Veggie Pot Pie

There is something so satisfying about pot pie on a chilly night. This vegetarian version is chock full of in-season root vegetables, and of course you can use local dairy products as well.  Instead of a pastry crust, I like to make it with a tangy yogurt-based biscuit topping.  Skip the pepper if you don't have any frozen.  And, of course, you can always add some turkey or chicken if you like (a good use for some of those Thanksgiving leftovers in a few days!).

Filling
1 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium potatoes, cubed
4-5 small turnips or rutabaga, cubed (about 2-3 cups)
1 large carrot, in ¼-inch rounds
1 green pepper, diced (from the freezer!)
1 Tbsp dried parsley or 1/4 cup frozen
1-2 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2-3 Tbsp white flour
¾ cup milk, room temperature

Crust
1 ½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup plain yogurt
¼ cup milk

Preheat the oven to 425˚. Oil a 2-quart casserole dish.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the garlic and onions and sauté until the onions begin to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes, turnips, and carrots and sauté over medium heat, stirring often, until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add a little water if necessary to keep from sticking to the pan. Add the pepper and continue to sauté until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the parsley, tarragon, salt, and pepper, and stir.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix thoroughly. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the milk and stir continuously until the mixture thickens. Add a bit more milk if desired.

While the vegetables are cooking, make the dough for the crust. Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Add the yogurt and mix until well blended. Add milk gradually until the dough becomes fairly easily spreadable.

Pour the vegetable mixture into the dish. Spread the dough over the top of the vegetables.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the crust is cooked through and the pot pie is bubbly.

Serves 4-6.

Variations:
1. Add tofu, chicken, or turkey.
2. Substitute 2 tsp dried oregano and 1-2 tsp dried thyme for the parsley and tarragon.

Cardamom-Scented Root Vegetable Stew

This stew is based around carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and turnips or rutabaga, all available from local sources at this time of year. But the seasonings will take you somewhere a bit more exotic.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp grated or minced fresh ginger
2 Tbsp ground coriander
3 Tbsp ground cumin
¼ tsp turmeric
2 tsp cardamom
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
5-6 cups water
2 veggie bouillon cubes
½ cup dried red lentils
½ cup dried brown lentils
1 15-ounce can chickpeas
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 small rutabaga or turnip, peeled and cubed (about 1 cup)
2 cups frozen peas

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions and cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are soft, translucent, and slightly browned.

Stir in the garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, salt, and pepper. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes to roast the spices.

Add the water, bouillon cubes, red lentils, and brown lentils. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the chickpeas, potatoes, sweet potato, carrots, and rutabaga or turnip. Return the soup to a boil, then lower the heat again and simmer for at least 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. The red lentils will disintegrate somewhat, thickening the stew.

Add the peas and cook another 5-6 minutes until they are heated through. Taste the stew and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serves 4-6.

Spicy Tofu Hotpot

This is another great way to use local garlic, bok choy, and shiitake mushrooms. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law, and it is a favorite in our house.

Spicy Tofu Hotpot, all jarred up for a soup swap with friends

1-2 Tbsp sesame oil
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp grated or minced fresh ginger
10-12 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
6-8 cups water
2 veggie bouillon cubes
1 Tbsp brown sugar
¼ - 1/3 cup soy sauce
½ - 1 tsp chili paste (optional)
1 medium bunch bok choy, coarsely chopped (about 6 cups)
1 14-ounce package firm tofu, cubed
4 ounces angel hair, broken in 2-inch lengths

Heat the sesame oil in a large soup pot. Sauté the garlic and ginger over medium-high heat for about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. They will absorb all the oil.

Add 6 cups of water and the bouillon cubes to the pot. Stir in the brown sugar, soy sauce, and chili paste. Cover and bring to a boil.

When the water is boiling, add the bok choy and tofu to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer until the bok choy is tender, about 4-5 minutes.

Add the angel hair and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

If needed, add additional water and adjust seasonings. Serve hot.

