CSA Winter Share - December: Hearty Vegetable and Lentil Soup

So I am playing the home version of "Chopped" with my CSA box this month.  It has a lot of winter vegetables - squashes, greens and root vegetables.  It is cold out today, about 10 degrees colder than average, and it is windy.  This weather calls for a hearty, warm soup that makes you forget about how cold it is outside.  Since I had several errands to run I knew the slow cooker would be perfect to cook this soup while I worked on other things. 

All of the ingredients in this soup are organic and about as local as I can get.  The vegetables and garlic are from the local farm and organic.  The tomatoes and stock are organic too.  This recipe can be made with store bought ingredients but I wanted to see what I could do with my Winter Share and I think it came out well.

Recipe:

1 Winter Squash (such as acorn or butternut), cubed
5-6 stalks celery, including the leaves, chopped
3-4 carrots, chopped
1 bunch kale, sliced in strips, stem removed
1 red onion, chopped
2 small turnips, diced
1.5 cups green lentils
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Parmegiano-Reggiano Cheese Rind
1 14.5 oz can diced tomotoes, organic, with Italian herbs
2 boxes chicken stock
1 TBS dried thyme
1 TBS salt
1 tsp pepper

Here's how:

Combine all of the ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 6 hours or 10 hours on low.  It tastes better the next day after it has sat in the fridge but is great fresh from the pot.

Diced acorn squash

Celery from the CSA box

Chopped celery, leaves too

Carrots from the CSA box

Diced carrots

Kale from the CSA box. 

Pull the leaves from the stem and cut into strips.

Kale all ready

Red onion from the CSA box

Chopped onions

Turnips from the CSA box

Diced turnips

Green Lentils from Whole Foods.  Find them in the bulk bins.

Whole Foods brand stock.  Make homemade if you can.

Garlic from Garden of Eve's Garlic Fest, chopped

Parmeggiano cheese rind from my freezer

Can of Organic tomotoes, also from Whole Foods

All combined in the slow cooker

Thanksgiving Dinner - Turkey Gravy

The last thing that needs to be made on Thankgiving is the gravy.  I use the juices that have run out of the bird to make it.  The flavors of the brine, stuffing and herb butter will seep into the juices on the bottom of the pan to make the flavors the same as in the turkey.  Here is my super easy recipe for Thanksgiving turkey gravy.

4 cups of juices from the bird, fat separated and removed
4 TBS flour
4 TBS butter

If you do not have enough juice, you can add canned turkey or chicken stock. 
If you want less gravy, simply adjust the butter and flour.  The proportions are the same: 1 cup of juice: 1TBS flour: 1 TBS butter.

Here's how:

Add the butter to a small pan and melt it, but do not brown.

Add the flour and cook it for 1 - 2 minutes, until it is incorprated and the raw flour flavor is cooked out.

Using a whisk, stir the pan while slowly adding the liquid.

Continue to mix and heat the gravy until it boils.  Once boiling, stir for one more minute.  It is done.

December 2010 CSA Winter Share

I went to the Garden of Eve today to pick up my Winter Share CSA.  Basically, it is like an episode of "Chopped" on the Food Network.  I get a box of farm fresh foods and each month is a surprise.  I like it because it causes me too be creative and try to make great recipes with foods I may never have tried before. I have some soup ideas in mind. Stay tuned to see what I create out of this box.  I paid $275 for 6 months of food, which is about $46 per month.  This week I got my money's worth.

This is what was in the box and the cost of the food if purchased from the store.

GARDEN OF EVE VEGETABLE SHARE

Broccoli, 1 Head ($5)
Kale, 1 Bunch ($3)
Spinach ($5)
Swiss Chard ($3)
1 head lettuce ($3)
1 bunch carrots ($3.50)
1 bunch Dill ($1.50)
1 bunch Cilantro ($1.50)
1 bunch Braising Greens ($3)
Mesclun lettuce ($3)
Cabbage, 1 Head ($4)
1 bunch Turnips ($2)
1 head celery ($2.50)
2 Winter squash [acrorn and butternut] ($7)
Eggs, 1 dozen ($5)


TOTAL VALUE: $52

Here is a photo of the contents:

To find out more about the Garden of Eve or its CSA: http://www.gardenofevefarm.com/

Christmas Cookies - Shortbread

Shortbread cookies are a classic no matter what time of year it is.  These can be enjoyed plain or decorated to add some holiday spirit.

Makes 2- 3 dozen cookies:

Ingredients:

½ Lb Butter (2 Sticks) Softened

½ Cup Confectioners Sugar

2 Cup All Purpose Flour, Sifted

Frostings to taste

Here’s how:

Preheat Oven to 375 Degrees

In a medium mixing bowl cream the butter.


