Roasted Butternut Squash And Cauliflower

Roast these winter vegetables together for ease. 

Store them separately in the fridge. 

Enjoy them in your meals all week. 

~ * ~

The butternut squash tasted great with organic chicken and apple sausage. These pea tendrils I picked up at the farmers' market were very versatile - we've had them in salads and sandwiches, with fish tacos and cod cakes. The butternut squash was handy to have on hand and a nice side dish all week.

Here is roasted cauliflower reheated with some goat cheese as a side dish to roasted pork and carrots. Feta cheese would be a good alternative.

For another side dish, I added walnuts to the roasted garlic with goat cheese.

To roast butternut squash and cauliflower, I placed them in a baking sheet with a touch of olive oil, another healthy high heat oil would be fine, and some seasoning. This time I used just a little salt and pepper and also added some garlic cloves so I'd have them ready to use during the week as well. I roasted everything at 400 degrees in a pre-heated oven. Once the cauliflower started to look golden brown, everything else was done, maybe 15 to 20 minutes. I like the squash soft but not mushy.

Then I stored the roasted vegetables in separate containers until ready to use. I froze the roasted garlic in a small herb jar for later use.

~ * ~

Four Fresh Ideas For Watermelon Radish and Purple Kohlrabi

Vegetables at the farmers' markets this time of year can start looking pretty ugly. But don't judge a vegetable by its skin! They still taste great. Here are a few fresh ideas.

Salad

Here is a pretty salad with shaved watermelon radish and purple kohlrabi over organic romaine lettuce. The skin of both vegetables can be eaten. Wash and trim off the bad spots. If the skin on the kohlrabi is tough, just peel it all off. We'll eat this salad as is or add other toppings and finish it off with our favorite dressing. 

The other night we had a spinach salad with shaved kohlrabi and watermelon radish topped with crumbled leftover salmon and local honey balsamic vinaigrette*.

~ * ~

Carrots
These carrots aren't the most attractive looking but they taste just fine. Clean them, keep skins on for more nutrition and trim off whatever looks bad. Taste. If sweet, the carrots are fine to cook or eat raw in a salad or dip (below), etc. If bitter, they're good to make a vegetable stock.

~ * ~

Snack
Look how beautiful this snack looks. These vegetables make a lovely snack with hummus.

Side Dish
Here is a side dish made by combining the sweet tasting carrots with watermelon radish and purple kohlrabi. I used the wide blade on my shredder to slice them. A mandolin would slice them up very nicely as well. The salad was dressed with rice vinegar, freshly ground pepper, and celery seeds.

Salsa or Relish
Lastly, below is a salsa or relish made with a handful each of watermelon radish and purple kohlrabi, two green apples, a shallot, and a lime. I finely minced the vegetables and shallot together in a small food processor, finely chopped green apples, added cider vinegar, honey and a little sugar, celery seeds, freshly ground pepper, a little salt, and juice from one lime. I used amounts I thought was appropriate and adjusted to taste. I suppose cilantro would taste good here, but I didn't have any.

The salsa/relish made a nice after school snack for the boys with organic non-GMO corn chips.

~ * ~

*The local Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing is made by D.E. Vine Foods in Warwick, RI. This is just something I love and want to share. No compensation was received.

Watermelon radish is milder in flavor than the cherry bomb variety. For a good description of its flavor, click here.

Watermelon radish, purple kohlrabi, and carrots were purchased from Freedom Food Farm at the Hope Artiste Village winter farmers' market.

Kids' Choice Vegetable Quesadillas | Meatless Monday

Last Monday we enjoyed these quesadillas for dinner. They were quick and easy to make and the kids enjoyed picking out some of the veggies. Just about any combination of vegetables can be used. Our combination came mostly from what was on hand that day. I shopped for a few items and I used up the last of my garden tomatoes and green peppers.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with two baking sheets inside.  Grab veggies of your choice and start chopping.

For these quesadillas, I chopped
1 red bell pepper, 
1 small green bell pepper, 
1 medium tomato, 
1 Anaheim chile, 
1 head of broccoli,
a handful of fresh cilantro.

I decided that 1 cup of corn would make a nice addition.

