Have you ever found yourself unable to stop eating a really great hot dip? Well brace yourself...this week's CSA share includes amazingly green and beautiful brussels sprouts as well as a full bag of dark spinach. This spinach and artichoke dip with a twist will impress all your guests. Another awesome tid bit: you can make this ahead of time and let it sit overnight, all you have to do the day of is bake about 15 minutes longer than suggested baking time in this recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb spinach
12-15 Brussels Sprouts, trimmed, halved and chopped 
1 yellow onion diced
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 cans quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 8oz block cream cheese
1⁄2 cup sour cream
2 cups grated cheese of choice (I like cheddar)
Salt and pepper to taste.
Carrots, kohlrabi, radishes, salad turnips, or other vegetabes for dipping (I used purple carrots)
Corn chips or crackers for dipping

Method:
Sauté the onion over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and Brussels and sauté 10 more minutes, covered. The Brussel sprouts should start to soften significantly as you cook. Next add the artichokes and cook for 5 minutes uncovered. Add the chopped spinach and cover for 5 minutes, over low heat.

Next add the cream cheese and cover again. Allow the cream cheese to soften before stirring.

​Add in the Sour cream and grated cheeses. Stir well. Taste before adding salt and pepper. The cheeses can make this pretty salty. I like to add lots of pepper, and sometimes even a dash of cayenne or pepper flakes.

Transfer from the stovetop pan into an oven safe dip dish. I like to use a pie pan or smaller casserole dish. If you want a crispy top, reserve 1⁄2 cup cheese for the top and sprinkle before baking! Bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with a variety of veggies and crackers! The CSA purple carrots look amazing beside this masterpiece!

Ingredients:
4 cups thinly sliced potatoes, washed with skins on
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour 
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 Tsp chopped fresh herbs
1 Tsp dijon mustard
1 1⁄2 cups milk
1 Tsp hot paprika (or cayenne) you can also mix cayenne and regular paprika
1 1⁄2 cups grated cheese (I like parm and cheddar mixture) divided
1 Tsp salt

Method:
Wash and slice the potatoes and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the chopped herbs and garlic. Stir well for 30 seconds. Add in paprika and salt. ​

Once your sauce has reached a thick consistency, add in 1 cup of the cheese and stir in until well blended.

Arrange half the potatoes in a casserole dish. Pour half the sauce over the potatoes. Arrange the rest of the potatoes atop the sauce followed by the remaining cheese sauce. Next, sprinkle the top with the remaining 1⁄2 cheese. Bake the casserole uncovered for about 1 hour or until cheese is golden brown.

This week's share was bursting with beautiful sweet potatoes and robust kale! A perfect setup for this incredible layered dish! I hope you enjoy as much as we did.

Method:
Sauté the prepared kale and onion over medium heat for 4 minutes in 2 tbsp of the butter. Set aside until you're ready to layer.

Next: Grate the sweet potatoes and mix with the flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix in the herbs and toss well, using a fork. Set aside until you're ready to layer.

Cut the butternut squash into rounds (as pictured). Set aside to begin layering.

To Assemble:
Spread the remaining butter all over the interior or a medium to large baking dish (at least 3 inches deep). Start with half the sweet potato mixture. Spread evenly in dish. Add 1 cup cheese. Next add 1⁄2 cup of the half and half. Now spread half the kale evenly over the cheese layer. Now add half the squash as shown, layering evenly.

Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour covered with foil. Remove foil and bake 10 more minutes! Let set for at least 10 minutes before you serve. I like to cut into lasagna style serving.

This week’s share was beautiful! Full of fresh herbs, fragrant onions and red potatoes. That combined with last week’s broccoli and some corn we froze this summer made for a delightful soup. Add some pepper jack and you have the perfect warming combo for a chilly fall day.

