Sweet Potatoes from the Farm

On one of my trips this summer to Amawalk Farm I noticed they had a potato patch growing.

Sweet potatoes to be exact. It was the first time they were trying them and at the time, they were not exactly sure what they would be getting in the Fall. Never fear ... the yield was magnificent. Beautiful and delicious sweet potatoes! I went back in October and bought 20 pounds!

So what exactly are they, and how are they different from yams? The names seem to be used interchangeably by many people and they kind of look similar, right? Well, not really. First, they hail from different parts of the world: yams from Africa and Asia, and sweets from South America. Yams are dry and starchier in texture, where sweets are, well sweeter and creamier. So there is really no need to add sugar, or even marshmallows, which I think mask their beautiful flavor in the end. Sweets are loaded with great nutrients: complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene, Vitamins A, B6, C, Iron, Calcium ... wow!

I've been literally planning this post for months, truth be told. Ever since I saw the patch of leaves growing at Amawalk, I knew I wanted to create something with this great veggie. This week I have four different ways to use your sweet potatoes. A couple are inspired by recipes I came across in my research and a couple from experimenting!

First up is Sweet Potato Hash. One of Larry's favorite dishes. There once was a little restaurant in Port Chester named the Crossroads Cafe, who made his favorite rendition of this dish. They closed several years ago and ever since I've been trying to replicate it. He thinks this one came very close!

I have no real recipe for this, only general amounts. For four servings I used 1 small onion (about a cup) diced, 1 pound of sweet potatoes cubed, one pound of Gaia's Breath Farm Boudin Blanc Sausage, a bunch of their red kale and eggs.

After sautéing the onion with extra virgin olive oil, I added the sweet potatoes and cooked until they got nice and crisp. In another pan I cooked the sausage. Once the sweets were done I added the sausage to them and the finely sliced kale and wilted it. Then I made four little wells right in the pan, adding a bit of oil to keep them from sticking, and crack the eggs right in. Cover and cooked for about 3 minutes. To make life super easy I just move the whole pan to the table and served. Delicious!

Moving on to lunch I decided to make a soup. I have a really wonderful book by vegetarian cookbook author Anna Thomas, called Love Soup. She has a kale and sweet potato recipe in the book that I slightly adapted. The recipe is below, but basically this one is leek, sweet potato, Yukon gold potato and kale. I used half the kale she suggests and chicken stock in mine.

With Thanksgiving around the corner I was determined to do something other than gob up these beautiful potatoes with marshmallows. As a kid growing up the 60s and 70s never a Thanksgiving would pass without my Grandmother taking sweet potatoes from a can, covering them with marshmallows and broiling. Even back then I knew there was something just so wrong about that! (Sorry Grandma!) This year we'll be heading to my Aunt Donna's house and I promised my cousin Maria that I would make them sans marshmallows!

After noodling around on the web I kept coming up with a recipe that Mark Bittman created for Cooking Light last year. Link after link touted this recipe. All I needed to see was his name and how could I go wrong? The only thing I changed from his original recipe was doubling the cranberry sauce  and adding some beets. I was just too amazing to not have more! The garnish is pepita seeds (picture above) that are toasted and scallions. 

I also want to show you a little trick for chipotle peppers, that also works with tomato paste. Drop them on a sheet of plastic wrap and cover. Then place in a freezer bag. Snip the sections off as needed, straight from the freezer!

Back to this dish: you can make it as spicy or mild as you like - but do use the chipotle peppers. The contrast to spicy and sweet is what makes it so special. I had some beets in the 'fridge and added them as well, but simply using the sweets is just perfect!

Last, but not least, a Sweet Potato Pie. I found lots of recipes in books and on line - but I let my creativity lead me on this one! I wanted to really mix up the spices and let the crust do a little of the heavy lifting, too. After taste testing several ginger snap cookies I found the Walker brand to have the best flavor. I combined them with unsweetened coconut and butter. The crust is sticky, so keeping it cold and having patience is a must!

