Sweet Potato Fries

These are so easy and SO GOOD. Everyone loves them and one batch is just not enough!

Updated to add: the recipe I originally posted was not the one I was thinking of when I raved about these. I'm not sure what I've done with that recipe, but it made "fries" instead of "chips". When I made the "chips" version, I was not very pleased with them - they never got crunchy - at all. So, I've found a "fries" version that should work better. These should have a nice chewy-crunch on the outside and a warm moist inside.

4 medium sweet potatoes
-- cut lenghtwise into 1/2 in slices (like "steak fries")
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place sweet potatoes slices in a large bowl; add oil and toss to coat, add salt and pepper, toss some more. Put slices on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, turn over and bake another 15 minutes.

You might also try tossing them with parsley, thyme, basil or oregano!


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Portuguese Cornbread (Broa) - for bread machine

This is a new recipe I've just found and can't wait to try out. White cornmeal is traditionally used, but yellow or even blue can be used, too. This recipe is for a 2 lb bread machine.

1 2/3 c water
1/4 c olive oil
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c white cornmeal
3 1/2 c bread flour
2 1/2 tsp yeast

Place the ingredients in your breadmaker according to the manufacturer's directions (mine is all wet ingredients first, then dry and, finally, the yeast). Set on Basic cycle.

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White Chili

This is a great way to use up leftover chicken from a roast in the slow cooker.

1 c onion, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
3 15 1/2 oz cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 4 oz cans diced green chilis
4 c chicken broth (you can make this from your roast chicken or use boxed/canned)
3 c chopped, cooked chicken
2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz)
sour cream (optional)

In a 3 1/2 to 6-Qt slow cooker place onion, garlic, cumin oregano, green chilis, broth and cooked chicken. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 7-8 hours (or high heat for 3 1/2 to 4 hours). Stir in cheese until melted. Top individual bowls with sour cream, if desired.


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Weekly Menu Plan - Sept 28-Oct 4

On hand this week:
pears
spinach
green onions
celery
onions
shallots
broccoli
potatoes
acorn squash
butternut squash
sweet potatoes

Sunday - Leftovers
We still had bits and pieces from last week, so instead of fixing a new meal, we decided to clean out the fridge!

Monday - Roast Chicken a la Normande*, Creamed Spinach, Mashed Potatoes and for dessert: Blackberry Pie and ice cream
This meal has been selected to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Michael and All Angels.

Tuesday - Fish Poached in White Wine*, Steamed Broccoli with lemon butter, Sweet Potato Chips
I would normally have leftovers or a casserole or stew made from the previous night's meal tonight, but I have some fish I purchased that must be used!

Wednesday - White Chili, Portuguese Corn Bread
This chili will be made with the leftover chicken from Monday.

Thursday - Leftovers
Time to clean out the fridge!

Friday - Pizza

Saturday - We are attending a wedding - so, we'll eat there!

* both these dishes come from my new cookbook Mastering The Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. The recipes, while not complicated, are a bit long to retype. If you are at all interested in learning about French cooking, I HIGHLY recommend this cookbook. The recipes are superb as are Ms. Child's instructions.

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Farmer's Market Report is going into hibernation

Hi, y'all! It's been quiet here, huh? Long week, little blogging.

Tomorrow is promising to be a very rainy and nasty day...and we are having a severe gas shortage here in Charlotte, so some of the vendors won't be there anyway. I love my farmer's market, but slim-pickins on a rainy day...just not calling my name. You know what is? My BED! Heh.

So, what about the Farmer's Market Report? Well, it has been a little slim the past couple of weeks (unless I've done lots of inviting around the blogosphere...and that takes me hours of searching and commenting time) which makes me wonder if lots of markets are closing for the season. I think perhaps it is time to put the Report to bed until next spring - it is hibernating!

If you have a great post you were hoping to submit, please feel free to leave a link in the comments. If I get enough of them, I'll go ahead and post the Report for this week and submit those links for you to Mr. Linky.

I do hope you've enjoyed the Farmer's Market Report the past couple of months - I sure have. I promise to bring it back next spring! In the meantime, I hope you'll stick around for more recipes and seasonal cooking ideas.

A great way to make sure you don't miss anything is to subscribe by email or by RSS (if you read your blogs in a "reader" like Bloglines or GoogleReader). Whichever you prefer, you can do both from these links: Subscribe via email or RSS.

Have a lovely weekend, friends!

Farmer's Market Report - Sept 20th

Welcome to another edition of the Farmer's Market Report. Are you new to the report? You can learn more about it here.

Today was an absolutely perfect farmer's market day here in NC. The weather this morning was breezy, sunny, cool (58F), and had a touch of that fall smell in the air. The market was quieter than the height of summer - which is unfortunate for the farmers, and the absentee shoppers, because there's still plenty of wonderful produce to be had. However, I enjoy the quieter atmosphere.

