September 27, 2005
This Week’s Harvest:
beets, carrots, cucumbers, garlic, leeks, mixed greens, peppers, potatoes, radishes, spinach, tomatoes (cherry, slicers, paste, and “sauce”), winter squash
U-pick
cherry tomatoes,
pineapple tomatillos
Recipes:
Duchesse Potatoes
2 pounds potatoes
Boiling salted water
3 T butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
Peel the potatoes and cut in half. Cook in boiling salted water to cover until soft but still firm.
Drain well and put through a food mill or a potato ricer. Beat the potatoes with a wooden spoon until smooth.
Add the butter, salt, pepper, nutmeg and eggs which have been lightly beaten with the egg yolks. Whip until fluffy.
Note: The potatoes may be made in advance and kept ready if they are brushed with melted butter to keep a crust from forming.
Leeks Vinaigrette
1 bunch leeks
1 tsp. prepared mustard
Salt and freshly ground black peppper
1 tsp. lemon juice or 1 T vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Trim the leeks and cut them lengthwise almost but not to the root end. Wash thoroughly, making sure all the sand is removed. Tie leeks together neatly, drop into boiling water and simmer until tender, fifteen to twenty minues. Drain and cool.
Mix together the mustard, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Add the oil gradually, stirring ntil the ingredients are well blended. Marinate the leeks in the dressing an hour or longer and serve well chilled.
Vichyssoise A La Ritz
4 leeks, white part, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1/4 cup sweet butter
5 medium potatoes
1 quart chicken broth
1 T or less salt
3 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
Chopped chives
In a deep kettle, brown the leeks and onion very lightly in the butter. Add the potatoes, broth and salt and boil thirty-five minutes, or until very tender. Process in a blender or food processor.
Return the mixture to the kettle, add the milk and cream. Serve either hot or cold.
Buttercup Squash Spoonbread
2 pounds buttercup squash, about 2 squash, halved
Butter for greasing the baking dish
4 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. baking powder
1 T salt
1/8 tsp. ground cloves, or substitute nutmeg
4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus melted butter for drizzling
2 cups coarse yellow cornmeal
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Place the squash halves on a baking sheet cut side down. Bake until tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the seeds and discard, and mash or puree the flesh You should have about 2 cups.
Reduce the oven to 375° F. Butter a 2 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the squash puree, milk, cream, egg yolks, honey, baking powder, salt, and cloves. Whisk in the butter, then the cornmeal. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the squash mixture. Fold in the remaining whites. Scrape into the prepared baking dish.
Bake in the center of the oven until set around the outside and wobbly in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then serve.
Roasted Beet, Pear, and Leek Salad with
Gorgonzola Croutons
4 small beets, trimmed and scrubbed
3/4 cup walnuts
3 T balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 T coarse-grain mustard
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
T honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 pears, such as Bartlett or Bosc, cored and cut into 8 wedges each
8 baby leeks, green portions and roots removed, washed well
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
2 T olive oil
1 small baguette, sliced crosswise into sixteen 1/2-inch croutons
1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Place the beets in a single layer on a 12-inch square of foil. Wrap into a package and roast in the oven for 45 minutes. Let cool, then gently rub of their skins with a paper towel and cut each onto 6 wedges. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, place the walnuts on a large baking sheet. Toast in the oven about 10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop half of the nuts. Set aside.
4. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, mustard, rosemary, and honey in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 1/2 cup. Separately toss the roasted beet wedges, raw pears, and leeks with 3 tablespoons of dressing each. Arrange in a single layer on a large baking pan and cook in the hot oven until soft, about 20 minutes for the pears and 10 minutes for the leeks. Let cool to room temperature. The vegetables and pears can be roasted 1 day ahead, cooled, wrapped separately, and refrigerated. Let stand at room temperature 1 to 2 hours before serving.
5. In a small bowl, stir the Gorgonzola cheese, olive oil, and half of the walnuts to make a paste. Spread on the croutons and bake until the topping melts, about 10 minutes.
Arrange the roasted fruit and vegetables on 4 dinner plates and sprinkle with the reserved nuts. Garnish with croutons.
back to top