Serves 4-5.

Squash for Thanksgiving

Local winter squash is an obvious candidate for the Thanksgiving table. There are zillions of things you could do with it, but here are a few ideas.

For a fairly simple side dish, try:
1. roasting cubes of butternut with garlic, fresh sage, and olive oil
2. cook and mash with roasted garlic, maybe also sage or thyme
3. roast acorn or delicata halves with a drizzle of maple syrup and serve with rind intact
4. if your're feeling bolder and your guests are up for something non-standard, try roasting or mashing with Indian spices; for a tamer variation on this, just use cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom, or even just cardamom

If you're feeling more ambitious about the squash, try:
1. Roasting and stuffing acorn squash with a savory combination of grains, herbs, nuts, and dried fruit (perhaps cranberries, pecans, wild rice, and sage)
2. make a savory pumpkin/squash pie - skip the sweet spices and sugar and sage and garlic or Indian seasonings
3. Make squash soup. Lots of possibilities here. One year a friend brought a North African inspired soup with pumpkin, tomato, and peanuts.
4. Try a Thai curry with a coconut based sauce for chunks of simmered squash.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes/Rutabaga

My husband's family has a rutabaga tradition at the holidays. It has two parts: the first is that they always have rutabaga and the second is that they always complain about it. While the purists in the family insist that it must be served straight up, others have been happy to experiment over the years. This is one preparation that is actually quite delicious, even if you're not really into rutabaga.

1 1/2 - 2 lbs potatoes, rutabaga, or combination
½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 head roasted garlic, each clove removed from skin
1-3 Tbsp butter
¼ - ½ cup milk

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and/or rutabaga and ½ tsp of salt. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain the potatoes/rutabaga and put them back in the pot. Add the garlic and mash the mixture together well. Add milk and butter to achieve desired consistency.

Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

Bok Choy and Shiitake Stir-Fry

The shiitakes from New England Wild Edibles were excellent--silky and flavorful when cooked. I combined them with chicken and baby bok choy from my garden for a delicious stir-fry last night. I think the chicken worked particularly well with the greens and mushrooms, but you could also certain use tofu, tempeh, or another protein of your choice. Or, I suppose, just do the bok choy and shiitakes as a side dish. Serve this over rice.

2 Tbsp sesame oil
1-1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
6-7 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp minced ginger
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
6-8 cups bok choy or baby bok choy, roughly chopped
1/4 - 1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1-2 tsp Asian chili paste or sauce (optional)
Thickener: 2 tsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp water

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet. Add the chicken and stir-fry over high heat until cooked through. Set the chicken and its juices aside in a bowl.

Add a little canola or more sesame oil to the pan and add the garlic, ginger, and shiitakes. Stir-fry over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are tender. Add the bok choy and cook until it starts to wilt. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili paste (if using) and continue to cook until the bok choy is fully wilted. Stir in the thickener and cook for another moment or two, until the sauce thickens, then remove from heat.

Serve over rice.

Serves 3-4.

Local Produce at Green Fields Market

Usually my husband does the grocery shopping, but for one reason and another, I ended up doing it myself this weekend. With summer's bounty well behind us, it seemed like a good time to check out what produce was available from local sources. GFM makes an effort in this area, of course, but I was still surprised at just what a variety was available. Obvious things like different kinds of squash and greens, of course, but also sunchokes, parsley, carrots, potatoes, turnips, and lots more. The two surprise highlights for me were sweet potatoes (from Red Fire Farm in Granby) and shiitake mushrooms (from New England Wild Edibles in Colrain). There were also portabella and crimini mushrooms from Pennsylvania--not exactly local, but not that far, either. That was great news to me because I am not a wild mushroom hunter and was starting to miss mushrooms in general. I bought some of the shiitakes (though I had to put a few back when I realized they were so meaty and dense that I had initially loaded my bag with over $14 worth!) and will use them in a stir-fry later this week with some of the baby bok choy still flourishing in my garden.