Black-Eyed Peas With Collard Greens

from NYT Cooking, Martha Rose Shulman

Black-eyed peas with collard greens sounds like a Southern dish, and indeed it would be if you threw in a ham hock and took away the dill. But this recipe actually is inspired by a Greek dish that combines black-eyed peas with wild greens.

serves 6

Ingredients:

• ½ pound black-eyed peas, rinsed
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
•  Salt to taste
• 1 large bunch collard greens (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), stemmed, washed well and chopped or cut in ribbons
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 1/2 cup water
• ¼ to ½ cup chopped fresh dill (to taste)
•  Freshly ground pepper to taste
•  For topping (optional): crumbled feta or fresh lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Place the black-eyed peas in a large saucepan, cover with water by two inches, bring to a boil and then drain. Combine with half the onion and one of the garlic cloves in the saucepan. Add water to cover by two inches, and bring back to a simmer. Add the bay leaf, and reduce the heat. Add salt to taste, cover and simmer 30 minutes, until the beans are just tender. Drain through a strainer set over a bowl.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large, ovenproof lidded skillet or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat and add the remaining onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes, and add the remaining garlic. Stir together for 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant. A handful at a time, stir in the greens. As the greens wilt, stir in another handful, until all the greens have been added and have collapsed in the pan. Add the dissolved tomato paste and stir together. Add salt to taste. Add the beans and enough cooking liquid to barely cover everything, cover and place in the oven for 30 minutes, until the collards are tender and the beans very soft.
3. Uncover the pot, and add a bit of liquid if the beans are dry. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the dill, cover and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve warm or hot. If you wish, top with crumbled feta or a squeeze of lemon.

 

Roasted Winter Squash with Garlic Aioli

from Night Owl Farm

I just cooked and ate this so had to post…..so incredibly good and so utterly simple!

for roasted squash:

pre-heat oven to 450 degrees

• buttercup squash, peeled, gutted and cut into 1-1 1/2 inch pieces
• olive oil
• salt

for Garlic Aioli

• mayonnaise (about 1/4 cup)
• small or 1/2 garlic clove

Toss squash with olive oil and salt a little.  Roast in oven for about 30-35 minutes or until edges start to brown a little.  Place the side of a big knife on the peeled garlic clove and then smash with the side of your fist and then chop very finely. Mix well with mayonnaise.  Num!!!!

 

Baked Small Buttercup Squash with Chestnuts, Apples and Leeks

From Food and Wine Magazine, Adapted by NOF

Halved buttercup squash make perfect single-serving bowls. These make a great vegetarian main course for any winter holiday, but they’re also a festive accompaniment to turkey, ham or roast goose.

Ingredients:

• 4 small buttercup squash (about 1 pound each), halved lengthwise and seeded
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups diced celery
• 2 leeks, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme
• 10 ounces day-old rustic rye bread—crusts removed, bread cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 6 cups)
• 7 ounces vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup vegetable stock or low-sodium broth

How to make it:

 

Squash, Wild Rice and Pecan Salad

From Abra Berens

• 1 large squash, peeled
• 2 C wild rice, soaked overnight
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 C white wine or verjus
• 1 C pecans, toasted
• 1 bu parsley
• ¼ C vinegar, sherry or white wine would be my preference
• ½ C olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. In a large pan, heat a glug of olive oil and sweat the onion and garlic until translucent
2. Add the white wine and reduce till dry
3. Add the soaked wild rice and cover with water and cook until tender
4. Allow the rice to cool slightly
5. Heat the oven to 375F
6. Cut the squash into large cubes, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until golden
7. Roughly chop the parsley
8. Toss the drained rice, with the squash, pecans, parsley, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper.
9. Taste and adjust seasoning.

 

 

Stuffed Baby Squash

from Three and Four Ingredients: 500 recipes, by Jenny White

“It is worth making the most of baby squash while they are in season. Use any varieties you can find and do not worry too much about choosing vegetables of uniform size, as an assortment of different types and sizes looks attractive. The baked vegetables can easily be shared out at the table. Serve with warm sun-dried tomato bread and a ready made spicy tomato sauce for a hearty autumn supper”

serves 4 

• 4 small squash
• 1 cup mixed wild and basmati rice
• 1 1/4 gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Pierce the squash in several places with the tip of a knife. Bake for 30 minutes, until the squash are tender: Leave until cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, cook the rice in salted boiling water for 12 minutes, until tender; then drain. Slice a lid off the top of each squash and scoop out and discard the seeds. Scoop out and chop the flesh.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chopped squash for 5 minutes. Reserve 4 tbsp of the cheese, add the remainder to the pan with the rice and a little salt. Mix well. 

Pie the mixture into the squash shells and place in a dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for 20 min.