The Purple Cook

Slow-Cooker Beef and Tomato Stew

2012-01-23T14:05:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed this stew made from our CSA beef share.

Slow-Cooker Beef and Tomato Stew
from Everyday Food volume 89

Brown Rice
I love this recipe for Brown Rice in a steamer.

Don’t forget – you can freezer rice. I made this slow-cooker dinner on a day Ididn’t have much time. It was great tobe able to just get rice out of the freezer

Purple Plan Week of January 22, 2012

2012-01-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the things I made last week with localingredients...
Slow cooker Thai Style Chicken and Pumpkin Soup
Local Food: CSA Carrots from freezer
The day I made this I picked up frozen squash from ourCSA. The squash could easily replace thepumpkin in this recipe. It will be onthe menu again soon.
My friend occasionally mentions making this, now I finallyhave, and I too can rave about how easy and yummy this soup is to make.

Masala Meatballs
Local Food: CSA Broccoli Rabe from freezer
I replaced the spinach in this recipe with broccolirabe. I also used Garam Masala toreplace the curry powder. Served withNaan, this made a quick, simple and delicious meal.

Squash, Manchego, and Balsamic Onion Grilled Cheese
Local Food: CSA Butternut Squash from freezer

Here are some meals I’m planning for the upcoming week...

Creamy, Light Macaroni and Cheese
Local Food: CSA Butternut Squash from freezer

Crispy Salmon in Thai Style Lime Broth
Local Food: CSA Jalapeno and peas from freezer

Purple Plan Week of January 8, 2012

2012-01-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

Grilled Chicken, Baked Sweet Potatoes, BroccoliLocal Food: Sweet Potatoes

Slow Cooker Beef & Tomato Stew, Brown Rice
Local Food: Stew Beef, Crushed Tomatoes (frozen from summer)

Shredded Chicken with Kale and Lentil, Naan
Local Food: Kale (frozen from summer)

I got an e-mail from our CSA farm this week offering frozenveggies from the growing season. Soon I’llhave local frozen green beans and squash puree.

Garlic Oil Inspiration

2011-12-19T06:27:00.000-08:00

We had friends over and Garlic Oil was the inspiration fordinner.
With the Garlic Oil I made Garlic Marinated Chicken, Broccoliwith Garlic Oil, and a Garlic Oil Vinaigrette.

Broccoli with Garlic Oil

I took this recipe for Vegetables with Garlic Oil, but usedBroccoli. They suggest asparagus andcarrots.

Garlic Oil Vinaigrette

This original recipe calls for parmesan cheese. I didn’t like the consistency. I love having this Garlic Oil on hand and inthis past have made this Parisian Bistro Vinaigrette.

1 t Dijon Mustard
1 T Balsamic Vinegar
splash soy sauce
salt & pepper to taste
3 T Garlic Oil

Mix first four ingredients and then slowly add Garlic Oiluntil dressing is well mixed.

Purple Plan Week of December 18, 2011

2011-12-19T04:23:00.000-08:00

I cooked the Holiday Meal for friends over the weekend. The theme for the rest of the week is superlight and as little meat as possible. With Christmas approaching we are sure to have plenty of rich foods – we’llgo easy this week in anticipation.
Holiday Meal – Asian Guacamole, Garlic Oil MarinatedChicken, Broccoli with Garlic Oil, Salad with Garlic Oil Viniagrette, andChipotle-Sweet Potato Gratin
Local Food: Garlic, Parsley, Sweet Potatoes

Mujudara with Naan,
Local Food: Onions
My CSA onions are now gone. They were well used in this yummy dish.

Vegetable Curry
Local Food: Sweet Potatoes

Adobo Tuna, Broccoli, Zucchini Rice
Local Food: Shredded Zucchini from the freezer
The Adobo Tuna recipe includes a salsa and a sidesalad. I usually just use the rub fortuna steaks. Spicy goodness!

Creamy Tomato Pesto Soup

2011-12-12T07:26:00.000-08:00

Just, YUMMY! This hasbecome an old stand-by and well-loved favorite. I created this recipe years agocombining a standard recipe I found for tomato soup and ideas I had to recreate aTomato Pesto Soup I love at a local soup and sandwich shop.

Creamy Tomato Pesto Soup

2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T unsalted butter
1 large white onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, smashed and peeled
2 T all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
28 oz. can whole peeled plum tomatoes, including the juice
1 ½ tsp sugar
1 spring fresh thyme
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
3 T freshly sliced basic, chives, or dill, or a mixture ofall three
½ cup pesto
1 cup light cream
1 cup parmesan cheese

In a 5-6 quart Dutch oven heat the oil and butter overmedium-low heat until the butter melts. Add the onion and garlic, cook stirring occasionally until soft but notbrowned, about 8 minutes. Add the flourand stir to coat the onion and garlic.

Add the broth, tomatoes, sugar, thyme and ¼ tsp salt andpepper. Bring to a simmer overmedium-high heat while stirring the mixture to make sure the flour does notstick to the bottom of the pan. Reducethe heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes.

Discard the thyme spring. Let cool briefly. Add the herbsand pesto and then puree in two or three batches in a blender or food processoror all at once with immersion blender. Return the soup to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cream and parmesan cheese. Stir and serve.

NOTE: I have made this with local onions, garlic,tomatoes(crushed), herbs, and pesto.

Purple Plan Update

2011-12-12T07:20:00.000-08:00

Life’s regular routines got away from me last week and areon the verge of doing so again this week. I thought I would share some meals I’ve been cooking or plan to cooksoon using local ingredients.
Buffalo Chicken Thighs, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli
Local Food: Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli
These Sweet Potatoes were little and baked quickly at 450degress, in like 30 minutes. Broccoliwas frozen from the CSA.

Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Rabe, Salad
Local Food: Chicken Sausage, Broccoli Rabe
I had the base for this quick and easy dish frozen from thissummer. Check out the link for therecipe and how to prep it for the freezer.

Halibut Tacos, Zucchini Rice
Local Food: Shredded Zucchini from the freezer
This rice is yummy and a fun way to get veggies on theplate.

Creamy Tomato Pesto Soup, Crusty Bread
Local Foods: Onion, Garlic, Pesto, Herbs
If you have whole or crushed tomatoes from the summer, thatwould be one more local ingredient. Iused some frozen crushed tomatoes the last time I had made this recipe.

Purple Plan Week of November 27, 2011

2011-11-29T09:44:00.001-08:00

Mujudara, Salad
Local Food: Onions, Sweet Peppers
see NOTE below

Cajun Chicken Straganoff, Broccoli

Local Food: Broccoli

I have bags of frozen broccoli saved from CSA season. I will prepare it the way I always do frozenbroccoli...heat olive oil in a pan, add frozen broccoli and season withsalt. Cover and let steam. When defrosted add a little more salt and sautéuntil broccoli begins to brown. Finishwith sesame oil.

Pizza with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, Salad
Local Food: Sweet Peppers, Frozen Summer Squash

Saturday we got invited to dinner at a friend’s house. I’m bringing Beet Red Velvet Cupcakes.
Oh my goodness do I have beets...so many left from CSAseason.

NOTE: I actually made the Mujudara last night. It was delicious and I simply followed therecipe.

Purple Plan Week of November 20, 2011

2011-11-20T06:46:00.001-08:00

Hamburgers, Fries, Sauté SpinachLocal Food: Spinach

Japanese Noodles with Cabbage and Edamame
Local Food: Red Onions, Garlic
Cabbage is also available at farmer’s markets. I just happen to have some in the fridge Ineed to use.

NOTE: Don’t forget about the Seasonal Ingredient Map – an interactivemap that tells you what is likely to be available at your local farmer’smarket.

Sausage and Kale Soup, Crusty Bread
Local Food: Kale, Potato, Onion
This is soup is frozen, made earlier in the season andperfect for dinner one night as we get ready for this big Thanksgiving feast.

Braised Chicken with Butternut Squash and Cranberries,Broccoli, Cous Cous, Carrot Cake
Local Food: Onion, Butternut Squash, Carrots
As family gathers Wednesday night, this is what I’m makingfor dinner.

The Communal Table – Pasta and Bean Stew with Tomatoes and Broccoli Rabe

2011-11-14T10:53:00.001-08:00

My contribution to the Thanksgiving Feast is soup to beenjoyed mid-day. It took me awhile todecide on the soup I wanted to make. Iwanted my soup to be as local as possible. I’m pleased with this recipe and am thrilled to share that every produceitem is local – Tomatoes frozen from earlier in the CSA season, Onions from ourlast CSA pick up, and Broccoli Rabe and Garlic from the winter farmer’smarket.

Scroll to the bottom of the post to see what other localfoods will grace our Thanksgiving Weekend Celebration and to see all the otherfood on The Communal Table.

Pasta and Bean Stew with Tomatoes and Broccoli Rabe
adapted from Pasta & Bean Stew from Williams-SonomaSoups & Stews

serves 10-12 adults

Printable Version

¾ cups olive oil
3 small onions, thinly sliced into half-moons
4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 14 oz. bags frozen tomatoes (canned tomatoes work greattoo!)
1 t crushed red pepper flakes
8 cups broth
3 15 oz. cans cannellini beans
salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups orecchiette (ear shaped pasta)
2 bunches broccoli rabe, small, rough chop
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
Shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving

In a large soup pot heat olive oil over medium-lowheat. When the oil is hot add onions,cook until they begin to soften, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 1 minute till fragrant. Add the tomatoes (with juices), red pepperflakes, broth, and beans (with liquid). Stir to combine. Season with saltand pepper. Raise the heat and bring toa boil, then add the pasta. Turn downthe heat, but maintain the large bubbles. Cook 15 minutes, until pasta is tender. Add the broccoli rabe and tomato paste, cook 10 additional minutes.

Before serving, sample the stew. If dull add more salt, pepper, or crushed redpepper. If you would like a looserconsistency add more broth.

To serve, ladle into bowl and sprinkle with shaved Parmesan.

Thanksgiving Weekend Celebration
Here are the other dishes I’m sharing with food from my CSAand the winter farmer’s market.

I’m doing dinner Wednesday night as we gather together fromfar and wide. We are going to have theblog favorite of the fall – Braised Chicken with Butternut Squash andCranberries. For dessert we’ll haveCarrot Cake.

Here is what else is being served at The Communal Table

Cocktails, Appetizers, Soups and Salads:
Sweet Life Bake: Pumpkin Margarita
Easy Peasy Organic: Thanksgiving Ginger Cocktail
Dishin and Dishes: Butternut Squash Bruschetta With Sage Pesto
Mooshu Jenne: Green Salad
Two Peas and Their Pod: Maple-Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Salad
Jones is Hungry: Roasted Vegetable Salad
Purple Cook: Pasta and Bean Stew With Tomatoes and Broccoli Rabe
From My Corner of Saratoga: Curried Pumpkin Soup

Mains:
CIA Dropout: Turkey and Stuffles Roulades With Squash Mash
FN Dish: Alton Brown's Good Eats Roast Turkey
My Angel's Allergies: Cranberry-Glazed Cornish Hens

Sides:
Cafe Terra Blog: Cranberry Pumpkin Stuffing
Virtually Homemade: Twice-Baked Cheddar and Chive Potatoes
Easy Eats Magazine: Sausage and Dried Cranberry-Walnut Stuffing
The Sensitive Epicure: Oyster Dressing and Gravy
Daily*Dishin: Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes Supreme
What's Gaby Cooking: RusticHerb Skillet Stuffing
Family Fresh Cooking: Coconut Brown-Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Silvana's Kitchen: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Mushroom-Rye Stuffing
The Cultural Dish: Cranberry Sauce

Desserts:
I Am Baker: Pumpkin Cake
Heather Christo: Pumpkin Vanilla Ice Cream Pie
And Love It Too: Pumpkin Custard (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
Haute Apple Pie Girls: Double Pumpkin Mini Pies With Candied Pecans
Ladles and Jelly Spoons: Not Your Same Old Pumpkin Pie
Daydreamer Desserts: Cuban Diplomatic Pudding
Thursday Night Dinner: Red Wine Chocolate Cake
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Caramel Apple Pie

Purple Plan Week of November 13, 2011

2011-11-14T08:31:00.001-08:00

Vegetable Korma, Rice

Local Food: Pre-Prepped Frozen meal from earlier in the CSAseason.