While my potatoes were baking I worked on the crust. Here is a little tip I use when teaching kids to roll out crust: I place it in a big zip lock bag, cutting the sides open and roll. This method works beautifully with sticky doughs!

I added ricotta cheese to the filling which gave it texture and richness, along with Chinese Five Spice which worked beautifully with the crust.

It's a must to left this completely cool and pop in the 'fridge to set up. The crust is a bit crumbly straight from the oven. I promise you won't be disappointed! The result is amazing ... warm, spicy and exotic!

I hope you will give a few, if not all of these a try. If I were to choose one I would suggest the cranberry chipotle recipe. They are completely addictive!

Buon Appetito!

Kale and Sweet Potato Soup (adapted from Love Soup by Anna Thomas)
Makes 2 quarts

2 cups thinly sliced leek, white and light green only, about 2
1½ cups Vidalia onion, ¼” dice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly grated black pepper
2 cups sweet potato, ½“ dice, about 2 medium sweet potatoes
1 cup Yukon gold or white potato, 1/2“ dice
6 cups thinly sliced kale, about 6oz.
½ cup thinly sliced scallion, divided
1½ tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1½ cups vegetable or chicken stock
Zest 1 medium lemon
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Thoroughly rinse the leek under cool water to get rid of all the sand that might be lurking about. In a heavy bottom pot over medium heat sweat the onion with ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper. Once they get translucent add in the leeks and cook for about 10 minutes until they get caramelized.

Add in 5 cups of water, the sweet potato, Yukon gold potato, kale and 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/5 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.

Add ¼ cup scallion, thyme, stock, lemon zest and juice. Simmer another 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cranberry-Chipotle Dressing (adapted from a Cooking Light recipe by Mark Bittman)
Serves 8

2½ lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ cup fresh cranberries
½ cup water
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon chipotle chile, finely minced, (canned variety)
½ cup pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
¾ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 450°.

Place sweet potatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until tender, turning after 15 minutes.

Place remaining 1 tablespoon oil, cranberries, water, and honey in a saucepan. Add chopped chipotle and 1 teaspoon adobo sauce. Place pan over medium-low heat; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes or until cranberries pop, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Mash with a potato masher or fork until chunky.

Place pepitas in a medium skillet; cook over medium heat 4 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan frequently. Combine potatoes, pepitas, onions, and cilantro in a bowl. Add cranberry mixture to bowl; toss gently to coat.

Cooks Note: Feel free to also add beets to this recipe. Just make sure you cut them the same size as the potatoes to ensure even cooking.


Spiced Sweet Potato-Ricotta Pie with a Ginger-Coconut Crust
Makes 1 - 9” pie

2 lbs sweet potatoes, approximately 3 cups
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup whole milk ricotta
3 whole eggs
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Rinse the sweet potatoes and place on a foil lined cookie sheet in a pre-heated 425 degree oven. Bake until the center is soft, about 30-45 minutes, depending on the size. Remove from oven slit open and allow the potatoes to cool. When cool enough to handle scoop out the center and place in a bowl, discarding the skin.
Cooks note: skip down to the crust recipe at this point and start working on it.

When the potatoes are completely cool place in the bowl of an automatic mixer. Using the paddle attachment beat the potatoes on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar, ricotta and eggs and continue to beat for 3-4 minutes. Add the salt, vanilla and spices blending well.

Place the filling into a cold Gingersnap-Coconut pie-crust shell (recipe below) and smooth out the top. Bake in a pre-heat 375 degree oven for 40 - 50 minutes, or until the filling is set and an knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and allow to cool completely. The crust sets up the best if you cool and place in the ‘fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Serve with freshly whipped heavy cream, or simply by itself.


