Illinois (1/7/13)
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Recipes contributed by Bev and Catherine Barnett.
What is locally available to eat in Central Illinois in the dead of winter? Turns out, lots! With a little planning ahead, you can enjoy fresh seasonal flavor all winter long. To some, trying to eat mostly foods grown nearby might imply having to do without; to others, it sounds like a trendy activity for the elite. But for Bev & Catherine, it has been a great source of joy and pleasure, both in the epicurean sense, and in the sense that eating – which everyone does – can be a way to connect with our community, the land, and our bodies. Click here to download these recipes. |
More resources:
Good Earth Food Alliance - a Central Illinois CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), through which you can get locally grown veggies, fruit, eggs, meat, and more! (Check out their Top 10 Reasons for buying local.)
Localharvest.org - a website for finding farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area.
Peoria Riverfront Market (open spring-fall) and Methodist Atrium Market (fall/winter and early spring).
Slow Food USA - supporting good, clean, and fair food.
Good Earth Food Alliance - a Central Illinois CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), through which you can get locally grown veggies, fruit, eggs, meat, and more! (Check out their Top 10 Reasons for buying local.)
Localharvest.org - a website for finding farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area.
Peoria Riverfront Market (open spring-fall) and Methodist Atrium Market (fall/winter and early spring).
Slow Food USA - supporting good, clean, and fair food.
Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Makes about 6 servings.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. pumpkin flesh (may use other kinds of
winter squash; we really like butternut)
1 lg. onion, unpeeled, halved
3 leeks, white part
3 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. ginger
1 apple, peeled, cored, diced
1 tsp. curry powder
salt and pepper
3 c. chicken (or vegetable) stock
1 c. milk
Method:
Preheat oven to 375°. Cut pumpkin into large chunks. Remove seeds and pithy pulp (reserve seeds and roast them for a tasty and nutritious snack! See recipe on reverse). Place pumpkin and onion halves, cut side down, on oiled baking sheet with the leeks and garlic. Brush veggies with oil, cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool. Peel veggies and garlic, and coarsely chop.
In a 4-5 qt. pan, heat 1 T. oil with butter. Add ginger and apple; sauté until soft. Stir in the curry powder. Add reserved roasted veggies and chicken stock. Bring to boil, cover, and simmer at least 15 minutes, until veggies are tender. In a blender or food processor, puree the mixture in batches. Return to soup pot, add milk, and heat through just ’til warm. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. pumpkin flesh (may use other kinds of
winter squash; we really like butternut)
1 lg. onion, unpeeled, halved
3 leeks, white part
3 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. ginger
1 apple, peeled, cored, diced
1 tsp. curry powder
salt and pepper
3 c. chicken (or vegetable) stock
1 c. milk
Method:
Preheat oven to 375°. Cut pumpkin into large chunks. Remove seeds and pithy pulp (reserve seeds and roast them for a tasty and nutritious snack! See recipe on reverse). Place pumpkin and onion halves, cut side down, on oiled baking sheet with the leeks and garlic. Brush veggies with oil, cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool. Peel veggies and garlic, and coarsely chop.
In a 4-5 qt. pan, heat 1 T. oil with butter. Add ginger and apple; sauté until soft. Stir in the curry powder. Add reserved roasted veggies and chicken stock. Bring to boil, cover, and simmer at least 15 minutes, until veggies are tender. In a blender or food processor, puree the mixture in batches. Return to soup pot, add milk, and heat through just ’til warm. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Hardy Green Salad
Ingredients:
large bunch of hardy winter greens (kale, collards,
chard, etc.)
salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (more or less as needed)
handful each of walnuts and dried cranberries
Method:
Wash greens and chop finely. To tenderize tougher greens (like kale or collards) sprinkle with salt, drizzle with a little olive oil, rub with your hands to coat, and let sit in fridge for several hours. Once the greens are tender, rinse and drain them to get rid of extra salt. Return greens to serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar, add a dash of salt (if desired), and toss well to coat. Lightly toast walnuts, then throw them on top, along with the dried cranberries.
Variations: Just as you can adjust lettuce salads to fit any taste and occasion, so with this simple and hearty salad. It can be sweet, with fruit and nuts, or savory, with dried tomatoes, crushed garlic, and a dash of spicy red pepper. Use flavored vinegar or oil. Squeeze a lemon over it. Crumble a bit of feta or bleu cheese on top if you like. Experiment and have fun!
large bunch of hardy winter greens (kale, collards,
chard, etc.)
salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (more or less as needed)
handful each of walnuts and dried cranberries
Method:
Wash greens and chop finely. To tenderize tougher greens (like kale or collards) sprinkle with salt, drizzle with a little olive oil, rub with your hands to coat, and let sit in fridge for several hours. Once the greens are tender, rinse and drain them to get rid of extra salt. Return greens to serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar, add a dash of salt (if desired), and toss well to coat. Lightly toast walnuts, then throw them on top, along with the dried cranberries.
Variations: Just as you can adjust lettuce salads to fit any taste and occasion, so with this simple and hearty salad. It can be sweet, with fruit and nuts, or savory, with dried tomatoes, crushed garlic, and a dash of spicy red pepper. Use flavored vinegar or oil. Squeeze a lemon over it. Crumble a bit of feta or bleu cheese on top if you like. Experiment and have fun!
Pan-roasted Pumpkin Seeds
There are a lot of ways to roast pumpkin seeds, but here’s one quick and easy way. Enjoy them after carving a jack-o-lantern or with a steaming bowl of pumpkin soup. They're highly nutritious, have lots of fiber, and are crunchy and delicious!
Reserve seeds from winter squash (pumpkin, butternut, etc.). Rinse off stringy flesh and drain or pat dry. Over medium-high heat, warm a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan, then add the seeds. Stir to coat with oil, and stir occasionally as they cook to avoid burning. Seeds may make a popping sound – that’s a sign that they’re done (not all seeds have rewarded me with that sound, so just stop cooking when they’re nicely toasted but before they’re burned). Eat plain, or sprinkle with salt or other spices to taste.
Reserve seeds from winter squash (pumpkin, butternut, etc.). Rinse off stringy flesh and drain or pat dry. Over medium-high heat, warm a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan, then add the seeds. Stir to coat with oil, and stir occasionally as they cook to avoid burning. Seeds may make a popping sound – that’s a sign that they’re done (not all seeds have rewarded me with that sound, so just stop cooking when they’re nicely toasted but before they’re burned). Eat plain, or sprinkle with salt or other spices to taste.