Thursday, August 29, 2013

Recipe Reviewed: Spicy Cherry Tomatoes

This recipe is a breeze to put together.  The spiciness comes from the crushed red pepper infused in the oil and the raw shredded garlic thrown in at the end of cooking when the tomatoes come off the heat.  I only needed to cook the tomatoes 5 minutes until they were soft and blistering, not the suggested 10 minutes.
 
Spicy Cherry Tomatoes makes a great side dish with a meal also served with crusty bread.  The crusty bread dipped into the spicy cherry tomatoes is fiery and flavorsome.
 

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Recipe Reviewed: Tzatziki Sauce

Tuesday Menu – Falafel, Tzatziki Sauce, Salad Naan
Farm Share Food – Cucumber, Garlic, Head Lettuce, Slice Tomato, Carmen Peppers
 
Tzatziki Sauce
 
I was drawn to this recipe because it suggests blending the ingredients together.  Uhmmm, I thought I wonder what texture will result?  It was pretty soupy, almost like a salad dressing.  I did like blending the cucumbers, as opposed to shredding them like in other Tzatziki Sauce recipes I’ve made.  I’d recommend keeping most of the yogurt out until after the ingredients have been blended and then whisking it in.  I think that would thicken the sauce.

Week Twelve of 2013

We got...

Bok Choi, Broccoli, Carmen Peppers, Corn,  Cucumber, Eggplant, Garlic, Head Lettuce, Mariachi Peppers, Potatoes, Tomatoes (slicing), Tomatoes (small)

Fruit: Plums
 
 
My ideas....
 
Bok Choi and Broccoli – I made this Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry recently and enjoyed the simplicity of it.  It makes for a tasty dinner.  I plan to use a small amount of Bok Choi to replace the scallions.
 
Carmen Peppers, Mariachi Peppers, Bok Choi – This Soba Noodle Salad seems just the thing for a new way to use all these lovely peppers.  Again the Bok Choi is going to be a replacement, in this dish for scallions and snow peas.
 
Cucumber – I want to make my own Tzatziki Sauce to go with some Falafel I have on hand.
 
Eggplant and Tomatoes – I haven’t made my favorite Kashmiri Eggplant yet this summer, this week’s Eggplant is the perfect size for one of my favorite dishes.
 
Garlic – I want to try this Garlic Soup with Poached Eggs.
 
Potatoes – Hoping to take this Spiced Potato Salad poolside for one last picnic.
 
Tomatoes – I want to try both these simple tomato dishes Spicy Cherry Tomatoes and Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Crostini.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Week Nine of 2013

We got...

Bell Peppers, Cantaloupe, Carmen Peppers, Carrots, Corn, Eggplant, Juliet Tomatoes, Mariachi Peppers, Potatoes, Salad Mix, Tomato, Cilantro

Fruit: Peaches
 
My ideas....
 
Bell and Carmen Peppers – Both peppers would work well in the Sausage and PepperKebabs.
 
Cantaloupe – Always excited when the cantaloupe comes to make this Spicy CantaloupeSalad.  The Mariachi peppers would work nicely in this salad.
 
Carrots – I looked at the bunch of carrots and thought perfect for roasting, so here is a recipe for Roasted Rainbow Carrots.
 
Eggplant and Juliet Tomatoes – these both would be a great reason to try this MediterraneanMixed Grill.
 
MariachiPeppers – We love this Thai Beef with Chiles and Basil.  I’ll probably use cilantro in place of the Basil.
 
Potatoes, Tomatoes and Peppers – It has cooled off outside so no problem turning on the oven to try These Scalloped Potatoes with Tomatoes and Bell Peppers.

Friday, August 2, 2013

Recipe Reviewed: Asian Beef Rolls

I made this recipe several times over the winter.  I couldn’t wait to get peppers from the CSA to share this great recipe.
 

This is the most ideal Asian Beef Roll I’ve ever made.
 

Even if they look like this, they taste good.
 
Thursday Menu – Asian Beef Rolls, Herb Salad, Cilantro-Peanut Breadcrumb Topped Pasta
Farm Share Food – Carmen Peppers, Salad Mix, Summer Squash, Carrots, Basil, Cilantro
 
Asian Beef Rolls
 
Thin slices of steak marinate for ten minutes.  Then you roll the slices around 3 pepper strips, and 3 lengths of green onion tops.  Cook for 6-7 minutes on a grill pan.  Delicious!
 
The recipe directs you to make a sauce from the marinade to drizzle over the finished beef rolls.  I always cook the beef rolls in the marinade to help maintain moisture.  I’ve tried drizzling the sauce and I don’t think it adds anything to the dish.
 
Herb Salad
 
This is a salad I’ve posted earlier that features summer squash.  I had a leftover shaved summer squash and carrots from the Vietnamese Noodle Bowls (failure!).  I tossed the leftovers with the salad mix and the light and refreshing dressing in this recipe.
 
Cilantro-Peanut Breadcrumb Tossed Pasta
 
Check out my post with links to several Breadcrumb Pasta Toppers that use Basil, Cilantro, and Kale.

Breadcrumb Pasta Toppers

Cooking Light suggested Breadcrumb Pasta Toppers.
They all looked great.  A few would put the CSA items to great use.
 
Basil Pesto
 
Green Kale
 
and the one I’ve tried
Cilantro - Peanut