Hasselback Turnips With Avocado Cream

It’s been 14 days since my last farm share pick up with 7 more days to go. (The farmers take a long break at the end of the year, which they all deserve but makes me sad. Or more like hungry.) It is a pretty long stretch for me to have to go without getting me some farm fresh goods. I have been making due, rationing out my roots (the greens were gone within days) and supplementing with lots and lots of frozen zucchini, Swiss chard, and broccoli, so it hasn’t been bad. But now I am worried because with al the supplementing, the chest freezer is looking a little more on the empty side then I would like. And it’s only January. I guess that is what happens when you eat your weight in vegetables everyday. 🤷‍♀️

Anyway, I am pretty much out of roots. The turnips were the last of what I had left besides the lone beet that I found stuffed in with the apples. And because they were the last roots and knowing I am not going to have any roots until next week, I wanted to do something a little special with them. That is why I hassledbacked them, which basically means I sliced them up without cutting completely through so they are cut but still stuck together. Does that make since? If not, just look at the pictures.

These turnips, oh these turnips. First off, roasted turnips are amazingly delicious and if you have never roasted one, well you need to get on it and do so. Secondly, the turnips I used are gIlfeather, which if you did not already know, are the Vermont state vegetable. But don’t worry, if you can’t find the gilfeather, regular old purple top turnips work and taste just as fantastic because all roasted turnips are so fantatic. When roasted I might describe them as the cooler, hipper, cousin of the baked potato. Add the avocado cream and seeds, which are the cooler friends of the cooler cousin, and you got yourself a cool dude party! Or basically just a way tastier baked potato situation with fixing.

Now don’t you want a tasty cool hassledback turnip? And yes, I keep wanting to call them David hasselbacks turnips too. Because they are so cool. Am I right? Haha!

To the turnips!

The stuff. Turnip. Either a couple smaller ones or a giant one, up to you. Also need an avocado, a little red wine vinegar and water, salt and pepper, garlic powder, olive oil, and some toasted seeds (if you want).

If using a giant turnip, cut in half. If using small ones, you can cut those in half too or leave them whole. Up to you.

Now to hasselback. Using two guides that are the same thickness (chopsticks or chip clips.. whatever you have lying around that you don’t mind nicking with a knife) slice into the turnip about ever 1/4 inch, right down to the guide, but not all the way through.

Hasselbacked.

Lightly oil a skillet or baking sheet and also rub a little oil all over the turnips and lay them hasselbacked side up. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a pinch of garlic powder. Then into a hot ass oven they go.

While the turnips are roasting , make up the avocado cream. Basic, just scoop avocado into bowl (if you have a stick blender) or blender, add in a pinch of salt, the water and vinegar, and blend until smooth.

And back to the turnips. Baked for a little longer then an hour and flipped once, now they are all roasted and crispy and all sorts of ready.

A freshly roasted hasseldbacked turnip smothered in avocado cream and sprinkle with toasted seeds.. Good things here friends. Good things.

-C

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Hasselback Turnips With Avocado Cream

serves 2-4

• 1 large or 2 small turnips

• salt and pepper

• olive oil

• pinch or garlic powder

• an avocado

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon water

• handful of toasted mixed seeds (I used pumpkin and sunflower seeds)

Preheat oven to 450

Grab turnip(s) and wash thoughtful. If you buy the turnip from the store and it has a wax coating, peel the outer skin, otherwise, you don’t have to. Now to haseslback. Cut the large turnip in half or if using to small ones, you can just leave it whole. Take two, either chopsticks or something that is about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick, and place on either side of turnip to use as a cutting guid. Slice the turnip about ever 1/4 inch , right down to the guide, but not all the way through. After cutting, place on a lightly oiled skillet or baking sheet and drizzle a little oil in our hand and rub all over. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a pinch or garlic powder. Place the turnips in hot oven. Roasts for about an hour, or until the slices of the turnip start to brown and come apart. Also, if you want a little more crispy edge, half way through, drizzle on a little more oil. You can also flip (which I did) the turnip cut side down to finish roasting.

While turnips are roasting, make avocado puree. Scoop avocado into bowl or blender. Add in the water, vinegar, and a pinch or salt. Blend in blender or with stick blender until smooth. If to thick, drizzle in a little more water until desired consistency.

Once cooked and all crispy like, remove turnips from oven, place on a plate and slather on the avocado cream. Sprinkle on toasted seeds and eat to your face hole.

