You should have 5-6 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.

Use the side of a chef’s knife, pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste or grate the garlic on a micro-plane. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Add the tahini, yogurt, the oil, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pepper flakes and whisk to combine. You may need to add some water to loosen the dressing a bit. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat the leaves) or work it in with your hands. Then add the chickpeas and the toasty crumbs, if using. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes or more to soften.

Potato Salad with Parsley and Red Onion

This is a lovely combination of flavors whether you use a creamy (yogurt or sour cream) dressing or a vinaigrette.

1/4 of a medium red onion (or more), sliced in half and then sliced into thin, half rounds
1.5 lb (or more or less), potatoes, scrubbed well
Generous ½ cup parsley, washed and chopped

Creamy Dressing:
½ cup Greek or plain whole milk yogurt or sour cream
2 tablespoons red wine or cider vinegar (or more to taste)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons good olive oil

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons red wine or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard, whole grain is great if you have it
4 tablespoons good olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Soak the onion slices in a bowl of ice water for 20 minutes (this removes some of their bite) or longer.

Cook the whole potatoes in plenty of water until just tender. It’s easy to overcook them so test regularly and take smaller potatoes out first. Let the potatoes cool—you can speed up this process but slicing them into rounds while they’re still hot and spreading them out on a board. You just don’t want to dress them when they’re really hot.

When the potatoes have cooled, drain the onions well and toss them with whatever dressing you made. Adjust for seasoning with salt, pepper and vinegar.

One-Pot Pasta with Sweet Peppers and Delicata Squash

It makes good leftovers and can be adapted with spices, herbs and other vegetables or meats even depending on your taste and/or what you have on hand. You can change the ratio of vegetable to pasta and if you add the fennel (as suggested below) you could reduce the pasta by ½ cup and reduce the liquid by a bit as well, in case you have fennel leftover from last week.

Generously serves 4-5

Oil
1 onion, diced (or 1 large leek, well washed, halved and thinly sliced)
2-3 sweet peppers, trimmed and chopped
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into small dice (optional–see headnote)
1 small-ish delicata squash, scrubbed but not peeled, halved, seeds and strings removed and cut into small chunks
1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme (optional)
1 ½ cups small pasta such as small elbow macaroni or ditalini (tiny tubes)
3 ½  cups water (or vegetable broth or chicken stock)
Salt
½ cup or so grated cheese (Parmesan or sharp cheddar or whatever grate-able cheese you have)
Black pepper

In a large heavy skillet heat about 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and thyme, sweet peppers and fennel, if using, and cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften. Add the squash pieces and a few pinches of salt and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring often. Add a little oil if it starts sticking. Add the pasta and the water and about ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir well, bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 8 minutes. Check occasionally to see if there is enough liquid. When the pasta and the vegetables are almost tender add the escarole and cook for 2 more minutes.  Most of the liquid should be absorbed at this point. Take it off the heat and stir in the cheese and add some black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if need be. Cook for another few minutes if at all watery. You want to have a silky sauce coating the pasta.

Red Onion Jams
–from the Minimalist (Mark Bittman in the NYTimes)

I promise it will not be hard to find ways to enjoy these savory jams!

Red Onion Jam with Red Wine and Rosemary: Thinly slice at least two large red onions (add more if you have them since they reduce a lot in the cooking and you can add any other kinds of onion or shallot as well) and cook them in olive oil until very soft. Add chopped rosemary and red wine, and cook until the jam thickens.

Onion Jam with Bacon and Bourbon: Thinly slice at least two large red onions (add more if you can and add any other kinds of onion or shallot since it will reduce significantly in the cooking) and cook in olive oil with chopped bacon (just a slice or two) until soft. Add a little bourbon and brown sugar to taste and cook until the jam thickens.

Salsa Verde (Italian Parsley Sauce)

This is a versatile, zippy Italian sauce. I often just make it with parsley, garlic, lemon juice or vinegar, oil and salt but the addition of capers and little onion makes it even more fun. Some versions include a couple of anchovies so by all means use them if you have them. And some include a hard boiled egg, the yolk mashes and combined with the other ingredients and the white, finely chopped and stirred in at the end.