The link lists lots of CSA vegetables that would work inthis dish. That was written back insummer, since then we’ve also gotten potatoes, sweet potatoes, and wintersquash – all which would work great in this dish.

Turkey & Vegetable Meatloaf, Roasted Potatoes, Carrots

Local Food: Spinach, Onions, Garlic, Potatoes, Carrots,Frozen Summer Squash Puree

This meatloaf is always a crowd pleaser. I’m planning on adapting the recipe to usethe vegetable I’ve got stored in the freezer.

Pasta & Bean Stew with Tomatoes and Broccoli Rabe

Local Food: Onions, Garlic, Tomatoes, Broccoli Rabe

On Wednesday the Food Network’s Blog will be celebrating aVirtual Thanksgiving. I will be sharingthe recipe for this warming soup and some other plans for local food at ourThanksgiving Celebration.

Turkey Tetrazzini

2011-11-09T06:52:00.000-08:00

Great weeknight meal!

Tuesday Menu – Turkey Tetrazzini
Local Food – Carrots, Peas

Turkey Tetrazzini
original recipe from EveryDay with Rachael Ray

Printable Version

8 oz. cut spaghetti (I use Barilla)
3 T olive oil, divided
1 pound ground turkey
1 t poultry seasoning, divided
salt and pepper
½ cup frozen peas
½ cup diced carrots
6 T butter, divided
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
½ T dried thyme
3 T flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
½ cup bread crumbs

Boil pasta water and cook cut spaghetti for 5-6 minutes, aimfor 1 minute shy of cooking the pasta al dente. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.

In a skillet heat 1 T of oil and 1 T of butter over mediumheat. Add ground turkey, salt and pepperto taste and ½ t of poultry seasoning. Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon throughout. Transfer to the baking dish.

In a small saucepan bring 2 cups of water to a boil, addfresh diced carrots and boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain and add to turkey mixture with frozen peas.

In that same skillet add 2 T of butter. Add mushroom and thyme. Cook until the mushrooms start to soften, 3minutes. Transfer to the baking dish andstir with the turkey.

Add the remaining 3 T of butter to the skillet. When melted add the flour and whisk, cook 1minute. Whisk in the milk and broth,simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Addsauce to the turkey mixture and stir to combine.

Mix the remaining ½ cup parmesan with bread crumbs andremaining 2 T of oil. Sprinkle thismixture on top of the casserole. Baketetrazzini until top is golden-brown and sauce is bubbling, 12-15 minutes.

Check out the original recipe for freezing tips.

Can I just say sometimes my kids drive me crazy?!? I started dinner by giving them each a smallsample of the tetrazzini. I explainedthat it’s things they like – turkey, noodles, peas, carrots, and cheese. They each took a small bite and said no thankyou. They told me they don’t likeflavor! What does that mean? So we were back to piece meals. They each ate some pasta with cheese, somepeas, and some turkey – all separate and not touching each other. ARRRRGGGGHHHH!

Fall Fest: Vegetable Biryani with Turnips

2011-11-09T05:40:00.001-08:00

This was the recipe that introduced me to turnips and sent mein search of my first Dutch Oven. When Iwas first getting into cooking I was at a friends and she had this strangevegetable on her counter which I learned was a turnip, she then cooked it intothis amazing dish. I tried to recreatethe recipe. It came out all wrong and Ifigured it was because I didn’t have a Dutch Oven-which is key to cooking the ricein this recipe correctly. To make itright I needed to get myself a Dutch Oven. So I thought the best way to celebrateTurnips with Fall Fest was to share that amazing recipe, Vegetable Biryani.

Meatless Monday Menu – Vegetable Biryani
Farm Share Food – Jalapeno, Onion, Sweet Potato, Turnip

Vegetable Biryani
a recipe from a good friend who introduced me to turnips

This dish is substantial enough to be a meal on itsown. It also makes a great side dish fora feast, like Thanksgiving.

Printable Version

Simple Raita

2 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt
¼ t salt
¼ t cumin
1 cucumber, peeled and diced

Stir ingredients together and store in refrigerator untilready to serve.

Spice Paste

4 cloves garlic
1 T minced ginger
1 jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped
½ small onion, roughly chopped
1 t garam masala
½ t cumin
¼ t turmeric
2 T water

Combine ingredients of the spice paste with an immersionblender or food processor, puree until a paste forms. Store in a small bowl until ready to use.

Vegetable Biryani

3 T olive oil, divided
4 whole cloves
1 (3 inch) cinnamon stick
1 ½ cups cauliflower florets, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 ½ cups sweet potato, peeled and diced small
1 bunch turnips, diced small
1 ¼ cups basmati rice
¼ cup raisins
2 cups water
1 t salt
1 cup frozen peas
1 T unsalted butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat 2 T of oil over medium heat in Dutch Oven. Add cloves and cinnamon stick and cook for1-2 minutes. Add the reserved spicepaste and cook until paste begins to stick to the bottom of the oven, 2-3minutes. Add cauliflower, sweet potato,and turnip and stir to coat vegetable completely with spice paste. Add rice and stir to coat. Add raisins, water and salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot, andtransfer to the oven for 30 minutes, until rice is cooked. Remove from oven, stir in the peas, and thenlet sit covered for 15 minutes.

While the rice is in the oven heat 1 T oil and 1 T butter ina skillet over medium heat. Add theonion slices and slowly caramelize. Stirthe onions often, constantly moving them around the pan until they are goldenand beginning to crisp.

Transfer the rice to a serving platter, sprinkle with thecaramelized onions, and serve with the Raita on the side.

Check out the great recipes from other blogs celebrating Fall Fest:

TheSensitive Epicure: Roasted Turnips With Olive Oil and Rosemary
Virtually Homemade: Turnip Gratin With Parmesan and Nutmeg
And Love It Too:TurnipPancakes
Napa Farmhouse 1885:Turnips, Really?
Purple Cook:Vegetable Biryani With Turnips
Glory Foods:Turnip Greens With Potatoes and Mushrooms
Big Girls SmallKitchen: Creamed Turnips With Their Greens
FN Dish:Simply Roasted Turnips

Purple Plan Week of November 6, 2011

2011-11-08T08:10:00.000-08:00

Turkey Tetrazzini

Local Food: Peas and Carrots

Sriracha Spaghetti and Meatballs

Local Food: Kale, Ground Beef, Onion, Parsley

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Local Food: Butternut Squash, Onion

Welcome Back to "The Purple Plan"

2011-11-08T07:53:00.000-08:00

During the CSA off-season I replace the weekly post statingwhat we got from the farm and my plans for that farm share food with “ThePurple Plan”. “The Purple Plan” is apost sharing 3-4 meals I plan to make in that upcoming week with CSA storedfood or food from other local sources.
I’m a lover of lists! Following are two lists I’ll use to come up with my meal plans shared in“The Purple Plan” over the next several weeks.

Local and CSA Food Stored in my Freezer

Vegetables:

Broccoli (2 packages)
Broccoli Rabe (use it like frozen spinach)
Butternut Squash (4 packages)
Carrot Slices (2 packages)
Crushed Tomatoes
Herbs:
Basil (3 packages)
Dill
Parsley
Sage (2 packages)
Jalapenos (2 packages)
Kale (use it like frozen spinach)
Parsley Pesto
Parsley and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
Peas
Poblanos
Strawberries
Summer Squash Puree (2 packages)
Tomatoes Diced (2 packages)
Zucchini Puree
Zucchini Shredded (2 packages)

Meat:

Ground Beef (2 packages)
Oscar’s Bacon (6 packages)
Oscar’s Chicken Sausage
Rib Steak
Short Ribs
Stew meat
Strip Steak

Pre-Prepped items:

Braised Turnip Greens (2 packages)
Broccoli Rabe Pasta Dish starter
Pear and Cranberry Crisp
Sausage, Kale, and Potato Soup
Vegetable Korma

Stored Vegetables

Beets
Butternut Squash
Carrots
Onions
Potatoes
Red Onions
Sweet Potatoes

Weeknight Vegetable Curry

2011-11-04T05:46:00.000-07:00

This was a warm and creamy dish that was a perfect weeknightmeal.

Wednesday Menu – Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Curry withRice
Farm Share Food – Onion, Sweet Potato, Cilantro

This recipe could utilize any number of vegetables – squash,potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas or greens. Just a couple of ideas off the top of myhead. I made it as written withcauliflower and sweet potatoes. It’s agreat vegetarian dish, tofu could even be added. Or if you would like to add some leftoverchicken, another great idea for this versatile dish. Again, my cilantro was frozen cubes from thesummer that I stirred in at the end.

Simple Vegetable Curry

Coriander Glazed Carrots

2011-11-04T05:35:00.000-07:00

I really liked these carrots. The citrus really brightened them up and theywere an easy side dish to make. Myhusband did not like the citrus flavors in these carrots.
Tuesday Menu – Arugula Pesto Salmon, Arugula Pesto RoastedPotatoes, Coriander Glazed Carrots.
Farm Share Food – Arugula Pesto, Potatoes, Carrots, Cilantro

Arugula Pesto
I defrosted the Arugula Pesto I made a couple of weeksago. I spread some on the salmon filetsand then cooked those on the Foreman Grill. I cut up the potatoes into 1 inch cubes and tossed them with somepesto. I roast them at 400 degrees for40 minutes, turning them once during the cooking time.

Coriander Glazed Carrots
originally from Food Network Magazine

Printable Version

1 T unsalted butter

½ t coriander seed, lightly crushed

1 pound carrots, cut into sticks

¼ cup orange juice

1 T lime juice

1 ½ T brown sugar

salt and pepper

2 T chopped cilantro, I used my frozen cubes

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coriander seeds and toast 30seconds. Add the carrots and stir inorange juice, lime juice, brown sugar, 2 T water, and salt and pepper totaste. Bring to a boil and then coverand reduce heat to medium low. Simmer,stirring occasionally, 13-15 minutes until carrots are tender.

Uncover, increase heat to medium high and cook until liquidis reduced 8-10 minutes. Stir in cilantroand serve.

Week 21 of 2011

2011-11-02T06:38:00.000-07:00

With vegetable pick up this week our CSA comes to a closefor the 2011 season. Our farm lostthousands of pounds of vegetables due to Hurricanes Irene and Lee, and so wefinish up the first week of November. Every week since the Hurricanes I’ve been delightfully surprised at theabundance of wonderful vegetables I bring home. I didn’t think we would see any more greens after the storms, butdelighted again we’ve enjoyed several weeks of salad greens and I have Kale andBroccoli Rabe in the freezer to use in soups and stews.
Thank you for a wonderful season!

We got...

Beefsteak Tomatoes, Beets, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Onions,Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes

Fruit: Apples

My plans...

Beets
I have so many beets! They store nicely in the refrigerator, so we can use them over the nextcouple of months. Here are some ideas Imay try.

