The weather here has suddenly plunged from 80 degrees two weeks ago to practically freezing. The first frost means the last of many vegetables at local farms, and last week we got the final batch of fresh green beans in our CSA bag. I discovered during our sushi experiment that my toddler loves sesame seeds, so that was the inspiration for this fast and easy Sesame Beef Stir-Fry. Perfect served with leftover sushi rice, or any rice or grain you have on hand.

Recipe: Sesame Beef Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 lb. flank steak, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices

Marinade:

• 2 T honey
• 1 T rice wine vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 t dried ginger
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 c low-sodium soy sauce

Sitr-Fry:

• 1 T canola oil
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 lb. green beans, ends trimmed
• 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/4 t chili garlic sauce (more to taste)
• 1 t toasted sesame oil
• 1 T sesame seeds

Instructions: Whisk together marinade ingredients and pour over flank steak in shallow baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Heat wok or large saute pan over medium high heat. Add oil, then cook beef slices until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate or bowl and cover to keep warm. Add garlic and radishes, cook 2 minutes, until radishes soften. Add green beans and cook 2 minutes more. Return beef to pan and stir in chili sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds and remove from heat. NOTE: For heat sensitive younger eaters, you may wish to separate their portion before adding the chili sauce. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

There are many ways to have a green Halloween, from making your own eco-friendly decorations to handing out fair-trade Endangered Species chocolates to your neighborhood trick-or-treaters. Here are three steps to greening your Halloween Jack o’ Lantern.

3 Steps to a Green Jack o’ Lantern

1. Buy a locally-grown pumpkin. Just like with the food we eat, buying locally-grown pumpkins supports the local economy and the environment, especially if you can find an organic pumpkin patch. Many small family farmers depend on their Halloween pumpkin patch festivities to supplement their normal farm income. Some farms have rather over-the-top festivals with rides, bouncy pumpkins, corn mazes and more, which are of course great for entertaining your kids, too. Remember to buy extra, smaller pumpkins for eating (see step 3).

2. Use non-toxic soy or beeswax candles. Parrafin wax, which most candles are now made from, is derived from petroleum and emits carcinogens when burned — producing some of the same toxins as burning diesel fuel (contributing to indoor air pollution), while the artificial fragrances can irritate asthma and allergies. Soy candles are cleaner burning and often use natural fragrances if any, while old-fashioned beeswax candles are the purist choice and are also clean-burning and drip-free. I found beeswax votives and tea lights at a local home goods store, Bungalow. The Big Green Purse has links to a few other places to find soy or beeswax candles.

3. Eat your pumpkins! Many farmers sell smaller sugar pumpkins, or other varieties, which are ideal for cooking. The green pumpkin pictured above is a Cushaw pumpkin, a traditional pie variety. Large carving pumpkins have rather tough meat, but of course you can still roast the seeds. To make your own pumpkin puree, bake the whole pumpkin at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. Allow it to cool, then peel, remove the goop (reserving the seeds for roasting), and mash or blend the pulp until smooth. You can freeze the pulp for later use, and simply use it in your favorite recipes in place of canned pumpkin. (Avoiding that BPA-lining in canned foods.)

For more ideas, visit Green Halloween, Nature Moms‘ Eco-Friendly Halloween, or Green Me’s list of HFCS-free Halloween treats. And if you really want to shock your friends, check out these anti-environment costume ideas.

Something I have been wanting to start for a while is a Cooking with Toddlers series. I firmly believe that involving kids as much as possible in choosing and preparing their foods helps them develop a healthy and curious attitude towards eating. For our first installment, I wanted to kick it off with something fun and sure to please. A word of advice, though — don’t attempt this when your toddler is overly tired and hungry. He was doing just fine until I had the nerve to try and roll up his sushi roll. Oy. So he had a truly free-form sushi, uh, salad.

