Apple Celeriac Mostarda
Mostarda is a northern Italian condiment, traditionally fruit candied in a mustard-infused syrup, but it can be made more like a sweet and sour jam, with plenty of vinegar and a mustardy kick from popped mustard seeds and a little extra dijon. Celeriac gives a mostarda made with sweet apples a nice savory, slightly bitter edge as well as adding texture. It is often served with roast meats, and this preparation is excellent with pork of all kinds, but would also be amazing with schnitzel, potato pancakes, tossed with crispy roasted brussels sprouts, on a grilled cheese with some extra sharp cheddar, or just stirred into a fall grain bowl.
3 small or 2 medium sized gala or honeycrisp apples (both available from Buckwheat Blossom Farm at the Saturday market, in season)
1 medium celeriac (about 10 oz before peeling)
1 tsp dried lemon peel (available from Gryffon Ridge)
5 Tbsp sugar
½ cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp apple brandy, rum, or whiskey (optional)
2 Tbsp vegetable or other neutral cooking oil
2 Tbsp whole yellow mustard seeds
¼ cup minced shallot (from about 1 medium shallot)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp butter
Salt, to taste
Grate apples down to the core (no need to peel). Peel and grate the celeriac into the apples (you can save the peels and dehydrate or leave in a warm place to dry, then grind with salt for homemade celery salt). Add the lemon peel, sugar, vinegar and liquor and stir until well combined, set aside. In a medium stock pot, heat the oil over medium until shimmery, then add the mustard seeds and cook, stirring often, until they begin to pop. Stir rapidly and toast for about a minute; if too many begin to escape the pot remove from heat and let the seeds calm down a little while still stirring frequently. Add the shallot and return to heat, stirring constantly to soften, for about a minute. Add apple celeriac mixture and bring up to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring often, until liquid is fully cooked off. Add dijon and butter and cook for about another 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and season with salt to taste (you’ll only need a pinch, the goal isn’t salted but just enough to make the sweet and sour flavors pop). Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to a week.
Butternut Green Chile Soup
Winter cooking doesn’t have to be boring when we have so many great producers at the Brunswick Winter Market! This soup can be made from ingredients exclusively found at the market or very close to it (Gryffon Ridge is an excellent source for spices and Apple Creek has both ready made stock and glorious stew hens if you’d rather DIY). Regular milk will work just fine to thin and enrich everything, but unsweetened pepita mylk from Salty Rose Herbs (our next door neighbor at market) is a surprisingly tasty addition. Our green chile options range from not spicy at all (poblano) to a nice pronounced kick (sandia), so you can adjust the heat level to your taste.
3 lb butternut squash (1 large or 2 small)
1 Tbsp olive oil, or butternut seed oil from Fiore in Freeport
1 med red onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
½ tsp paprika
1 8 oz package frozen roasted green chiles, thawed, skins, stems and seeds removed, and chopped roughly
1 cup milk (dairy or pepita mylk from Salty Rose Herbs)
Salt, to taste
Slice squash in half and scoop out seeds. Roast, cut side down, at 375 for about 45 minutes, until soft and caramelized. Set aside. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium until shimmery, then add the onion, garlic, cumin and coriander and lower heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring often, to toast spices and soften onion and garlic, for about 5 minutes, then add stock, paprika, chilies, squash and a pinch of salt. Bring to simmer for about 5 minutes to meld flavors, then add milk and puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a standard blender. Add more salt to taste. This is lovely with a squeeze of lime juice or sweet potato coriander vinegar from West Maquoit Vinegar Works, crumbles of Winter Hill feta or Copper Tail chevre, toasted pumpkin seeds and chopped cilantro.
Braised Turnips with Leeks and Dill
Spring brings a lot of overwintered and freshly sprouted treats, but there are still some very sweet root veggies still staring at us. Combining purple top turnips with overwintered leeks and lots of fluffy dill helps bridge the seasons, for when you still want something warm and comforting after a day of prepping the garden. Use chicken broth for a more savory flavor or veggie to let the turnips’ sweetness shine. This is lovely alongside chicken or fish.
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 oz sliced leek (about 1 loosely packed cup, from 1 medium leek)
1 ½ lb purple top turnips, cut into 1” wedges if small or cubes if large
¼ cup dry cider, white wine or lager
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Decent pinch thyme, French or lemon
Pinch sugar
Salt & pepper
½ cup fresh dill, chopped
Melt butter over medium-high in a wide saucepan, add leek and turnips and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until leek begins to caramelize and turnips brown a little. Add cider, wine or lager and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute to mostly evaporate. Add broth, thyme, and sugar, and bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce to low, simmering about 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until turnips are soft. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss with dill before serving. Serve warm.
