Crockpot Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes

Recipe Provided by Market Customer: Kathy Buck

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless chuck or stew beef cut in 1” pieces
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 tblsp olive oil
3 cups sweet potatoes cut in 1” cubes
2 garlic cloves finely minced
dash of ground allspice
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 large onion cut into chunks
1 can of tomatoes undrained
8 dried apricots cut in half

Directions:
Trim any fat from meat sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in heavy skillet and brown beef on all sides turning with wooden spoon or tongs

Put beef and all the other ingredients except apricots in 4-5 qt slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until beef is tender. Stir in apricots cover and cook for 20 minutes or until apricots soft. Discard bay leaf and cinnamon stick
 

Broiled Brussels

Recipe Provided by Market Customer: Jason Merrill

Ingredients:
1 lb. Brussel Sprouts
3 T Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Wash the brussels sprouts. Cut off the ends and then score the brussels by slicing them
halfway from the base without cutting them in half. This will help the brussels cook
faster. Place them in a cast iron pan or baking dish and coat them in olive oil and salt and pepper. Turn the oven on broil. Place the pan in the center rack in the oven. Turn the brussels every 10-15 minutes until they are firm but tender. The outer leaves will char a little but don’t worry. You can either peel them off or keep them on for flavor. This is the easiest recipe to make some delicious brussels.
 

Apple Chutney

Recipe Provided by Marilyn Markel, Cooking School Manager for A Southern Season

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
2 cups cider vinegar
6 lbs sliced and peeled apples
2 large clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh ginger root grated
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp salt
⅓ cup crystallized ginger
⅓ cup of currents
Zest of 1 lime
4 small jalapeño peppers – or more to taste

Directions:
Bring sugar and vinegar to a boil. Add all other ingredients
cook for about 1 – 1 ½ hours (or until thick and jammy). Stir often.

Pack into hot sterile jars
 

Creamy Turnip Soup with Turnip Green Garnish

Recipe Provided by Susan Reda

Ingredients:
1 head garlic, separated into cloves, and wrapped in aluminum foil
5 turnips, medium size, peeled, cut into quarters, reserve turnip greens
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into quarters
4 cups vegetable, chicken stock or water
½ T Sea salt and 1 ½ t. freshly ground pepper
½ t. freshly ground nutmeg
½ cup of Greek yogurt

Directions:
Place ¼ cup olive oil in bottom of heavy roasting pan. Add turnips, onions and toss to coat and season with salt and pepper. Add packet of garlic. Bake in 425 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, tossing once or twice during cooking process, or until turnips and onions are fork tender. Unwrap garlic and when cool, squeeze out the flesh and discard papery skins.

Place roasted vegetables in a large stockpot. Add liquid and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Puree until smooth with and immersion blender of food processor. Return soup to pot, stir in nutmeg, and ¼ cup of the yogurt.

Reheat. Taste and adjust seasonings. Wash several tender turnip leaves and tear them into ½ inch strips. Serve soup in preferred vessel, garnish with a dollop of yogurt and several strips of greens.

Enjoy!

Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Recipe Provided by Susan Sink, the Tar Heel Foodie

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups roasted pumpkin
2 teaspoons dehydrated shallots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/4 cups coconut or low-fat milk
1 – 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo peppers
Pinch mild Chimayo chile powder
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
Ground mixed pepper
1 teaspoon Murray River Flake Salt

Directions:
Your pumpkin should already be roasted. I don’t normally use olive oil for the pumpkin because it has so much moisture it seems to be fine without it. If you do use olive oil, it should still be fine for this recipe.

Take your dehydrated shallots and put them in a small saute pan and add a bit of water and about 1 teaspoon of butter. Bring it to a boil and then just keep reducing the water on medium heat. As the shallots hydrate in the water they will also cook in the butter. Cook them on medium-low until they are a bit soft and translucent. Should take less than 5 minutes on low. Set those aside.

