MITCH IN THE KITCHEN

winter squash, carrot, and chickpea stew with quinoa

Sometimes I walk into my kitchen and wonder, what the heck am I going to do with all these squash? And carrots? And this cabinet full of precariously stacked spice jars that tumble out sometimes? Then a recipe like this comes along and answers all three of these questions. We followed it, more or less, and added chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans or “hehehe butt beans!” according to me and my cousin Brenda 20 years ago) because I think a little protein is in order, unless you want to be hungry again in like an hour. If you scroll through the hundreds of reader reviews and comments on the Bon Appetit/Epicurious recipe you’ll find other good ideas, like doubling the amount of spices in the stew (necessary), adding currants or raisins to the quinoa, and using broth instead of water.

quinoa with apples and walnuts

Apples apples apples, all through fall and winter. That’s all the fruit I’m getting. Honey-sweet gold supreme apples, loudly crisp Macoun apples, and my personal favorite: the winesap. New York Magazine has a feature on locally grown apple varieties found at the greenmarket (John and I are huge fans of visual aids like this… I think I squealed a little when I saw it). Though the descriptions probably won’t help you figure out which among these varieties you like, eating them will. And I’ve seen prices drop to something like $1 a pound in mid-winter.

My new thing this season is grain salads with apples and warm spices. Make a vinaigrette with shallots or red onion, whatever vinegar you’d like (I used apple cider vinegar), and oil. Spike it with a little bit of cinnamon (or garam masala even). Add cooked quinoa, chopped apples, dried cherries (or cranberries or raisins), toasted walnuts and/or pecans, and chopped parsley. Also good with a little yogurt in the dressing, and/or with wheatberries instead of quinoa.

sauteed peppers with eggs and quinoa

You know that feeling, where you throw a meal together in a hurry because you’re really, really hungry (but don’t feel like putting on pants to leave the house in your unshowered state), and it turns out being kind of fantastic despite your low expectations? It’s a good feeling.

Pepper season has been in full force at my CSA. While I often add bits of them here and there, I rarely make a pepper-centric dish with, say, more than just half a pepper. As a result, there was 1/3 of a cubanelle, 1/2 of a lilac pepper, and a whole Round of Hungary pepper (an heirloom variety, flat and shaped like a 4-leaf clover) waiting to be eaten. Of course, less (and perhaps more) unusual varieties of sweet peppers can also be used. Chow’s guide to peppers is a short overview of what’s out there; Saveur’s chile pepper glossary is a longer overview of hot peppers from the Americas (the print version of that issue has accompanying photos).

Additionally, quinoa is one of those foods that will make me seem like a legit nutritionist someday. This grain-like seed is a source of complete protein (meaning it contains all 9 amino acids that your body cannot make on its own), so it comes in handy for vegans and vegetarians. It can be cooked just like rice (1 part quinoa to 2 parts water) in just 15 minutes, so it also comes in handy for impatient people. When cooked, quinoa is fluffy, and the curly white germ separates from the seed.

The final plate of food was salty, sweet, spicy, a little tangy, crunchy, and creamy all at once. Totally satisfying, without inducing food coma.

(serves 2)

1 cup quinoa
1 3/4 cup broth or water

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
about 3 small sweet peppers
1 jalapeño, serrano, or other hot pepper*, sliced lengthwise
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
about 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
salt and black pepper

eggs
balsamic vinegar

2-3 ounces feta cheese

Rinse quinoa under cold water in a sieve or strainer. This is to remove any saponins (bitter-tasting compounds) that may be present. Bring to a boil in a pot with broth or water. Cover and turn heat down to low. Cook for 15 minutes.

While the quinoa cooks, heat a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add onion, peppers, garlic, and a bit of salt. Saute until softened. Add tomato paste, and stir to coat evenly. Add vegetable broth or water, and cook for a few minutes, until some of the liquid has been absorbed. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve over quinoa, with some feta cheese (I happened to have some creamy Valbreso French sheep’s milk feta, a yummy gift from my cousin Helen) and a balsamic fried egg (or two) on top. To make the eggs, you basically fry them sunny-side up, then add some balsamic vinegar at the very end and let it thicken for a couple minutes.

*Side note: The Naga Jolokia pepper is the hottest in the world, with a Scoville rating of up to 1,040,000. For comparison, Habanero peppers have a Scoville rating of up to 350,000.