​​Method of Preparation
1. Start by making your mix-in. Heat 1 tsp of oil and sauteed the sausage until cooked, then add the garlic and cook for a few minutes. Next, toss in the yellow squash and cook until it softens. In the last few minutes add spinach and wilt.  Set this aside in a bowl to add to your finished risotto. 

2. Add vegetable stock to a pot on your stove and keep it warm. I like to use a salted stock sso that the dish is seasoned all throughout cooking. If using an unsalted stock you’re going to want to season with sprinkles of salt as you go. You’re going to be adding this stock in stages to your rice so you want it close by on a gentle simmer. 

3. In a large, wide pan with straight sides heat your oil & butter on medium heat. Add diced onion and cook while stirring until it starts to become translucent (not browned). Season with salt & pepper. Get ready because you’ll have to stay at the stove for a good long while. Pour yourself a drink, put on some tunes, and make sure you have a back-up person to stir if you need to run to the bathroom. 

4. Add your raw Arborio rice to the pan and toss to coat in the oil. Stir for 2 minutes to ever-so-slightly toast the rice and get it ready for the stock. 

5. Add 1/2 cup of the warm stock to your pot and stir until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. You shouldn’t see any puddles of liquid at the bottom of the pan at all. 

6. Continue to add your stock in 1/2 cup increments- each time stirring until there’s no more liquid in the pan. This can take awhile but please don’t be tempted to crank up the heat to have this go faster. You want the liquid to go into the rice, not evaporate. 

7. Your rice will start to double, then triple in size as the stock is absorbed. Once you have about 2 cups of the stock left to add- give it a taste. You want the rice to be cooked through without any crunchy bits in the center. If it’s not quite there, keep adding your stock in small additions until all the rice is very soft and the liquid is creamy. 

If your rice isn’t quite cooked and you run out of stock, you can use plain warm water for another cup or so. 

8. Once your rice is fully cooked, add in your mix-ins that you cooked earlier. You can also add some shredded cheese at this point or a spoonful of pesto depending on what flavors you’re going for. 

9. Plate up while it’s still warm. This dish is something you want to serve right away, otherwise it can get pretty thick!

That’s it! Rice, onion & stock along with your favorite toppings. The ingredients are simple, but the technique is a really fun one to master. This dish does take a lot of stirring but you can use it as a nice meditative practice and I promise, the results are totally worth it.

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!

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.

The weather has cooled off a bit and we're enjoying roasting vegetables in our oven again. Late September is an amazing time of year for roasting vegetables because there are so many options available. The first of the winter squash are starting to show up at markets, but the tables are still full with sweet summer peppers, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and leafy greens! This recipe embraces this beautiful time somewhere in between summer and fall- roasted delicata squash, oven roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions and spinach- it's a trio of seasonal delight!

​1. Roasted Delicata Squash
Ingredients:
Delicata Squash- Wash and remove seeds. Cut lengthwise and slice into half moons. You don't need to peel, the skin is tender and edible! Put the flat side down on the cutting board to make slicing easier.
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 Tsp salt
1 Tbsp paprika

Method: Toss the prepared squash in a bowl. Coat with all the spices and oil. Once all pieces are evenly coated, transfer to a baking sheet. Bake at 425 degree for 40-­45 minutes. After 30 minutes of baking you can flip over with a spatula. If you like them a bit crispier, cook an additional 5-10 minutes!

2. Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients:
5-­7 Roma tomatoes, whole and washed  
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tsp fresh ground black pepper
​1 Tsp salt 1 Tbsp paprika

Method: Toss the prepared tomatoes in a bowl. Coat with all the spices and oil. Once all tomatoes are evening coated transfer to a baking dish. (I used a glass pie pan, and it worked great!) Bake at 425 degree for 40-­45 minutes. Tomatoes will start to bubble and produce juices, this is good! ­I baked tomatoes and squash at same time and it worked well. Remove from oven and let sit for 5­-10 minutes before serving. NOTE: I had some leftover tomatoes and I made toast this morning. I put cream cheese followed by reheated tomatoes on the bread and it was SO GOOD!

3. Caramelized Onions and Spinach
Ingredients:
1/2 lb bag fresh spinach (about 8 cups)
1 onion, red or yellow, cut into medallions
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Method: Heat butter in sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar and cook slowly for 10 more minutes. Stir occasionally and reduce heat if sugar starts to burn. Add the spinach and cover for 3 minutes, until spinach start to reduce. Uncover and cook for 3 more minutes. Serve HOT! 

We paired all of this with arancini balls we made from leftover risotto and roasted shishito peppers! Delicious!