Vegetable Pancakes

Michael Symon made a Goat Cheese and Beet Ravioli on the “Chew”

I’ve never made Borscht and this recipe looks yummy!

Butternut Squash

I’ve been freezing my Butternut Squash. In the coming weeks I will make...

...Thai Butternut Squash Soup

...Butternut Squash Risotto

and if you haven’t made it yet the Braised Chicken with ButternutSquash and Cranberries, it is this season’s winner!

Carrots, Onions, Potatoes, and Sweet Potatoes

I’m so happy to have these. I’ve got them stored and will chip away at them over the coming weeks.

Braised Chicken with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

2011-10-28T05:39:00.000-07:00

This was the PERFECT meal for last night. It was warm, comforting, and delicious – likeI said the PERFECT meal the night we had our first snow fall of the season.

Thursday Menu – Braised Chicken with Butternut Squash andCranberries, Crust Whole Wheat Bread

Farm Share Food – Butternut Squash, Red Onion

Braised Chicken with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

CSA Bits'n'Pieces

2011-10-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

Spicy Eggs

Mario Batali made the best eggs sometime last week on “TheChew”. I made them for lunch the otherday using a little leftover onion, some pieces of jalapeno from the freezer,and some leftover tomato sauce that I always use CSA garlic, onion, and carrotto make. Delicious and quick!!!

Spicy Eggs

Olive Oil

¼ onion, roughly sliced

1 jalapeno, thinly sliced (keep the seeds for extra heat)

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 eggs

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a small to medium size skillet. Add the onion and jalapeno. Cook until beginning to soften andbrown. Add tomato sauce. When sauce begins to boil crack eggs into theliquid to poach. Cook until eggsset. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Mini Squash Muffins

Got about ¼ cup of squash or pumpkin puree leftover? Make Mini Squash Muffins! Add ¼ cup of puree and an extra egg to an 8.5oz. corn muffin mix and bake in mini muffin tins. Thanks to the October “Food Network Magazine”article for “A Month of Pumpkin” ideas for these muffins.

Turnips Greens

We got a bunch of turnips last week and again thisweek. Today I made a batch of BraisedTurnip Greens. I put ½ - ¾ cup servingsin freezer bags. I can get these out ofthe freezer for a quick lunch over pasta or with a thick slice of crusty bread.

Freezing Items

I cut up a Butternut Squash into about 1 inch cubes. I had 2 freezer bags, I put half of theButternut Squash cubes into each to freeze.

I roughly chopped Broccoli Rabe, blanched it for 2 minutes,moved it to an ice bath, and drained it. This has also been put away in the freezer. It can be used as a substitute in any recipecalling for frozen spinach.

Last week I made Arugula Pesto and froze it in ice cubetrays.

Today I did an inventory of my freezer. I currently have 25 items in there from thisyear’s Vegetable CSA. After our lastdelivery I’m thinking of sharing that list on the blog and spending the wintermonths working my way through them with more recipes to share.

Mango Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potato

2011-10-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

Recently in Food Network Magazine there was a pull-out for50 Stuffed Potatoes. There are so manyto try. Last night we tried Mango BlackBean.
Tuesday Menu – Mango Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Farm Share Food – Sweet Potatoes, tomato, jalapeno,cilantro, onion

I had jalapeno and cilantro in the freezer from earlier inthe season.

Mango Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Printable Version

4 medium size sweet potatoes
1 15oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ cups frozen mango, defrosted
½ cup diced tomato
1 jalapeno, minced
2 T onion, finely diced
2 T cilantro, finely chopped
1 T olive oil
2 T lime juice

Bake Sweet Potatoes at 400 degrees for 50 minutes.

Mix together remaining ingredients. Serve Black Bean Mango mixture spooned on topof baked Sweet Potatoes.

Week 20 of 2011

2011-10-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

We got...
Arugula, Beefsteak Tomatoes, Beets, Broccoli Rabe, ButternutSquash, Potatoes, Red Onions, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips

Fruit: Apples

My plans...

Arugula
I plan to make this Sauteed Shrimp with Arugula. I also plan to make an Arugula pizza. I did make Arugula Pesto last week. I think I’ll use that as a sauce, put on thecheese, and then top with a few fresh arugula leaves.

Beets
Folks from the Harlem site of our same CSA farm are gettingstarted on a blog. Follow them ontwitter at @HarlemCSA. They suggestedthese Indian Spiced Beets.

Broccoli Rabe and Butternut Squash

I’ll freeze these to be used during those long winter monthswhen I miss the CSA.

Sweet Potatoes

I love sweet potatoes that made with a dish that has somekick. I’m looking forward to try this RoastedSweet Potato Salad with Cranberry-Chipotle Dressing.

Turnips

I have this recipe in my notes for Roasted Turnips withTomatoes. I’m intrigued but can’t findthe link. I’ll have to do some digging!

Squash, Manchego, and Balsamic-Onion Grilled Cheese

2011-10-25T05:50:00.000-07:00

This past summer we watched Jeff Mauro become “The Next FoodNetwork Star” as the Sandwich King. Lastnight we tried one of his recipes for the first time. One bite and we were sold!
Meatless Monday Menu – Squash, Manchego, and Balsamic-OnionGrilled Cheese, Salad
Farm Share Food – Carnival Squash, Onions, Tomatoes

Check out the link to Jeff’s sandwich. He uses Butternut Squash and it has therecipe for starting from scratch. I hadleftover roasted Carnival Squash which became an ingredient in our sandwiches,making for a delicious dinner on another busy weeknight.

Squash, Manchego, and Balsamic-Onion Grilled Cheese

Printable Version

12 half rings of leftover Spicy Roasted Squash, trimmed ofskin

1 T butter, plus butter to spread on sandwich bread

1 large onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 t sugar

Salt and Pepper

8 slices country bread

1 pound manchego cheese, thinly sliced

1 cup almonds, toasted

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and toss to coat onion withbutter. Begin to caramelize onions, 10 –15 minutes. When the onions begin tobrown add balsamic vinegar, sugar, and salt & pepper to taste. Continue to caramelize the onions, stirringoften until the mixture thickens and a sweetness develops – about 15 minutes.

Build sandwiches. Butter one sliced of bread. Onthe unbuttered side add ingredients in this order – manchego, squash, onions,almonds, manchego. Close with anotherbuttered sliced of bread. Build 3additional sandwiches.

Heat griddle over medium heat. Cook each sandwich 4 minutes per side. Low and slow is the key to nicely crispedbread with melted, gooey insides.

Spicy Roasted Squash, Braised Mustard Greens

2011-10-24T05:29:00.000-07:00

My husband asked what we were having for dinner and was not excitedto hear we were having Braised Mustard Greens. Guess what?!? Those greens werethe best part of dinner, he thought so too.
Sunday Menu – Grilled Chicken Breast, Braised MustardGreens, Spicy Roasted Squash
Farm Share Produce – Mustard Greens, Garlic, Carnival Squash

Braised Mustard Greens
NOTES: I followed this super simple recipe with greatsuccess. With the garlic, I added somecrushed red pepper and salt & pepper to mimic the seasonings I had in thechicken marinade and on the squash.

Spicy Roasted Squash
I got this recipe from a friend who loves the cookbook “FreshEvery Day” by Sara Foster. She wrotethis recipe to me in an e-mail from memory, but she got it from this favoritecookbook.

3 T unsalted butter
1 t salt
1/8-1/4 t cayenne, to taste
2 Carnival Squash, cut into rings or half rings with theskin on

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt butter and stir in salt and cayenne. Place squash rings on a rimmed baking sheetprepared with cooking spray. Brushbutter mixture onto squash rings.
Bake 10 minutes, flip and bake an additional 15 minutesuntil squash is tender.

NOTE: cutting the squash into half rings makes it easier tofit onto the baking tray. Whole ringsare for a prettier presentation when guests come to dinner.

Fried Green Tomato BLT

2011-10-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

I love fried green tomatoes and was intrigued by a recipefrom Kelsey Nixon for Fried Green Tomato BLT. This sandwich has lots of great zing. I made the bacon on the foreman grill while I fried up the greentomatoes and along with French Fries it was a great meal for a busy weeknight.

We haven’t gotten any green tomatoes from the CSA, butmaybe. Thanks again to Grandma’s gardenfor the green tomatoes!

Thursday Menu – Fried Green Tomato BLT, French Fries

Farm Share Food – Arugula

Other Local Produce – Grandma’s Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomato BLT

Printable Version

Spicy Mayonnaise:

½ cup mayonnaise
1 T lemon juice
½ t Dijon mustard
salt, to taste
1/8 t cayenne pepper

Whisk ingredients together and store in fridge until it’stime to build the sandwiches.

Fried Green Tomatoes:

1 cup flour , divided
1 egg
¼ cup buttermilk
½ t baking powder
¼ t baking soda
½ cup cornmeal
salt, to taste
¼ t cayenne pepper
8 slices green tomato, about 2 medium tomatoes
oil for frying

In a shallow dish add ¼ cup flour. In a second shallow dish beat the egg and addbuttermilk, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir to combine. In a thirdshallow dish add ¾ cup flour, cornmeal, salt and cayenne pepper.
Dredge the tomatoes in flour, egg mixture and then coat withcornmeal mixture. Place on a wirecooling rack in a rimmed baking sheet until ready to fry. Repeat for all the tomato slices.
Heat oil in a skillet and fry tomatoes until golden brown,about 2 minutes per side. Fry tomatoesin batches and allow to cool on another rack until it time to build thesandwiches.

Sandwiches:

1 pound turkey bacon, cooked
1 cup arugula, heavy, rough stems removed
8 slices of thick bread

Spread spicy mayo onto 2 slices of bread. Add arugula and 2 fried green tomato slices toone side and bacon to the other. Build 4 sandwiches.

Roast Chicken with Winter Vegetables

2011-10-21T06:34:00.000-07:00

In the spring I posted a recipe for Roast Chicken with Spring Vegetables and it was a hit. Myfamily loved it and I got lots of great feedback. I thought a version with winter vegetableswas in order.

Wednesday Menu – Roast Chicken with Winter Vegetables

Farm Share Food – Beets, Carrots, Onions, Radishes, SweetPotatoes, Turnips

Roast Chicken with Winter Vegetables

Printable Version

9 pieces of bone in chicken, thighs and/or drumsticks

Salt and Pepper,

3 T olive oil divided

½ t poultry seasoning

3-4 beets, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1-2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 T lemon juice, divided

1 bunch radishes

1 bunch turnips

1-2 medium carrots

2 medium onions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Place skin side up in a roasting pan orrimmed baking sheet. Season with saltand pepper. Drizzle with 1 T oliveoil. Sprinkle chicken with poultryseasoning. Place beets and sweetpotatoes around the chicken in the pan. Drizzle 1 T lemon juice over the chicken and potatoes. Roast 20 minutes.

Meanwhile cut the radishes and turnips in half, cut theonions into wedges, and cut the carrots into sticks. Toss together with remaining 2 T olive oil,season with salt and pepper.

After 20 minutes remove the chicken and potatoes from theoven and scatter the remaining vegetables around the chicken. Continue to roast another 20 - 30 minutes,until vegetables are tender and chicken is golden.

After removing the chicken from the oven drizzle theremaining 1 T lemon juice over the chicken and vegetables.

Paella Stuffed Poblanos

2011-10-19T06:13:00.001-07:00

We had these amongst a hodge-podge, crazy dinner plate as werushed from a day of work and school out to an evening event.

These were quick and easy! I enjoyed trying manchego cheese for first time. Thanks Grandma for the poblanos from yourgarden.