Ginger-Coconut Crust
Makes 1 pie crust

9 Walkers Stem Ginger Biscuits
¼ cup all purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened coconut
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 stick of butter, frozen and chopped up
1-2 tablespoons ice water

Break up the biscuits and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 3 or 4 times and add in the flour, coconut and salt. Process until the cookies are finely chopped. Remove and measure. You should have 1¼ cups of dry mix. If not, add a little more flour to have it equal 1¼ cup. Place back into the food processor. Add in the frozen butter pieces and pulse 5-10 times or just until the butter is incorporated into to the dry mix. Open the lid and drizzle in 1 tablespoon of water, then pulse 1 time. If the mix needs a bit more to pull together add another tablespoon.

Remove the dough and place on a cutting board. Working quickly form it into a disk and place in a large zip lock bag and set in the ‘fridge to chill.

When the dough is firm after about 15-20 minutes) take the bag and slit the sides, keeping the dough inside. Roll the dough to ¼” thick. Place on a cookie sheet and put back in the ‘fridge to chill for about 5 minutes.

Once it’s cold again, but slightly pliable peel back one side of the plastic and place in a metal pie plate. Press down slightly. Gently peel back the other side of the plastic and discard. Working quickly, with damp fingers smooth out the dough in the pan. When it looks smooth and even take the plate and put in the freezer until ready to bake.

Cooks note: Don’t despair if the dough gets a little sticky on you. The cooler it is, the easier to manage – hence the in and out in the ‘fridge. I promise that patience will be rewarded with a very delicious crust!

Recipe created by Maria Reina of Bella Cucina Maria.

Fingerlings and Sprouts

It's been quite a couple of weeks for many of us in the Northeast. Hurricane Sandy swept through and left a path of heartbreaking destruction to millions. Many friends and family close to us were affected as we watched helplessly from afar. Most have had their power restored, but the clean-up continues. I send warm vibes from my kitchen for a speedy recovery to all.

Just before the hurricane hit I took a run down to the Larchmont Farmers Market to pick up my CSA Basket from Gaia's Breath Farm. At the Newgate Farms table I picked up a very cool Brussels sprout branch and fingerlings from Gaia's Breath. The hurricane hit Westchester around dinner time on the 29th and at just about 5:30 our lights flickered a few times and went out. Not to come back for many days. I literally was just about to start up some dinner for us, so I switched gears quickly pulling out my camp stove. I lovingly call it my "Barbie Doll Camp Stove" used exclusively for my Farmers Market demos. As luck would have it, several days before JL and her husband Dave came for dinner and she brought me 3 butane canisters. (Golden!) I had a little leftover rotisserie chicken and salad, so we were good to go.

Before I get into the recipe, lets talk about the sprouts. When speaking of them to people I find their reaction similar to beets. People either love them, or hate them. There are plenty of recipes in books and on-line, but typically you see them roasted or sauteed in some kind of fat: extra virgin or pork; then tossed with a vinegar like balsamic or citrus. I've even seen them tossed in a dijon marinade and roasted. The goal is to get them deliciously golden brown and crisped, or caramelized.  I decided to go simple that night since I was working by candlelight and lantern!

I also had a bag of fingerling potatoes that I need to get cooked up as well, so I thought "why not combine them?"  Fingerling potatoes are beautiful little spuds that look like stubby fingers, hence the name! Since they are small the cook quickly and have a lovely creamy center. They tend to be a little more expensive that other potatoes, so generally you don't see these ones pureed into soups. They are just too pretty to not eat in their natural state.

I had a combo of colors on my fingerlings: white, pink and purple. Since we were eating in semi-darkness I decided to save the pretty  colored ones for later and just used the whites.

With time not on my side that night I wanted to get everything cooked up quickly. (I needed to be judicious in my butane use!) So I decided to blanch the potatoes and sprouts first, then sauté to finish cooking and add a beautiful golden color.

I really have no real recipe for this other than I cut the potatoes into 2" slices. The sprouts were small enough to just clean and keep whole. I blanched them separately in boiling salted water for 2 minutes each and drained. I sautéed a shallot in a little olive oil until it became soft and then added the potatoes and sprouts.

