Market Manager

by Angela Trentadue

For some reason, I think that coconut-based sauces should be relegated to winter and made with hardy squashes. But I had a bevy of colorful vegetables and a yen for a spicy coconut sauce, and I had to find a way to put them together. I like the way this dish allows us to hang on to summer well into September with beautiful crunchy carrots and peppers, the last of the pungent basil, and bright citrus flavors in the coconut sauce.

Ingredients

1 pound mixed vegetables: carrots, green beans, red pepper
1 lg head bok choy, stems sliced, leaves cut into 2″ wide strips
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, stemmed and seeded, diced
1 stem lemongrass, tender inner layers only, chopped fine
zest from one lime
1 15 oz can coconut milk
salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbs soy sauce
juice from 1 lime
10 large basil leaves, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Peel and cut carrots on the bias into 1/4″ thick slices. Cut the tops off the green beans and cut into 1-2″ lengths. Clean and seed the red pepper, cut into 1/4″ wide strips about 1-2″ long.
2. Parboil carrots and green beans about 1 minute, plunging into cold water just after to halt any further cooking.
3. Make a paste of garlic, jalapeno, lemongrass and zest.
4. Heat a wok, add the coconut milk and the paste. Simmer for 1 minute.
5. Add the vegetables. Season lightly with salt, then add the pepper flakes and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the soy sauce, lime juice and basil leaves. Simmer for 1 minute more. Serve with basmati or jasmine rice.

by Angela Trentadue

This is a Fall/Winter variation of a salad I like to make in earlier in the season with summer squash and green beans. I find the nubby wild rice, rich roasted squash and sweet corn niblets to be especially full of life during the colder months – and I really like the addition of apple cider to the mix. Even though I can never drink very much, I always buy a gallon or two of cider from the market at this time of year and freeze it in 1 cup packages to cook with during the winter.

Ingredients

1 c wild rice
2 tsp coarse kosher salt
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and deseeded, cut into 1/2″ dice
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tbs butter
1 large leek, cleaned and cut into 1/2″ slices
1 c corn cut from the cob, fresh or frozen (defrosted)
1 c cooked small red beans (or other small bean)
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1/2 c apple cider (more or less, as you prefer)
cider vinegar
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium saucepan, add rice to 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. One the water is rolling, add salt, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer rice for 45 minutes or until the kernels are tender and just starting to split.
3. In a large bowl, toss squash with olive oil and spread out onto a large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and roast until the edges start to brown and the cubes are fork tender, about 30 minutes.
4. While the squash is roasting, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, stirring to coat evenly with butter. Allow the leeks to cook in the pan until they have softened and begin to turn translucent. If they start to brown too much, turn the heat down.
5. Once the leeks are soft and aromatic, toss in the corn. Season with salt and pepper, stir well, then continue cooking until the corn turns bright in color and all the juices are almost evaporated. Stir in the sage and cook a minute or two more.
6. Once all the liquid is gone and the leeks and corn are carmelizing and sticking slightly to the bottom of the pan, add the cider. Stir well to get up all the brown bits released by the cider. Gently mix in squash and beans, incorporating all ingredients evenly. Cook a minute or two more to allow the liquid to concentrate. If more liquid is needed, add a splash of cider and a splash of cider vinegar.
7. Finally, turn out into a large bowl, mix in rice and season with salt and pepper.