Roasted Kohlrabi Vinaigrette

Ingredients: 1 lb Kohlrabi bulbs

1 Tbs malt vinegar

1 clove garlic

About 10 fresh basil leaves

¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for roasting Kohlrabi

1 cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Remove the kohlrabi leaves and reserve for the salad or for cooking later. Remove the peel and cut kohlrabi into 1-inch chunks. Place in a baking dish and drizzle with a little olive oil then season with salt and Pepper.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 1 hour, or until the tips begin to caramelize.

Remove from the oven and place the cooked kohlrabi in a blender with the water, garlic, and vinegar. Puree until smooth. Add the basil leaves and olive oil. Blend on low until combined, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh salad greens, radishes, pickled beets and toasted pecans.

Curried Radish Salad: Fresh or Fermented

Ingredients:

3-4 bunches of Easter Egg Radishes

1 bulb of fresh garlic (about 10 cloves)

1-2 fresh hot red chilies

Other root vegetables like carrots, turnips, etc.

3 Tbs canning or pickling salt

1 quart water

1 Tbs coriander seeds

1 Tbs fenugreek powder

1 Tbs turmeric powder

Method:

Combine the salt with one quart of water until the salt is completely dissolved.

Puree the chilies with the garlic and a little water until it forms a smooth paste.

Wash and trim the vegetables, removing the stem and root ends. With the grater or julienne attachment on a food processor, shred the radishes, carrots, and turnips.

Place the vegetables in a large bowl and cover with the salt brine.

Let the vegetables soak in the salt brine for about 30 minutes, then pour off about a cup or so of the brine and set aside. Then pour the vegetables into a colander and rinse well with cold water. Press out any excess moisture.

Place the vegetables in a large bowl and combine with the garlic and chili paste as well as the spices.  You may want to use disposable gloves while mixing, depending on the heat level of your chilies.

You can eat the salad fresh as it is, or as a fresh chutney or condiment with sandwiches, soups, or proteins.  It is highly flavored as a fresh salad, but if you choose to ferment the salad, then the spicy flavors will mellow as it becomes more sour through fermentation.

To ferment the salad, pack tightly into a quart jar, being careful to press out air bubbles with each inch or two that you scoop into the jar. Leave about two inches of head space in the jar, then pour a little of the leftover soaking brine over the top. Wipe the inside of the jar mouth with a clean cloth to remove any exposed vegetables or spice paste. Cover with the lid and ring, then leave the jar out at room temperature (not in direct sunlight) for several days, and up to several weeks. Check every day or so to make sure the vegetables are submerged in the brine and not exposed to air. Bubbles should form in the jar when the fermentation process is active.

When the salad is sour enough to your taste, pour off any extra brine, then refrigerate.

Soul Food Long Beans

Towards the end of the fall season beans and greens can sometimes have a more fibrous texture as the plants respond to the change in weather. Comfort-food cooking methods that have more liquid and a longer cooking time are great for late-season vegetables like these. It may not be trendy to boil vegetables, but some of the traditional methods of braising or simmering greens and beans come from centuries of eating seasonally and finding ways to enjoy everything the crops have to offer. Braising or boiling does not have to be bland. If you are looking for the right spice blend to give some kick to your late season greens and beans, the ladies at Seasonest in Atlanta have developed a line of seasoning blends made from fresh, organic, non-GMO, gluten-free ingredients. The Soul Food blend was perfected by their father who wanted more of the traditional flavors without the additives, preservatives, and sodium commonly found in seasoning blends.  Their line of all-natural seasoning and spice blends are available at many Whole Foods and Fresh Market locations in Georgia and South Carolina, as well as the Chattanooga Market, or online through the Seasonest website.

Ingredients:

1 lb Asian long green beans

1/4 lb bacon

1 Tbs Seasonest Soul Food seasoning

2 cups water

Pickled banana peppers and soft boiled or poached eggs for garnish (optional)

Method:

Trim the long beans to your desired length, then set aside. Cut the bacon into 1 inch pieces then fry it in a heavy bottomed braising skillet or saucepan large enough to hold the volume of the beans. When the bacon is cooked, drain off any excess fat (but leave enough for sauteing the beans). Then add the beans and seasoning and saute for a few minutes. Add the water and cover the pan with a lid. Let the liquid come to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the beans are as tender as you like them.

