Delecata Squash Bowl, Carnival Squash & Pomelo Marm, Paella, Potato Soup, Stuffed Tomatoes

Delecata Squash Bowl
This recipe came to us from Nicole Michaelson-Traum, our favorite Yoga teacher.

1 Delecata Squash
3/4 - 1 cup cooked Rice/Quinoa mixture
1/2-1 tsp Togarashi Spice Blend
Kombu or Nori dried seaweed
1/4 cup Soy Sauce or Tamari
1/4 cup Mirin or White Wine
1 Cucumber, diced
2 Green Onions
1 cup frozen cooked Edamame, shucked from the shells
4 oz Kale-Chard- baby greens
1 oz Pickled Ginger

Cook a batch of  half rice/half quinoa.  I used my rice cooker.

Cuts the ends off the squash and remove the seeds. Cut squash into 1/2" rings.  Roast them (skin on) at 400F  for 15-20 minutes, dressed with a splash of EVOO and the togarashi spice to taste.  Togarashi contains a lot of red pepper, so be careful -- I used 1/4 teaspoon!

Make a "dashi" broth in a sauce pan, using 2 cups of water, a 2" square of kombu or Nori sliced into shreds, more togarashi spice, the soy sauce and mirin.  Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and keep it warm for use.

Layer some greens in the bottom of the bowl, and top that with rice-quinoa mix.  Layer in cucumber, edamame, green onions, and top with squash rings and pickled ginger.  pour the warm dashi over the bowls as you serve them.

Certainly an interesting dish and tasty dish.  Very Japanese with it's blend of textures, tastes and temperatures, in spite of the additions of non-Japanese Kale, Quinoa and Delecata squash.

Carnival Squash with Marmalade
Another of the Co-op's Fall Squash Pack.  This one is similar to an Acorn squash, but with a slightly different texture. 

Here I baked it (well... microwaved it) and stuffed it with a large spoonful of the Pomelo Marmalade which I made from the fruit we got in the Co-Op Fruit Box.

Valencia Green Bean Paella
Here's a classic Spanish dish I haven't made in quite awhile.  Most people think paella has to have seafood -- it doesn't.  Fava beans, green beans and other vegetables are much more traditional in Valencia where paella originated as a farmer's dinner. The ingredient paella must have is Saffron at least a few threads!  

Here's the ingredients I used.  Yeah... OK there were some shrimp there; added at the last minute.  We like shrimp!

2 cups Short Grain Rice
1 cup of diced red and green bell peppers (I used a Poblano for the green)
1/2 cup Roasted Red Peppers
1 lb cooked Lima or Fava Beans
1 lb Green Beans, topped & tailed
1 can Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
1 jar Artichoke Hearts
1 Onion, chopped
1/4 cup Sundried Tomatoes in oil, drained, dried and chopped
4 cloves Garlic
4-6 threads Saffron (I used a Badia spice blend which included saffron)
1 Tbsp Cumin
2 tsp Smoked Paprika
12 16-20 Shrimp, peeled and tailed

Start by browning the rice, in a splash of EVOO, in a wide flat skillet or paella pan.  You want a medium hot pan, at least 16" diameter and shallow.  

Now add 2 cups of water, the onion and garlic, and cook a few minutes until they soften.  Now you add the other ingredients, one at a time, alternating with the adding of a spice.  Lay things out artistically in the pan (like you would a pizza0.  You aren't going to stir anything, and you want the dish to look good as well as taste good.   

Add the additional water between the second and third addition.

Gradually the rice will cook, and some will stick to the pan.  That crusty rice is called socarrat, and is an important part of overall paella flavor.  It's also the prized bit of the paella, like the extra crunchy batter bits in fish & chips).

As the rice is cooking, everything else is too; or at least warming through.  When almost all the water is gone, add the shrimp to the pan and cook until they have just changed color -- you want them tender not tough.   

Plate and serve, making sure everyone get some of the socarrat.

Potato Soup
I had some spuds that needed using up, and found this simple and flavorful version of potato soup, which you can switch from mild to wild depending on the garnishes you include.

The "cream" base is made with Bistotm White Sauce crystals and water, added to sauted onion and peeled boiled potatoes.  I spiced it up with a bit of white pepper and some vegetable gravy base as well as the thickener.  Here, I garnished with diced red bell pepper and chopped scallion.

Stuffed Tomatoes
Now a world-wide favorite dish, tomatoes (not to mention stuffed tomatoes) would never have reached the world stage it it weren't for Columbus and the other Spanish exploiters who invaded Mexico, Central and South America and brought the tomato to Europe.  Along  with Maize, they were certainly a more lasting treasure than the gold the Spanish stole from the natives!!  Originally considered a poison fruit, the tomato soon spread to kitchens everywhere from Britain to Africa and across Central Asia to the Far East.

4 large Heirloom Tomatoes
2 cups cooked White or Brown or mixed Rice
1/2 cup toasted Pine Nuts
1/2 cup Zante Currants
Cumin, Coriander, Sage and Dried Basil to taste

Slice off the tomato tops and reserve them.  With a spoon, "gut" the tomatoes and turn them upside down on paper towels to drain.  

Add the tomato guts to a skillet, with a splash of oil.  Add the rice, and other ingredients, and simmer until the tomato is cooked soft.

Stuff the tomato shells, place them in a baking dish and put the caps on top.  Surround the stuffed fruit with any excess stuffing.  Bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes.  

Plate and serve.