incrediburger and radish guacamole

I am certain that one thing everyone gets in their CSA is radish. Radish grows quickly and easily and is therefore a natural addition to produce boxes. Lovely in salads and...and ...what else?

The sharp, horseradish-like flavor doesn't get utilized much. Or am I just not in the loop? Comment if you have other uses for this ubiquitous root veg.

I received Beauty Heart Radishes in my box this week (they look very much like turnips, except whereas turnips have the purple on the top, they have it on the bottom) and knew I had to do something with them.

Since guacamole has onions in it, and raw onions have a sharp flavor, I replaced the onions with the radish. I didn't think I would need as mush radish as I wound up using, but the flavor with the creamy avocado was perfect. Radish, avocado, lime juice and salt and pepper.

I topped the Radish-Guacamole on my Incrediburger (which I keep in the freezer for lazy days) - the best burger ever, from American Vegan Kitchen (worth the price of the book in my opinion - the $$ I save not buying GMO-Boca is a double bonus) and baked up some sweet potato fries.

Cost Breakdown

burgers: $2

bread: $2

avocado: $2

radish: $1

sweet potatoes: $2

Total to make 5 burgers and a side:

$9.00

butternut squash and quinoa

Has everyone been inundated with winter squash in their CSA, yet? I have. There is only so much squash soup one can enjoy, and there are only so many kinds of squash soup that are enjoyable. At least for my family.

What to do? I felt like the Sorting Hat when it was trying to decide what house to put Harry in.

To add difficulty to hardship, cookbooks don't exactly burst with winter squash recipes.

Here is my take on my Squash of the Week. Incorporating kale, another cold-weather produce item, I roasted the squash and then mashed it up with a little plant milk. Whipping it into a thick puree, I simply seasoned it with a little salt and pepper.

I topped that with steamed kale, sauteed with a little minced garlic and crushed red pepper. For the protein punch, I cooked some quinoa (1 c quinoa, 2 c water, cook 20 minutes) with a little smoked paprika and salt and pepper. I also pan-seared some tofu slices, just simply seasoning them again with salt and pepper, but this is totally optional since the quinoa is a complete protein. Lastly, since butternut squash is sweet, I accented the sweetness with some caramelized onions.

The squash bakes, the quinoa cooks and the onions caramelize in about the same time, 20 minutes, so this is a quick meal. The last thing to do is steam or pan-sear the kale and the tofu, if using it.

Cost Breakdown:

quinoa: $1

kale: $2

tofu: $2

squash: $2

garlic, spices, onion: $1

Total to make 4 servings:

$8.00