About 1 tablespoon of olive oil was added to a large skillet over medium heat and the vegetables were sautéed a few minutes, just enough to make them soft but not mushy, with about 1/8 teaspoon of chipotle powder for a little smokey flavor.

When the vegetables were done, I stirred in the cilantro, turned off the heat and let the vegetables sit in the skillet while shredding a block of cheddar. I placed 4 flour tortillas on the two preheated baking sheets and sprinkled a small amount of cheese over each tortilla.

Next, the vegetables were evenly spooned onto each tortilla, then more cheese.

They went into the preheated oven and cooked for about 10 minutes, until the cheese melted and the tortillas were crisp. Uh oh, it's getting late and that means bad photography lighting.

The quesadillas were cut into quarters, topped with a dollop of sour cream and a little garnish of left over chopped cilantro.

~ ~ ~

When I was organizing my old recipe clippings a few weeks ago, I was inspired by Martha Holmberg's Farmers' Market Quesadillas in Fine Cooking Magazine, August/September 2007, which can also be found here.

Venus-Is-Out-Tonight Radish, Black Olive, And Feta Salad. A Picnic Game!

What's In A Name 
Radishes
Of the Greek word "Raphanus"
Quickly appearing, matures rapidly
Cultivated for a few months in late spring, early fall
A symbol of spring, of fertile soil
Favored in ancient Roman times
Used as wages, even
Its flesh, the colour of love
Inside, the colour of purity
Venus
The goddess of love and beauty
Originally, the goddess of gardens and vegetation
Associated with the arrival of spring,
Cultivation
A mature woman at birth, Botticelli
Venus
The hottest, brightest planet
Reveals herself for a few hours before dawn,
A few hours after sunset
As a jewel on clear nights
Originally named "Aphrodite" by the Greeks
Later named "Venus" by the Romans

Welcome To A Virtual Picnic!

This picnic game is hosted by Louise who writes the incredible Months of Edible Celebrations. On June 18, it was International Picnic Day and time to begin the Picnic game.

When I decided to play, the letter R for my Radish Salad was already picked so I chose the letter V for my dish after doing some research. I found some amazing facts about the Greek and Roman history of radishes and made some interesting associations with mythology and the planets.

I envisioned a picnic, late in the day, extending into early evening, on a clear night, away from city lights when Venus would shine its brightest. A moment to pause and reflect on the feast, on the ancient root vegetable and its history. The first bite, crisp, peppery, and moist, awakens the senses. A reminder that the earth is good and what comes forth, a blessing.

I'm going on a picnic and bringing:
A-Apricot Cobbler (Mae)

http://maefood.blogspot.com/2011/06/picnic-game-from-louise.html
B-Banana Cream Pie (Marjie)

http://moderndayozzieandharriet.blogspot.com/2011/06/banana-cream-pie.html

C-Cherry Bars in a Jar (Barbara)

http://moveablefeastscookbook.blogspot.com/2011/06/picnic-game-cherry-bars-in-jar.html
D-Diva Doggie Bites (Channon)

http://chanknits.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/picnic-game/

E-Emeril's Strawberry Lemonade (Pattie)
http://pattietierney.blogspot.com/2011/06/emerils-strawberry-lemonade.html 

F-Fingerling Potato Salad w/ Honey-Thyme Vinaigrette (Heather)

http://www.girlichef.com/2011/06/im-going-to-picnic-and-im-bringing.html
G-Gugelhopf Twister (Kristy)

http://kristygourmet.blogspot.com/2011/06/gugelhopf-twister.html
H-Glenda Honey Graham Roll-ups 

http://domesticatedengineer.blogspot.com/2011/06/picnic-time-celebration.html

I-Incredible "Rabbit" Pineapple Tarts (Selba)
http://selbyfood.blogspot.com/2011/06/picnic-day-2011-game.html
J-Jam Jewels (Tiffanee)
http://onecrazycookie.blogspot.com/2011/06/jam-jewels.html
K-Kirschmichel (Petra)
http://petrafoede.de/blog/2011/06/22/aus-omas-kuche-kirschmichel/
L-Lime Cranberry Fizz (Inger)
http://artofnaturalliving.com/2011/06/26/lime-cranberry-fizz-for-a-picnic/
M-Mint Sundae Brownie Squares (Debbie)

http://thefridayfriends.blogspot.com/2011/06/mint-sundae-brownie-squares-for-picnic.html