There was nice harp music playing (live!) and a local wood carver, too.

I picked up:
- Okra (1 1/2 lb)
- Black-eyed peas (two bags - probably a pound)
- 6 "old-fashioned" pears (that is what the farmer called them)
- Muscadine and Scuppernong grapes
- and 3 organic chocolate chip muffins (you'll notice the kids barely let me get a picture of them - there was only one left by the time I pulled out my camera!)

I would have grabbed more peas, but there were only two bags left. In fact, I only bought one to begin with (not to be greedy), and then went back for the second. The okra and peas will probably go into a hearty tomato-based soup (maybe with some frozen corn) to be served with homemade corn bread. Other ideas for the okra and/or black-eyed peas?

What did you find at your farmer's market today?

Submit your post below (a direct link to your post, not your main page). Don't forget, to add a link back to this Farmer's Market Report in your post. And if this is your first time, be sure to read the guidelines.



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Colcannon

This traditional Irish dish is a perfect in fall and winter.

1 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 in. chunks
1 tsp salt, divided
1 1/2 c chopped green cabbage
1/3 c finely chopped green onion
2 c boiling water
2/3 c milk
2 T butter
1/8 tsp finely ground pepper

Place potatoes with cold water to cover by 2 inches and 1/ tsp salt in large saucepan. Bring to boil for 5 minutes. Add cabbage and boil for another 10 minutes until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, place green onion in sieve, pour boiling water over them and drain. Add drained onions to a medium saucepan with milk, butter and rest of salt and pepper, bring to a boil them remove from heat.

Drain cooked potatoes and cabbage and return to large sauce pan. Beat on low speeed with a hand held mixer until coarsely mashed. Increase speed to high and gradually add milk and onion mixture and continue to beat until potatoes are light and fluffy.

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Savory Squash Bread Pudding

I think this will end up being like corn pudding, which I LOVE, but with the slight sweetness of butternut squash.

3 C butternut squash (peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2 in. pieces)
1 C chopped onion
1 clove garlic
3 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 C milk
1 C parmesan cheese (divided into 1/2 cups)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
9 cups day-old french bread, cubed

Arrange squash in single layer on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Bake at 400F, 12 minutes, until tender. Set aside. Remove from oven; reduce temp to 350F.

In a frypan, saute onion in 1 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat until tender, 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Whisk together eggs, egg whites, milk, 1/2 C parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir in squash, onions, garlic. Add in bread cubes and stir gently to combine. Let stand 10 minutes. Spoon into greased 2-qt baking dish. Sprinkle top with other 1/2 C of parmesan.

Bake in preheated oven at 350F until custard is set and top is lightly browned, 45 minutes.

This recipe is another from one of my FAVORITE seasonal cookbooks: Simply In Season (World Community Cookbook)


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Menu Plan for Sept 15-21

Today is my middle son's birthday, so he got to choose tonight's dinner. You'll see in my menu plan what his favorite meal is!
Here's what I had on hand:
2 butternut squashes
5-6 apples
fresh green beans
fresh wax beans
a pound or two of bok choy
a large ziplock baggie of basil leaves (my neighbor harvested a "bush" before she left for vacation)
half a dozen or so potatoes
lots of onions
lettuce
leftover corn

Here's what I'll pull from the freezer:
a whole, locally-raised chicken
zucchini
large tray of pre-made Spanakopita

Here's what I'll use from the pantry:
canned italian plum tomatoes
"Star" pasta

And from the store, I picked up:
1 lb of ground turkey
2 lbs italian sausages
2 fresh roma tomatoes
taco shells
cheddar cheese


So, this week we'll be having:

Monday- Tacos!
roma tomatoes, some lettuce, ground turkey, taco shells, cheese

Tuesday- Roast chicken with Provencal herbs, Savory Squash Bread Pudding, Green & Wax beans
whole chicken, butternut squashes, green beans, wax beans

Wednesday - Crazy Colcannon and Sausages (I've linked to a traditional Colcannon recipe. Mine will be quite untraditional. If it turns out, I'll be sure to post it...but basically I'm making the same thing only with bok choy instead of cabbage and thinly-sliced regular onions instead of green ones.)
bok choy, potatoes, onions, sausages

Thursday - Chicken, Vegetable and Pasta Soup (This one I'm making up and will post after I try it. It will be a sort of minestrone with chicken.)
leftover chicken (for meat and broth) leftover corn, zucchini, canned , "star" pasta

Friday - Pizza

Saturday - Supper Club - "Appetizer Night", we are taking the Spanakopita.


So, what about all that basil from my neighbor? Well, I can't decide if I'm going to make pesto or just chop it in the CuisinArt with olive oil and then freeze it in ice cube trays. Which would you do?