Stuffed Kousa Squash
One of the more unique varieties of squash we grow is the kousa, a sweet-tasting, grayish-green, egg-shaped zucchini that is native to Mexico but found its way to Lebanon, where it is traditionally served stuffed with ground beef or lamb and rice and cooked in a garlicky tomato broth. This is a locavore riff on the recipe, using ingredients that can be found at the Saturday market at Crystal Spring Farm, though you may have to wait for the first weekend of the month when Maine Grains comes through with the pearled barley (Morning Glory in Brunswick and Replenova Farm’s store in Durham also often carry it if you can’t wait). It’s a recipe that seems intimidating but is fairly simple to execute, and impressive for a dinner party or special meal, and leftovers keep and reheat very well.
4 kousa squash, about 3 ½ lb total weight
½ lb ground lamb (from Buckwheat Blossom Farm, or Apple Creek when in season)
1 small onion, finely diced
¼ pint cherry tomatoes, or 1 small tomato, any color, diced
⅛ tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
⅛ tsp chili flakes
¼ tsp sumac (optional) (all spices can be procured from Gryffon Ridge)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh spearmint
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup pearled black barley (available from Maine Grains)
Soak the barley in cold, clean water for about half an hour while you prepare the squash. Cut the stem ends off each squash, then hollow them out, leaving about ¼” thick. A handheld apple corer or pumpkin carving tool works great for this. Scrape shallow grooves down the sides of each squash using the tip of the corer, this will help the cooking liquid penetrate the flesh more easily. Drain the barley and combine in a mixing bowl with the rest of the filling ingredients, mixing by hand is the best way to fully incorporate everything evenly. Stuff each squash to about ½” from the stem end, being sure not to pack them too tightly as the barley will need some room to expand. The ends of the squash can be plugged with nasturtium leaves, grape leaves, small squash plant leaves or any other edible herb or flowering plant leaf. Prepare a tomato-based broth for cooking the squash. If you happen to have had a quart of spicy tomato fennel soup from last summer in your freezer, this works beautifully, otherwise you can use tomato juice or puree with some chicken or lamb stock (available from Apple Creek), seasoned with salt and pepper and crushed garlic and whatever other aromatics you’d like (sliced onion, fennel, scallion bulbs…). You’ll need at least a quart. Place squash in a wide pot, in as close to a single layer as you can get, and add the liquid plus just enough water to cover. Add a plate on top to keep them submerged, cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the plate, gently turn the squash over and add a big dollop of garlic scape pesto and about ½ tsp of dried spearmint, then cover again and simmer another 30 minutes. Squash will be very tender. Check cooking liquid for seasoning and adjust to your liking, and serve each squash with a generous ladle full of cooking liquid and fresh parsley.
Chocolate Eggplant Torte
When you think of chocolate cakes with vegetables, things like zucchini and beets usually come to mind, but the humble eggplant brings subtle flavor and moisture as well as any other summer veggie. Chocolate with eggplant is a concept from the Italian Amalfi coast, where fried eggplant is served smothered in melted chocolate, often with the region’s signature citrus candied alongside. This rich, fudgy (yet surprisingly light) torte combines “melanzane” and “cioccolato” in a more approachable form, and is perfect for a late summer special occasion. Using a blender achieves a perfectly smooth texture that a food processor can't replicate. It's fairly perfect on its own, but a little whipped cream and fresh berries sure don't hurt.
1 lb Asian or mini eggplant, cut into 1” chunks
10 oz dark chocolate, chopped, or bittersweet chocolate chips
⅔ cup maple syrup or ¾ cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅓ cup cocoa powder
⅓ rounded cup almond meal
2 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
Place eggplant chunks in a steamer basket over boiling water and steam for 20 minutes, until very soft. Place in blender and set aside to cool slightly, reserve water used for steaming and keep at a low simmer, then set chocolate in a metal or glass bowl over top and gently melt, stirring often (you can also melt the chocolate in a microwave by heating for 30 seconds to get it started, then stirring and heating in 10 second bursts until melted, stirring well between each burst). Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9 or 10” springform or regular round cake pan. Place a circle of greased parchment paper on the bottom of the pan and set aside. Add melted chocolate to blender with eggplant and blend on low until fully pureed and incorporated, scraping thoroughly as needed. With blender on low, drizzle in syrup, followed by individual eggs and vanilla. Scrape to fully incorporate. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to evenly distribute, then add to blender and blend on low, stopping to scrape as needed to achieve a smooth batter (you may need to stir the dry ingredients into the batter). Try not to introduce air bubbles. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until edges are slightly cracked and center is set with a little jiggle to it (a cake tester or skewer inserted in the middle should have a few moist but not wet crumbs clinging to it). Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes in pan set on a rack, then run a thin knife around the edge, release and remove springform if using, and flip onto rack. Carefully peel parchment off the inverted bottom. Cake can be left to cool to slightly warm upside down, then flip onto a plate and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Allow to come to room temperature and dust with additional cocoa powder before serving.