I'm going to share one of my little secrets with you. I keep a package of pre-cooked bacon in the freezer. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE cooking up bacon and pancetta for all sorts of dishes, but every now and then Larry and I have a hankering for a BLT sandwich and the last thing I'm interested in doing is cooking 6 slices of bacon for a sandwich. The pre-cooked variety is fast and easy!

While I was sautéing the potatoes and sprouts Larry asked me if I was sautéing them with pancetta (his favorite) and when I said "no" I got the sad-puppy-dog eyes, so I reached for the pre-cooked bacon. I chopped and tossed in a few slices and they crisped up beautifully!

This super simple dish literally came together in just under 20 minutes - maybe 30 minutes tops. While the sauté was happening I made a salad and sliced up a little chicken. A perfect storm meal!

After the power was restored I celebrated by cranking up the oven and roasting a few things. The rest of my fingerings included! This is just about the easiest way to prepare them: slice them in half lengthwise and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and an assortment of fresh herbs.

I happened to have a little sage, thyme and rosemary handy, but you can use whatever you have. You can even use dry herbs too. I decided to toss in some sliced shallot and garlic, just because I had them - but you can go straightforward with just the spuds. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees and lay all the potatoes cut-side down on the tray. That way you will get the cut side crisped!

Once they are done toss with a little fresh parsley, a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of oil. Simple and delicious!

This month I'm devoting my posts mainly to potatoes and showing you some simple and easy side dishes for the holidays. I hope you will give these two tasty veggies above a try, and look for sweet potatoes next week!

Buon Appetito


Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Fresh Herbs
Serves 4 - 6

1/2 cup sliced shallot
3-6 whole garlic cloves
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly grated black pepper
2 tablespoons of finely minced fresh herbs: sage, rosemary and or thyme, or 1 tablespoon of Herbs de Provence
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, garnish
2 lbs of fingerling potatoes, cleaned and sliced lengthwise

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and lightly oil a heavy, rimmed baking sheet.

In a large bowl toss the potatoes, shallot and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and the fresh herbs. (Reserve the parsley for later.) Lay the potatoes out on the sheet, cut side down and spread the onion and garlic around.

Reduce the heat to 425 degrees and bake the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, or until they are tender and the cut side is golden and crisp. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Toss with a little olive oil, salt and parsley and serve.

Squash vs Pumpkin - Part 2

Cue the Charlie Brown music, and let's talk about pumpkins. Unlike Linus' ongoing vigil in the pumpkin patch waiting on the Great Pumpkin, we do in fact have this glorious fruit (yes, it is botanically a fruit) appear every year in the Fall. Pumpkins are loaded with all kinds of nutrients: they have high levels of Vitamin A, Folate and Fiber, low in calories and zero fat or cholesterol. Another one of our favorite "super foods!"

Jaspee Vendee (on right) from Gaia's Breath Farm

Pumpkins come in many shapes and sizes and are used in a variety of ways: baked, roasted and pureed. I considered doing a fun dessert, but that just seemed a little too easy. So putting my thinking cap on this week I came up with two different soups and a stew to share with you. This week was special not only because I was on a creative streak with my pumpkin recipes, but because Larry and I were having dinner with my fellow Small Bites blogger JL Fields, and her husband Dave.

With JL Fields and Liz Johnson at the John Jay Farm Market 

JL and I were thrown together quite by chance and all thanks to Liz Johnson. We met this summer in a whirlwind Throwdown Competition that basically came out of an email exchange about recipes. She and Dave are on their “Farewell to NY Tour” at the moment, getting ready to move to Colorado in a few short weeks. While we’ve just become new friends it was an honor for me to have her dine with us recently.

I don’t profess to know all that it takes to be vegan, that is her bailiwick, but she has educated me on many things vegan, and I am so very grateful. Food is one of the few things in humanity that crosses all cultures, preferences and classes. We all need to eat to survive. Since I entered the world of food as a career I have such a different appreciation of ingredients and preparation.

