Winter Recipes for Seasonal Eating (Pt 2)!

Shopping at the farmers market means getting to enjoy foods at their seasonal peak, and winter time means cooking warm, comforting dishes to keep the cold away! The abundant winter produce at Chico Farmers’ Market covers all the bases and offers us anything but boring, with beautiful and endless options for cooking all winter!

Welcome to round two of more fun recipes for eating with the season! Make sure stock up on produce this Saturday for all your cooking supplies!

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Cauliflower Fritters with Mint Pea Spread

Recipe courtesy of thekitchn.com

INGREDIENTS

For the spread:

• 2 cups peas, blanched if fresh or thawed if frozen
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to thin if necessary

For the fritters:

• 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup chickpea flour
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 to 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil for frying

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the pea spread by combining the peas, mint leaves, garlic, walnuts, Parmesan, lemon juice, pepper flakes and sea salt in a food processor or blender. Process until finely chopped, scraping down the sides as necessary. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Process until everything is well-combined but still a little chunky. Taste and add more salt or pepper to taste.
2. For the fritters, combine the cauliflower florets with 4 cups of water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook until cauliflower is tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and pat the cauliflower dry. Transfer to a cutting board and finely-chop the florets.
3. Place the chopped cauliflower in a large bowl. Add the chickpea flour and toss until evenly coated. Stir in the cheese, scallions, egg, and salt.
4. Heat the grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot (you can test this by sprinkling a tiny water in the pan, it should hiss when hot enough), add about 1/4 cup of cauliflower batter to the pan. Use a spoon, spatula, or the backside of the measuring cup to flatten the fritter into a uniform shape. Add as many fritters to the pan as can fit without overcrowding. Cook until browned and crisp on the underside, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip fritters and repeat on the opposite side.
5. Serve while warm with the pea spread.

Sweet Potato-Turmeric Soup with Miso

Recipe courtesy of bonappetit.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small sweet potato
• 1 3×5-inch piece kombu
• ¾ ounce bonito flakes (about 1½ packed cups)
• 1 5.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
• ¼ cup white miso
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh turmeric or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Toasted coconut flakes, crushed salted, roasted peanuts, and chili oil (for serving)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Pierce potato several times with a fork or sharp knife. Roast potato on a rimmed baking sheet until tender, 35–45 minutes. Let cool, then scoop out flesh; discard skin.
2. Meanwhile, combine kombu and 4 cups water in a large pot. Let sit until kombu softens, 25–30 minutes. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Immediately remove from heat once water starts simmering; fish out kombu and discard. Add bonito flakes and stir once to submerge them. Return to a gentle boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep 15 minutes (this ensures you get the most flavorful broth, or dashi, possible). Strain dashi through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Discard solids; wipe out pot.
3. Transfer dashi to a blender. Add sweet potato, coconut milk, miso, and turmeric. Blend until smooth. Return to pot and bring to a very gentle simmer. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice.
4. Divide soup among bowls. Top with coconut flakes and peanuts, then drizzle with chili oil.

Radish Butter on Toasted Baguette

Recipe courtesy of marthastewart.com

INGREDIENTS

• 8 medium radishes (about 1 bunch), cleaned, root ends trimmed
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• One 8-ounce baguette
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grate radishes on the large holes of a box grater; place on paper towels, and squeeze out excess liquid. Combine radishes and butter in a small bowl; mix well.
2. Slice baguette in half lengthwise, and place in oven; toast until crisp and browned. Remove from oven, and cool slightly. Spread radish mixture on toasted baguette; season with salt and pepper. Slice each half into four pieces, and serve.

Red Cabbage and Caramelized Fennel

Recipe courtesy of deliciousliving.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 2 medium fennel with tops
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
• 6 cups (about 1/2 medium head) red cabbage, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mirin

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, toast fennel seeds until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer seeds to a clean coffee mill; grind to a powder. Set aside.
2. Trim top and bottom of fennel; reserve fronds in a bowl of cold water for later use. Core fennel; slice bulbs into 1/4-inch slices.
3. In a deep, wide sauté pan over medium heat, warm the oil; add sliced fennel and salt. Sauté 10 minutes, or until fennel begins to caramelize. Add the red cabbage, water, and apple cider vinegar. Raise heat to high to bring to a quick boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 20 minutes. Uncover and stir in the mirin and ground fennel seeds. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally until liquid evaporates. Remove from heat.
4. Just before serving, roughly chop reserved fennel fronds; stir into cabbage mixture. Salt to taste.

Caesar Brussels Salad

Recipe courtesy of foodandwine.com

INGREDIENTS

Dressing

• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 5 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves, plus more leaves for garnish
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil

Brussels

• 2 pounds brussels sprouts
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated 
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the dressing In a food processor, pulse the egg yolks, lemon juice, anchovies, chopped parsley, chives, mustard and vinegar until smooth. With the machine on, drizzle in both oils until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic and refrigerate. Clean out the processor. 
2. Make the brussels sprouts Thinly slice 2 cups of the smallest brussels sprouts and transfer to a large bowl. In a food processor fitted with the slicing blade, shred the remaining brussels sprouts; transfer to the bowl. Toss with the olive oil, vinegar and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Toss in the Caesar dressing and cheese. Garnish with parsley and serve.