Have you ever seen a Ham Hock? Happy Halloween!

I've mentioned before my love for soup. I have always wanted to try making a split pea soup and recently stumbled upon an easy crock pot recipe for it. This was a combination I couldn't pass up - split pea, easy, crock pot. Done. I was off to the store to pick up a few things I didn't have handy in my well stocked pantry - Ham Hocks being one of them. I've never cooked with Ham Hocks before. To be fair, I don't cook with much meat and when I do it's the every day chicken, ground beef, and the occasional fillet or short rib. I bounced into Sprouts, eager to find this new ingredient and was directed to a case toward the back of the store. As I rounded the corner and laid my eyes on the Ham Hock, it wouldn't have surprised me to hear the theme from psycho start playing over the grocery store intercom. The Ham Hock looked like a large dog chew toy. It was a leg-like looking thing covered in a brown leathery skin and if you turned it to one angle you could see the bones and cartilage and stuff. I'm not sure what happened to me but I stood there in a bit of shock trying to grapple with the fact that I could not only in no way attempt to cook this, but there was no way I was going to touch it. I settled on a simple package of pork belly instead. I know it sounds crazy that I have no issue throwing a bit of pork belly into a crock pot with my split peas, but was horrified by the Ham Hock.
My husband would just laugh and chock this one up to the "complexities" of me, but I feel it's my duty to save others from the horror of Ham Hocks. Come to think of it they would make great Halloween props...

Luckily, this week's Co-Op box isn't scary at all....Mixed greens,spinach, garlic, zucchini, pumpkin, green beans, potatoes, parsley, persimmon, pomegranate, dates,and oranges.

Sunday
Pumpkin Patch Stuffed Shells
This is a really fun kid-friendly recipe you can make together as a family. You could substitute the pumpkin puree with roasted fresh pumpkin as well.

Uses; spinach, pumpkin

Monday
I'm going to be doing some funny and creepy dishes for the kids to munch on before they head out for trick or treating. I'll share these with you later this week.

Tuesday
Broiled Zucchini Stuffed with Gruyere and Feta
From Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

I always have Gruyere in the fridge it's a great cheese for just about any kind of melting and mixing. These are more filling than you think so serve them with mixed greens and/or some Quinoa for dinner.

• 4 medium zucchini
• 2 teaspoons butter
• salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup feta
• 1/4 cup cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup Gruyere
• 1 eggs
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped marjoram
• 1 teaspoon flour

Preheat broiler. Lightly oil a baking dish large enough to hold the squash in a single layer. Prepare the zucchini for stuffing, halving each one and scooping out the flesh. Finely chop the zucchini and saute it in the butter, stirring frequently, until browned in places. Season with salt and combine with all the other ingredients.

Fill the zucchini and set side by side in the baking dish. Broil about 6 inches from heat until browned and heated through, about 20 minutes.

Uses; zucchini, parsley,mixed greens

Wednesday
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup (NO Ham Hocks)

2 pounds split green peas, rinsed and picked through
1 medium onion diced
 1 celery stalk diced
 4 small carrots diced
4 cloves garlic or 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (1 ¼ pounds) pork belly or ham steak chopped/diced into small squares (or leave out for a veggie version)
10 cups chicken stock or canned low sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in the crock of a slow cooker and cover. Cook until the peas are creamy, stirring occasionally, about six hours on low. Remove the lid and stir using a wooden spoon. Mash the peas with the back of the spoon and adjust seasoning if necessary. Discard skin and bones. Serve hot.

Uses; garlic

Thursday

Hamburger Potato Pie
1 lb ground beef (I always cook with organic farm raised meats because they taste so much better. Since this is the focal point of this dish I encourage you to do the same here but it's not a necessity)
1/2 diced large onion
4-6 small to medium sized potatoes diced
2-4 small carrots diced small
1/2 cup of frozen peas thawed out under warm water
1/3 cup white wine
3-4 tablespoons rosemary or other savory herb you like
pre-made pie shell (I used Trader Joe's frozen pie shells)
Grated Cheddar Cheese (handful or so)
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put the thawed out pie crust into a greased pie pan. (I used a metal deep dish pie round).

Saute onion in olive oil until it appears translucent. Throw your carrots in as well and saute a bit until beginning to be tender. Put ground beef in the pan with the onions and carrots and cook up until brown, chopping up into smaller pieces as you stir. Right before you turn the heat off pour wine into the pan.
While the hamburger is browning roast rosemary and potatoes in a separate pan until they are cooked through and browning. Put the potatoes in with the meat and carrots mixture and then stir the peas in.

Pour the meat and veggies mixture into the prepared pie crust pan and cover with the cheese. Cook in the oven for about 25 minutes or until crust looks golden brown. Let cool a bit then serve pie slices with green bean salad.

Warm Green Bean Salad
Wash beans and line then butt them up against the knife to get the ends even, then cut them off (easier and faster than doing them one at a time). Cook the beans in salted boiling water, drain on a paper towel, then while still warm add olive oil. When ready to serve toss with lemon juice and fresh herbs.

Uses; Green beans and potatoes

Friday
Leftovers and Avocado and Orange Salad with Pomegranates and Pistachios
 
1 very small red onion, sliced into thin rounds, about 1/3 cup
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 bunch watercress
1 small pomegranate
3 citrus fruits
2 kiwifruit
1 large avocado
grated zest and juice an orange
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup roasted pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
 
1. Toss the onion rings with the vinegar and set them aside in the refrigerator. Sort through the watercress and discard the large, heavy stems. Rinse under cool running water, spin dry, then wrap in a towel and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Cut the pomegranate into quarters, then break out about 1/2 cup of the seeds. Working in the sink, gently squeeze a tablespoon or so of juice from the remaining pomegranate and set it aside. Peel and section the oranges. Neatly peel and thinly slice the kiwi. Peel and cut the avocados into neat chunks.
3. To make the dressing, combine the zest, 1/4 cup orange juice plus 1 tablespoon pomegranate juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then whisk in the oil.
4. Loosely arrange the watercress on a plate with the orange sections (minus their juice). Add the kiwi, avocado, and onions, which will be pickled by now, then pour the dressing over all. Season with pepper and garnish with the pistachio nuts.
 
Uses; Pomegranate, Oranges

Saturday
Here's a yummy looking recipe I found for the persimmons if your feeling like trying something new on this weekend day.
Steamed Persimmon Pudding with Silky Persimmon Puree