31 Days of Veggies Fall by Angelo Esquivel

Fall

A Guide to Inspire Curiosity & Creativity in the Kitchen

31 Days of Veggies: Fall

31 Days of Vegetables: Fall Fall is an especially abundant time on Northern California farms: our long growing season means summer produce is often available through early November while seasonal favorites like winter squashes, apples, tomatillos, shallots, cranberries and more return to the Co-op’s Produce Department. Reflect the changing seasons in your kitchen routines and welcome the flavors and warmth of Fall. The recipes in this guide are simple, often surprisingly so. That’s because you don’t need to do much to a local, organic, in-season carrot to make it taste absolutely amazing. Trust your gut to lead you to a delicious place and don’t be afraid to get creative! Find everything you need for this culinary journey at your Davis Food Co-op.

31 Days of Veggies: Fall Toast Toasting occurs when something is browned by radiant heat. Toasting nuts and seeds will take your dish up about 5,000 notches. Heat a DRY skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add Roast Roasting occurs when a food is exposed to prolonged high temperatures in an oven or over a fire. Think slightly caramelized, crispy edges, and tender middles. It should be your go-to way to cook

nuts or seeds to the warm pan, and stir with a wooden spoon about every minute or so, for about 5-7 minutes or until the seeds are slightly browned and fragrant. Do not walk away from the stove or they will burn.

vegetables. All you need is olive oil, salt,

Sauté

and pepper and a temperature between

To sauté, all you need is a little bit of fat

400° and 450°F to seriously elevate your (oil, butter) and heat. Do this in a frying veggies. Do this on a parchment-lined

pan or cast iron skillet on your stove top.

baking sheet or in a baking dish.

If you’re using high heat, refrain from too

Roast a Whole Squash Sometimes it is easiest to peel and cube

much multitasking or you’ll end up with a pan of char.

hard winter squashes and roast using the Building a Vinaigrette/Dressing A vinaigrette can be as simple or as method above. Sometimes it is easier to roast the whole thing. Cut in half

complex as you want. Start with 3 parts

and pepper. Place open side down on a

while whisking vigorously to emulsify.

lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with oil, 1 part vinegar or citrus juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the oil slowly a spoon. Rub all over with olive oil, salt parchment lined baking sheet. Roast at

Additional ingredients include minced

450°F for 30 minutes - 1 hour, depending shallot or garlic, fruit juice, honey, maple on the thickness of the squash. It should syrup, nut or seed butter, herbs, etc. be tender all the way through and very easy to scoop out.

31 Days of Veggies: Fall Fresh Lemons and Limes Always use fresh citrus juice so always have a couple of lemons and limes around. Packaged lemon and lime juice just doesn’t carry the same zing as fresh. Store fresh lemons and limes in the fridge Olive Oil Olive oil is a must in the kitchen, more specifically, extra virgin olive oil, which is the oil you’ll need for almost all of the recipes in the guide. But what is a “good” olive oil? Quite simply, any olive oil that you love the taste of! Not crazy about the taste of olives? Go for light olive oil (light on flavor, not calories). Salt It’s a good idea to have two kinds of salt on hand: Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and sea salt. Use Diamond Crystal while cooking and sea salt when finishing. Salt a little bit all the way through the cooking process rather than just salting at the end. Black Pepper Freshly ground black pepper is just the best. Invest in a refillable pepper grinder. Find a variety of whole peppercorns in the Bulk Department.

for a longer shelf life. Mandolin This is one of those “next level” kitchen tools that every home chef should have. If recipes that call for “thinly slicing” “shredding” or “grating” bring you apprehension or you just don’t have the time, get a mandolin.

31 Days of Veggies: Fall Green Chile Migas

Halve and remove seeds from 2 poblanos and 1 jalapeño. Remove husks and wash 1 pound tomatillos. Add everything to a sheet pan with ½ bunch of green onions. Broil on high until blistered and blackened. Add to a blender with raw garlic, fresh cilantro, salt, pepper, cumin, and lime juice and a little olive oil. Cut 12 tortillas into strips. Fry until golden and crispy. Beat eggs with salt and pepper. Scramble with tortilla strips and serve with green chile.