Paella-Stuffed Poblanos

Week 19 of 2011

2011-10-19T06:06:00.000-07:00

We got...
Arugula, Beefsteak Tomatoes, Butternut Squash, MustardGreens, Onions, Red Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips

Fruit: Apples

My plans...

Arugula
I would like to make some Arugula Pesto to freeze. Maybe some will find its way onto roasted potatoes or used as a pizza sauce.

Beefsteak Tomatoes
I think I’m just going to enjoy the fact that we are stillgetting tomatoes in October.

Butternut Squash
I can’t wait to try a recipe in Everyday Food vol. 86 forBraised Chicken with Butternut Squash and Cranberries. I can’t share the link because it’s not up ontheir website yet.

Mustard Greens
After working with these last week I thought I’d like tomake Braised Mustard Greens. This recipeon epicurious.com looks like a good way to go.

Onions

Our farm has a tremendous yield of onions this year - a joyamidst all the trials from Hurricane Irene. I’m very happy to have them and will use them for as long as I can.

Potatoes and Turnips

I found this great roasted chicken recipe in the spring thatfeatured spring vegetables. I’m thinkingof adapting it for winter vegetables. I’llbe using beets, potatoes, radishes, and turnips.

Roast Chicken with Spring Vegetables

Skillet Lasagna with Mustard Greens

2011-10-18T05:28:00.000-07:00

I made my beloved Skillet Lasagna with our CSA MustardGreens. They had a zingy bite that butan interesting twist on the usual Lasagna flavors.
Monday Menu – Skillet Lasagna
Farm Share Food – Tomatoes, Garlic, Carrots, Mustard Greens

Skillet Lasagna

NOTES: Rough chop the greens. Depending on your preference you may want toboil the greens down before adding them to the lasagna. Boiling them will increase their tenderness. Last night I used double the carrots and didn’tadd any zucchini.

Grilled Chicken and Eggplant Stacks

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

These were fun to make. These stacks are a little bit elegant and would be fun when you haveguests to dinner.
Sunday Menu – Grilled Chicken and Eggplant Stack with FireRoasted Tomato Sauce, Salad
Farm Share Food – Eggplant, Garlic, Onion, Basil, Salad Mix,Tomato, Carmen Pepper

Grilled Chicken and Eggplant Stack with Fire Roasted TomatoSauce

NOTES: I doubled theamount of crushed red pepper and it had a nice bite but wasn’t overlyspicy. So if you like a kick I recommendyou use the crushed red pepper generously. I didn’t have any fresh basil, but lots of frozen cubes from thesummer. I just melted a cube or two intothe sauce. I did my grilling on myelectric indoor grill. While the chickenand eggplant were grilling I was able to make the sauce. We needed a nice bit of crusty bread to gowith dinner last night – hope you have some on hand when you make this.

Keeping up with the CSA

2011-10-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

I spent some time yesterday getting vegetables into storage.
Peppers – Jalapenos, Poblanos, and Sweet

My mother in law gave me a bag of Poblanos, we got Jalapenosthis week from the CSA, and we’ve gotten lots of peppers this season. I simply cut them into strips or diced themand put them in the freezer. I know havebags of Jalapenos, Poblanos, and Sweet Peppers in the freezer for winter stews,braises, or casseroles.

Butternut Squash

I peeled and chopped the squash into 2inch cubes. These went into a freezer bag. Butternut Squash freezes nicely for stews,soups, braises, or roasts.

Broccoli Rabe and Garlic

I have a great recipe for Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe,Oregano, and Lemon. I made part of thisrecipe, put it in the freezer, and will complete the dish one night fordinner. Here is what I did...

Spicy Broccoli Rabe with Pasta (for the freezer)

Bring about 4 cups of water to boil in a deep skillet. Add one bunch of broccoli rabe (stems removedand roughly chopped). Boil for 4 minutes. Drain and reserve. Heat ¼ cup of olive oil over medium highheat. Add 3 cloves of garlic (sliced)and ½ t of crushed red pepper. Cook for2-3 minutes until garlic starts to brown. Remove from heat and toss Broccoli Rabe in the oil mixture. Allow to cool. When cool put in a freezer container andstore in the freezer.

When you are ready to make the broccoli rabe for dinner,defrost the mixture. Prepare a half apound of pasta (penne or orecchiette) and brown some chicken sausageslices. Warm the broccoli rabe mixturewith the chicken sausage once it has browned. Toss in the pasta, drizzle with a little lemon juice and serve withparmesan cheese.

Tomato-Onion Casserole

2011-10-13T06:05:00.000-07:00

I was able to cook some while I wasn’t blogging. We still had to eat even if Mommy was feelinga little overwhelmed.

This Tomato-Onion Casserole was easy. We are still getting great, farm tomatoes,and some beautiful days. BUT on thosedrizzly, chilly days this is a warming way to use those farm tomatoes.

Menu – Pesto Grilled Salmon, Tomato-Onion Casserole, AngelHair Pasta
Farm Share Food – Tomatoes, Onions

It is a pretty simple recipe and it makes sense to justfollow the link.

Tomato-Onion Casserole

Week 18 of 2011

2011-10-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

It’s been a busy couple of weeks and I’ve missed theblog. I’ve taken on some newresponsibilities and they took me by surprise. It’s good to be back!

We got...

Beefsteak Tomatoes, Beets, Butternut Squash, Carrots,Eggplant, Jalapenos, Mustard Greens, Onions, Salad Mix

Fruit: Apples

My plans...

Beefsteak Tomatoes
Already today I crushed several tomatoes with my immersionblender. I’ll freeze these to makedishes like Chicken Tikka Masala during the winter.

Butternut Squash

Cooking Light did a recipe make over and came up with thisCreamy, Light Macaroni and Cheese that is packed with Squash.

Eggplant

I’ve been saving this recipe for a while...this week I’lltry Grilled Chicken and Eggplant Stacks with Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce.

Mustard Greens and Tomatoes

I am going to make the Skillet Lasagna I love so much withMustard Greens as a substitution for the spinach.

Tilapia Tacos with Grilled Peppers and Onions

2011-09-26T05:32:00.000-07:00

This was a great dinner that put all the peppers and onionsfrom the CSA to good use.

Thursday Menu – Tilapia Tacos with Grilled Peppers andOnions
Farm Share Food – Onion, Carmen Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers

Tilapia Tacos with Grilled Peppers and Onions
Original recipe from Cooking Light

1 onion, thickly sliced
2 carmen peppers, halved and seeded
salt and pepper
4 tilapia fillets
tortillas
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
shredded cheese
2 T cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, sliced

Grill peppers and onion slices. (Regular Grill, Indoor Grill, or StovetopGrill Pan). Grill 12 minutes, turningonce. Remove from grill and allow tocool slightly. Slice onion ring in halfand slice the peppers. Combine onionswith salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-highheat. Coat with cooking spray. Cook fillet 3 minutes on each side.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish and onion and pepper mixture evenlyamong the tortillas. Serve with jalapenoslices, cheese, cilantro, and avocado as taco toppings.

Roasted Squash and Jalapeno Soup

2011-09-22T05:53:00.000-07:00

This was an easy soup to make. I loved the sweetness of the squashcontrasted by the heat of the jalapeno.
Wednesday Menu – Chicken Pot Pie, Roasted Squash andJalapeno Soup
Farm Share Food – Bon Bon Squash, Jalapenos, Onions

Roasted Squash and Jalapeno Soup
Original recipe from Every Day with Rachael Ray

Printable Version

2 onions, peeled and quartered

2 Jalapeno Peppers, halved and seeded

1 Bon Bon Squash, quartered

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1 quart broth

2 T brown sugar

¾ t allspice

¼ cup cream

On a rimmed baking sheet toss onions and peppers with oliveoil, salt and pepper. Add squash quartersto the pan and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove and cool until you can handle thesquash. Peel the skins off the squashand reserve the pulp.

In a soup pot warm the broth. Add vegetables, brown sugar, andallspice. Puree (another great time touse that immersion blender). Stir incream and serve.

Week 15 of 2011

2011-09-21T06:35:00.000-07:00

We got…
Acorn Squash, Beets, Garlic, Onions, Peppers – Carmen,Jalapeno, Potatoes, Tomatoes – Ping Pong, Golden Rave

Fruit: Peaches

My plans….

Acorn Squash and Onions
This Roasted Red Onion and Squash Pasta looks yummy – the picturehas all this great caramelization on the vegetables.

Beets
I might try them on the grill. A fellow share holder and friend walked methrough the process. It sounds a lotlike roasting beets, but on the grill. Wrap them in tin foil and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Beware, some of those beets were huge thisweek – trim them down.

Garlic
The CSA garlic is awesome! I’ve been using it in lots and lots of recipes. I thought this week I’d look for something tohighlight the garlic. I might make thisGarlic Oil. A list of recipe suggestionsfor the Garlic Oil follow.
Garlic Oil Vinaigrette
Vegetables with Garlic Oil
Chicken Marinated in Garlic Oil

Peppers

I found this super easy recipe called Paella StuffedPoblanos. I think I might try to with avariety of peppers – Carmen, Jalapeno, and Poblano.

Potatoes, Tomatoes, Onions and Squash

This recipe sounds very interesting – Lentil Potato Casserolewith Pumpkin and Tomatoes withPhyllo Crust. It looks like a bit of work, but I’d like to give it a try. It calls for canned tomatoes, but I think I’lluse the fresh. It also calls for cannedpumpkin but gives the option to use 1 ½ cups of fresh puree. I’m thinking about using some of the winter squashI have from the CSA.

Skillet Lasagna with fresh tomatoes

2011-09-20T05:58:00.000-07:00

I love this lasagna that you make on the stove top withFRESH tomatoes. It smells so good whileit cooks and the comforting aroma was still in the air to greet me when Ireturned from my evening meeting.
Meatless Monday Menu – Skillet Lasagna, Salad
Farm Share Food – Tomatoes, Carrots, Zucchini, Basil,Parsley

Skillet Lasagna

I followed this recipe. Check out their picture, it’s so pretty. Mine did not look so pretty, and got to the plate in a big mess. BUT it tasted so good.

NOTES: I used my frozen cubes of herbs – basil andparsley. Carrots I had this week fromthe CSA. I used frozen shredded Zucchinifrom earlier in the CSA season. I usedfresh baby spinach, but I think you could use any frozen greens – I have frozenkale in the freezer from earlier in the CSA season. It was a little salty. The recipe has you adding salt as you layerand they have you put it in the sauce and in the ricotta mixture. I’ll be cautious in my use of salt the nexttime I make this.

Chicken “Kebabs” and Nectarine Salsa

2011-09-19T06:41:00.000-07:00

This is a perfect meal to prep ahead of time and then get ameal to the table quickly after a busy day. Oh, and this was a delicious dinner. I had the chicken pieces marinate all day and made the salsa beforehand. When I got home I broiled the chicken, madethe cous cous and served dinner within minutes.
Sunday Menu – Chicken Kebabs, Nectarine Salsa, Cous Cous
Farm Share Food – Red Onion, Nectarines, Carmen Peppers,Jalapeno Peppers

Chicken “Kebabs” and Nectarine Salsa
Originally from Cooking Light

“Kebabs” is in quotes because I see no reason to take timeto skewer kebabs when it’s just dinner for our family. If I needed them at a party or to transportthem, fine I get it and I would take the time. For our family, they just were laid out in a single layer on a pan to bebroiled in the oven.

