Pork Stew with Fennel Apple and Mission Fig

Chemistry happens when pork is combined with fruit.  It's a Je-ne-sais-quoi moment that works every time.  A bit of buttery cumin and sharp thyme to add dimension, and you've got a great warming stew to ease you into fall.
1-1/2 lb lean pork, cubed
1 leek, cleaned and diced
1 bulb fennel, diced
2 parsnips, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 apple, peeled and diced
1 cup mission figs, sliced in half lengthwise
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth

Brown the pork in a 5 quart pot or Dutch Oven in batches. Keep pork cubes nicely separated to enhance browning. Set pork aside in a bowl.

Add the leek, fennel and parsnips to the pot and cook about 10 minutes, to caramelize the veggies a bit and soften. Add the garlic, cumin and thyme and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add the apple, figs, wine and broth, and return the pork to the dutch oven. Stir gently and bring to a gentle boil. Stir again and reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook about an hour and a half, stirring once or twice. Check for doneness towards the end - the pork should be very tender, and the sauce should be rich, thick and sweet.  Serve over mashed potatoes and turnips.

Serves 6.

Chili Bean Burrito Casserole

Here's a simple, delicious vegetarian casserole that is quick to make and satisfies a crowd.
2 cans vegetarian chili beans in sauce (or leftover vegetarian bean chili), about 3 cups
5 6-inch flour tortillas
3/4 lb Monterrey Pepper Jack cheese, grated
generous cup cooked brown rice
4 green onions, chopped
palmful cilantro, chopped
pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
4 cups baby spinach leaves
chili powder

Lay out the tortillas on a clean counter. Reserve a cup of the beans and 1/4 lb of the cheese. Distribute the remaining beans, cheese, rice and onions about the tortillas, laying ingredients in a strip across the top third of each tortilla. Season with chili powder as desired.  Roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down into an oiled 9x13-inch casserole.

Scatter remaining beans over the tortillas followed by the remaining cheese. Season again with chili powder as desired.  Scatter half the cilantro over the top and bake for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly.

Lay out a bed of spinach leaves on plates. Top with a serving of burrito casserole. Top with tomatoes and more fresh cilantro. Serve with plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.


Serves 5-6.

Cook's Note:  Look, don't drive yourself nuts if you are trying to eat vegetarian, but like me, you also work! If you don't have home-made vegetarian chili on hand, use a can.  There are great choices out there.  I even sometimes use canned Chili Beans ("pinto beans in a medium spice chili sauce") in a pinch.  Another option is to freeze 2-cup portions of chili when you do make it.  I also always freeze portions of rice in a plastic zip bag, whenever I make rice, so I always have cooked rice on hand.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

As the weather cools, hot soups seem more appealing.  It's nice to close the summer as we opened it with asparagus.
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and chopped, tips reserved
1 bunch spring onions, diced, about 2 cups
1 bunch Chinese chives, chopped
1 quart chicken (or vegetable) broth

Heat a bit of olive oil in a coup pot and tip in the green onions and chives. Sauté for about 5 minutes and then add the asparagus.

Sauté another 5 minutes and add the broth. Bring to a boil, stir and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 20-30 minutes, until the veggies are very tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, place the asparagus tips in a shallow bowl with 1-2 tablespoons water. Microwave for 1 minute, stirring once.

Use an immersion blender, cream the soup. You could also use a stand-up blender, but be careful, because the soup is VERY hot.

Serve soup garnished with asparagus tips.

Serves 4.

Quinoa Red Lentil Bake

This is a protein-packed satisfying dish that could be baked in a casserole or a loaf pan.
3/4 cup white quinoa
1/4 cup red quinoa
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander

2 cups arugula, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup grated cheddar (or other favorite) cheese
1/2 cup split red lentils

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
fresh cilantro leaves

Well in advance of cooking:
Soak the lentils in plenty of cold water, for at least 2 hours. Drain well and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 375F. In a medium pot, toast the quinoa with a tablespoon canola oil for about 5 minutes, stirring almost constantly. You should smell a nutty fragrance and should start to hear a few snaps and crackles. Add the water, salt and spices and bring to a boil. Stir and reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes, until all the seater has been absorbed. When quinoa has cooked, fluff gently with a fork.

Tip quinoa into a large mixing bowl and add the arugula, eggs, yogurt, cheese and lentils. Stir well and tip into an oiled casserole dish.

Bake for about 35-45 minutes, until the dish is browned and cooked through.  Top casserole with avocado, tomato and cilantro.

Serve with lime wedges and/or a favorite salsa.  A dollop of yogurt is also a great idea.  Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  You could substitute any baby green for the arugula, using spinach or baby kale, for example.  I'd stick to the finer baby greens rather than large-leaf kale or collards, unless you cooked them a bit in advance.

