With the change in seasons and school/work starting all over again, it’s hard to maintain your wonderfully diligent cooking habits of the summer, where time is at peak abundance and we are motivated by overflowing baskets of lush, ripe produce.
As summer wanes and autumn arrives on our doorstep, we are finding in our boxes an increase in root vegetables, which are lovely for steaming. There is something about the beginning of autumn (the commencement of the new year in many religions) that elicits a desire for simplistic yet wholesome meals that remind us of the provincial, rural homestead lifestyles of yesteryear. I find a comfort in this style of eating. Hearty stews, soups and bakes are a nice contrast to the refreshing smoothies and crisp salads of summer, providing a sort-of internal blanket for our bellies during the cooling off of our climate.
To celebrate, I have included a simple meal of fish and steamed vegetables below:
Baked Herbal Salmon with Steamed Autumn Veggies
Ingredients:
2 Salmon fillets
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
1 Teaspoon dried dill
2 cloves garlic, pressed
salt and pepper to taste
2 medium potatoes
4 small beets
one package baby carrots
3 cups green beans
1 small red onion
Fish:
coat the fillets with dill, salt, pepper, pressed garlic and sage leaves. bake in a covered pan for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Uncover, broil on high for 2 minutes.
Beans:
clean and trim the green beans; cut into halves.
chop the red onion into skinny slices.
sautee with garlic powder, salt and pepper until beans are soft and onions are somewhat carmelized.
Vegetables:
cut beets, carrots and potatoes into bite-size chunks.
Fill the bottom of a pot with an inch of water. Insert metal steamer basket. place vegetables into the steamer basket. Cover pot and steam on medium flame until tender.
Serve with a side of Vegenaise. Black Toad beer (from Trader Joe’s) pairs nicely.
Cheers,
Benni
Forest Hills CSA 