Ingredients:
3 small yellow onions, chopped
8-10 red potatoes, washed and cubed
1 head broccoli, trimmed and chopped
2 cups frozen, sweet corn
1 Tsp butter
6-8 cups water
2 Tbsp fresh herbs of choice, chopped (I used Thyme and Rosemary)
6 Bay leaves
4 oz grated pepper jack cheese
2 oz grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste (hint-this soup requires a bit of salt)

Method:
In a large soup pot saute the onions in the butter over medium heat for 5 minutes, uncovered. Add the potatoes and stir well. Now add the broccoli and 2 cups water (enough to just cover the potato/broccoli mixture). Stir with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds to distribute the ingredients evenly. Bring to a boil.

Once your soup has reached a brisk boil, add the corn and 3 more cups of water. Add the herbs and bay leaves. Cook the soup for 30 minutes over medium-high heat, uncovered. Uncover and add the salt and pepper. Cook uncovered for 10 more minutes. Check the tenderness of the potatoes by pressing one up against the pan with a spoon. The potato should crumble to the spoon’s touch.

Once the potatoes have reached this consistency reduce heat to low remove all the bay leaves, using tongs or a fork. Using a potato masher smash up the soup until it resembles a thick,
chowder looking consistency. Add the cheeses and continue to cook over low heat. If you need to add more water, do so now. Add water until you have reached the thickness you desire. Now check for salt and pepper. You may be surprised by how much is needed, this is a lot of soup!

Garnish with more herbs or some extra cheese! Serve hot! I like to jar up leftover for lunches, as featured in this photo. Enjoy!

I was at a King Arthur Cooking class for work this past week. We made Indian Chipati that were really fun and EASY. I've adapted the recipe to be my own, and added a twist (or two). These flat breads are amazingly flavorful and super fun. You can stuff them with a variety of seasonal vegetables, and make your own version. This week, try it with sweet potatoes!

For the Bread Dough:
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour (or 1 cup whole wheat/one cup all purpose)
3⁄4 cup warm water
1 Tsp salt

For the sweet potato filling:
1 sweet potato peeled and cubed
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 Tsp olive oil
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp seasoning of choice (I suggest curry powder or chili powder)
1⁄2 cup water

Method:
Saute the onions in the olive oil for 5 minutes, over medium heat, add the spice and salt. Stir well. Now add the sweet potatoes. Add 1⁄4 cup of water at a time. Allow the water to evaporate completely before adding remaining water. After about 5-10 minutes of cooking in the water, the potatoes should start to soften. Once they are soft to the touch of a spoon, mash up the mixture. Removed from heat and transfer to a bowl.

To assemble and cook:
Unwrap the dough and cut the ball into 8 equal parts.Working on a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll each section into small rectangles. Place about 1 Tbsp of the sweet potato filling in the center of the rectangle, as pictured. Fold edges in on each corner of the rectangles to create a small, dumpling-esque shape. The rectangles should now resemble slightly, circlish shapes. Flip over-smooth side on top. Roll each into about a 6-8 inch round.

​Heat a cast iron pan to high. Once the pan is very hot, dry cook each side of the flat bread for about 1-2 minutes. The flat breads will start to puff up a bit as they reach optimal heat. There should be small areas of browning on each round. The pan will start to get hot and smokey, so turn on your fan!

TIP: You can stuff these with mashed potatoes, sautéed spinach, cream cheese....ANYTHING that's in season! I hope you enjoy as much as I did!

These spinach cakes are a great way to eat your vitamins, and still enjoy the comfort of a savory pancake...with a twist.

Now: Melt the butter in a sauce pan. While that melts, whisk all of the dry ingredients  together in a large bowl, then add the melted butter and whisk until you have a nice, smooth mixture. Next add the spinach and stir well. Let set for 5 minutes. 

​Make the sour cream by mixing together the sour cream, lime and cilantro. Set aside. Wash and thinly slice the radishes.

To make the cakes:
Heat 1 Tsp olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Use about 1⁄3 cup of the batter per cake. The batter should sizzle as you place it on the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Watch closely as to not burn the batter edge. Flip the cake and press firmly with a spatula. Let cook for 3-4 more ​minutes. Heat should remain between medium and high. Repeat until all the batter has been turned into cakes! This will make about 5-6 cakes.