Butter creamed

Beat in the Sugar.

Add the Flour and mix well.

Combined and ready for the fridge

Chill in refrigerator for 30 min.

Use a small amount (less than a palm full of Flour and prep a smooth flat surface by spreading the flour on the surface and on the rolling pin.

Roll out the dough on the flat surface to ¼ - ½ inch thickness; cut into shapes with cutters of your choice.

Cut out and ready for the oven

Bake in preheated 375 oven for 12 minutes, until just starting to turn light brown.

Done and ready to decorate

Remove and cool 30 mins before decorating w frosting.

Christmas Cookies - Russian Tea Cakes aka: Pecan Balls aka: Mexican Wedding Cakes

These are a classic Christmas Cookie.  The cookies are so delicate and buttery.  You have to have these for Christmas.

Ingredients:

2 sticks softened butter

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 ¼ cups flour

¾ cup finely ground pecans

¼ tsp salt

Powdered sugar

Here’s how:

Heat oven to 400ºF.

Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla in mixing bowl.

Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together.

 

Finely ground nuts



Ready to form into balls

Shape dough into 1-inch balls.

Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Ready for the oven

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown.

Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly on wire rack.

Baked and cooling

Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar.  Let cool on wire rack.

Roll in powdered sugar again.

All done

Christmas Cookies - Peppermint Tea Cake

This is a great variation on the usual Russian Tea Cake.  The peppermint adds a great flavor and takes a basic recipe and jazzes it up a bit for Christmas.

Makes 64 cookies.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

1⁄2 cup walnuts, finely ground

1⁄2 cup pecans, finely ground

1⁄2 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

1 tsp peppermint extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

For the Coating

Six 5 1⁄2-in.-long red-and-white peppermint candy canes, broken in small pieces

1⁄2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Here’s how:

Heat oven to 350°F.

Have baking sheets lined with parchment.

Make the Dough: Put nuts and confectioners’ sugar in mixing bowl. Mix until combined.

 Add butter and extract; mix until smooth.

Add flour and mix just until blended.

Cut log in 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into an 8-in. rope. Cut each rope in 8 pieces. Roll into balls.

Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 14-20 minutes.

Cool cookies on sheet on a wire rack 5 to 10 minutes.

Make the Coating:

Process candy canes and confectioners’ sugar in food processor until a fine powder.  Pour into a small bowl.

Roll the cookies in the mix.  Let cool another 5 minutes.  Roll in the mix again.

Cool completely.

Christmas Cookies - Chocolate Caramel Kiss

These cookies look really impressive and they are just a basic cookie with a Hershey's Caramel Kiss on top.  If you want to impress your friends, bring these to their homes at the holidays.

Makses about 50 cookies.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

50 caramel-filled chocolate Kisses

Here’s how:

Melt chocolate chips.  Set aside.

Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a large bowl to blend.

Beat butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed until creamy.

Beat in eggs, extract and chocolate until blended.

Eggs and extract added

Chocolate added

On low speed, beat in flour mixture until combined.

Stir in nuts.

Ready to chill

Cover and chill 1 hour until firm.

Heat oven to 350°F.

Roll level tablespoons dough into 1-in. balls.

Roll balls in confectioners’ sugar to coat.

Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheet(s) lined with parchment.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes until cookies set and tops are cracked. Cool 1 minute on sheet on a wire rack.

Gently press a chocolate Kiss on each. Cool completely.

Christmas Cookies - Pink Lemonade Bars

Ingredients

For the Crust:

11⁄2 sticks (3⁄4 cup) butter, softened

11⁄2 cups all-purpose flour

1⁄2 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the Topping:

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

1 Tbsp freshly grated lemon zest

1⁄2 cup fresh lemon juice

1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

Red liquid food color

For the Decoration

Confectioners’ sugar

Here’s how:

Heat oven to 350°F.

Line a 13 x 9-in. baking pan with foil, letting foil extend above pan at both ends. Coat foil with nonstick spray.

Make the Crust:

Beat butter, flour and confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl with mixer until blended (mixture will be crumbly). Press over bottom of pan.

Bake 15 minutes, or until light golden. Leave oven on.

Make Topping

In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, lemon zest and juice, flour and baking powder with mixer to combine.

Add about 5 drops food color and beat until Topping is pink.

Pour over the hot crust.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes until top is golden and topping has set. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Lift foil by ends to cutting board. Cut in 6 rows lengthwise, 8 crosswise to make 48 bars. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Ready to cut