Printable Version

1 T brown sugar

1 T olive oil

2 t chile powder

1 t minced garlic

½ t kosher salt

½ t ground cumin

Fresh ground pepper

2-3 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 large red onion, cut into bite size pieces

2 cups nectarine, peeled and diced

½ cup sweet pepper (bell or Carmen), diced

¼ cup red onion, minced

2 T fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1 ½ T lime juice

2 t jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 avocado, diced

Combine brown sugar, oil, chile powder, garlic, salt, cumin,pepper. Add chicken pieces and marinatefor a minimum of 15 minutes or up to a whole day in the refrigerator.

Preheat broiler and arrange onion and chicken pieces on foillined broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally until chicken is done.

Combine nectarine, pepper, red onion, cilantro, lime juice,and jalapeno. Gently stir in avocado.

Serve chicken and onions pieces with the salsa.

Green Bean with Ginger and Tomatoes

2011-09-19T06:19:00.000-07:00

The dinner with my friend to share Indian food was asuccess! I have tons and tons of foodmagazines and they all these laid out menus, right? Well I’ve never followed one of those untilnow. I made the whole dinner menu fromFeast on Flavor from Everyday Food volume 85. I had told you I was going to make the Spiced Potatoes and Onions, thosewere just okay. My favorite dish of thenight was Green Beans with Ginger and Tomatoes.
Friday Night Menu – Tandoori Chicken, Basmati Rice, SpicedPotatoes and Onions, Cucumber Raita, Green Beans with Ginger and Tomatoes, andthe most scrumptious cake our guest brought from our favorite, local ItalianBakery
Farm Share Food – Onions, Tomatoes

Green Beans with Ginger and Tomatoes
Everyday Food volume 85

Printable Version

1 T olive oil
2 T ginger, minced
½ t ground coriander
1 pound green beans, trimmed
Salt and Pepper
3 medium tomatoes, cut into ¼ inch wedges
1 T lime juice

In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirringconstantly, until fragrant – 1 minute. Add green beans. Season with saltand pepper. Stirring occasionally untilgreen beans begin to soften, 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, cook until tomatoesbegin to release their juice, 3 minutes. Add ¼ cup water, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 4 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high and cook untilliquid is reduced, about 5 minutes. Stirin lime juice, season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Santa Fe Summer Pot with Avocado and Shrimp

2011-09-19T06:01:00.000-07:00

I made this delicious dish. It never got eaten as a meal, but just as we could. We are in that crazy busy time of back toschool. The night we planned to havethis we had soccer practice and CSA pick up along with regular routines – like homework. An actual meal never made it to the tablethat night but I had done the prep work for this dish, so I made it for myselffor lunch the next day. I wanted to keepit to myself as lunch for at least one more day, but it was so good I had toshare it with my husband.

Farm Share Food – onion, jalapeno, tomatoes

Santa Fe Summer Pot with Avocado and Shrimp

I know the source for this dish was the Splendid Table. I couldn’t find it on their website aftersearching several different word combinations. So, Thanks Lynne!

Printable Version

¼ cup lime juice

½ medium onion, small chop
1 garlic clove, minced
½ jalapeno, seeded and small chop
½ t ground cumin
½ t ground coriander
Fresh ground pepper
1 ½ pounds tomatoes, rough chopped
2 sprigs fresh cilantro
1 small cucumber, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 pound cooked shrimp (firm tofu or chicken work great too)
Tortilla chips crushed

In a small bowl combine, lime juice, onion, garlic,jalapeno, cumin, coriander, and fresh ground pepper to taste. Let marinate for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Blend the tomatoes and cilantro with an immersion blender orin a food processor until chunky. Addthe onion mixture and pulse 5 times.

Divide the cucumber, avocado and shrimp between up to 4serving bowls. Spoon the tomato mixtureon top and garnish with the tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Roasted Beets with Balsamic Glaze

2011-09-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

Two bunches of beets were just taunting me from the fridge. I try so hard to like the beets, but it takestill they taunt me to make something out of them. This recipe was good to roast them, some goteaten for dinner and some got frozen to make my favorite Beet Red Velvet Cake –an application for beets I get excited about.

Monday Menu – Adobo Tuna Steak, Coconut Rice, Beets withBalsamic Glaze

Farm Share Food – Beets

These were actually good and made a lovely addition to ourgarden salad the next night.

Roasted Beet with Balsamic Glaze
From Simple Recipes

Printable Version

2 bunches of beets, greens removed

Olive Oil
Salt
½ cup balsamic vinegar
2 t sugar
1/8 t cayenne pepper

Trim the tops and bottoms off the beets. Wrap beets rubbed in olive oil and sprinkledwith salt in foil and roast on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for an hour. After one hour test the beets by poking withthe tine of a fork. If the fork tines goin easily the beets are done. If theyare not done after one hour, continue to check them every 15 minutes.

To prepare the glaze add the balsamic vinegar, sugar, andcayenne pepper to a shallow pan on low-medium heat. Cook until the vinegar has reduced to asyrup, when you can run your stirring utensil through the liquid and it doesnot immediately run back together.

When the beets have cooled, peel them and cut them into bitesize chunks. When the glaze is done tossit with the beets and serve.

I will say this, I do love greens and will try this BeetGreens recipe next time I have beets.

Week 14 of 2011

2011-09-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

Week 14 of 2011

We got…

Bon Bon Winter Squash, Carrots, Onions, Peppers (Carmen,Jalapeno, Poblano), Potatoes, Tomatoes (Ping Pong, Plum, Beefsteak)

Fruit: Nectarines

Our Beef Share was delivered this week and included GroundBeef, Steak, and Short Ribs.

My plans…

Bon Bon Winter Squash, Onions, and Jalapenos
Reimerseeds.com tells me that the flesh of this wintersquash is very sweet. I think I’ll makethis Roasted Squash Soup with Chiles. The sweetness of the squash and the heat of the Jalapenos should makefor a good soup.

Carrots and Tomatoes

I LOVE this Skillet Lasagna and haven’t had the chance toshare it on the blog yet. I’m making itthis week! I’ll defrost some of theZucchini I have in the freezer to make as many ingredients as possible camefrom local sources.

Onions, Carmen Peppers, and a hot Pepper – Jalapeno orPoblano

Here is another recipe that can put all those great peppersfrom the CSA to use, Tilapia Tacos with Grilled Peppers and Onions.

Potatoes

I’ve invited a friend over for dinner who says she doesn’tlike Indian food. I’ve got a whole menuplanned that I hope will change her mind including Spiced Potatoes and Onionsfrom Everyday Food volume 85.

Nectarines
We always just gobble up our CSA fruit, but this week Imight try these Chicken Kabobs with Nectarine Salsa.

Ground Beef

I’ve mentioned this recipe before, but have yet to tryit. I’ve been waiting for our nextdelivery of ground beef to try Sriracha Marinara and Meatballs.

The other beef is in the freezer waiting for a good idea to strike!

Curry Spiced Noodles

2011-09-12T05:55:00.000-07:00

Peppers and Onions we have in abundance from our CSA. I’ve been looking for some recipes thathighlight peppers. These Curry SpicedNoodles did the job.

Friday Menu – Curry Spiced Noodles
Farm Share Food – Carmen Peppers, Bell Peppers, Onions,Cilantro

Curry Spiced Noodles

I followed the recipe closely enough that it makes sense tojust follow the link. Check out my note.

NOTE: I did use spaghetti. I had only regular button mushroom, they worked fine. I substituted lemon peel for the lemongrass. I cut a regular onion from the CSA into longslices to substitute for the scallions. It worked very nicely and allowed for more of the recipes ingredients tocome from the CSA. I used cilantrofrozen from the CSA. I added the cubeswhile the broth was thickening in step three instead of as a freshgarnish. The flavor was still present.

Pickled Broccoli Chips

2011-09-12T05:36:00.001-07:00

Summer Fest is celebrating Broccoli this week, the go-tovegetable at our house. So of course, wereally like the florets, but what to do with the stems. On the Splendid Table this summer I heardthis great idea for making pickled chips out of the stem. They are a great little treat to set out forfolks to munch on before dinner.

Pickled Broccoli Chips

Inspired by Martha Rose Shulman, a guest on the SplendidTable August 13, 2011

1 Broccoli Stem, peeled and thinly sliced
½ t salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ T white wine vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste

Place the Broccoli slices in a jar or small glass bowl (thathas a lid). Toss with the ½ t of salt,cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Drain and rinse the broccoli slices. Toss with garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt& pepper. Place back in the samecontainer and place in the fridge for up to 8 hours. Serve.

Visit other Summer Fest friends for their best ideas forBroccoli…

What's Gaby Cooking: CharredLemon Broccoli
Purple Cook: Pickled Broccoli Chips
Daily*Dishin: Quick Broccoli and Toasted Walnut Saute
From My Corner of Saratoga: Broccoli with Garlic-Lemon Vinaigrette
Cooking Channel: Broccoli Stir-Fry
Virtually Vegan Mama: Vegan Broccoli Salad
Virtually Homemade: Broccoli Frittata
Zaika Zabardast: Char-GrilledBroccoli with Cherry Chilies and Garlic Tadka
Glory Foods: Steamed Broccoli-Vegetable Medley
Food2: Slammin' Broccoli Soup
Easy Peasy Organic: A Hands-On Approach to Eating Broccoli
FN Dish: Broccoli and Cheddar, A Perfect Pair

Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Soup

2011-09-09T06:20:00.000-07:00

Delicious! I lovedall the deep roasted flavors in this soup. The chickpeas add depth, the tomatoes have sweetness you get right upfront and then you taste the eggplant at the end. And, it was pretty easy to make on aweeknight. I roasted the vegetableswhile I supervised baths and then finished dinner prep while the kids watchedtheir TV for the day.

Thursday Menu – Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Soup, CheeseQuesadillas

Farm Share Food - Beefsteak Tomatoes, Garlic, Eggplant,Cilantro

The original recipe in the link below calls for plumtomatoes, I had beefsteak from the CSA and they worked fine. I halved the original recipe and it made aperfect amount for two of us. Last nightwas another “piece meal” for the kids – quesadillas and tomato slices. There is a chance we might get carrots in ourCSA next week, so save this recipe and you can make even more of the ingredientsbe from the CSA. I put those frozenherbs to use and pulled out cilantro cubes to add to the soup.

Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Soup

Printable Version

1 ½ pounds beefsteak tomatoes, cut into wedges

¼ pound carrots, cut into chunks

3-5 cloves of garlic, peeled (the cloves from the CSA arehuge, use your judgement)

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

½ eggplant, cut into chunks

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 t curry powder or other Asian spice blend (I used Bangkokblend from Penzey’s)

2 cups or more broth

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

On one rimmed baking sheet toss tomato wedges, carrots,garlic, drizzling of oil, salt and pepper. Spread into a single layer.

On a second rimmed baking sheet toss eggplant, chickpeas,curry powder or spice blend, salt and pepper. Spread into a single layer.

Place baking sheets in the oven and roast 45 minutes,tossing mixtures after about 20 minutes.

Reserve about half of the roasted chickpeas for garnish.

Transfer the remaining vegetables into a soup pot, add brothand cilantro. Puree with an immersionblender. Add broth until the soup is theconsistency you would like. Simmer untiltime to serve. Garnish with reservedroasted chickpeas.

NOTE: The soup can be pureed with a food processor orblender.

Grilled Vegetables with Couscous and Yogurt Sauce

2011-09-09T05:51:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Menu – Grilled Vegetables with Couscous and YogurtSauce

Farm Share Food – Carmen Peppers, Eggplant, Garlic, Onions

Grilled Vegetables with Couscous and Yogurt Sauce

For the most part I followed the recipe, so it just makessense to follow the link. A couple ofnotes…I substituted eggplant for the summer squash. I didn’t have a red onion, but used one ofour beautiful CSA onions. I used cashewsand not almonds – I almost left them out, but the crunch was an importantfactor in the dish.