Sushi Night: The toddler definitely inherited my love of sushi. It was his first dining experience, both sleeping in the car seat at 3 days old and the first eating-on-his-own (avocado rolls) at 9 months. Sadly, our sushi place has since changed management and our beloved server left, quality declined and prices increased. Throw in the new sustainable sushi guides which confirm that my favorite fish are both contaminated and unsustainable, and the time was definitely right to try sushi making at home. The toddler was gifted a lovely wood sushi set for his play kitchen on his birthday (thanks Aunt J!), and has been assembling and serving us sushi regularly with his great little velcro chopsticks.

Recipe: Avocado Carrot Sesame Rolls (vegetarian)

Preparation: The key to cooking with toddlers or young kids is prepping as much as possible before they join you at the counter. The last thing you want to do is leave a toddler with a measuring cup and container of sugar while you’re digging around for a forgotten seasoning … trust me! Sushi rice should be made ahead anyway to allow it to cool for easy handling. The tofu and vegetables were sliced and refrigerated until it was time to begin. Of course you can use any combination of vegetables, so make sure to include your kids’ favorites. While you can find sushi kits in many kitchen stores, the only thing you really need is a rolling mat. But even that you could do without if needed, just use a piece of parchment paper folded in half. We ate these as a side along stir-fry, but you could double the amount of vegetables and make several variations to make a full meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sushi rice, cooked according to package instructions
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 1 T and 1 1/2 t sugar
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 block firm Silken tofu, chilled
• 1/3 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t sesame oil
• 1 t rice wine vinegar
• 1 large carrot, peeled
• 1 avocado, pitted
• sesame seeds
• 4 Nori seaweed sheets
• additional tablespoon of rice wine vinegar in a small bowl

Instructions: Cook the sushi rice - I used Lundberg’s organic sushi rice - according to the package instructions. At the end of the rice’s cooking time, put vinegar, sugar and salt into a small saucepan and heat over low until salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat and mix gently with the cooked rice in a non-metal bowl; allow to cool to room temperature. Thinly slice the tofu and sprinkle with garlic powder, sesame oil and 1 t vinegar. Cut the carrot and avocado into thin matchstick-sized slices. If you’re not assembling the rolls right away, sprinkle a little lemon juice over the avocado to keep it from browning.

When you’re ready to assemble, line up all the ingredients above your cutting board in the order you’re going to add them (rice, vegetables, tofu, sesame seeds and vinegar). Place a sheet of Nori on your rolling mat and help your toddler spread a layer of rice along the bottom inch, making sure it reaches to the side edges. Allow toddler to arrange toppings in the center of the rice, helping fill in any gaps. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, then carefully roll it up pressing gently to mold it together. Dip your finger in the vinegar and moisten the edge of the Nori to seal it closed. Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut it into 1″ pieces and let your child help arrange them on the platter. Will make 4 6-piece rolls, with plenty of extra rice. Serve with (reduced sodium) soy sauce, pickled ginger and (diluted) wasabi if your child’s brave enough, and enjoy!

Our CSA farm has produced some wonderful sweet potatoes this year. I like to add them to turkey chili to add sweetness and a nice boost of vitamin A. I used cannellini beans in this version, but was thinking of swapping in black beans for an orange and black Halloween dinner. I ate mine over wilted kale, while the toddler and husband had it over leftover macaroni and cheese. This is also great for early self-feeding toddlers, especially if you cut the sweet potatoes just big enough for little fingers.

Recipe: Turkey Sweet Potato Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced small
• 1 T cumin
• 1 T dried oregano
• 1 t paprika
• 1 t chili powder
• 14 oz crushed tomatoes
• 1 can cannellini beans*, drained and rinsed
• 1 c chicken broth
• 1 c water
• shredded cheddar cheese and/or sour cream
• fresh parsley or cilantro, optional

Instructions: Heat dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil, onion and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add turkey and cook until no trace of pink remains. Stir in sweet potato and seasonings and cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, broth and water and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender and most liquid is absorbed. Top with shredded cheese and/or sour cream and fresh herbs. Makes 6 servings. Enjoy!

This past weekend was the fall open house and potluck at our CSA farm, Potomac Vegetable Farms. We stopped by Crooked Run Orchard for apple and pumpkin* picking first. It was such a gorgeous, warm fall day to be out in the orchards. When we arrived at PVF, we had missed the hayride but set to work breaking apart garlic cloves to be planted for next spring. The potluck was full of wonderful, nutritious food and the kids had quite a spectacular hay-fight in the wagon.