There are many more menu plans at Menu Plan Monday!

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Fall Season: Food and Menu Ideas

One of the challenges of eating seasonally is knowing what is going to be in season when and having a plan to use those ingredients. The past couple of weeks, I've spent a bit of time making a list of what will be in season in my area this fall and gathering recipes.

Perhaps you'd like to make use of my list? As I use the recipes, I'll post them on the blog, so eventually, there will be a whole "recipe book" for each season. In the meantime, feel free to peruse and download my ""Fall Season Food" list. The first part is a listing of food that will be in season (E-early, M-mid, L-late) followed by recipe ideas.

Let me know if you find this document helpful (and if you download it). This will help me judge if future documents will be helpful to others.

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Farmer's Market Report - Sept 13th

A nice farmer's market trip today - didn't pick up too much, though because I've got plenty on hand right now, but did get:

• A huge head of Bok choy
• Some muscadine grapes- I'll buy these every week until they are gone.
• Soap from the soap lady and her stain stick, which is comes highly recommended.
• And a large jar of local honey

While we were there, we (my Dear Neighbor and I) watched a weaving demonstration. Each week the farmer's market organizers bring in local craftsmen to exhibit their work. They also have various local chefs who come give cooking demonstrations and often live music. So, although a damp day, it was a nice one!

How was your farmer's market this week? Submit your post below (a direct link to your post, not your main page). Don't forget, to add a mention and a link back to the Farmer's Market Report in your post. And if this is your first time, be sure to read the guidelines.



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Tomorrow is the next Farmer's Market Report

Don't forget - tomorrow is the Farmer's Market Report!

How about you - are you are Farmer's Market shopper? If so, maybe you'd like to publish a "Farmer's Market Report" about your trip to the Farmer's Market this week and then submit it to the "Farmer's Market Report" Mr Linky tomorrow morning. Even if you don't submit, I bet you'll enjoy living vicariously through some other bloggers.

This week's Mr Linky will be up tomorrow morning around 10AM (by Noon at the latest), so come on by and visit!

Don't miss a single Farmer's Market Report...subscribe via email or RSS.

Homemade Croutons

Got some day-old bread? Why not make croutons? It is pretty darn easy...here's how I do it.


Start with about a 1lb loaf of day old bread (or the equivalent in bits of old bread you've saved up). This is a Rosemary-Sea Salt bread I got from a "day old bread" giveaway.







Slice and cube the bread into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl.










Drizzle oil by 1/4 cups full over the cubes, mixing thoroughly between each addition. Add 3/4 cup total - or enough to drench your bread cubes. Add seasonings of your choice (salt, pepper, herbs) and stir well.







Lay cubes on a a baking sheet in a single layer (use one with sides to make stirring during baking easier). Place in a 275 degree oven and bake for an hour or more depending on your desired crunchiness.

I like my croutons really crunchy, so I leave them in for close to two hours. But keep a close eye one them and stir them frequently!







Store in an airtight container or baggie. A one pound loaf will fill two of these large (Qt. size) mason jars, plus a little extra.

Enjoy in soup or on salads. Watch out, you'll be tempted to snitch them right from the jar, too.







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Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Bean Soup)

Ahh.... Pasta e Fagioli! An easy, delicious soup for any time.

This recipe comes from my favorite Italian cookbook:Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. Pasta e Fagioli is a very flexible recipe, but hers is the best. I don't use it exactly as she has it here, but it is an excellent starting point.

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 T chopped onion
3 T chopped carrot
3 T chopped celery
3-4 pork ribs or ham bone with some meat on it (I totally skip this, because hubby doesn't eat pork)
2/3 c canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juices (or fresh tomatoes, peeled and cut up)
2 lbs fresh cranberry or red kidney beans (or 3 c. canned or cooked dried beans - drained) (I use whatever beans I have on hand - often canellini, always canned)
3 c (or more if needed) beef broth (1 c. canned broth diluted with 2 c. water) (We don't eat beef either, so we use Chicken Stock.)
Salt
Black pepper (freshly ground)
1/2 lb small tubular pasta (I use whatever I have on hand, but never anything long like spaghetti/fettucini/linguini)
1 T butter
2 T freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Put olive oil and onion in soup pot and turn on heat to medium. Cook the onion, stirring, until it is pale gold. Add the carrot and celery, stir once or twice to coat them well, then add pork. Cook for 10 minutes, turning meat and vegetables from time to time. Add the cut up tomatoes and their juice, adjust the heat so that the juices simmer very gently, and cook for 10 minutes.

If using fresh beans: Shell, rinse and put in soup pot. Stir 2-3 times to coat well, then add the broth. Cover the pot, adjust the heat so that the broth bubbles at a steady, but gentle boil, and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the beans are fully tender.

