07/12/2009 by D.

1 Kuri Squash
1 Onion
400g diced stewing lamb (or beef)
2 stock cubes (lamb or beef)
3 tbsp hot water
1 tin coconut milk
1 star anise
2 pieces fresh or dried galangal or ginger
soy sauce to taste
(1 small chilli if you like it spicy)

Heat the oven to 180 degrees.  Peel and chop the onion.  Peel and chop the squash into largish pieces, discarding the seeds.  Disolve the stock in the hot water.  Mix all the ingredients apart from the soy in a large casserole dish with a lid.

Bake in the oven for around 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring every half an hour or so.  The squash will fall apart to create a thick rich gravy and the meat should be completely tender (when you check it, take a piece out and leave for a couple of minutes to rest before tasting).  Add soy to taste and serve in bowls with basmati or thai fragrant rice.

This is a rich and fragrant stew with a good gravy.  The star anise and coconut flavours wafting from the oven while it cooks ensure that everyone is starving by the time it emerges.  I made this tonight (without the chilli) and the toddler had triple helpings.  Definitely worth the grappling with a raw Kuri.

Posted in Coconut milk, Lamb, Star anise, Galangal, Ginger, Kuri Squash, Beef, Weaning, Toddler, Onion, Chilli, Organic Box | Print | No Comments »

30/10/2009 by D.

Fruit: bananas, pears, gala apples, lemon, custard apples
Vegetables: romero peppers, cavolo nero, hackney salad, leeks, broccoli, kuri squash, onions, carrots, ambo potatoes

We’re gearing up for halloween here, so the apples will be toffee’d, the squash carved, and the lemon used in mulled apple juice.  I’m planning to do a sage & onion squash soup with the kuri carvings.  The cherimoyas have already been devoured for breakfasts by spoon wielding little people and were delicious.  The broccoli has been made into a pasta bake: a surefire toddler (and hungry man) supper.  I’ve found that the kale, when de-stalked and shredded works very nicely wok-fried with egg noodles, onions, sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds and is a delicious accompaniment to pan fried salmon.  I’m hoping to do a welsh pizza with the leeks (recipe to follow later), and salad paysanne with the peppers and leaves.  Thank goodness half term is finally over!  It has been a fantastic week, with the Growing Communitites trip to Stocks farm a definite highlight.  It was great to see the apples we are to eat this season growing in the orchard and pick large, flat field mushrooms.  The Spartan apples looked amazingly like plums growing on the trees and were so delicious that even though I must have eaten more than 5 of them during the visit, I’m still looking forward to more of them in our boxes (hint, hint)!

Posted in Sage, Cavolo nero, Broccoli, Kuri Squash, Pepper, Toddler, Onion, Lemon, Organic Box | Print | 1 Comment »