Warm Balsamic Delicata, onion, and Kale Salad

Let us talk about how winter squash is like one of the best foods ever. Seriously. Hardy, creamy, rich, and full of the nutty, sweet flavors of all the good things. How anyone says they don’t like winter squash is beyond me. I sometimes even feel like I put myself in danger of exploding when I am around enough cooked squash. I can eat and eat it until it’s gone, which is fine if it’s a serving or two, but when you roast up a 10 pound butternut, well, that is when the danger is real. I am getting better at holding back, but man, sometimes I just can't (or don’t want to?) help myself. ( You might also wonder why I cook 10 pounds of squash at a time. It’s because I will eat it all in a few days and I might as well cook a bunch at once, for efficiency sake.)

Now the delicata squah. If you haven’t had it before, stop what you are doing and go get one. You need to try it because it is amazing. Sweet, nutty, creamy. So good! And another good thing is that they are not giant, so you can buy one and eat the whole thing and not worry about overeating until you can’t move, unless that is the goal. In that case, just buy a bunch. HA.

Anyway, it’s getting to that time of year where salad is still great, it is just great warm. And with winter squash. Don’t you agree? So we cook up the squash, grab the kale and make one heck of a salad to eat all to your face. Because that is what will happen. You will make it , taste it, and not want to share it. It is too good to share. (Yes salads can be too good to share, so if you are planning on feeding others, plan accordingly)

To the salad!

The stuff. Kale, a delicata squash, red onion, some balsamic vinegar, a touch of maple, spicy brown mustard, a handful of toasted seeds, and salt and pepper.

Start with the squash. Cut it in half and scoop seeds from booth sides (these seeds are great roasted). After deseeded, cut both pieces into 1/4-1/2 inch thick rounds. And NO!!!!, do not peel the skin.

Grab the onion and cut into 1/4 inch rounds too.

Place the squash on a very lightly oiled baking sheet so the pieces are not overlapping each other. Then toss on the onion which is fine if it overlaps. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and lots of cracked pepper and pop into a hot oven.

In the meantime, mix the dressing situation together. Mustard, maple, and balsamic in a jar, mix and done.

Chop the kale too. Into mouth sized pieces.

Once squash is cooked all nice and tender, remove pan from oven. Take all the kale and toss on top then take the dressing and drizzle it all over the kale. Pop the pan back into the oven for a minutes or two, just until the kale starts to ever so slightly wilt.

Pull the pan back out and give it a good toss.

Dump it all into a big bowl, toss in the toasted seeds, and call it. Now grab a fork and start eating.

-C

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Warm Balsamic Delicata, Onion, and Kale Salad

Can be a main dish for 1 or a side for a few

• 1 delicata squash

• 1 bunch of kale (around 3/4 pound)

• 1 smallish red onion

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 1 -2 teaspoons maple syrup (more for a slightly sweeter, maple-y flavor)

• 2 tablespoons brown or dijon mustard

• 1/4 cup toasted seeds of choice (I used pumpkin and sunflower)

Preheat oven to 400

Cut delicata squash in half and scoop out all the seeds (you can save seeds to toast up later if you want), then slice the squash into 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick rounds. Grab onion and cut into thin slices. Take onion and squash and place them onto a very lightly oiled baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Don’t let the squash overlap, but it is fine for the onion to overlap the squash and itself. Pop the pan into the oven and bake until the squash starts to brown and is fork tender, which should take about 10-15 minutes.

In the meantime, chop kale into small mouth sized pieces and set aside. And mix the balsamic, mustard, and maple together to create the dressing.

Once the squash and onions are cooked, toss the kale onto the pan and drizzle the whole thing with the balsamic mixture. Toss it all around and pop pan back into oven for another minute or two, just to let kale get a touch wilted.

Remove pan from oven, dump everything from pan onto a plate, and toss in the toasted seeds.

Grab a fork. Eat.

Sunflower Seed Hummus

Whatever you do, do not turn on your oven this weekend! But I guess if you have air conditioning and don't mind cranking it... well then go for it. And can I come stay with you?

But for the rest of us doing this weekend without the old A.C., we need to feed ourselves, feed ourselves without any fire because 100 degrees is no joke and any added heat from anything will likey tip us over the edge. I am already so close to that edge and it's a long way down..(Just ask the mr, he could tell you a thing or two about heat and me.. not good)

Enter hummus and veggies.

You can't really go wrong with a good hummus and veggies meal situation and sometimes it's all that can be right. I for one could eat bowls and bowls of hummus, and sometime do, so this is not a stretch for me. Especially this hummus. I knew I would like it, but man, was (was because I ate it all) it freaking delicious. The sunflower seeds really did it for me, gave it a little something extra, like a freshness that is still creamy and earthy, but is not quite, I don't know, dark as tahini?  It's kind of hard to explain without having you taste it (so make it and you tell me)  Don't get me wrong, I love tahini, but sometimes you just  got to mix it up. (Plus sunflowers seeds are dirt cheap. Tahini is not nearly as cheap so bonus there too.)  Maybe its because the sunflower seeds bring the sunshine to your mouth. A sun filled mouth of pureed seeds and beans.  Yup, that's what it is.