If using canned (or cooked dried) beans: Extend the cooking time for the tomatoes in Step 3 to 20 minutes. Add the drained cooked or canned beans, stirring them thoroughly to coat them well. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the broth, cover the pot, and bring the broth to a gentle boil.

Scoop up about 1/2 c of beans and mash them and return to the pot. Add salt, a few grindings of black pepper, and stir thoroughly.

Check the soup for density: It should be liquid enough to cook the pasta in. If necessary, add more broth or, if you are using canned broth, more water. When the soup comes to a steady, moderate boil, add the pasta. Stop cooking when pasta is tender, but still firm to the bite. Before turning off the heat, swirl in the butter and grated cheese.

Allow it to settle for 10 minutes before serving as it tastes better when warm rather than piping hot. Serve with a nice, crusty bread!

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Baked Butternut Squash and Apples

Oh, the color is gorgeous! We'll see how my kids like it...they'll groan when I say "squash", but the brown sugar glaze may get their attention.

2 lbs butternut squash (peeled, seeded, and fibers removed; cubed)
2-3 baking apples (roughly chopped)
1/3 c brown sugar
3 T butter, melted
1 T flour
1/4 tsp allspice

Arrange squash and apples in baking dish. Combine next 4 ingredients in a small bowl then sprinkle on top of apples and squash. Cover and bake at 350 degrees until squash is tender, 40-50 minutes.

This recipe is from one of my FAVORITE seasonal cookbooks: Simply In Season (World Community Cookbook)

Updated to add: Oh, by the way, the kids LOVED this!


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Balsamic Marinated Chicken

This is easy and delicious! My kids rave about this and they can be picky eaters. It is so easy to fix, but you do have to think ahead in order to get the 2 hours of marinating done. Not a last minute supper...but almost!

1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1/4 c honey
1/4 c olive oil
2 T fresh rosemary
1 tsp salt
3 lbs chicken (breast, thighs, legs)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; add chicken. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove chicken, and place in a lightly greased baking pan (13x9); pour marinade over chicken.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until done, basting often with pan drippings.

Serves my family of 6 with leftovers.

I like to make extra and have this for lunch the next day, too. It is quite good over rice or couscous - and save some of the good pan juices to pour over that rice!

Menu Plan for Sept 8-13

Since we are starting to see some "fall" produce, it is time to start pulling out the fall menus around here! This week you'll notice we are doing just that...

Here's what I had on hand:
organic chicken in the freezer
2 butternut squashes
5-6 apples
frozen green beans
frozen italian-style meatbals (homemade)
lots of lettuce
semolina flour
2-3 cans of cannelini
pasta
chicken broth
some leftover corn
frozen zucchini that needs to be used
onions, celery

Here's what I'm making:

Monday- Balsamic Marinated Chicken, Baked Butternut Squash and Apples, Green Beans

Tuesday- Spaghetti and Meatballs, Green Salad, Semolina bread

Wednesay- Pasta e Fagioli Soup, bread

Thursday- Leftovers and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Friday- Thai Shrimp over pasta for the adults, Pizza for the kids

Come back later this week, I'll post my menu ideas for the Fall to help you start thinking about seasonal cooking!

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Farmer's Market Report - Sept 6th

Well, no rain this morning, but the ground at the Farmer's Market was a little squishy. Crowd was definitely down, but still tons of gorgeous produce. I picked up:

• My whole, organic chicken from the "Chicken Club" (like a CSA).


• Butternut squash - for a butternut-apple bake, I think.


• Muscadine grapes - a southern grape and my favorite!


• Tomatoes - some lovely green stripey ones, should make delicious sandwiches.


• Wax beans - I've never had these before, so I thought we'd give them a try.


• Some wonderful goat cheese to enjoy with my figs again and maybe in a quiche.

Come by on Monday for "Menu Plan Monday". I'll post my menu plan for the week to use this yummy haul!

Can't wait to see what you all found today!

Use the Mr Linky below, but please read the guidelines first. Be sure to link back to this page, mention the Farmer's Market Report in your post, and link to your post page (not your homepage).



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Reminder - Farmer's Market Report

Don't forget - tomorrow is the Farmer's Market Report!

It is looking to be a bit wet at my Farmer's Market as Hannah treks across the coast of North Carolina. Here in the Piedmont, we won't get severe weather, but will probably have some wind and rain. Despite that our Farmer's Market promises to still be open - I'll be there!

How about you - are you are Farmer's Market shopper? If so, maybe you'd like to publish a "Farmer's Market Report" about your trip to the Farmer's Market this week and then submit it to the "Farmer's Market Report" Mr Linky tomorrow morning. Even if you don't submit, I bet you'll enjoy living vicariously through some other bloggers.

This week's Mr Linky will be up tomorrow morning around 10AM, so come on by and visit!

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