For the potluck, I brought mini muffins because they’re easy finger foods, always popular, and guarantee there will be something the toddler will eat. I had been meaning to try a chocolate zucchini bread recipe, and came across this one. I modified it slightly to incorporate my local, organic buckwheat flour. (Adding fiber to compensate for the sugar!)

Recipe: Whole-Grain Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Adapted from The Barefoot Kitchen Witch

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c unbleached flour
• 1 c buckwheat flour (or whole wheat)
• 1/2 c turbinado sugar
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1 t baking powder
• 3/4 c milk
• 1/2 c oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1 oz grated unsweetened fair-trade chocolate
• 1 c shredded zucchini

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly oil muffin tin. Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls, then gradually pour dry into wet and stir until smooth. Pour into muffin tin and bake for 12-15 minutes for mini muffins (18-22 for regular size muffins). Makes 36 mini muffins. Enjoy!

*Crooked Run uses integrated pest management (IPM) techniques which means their apples are minimally-sprayed, better than conventional but not organic. Their non-tree crops are “eco-ganic.”

The first few days of the Eat Local Challenge were not terribly successful, as they coincided with a work conference that required me to eat several meals in a hotel. One lunch was particularly comic in its seasonal schizophrenia, with asparagus atop sweet potatoes. The weekend farmers market visits enabled me to re-stock the fridge with dairy, bread and produce to be better prepared headed into this week.

My ulterior motive with the challenge is to be more disciplined in eating not just local foods but healthier as well. My requirement to eat something local at every meal has forced me to eat better at breakfast, which is by far my biggest problem area. I am not a morning person, and despite my love of coffee I do not have the skill or patience to make my own first thing in the morning. So I wind up eating unhealthy pastries along with my morning latte. Now, I could claim compliance by buying the locally-baked pastries at my local coffee shop, but I’m trying to improve upon that by actually eating the wonderful local yogurt I always have in the fridge. A slice of locally-baked bread, toasted, with homemade plum jam rounds out the meal and really doesn’t take all that long. I am fortunate in that my son usually eats his breakfast at daycare, so I have some time to get into a healthy routine before he learns from my bad example!

We have had some good mostly-local dinners. This hearty sweet potato and sausage saute was perfect for a rainy evening. Sunday was grilled flank steak and squash, Monday was the leftover steak in veggie-loaded salsa rice. And for those curious, scroll down to the bottom of this post for a list of the local products we’ve eaten this week, and their sources.

Recipe: Sweet Potato & Sausage Skillet Saute

Ingredients:

• 2-3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 T olive oil
• 4 links Italian sausage, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch tatsoi (or spinach), rinsed
• 1 T soy sauce
• red pepper flakes
• salt & pepper

Instructions: Bring a pot of water to boil and cook sweet potato chunks until just tender, about 6 minutes. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat and brown sausage. Remove from pan, reduce heat to medium and add garlic and onion. Cook 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent. Drain sweet potatoes and add to skillet. Place tatsoi on top, pour soy sauce and additional olive oil over top, cover and let cook until tatsoi is wilted, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in sausage, red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Serve over quinoa or rice. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

Farms of Origin

• steak, Fauquier’s Finest via Let’s Meat on the Avenue, Va.
• milk & butter, South Mountain Creamery, Md.
• sweet potatoes, tatsoi, onions, Potomac Vegetable Farms CSA, Va.
• squash, tomatoes, Medina & Sons, Va. (@ Alexandria West End market)
• goat cheese, yogurt & Amish-baked sticky buns, Tom the cheese guy, Pa. (@ Del Ray/West End markets)
• apples, pears, grapes, Papa’s Orchard, Pa. (@ West End market)
• rye bread, Uptown Bakers, Md. (@ West End market)

This is a favorite fall meal, when we’re in the mood for roast chicken but it’s still nice enough outside to grill. The only problem is that we rarely have cans of beer in the house, but I improvised by pouring beer into an empty coke can instead. The beer steams the chicken from within resulting in an incredibly moist chicken. I also stuff the can with fresh herbs (green onions, parsley and garlic chives here) to add even more flavor. And, as with an oven-roasted chicken, the leftovers and bones can be used for several more meals during the week.

