Hi Friends,

I love a big pot of steamed mussels, probably in part because of my Belgian heritage.  Start in a tall pot with some butter or oil and sautee some onions, garlic, and celery.  Once they are nice and soft, add white wine and saffron and bring it to a simmer.  Add the mussels (they are already cleaned for you) and cook about 5 minutes until they open.  You can add a little cream at the end If you want.

The pork rillettes can be spread on bread or eaten with the bitter green salad.  We recommend having some whole grain mustard with it.

Chimichurri is an Argentine sauce that works great on grilled meats, fish, or potatoes.  It’s similar to a pesto and made from raw herbs and olive oil.

Bavette steak is best seared in cast iron or grilled.  We recommend cooking it to medium rather than rare or medium rare.  The secret to good steak is to let it rest a full five minutes between cooking it and slicing it.  Bavette should be sliced against the grain for best results.  Serve with chimichurri.

Classic French mashed potatoes with Yukon gold potatoes this week.  Like a lot of French cooking, it’s the cream and butter that make them so good.  Just reheat in a frying pan or sauce pan on low heat.

Saffron is the pistol of a flower that grows only in very specific climates.  It’s a subtle flavor and imparts a beautiful color to food.  A little goes a long way!  We thought you could use it with the mussels, but it would also be good added to the mashed potatoes or to rice.

Our friends at Carmel Cheese Shop were very excited to share this truffle cheese with you this week.  We’re excited to try it too!

We got some Jam from our friend Jordan at Happy Girl Kitchen.  Happy Girls make happy jams!

Hen of the woods, a.k.a. Maitake mushrooms are a fun addition to lots of dishes.  I like to sautee them with garlic and make scrambled eggs.  Or cook them with some butter and thyme and serve them with the mashed potatoes.

Spaghetti squash is classic this time of year.  It’s a very hard squash to prepare but we like the flavor and the spaghetti like texture.  It would be good reheated with a little butter and thyme.

Kumquats can be eaten whole, peel and all.  You could use them with the blood orange to make a citrus salad.  You could use them in a green salad.  You can candy them with some sugar and use them to top yogurt or vanilla ice cream.  You can use them as a base for a great cocktail muddled with some vodka or tequila.

Beet and yogurt dressing will be good on any salad greens.  I think it would be particularly good with the savoy spinach and some nuts or goat cheese.

As always, reach out to Brandon or I anytime with questions or for more ideas on what to do with your Stash ingredients