As a noted in my plans for Week 13 I was intrigued by theidea of pureeing one of the peppers into the yogurt sauce. I loved it! But while I was making the sauce I wished I would have grilled one ofthe jalapenos from the CSA and used that for the sauce. I’m going to keep that idea tucked away forfuture use.

Peach Cobbler

2011-09-09T05:38:00.000-07:00

This Quilting Mama felt like baking this week and is sharing with us a PeachCobbler she made from our CSA peaches.

Easy Peach Cobbler

To see the original recipe, follow the link.

Ingredients

    * 1/2 cup unsalted butter
    * 1 cup all-purpose flour
    * 2 cups sugar, divided
    * 1 tablespoon baking powder
    * Pinch of salt
    * 1 cup milk
    * 4 cups fresh peach slices
    * 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    * Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

Preparation

    * Melt butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
    * Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt; addmilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter overbutter (do not stir).
    * Bring remaining 1 cup sugar, peach slices, and lemon juiceto a boil over high heat, stirring constantly; pour over batter (do not stir).Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.
    * Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.Serve cobbler warm or cool.

Week 13 of 2011

2011-09-07T06:35:00.000-07:00

We got…

Beets, Eggplant, Garlic, Onions, Peppers – Bell and Carmen, Potatoes,Tomatoes – Golden Rave and Beefsteak

Fruit: Peaches

My plans….

Eggplant and Tomatoes

We have had lots of rain! I think a bowl of this Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Soup will be perfectin this weather.

Onions and Peppers

I plan to make Fajitas!

Bell Peppers and Carmen Peppers

I searched my recipes for those featuring peppers and thinkthese Curry-Spiced Noodles will be fun to try.

More Pepper Ideas! And a little Eggplant too!

I’m going to make these Grilled Vegetables with Couscous andYogurt Sauce. I’ll replace the SummerSquash with Eggplant. The idea in thisrecipe that caught my eye was that you blend some of the grilled pepper intothe yogurt sauce with the spices. Intriguing!

Beets

If you have a beet recipe you like I’d love to hear about it!

Coffee Rubbed Steak, Delicata Squash Puree

2011-09-06T06:01:00.000-07:00

So I didn’t cook a lot last week, but when my parents cameto dinner on Sunday night they got the CSA royal treatment – salad full of CSAitems, top round steak from the beef share, and side dishes with squash andgreen beans.

Sunday Menu – Coffee Rubbed Steak, Delicata Squash Pureewith Olive Oil and Lime, Green Bean Salad, Garden Salad

Farm Share Food – Top Round Steak, Delicata Squash, GreenBeans, Onions, Garlic, Carmen Peppers, Cucumber, Ping Pong Tomatoes

Coffee Rub

¼ cup ground coffee, ¼ cup chili powder, 2 T smoked paprika,2 T brown sugar, 1 T dry mustard, 1 T kosher salt, Fresh Ground Black Pepper –lots, 1 T ground coriander, 1 T dried oregano, 2 t garlic powder, 2 t cayennepepper

Based on Bobby Flay’s Coffee Rubbed Rib Eye

Delicata Squash Puree with Olive Oil and Lime

Adapted from this Squash Puree

2 Delicata Squash

2 T olive oil

1-2 T lime juice, to taste

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise and place in a rimmed baking dish. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, uncover andcontinue to bake 20 minutes. Remove fromoven and allow to cool.

When cool, scrape squash into a container appropriate for animmersion blender or into a food processor. (It’s okay to eat delicata squash skin. You are going to have some bits of it in your puree because it is adelicate outer layer – hence the name.) Add olive oil, lime juice, and salt and pepper. Puree squash. Serve with Fresh Ground Pepper.

Keeping up with the CSA

2011-09-06T05:38:00.000-07:00

Did I forget to cook this week? I haven’t posted since I shared my ideas forWeek 12.

So, yeah sort of I didn’t cook. We were at an Eid party on Tuesday, at a backto school event on Wednesday, and got a spontaneous dinner invite on TH. By Friday I was desperate to get back to thekitchen.

Afghan Eggplant with Yogurt Sauce

This was dinner Friday. My favorite eggplant dish ever! It was also great because it used eggplant, peppers, onions, and garlic –all of which we got this week in the CSA.

Frozen Green Beans

Clean and trim Green Beans. Boil for 3 minutes and then move to an ice bath. Drain and then put in a freezer bag forfreezer storage.

So funny story – I’ve been meaning to freeze the greenbeans. And I did on Saturday. Then I decided I didn’t have enough food fordinner when my parents came Sunday night. So I made a salad with the green beans I’d just frozen. It was okay. It would be much better with crisp green beans that hadn’t beenfrozen. BUT I loved the grilled onionsin the salad.

Emeril’s Green Bean Salad

Beefsteak Tomatoes

True to my word, we’ve just been eating tomatoes. They are so good! I did make a Caprese Salad. Layered tomato slices with Mozzarella,sprinkled it with Salt and Pepper, rough chopped some basil to sprinkle on andfinished with a drizzle of olive oil.

Week 12 of 2011

2011-08-31T09:09:00.000-07:00

Our hearts go out to our CSA farm as they deal with the flooding of Irene. We’ll put all the wonderful vegetables you have grown for us to good use on our table.

We got….

Beets, Cucumber, Delicata Squash, Eggplant, Garlic, Onions, Peppers – Carmen and Jalapeno, Tomatoes – small and large

Fruit: Peaches

My plans…

Beets
I’m going to make these Roasted Beets with a Balsamic Glaze as a side dish. It calls for orange, but I’ll be check “The Flavor Bible” to see if I can substitute another citrus, orange is not my favorite flavor.

Cucumber
My cucumber’s always just go into a salad or get gobbled by the kids. I’d like to try this recipe for Dan Dan Noodles – an Asian noodle dish featuring cucumbers. I need to dig that out of my “try these” recipe file.

Delicata Squash
This is a squash that taste similar to a sweet potato, but belongs to the same species as summer squash. Thank you Wikipedia! I would like to try and make a mash or puree with it.

Eggplant, Garlic, some Onions and Peppers
I’m going to make my favorite eggplant dish, Afghan Eggplant with Yogurt Sauce.

Tomatoes
First thing I have to do if fulfill my promise to my husband – he wants some tomatoes all his own that he can just slice and eat. Admittedly the best thing to do with a summer tomato!
The Food Network is celebrating #cookingwith tomatoes this week in their Summer Fest blog celebration. The Purple Cook is again a contributor. Check it out on FN Dish.

Eggplant Parmesan Caprese Salad

2011-08-30T10:13:00.001-07:00

Summer Fest is cooking with Tomatoes this week. My favorite dishes to watch on TV or read about in my numerous food magazines are those that take a classic dish and give it a twist that makes it impressive, impressive enough that I think about it for days and can’t wait to make it. One such dish inspired my contribution to Summer Fest this week, Aarti Sequeira’s Caprese Salad with Roasted Mango Dressing. I loved the roasted dressing that gives a classic salad that impressive twist. I knew my fridge was bursting with CSA vegetables and that I needed to consider how to implement the roasted dressing with what I had – then it came to me take another classic dish Eggplant Parmesan and turn it into a Caprese Salad.

Eggplant Parmesan Caprese Salad

1 small eggplant
olive oil, drizzle for roasting
¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 T fresh basil, roughly chopped
½ t crushed red pepper
1 ½ T capers, rinsed and drained
2 T red wine vinegar
¼ extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 – 2 Beefsteak Tomatoes, ¼ inch slices
1 8oz. ball of fresh Mozzarella cheese, ¼ inch slices
3-4 fresh basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade

Lightly drizzle olive oil on the whole eggplant and rub on the surface to cover. Wrap the eggplant in foil, place on a baking dish, and roast in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes – 1 hour. After 30 minutes check every 10 – 15 minutes until the eggplant gives to your touch. Remove from oven and let sit until it cools.

Place ¼ cup of Panko on a baking sheet and place in the 425 degree oven. Check after 1 minute, and continue checking regularly until the breadcrumbs are golden and toasted. Be careful, it happens quick!

Once the eggplant has cooled, peel off the skin and scrape the roasted pulp into an appropriate container for immersion blending or into a food processor. Add rough chopped basil, crushed red pepper, capers, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. Puree with the immersion blender until well combined. Set aside dressing.

On a serving plate alternate tomato and cheese slices. Drizzle a line of the eggplant dressing down the middle of the tomato-cheese slices. Sprinkle the salad with the basil chiffonade and toasted Panko breadcrumbs.

Special Thanks to Aarti Sequeira’s Caprese Salad with Roasted Mango Dressing and “The Flavor Bible” by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg for the help they gave in creating this recipe.

Check out the rest of the Tomato Recipes from Summer Fest…

Big Girls Small Kitchen: Seared Chicken with Cherry Tomato Pan Sauce
Haute Apple Pie: Heirloom Tomato & Three Cheese Tart
What's Gaby Cooking: Zebra Tomato and Burrata Crostini
Zaika Zabardast: Balsamic Roasted Tomato-Basil Ice
And Love It Too: Healthy Lunchbox - Garlic Tomato Basil Pesto Bruchetta
Chez Us: Roasted Tomato Sauce
Daily*Dishin: Refreshing and Rustic - Tuscan Bread Salad
Glory Foods: Fresh Tomato Salsa
Dishin and Dishes: Tomato Tart Tatin
The Purple Cook: Eggplant Parmesan Caprese Salad
I Am Mommy: Tomato Crudite
Cooking With My Kid: Gluten-Free White Bean Chive Cakes with Heirloom Tomatoes
FN Dish: Easy Tomato Appetizers
Add a Pinch: Simple Caprese Salad Skewers
Sweet Life Bake: Salsa Cruda
Virtually Homemade: Farfalle with Roasted Tomato Sauce, Bacon and Shaved Romano
Dixie Chik Cooks: Tomato, Basil and Olive Bruschetta
The Sensitive Epicure: Yemista - Greek Stuffed Tomatoes & Peppers with Potatoes
Mooshu Jenne: Sun Burst Tomato Pasta
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Book Club, Tomatoes and a Recipe for Chicken Provençal?
Cooking With Elise: Tomato Parmesan Biscuits
From My Corner of Saratoga: Cooking from the Garden - Bruschetta Pizza
Fritos and Foie Gras: Tomato Terrine
Creative Culinary: Fresh and Savory Tomato Pie
Big Apple Nosh: Caprese Salad/Tomato Carnage
Spices and Aroma: Quick and Easy Paneer Curry
Zaika Zabardast: Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Breakfast Rolls

Herb-Roasted Chicken with Melted Tomatoes

2011-08-30T05:04:00.000-07:00

My mouth watered reading this recipe and I wasn’t disappointed. This roast chicken was also relatively little work. Keeper!

Monday Menu – Herb Roasted Chicken with Melted Tomatoes, Orzo
Farm Share Food – Golden Rave Tomatoes, Onion, Parsley, Cilantro, Basil, Dill

I put to use some of those herbs I’ve been freezing. I had fresh dill and basil from the CSA, but dug out Parsley and Cilantro.

Herb-Roasted Chicken with Melted Tomatoes

Bok Choy Sautee

2011-08-29T04:10:00.000-07:00

This is a basic bok choy recipe. You could add a protein – chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu, and make a whole meal of it served with rice. It goes quick, so prep your ingredients and cook it up right before you are ready to eat.