Add more seasoning and salt to taste, then serve with pickled banana peppers and a soft boiled egg.

Burmese-Style Stuffed Butternut Squash Curry

This recipe has traveled around the world through many hands. Pumpkin curries are popular in much of Asia, and can be found with a variety of ingredients and flavors. The dark green skinned kabocha squash is the most common "pumpkin" used in these recipes, but butternut squash works quite well. The small ones are especially well suited for serving single portions stuffed inside the squash. The particular recipe and method listed below came from a Swiss friend named Jerome Gauthey who has spent a year or so working at an orphanage for refugee children in Thailand. And it was his friend and co-worker from Burma who shared the meal with the staff and children whenever there were occasions for celebration. It's a simple recipe that makes use of fresh winter squash, onion, loads of garlic, and a common Thai seasoning blend called Ros Dee. It's hard to know exactly what is in the seasoning packet, but it's essentially pork bouillon, salt, garlic powder, and various umami flavor enhancers.  Ros Dee may be available at your local Asian market, but a good substitute could be homemade pork or chicken broth and plenty of salt. And don't be afraid to assemble your own flavors. Many pumpkin curry recipes also use turmeric, ginger, kafir lime leaves and coconut milk for a sweeter taste.

Ingredients:

6-8 small butternut squash

2 lbs boneless chicken thighs

3 stalks fresh lemongrass

1 large onion

6-8 cloves of fresh garlic

Salt

Oil

Green and red Thai chilies (to taste), plus one small red or yellow onion

*Ros Dee Seasoning, or use pork or chicken broth

 

*Ros Dee Pork Seasoning

Method:

Mince the small onion and about 6-8 Thai chilies. Combine in a bowl with some salt and mash with a mortar & pestle to release their oils and combine the flavors. Set aside.

Cut the neck end of the squash away from the bulbous end, then carefully peel the squash and remove the seeds. The seeded bulb end will be used as bowls for the curry, and can be decorated by cutting slits or designs into them with a sharp knife.

Place the squash "bowls" on a parchment-lined baking dish and set aside. Chop the remaining stem-ends of the squash into bite sized chunks,  cut the chicken thighs into bite sized pieces, slice the large yellow onion into wedges, and mince the garlic. Trim the lemongrass, using the white root ends for the curry. Cut into 3-4 inch pieces.

In a heavy bottomed stock pot, cook the chicken on medium-high heat with a little oil until it is almost cooked through. Add the onion and garlic and continue to cook while stirring until the onions are tender.  Stir in the squash chunks, Ros Dee Seasoning and 1 cup of water (or broth) and lemongrass. Cover and simmer until the squash is tender, but not mushy.

Season to taste with salt and more Ros Dee, garlic or chopped chilies.

Scoop the chicken and squash mixture into the squash "bowls" and return to the baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or until the squash bowls are fork tender.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice and onion and chili garnish.

Potato and Kale Hashbrown Fritters

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 lbs new potatoes

one medium or large yellow onion

1 bunch of kale, chopped

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg

Kosher salt

Black Pepper

1/4  cup canola oil, plus extra for frying

Method:

Shred or grate potatoes in a food processor or with a cheese grater. Place in a large bowl with salted cold water. Let them soak for at least 15 minutes, and up to an hour. Slice the onion into thin strips, and finely chop the kale. Drain the potatoes well, or spread out on a clean cloth and pat dry. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Coat the bottom of a heavy skillet in about 1/4 inch of oil and heat on medium-high heat, but do not let it smoke. Add spoonfuls of the potato mixture to the hot oil and fry on both sides until golden brown. Place on absorbent paper towel to cool.

Garnish with pickled banana peppers and Salmorejo, Tomato and Sweet Pepper Ketchup, or Sweet Pepper Sauce:

Sweet Pepper Sauce:

1 Cup of oven roasted sweet peppers and onions*

Juice from 1/2 lemon or lime

1/4 cup canola or light olive oil

1/2 tsp paprika or smoked paprika

Salt to taste

Method:

Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and thick.  Add a little water if necessary.

*To make the roasted peppers and onions, remove stems and seeds from sweet peppers, then slice.  Toss together with sliced yellow onion, a little oil and season with salt. Bake at 375 degrees until the peppers and onions have browned on the tips.