So here ya go, a no heat meal (or snack or spread). We got this.

The stuff.  Cooked chickpeas (no need to cook your own, canned is a okay), sunflower seeds, a lemon, a few cloves of garlic, salt, pepper, a little water, and some herby green like parsley or cilantro. 

Hummus is pretty basic, it's just stuff blended up, but because we are starting with raw sunflower seeds, we need to really bend the shit out of them until they turn into a paste, so do that, which is going to a take about 8-10 minutes. Then once its pasty, add in the garlic and the juice of the lemon and blend until its all smooth.

Could almost stop here at this point. Sunflower seed goodness all emulsified. Taste it, it is so good.

Now add in the chickpeas and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Blended until smooth with a little drizzle of water to give just the right consistency.  And that's it.

Pile a bowl full enough that you can call it dinner them top with a good amount of fresh herbs. Serve with chopped up fresh veggies or whatever you like and we are good to go.

Creamy, dreamy sunflower hummus, no heat required! 

Stay not melted!

-C

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Sunflower Seed Hummus 

Makes about 2 3/4 cups

• 2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one can) drained
• 3/4 cup raw (can use toasted)unshelled sunflower seeds
• l juicy lemon
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1-2 tablespoons ice water
• salt and pepper
• handful fresh herbs like parsley,cilantro and or dill (optional) 

Place the sunflower seeds in food processor and turn on until seeds turn into a paste, which will take about 8-10 minutes. After every few minutes, scrap the sides down to make sure it all gets blended. Once the seeds reach paste consistency, add in the juice of the lemon and the garlic. Blend until smooth. Last off, add in the chickpeas and a pinch or salt and pepper and blend until smooth, adding  in a tablespoon or two of water to get the hummus to the consistency of your liking. Once blended taste and check for seasoning (add more salt and or pepper if needed) 

When the hummus is done, scrape into bowl(s), and top with lots of fresh herbs and a sprinkle more of sunflower seeds. Now eat it. Eat with veggies, with bread, with pretzels, or with a spoon (or finger). Do what you need to do.

 Any left over, if there is any, can be store in the fridge for 2-3 days. 

Sunday Happy

I feel like we are stuck in Narnia with the White Witch. Always winter, always snow. It will be worth it though if I get to meet some talking beavers, but until then, I'll start looking for the lion. This cold snow shit needs to end. 

The week has been pretty shity and very very stressful so we are going to leave that alone and I'll just tell you about good things, like watching all of my house plants that I repotted grow like gangbusters. Or seeing the veggie seedings start to emerge from the dirt. Half of them need to be repotted but the other half need to go directly into the ground. Glad I didn't get to it this week because the snow and the snow and the ice, oh, and the stupid snow. We were with the Miley, Judah, and Emerson every day this week. We helped them clean and organize their bedrooms,which was stressful, but also fun. I almost accidentally  broke Mileys toes off, Judah showed us magic tricks,  and Emerson taught  us all the alphabet. (And the mr got to play with so many dolls). There was time for So to stop over so I could fix her dress and eat carrots and make me laugh with all the funny faces. And we even had a few days of some what nice weather where I was able to open the windows in the house (that did not last long). Oh and the fridge, I was able to clean the shit out of the fridge. The week didn't completely suck.

 I think that highlight of the week is that we found and  awesome new couch (and skill saw). While we were looking for replacement faucets for the bathroom sink (because it is leaking bad) we stumbled upon a very nice, not to big, not to small, vintage, excellent condition, very comfortable, couch. And it was on sale, like super cheap and pretty much exactly what we have been looking for.(there is a picture bellow)  Our current couch, the little yellow one that we use  in our spare room, is way to small and very uncomfortable and after today, it's going bye bye. We pick up the new couch tomorrow. And when we do we will continue or search for a new faucet because we did not find what we were looking for. Until we do we  will be brushing and washing our hands in the bathtub. 

Today is going to be the first day in more then a week that the mr and I do not have some crazy crazy happening. So what are we going to do? Well I think we both need to turn off our phone, lock the doors, draw the curtains (we don't have curtain) and hide from the world. Will that really happen, no, but it's nice to think about. But I do think we will spend the afternoon relaxing a bit. I'll paint, or read, the mr will probably work on screens or his fly file (it's officially fishing season) and then we will go to bed early. Next week is a busy, but hopefully a good busy and not like shitty busy. Wish us luck.

What I looked at when I was looking at the internet

-I probably wouldn't use it as a headboard but as a sweet ass wall piece... maybe someday I will get to it. How to Make a Woven Headboard

-Now this is a sweet little cabin in the woods. 

