Orange You Glad It's Not Blue McCall's 6044

It's been over 6 months since my last McCall's 6044 for Tim. Time to make a new McCall's 6044 for Tim!

Pumpkin Estelle Ponte Jacket

You guys, it's decorative gourd season and I am really feeling fall this week... some crisp air, colorful leaves, and seasonally-appropriate pumpkin orange cardigan/jacket/topper thing for me!

Orange Glazed Tempeh with Broccoli

Did you know that tempeh originated in Indonesia?  On the island of Java, in particular.  Me neither, until recently.  Fermented soy beans formed into a cake and wrapped in a banana leaf, it's got a meaty texture and it's pretty inexpensive and quite tasty.  It's got a bit of a nutty flavor that I adore.

In the U.S. tempeh is almost exclusively sold to hippies, but here's it's ubiquitous.  I've been eating a lot of it (spelled "tempe" here) around town... fried, curried, coated in sweet soy sauce and chilis... they've got it all.  My favorite, though, is this curried tempe/tofu combo (which I think may be called tempe gulai, but I am not sure yet- I just point) that I have been getting for lunch, along with these awesome papaya leaves and spicy green beans (all the above, including Diet Coke for the equivalent of $2.92).  

Inspired, I bought some tempeh at the grocery store and used it to make a recipe I had made last year using tofu... orangey ginger glaze, cilantro and coriander, plus my addition of hot sauce and green onions.  Mmm.  

I highly recommend you try some tempeh, and this recipe.  I also warn you that the tempeh smells not unlike feet when it first starts to cook.  Don't be intimidated or dissuaded.  Soldier on and it will be worth it.

Arugula and Beet Salad with Fried Goat Cheese Discs, Roast Beef, Hazelnuts and Orange Vinaigrette

Riffing off of a number of different recipes, we pieced this healthy and very brightly colored salad together after checking out the cherry blossoms on this random 80 degree day.

We mixed together arugula, roasted beets, toasted hazelnuts, and orange segments, then we topped that with sliced roast beef and this orange vinaigrette from Cooking Light, and finally, we borrowed the crispy fried goat cheese discs from this John Besh recipe.

We give thumbs up to the recipe as a whole, but think that the roast beef may have been unnecessary, as it gets lost amid all of the other strong flavors in the salad.

Jicama, Beet, Carrot and Orange Salad

I made this crunchy, healthy salad to compliment/counteract the spicy richness of the smoky shrimp, hominy and tortilla soup. I used clementines rather than navel oranges because that's what I had in the house. Fresh, crunchy, good for you and very pretty to look at...

Thanksgiving Extravaganza: The Cranberry Sauce

Mmmm... cranberry sauce. This one is a super simple citrusy-gingery version from Ming Tsai via the Boston Globe.

I cooked it a little longer than the recommended 10 minutes in order to break the cranberries down a little and cook off some of the liquid.

This recipe makes a ton of sauce... I'd say way more than 8 peoples' worth, for sure. We had probably an extra quart at the end of the day. I'm researching creative ways to use up leftover cranberry sauce (beyond putting it on a turkey sandwich, I mean.) The lovely Lindsay recommends heating it up a little and pouring it over goat cheese or cream cheese and serving with crackers. Sounds good to me! I shall report back soon.

Winter Squash Salad with Couscous, Cranberries and Chickpeas

Yum- this squash and cousous salad with a citrusy dressing is really good. I used delicata squash because that's what I had on hand, but you could use whatever winter squash you have: butternut, kabocha, etc. I bet the couscous could easily be exchanged for quinoa or some other grain, too.

I made two additions to this recipe: chopped cilantro for color and freshness, and a clove of garlic sauteed with the onion, because everything's better with garlic. We ate it warm with the suggested walnuts and goat cheese sprinkled on top.

Sesame Soba Noodles with Baby Bok Choy...

...and cucumber and mixed greens and cilantro and mint and peanuts and shrimp (my addition to the recipe!).

This stuff was really good. Light and refreshing, crunchy and earthy- it's more of an Asian salad with soba noodles (Japanese buckwheat spaghetti) on top as an afterthought. All of it, salad and noodles, is covered in a citrusy/peanuty dressing. I added the shrimp, marinated in fish sauce and lemon zest then quickly sauteed, like the shrimp in the summer rolls I made a few months ago.

I will definitely make this again next time I get bok choy in my CSA share!