Fresh recipes inspired by ingredients found at the Covington Farmers’ Market
Our take on a traditional north African dish:
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, peeled, deseeded &Â cubed
1 pound of beets, peeled & cubed
1 pound of radishes, trimmed & halved
1 medium onion diced
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 – 5 Hungarian Wax peppers (to taste)
2 – 5 Jalapeno peppers (to taste)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground caraway seed
1/4 cup of golden raisins
1 tablespoon of honey
lemon zest
1 cup of cooked chickpeas
2 cups of prepared couscous
fresh cilantro
sea salt & cayenne
Directions:
Start with heating a half inch of water in a large pot over medium heat, seasoned with a pinch of coarse sea salt. Stir in the onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and spices and stir to combine. Let this cook for a minute or so, letting everything mix and infuse.
Add the beets and about 2 to 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring this back up to a simmer and let cook as until the beets begin to soften, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mince your hot peppers very fine. Be sure not to touch the insides, especially the seeds, with your bare hands. Mash these peppers into a sort of paste with a mortar and pestle, or a sturdy spoon. Wash your hands after handling.
Add this paste along with the squash, radishes and cooked chickpeas to the pot, stir to mix thoroughly. Return the mix to a simmer for a few minutes, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the raisins and honey and cover the pot. Check every 10 minutes or so to ensure there is no sticking on the bottom of the pot. Cook until the vegetables are fork tender but still have their shape, about 30 – 45 minutes. Taste and season with salt and cayenne as needed.
Remove from heat when done and add about 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon zest. Serve hot over couscous, topped with fresh chopped cilantro. To continue the Moroccan theme, serve with harissa on the side.