Butternut Squash Pizza Cut the top ¼ off a whole head of garlic. Rub all over with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast at 450°F for 40-60 minutes. Roast a whole butternut squash at the same time. Scoop out flesh and mash with butter and salt. Squeeze out soft garlic cloves and mash with butternut squash. Spread on prepared pizza crust. Top with mozzarella and crumbled cooked sausage or your favorite toppings. Be sure to finish with fresh sage.

Autumnal Quinoa Salad

Chop 1 bunch of baby broccoli, including stems. Toss together with sliced red grapes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Roast at 425°F for 20 minutes. Toss with cooked tri-color quinoa, toasted almonds, feta cheese, and red pepper flakes.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppers

Soften goat cheese on the counter (four peppercorn is delicious). Slice the tops off mini sweet peppers and remove seeds. Brush all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Fill each pepper with goat cheese. Broil for 10 minutes. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with red pepper flakes and toasted sesame seeds.

Carrots with Saffron Honey Butter

Sticky Spicy Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Slice carrots thickly, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast at 425°F for 20 minutes, flip, and bake for 20 minutes longer. In the meantime, combine honey, butter, and a few saffron threads in a pot. Bring to a simmer, then turn off heat and toss with carrots.

Cut orange sweet potatoes into wedges. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 450°F for 15 minutes. Combine maple syrup, chili garlic paste (or sriracha or your favorite hot sauce) and a splash of tamari. Brush on top of wedges and bake 5 mins. Flip and repeat. Finish with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.

Caramelized Onion Socca

Caramelize thick slices of onion over medium-low heat with butter until jammy. Combine 1 cup chickpea flour, 1 cup water, 2 tbsp olive oil, and ½ tsp salt. Stir and let sit for 30 minutes. Stir in caramelized onions. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Once hot, add mixture and cook for 8 minutes. Finish cooking under the broiler. Slice and serve warm.

31 Days of Veggies: Fall

Beet and Avocado Salad Peel and chop beets into 1 inch cubes. Boil until tender. Mix tamari, sesame oil, rice vinegar, minced garlic, grated fresh ginger, and a touch of maple syrup. Toss dressing with beets, chopped avocado, thinly sliced green onions, and sesame seeds.

Fall Kale Salad

Cube and roast sweet potatoes. Destem dino kale, slice and massage with salt for 5 minutes. Thinly slice apples and red onions. Toast pumpkin seeds. Make a quick vinaigrette with apple cider vinegar and olive oil. Toss everything together with goat cheese if you feel like it.

Caramelized Fennel with Parmesan

Green Beans with Bacon and Cranberries

Parsnip and Apple Salad

Slice fennel bulb into ½ inch thick slices. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 430°F for 15-20 minutes per side. It should be deeply colored and caramelized. Cool slightly. Serve with thick (read: THICK) slices of parmesan cheese arranged in between the slices.

Cook bacon then slice thinly. Trim green beans. Saute for a few minutes, maintaining bright green color. Add bacon and dried cranberries.

Peel and shred 2 parsnips. Thinly slice 1 apple and 1 shallot. Toss with lemon juice and olive oil. Finish with chopped toasted walnuts.

Miso Maple Roasted Delicata

Halve, seed, and slice a delicata squash (skin is edible). Rub all over with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 425°F until tender. Combine butter, a little maple syrup, and 1 tbsp white miso in a pot and bring to a simmer. Brush squash all over and return to the oven for 5 mins before serving.

Bagel Sandwiches Toast bagels. Spread liberally with cream cheese. Heap thinly sliced Persian or English cucumbers and red onions on one side. On the other side, cover the cream cheese in toasted sesame seeds and red pepper flakes. Add smoked salmon if you want or enjoy it veggie style (I’d add sprouts too).

31 Days of Veggies: Fall

Lemon Herb Roasted Golden Beets Peel golden beets and slice into wedges. Toss with olive oil, lemon zest, salt, pepper and dried herbs (oregano, marjoram, rosemary). Roast at 450°F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Toss with lemon juice just before serving.

