Thyme-scented roasted vegetables and beets
Thyme-scented roasted vegetables and beets
It’s that time of the year when summer is slowly slipping away, and fall is approaching. All the signs are appearing — from the school bus to the pumpkins at the roadside stands. Growing up in the country, it was usually when the potato baskets came out of storage. This meant that “digging day” was coming up. Mom would remind my sister and I that it would soon be storing food time. We had to “scrub down” the kitchen and the canning equipment after the summer harvest was processed and stored in the canning closet or the freezer.
It has been a long and busy summer both on the farm, in town, just about everywhere there is a kitchen and a family to feed. Even farmers, who made money selling crops, had to keep enough on hand to feed their families. Nowadays with the economy struggling, prices are going up on everything related to “feeding the family.” Families from all walks of life are preparing the food supply for winter months ahead with rising costs from day to day and week to week.
Makes you think of those families that survived times like the Great Depression made in this country with large families. This time of year, most money went to school clothes or yards of fabric for clothes to be made at home. As always, we found joy in cooking or at mealtime. We never knew we were poor because so much thought and love was put into every piece of hand stitched clothing or every plate of food on the table. Let’s clean out those freezers from those frozen spring veggies and make room for the fall veggies! Besides stocking up on, and maybe freezing, the last of your summer produce, get ready for fall by picking up some fresh: apples, basil, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, grapes, kale and potatoes. Fall has always been my favorite season and the weeks ahead will pertain to this season. Enjoy the last few days of the summer fun, sun and food!
BRUSSELS SPROUTS & KALE SALAD
For the dressing: 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 garlic clove, minced, 1 teaspoon sugar (can sub honey or maple syrup), 1/8 teaspoon salt, fresh ground pepper, to taste.
For the salad: 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed, loose leaves removed and thinly shredded, 1 bunch of kale, stems removed, and leaves finely chopped into ribbons, 2 medium apples of your choice, cored and thinly sliced, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/3 cup candied pecans, chopped, 1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese.
Optional: 4 slices cooked turkey bacon, chopped.
In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sugar and salt. In a separate large bowl, toss together shredded Brussels sprouts and kale mixture with your hands. Slowly pour in dressing and use your hands to massage the kale and Brussels sprouts for about 5 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight to allow for dressing to soak into the kale and Brussels.
Once ready to serve, toss in apple slices, dried cranberries and chopped candied pecans. If you’d like you can add in chopped bacon at this point and toss salad again. Finally, garnish with crumbled gorgonzola. Serve immediately. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
1 bell pepper, halved or cut into 1/2” thick strips, 1 red onion, peeled and cut into 1/2” thick rounds or quarters, 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2” thick rounds or strips, 1 yellow squash, cut into 1/2” thick rounds or strips, 1/2 pound fingerling potatoes (or regular potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes), 1/2 pound brussels sprouts, with ends and outer leaves removed and cut in half, 1/2 pound baby bella mushrooms, left whole (or 2 portobello mushrooms, left whole), 2 ears corn, shucked and cleaned, 2 tablespoons olive oil, freshly ground salt and pepper and 2 teaspoons garlic powder.
Preheat your grill to medium or medium-high heat, which is about 375 to 400 degrees on a gas grill. Scrape off any leftover bits from the last time you grilled.
Marinate your veggies or season them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
For large veggies like corn, bell pepper, thicker sliced zucchini, eggplant and onion, and portobello mushrooms, I recommend slicing, seasoning and putting them directly on the grill so that they get those lovely grill marks.
Place your oiled and seasoned vegetables on the grill in a single layer, starting with the ones that take the longest to cook in the back where your grill is likely the hottest, and finishing with the quick cooking vegetables in the front. This also makes them easier to remove. Close the lid and let the veggies cook for about 5 minutes — no peeking!
After 5 minutes open the lid and flip your veggies, starting with the closer ones that take the shortest amount of time to cook as these will come off the grill first. Then replace the lid and let them cook a few minutes more or until done to your liking. This goes great with any main dish.