Put your finely chopped celery into the pan with a bit of olive oil or butter and saute those until they are soft. I normally do this when the celery comes into season and freeze it. It keeps well and significantly cuts down on the time it takes to make most recipes. In a large dutch oven add the vegetable broth along with the roasted pumpkin, onions, celery and spices (leave out the salt until the very end) and let it simmer for about 15 minutes with the lid on the pot.

Heat the milk so it’s warm. Add it to the pumpkin and spices and then puree the entire thing in batches. Taste for spices and now begin to add the finishing salt, Murray River Flake. You can
also add more heat. The Aleppo peppers are mild. The mild Chimayo Chile is medium heat and if you want more heat you can add Guajillo Chile or additional Cholula hot sauce.

Notes:
I like to serve this with some fresh thyme on top with additional hot sauce. I used Cholula brand hot sauce.

You can also add about 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme or 1 teaspoon of fresh chopped thyme leaves into the soup.

If you don’t have dehydrated shallots, use about 1/2 of a good size shallot.

Caramelized onion would add some contrast to the sweetness of the coconut milk if you have them on hand.

If you don’t have vegetable broth on hand, you can substitute some powdered veggie broth with water.

This soup freezes well before you add the coconut or cow’s milk.
 

Pickled Shiitake Mushrooms

Recipe Provided by Il Palio Restaurant

Ingredients:
2 c. red wine vinegar
2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. mustard seed
1 Tbsp. coriander seed
1 Tbsp. pink peppercorns
2 c. julienned shiitake mushrooms

Directions:
Bring first five ingredients to a boil. Remove from heat and add the mushrooms.

Refrigerate until cool
 

Kale Chips

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 TBS olive oil
1 tsp salt
Chili flake (if desired)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove the kale leaves from the stem and tear leaves into bite sized pieces. Drizzle kale with oil and sprinkle with salt (other spices) to taste.

Bake until edges brown but don’t burn, 10-15 minutes.
 

Ginger and Pear Cranberry Sauce

Recipe provided by Elizabeth Zander, South Durham Farmers’ Market Manager

Spice up a holiday favorite with local baby ginger and pears!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon freshly minced baby ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cups water
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
12 ounces of cranberries
2 firm peeled pears, chopped in ½ inch cubes

Directions:
Bring water, sugar, salt, ginger and cinnamon to a boil in a medium saucepan stirring occasionally.

Add cranberries and chopped pears to saucepan and return to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until most of the cranberries have popped, about 5 minutes.

Cool to room temperature before serving.

**Want to make your sauce even more local? Substitute half the sugar with local honey!

 

Sweet Potato Hash with Caramelized Onions, Sausage and Eggs

Recipes provided By UNC Nutrition Cooking Classes

Serves 8
 

Ingredients:
2 pounds onions (about 2 large)
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
(1 pound fresh Italian sausage or chorizo)
3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 large)
6 gloves garlic
4 long stalks rosemary (about ¼ cup leaves)
3 TBS olive/canola oil
Salt
Pepper
8 large eggs
Grated hard cheese, e.g. parmesan

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Peal the onions, cut them in half lengthwise, then cut into half-moons. Cut those half-moons in half again.

Melt butter in skillet over medium high heat; when it foams, add onions and sprinkle with salt. Stir occasionally to keep from burning. Cook until they are dark brown.

In a separate skillet, brown the sausage over medium high heat, chopping into fine crumbles as you go. Cook about 10 minutes, or until browned and beginning to crisp. Drain excess fat into a jar for proper disposal.

While onions and sausage are cooking, chop unpeeled sweet potatoes into ½ inch sided cubes. Finely mince the garlic and rosemary. Toss potatoes, garlic, and rosemary in a bowl with olive oil, kosher salt, and lots of black pepper.

When the onions and sausage are brown, add to sweet potato bowl.

Line baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, spread sweet potatoes evenly. Roast for 30-45 minutes, or until
they are soft and browned.

When potatoes are almost ready, heat a small amount of oil in a skillet o
ver medium heat. Fry eggs to taste. Serve
egg over a helping of hash. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.
 