Cinderella Pumpkin from Gaia's Breath Farm

That said, I was on a recipe-creating streak this week and I came up with three interesting ways to use two different types of pumpkins. Both that I used came directly from Gaia's Breath Farm, through my CSA Basket. However, you can easily use the store bought variety, and even substitute with butternut squash. The only thing I would suggest is using a smaller sized pumpkin. They are sweeter and less fibrous. The gigantic ones are really only good for carving, in my opinion. The flavor level is very low. The other suggestion would be to not use the canned variety in these recipes either.

So let’s get to it! In both soup variations I start off the same way: sautéing the onions with olive oil.

Then adding the spices, liquid and pumpkin.

Pumpkin Apple Soup

Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup

In the two recipes I suggest pureeing all for one of them, and partially for the other. It’s completely up to what you like. The one that I pureed partially will give you a thinner soup base with the pretty pumpkin cubes visible.

My other recipe was created for our dinner with JL and Dave. First off, yes, it’s made with meat, but that was the plan. She made a very tasty chili using lentils, kale and squash and here is the recipe.

Mine is inspired from Williams Sonoma, of all places! I am always trolling around that web site looking at gadgets and cookware. I came across a recipe on their web site and decided to play with it a bit changing up a few things that I had in my pantry.

Stews are just about the best thing to make in the Fall and Winter months. Not only are they a One-Pot meal, which is big plus, but they are dishes that you can cook on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon while you are doing other things around the house. From a big pot you can have dinner for a couple of nights during the week easily and you can change it up by serving them plain, over rice, noodles or polenta.

First you brown the meat, then saute the onions and deglaze with wine. Then the liquids, meat and pumpkin go back in, bring to a boil and head to the oven.

After several hours of cooking out came my delicious stew and garnished with fresh parsley.

Pork, Pumpkin and Apple Stew

I hope these recipes will inspire you to head to the pumpkin patch at your local farmers market, or produce aisle. I would also like to take a moment to wish those hit by Hurricane Sandy a speedy recovery and all a Happy Halloween. Keep an eye out for the Great Pumpkin tonight!

Buon Appetito!

Pumpkin Apple Soup
Makes 1 quart

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ cup Vidalia onion, about ½ onion
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
1 cup apple cider
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 lb. pumpkin, about 4 cups, chopped 2” pieces
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
2 whole sage leaves
1 sprig thyme
Kettle Corn, (sweet and salty popcorn), optional garnish

Place a small heavy bottom pot over medium heat and add the oil and onion along with ¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the apple cider, stock, pumpkin and apple and mix to combine. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Add the herbs and cook until the pumpkin and apple are soft. If you can take the back of a spoon and press the pumpkin up against the side of the pot you know it’s done.

Remove from heat and allow it to cool slightly. Fish out one of the sage leaves and the thyme branch. Using an immersion or regular blender puree the soup until smooth. Taste for seasoning and serve warm.

Just for fun I topped mine with a few kettle corn popcorn kernels for a cute garnish!

Cooks Note: the pumpkin I used for this recipe came from the part that was leftover from the stew below. 

Thai Pumpkin Soup
Makes about 2 quarts

1 ½ cup leeks, sliced thin and rinsed well
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Kosher salt
White Pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 13oz can Lite Coconut Milk
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
12 cups pumpkin, 4 lb size, peeled, seeded and cut in 1½ -2” cubes
2 dried Thai chilis (3 if you like it really spicy!)
Zest and juice of 1 orange, divided and set aside
¼ cup chopped cilantro plus more for garnish
Shaved unsweetened coconut, lightly toasted, for garnish

In a heavy bottom pot over medium heat sauté the leeks and garlic with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and white pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent, but not brown.

Add the ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, stock, pumpkin and chilis. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Add ½ teaspoon of zest and 2 tablespoons of the juice. (Save the remaining for later.) Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender, but not completely falling apart.

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Scoop out about two-thirds of the pumpkin cubes and set aside. Add the cilantro to the pot and puree until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper and the remaining orange zest and juice if desired. Add back the pumpkin cubes you removed. Serve warm and garnish with shaved coconut and cilantro.