-Fact or Fiction: Can You Really Sweat Out Toxins?

-I used to listen to music at the gym but after sweating all over and then ruining my 2 different iPods, I stopped. But I still hear music in my head.  How Your Body Reacts When You Exercise With Music, According to Science

-How to Keep Your Social Life When You Love Going to Bed Early Be friends with other people who go to bed early too. 

-I really want to go see this movie, and after reading this, I want to see it that much more. And I really hate scary movie ( I also might be kind of in love with John Krasinski). A Quiet Place’ Turns Eating Into a Suspenseful Act

-Watch out, those non organic strawberries are probably toxic. Strawberries again top 2018's 'Dirty Dozen' fruits and veggies

-Drug Use Is Detectable on Your Fingerprints.Say what?

-New 360-Degree Immersive Drawing Created With 120 Marker Pens by Oscar Oiwa Pretty freaking crazy

-Really, who eats these things? People Have Started Panic-Buying Necco Wafers

Pictures from the week

Enjoy the day.

-C

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

It's the weekend before Halloween which is the perfect time for pumpkin carving. We got our pumpkins last week and I have been so excited but have been waiting to carve.  Carving time to a pumpkin is crustal. To early and the pumpkin starts to rot and the squirrels will probably eat it but wait too long and you don't get to enjoy it long enough. 3-5 days before halloween, that's the perfect time carve a pumpkin. (I am right, right?)

And what do you get when you carve a pumpkin? A free freaking snack my friends. Pumpkin seeds. 

Side story here. About ten years ago I set my mons brand new stove on fire roasting pumpkin seeds. Long story short, I wanted really crunchy seeds and though if I broiled them that they would be just perfect. Well not so much. I stuck them in, walked away for a few minutes and the whole kitchen filled up with smoke. Opened the oven to a big old fire going on. Luckily once the flaming pan of seeds was removed, the fire in the oven was no longer but the stove did not make it through unharmed. The knobs and a little bit of the front of the stove melted a bit (Oops) and worst part, I charred the shit out of the seeds.  So the leason here is do not stick oil covered seeds under the boiler and walk away and not expect them to catch fire.

Anyway. So we carved our pumpkins (well I started carving mine and ended up helping Judah an So carve theirs) and got a shit ton of pumpkin seeds. I pre scooped mine out and baked (not broiled) them up to a nice crunchy snack. These are coved in cinnamon sugar to entice the little who might or might not really like them, but all the adults that where here gobbled them right up. 

The stuff. First you need to get the seeds.  You could buy them, but this is way more fun. 

Seeds full of goo, just stick them in water. The seeds float so you can scoop them out into a strainer.

Once most of the goo is gone, rinse the seeds and place them on a clean dry towel and spread them out. Try to dry them off a bit.

The seeds are going to still be a little damp so dump them on a baking sheet and place them into the oven. Turn oven on to 350 

While the seeds are spending a little time drying off get the other stuff. Coconut oil, cinnamon, sugar,and salt.

Once the oven is preheated, remove the seeds. They should be dry by now. Dump warm seeds into a bowl with coconut oil and mix around until they are fully coated.  Now dump the salt cinnamon sugar mixture in and mix until coated.

Place back onto the bakings sheet and evenly spread them out.

Back into the oven to get crispy.

And a half hour-ish later, the house smells all nice and cinnamony good and you got yourself a sweet spicy little crunchy fun snack.

Look at that fancy. 

Now it's your turn. 

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Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

Makes about 2 cups which came fro one big jack-o-lantern pumpkin

• 2-ish cups of pumpkin seeds 
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 hearty tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Grab yourself a pumpkin, cup the top open ,and scoop out all the seeds. Save for jack-o-lantern.Place seeds in sink or large bowl and scoop the seeds off the top that float up. You might need to squeeze the guts to loosen the seeds. Place seeds into a strainer and once you got what you can get, give them a quick rinse. Dump the seeds onto a clean dry towel and pat them dry as well as you can. Place the seeds evenly  onto a dry baking sheet and stick them into the oven. Turn oven on to 350 and leave them in there until the oven is preheated.

once oven is preheated, remove seeds and place into a a bowl. Add the coconut oil and mix around until completely melted and the seed save all coated. in a small bowl mix together the cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Dump the mixture onto the oiled seeds and mix until coated. Dump seeds back onto baking sheet and back into the oven. Bake for about 25 minutes, remove and mix around, and back into the oven for another 5-10. Check for crunchiness by either tasting of snapping one or two in half. Once the seeds are crunchy, remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet. 

Dump seeds into a bowl ad snack away. Store left over seeds in an air tight jar.