Vimala’s Bhaji

Recipe by Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe

• Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a pan.
• Add 1 Tbsp of mustard seeds, cover and let them pop.
• Add 2 tsp of urad dal and let the dal brown lightly.
• Then add chopped onions, green chilies as well as curry leaves, garlic paste, cumin, salt, and turmeric. Saute until the onions are light brown.
• Toss in cauliflower leaves, broccoli stems, diced carrots and other firm ingredients. Add washed, chopped kale (or similar greens) and keep incorporating more as they wilt.
• Salt to taste.

Located in the Courtyard, W. Franklin St, Chapel Hill
Visit them at curryblossom.com
 

Whole Roasted Curried Cauliflower

Recipe provided by Mary Jobe

Ingredients:
1 large head of cauliflower
3 tbsp. of Olive Oil
1 ½ tsp. curry powder (or other spice of choice!)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Core cauliflower leaving the whole head intact. Rub a thin layer of olive oil over the head. Sprinkle curry powder, salt and pepper over the head. Place cauliflower in a shallow baking dish or tray. Let cauliflower roast for about one hour or until tops are slightly caramelized and crisp - tender.

HINT: You can cover the top of the dish with foil to keep tops from burning.

 

Whipped Baked Sweet Potatoes with Orange Juice and Pecans

By Elizabeth Krome

Ingredients:
5-7 pounds sweet potatoes
1 to 2 cups of orange juice
4 Tbsp butter
cinnamon to taste
nutmeg to taste
¼ cup brown sugar if needed
whole pecans

Directions:
Wash sweet potatoes, prick with a fork and bake in oven for about an hour at 425 F.

When sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove skins and put in blender. Taste potatoes; if they are sweet already, you won’t need to use the brown sugar. Add most of the butter (save a bit of it for dotting the top of the potatoes at the end) and part of the orange juice and blend. (Note: you can also pre-bake the sweet potatoes and store them in the fridge until you are ready, but it will be harder to mix in the butter evenly if the potatoes aren’t warm.) Add more orange juice as needed to get a good consistency
in the blender, and to taste. Add nutmeg and cinnamon to taste, and brown sugar if needed, and blend until the mixture is fluffy.

Pour mixture into a casserole or baking dish, top with pecans and dot with the remaining butter, and bake for 20-30 minutes at 325 F. Baked sweet potatoes will not "set", but baking improves the flavor. Serve warm.

 

Coconut Curry Sweet Potato Soup (Vegan!)

by Erin Jobe, market manager

This is a quick meal that only requires a little bit of prep! It is great for a cold night, and I love to pair it with toasted bread and a kale salad. This recipe also works well with butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes if you have them handy!

Ingredients:
4 large sweet potatoes
1 can light coconut milk
1 can regular coconut milk
1 large sweet onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon coconut oil
3-4 tablespoons curry powder
2-3 cups vegetable broth
Salt
Splash of soy sauce (optional)
Handful of diced green onions (optional)
Lime juice (optional)

Directions:
Finely dice onions and garlic. If you have a food processor, you can
do this in there to create a wet
pulp. Using a large pot, sauté onions and garlic on medium heat in a tablespoon of coconut oil. Add in a tablespoon of curry powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until onions are clear but not browned. Set this aside to add later.

Peel and cube sweet potatoes into large chunks. Add sweet potatoes, vegetable broth, and coconut milk to the pot, and stir together. Stir in a pinch of salt and 2 more tablespoons of curry powder. Let this simmer while stirring occasionally until the sweet potatoes are soft. This only takes around 20 minutes!

Once the sweet potatoes are tender, use an immersion blender to puree all ingredients together.

Once blended you can tweak the consistency and flavor of the soup. Add a bit of water or vegetable broth to thin out the soup, add more curry powder if you want more flavor, or a little bit of cayenne pepper if you need more spice. Sometimes I even add a little bit of brown sugar or cinnamon. As the soup cools it will thicken a bit, and I think it also gains flavor! I like to mix in a few splashes of soy sauce and juice from ½ of a lime before serving. Top with green onions and serve with fresh bread!
 