You don’t need to use a food processor and I actually prefer the slightly rougher texture of it when all is chopped by hand but I often use the processor.

1 medium bunch parsley, well washed and stems removed (but don’t bother picking all the leaves off the remaining stems)
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1 small shallot or chunk of onion, finely diced (optional)
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed (optional) and chopped up a bit
2 small garlic cloves, minced
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white or red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Either finely chop everything  and zest the lemon and mix well or combine all the ingredients except the oil in the food processor and pulse until fairly uniformly and finely chopped. You don’t want to end up with a puree so don’t over do it. Drizzle in the olive oil and pulse a couple more times. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, lemon juice or vinegar if needed.

Suggestions for using it:

• Drizzle generously over roasted veggies
• Use as a spread for sandwiches
• Dress hardboiled eggs, canned Oregon Albacore and boiled potatoes
• Use as a dressing for a pasta or rice salad
• Dress white beans with it or stir it into a white bean puree for a delicious spread
• Stir a few tablespoons into a soup when serving.
• Delicious with sautéed shrimp or other seafood or grilled beef

Sweet Pepper (Sausage) and Onion Pizza

Sweet peppers, sausage and onions are a classic combination and probably my husband’s favorite pizza topping. You can also skip the sausage and use more onion and herbs. And late summer/early fall is the time of year to take advantage. I often use the whole wheat pizza dough from Grand Central Bakery, though I was a whole wheat pizza dough skeptic for a long time, I’ve been totally converted. But by all means make your own if you have time.

1 (14oz) ball pizza dough
3-4 sweet peppers, washed, halved, deseeded and cut into ½-inch slices
½ a large red onion, thinly sliced
1 4-ounce (more or less) pork sausage, spicy or mild, crumbled or sliced
3 tablespoons fresh herbs such as oregano, parsley and basil (I use these if I’m not using sausage but you could certainly do both)
Scant ½ cup Parmesan or Asiago Stella
Olive oil
Salt

Preheat oven (or grill) to 500 degrees with a pizza stone if you have one.

In a large skillet heat a little olive oil. Add the peppers and onion and a pinch or two of salt and cook rapidly, stirring often over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes until softening and browning. Add the sausage and cook for another 4-5 minutes. It doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through as it will finish in the oven.

Flour a pizza peel or the back of a cookie sheet. Stretch out your dough into a nice big round-ish shape and place on the peel. Working quickly brush the dough with a bit of olive oil and then evenly distribute the remaining ingredients, ending with the parmesan. You can also hold off and add the Parmesan at the end when you take it out. If you’re using fresh herbs, add them just before the pizza is done. Sprinkle the whole thing with sea salt.

With a decisive but careful couple of jerks of your wrist transfer the pizza directly onto the hot stone. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges are browned and the toppings are beginning to brown as well.

Miso-Roasted Delicata, Onions and Carrots

This is a recipe that is delicious with a great variety of vegetables and handy to turn to when you have a random assortment of things that need using up. This is delicious with kohlrabi, celery root, winter squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, turnips and pretty much any other vegetable that takes well to roasting. The quantity and combination of vegetables is completely up to you and you can easily scale the below recipe up or down.

You could serve this with/on some simply braised kale without some grilled sausages for a lovely fall meal. I also like to add chickpeas to the vegetables, adding another dimension and texture.

Serves 4

about 2 lbs vegetables: thickly sliced onions, sliced or cubed delicata and chunks of sweet pepper
1 cup drained chickpeas (optional but very good)
2 tablespoons miso (I typically use yellow or red–red being a bit stronger but use any kind you have on hand)
1 tablespoon soy sauce or Tamari
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup) or more to taste
2 tablespoons oil of choice (I use olive or grape seed)
Chopped parsley to finish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put the vegetables and chickpeas, if using, in a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients, except the parsley, and drizzle over vegetables. Toss well and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, tossing the mixture occasionally, for about 35-40 minutes until the vegetables are very tender and caramelizing around the edges. Serve topped with herbs.