local food forays

There has been a dramatic uptick in my consumption of local produce lately due to a friendship I've developed with a Grow Alabama employee. Basically, I get a share of his weekly produce box in exchange for something that I cook using the ingredients from the box. Grow Alabama is a great program, and we need more like it, all over the state. Support it if you can! (I know, I can't really afford the boxes either -- but we do need more produce being grown/purchased locally in Alabama. It helps our state's economy, and its people, as well as the environment). On to the food.


It was Danielle's birthday, and I was itching to make Thanksgiving things anyway. And, as I've mentioned in a previous post, I love brunch.

Menu:
Tomato Pie (this recipe is in a previous post)
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Cumin Squash Soup
Creamed Mustard Greens
Carrot Souffle (left over from my aunt, so I'm not including this recipe)
Frittata (this recipe is in a previous post)
Green Bean Casserole
Cranberry Sauce

I'll try to describe everything in the order in which I cooked it, because I feel like it's somewhat important that some things be cooked later so they'll stay warmer.

The first things I prepped were the squash and the sweet potatoes. For the soup, you'll need two large squash (it will serve at least 6 as a first course), and for the candied sweet potatoes you'll need about 5 medium sweet potatoes.

Candied Sweet Potatoes:
Cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick butter
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
3 tbsp honey
5 medium sweet potatoes

Slice the sweet potatoes and lay them out on a sheet pan. Sprinkle/drizzle all the ingredients on top and toss together. Cook at 425 for probably 45 minutes, tossing occasionally. Use aluminum foil! The honey gets sticky. I had these in the top rack of my oven while the souffle and the tomato pie were on the bottom.

Before assembling the pie, however, I started the squash soup.

Cumin Squash Soup:

Butternut squash
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
salt
pepper
hot sauce
vegetable stock
1/3 stick butter

Cook the onions, garlic, and squash (cubed) in the butter for about ten minutes. Add enough vegetable stock to cover all the vegetables (I used probably two to three cups), then add your spices/herbs and hot sauce. Bring to a boil then cover and let simmer for at least half an hour. (The important thing is to make sure your squash is tender). Before serving, use an immersion blender until you reach your desired texture. I left mine relatively chunky.

Green Bean Casserole

about 3/4 pound fresh green beans
6-7 small mushrooms
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2-3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
salt
pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
red pepper flakes
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1-2 tbsp flour
1/2 c. panko
1/3 c. parmesan

Cook onions, garlic, mushrooms, and beans in olive oil and butter 5-10 minutes (Don't overdo it -- you still want the green beans to be a bit crisp, as they'll cook more in the oven). Add flour and make a roux, then add the cream after a minute or so. Add the herbs and spices after that, and let cook about 5 minutes before transferring to a baking dish. Top with parmesan and panko and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until brown on top.

Creamed Mustard Greens:

1 large bunch mustard greens
1/2 red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp parsley
1/4 c. brown sugar
salt
pepper
1/3 c. water
1/3 c. heavy cream
3 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. parmesan

I got these mustard greens in the produce box, and had never cooked them before. Full disclosure: they were almost unpleasantly bitter. If I were you, I'd check out my creamed collards post, or just make this recipe substituting the mustard greens for something slightly less bitter. That being said, if you add enough cream, butter, and cheese to something, it'll be good. I still found these to be interesting, and Miguel and Shundee enjoyed them (or claimed to).

Saute the onions and garlic in the butter and add the greens once they're translucent. Add the water, brown sugar, and spices, and let them cook for at least 20-25 minutes, until almost all the water is absorbed, at which point you can reduce the heat and add the cream and cheese. Season to taste, and add more cream and cheese if you find them to be too bitter, haha.

And last but not least: Cranberry sauce. Miguel actually made this, but I was trying to pay attention and take note of his ingredients:

3 cups cranberries
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar

Basically, you just bring the water and sugar to a boil and add the cranberries. Let simmer until about 1/2 the cranberries have popped. The amount you let pop depends on the level of tartness you desire. The more that pop, the sweeter it will be. Transfer the sauce to another container and store it in the fridge until it has time to get cold, then it's ready to serve.


(halfway through the feast)

And so concludes my Thanksgiving post. I served it with these little cheesecakes leftover from my grandma's, and it was amazing. I think I'm still full, though it was a full 24 hours ago.