Sweet Potato Pie

Recipe Provided By Cookbook - Author Sheri Castle
Website: shericastle.com

Ingredients:
1 1/21 1/2 pound small, slender sweet potatoes
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup canned evaporated milk
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon bourbon or dark rum
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and roast them on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet until very tender, about 1 hour. Remove the potatoes, but leave the baking sheet in the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and force the warm flesh through a food mill or mash as smooth as possible with a potato masher. Transfer the purée into a large bowl.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. add the sugar, stir until smooth, and pour into the potatoes. Add the milk and stir until smooth. Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl, add to the potato mixture, and stir until smooth. Whisk in the remaining ingredients. The filling will be quite thin. Pour the filling into the pie shell.

Carefully transfer the pie to the heated baking sheet and bake until the filling is just set, about 40 minutes. Transfer the pie to a rack to cool to room temperature. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Sweet Potato Black Walnut Rum Cake with Rum Frosting

Recipe provided by Pine Knot Farms - Linda Leach

Cake Ingredients:
½ cup raisins (Golden)
¼ cup dark rum
½ cup Black Walnuts
2 cups mashed boiled or baked sweet potatoes
2 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest (make sure to use the finely grated side)
2 teaspoons baking powder (freshly purchased)
1 teaspoon baking soda (freshly purchased)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg or may freshly ground by hand
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger or fresh ginger
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs (room temperature)
¾ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup dried unsweetened coconut OR ½ cup sweetened coconut

Procedure for mixing:
1. Soak the raisins in RUM for at least 30 minutes to plump to a larg
er size.
2. Prepare sweet potatoes once tender or baked completely. Mash
and cool.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, prepare a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with c
ooking spray and a little
flour.
4. Combine all of the cake ingredients (except raisins and nuts) in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. With an electric mixer, mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Fold in the raisins rum mixture and nuts. Spread into the prepared baking pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake completely before frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:
½ cup unsalted butter
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon fresh finely grated orange zest
¼ cup sweetened coconut or ½ cup unsweetened coconut (note: it may be difficult to find unsweetened coconut, if so, then I always use a revision cut for the ingredients).

Directions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan, and allow it to brown just lightly. Remove from the heat and add the remaining frosting ingredients. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add a little more rum, orange juice, or water to thin the frosting if needed, or add a little confectioners sugar if needed to thicken the frosting. Spread over the cake and refrigerate overnight. Serve cold on a beautiful table tray for the holidays on the buffet. Enjoy.
 

Sweet Potato Biscuits

yields approximately 18 (2-inch) biscuits

Ingredients:
2 medium-sized local sweet potatoes
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter (cut it small cubes)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°

Scrub sweet potatoes and place them on a pan. Cook until centers are soft (30-45 minutes), set aside.

Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add nutmeg and cinnamon. Work the butter into the mix so that it is in little balls. (You can wear gloves and use your fingers to do this, or use a pastry blender.)

In a separate bowl scrape out insides of sweet potatoes and add buttermilk. Mash together until mix is well combined. Fold mix into to the flour mixture to form the dough. The dough should form a nice ball that is just slightly sticky. You can add a bit more flour if it is too sticky to handle or more buttermilk if is too dry.

Chill the dough for 20 minutes and then flatten it out with your hands onto a clean floured surface until the dough is about one inch thick. Cut horizontal and diagonal lines in the dough to create 2 inch squares. Remove scrap dough from edges and re-flatten and repeat until all of the dough is in squares.

Place biscuits on a baking sheet or pan, and cook for 10-15 minutes. If desired, sprinkle brown sugar on tops before baking, or brush with melted butter before serving. Best served warm, and you can freeze these biscuits and just re-heat them at 375° until heated thoroughly.

Savory Kale, Cannellini, and Potato Soup

from allrecipes.com
 

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
3/4 cup diced carrot
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup white wine
3 potatoes, halved and sliced
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 (16 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups finely chopped kale leaves
1 small red chile pepper, seeded and chopped fine
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; cook and stir the onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes more.

