It’s Cozy in the Kitchen

Hello Market Friends:
When winter winds blow, it’s time to load up on market ingredients for delicious winter meals. Salads are not necessarily top of mind, but that’s what I’ve been making in the market test kitchen. Here are two hearty ones to try for lunch or dinner, made almost entirely with things you can get from our vendors. Swap in other cheeses or serve on a bed of Kind Organics’ greens if you like. These will keep you going strong.

Squash and Chickpea Salad

One butternut or delicata squash, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
One 14 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and dried
4 Tbsp olive or sunflower oil, divided
salt
One small head red cabbage, cored and cut into strips
Juice of two lemons
One pear or apple, quartered, cored, and sliced into ½ inch thick pieces
½ cup walnuts
4 ounces of feta or other soft cheese
One clove garlic
⅓ cup tahini
1 Tbsp honey

Heat oven to 450. Toss the squash cubes and chickpeas with 2 Tbsp oil and roast on a baking sheet for about 25 minutes, until the squash is brown in places and the chickpeas get crisp. Toast the nuts for about 5 minutes on the squash pan before you turn off the oven.

Put cabbage slices in a large bowl. Add 3 Tbsp lemon juice, a teaspoon of salt and the rest of the oil and massage into the cabbage to tenderize it. Add pear/apple pieces.

Grate garlic into a small bowl with the rest of the lemon juice. Whisk in tahini, honey, 1 Tbsp water, and 1 tsp salt. Add more water by the spoonful if needed to make a thick but pourable dressing.

Toss the dressing with the squash, chickpeas, cabbage and apple/pear. Crumble the cheese and nuts on top of the salad.

Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad 

5 Tbsp. olive or sunflower oil, divided
2 medium sweet potatoes
Salt and pepper
½ cup lentils (black or green)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
hot sauce or harissa (as desired)
¼ cup unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1½ cups oranges, peeled and sliced
¼ cup crumbled feta, other semi-soft cheese, or labneh
Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, if desired

Roast the sweet potatoes in a hot oven until tender, about 45 minutes. Chop them roughly into chunks, toss with a Tablespoon of oil and season with salt, then put them back in the oven to continue roasting until they get a bit toasty.

Meanwhile, cook lentils in a small pot of boiling salted water until tender, 20–25 minutes. Drain and let cool. Toss with 1 Tbsp oil and add salt and pepper to taste.

Shake lemon juice, remaining three Tablespoons oil, hot sauce (if using) and a good pinch of salt in a small jar to blend well. Mix in peanuts.

Toss sweet potato slices gently with lentils, orange slices, and feta. Drizzle with dressing, and top with fresh chopped herbs.

Country Meadows (Angelos) will be absent this week, and DeFloured is still away. The good news is, First Fish and Culture City are coming.
See you at the market!
Anne Freeman

This week’s Vendor List:
Ali Harris (rotis, fritters, drinks, pesto)
Bees Universe (honey, eggs, knife sharpening)
Culture City (fermented foods)
Dufferin Park Bakers (wood-fired oven breads, soups & snacks)
First Fish (wild caught arctic fish)
Forbes Wild Foods (mushrooms, nuts, syrup and more)
Green Florin (nuts, oils and dried fruits)
Kind Organics (sprouts and salad mixes)
Marvellous Edibles (certified organic poultry and produce)
Monforte Dairy (local cheeses from a variety of milks)
Plan B (local and imported organic produce, cider, ferments)
Spade & Spoon (preserves, syrup, soups)

P.S. There will be a public meeting about the City’s northwest corner renewal project on February 6th. For more information and an accessible flyer, please visit https://bit.ly/2RuDToQ