Moussaka Irreverence

I'm sure I'm going to Greek hell for this. "That's not moussaka," they'll complain.  And Italians will exclaim "Madonna!!  Ricotta and mozzarella in a Greek dish?!"   Agreed - let's say this is a moussaka-inspired casserole.  Call it what you will, it has all the rich Mediterranean flavor of lasagna and moussaka, and all the comfort!
1 lb ground lamb
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
12 leaves fresh sage, minced
2 Tbsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
2 Tbsp fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dried)

1 large eggplant, cubed 3/4-inch, about 8 cups

1 lb wax potatoes, peeled and sliced
4 cups baby spinach leaves

Bechamel sauce:
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 level Tbsp flour
1-1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

1 24-oz favorite chunky tomato sauce
about 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, sliced

Preheat oven to 375. Sauté the lamb in a large skillet with a bit of olive oil along with all the spices and herbs. When the lamb has browned nicely, mix in half the tomato sauce and simmer on low heat.

 In a separate non-stick skillet, brown the eggplant cubes in a bit of olive oil. Cook until the cubes brown up nicely on most sides, about 10 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, place potatoes in an oiled 9x13-inch casserole and microwave for 5 minutes.

Make a Bechamel sauce by melting the butter in the oil in a small saucepan. Add the flour and cook 3-5 minutes, whisking almost constantly. Add the milk, nutmeg and salt and whisk until sauce thickens, and is bubbly.  Pour Bechamel sauce over potatoes.

Top potatoes with the spinach and then the lamb mixture.  

Top with the eggplant. Scatter the remaining tomato sauce about the eggplant. Then scatter the ricotta and mozzarella on top.

Bake moussaka, tented with aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake another 30 minutes.

Cook’s Note: I sometimes use grass-fed beef with this recipe and it makes a wonderful casserole, if you don’t have ground lamb handy.  Here I used a purple and while eggplant variety, simply because it was what our CSA offered this week.  You could use any variety you like.

Fresh Salsa with Mint

With peppers and herbs coming to a close - so many uses, so many varieties.  Freeze the excess - it goes a long way into a long winter!  In 3-5 months time, let's talk about spicing up grilled salmon or roasted chicken.
6 little sweet peppers, 2 red, 2 orange and 2 yellow, trimmed and chopped, about 1-1/2 to 2 cups
1 jalapeño pepper, cubed, or equivalent pepper
1/2 purple onion, skinned and cubed
kernels of 1 fresh ear of corn
2 green onions, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic,coarsely chopped

small palmful cilantro leaves
1 small palmful parsley leaves
1 small palmful fresh mint leaves

1-1/2 lb fresh ripe tomato, cored and cubed, or equivalent cherry heirloom tomatoes
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
2 Tbsp sherry (or cider) vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

Pulse the first group of veggies together in a food processor until you have a very fine grind, but nowhere near a purée. Tip veggies into a mixing bowl. Add the leaves and pulse to chop up and then add the tomatoes, spices and the remaining ingredients. Pulse to form a coarse salsa of the same consistency as the veggies. Mix the tomato mixture with the veggies.

Makes about 3 cups.

Cook’s Note: This salsa really benefits from sitting for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. It can even sit overnight in the refrigerator.

I used a mix of peppers from our CSA,

...and heirloom cherry tomatoes.

Pilaf Salad

Get in your last fresh, cool salads as summer winds down and autumn rolls in.  May be your last chance to sit by the lake and eat outdoors for a while.
1 can clickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 6.6 oz box favorite rice pilaf, or 3 cups favorite cooked rice
1 yellow summer squash
1 zucchini squash
1Tbsp salt
1/2 orange pepper, finely diced
Palmful fresh parsley, minced
2 Tbsp chives, chopped
2 Tbsp slivered almonds

Dressing:
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup lemon-infused olive oil, or extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp Dijon vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced through a press
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Trim the ends off of the squash and cut each in half lengthwise. Then cut into half-moon slices. Toss the slices together with the salt and place in a colander to drain for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the rice pilaf mix according to package directions. Fluff lightly with a fork and allow to cool in a wide bowl or platter.

 Whisk the dressing together in a small bowl.

Rinse the squash and drain well. Toss in a wide bowl with the rice, chickpeas, pepper and parsley. Fold in the dressing and top with the almonds and chives.

Serves 4 for main course lunch or 6 as a side.

A Tuna Salad Niçoise Rapide

Sometimes, you just need something quick.  But that shouldn't ever mean it isn't excellent! This is especially quick if you have leftover noodles and veggies to use.  A can of tuna and what's hang'n in the 'fridge, and you have great quick eats.

