Iris Member Diary for Week of Nov 4th

Veggie Share: Red potatoes, yellow onions, scallions, kale, popcorn on the cob, cilantro, acorn squash, butternut squash.

Orchard Share: One quart apple cider, apples

Our household stats: We are a family of four (two adults, a four-year old, and an infant) with a Week B half-share of both Veggie and Orchard. It takes us a full two weeks to use up all the produce. Sadly, Berry and Egg Share season is over. This week we enjoyed hearty meals featuring roasted potatoes, roasted butternut squash, apple crisp, hot apple cider, snake bites (IPA with cider!) and kale salad. Lots of kale salad.

My husband’s take on kale: “I really like it in salad but it just takes so much chewing!” So, I set out this week to shake up my kale salad. The key, I learned, is to massage the raw kale with salt and olive oil. This helps break down the fibers so they are more lettuce-like (thus, less chewy) and reduce the bulk. Undressed salad keeps in the fridge as leftovers the next day.

Kale treated this way mellows out and is a nice base for hearty and less traditional salad toppings. This week I tried the following items together and in different combinations: radishes, tomatoes, marinated onions soaked in balsamic vinegar, feta cheese, avocado, black olives, pine nuts, goat cheese, pepitas, carrots. Delicious!

Directions: tear kale leaves from stem in small pieces, rinse and spin dry, place in salad bowl and sprinkle with salt and olive oil. Massage the leaves for a minute or two until the leaves darken and the mass reduces by one-third.

Roasted butternut squash with maple syrup was a favorite dish. The squash reduces during baking and you will definitely want seconds—and leftovers!—so consider doubling. One squash served four adults one single serving each.

Directions: Use a vegetable peeler to remove skin from one large butternut squash. Cut lengthwise and remove strings and seeds. Cut into one-inch pieces. Place in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in 375 degree oven until soft and fragrant. Stir on occasion to brown several sides. Drizzle with maple syrup and sprinkle with salt in the last ten minutes. Dress with a touch more maple syrup upon serving.

Roasted potatoes are a favorite and one of the veggie share items that my four-year old will reliably eat (say ketchup!). Add scallions for variation.

Directions: Cut small potatoes lengthwise into wedges. Toss with olive oil and place in a roasting dish in a 375 degree oven. Stir once or twice to brown multiple sides. Cut scallions into two-inch pieces and toss in with potatoes towards the end. Remove from oven when scallions are wilted and starting to crisp. Salt to taste.

Orchard Share: We devoured our apple crisp and warmed ourselves from cold days at the playground with hot apple cider. My daughter loves to sip the cider from her mug using a cinnamon stick as a straw. I also enjoyed drinking snake bites this week: IPA mixed with cider—delicious!

What is left over:

Cilantro: I imagine some sort of cilantro-avocado-lime salad dressing.

Popcorn on-the-cob: I understand you either pluck the kernels into a pan and pop as usual on the stovetop or you can microwave the cob as is in the microwave!

Scallions: I love to sauté them with greens (more kale!) and throw in with my weekly frittata.

Acorn Squash: I loved the butternut squash recipe and plan to do something similar. The flutes make it harder to peel raw so I will likely roast in quarters and dress with maple syrup and butter at the end.

Onions: Juicy and firm, these end up in just about everything.