THE RECIPE CORNER

Farm Fresh Dinner Sautee

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 lb green beans, cut into bite sized pieces

1 eggplant, diced

1 bunch purple mustard, ribs removed, and leaves torn into bite sized pieces

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

½ cup vegetable or chicken broth

2 cloves garlic, minced

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Heat a little oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and sautee for about 1 minute.  Then add the eggplant, broth, and tomatoes.  Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Next, add the green beans, stirring well.  Recover and continue cooking about another 10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are nice and tender. 

Uncover, reduce heat to low, and add the mustard greens.  Cook until the greens are wilted.  Add the balsamic vinegar and cook as needed to reduce the liquid in the pan.  Serve over rice.

Pumpkin Puree

To make pumpkin puree, stab the pumpkin in a few places with a sharp knife. (This allows the steam to escape.) Then bake at 350 for about 1 hour, or until you can easily insert a knife. Let cool to the touch, and then cut in half. Scoop out the seeds - save them if you'd like to roast them later - and stringy inside (pumpkin guts). Then cut the pumpkin into manageable strips. Cut off the outer shell, and cut the soft inner flesh into chunks. Add to a food processor, adding a little water if necessary to make a puree.

Once the hard work is done, the fresh puree can be kept in the fridge for a few days, or measured into 1 cup and frozen for all your fall treats.

Pumpkin Cheddar Mac and Cheese

1 pound whole wheat penne

4 tablespoons butter

3 rounded tablespoons flour

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons honey

2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon ground mustard

pinch of cayenne pepper

freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups pumpkin puree*

2 1/2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided

sweet paprika, for sprinkling

1 bunch of greens, ribs removed, and leaves torn into bite sized pieces

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and reserve.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute. Whisk in the chicken (or vegetable) stock and cook until it has reduced down where there is almost no liquid left. Whisk in the honey and the milk. Season with the allspice, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until thickened and it coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed.

Preheat the broiler.

Whisk in the pumpkin puree and also the greens. Stir in 2 cups of the cheese until melted. Combine the pasta and the sauce and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and sprinkle with paprika. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

*See Pumpkin Puree recipe

Scrumptious Pumpkin Apple Pancakes

This recipe is so delicious, you may want to double it. You can either store the batter in the fridge for a few days, or make them all and then freeze them.

1 large egg

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

¼ cup oats

¼ cup sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup pumpkin puree*

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped

Syrup

To make pancakes, mix together all ingredients except butter and syrup in a medium bowl.

Add oil to a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Spoon batter by 1/3-cup portions into pan, making 3 or 4 pancakes at a time. Cook, turning once, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Continue making pancakes with remaining batter, adding more butter to pan for each batch. Serve with syrup and butter if you like, and enjoy this hearty fall breakfast!

Note: This recipe can be adapted with any kind of winter squash and is quite good with butternut squash.