Winter Week #2, 2024-25

Posted on November 17, 2024 by Lyn Jacobs
  • Tomatoes
  • Peppers
  • Hot peppers
  • Leeks
  • Potatoes
  • Fennel 
  • Daikon
  • Kale or collards or chard
  • Herb (thyme, cilantro or parsley)
  • Lettuce
  • Radicchio
  • Shallots
  • Winter squash
  • Cauliflower or cabbage

Here are some of our favorite winter recipes:

Lyn’s Salad Dressing

1 cup olive oil

1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic pressed

Add all ingredients to a Mason jar and cover with a lid.  Shake until creamy and well blended.

 Roasted Cauliflower and Radicchio Salad

1 large head cauliflower (3 to 3 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch-wide florets (9 cups)

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup white-wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

2 heads romaine (2 pounds total), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips

1 large head radicchio (3/4 pound), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips

1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (from 1 bunch)

1/2 cup hazelnuts (2 1/4 ounces), toasted , any loose skins rubbed off in a kitchen towel, and nuts coarsely chopped

Put the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 450°F.

Toss cauliflower with 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Spread in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) and roast, turning over with tongs halfway through roasting, until tender and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes total. Cool in a pan on a rack, then transfer to a large bowl.

Whisk together vinegar, shallot, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl, then add remaining 5 tablespoons oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Add half of the dressing to the cauliflower and toss to coat. Add romaine, radicchio, parsley, half of nuts, and remaining dressing to cauliflower and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with remaining nuts.

Dry Green Pepper Curry

Dry green pepper curry/shaak coated with chickpea flour mix, loaded peanuts, sesame seeds and lots of dry spices!

Prep Time 10 Minutes mins

Cook Time 15 Minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Side DishCuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 5 Green Bell Peppers
  • 3 tbsp Oil
  • ¾ cup Chickpea Flour
  • ½ cup Coarsely Ground Peanuts
  • 2 tbsp White Sesame Seeds
  • 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1 tbsp Dhana Jiru cumin coriander powder
  • 1 tbsp Garam Masala
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • 2 tbsp Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Red Chili Powder
  • 1 cup Water

Instructions

Prepare Chickpea flour mix

  1. Dry roast chickpea flour on low/medium heat until it starts changing color to golden brown. It should take about 3-5 minutes. Keep mixing frequently while you roast it so the bottom part does not burn. 
  2. Add all the spices except sugar. Add ground peanuts and sesame seeds to the flour and mix well. Roast it for another minute. 
  3. Take it off the stove and add sugar. Mix well and keep it aside.

Cook peppers

  1. Heat 3-4 tbsp of oil in a shallow wide non-stick pan.
  2. Once hot, add cubed green bell peppers to it.
  3. Char the peppers on high medium/heat until they start having charred spots on them and half way cooked.
  4. Add chickpea spice mix to the charred peppers. Mix well.
  5. Add 1 cup of water to it and mix well.
  6. Cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until peppers are cooked to your desire and extra moisture from the chickpea mix starts to evaporate, while stirring a few times in between. It should get somewhat dry.
  7. Take it off the heat and serve it hot with some phulka roti, dal and rice!

Mark Bittman Ratatouille with Fennel and ChickPeas

  • 1 pound eggplant (smaller is better), peeled if you like, and cut into large chunks
  • ¾pound zucchini, cut into large chunks
  • 1 pound Roma (plum) tomatoes, cored and chopped, or 1 28-ounce can, drained
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 red or yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and sliced
  • 1 fennel bulb (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into large chunks
  • 5 garlic cloves, halved
  • 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • ¼cup olive oil
  • 3 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, drained
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or rosemary, or ½ cup chopped fresh basil or parsley
    • Step 1
    • Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine all ingredients except oil, chickpeas and herbs in a large roasting pan. Drizzle with oil and toss to combine.
    • Step 2
    • Transfer to the oven and roast, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned and tender and some water has been released from the tomatoes to create a sauce, 30 to 40 minutes.
    • Step 3
    • Add chickpeas, stir and return to the oven until beans heat through, 5 to 10 minutes. Add herbs and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve hot or at room temperature

Curried Winter Squash Soup

Farmer John’s Cookbook, John Peterson

Serves 6-8

  •  3 T unsalted butter
  • 1 cup chopped scallions (about 6)
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 pounds butternut squash, about ½ a large squash, peeled, seeded, cubed
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 14 ounce can whole tomatoes or 2 cups peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes
  • 12 whole curry leaves (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground mace (I skipped this)
  • pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the scallions; sauté until soft and wilted, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the parsley, jalapeno, and garlic,; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Add the squash and toss to coat it with the scallion mixture.  Add the stock, tomatoes, curry leaves, all spice, mace and nutmeg.  Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, covered until the squash is very tender, about 45 minutes.  Let cool slightly.

Transfer the soup in batches to a blender or food processor; puree.

Transfer the soup back to the pot.  Stir in the curry powder and add salt, pepper to taste.  Return the soup to a simmer to heat through.  Garnish with the parsley just before serving.

Parsley-Lemon Dressing

1 c. coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley

1 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 tsp lemon zest

2 Tbs lemon juice

1/4 c olive oil

salt, pepper to taste

Combine in a blender or food processor with a tablespoon or two of

water until very smooth

 Best radicchio salad recipe per the NYT:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018662-radicchio-salad-with-anchovy-vinaigrette

Other radicchio recipes:

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