N-Nice Mini Biscuit Sandwiches (Gloria)

http://canelakitchen.blogspot.com/2011/06/nice-mini-biscuits-sandwich-and-picnic.html
O-Orange Nut Ring (Jana)

http://timetravelkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/06/orange-nut-ring.html
P-Pan-Bagnat Provencal  (Rita)

http://sagecuisine.blogspot.com/2011/06/picnic-and-pan-bagnat-part-1.html
Q-Quick Lemon Bread (Chaya)

http://comfycookc.blogspot.com/2011/06/lemon-bread-annual-picnic.html
R-Rhubarb Ruguh-Love (Yummy Chunklet)

http://yummychunklet.wordpress.com/2011/06/29/the-picnic-day-game/

S-Salmon Salad (Nadine)

http://youlittletarte.blogspot.com/2011/06/picnic-game-get-your-cooler-on.html
T-Tequila Truffles (Janet)

http://dyingforchocolate.blogspot.com/2011/06/t-is-for-tequila-truffles.html

U-Unique Flan (Chaya)

http://bizzybakesb.blogspot.com/2011/06/unique-flan-create-and-taste-louises.html 

V- Venus-Is-Out-Tonight Radish, Black Olive, And Feta Salad
The recipe, Radish And Feta Salad, is from the cookbook "Asparagus To Zucchini", MACSAC

Ingredients:
4 cups thinly sliced radishes
1/2 pound crumbled feta cheese
Sliced black olives (I used pitted Kalamata olives)
Chopped scallions or fresh mint (I used both the first time I made it and just mint the second time)
Lemon vinaigrette

Combine all ingredients. The recipe says to create a lemony vinaigrette but offers no recipe. That's easy enough to make but I decided to simply use the wonderful lemon olive oil I have with fig-infused white balsamic vinegar that I saw Elisabeth use once on Food And Thrifts Finds. It sounded great and I decided to try it.

The lemon olive oil and fig-infused vinegar worked together perfectly. And so simple!

The actual picnic with radish salad, grapes, cherries, Italian cheeses, fig spread, assorted spreads: tomato with artichoke, smoked salmon with spinach, feta hummus, assorted nuts . . .

It wasn't long before the White Mountain rains came . . .

Our picnic at the hemlocks' edge was quickly abandoned . . .

Venus won't be out this night, but she'll be with us in spirit. We continued indoors . . .

And The Virtual Picnic Continues 
Visit Months of Edible Celebrations to see the picnic roundup, including W, X, Y and Z.

* * *

"Though the day still lingers, 

the rose-scattering fire 

of the evening star 

already scintillates through the azure sky" 

~ Willem Kloos (1859-1938, Dutch poet and essayist)

* * *

An Epic Meal And Andy's Tinto de Primavera

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, 

it would be a merrier world" 

~ J.R.R. Tolkien

Epicurus

Epicurean

Epicure

~ Epic ~


April's Sunday Supper
"Seder Re-Mixed"


Aperitif
"Tinto de Primavera"
with Salt and Lemon Foam

Matzo Ball Soup
Spinach, saffron broth
~
Rock Art Brewery Barn Raising Brown Ale (American Brown Ale)

Seder Plate Bento Box
Beet soup shooter, garlic mushrooms, apricot charoset,
horseradish deviled egg
~
Vermont Pub & Brewery Burly Irish (Irish Red Ale)

Intermezzo
Farnum Hill Farmhouse Cider (Sparking Cider)

Chicken Tagine
Spring vegetables, smoked paprika, local herbs
~
Rock Art Brewery Vermonster (American Barleywine)

Fourth Course
Aunt Carolyn's flourless chocolate cake
Caramel meringue cookies
~
Upside-down coffee shooter

Andy's Tinto de Primavera with Salt and Lemon Foam

Base

3 part Kosher Cabernet Sauvignon

1 part soda water

1 part lemon-lime soda

(pin of citric acid)

Foam

4 medium lemons, juiced

1.25 cups water

2 tsp sea salt

1 spt soy lecithin

Method

Combine the base over ice cubes in a rocks glass, then blitz the foam mixture with an immersion blender.  Spoon the resulting foam over the base.

 ~ Epic ~