Cooks note: If desired you can puree all of the pumpkin too. The version I have above will give you a little more texture and looks pretty with the cubes.

Pork, Pumpkin and Apple Stew
Serves 8

4 lb. boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ Vidalia onions, diced
3 – 4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup white wine
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 15oz. can Hunts Fire Roasted Tomatoes with juices
3 lb pumpkin, peeled and diced into 1 1/2 " pieces
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 cup apple cider
3 cups chicken stock
½ cup chopped parsley

Preheat an oven to 325°.

Season the pork with salt and black pepper. In a 7-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, coat the bottom with olive oil. Working in batches, brown the pork on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes per batch, transferring each batch to a bowl, and adding more oil as needed. Reduce the heat to medium and with 2 tablespoons of oil sauté the onion and garlic until golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes. Deglaze with the wine and reduce for about 2 minutes.

Add the ginger, tomato paste, cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, cloves and red pepper flakes. Stir constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar and cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the apple, tomatoes, pumpkin, sage, apple cider, stock and pork with the juices. Mix well. Bring to a boil and season with 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Cover the pot and place in the preheated oven. Cook until the pork is fork-tender and falling apart, 2½ to 3 hours. Remove from oven and pull apart the pork with a fork and gently mix throughout the stew. Mix in the parsley and serve either simply alone or over polenta, rice or noodles.

Winter Squash vs Pumpkin, Part 1

Before I get to the topic at hand I want to share my little adventure this past weekend. Larry and I found ourselves with, as he likes to say, an "unprogrammed day." Between both of our schedules which seem to be packed these days, we rarely find ourselves with a mutually free Saturday.  Earlier in the week I took a run up to Amawalk Farm, in Katonah, to pick up a big load of their sweet potatoes. (I'm going to be featuring them in my blog next month, and of course there is Thanksgiving right around the corner.) While I was there Marian Cross, co-owner of the farm, invited Larry and me to come back on Saturday to help plant garlic. This was of course something I've never done, and was completely intrigued. After a quick review of the our calendars we were both "in."

I've had the great good fortune of collaborating over the past year and half with a handful of farms in New York and Connecticut. All thanks to my farmers market demos. Newgate Farm in Windsor, CT, Cabbage Hill Farm in Mt. Kisco, Gaia's Breath Farm in Jordanville, NY (and also my CSA) and last Amawalk Farm.  I am continually awed by their incredible passion and love for what they do. It's hard, laborious work, many times finding themselves at the whim of Mother Nature. In a blink of an eye they can loose animals and crops to viruses or bugs. Marian and her husband Larry Cross were recounting to us on Saturday how they lost their raspberry patch to a nasty stinkbug with no hope of bringing them back. You could see the sadness in their eyes.

Back to garlic planting! When we arrived the field was ready for us to plant. The bed had 18 rows, each row divided into 3. We basically dropped the clove in and covered it with soil. 

After all the rows were completed they rolled a big drum over them to really press the dirt down. In a few weeks the bed will be covered with straw and the cloves will get to work. From 250 pounds of garlic planted they yield over a 1,000 pounds! I'm actually quite excited to go back in the spring to see their progress. It was a fun day all around the the weather spectacular for mid-October.

I even came across this gorgeous orange orb spider. It was hard to miss against the plain dirt. 

Autumn is in definitely full swing. The leaves are turning bright beautiful shades of gold and red then falling from the trees. I'm sad to see the summer fading quickly, but excited about all the new vegetables cropping up. Potatoes of all kinds and squash, to name just a few. This week and next I'm going separate the story of squash in to two parts: winter squash and pumpkin. Both are used somewhat interchangeably, but they are slightly  different. Let's look at squash first. Squash is broken down into generally two categories: summer and winter. A few months ago if you remember, I did a story on summer squash. One of the first differences between them is the thickness of the skin. Zucchini and yellow squash have a very thin outer skin. So much so that you can eat it raw if the vegetable is young enough, and certainly if cooked. Winter squash skin is pretty much not good eats. It's much thicker and when cooked gets crispy and hard. The inside is fairly different as well. The seeds in the summer variety are small and soft, almost indiscernible when cooked. The winter variety are larger and most definitely tough and bitter. They can be eaten, but only after being toasted.