Pour in the chicken broth, water, and white wine; stir in the potatoes, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Add the cannellini beans, kale, chile pepper, and black pepper, and simmer,
covered, for 30 more minutes.

 

Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Carrots and Caramelized Onions with Quinoa

Recipe by Erin Jobe, Market Manager

Ingredients:
2-3 Large Sweet Potatoes
1 Large Red Onion
4 large Carrots
1 pint Brussels Sprouts
Thyme, Parsley, Salt to taste
2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 cup Quinoa
2 cups water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and peel sweet potatoes and chop into 1/2 inch cubes. Chop onion, slice carrots, and cut Brussels sprouts in half. Mix vegetables in a bowl with olive oil, dried parsley, thyme and salt. Spread vegetables out evenly on a pan and put in oven to roast. After about 20 minutes it can help to stir vegetables so they don't stick to pan. Roast for about 35-40 minutes or until carrots are soft and onions are caramelized. While the veggies are roasting and the kitchen is getting warm and toasty, wash quinoa in a mesh strainer. Add a drizzle of olive to a pan and place on medium high. Transfer quinoa to pan and stir while it lightly toasts until water has evaporated (1-2 minutes). Transfer quinoa to pot and add water. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat, remove from burner and let sit for a few minutes then fluff. Serve vegetables over quinoa. To warm up even more, add some hot sauce!
 

Roasted Fall Vegetables with Bacon

Ingredients:
1 pint Brussels sprouts
1 head of broccoli or cauliflower
2 large turnips
2 tablespoons Olive oil
3-4 slices of bacon
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Cook bacon in a frying pan, and place 3 or 4 slices on a paper towel to dry. Save a bit of the bacon grease to later in the recipe. Rinse vegetables and peel turnips. Peel and dice garlic cloves. Chop all of the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. The Brussels sprouts can be halved, and the turnips will likely take the longest to cook, so chop these tiniest. Put vegetables in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper until they are well coated. Lay vegetables out on a cookie sheet or roasting pan. Roast vegetables for about 20 minutes, or until the sprouts are tender and browned and the turnips have softened. Stir the vegetables once or twice while they cook to prevent sticking. Transfer cooked vegetables to a large bowl. Tear bacons trips into tiny pieces add them to the bowl.

Optional: Mix in a teaspoon of bacon grease and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to add more flavor if you like!
 

Ratatouille - C’est si bon!

From the c’est si bon! kitchen
www.cestsibon.net
Phone: 919-942-6550

Well, this story begins in provence. and then paris. how could it not? There are so many ways to make ratatouille. in France, everyone has an opinion. and a recipe. The vegetables should be cooked together. They should be cooked separately. Thomas keller made a stylized Turkish version for the movie, ratatouille. Blanching tomatoes is super squeezey easy. Cut a small x in the bottom and place in a pot of boiling water. Remove with a bamboo skimmer after 1 minute. Plunge in ice water. Wait till they cool, slip off the peels, cut in half (horizontally) squeeze slightly and the seeds should slip out and away. You can always poke your fingers in the seed pockets, and the gel and seeds will oust pretty quickly. Chop and you’re on your way to ratatouille heaven.

Vegetables:
1 cup beautifully fragrant olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
entire bulb of garlic, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
3 peppers (green or other), chopped
1 eggplant, chopped
2 beautiful fresh tomatoes; peeled, seeded, and chopped
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, snipped

Elixir:
½ cup red wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
fresh basil, marjoram, lavender, thyme, and oregano pinch smoked salt or smoked paprika
sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat a wide heavy pot on medium high. pour in half the olive oil and
when hot begin with onions and sauté a few minutes, till translucent.
Then add remaining vegetables, one by one, into the pot. Sauté after each addition about five minutes. Mix the elixir and deglaze with it. Stir well to combine. Add smoked salt, taste, and season correctly. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Great served hot or cold. alone as is, or with some crusty garlic bread, slabs of polenta or over sautéed crisp-tender greens.