Radish Tomato Curry

My produce items: Radishes, Heirloom Tomatoes, Onion

14 small radishes
2 heirloom tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup basmati rice

Quarter radishes, mince garlic, chop onion, dice tomatoes.  In a saucepan heat up oil.  Add in chili powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, salt, mustard powder and garlic.  Mix well.

Add in radishes, onion and tomatoes.  Stir occasionally cooking on medium heat.

Prepare basmati rice on stovetop in a saucepan (2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice).  Cook covered, once water evaporates turn flame down low until rice is fully cooked.  Serve curry on top of rice.

Serves: 3-4

Final Verdict: Yummy (except the radish part)

This was something I whipped together with the spices in my pantry and what was left of the produce.  The curry part was really yummy and I would try this recipe again with chicken.  The radish definitely needed to be cut into smaller pieces.  I think the radish was fine for use in the curry but I should have diced them into much smaller pieces and only used about half of what I had.  They were so big they would not get soft.  I tried to cover the skillet hoping to help soften them but it didn't work.  I wouldn't say to omit them but much smaller pieces is recommended.  The larger pieces gave an overpowering mouthful when bitten into.  I like my curry mild so feel free to add a chili pepper if you want to give it some spice.

Butternut Squash Risotto

My produce items: Leftover 1/2 cooked butternut squash, onion, thyme (sorry no picture).

1/2 cooked butternut squash
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1 clove of minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 box of arborio rice (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons of butter
1 stems worth of fresh thyme leaves

In a large skillet heat olive oil.  Add in onion, garlic, thyme and salt.  Cook for a few minutes.  Add in arborio rice and stir to coat evenly and give it a little toast.  Add in white wine.  Stir and cook until wine evaporates.  

Heat up chicken broth and water in a saucepan.  Slowly add in broth water mixture to the rice one cup at a time.  Add in one cup and stir slowly until it evaporates, then add in another cup and repeat.  Continue until broth and water have been used up and rice is soft (about 1 hour).  Continually stir the rice so that the bottom doesn't stick to the pan and burn (this rice needs a lot of attention as it cooks very slowly).

Gently fold in butter and parmesan cheese.  Stir slowly until butter and cheese melt evenly throughout.

Scoop out cooked butternut squash.  In a mixing bowl whip butternut squash and mascarpone cheese into a puree.  Slowly fold into the arborio rice until everything is very well and evenly mixed throughout.

Serves: A Lot (bring this to a big dinner or luncheon)

Final Verdict: Really good but really rich.

This was very tasty but quite rich.  A little serving will do you.  It's a nice side to compliment a meal but I would not recommend eating it on its own as a meal because it's so rich.  The flavors are delicious and you'll feel like you're eating in a fancy restaurant but again it can be very powerful on your stomach if you eat too much (it must be the cheese).  I made my own variation of this recipe based off of several internet recipes I found so there isn't one real credible source.  I just put my own spin on it.  I wasn't sure about the thyme but it was in my produce box so I added a little of it, though I didn't think it was noticeable.  Overall, I guess I could have done without the mascarpone and it would have been less rich.  Without the butternut squash it would just be regular risotto.  This recipe produced an entire bowl full of it so I don't actually know how many people it would feed (an entire skillet's worth).

Butternut Squash and Apple Ravioli

My produce items: Butternut Squash, Fuji Apples, Sage

1/2 cooked butternut squash
1 fuji apple
1/2 cup of mascarpone
4 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon cinnamon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Penzey's Pumpkin Pie Spice (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cloves)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
wonton wrappers (hidden in the produce department of the supermarket)
1/2 cup half and half
3 tablespoons of butter
chopped sage leaves

First cut butternut squash in half and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 60 to 75 minutes.

Peel and dice apples.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Cook in a covered pot to soften.

Spoon out 1/2 of the butternut squash and combine with baked apple, mascarpone, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, Pumpkin Pie Spice and egg yolk.  I don't own a food processor but it would have come in handy for this.  Instead I used a blender and then electric mixer.  It took a little more work but got the job done.  I had my tasty ravioli filling.

Put one spoonful of ravioli filling on a wonton wrapper.  Wet the edges by either using a brush or dipping your finger in some water and running it along the edges.  Cover with the second wonton wrapper and press the edges closed all around with a fork.

Boil water and add the salt.  Boil a few raviolis (6-7) at a time for 2-5 minutes a piece.

For the sauce, melt butter with chopped sage in a pan.  Add in half and half and 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese.  Stir and cook until sauce thickens (about 5-7 minutes).

Serve raviolis hot topped with sauce.  Add additional parmesan cheese on top if desired.

Serves 4-6

Final Verdict: Excellent

I love butternut squash ravioli and always wanted to try making it.  I'm not big on making dough so I wanted to find a premade pasta and the wonton wrappers are as good as it's going to get.  While they did work, the consistency was a little gummy as wontons tend to be if they're boiled.  Still, the butternut squash ravioli was excellent.  The apples were a nice touch too.  I didn't get an exact recipe per say, just researched a bunch of different ways to make it and put my own interpretations to the test.  I think it turned out really well.  I do think the parmesan topping was a nice touch because it adds some saltiness to the sweetness of the dish.

Last Produce Box of the Year

Our final produce box for the year has arrived.

This time we have:
Onion
Butternut Squash
Fuji Apples
Green D'anjou Pears
Navel Oranges
Kiwis
Cranberries
Green Beans
Broccoli
Radishes
Bulb Fennel
Carrots
Spinach
Lettuce
Thyme