Risotto with Kabota Squash

We happened to get Kabota squash in our share from New Roots last summer, a new variety for us. I've used it in a variety of recipes and it's always good, but here it shines.

This works well with Delicata squash as well, though that doesn't need to be peeled. I suggest sautéing the squash until it begins to brown, then adding the onion. From there, the recipe is the same.

Halve and peel a Kabota squash. Cut into small (about ½ inch) cubes (you want about a 3/4 to a cup of squash for this recipe). Chop a medium size onion.

Sauté the squash and onion in a 2 quart saucepan with a little olive oil, until they are tender. Add one cup arborio rice, and turn the heat to low.

Begin adding vegetable stock, ½ cup at a time, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until all the stock is absorbed. Continue until the rice is tender, about 7 cups of stock total. (I generally use a quart of stock that I had put away previously, and use water for the rest of the liquid.)

Serve with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

It's not difficult to keep vegetable stock on hand with a little planning. In the summer, when we get fresh carrots from New Roots, I cut the greens off immediately and put them in a large pot of water to boil. I boil the carrot greens in water until the volume is reduced by 2/3, the cool and freeze in one quart containers. Anytime I cook other vegetable and cooking water remains, that also gets frozen for later use as stock.

Summer Squash with Pesto

I was looking for another way to use the abundance of summer squash we got one week in our share from New Roots and this is what emerged.

In a shallow casserole dish, spread a single layer sliced summer squash of any variety. (My slices were about 3/8", 5 mm, thick. No need to oil the casserole for this recipe.) Spread several tablespoons of arugula-sorrel pesto (see recipe above) on the layer. Repeat. Top with a thin layer of bread crumbs, then a sprinkling of grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Bake at 350° F for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is slightly browned.

Variation: Sliced broccoli stalks can substitute for the squash. I made this with only broccoli and pesto, no bread crumbs or cheese, and it was very tasty.

Arugula-Sorrel Pesto

I made this up one summer day based on the yummy herbs in our weekly share from New Roots Urban Farm, community supported agriculture here in St. Louis.

In a food processor, combine

• loosely packed arugula and sorrel leaves (at a proportion of about three parts arugula to one part sorrel)
• 6-8 cloves garlic
• ½-3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• salt and pepper to taste;
  

blend with good olive oil until its consistency is a paste (maybe 1/2 cup olive oil, or a bit more).

As with other pestos, it freezes well. This is one pesto that needs no cheese when it is served, though you may prefer to sprinkle some grated Parmesan or Romano over it. It goes well over pasta.

(See also Summer Squash with Pesto for another use of this pesto.)

Basil Pesto

This is without question one of the staples of our household, a "comfort food." In the summer, we make pesto most weekends once sweet basil is available in July or so. By the time the first frost has ended the year's crop, we usually have over a gallon - 4 liters - of it, frozen in 8 ounce containers. So far, that gets us through until the next year.

In a food processor, combine

• 4 cups loosely packed sweet basil leaves
• 6-8 cloves garlic
• ½-3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• salt and pepper to taste;
  

blend with good olive oil until its consistency is a paste (maybe 1/2 cup olive oil, or a bit more).
We serve it or freeze it at this point, and eat it all year long.

Serve over any kind of pasta - spaghetti, fettucini, tortellini - whatever you like most.
Add lots of Parmesan or Romano cheese at the table.

But wait! Before you clean out that food processor, think about making a batch of hummus or baba ganouj in it. The basil et al. will give a subtle and delicious undertone to the next dish.

Hummus for May Gallery openings

I made hummus for the first May Gallery opening that I worked on. As the second was approaching, several people asked me if there'd be hummus again. Of course! Hummus at every opening! (There are several hummus variations on my original recipe page.)
(vegan)

Soak 3 cups of dry chickpeas overnight; drain, replace the water, and cook 20-30 minutes at a low boil.

Blend with

• 6-8 garlic cloves (I've really toned down the garlic for public events, but I sometimes have misgivings about that)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 cup lemon juice
• a 3" piece of ginger
• ¼ cup good extra virgin olive oil
• about ½ cup tahini
• about 2-3 Tablespoons dark roasted sesame oil
  

When blending, add more lemon juice until it's at the consistency you like.

Serve with wedges of pita bread and fresh lemon. Makes about 2 liters.

*Tahini is a paste made of ground sesame seeds. It's readily available in jars and cans in health food stores and international groceries. I prefer to buy it in a jar, since it should be refrigerated after opening (and it will keep indefinitely if refrigerated). It will sometimes separate a bit (sesame oil will be floating on top of the jar or can), but is easily mixed together again.

Domodah (West African Groundnut Stew)

Groundnuts are what peanuts are called in English-speaking West Africa. Eggplant gives substance, but use whatever vegetables appeal to you. (Non-veggie versions of this dish often include chicken.) I was introduced to this delight by my friend t.d. when he visited me in NYC from The Gambia.
(vegan)

Heat ½- 3/4 cup canola oil in a large pot on medium high heat. Chop together and cook in the oil

• 3 - 4 tomatoes
• 2 large onions
  
• 2 Tablespoons harissa* (or 2 fresh hot peppers or 1 teaspoon cayenne)
  

Add 1-2 cups tomato juice (or water), to make about 6 cups altogether. When it is beginning to simmer, add

• 1½ - 1 3/4 cups good peanut butter
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste (only if not using harissa, above).
  

Turn the heat to low, and keep cooking.

When it's been simmering for a while, add

• 1 eggplant, cut into small cubes
• and other vegetables you might like, such as yams, potatoes, green beans, squash of any variety, etc.
  

Continue cooking until the vegetables are tender. Serve on a bed of cooked rice or other grain.

*Harissa is a wonderful paste of hot peppers, tomatoes and spices used widely in Francophone northern Africa. Though it isn't traditionally used in this west African dish -- fresh hot peppers are the most authentic ingredient -- I think it gives a wonderful accent. If you can find harissa in a tube, it will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator. If you get the canned version, it is much safer to freeze any amount that won't be used within a few days.

Banana pancakes

When bananas get too ripe, I put them in a container in the freezer for a weekend morning when Laurel and Gavin are in the mood for pancakes. Freezing the bananas breaks down their cell membranes, so that they really mix well in a batter.

Mix in a large bowl

• 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder

In a smaller bowl, mix

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups mashed (very ripe) bananas (defrost in a microwave if necessary)
  
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup nonfat skim milk

Preheat a frying pan. (I use a 10"/25 cm cast iron skillet. On our GE electric smoothtop range, I start with a setting of 6, but turn that down to 3 after cooking the first batch of pancakes.)

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and beat well. Add more milk, until the batter is at the consistency you desire. (That will usually be another ½ cup for me.)

Put enough oil in the pan to lightly coat, then put in about ½ cup of batter for each pancake. Flip them as soon as lots of air bubbles appear in the batter. (Check if you're not sure, so as not to burn the side that's cooking!)

Put a small pat of butter on each as you stack them, and serve hot. Drizzle about ½ teaspoon of real maple syrup on each before eating.

Makes 12-15 pancakes.