The point is most anything fresh you can pull together in home cooking, is going to be better than that nasty take-out down the corner.  Better for you, and probably as fast.
1 can tuna, drained
2 Tbsp good real mayonnaise
1/2 tsp dried dill
juice of half a lemon

4 cups baby kale, or spinach
1 doz cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 cups cauliflower
1/4 lb egg noodles
1 doz Castelvetrano olives

Dressing:
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp Dijon mustard
dash salt and freshly-ground pepper

Cook noodles in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and douce with cold water. Drain and cool in refrigerator.

Place cauliflower in a glass bowl or casserole with 2 tablespoons water. Steam in the microwave for about 3-5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Rinse with cold water and cool in refrigerator.

Mix tuna with mayonnaise, dill and lemon. Mix noodles with half the dressing in a bowl. Divide kale between two plates. Divide noodles, cauliflower, tomatoes and olives on top of kale on both plates. Divide the tuna salad in two and top each salad plate with half. Serve with remaining dressing.

Serves 2 as main-course salad.

Cook's Note:  Change out the cauliflower for broccoli, or other veggies at the ready in the 'fridge, the kale for arugula or spring mix, the olives for whatever you have, and you'll certainly make something wonderful!

If you don't have fresh lemon, use 2 Tbsp of any good vinegar you have.

Otherwise, order takeout :-))

Lamb Saag Vindaloo

A Vindaloo is usually associated with being the hottest dish on the menu, but not necessarily so. Derived over time from the use of wine or vinegar to add sharpness to the meat dish, as per Portuguese explorers to India in the 15th century, today it is most associated with machismo than flavor per se.

Try this, and enjoy flavor with an edge, but with just enough heat to enhance the combination of a complex mixture (masala) of classic Indian spices.
1 onion
1 large fresh tomato, coarsely chopped, pulsed 10-12 times

3 lb lamb, cubed

1 yellow pepper, diced
1 jalapeño or hot red chili, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves garlic
1/2- inch fresh ginger, minced

1 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 Tbsp garam masala
1/2 Tbsp ground fenugreek powder
1 Tsp coriander seeds, ground
2 tsp cardamom seeds, ground

1 cup coconut milk
3 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

4-6 cups baby spinach leaves, chopped

Pulse the onions about 10-12 times in a food processor to chop finely.

Sauté with a bit of canola oil in a skillet for about 15 minutes, until browned and well caramelized. 

Do the same for the tomato. Pulse 10-12 times in a food processor and then fry in a skillet with canola oil for about 15 minutes, stirring often.

Meanwhile, in a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the lamb cubes, in batches, in a bit of canola oil. Remove lamb to a bowl. In the same pot, sauté the peppers in a bit more canola oil. Add the fennel, cumin and mustard seeds, the cinnamon, along with the garlic and ginger. Cook another 3-4 minutes. Add the curry powder, garam masala, coriander and cardamom along with the coconut milk, broth, vinegar and honey.

Add the sautéed onion and tomatoes and return the lamb to the curry. Stir in the chopped spinach.

Cook about 45 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring once or twice.

Serves 4-6.

Barley Corn Mushroom Risotto

Our CSA just keeps the corn coming - we're up to our ears (I had to...)  Try this creamy, rich and warm comfort dish.
1 onion, diced, about 1 cup
kernels from 2-3 ears corn, about 3 cups
2 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup pearl barley
1 quart vegetable stock
4 oz fresh mushrooms, diced, about 2 cups
2 cloves garlic, minced
10-12 fresh sage leaves, sliced
dash red pepper flakes to taste - about 1/8-1/4 tsp
1 cup dry white wine

Warm the vegetable stock in the microwave. Toast the corn and the onion in the butter for about 10 minutes in a large wide pan, until the corn begins to brown up a bit and the onion softens, and caramelizes.

Set aside in a bowl.

Add a bit of olive oil to the pan and heat to shimmering. Toss in the mushrooms and stir quickly. Let the mushrooms cook down until they release what water they will, and begin to brown. When they are browned and dried, set aside with the corn.

In the same pan, toast the barley in a tablespoon of olive oil, for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the garlic, sage, and red pepper flakes and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Put the warm stock nearby the pan. Add the wine to the barley and cook down until a stroke of a spoon or spatula does not refill the gap formed. Add a ladleful of stock and repeat this processes over and over again, until half the stock is used up and the barley softens considerably.

Return the corn and mushrooms to the barley and add more stock. Continue cooking until the barley is al dente, and the risotto is creamy. You may need to add some more water to continue cooking - don’t use more stock or it could become a bit too salty. Check the flavor as you go. The whole cooking process should take a good 45 minutes to an hour.

Serves 4 as a side dish or 2-3 as a main course.