Thayer in the Kitchen

A couple of weeks ago I made a potpie from a recipe in the Harmony Valley Farms newsletter. I added chicken to the vegetables. It was very good, but definitely labor intensive. This recipe is quite easy and I think equally delicious. You could add chicken or other meat if you wish. Winter Vegetable Cobbler (adapted from Recipe Link) 1 turnip, peeled and cut into bite-size wedges (I used 1/2 of a gold turnip) 1 potato, peeled and diced (I used 2 potatoes) 1 celery root, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cups) or 1 1/2 cups chopped celery 1 onion, coarsely chopped (I used a handful of the little red cipollini onions from HVF) 3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1 cup chicken broth 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper to taste 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter 1 tablespoon of any preferred herb or herb blend Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put the turnip, potato, celery root, onion, carrots, and parsley in a 2 inch deep, 3 quart...

We have quite a lot of cabbage from our farm share so I'm trying a number of different recipes with cabbage. This is a recipe that I converted from a British website. The author comments: "This is a lovely, robust winter dish, perfect for when you come in chilled from outside and need something a bit stodgy and warming." Pasta with Savoy Cabbage, Dolcelatte and Roasted Walnuts I researched and found that Dolcelatte was similar to blue cheese, so that is what I used. 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 small Savoy cabbage, finely shredded (I used about 4 cups) 1 clove of garlic, crushed or finely chopped salt and freshly ground black pepper juice of half a lemon 2 teaspoons fennel seeds 5 oz rotini (or any available pasta--I used penne) 2 oz roasted walnut pieces 4 oz Dolcelatte cheese, roughly cubed (I substituted blue cheese and would suggest using about 2 ounces, you can always add more if you want to) 2-3 tablespoons cream fresh Parmesan, gr...

I'm still working on using up our winter storage vegetables. We only get one more shipment from our CSA farm and then I'll have to resort to the grocery store. Ugh! I can get a few vegetables at the winter farmers' market. The farmers' market runs year 'round here in Madison Wisconsin on Saturday mornings. I actually love the winter market. Its quite small but they serve a breakfast and I always run into someone I know. If you live in the Madison area I suggest signing up for the e-mail update. http://www.dcfm.org/newslet.asp It is sent out toward the end of the week and includes the vendors who will be at the market, a menu for the breakfast, a recipe or two and lovely food porn. Savoy Cabbage and Corn Chowder (adapted from Recipe Source) 4 cups Savoy cabbage -- shredded (plain cabbage would be OK) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/4 cup minced red onion (or whatever you have) I'm lucky enough to have beautiful little cippolini onions from HFV (Harmony Valley Farm)...

Most recipes calling for winter squash or pumpkin are pretty much interchangeable. Use whatever variety of squash you have available. Spicy Coconut Pumpkin (adapted from Farmer John's cookbook) My daughter gave me a little sugar pumpkin from her CSA farm but if you don't have one a winter squash would work equally as well. I served the dish with brown basmati rice and some chutney. 3 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 large onion (about 2 cups) thinly sliced 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 2-3 teaspoons curry powder 1 small jalapeno pepper, chopped (I removed the seeds for a bit less heat) 1/4 teaspoon cardamom 1 1/2 pounds pie or sugar pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces 1 can coconut milk, either regular or lite 1 tablespoon raisins 2 teaspoons maple syrup or brown sugar salt and freshly ground pepper Heat the butter and oil over medium heat in a large frying pan with a cover. Add the onion; saute until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Add the ginger, c...

I haven't posted any recipes recently, but I made this soup over the holidays and want to share it. Its a Carrot and Sunchoke Soup recipe that I found on another blog called theomnivoressolution.com. The author has the following comments on the recipe: "In this soup, the sweetness of carrots and the nuttiness of sunchokes predominate, accented by cardamom, nutmeg, fresh ginger, and the bright taste of a pink lady organic apple. Finished with a drizzle of deep green pumpkin oil and toasted pumpkin seeds, it provides a feast for the eyes as well as the soul." I did use an organic apple from Future Fruit Farm, but I don't remember what variety. I don't think it matters. 2 T olive oil 1 T butter 2 C chopped onion 2 large stalks celery, chopped 2 T finely chopped ginger root 2 tsp crushed cardamom 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg 2 tsp sea salt 4 C chopped organic carrots 2 C chopped sunchokes 1 juicy, flavorful apple, cored and chopped 4 C water To finish:1 can coconut milk fre...

This is an easy recipe to use some of your acorn or festival squash. It was posted in a Harmony Valley Farm newsletter. Southwestern Stuffed Acorn Squash 2 acorn or festival squash 6-8 ounces bulk turkey sausage (I used spicy Italian) 1 small onion, chopped ½ medium red bell pepper, chopped 1 small clove garlic, minced 2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp ground cumin 1# can chopped tomatoes 1# can black beans, drained and rinsed 1/2 tsp salt Several dashes hot red pepper sauce, to taste ¾ cup shredded cheddar or Swiss cheese --Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with oil. --Cut squash in half horizontally. Scoop out and discard seeds. Place the squash cut side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes. --Meanwhile, lightly coat a large skillet with oil; heat over medium heat. Add turkey sausage, red pepper and onion and cook, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, and the peppers and onions are tender. Stir in garlic, chi...

Russian Cabbage Borscht (adapted from Mollie Katzen's The New Moosewood Cookbook) 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced potatoes 1 cup thinly sliced beets 4 cups vegetable stock or water 2 tablespoons butter 1 1/2 cups chopped onions 1 teaspoon caraway seed 1-2 teaspoons salt 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 large carrot, sliced 3-4 cups coarsely shredded cabbage black pepper to taste 1 teaspoon fresh dill weed (or dry if fresh isn't available) 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 1-2 tablespoon brown sugar or honey 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce sour cream, for topping Place sliced potatoes and beets in a medium saucepan over high heat; cover with stock, and boil until vegetables are tender. Remove potatoes and beets with a slotted spoon, and reserve stock. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, caraway seeds, and salt; cook until onions become soft and translucent. Then stir in celery, carrots, and cabbage. Mix in reserved stock; cook, covered, until all vegetables are tender, about...