Friday Menu – Quesadillas, Bok Choy Sautee
Farm Share Food – Arugula, Bell Pepper, Onion, Broccoli, Bok Choy

The Quesadillas last night had mushrooms, arugula, bell peppers, and garlic. Click on the link for my Quesadilla Formula.

Bok Choy Sautee
Based on Best Bok Choy by Guy Fieri

2 T olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, julienned
1 head of broccoli florets, cut into bite size pieces
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 head of Bok Choy, sliced into ½ inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 T soy sauce, reduced sodium
Fresh cracked pepper

In a wok or large sauté pan heat the oil, add the onion and pepper. Sautee, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the broccoli and mushrooms and cook 2 more minutes. Add the bok choy, garlic, and soy sauce. Sautee until just wilted. Crack fresh pepper over the sauté and serve immediately.

What's in Season? Mapping it out...

2011-08-26T03:25:00.000-07:00

Check out Epicurious' tool, the Seasonal Ingredient Map!

You click on a state and it tell you what is in seasonal locally. You can also plan ahead or look back by choosing a month. What a great planning tool for your weekly menu or a big event like Thanksgiving to help you know what you will be seeing in your CSA or at the Farmer's Market.

Sautéed Shrimp with Arugula and Tomatoes

2011-08-25T05:42:00.000-07:00

Arugula and Tomatoes are a winner combination at our dinner table, we love them every time. I like the texture of rice with this dish. It would also be good served with pasta, maybe capellini or penne.

Wednesday Menu – Sautéed Shrimp with Arugula and Tomatoes, Basmati Pilaf, Corn on the Cob
Farm Share Food – Arugula, Mountain Magic Tomatoes, Onion, Sweet Corn

Sautéed Shrimp with Arugula and Tomatoes

Basmati Pilaf
From Everyday Food Volume 85

2 t olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 ½ cups Basmati Rice
Salt and Pepper, to taste

In a medium saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add rice. Stir to coat with oil and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add 2 ½ cups water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high and then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook 10-15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Week 11 of 2011

2011-08-24T05:17:00.000-07:00

We got…

Arugula, Bok Choi, Broccoli, Cantaloupe, Eggplant, Green Beans, Peppers – Bell, Jalapeno, Salad Mix, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes –Beefsteak, Golden Rave, Mt. Magic, Basil, Dill

Fruit: Peaches

My plans…

Arugula and some Tomatoes
I’m looking forward to making this Shrimp with Arugula and Tomatoes. I think I’ll serve it with rice.

Bok Choi
We just love this Sesame Tuna with Bok Choi. It’s pretty easy too!

Broccoli
On Splendid Table I heard this idea for cutting up the stems of broccoli and pickling them with garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. I want to give it a try and I’ll let you know how it goes.

Eggplant and some Tomatoes
I want to make this Eggplant Tomato Relish. It calls for canned tomatoes, but with all these fresh tomatoes I might think about a way to put them to use. We’ll see.

Green Beans
I think I’ll freeze these this week.

Tomatoes
This Roasted Chicken with Melted Tomatoes recipe made my mouth water while I was reading it. It uses Dill too!

Tortellini with Eggplant and Peppers

2011-08-22T03:59:00.000-07:00

It is fun to notice all those little connections in life. We were meeting my new niece and her Grandma had brought eggplant and peppers to share from a farm stand. Then I opened my CSA newsletter for the week and there was a recipe for Tortellini with Eggplant and Peppers. Oh good!

The dish is delicious. It is super creamy and just a touch of spiciness from the crushed red pepper. It was another perfect “Piece Meal” for the kids. They ate the Tortellini from this easy to make one pot meal and pieces of the salad – tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots.

Sunday Menu – Tortellini with Eggplant and Peppers, Salad
Local Produce – Eggplant, Peppers

Tortellini with Eggplant and Peppers
Recipe from RealSimple.com

Summer Fest: Corn on the Cob with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

2011-08-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

Summer Fest is celebrating corn this week. The corn from our CSA is ahhh….so amazing! We can’t wait till corn starts coming in our CSA. We have never done anything with it except boil or grill it and eat it off the cob. So with Corn on the calendar of Summer Fest, I thought how can I make our ahhh…so amazing boiled corn extra special?

Another challenge of the CSA…what do with all these herbs? What is new and flavorful?

I found it! Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette drizzled over the Corn on the Cob – delicious! The corn is sweet and juicy. The Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette adds tartness from the lime and the tastes of the southwest by combining cilantro leaves, hot sauce, and cumin. Happy Summer Fest! Celebrate Corn on the Cob this week!

Corn on the Cob with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
The vinaigrette is found in “From Asparagus to Zucchini”

4-6 ears of corn, husked
2/3 cup lime juice
3 -4 cloves garlic, peeled and rough chopped
¼ cup cider vinegar
Salt, to taste
2/3 cup packed Cilantro leaves
2-4 dashes, hot sauce (or to taste)
1 T ground cumin
¼ cup canola oil

Boil a large pot of water. When the water has come to a boil, add the ears. Cover and cook 10 minutes.

Blend lime juice, garlic, vinegar, salt, cilantro, hot sauce, and cumin with an immersion blender. Once blended slowly add oil and continue to blend.

When the corn is cooked, place on serving plate and drizzle with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette to serve.

Check out the other Summer Fest Corn Celebrations...

Dishin and Dishes: Kicked Up Creamed Corn From Scratch
Big Girls Small Kitchen: Fresh Corn Salsa with Basil and Mint
Zaika Zabardast: Fresh Corn Risotto
What's Gaby Cooking: Spicy Corn Salsa
CIA Dropout: Truffle Roasted Corn and Kohlrabi Soup
Cooking Channel: Fresh Corn Muffins
Food for 7 Stages of Life: Corn on the Cob Korma
Daily*Dishin: Sweet Corn and Couscous Main Dish Salad
Pinch My Salt: Peter Reinhart's Fresh Cut Corn Bread with Bacon
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Corn & Watermelon Salad
Virtually Homemade: Summer Corn Salad
Food2: Creamed Corn Cornbread
Sunshine and Smile: Scallops with Corn and Pepper Sauce
Spices N Aroma: Corn Pilaf
The Sensitive Epicure: Fresh Corn Fritters with Chive Lemon Chipotle Yogurt (Gluten-Free) Dixie Chick Cooks: Fresh Corn with Basil Slaw and Feta
Cooking With Books: Corn Favorites
Purple Cook: Corn on the Cob with Cilantro
Glory Foods: Skillet Corn Muffins
Virtually Vegan Mama Thai Corn Soup

Five Varieties of Homegrown Eggplant

2011-08-14T06:18:00.000-07:00

On vacation we got to visit Jungle Jim’s, an international market that is a destination for foodies. I found a display in the produce section of homegrown eggplant. There were five varieties and I bought one of each. Since it was vacation I decided to just buy one of the sauces available in the store to use with the eggplant. We wound up with a Sizzlin’ Sichuan Sauce. I simply cut the eggplant into bite size pieces, softened some onions and garlic in olive oil, cooked down the eggplant, and added the sauce. We ate it with fresh bread we bought in the bakery. It was fun cutting up the eggplant and eating each variety with a slightly different texture – usually the amount of seeds each one contained.

Grilled Fish with Spicy Cantaloupe-Cucumber Salad

2011-08-11T05:55:00.000-07:00

I really do not like cantaloupe, but we got it in our CSA so I had to find something to do with it. I found this recipe with a Spicy Cantaloupe-Cucumber Salad and thought maybe spicy would make the cantaloupe something to look forward to. It was actually good. It makes me glad I didn’t just cut up the cantaloupe and make my husband eat it for breakfast.

Sunday Menu – Grilled Fish with Spicy Cantaloupe-Cucumber Salad, Cantaloupe-Yogurt Smoothie
Farm Share Food – Cucumber, Cantaloupe
Other Local Produce – Jalapeno

Grilled Fish with Spicy Cantaloupe-Cucumber Salad
From Everyday Food Volume 84

Oil (Vegetable or Olive) for grill and brushing
4 fillets of a firm fish
Salt and Pepper, to taste
½ Cucumber, thinly sliced into moons
½ Cantaloupe, seeded, peeled, thinly sliced
2 T fish sauce
2 T lime juice
1 Jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
1 t fresh ginger, minced

Heat grill or grill pan over medium-high. Oil hot grill. Pat fish dry, light brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill 10 minutes, flipping once.

In a large bowl combine cucumber, cantaloupe, fish sauce, lime juice, jalapeno, and ginger.

Serve fish with Cantaloupe-Cucumber Salad on the side.

Cantaloupe-Yogurt Smoothie
I actually enjoyed this smoothie. I think I liked the creaminess the yogurt offered. After these two recipes maybe I’m ready to give Cantaloupe another chance.

Week 9 of 2011

2011-08-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

We got…

Broccoli, Broccoli Rabe, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Green Beans, Peppers – Bell, Carmen, Jalapeno, Poblano, Potatoes, Summer Squash, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes – Beefsteak and Juliet, Zucchini, Parsley
Fruit: Peaches

My ideas…

Broccoli and some of the Peppers
These are the vegetables I would like to freeze this week.

Broccoli Rabe and some of the Tomatoes
Here is a recipe for Chicken with Broccoli Rabe, Tomatoes, and Beans. It calls for diced canned tomatoes, but I would just substitute in fresh.

Eggplant
I love spicy food and I love eggplant, I’d love to try this Sichaun Eggplant recipe.

Green Beans
Here is a link to a great article on green beans in Cooking Light. Check out all the variations, I’m not sure if we’ll have Green Beans with Toasted Garlic, Sesame Soy, Citrus-Nut, or Peppery Bacon.

Peaches
I’m thinking a cobbler.

Vegetable Korma

2011-08-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

Vegetable Korma
Based on Shrimp Korma

2 t butter
1 cup sweet pepper, chopped
½ cup onion, chopped
1 ½ T all-purpose flour
1 t ginger, peeled and grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 t Madras curry paste (or any curry paste)
2 t Garam Masala
½ t salt, divided
2 cups broth
1 pound vegetables, cut into bite size pieces (see NOTE)
1/3 cup coconut milk
¼ cup tomato diced
¼ cup frozen peas

NOTE: Vegetables we have gotten in the 2011 CSA so far that would be appropriate for Vegetable Korma: Broccoli, Broccoli Rabe, Carrots, Chard, Eggplant, Green Beans, Kale, Spinach, Snow Peas, Summer Squash, Turnips, and Zucchini

Melt butter in a Dutch Oven over medium-high heat. Add pepper and onion to pan and sauté two minutes. Add flour, ginger, and garlic and cook 1 minute. Add curry paste, Garam Masala, and ¼ t of salt and cook 30 seconds, stirring. Stir in broth and vegetables and bring to a boil. Stir in milk and tomato, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Add peas and cook until warm through. Serve with rice and a dollop of plain yogurt.

Spiced Meatballs with Fruit and Nut Center

2011-08-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

Spiced Meatballs with Fruit and Nut Center
Based on Beef Kebabs with Surprise Center

1 t ground coriander
1 t ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ inch ginger, peeled and minced
1 pound ground beef
4 T minced fresh cilantro, divided
½ t Garam Masala
½ t baking soda
Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste
2 T dried fruit, minced (craisins, prunes, dried apricots)
2 T cashews, crushed
2 T canola oil
½ plain yogurt
2 T lime juice, divided

In a large bowl combine coriander, cumin, garlic, and ginger. Then add beef, 2 T cilantro, Garam Masala, baking soda and 1 t Kosher salt. Thoroughly mix all ingredients then allow meat to rest for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile combine dried fruit and cashews in a small bowl.