Sweet Potato and Chorizo Hash

Dice sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and onion (everything should be about the same size). Saute with olive oil, salt, and pepper for about 10 minutes. Stir in chorizo (real or vegetarian) and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve with eggs and tortillas.

Rainbow Mac & Cheese

Prepare your favorite frozen or stovetop mac and cheese. Mix in 4 cups of fresh chopped rainbow chard and 1 cup of shredded fontina cheese when it’s almost done. Transfer to a baking dish. Combine breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and plenty of dried thyme with a little olive oil. Sprinkle mixture over the top and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350°F.

Homemade Hash Browns

Grate yellow potatoes on a box grater. Set in a clean kitchen towel-lined colander over a mixing bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt. Wait 30 minutes. Ring out potatoes (yeah, it’s a lot of water). Heat neutral oil in a skillet. Add hash browns and sprinkle with more salt. Press down, then cook until very golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Flip and repeat. Serve with Breakfast for Dinner!

Caramelized Shallot Pasta

Thinly slice 6 shallots and 4 cloves garlic. Heat a good amount of olive oil over medium heat. Caramelize shallots. Add 1 anchovy, a couple of spoonfuls of tomato paste, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Toss with your favorite cooked pasta.

Sage Brown Butter Acorn Squash Toss slices of acorn squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 450°F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Melt several tablespoons of butter over low heat until brown bits form and the butter smells nutty. Mix in some chopped sage and cook 1 minute longer. Brush all over tender squash.

Smashed Fingerling Potatoes

Boil fingerling potatoes until softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and smash with the back of a wooden spoon. Drizzle with olive oil, lots of salt, and pepper. Roast at 450°F for 15-20 minutes. Top with your favorite pesto.

Chili Cheese Squash

Peel and slice butternut or kabocha squash into long pieces like French fries. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 450°F for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Heat up your favorite canned chili. Serve chili over squash fries with shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado slices or pickled jalapeño.

31 Days of Veggies: Fall Whole Wheat Spinach Pancakes

Blend together 1 cup packed baby spinach, 1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 egg, a splash of vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon sugar. Combine 1 cup white whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add scoops of batter to a hot buttered skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes per side.

Maple Mustard Brussels

Halve Brussels sprouts. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 425°F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Combine Dijon mustard, maple syrup, a little lemon and freshly ground black pepper. Toss roasted sprouts with dressing and flakey sea salt.

Carrot and Kohlrabi Fritters (or Tots)

Peel and grate 1 carrot and 2 kohlrabi. Mix with 1 egg, salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Form fritters (or tots) by hand. Heat neutral oil. Once hot, fry for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown.

Seasoned Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas

Cut 1 head of cauliflower into florets. Drain and pat dry a can of cooked chickpeas. Toss with olive oil, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, turmeric, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Roast at 425°F for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Pesto Flatbread Pizza

Brush your favorite flatbread (pita, naan, lavash, etc.) with pesto and dot with burrata or mozzarella. Heat under the broiler until the cheese is melty. Fry some eggs. Toss arugula with olive oil, red wine vinegar, parmesan, salt and pepper. Top pizzas with salad and eggs.

Warm Cauliflower Salad

Chop cauliflower. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 425°F for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Toast uncooked quinoa, then cook as normal. Cool slightly, then toss with cauliflower, chopped dates, toasted pistachios and lemon juice. Finish with flakey sea salt and plenty of finely chopped fresh parsley.

Pumpkin Grilled Cheese

Roast a pie pumpkin. Scoop out flesh and mash with salt and pepper. Spread on one side of a sourdough slice. Top with thinly sliced apples, sharp cheddar cheese and arugula. Add butter to a pan and melt, then toast each side of the sandwich until the cheese is melty and the bread is golden brown.

Garlic Mushrooms

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add whole cleaned cremini or button mushrooms when hot. Add salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Pour in dry white wine and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in minced garlic, parsley, and thyme until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Radish Tzatziki

Slice 4 oz. radishes to matchsticks or grate on a box grater. Combine 1 cup Greek yogurt, radishes, toasted walnuts, fresh chopped dill, a little olive oil, a little lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir. Serve with flatbread, roasted or raw veggies, pita pocket wraps or baked salmon.