ROASTED VEGGIES WITH PARMESAN AND OLIVE OIL
1 large butternut squash or about 2 pounds peeled, seeded and cut into cubes,1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved and stems and outer leaves removed, 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced, 2 large parsnips, peeled sliced, 1 large red onion coarsely chopped, 12 garlic cloves peeled, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated, 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly ground black pepper.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Add veggies to a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, oregano, rosemary and garlic. Pour over veggies and toss to evenly distribute. Add in parmesan topping, salt and pepper and toss again until well coated. Pour on a baking sheet and spread out evenly.
Roast in the oven for 35-45 minutes, stirring every 15-20 minutes, until squash is fork tender and sprouts are slightly crispy and caramelized. Remove from the oven, cool for a few minutes, then serve!
4 pounds sweet potatoes baked, 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3/4 cup chopped pecans, 3 cups mini marshmallows.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until very fork tender. This can be done up to three days ahead. Refrigerate the baked sweet potatoes if making ahead.
Change the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Set out a large mixing bowl. Peel the loose skins off the hot baked sweet potatoes. Place them in the bowl. Add the butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer to beat the sweet potatoes into a smooth mash.
Set out a 9X13-inch baking dish. Scoop the sweet potato mash into the dish and spread it out in an even layer. Sprinkle the chopped pecans on top. Then sprinkle the mini marshmallows over the pecans in a single layer.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the marshmallows are golden and puffy. Serve warm.
1 head green cabbage, 1 cup uncooked rice, 1 pound ground pork, 1/2 pound ground beef, 2 small onions diced, 3 cloves garlic minced, ½ teaspoon dill weed, 3 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped, salt and pepper to taste, 1 can diced tomatoes (14 ounces) with juices, 1 egg, 1 1/2 cups + 1/3 cup tomato sauce divided, 1 can tomato soup 10.5 ounces. Boil cabbage leaves for about 2 minutes or until soft. (See note below for removing leaves). Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cook rice according to package directions but reduce cooking time by 5 minutes so the rice is slightly underdone. Set aside.
Cook pork, beef, onions, garlic, and seasonings in a pan until no pink remains. Drain any fat. Add in rice, diced tomatoes, and 1/3 cup of tomato sauce. Stir in egg. Mix remaining tomato sauce and tomato soup in a bowl.
Spread a very thin layer of the tomato sauce mixture in a 9x13 pan. Remove or thin and thick stem on cabbage leaves. Lay the cabbage leaf flat and add ¼ to 1⁄3 cup filling to the center of the leaf. Fold in the sides and roll the cabbage up. Place seam side down in the pan. Repeat with remaining cabbage. Pour sauce over the cabbage and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 75-90 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
One last recipe is sure to clean out those frozen spring or summer veggies from the freezer.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium yellow onion finely diced, 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, 3-4 cloves garlic minced, 1/2 pound zucchini sliced into half-moons, 1/2 pound summer squash sliced into half-moons, 2 ears sweet corn kernels removed, 1/2 pound green beans ends removed, 1/2 pound fresh tomatoes diced, 1 pound red potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes or peeled if preferred, 12 ounces frozen lima beans, 15 ounce can white beans drained and rinsed, 7 cups vegetable broth, 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley plus more for topping, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons lemon juice. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced onion and fresh rosemary sprigs. Sauté for 6-8 minutes, or until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sauté a minute more.
Carefully remove rosemary sprigs. Add all vegetables: zucchini, squash, sweet corn kernels, green beans, tomatoes, frozen lima beans, red potatoes, white beans. Cover in vegetable broth. Stir in salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. If extra liquid is needed to fully cover the vegetables, add ½ cup water at a time until vegetables are fully submerged. Cover with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, uncover and reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered until potato is softened, about 12-15 minutes. When the potatoes and vegetables are tender, stir in fresh lemon juice. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve topped with fresh parmesan and additional fresh chopped parsley.
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