Recipe: Beer Can Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 can beer
• several stems green onions
• fresh parsley
• ¼ c butter
• 2 T brown sugar
• 1 T cumin
• 1 t cayenne pepper
• salt & pepper
• 1 whole chicken, 3-4 lbs.

Instructions: Preheat the grill to medium (350*). Open the beer can and pour out (drink) about half. Poke several holes around the top, and stick herbs in the can’s mouth. Place on a large plate or stand. (If you don’t have a stand, you can balance the chicken on the grill using the can and its legs to form a tripod.) Soften the butter and stir in the sugar and seasonings. Rub the mixture under the chicken’s skin and all over the exterior. Place the chicken over the can and carefully transfer onto the grill. Grill over indirect medium heat for 1 hr. to 1 ¼ hrs. Remove from grill (very carefully!) and let stand for 5 minutes before carving. Serves 4.

Recipe: Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 2 T butter, softened
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1/2 t cumin

Instructions: Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Spread butter over cut sides, sprinkle sugar and cumin over the top. Wrap in foil and place on grill, away from the flame, for 40 minutes. Serves 2-4. Enjoy!

Farms of Origin

• free-range chicken, Smith Meadows, Va.
• butter, South Mountain Creamery, Md.
• white sweet potatoes, a Virginia farm, Del Ray Farmers Market, Va.
• herbs, Potomac Vegetable Farms CSA, Va.
• beer, Starr Hill Jomo lager, Va.

Quinoa is one of my favorite quick side dishes. A high-protein ancient grain*, it has more health benefits than cous cous, a mild nutty flavor and is just as simple to prepare. The cooking process is the same, you bring 1 part quinoa and 2 parts water (or broth) to a boil, cover and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Like cous cous, it is infinitely adaptable. Here’s the version we had Tuesday night with our salmon; it would be equally nice paired with chicken or pork chops. You could also add dried cranberries, raisins or cherries in addition to the apricots.

Recipe: Quinoa with Apricots and Pepitas

Ingredients:
1 c quinoa
1 c water
1 c chicken broth
1/4 c pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted
1/2 c sliced dried apricots

Instructions: Toast the pepitas in a medium hot skillet until golden (optional). Add quinoa, water, broth and olive oil in saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in pepitas and apricot pieces, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

* Like buckwheat, quinoa is technically a seed, not a grain. But the high fiber qualifies it as a “whole grain,” in my opinion.

There’s no reason to pack up the grill just because the calendar says summer is over - fall is a great time to grill, particularly here in DC where summer humidity (and mosquitoes!) drives us indoors too much of the time. Char-marked root vegetables are a fun way to blend summer flavors and seasonal produce.

Recipe: Grilled Butternut Spears

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into thick slices
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 t cumin
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper
• sea salt

Ingredients: Whisk seasonings into olive oil and toss half of the mixture with butternut spears. Let sit for 20 minutes. Wrap spears tightly in foil and place on upper rack in grill over medium high heat for 20 minutes. Remove from foil and place on grill rack, sear for 2-3 minutes more per side. Brush with remaining oil mixture and enjoy.

Farm of Origin: Butternut squash from Norma’s Farm, Alexandria West End Market.

We’re a mixed faith family here at FoodieTots, and as the non-Jewish spouse I’ve had a lot of fun over the past years learning about Jewish culinary traditions. Rosh Hashana, which falls right in the peak of the fall harvest, brings honey-dipped apples and other sweet treats to start the new year. Wishing those of you who celebrate a peaceful respite from the daily grind … and a happy harvest to the rest of you!

Tonight’s dinner menu:

• apples, pears, challah + honey*
• matzo ball soup
• gelfite fish + horseradish
• quinoa with apricots + pepitas
• lemon roasted zucchini + carrots*
• maple-glazed roasted salmon*
• homemade plum ice cream*
• sokol blosser evolution wine (oregon)

* = locally-sourced