(clock wise starting at the top) Spaghetti, Acorn, Delicata and Amber Cup Squash 

At a recent visit to the Rye Farmers Markets I picked up severable varieties to play with. I did a simple oven roast on the Amber Cup, Acorn and Delicata, as you can see. All you need to do is cut in half, scoop out the seeds, drizzle with a little oil oil, salt and pepper and place in a 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Let me also add that you should make it a practice to wash all of your fruits and veggies before cutting. Any dirt that is lurking on the skin will dive right to the center along with your knife. 

For the amber cup and delicata I simply filled them with homemade applesauce and couscous. The couscous recipe you can find on my recipe page tab to the right. I used the same filling for a lita squash. Or you can just scoop out the soft center and enjoy as is! 

This week I have a quick and easy stew to show you. The squash I used for this one is butternut. The idea for this came after I got a request by Liz Johnson, from the Journal News. She did a story on slow cooker stews for Halloween and wanted to include a recipe from me.

As usual I was looking to ramp things up in the flavor category, so I decided my base would be chipotle. I love cooking with them, cooked, dried and powdered. They add a warm smoky flavor with a nice after-kick. A little goes a long way, so use carefully.

I started my stew with a base of celery, carrot and onion.

To that I mixed in the cut of veggies along with salt and pepper. Remember to season as you place in the cooker. You don't really get a chance to taste as this is cooking.

Then the chicken. I used thighs for this recipe so the meat would not dry out and taste like little rocks! Your stock goes in last and the timer is set!

This can all be pre-prepped before starting to cook, just keep the chicken separate from the veggies until you are ready to go.

In the last hour of cooking I decided to toss in a little brown rice. You can accomplish this step with a little pre-planning if cooking overnight. Start the timer so that last hour works out to the the time you get up. Then zip down to the kitchen and add the rice.

Here is my finished stew: smoky, tangy ... and a departure from the usual!

Just a quick note to let you know that I have some new cooking classes coming up at Tarry Market. In particular this coming Friday I have a new Kids Class. Check the calendar on line for details. You can also find information on classes on my website too.

Buon Appetito!

Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken and Butternut Squash Stew

Makes 6-8 servings

6 boneless chicken thighs, about 1¾ lb

1 celery stalk, ¼” dice

1 carrot, ½” dice

8 oz of small white onions (boilers), cleaned and cut in half

1 – 12 oz bag of little sweet peppers (Lil’ Sweeties), seeded and cut in half

1 -2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

½ lb tomatillos, about 2, cut into 1” cubes

½ lb tomatoes, about 2, cut into 1” cubes

2 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2” cubes

1 quart of low sodium chicken stock

1 chipotle in adobo, finely minced, about 1 tablespoon

Zest and juice of one lime

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

¼ cup brown rice, optional, see note below

Cut the chicken in to 2” pieces, season with ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper and set aside.

Place the celery, carrot, onion, pepper, garlic, tomatillo and tomatoes in a, 5 quart slow cooker and combine well with 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper.  Add the squash and chicken and mix everything together.

In a large mixing bowl combine the chicken stock, chipotle, lime zest and juice and pour into the pot.

Set on low heat for 8 hours.  After it finishes cooking allow the stew to cool completely, if not eating right away, and place in refrigerator.

Reheat in the oven or microwave and serve over rice or egg noodles

  

Cook’s notes: * You can prep all the ingredients ahead of time just keep the chicken separated until you are ready to cook.

* If cooking over night start cooking at a time that will allow you the ability to have 30-45 min to cool down before placing in the refrigerator.

* To make the stew a little heartier add ¼ cup of brown rice in the last hour of cooking.