After the meat has rested divide into 16 equal portions. Roll each portion into 2 inch sausage shapes. Make an indentation on one half of each sausage shape and stuff with ½ t of dried fruit mixture. Roll the meat into a ball and thoroughly seal in the fruit mixture. Repeat with each portion of meat.

Warm the oil in a non-stick skillet until shimmery. Place the meatballs in a circular formation around the pan – make sure not to touch meatballs to each other. Cook, turning frequently, until browned all the way around and cook all the way through, 10 – 15 minutes.

Make the sauce. Combine yogurt, 2 T cilantro, and 1 T lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Move meatballs to a platter, drizzle the remaining 1 T of lime juice, and serve with the yogurt sauce.

Book Club Meeting - Indian Menu

2011-08-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

Book Club met at my house last night to discuss “Beneath a Marble Sky” by John Shors. This is a fictional account of the love stories behind the building of the Taj Mahal. I love the challenge of cooking a meal inspired by a book.
The Spiced Meatballs were the first thing I’ve made with our beef share from the CSA, they were a hit.
The Vegetable Korma helped me use some of the CSA share that was stressing me out the other day.
The Zucchini Rice was aromatic and fun to make.

Wednesday Menu – Spiced Meatballs, Vegetable Korma, Zucchini Rice, Naan, Cardamom Crumb Parfait
Farm Share Food – Ground Beef, Cilantro, Peppers, Onion, Eggplant, Summer Squash, Zucchini

Spiced Meatballs with Fruit and Nut Center

Vegetable Korma

Zucchini Rice

Week 8 of 2011

2011-08-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

We got…

Bell Pepper, Broccoli, Carmen Pepper, Chard, Eggplant, Onions, Salad Mix, Summer Squash, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Zucchini,
Fruit: Peaches

My plans…

Broccoli
I made this Spicy Garlic Penne with Broccoli. It is buried at the bottom of this posting on how the CSA got the better of me yesterday.

Bell Pepper and Carmen Pepper
If they don’t get used up in salads or another version of Korma, I’ll chop them up and freeze them.

Peppers, Eggplant, Onion, Summer Squash, Tomatoes
I’m going to make a vegetarian version of the Korma.

Chard
I’ll freeze this and use like frozen spinach sometime in the fall or winter.

Sweet Corn
As usual will just boil or grill, but it will be a side dish along for this Grilled Fish with Cantaloupe Salsa. I haven’t even opened the cantaloupe from last week.

Zucchini
I want to try this recipe for Zucchini Rice.

CSA stressing me out?

2011-08-03T07:29:00.000-07:00

I am a planner. That’s good, I get things done, we get out and do things, etc. It causes stress for me when things don’t go as planned. We were supposed to grab dinner and see a water ski show last night. My husband and I decided that was not the best use of our time and resources. We decided this while I was at a playground with friends. I could feel the stress brewing in the pit of my stomach…What are we going to eat for dinner? All the protein in the house was frozen. Then my CSA arrived at my house and the panic continued. Yes, here is all this food, but what can I make? I could make many things, but I’ve got to get it all cleaned and find a place for it in the fridge, and the kids are starving so I need something quick. A clance in the fridge and I realize how much food I still have from last week’s CSA. What’s going on? Am I letting my CSA stress me out?

Here is the thing…belonging to a CSA is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself as a cook and the eating habits of my family. That’s why I have this blog, to share all the goodness of life with a CSA. The reality is that a CSA is also a lot of work and it can get ahead of you. That’s how I was feeling last night. Today I need to take stock and figure out how all this food is going to grace the table. Dinner last night? I came up with a pretty good Spicy Garlic Penne with Broccoli. It took no time and I made it while I stored the vegetables.

Tuesday Menu – Spicy Garlic Penne with Broccoli, Salad
Farm Share Produce – Broccoli, Salad Mix, Onions, Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Tomatoes

First time this year, every vegetable in the garden salad was from the farm!

Spicy Garlic Penne with Broccoli

Printable Version

I have a recipe for something like this from a friend. In the chaos of dinner prep last night I couldn’t find it. So this is what I did.

6-8 cloves of garlic, ends trimmed, unpeeled
¼ cup pine nuts
½ pound of Penne
1 head of Broccoli florets, cut into bite size pieces
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive oIl
½ t crushed red pepper
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Parmesan, for sprinkling

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place garlic cloves in aluminum foil packet. Place the packet in oven proof skillet and roast for 30 minutes. 15 minutes into the roasting time add the pine nuts to the skillet and toast for the remainder of the garlic’s cooking time. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, follow the package directions for the penne. 6 minutes before the end of the cooking time add the broccoli into the pot with the pasta to cook. Drain broccoli pasta mixture and set aside.

In a small bowl combine oil, red pepper, salt and pepper. Add the garlic by pushing the smooshy, smooth garlic out of their papers. Use a fork and mash the garlic into the oil. Combine the pasta, broccoli and pine nuts with the oil garlic mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan for serving.

Monday’s Menu – 9 Local Ingredients!

2011-08-03T03:37:00.000-07:00

Monday Menu – Green Bean Spaghetti Carbonara, Garden Salad, Cucumber Salad
Farm Share Food – Green Beans, Onion, Head Lettuce, Bell Pepper, Cucumber, Dill
Other Local Food – Bacon, Burpless Cucumber, Jalapeno

Putting together last night’s meal was fun for me. As I was cooking I realized many of my ingredients were local, even the ingredients that are there for flavor like bacon and onions. The bacon we got at Oscar’s Smokehouse on a recent trip. Lucky for us we live close enough that many local stores carry Oscar’s products.

We visited family this weekend. They have a beautiful garden and we got to come home with cucumbers and peppers. The cucumber is called a Burpless Cucumber. It is bred with less seeds and that is it’s actual name.

Green Bean Spaghetti Carbonara

Cucumber Salad

Green Bean Spaghetti Carbonara

2011-08-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

Green Bean Spaghetti Carbonara
From EveryDay with Rachael Ray September 2011

Printable Version

½ pound spaghetti
1-2 handful green beans, trimmed into bite size pieces
2-3 strips bacon
½ onion, chopped
2 eggs
½ cup parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Add green beans halfway through cooking time. Drain pasta and reserve 1 cup of cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a skillet brown the bacon over medium heat. Allow to drain and when cool crumble. Reserve 1-2 T of bacon grease in the skillet and cook onion until soft and beginning to turn golden. Add bacon back in with the onions. Deglaze with a bit of the reserved pasta water and remove the skillet from the heat.

In a small bowl whisk the eggs with the cheese. In the skillet combine the eggs, bacon and onion mixture, and pasta with green beans. Add a bit of the reserved pasta water to get the texture you would like for the pasta dish. Discard any unused pasta water. Season pasta dish with salt and pepper and serve.

Cucumber Salad

2011-08-02T09:58:00.000-07:00

This recipe came together for me after two recent events. One was listening to a caller talk to Lynn Rossetto Kasper on the Splendid Table about Cucumber Salad and how it changes from culture to culture. The second was a visit to family this weekend, they have a beautiful garden. We came home with cucumbers and jalapenos. When we visit I always hope for their Cucumber Salad, there is something just right about it. Knowing I’d never get it “just right” I decided to use the cucumber and jalapeno from the garden to make a salad inspired by the conversation I heard on the Splendid Table.

Cucumber Salad

Printable Version

2 Burpless Cucumber or English Cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
6-8 sprigs of dill
12 whole peppercorns
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 t salt
¼ cup sugar

In a medium size dish layer cucumber to cover the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with half the onion and jalapeno slices. Spread out 3-4 sprigs of the dill. Repeat these layers again.

Meanwhile in a small saucepan over medium heat combine peppercorns, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Cook 1-2 minutes until salt and sugar dissolve and then bring to a boil. Pour vinegar mixture over cucumber layers. Allow to sit for at least 45 minutes. For best results allow to sit in the refrigerator for several hours.

Ahhh…a third inspiration. I used the vinegar base from the Quick Dill Pickles for this recipe.

Shrimp Korma

2011-07-29T08:28:00.001-07:00

Keeper!!!
This is a dish I think is perfect for the CSA. I might just make this a bunch of times while we have peppers, onions, and tomatoes coming home from the CSA. I think I might even add eggplant, greens, summer squash, or zucchini. But then…all those vegetables I just mentioned, plus the peas the original recipe calls for can be frozen and would turn out great in this Korma. It could also be turned into a vegetarian version or you could use shredded chicken to replace the shrimp.
Hope you love it too!

Thursday Menu – Shrimp Korma, Coconut Rice, Salad
Farm Share Food – Bell Pepper, Onion, Salad Mix, Cucumber

Shrimp Korma

Quesadilla Formula

2011-07-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

My first ever posting on quesadillas said they are great because you can add anything to them. As I was making quesadillas for a pool side dinner I thought rather than post a specific recipe, I’d post my formula for making quesadillas.

Wednesday Menu – Quesadillas, Salad, Basil Pesto Balsamic Vinaigrette
Farm Share Food – Onions, Sweet Pepper, Summer Squash, Zucchini, Cucumber, Salad Mix, Basil

Quesadilla

Vegetable Mixture
1-2 T olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 t seasoning (salt and pepper, fajita seasoning, taco seasoning, season salt, etc)
1 ½ cups vegetables, slices or rough chopped

Vegetables from our 2011 CSA (as of Week 7) that would work well in a quesadilla…
…Arugula, Chard, Eggplant, Garlic Scapes, Kale, Onions, Peppers, Scallions, Spinach, Summer Squash, Sweet Corn (niblets), Zucchini, Cilantro

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add onions and seasoning. Cook until onions begin to soften. Add vegetables and cook until softening and beginning to brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Building the Quesadilla

6 Whole Wheat Tortillas
Olive Oil, for brushing
2 cups cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack (with jalapenos, maybe), Taco or Mexican blend)
Vegetable Mixture
Shredded Chicken, Ground Beef, Black Beans (Optional)

Heat Foreman Grill, Grill Pan, or Griddle.
Brush one side of tortilla with oil and place oil side down on cooking surface. Place a handful of cheese on one half of tortilla. Top with about 2 T of vegetable mixture and a bit of the protein, if using. Fold over the other half of the tortilla. Grill on both sides for 2-3 minutes.

Allow to cool and then use pizza cutter and cut into quarters for easy eating and dipping into salsa.

Basil Pesto Balsamic Vinaigrette
Add 1 T of Basil Pesto to this Balsamic Vinaigrette
NOTE: I don't rub the bowl with garlic, I add garlic powder to the vinaigrette, about 1/8 t

Week 7 of 2011

2011-07-27T03:55:00.000-07:00

We got…

Beets, Cantaloupe, Cucumber, Green Beans, Head Lettuce, Salad Mix, Onions, Sweet Peppers, Summer Squash, Zucchini, Basil, Cilantro
Fruit: Peaches

My plans…

Beets
Anyone have some ideas for beets? I’m fresh out.

Cantaloupe and Cucumber
I have a recipe I’ve wanted to try for Grilled Fish with Spicy Cantaloupe Cucumber Salad from Everyday Food.

Green Beans
I think these are what I’ll freeze this week.

Head Lettuce and Salad Mix
I feel like I have A LOT of lettuce. I thought I should at least offer up a salad dressing suggestion. Here is an Easy Caesar Dressing, no anchovies.

Onions
No specific plans for these, but just wanted to say I love the onions from our CSA the last three weeks.

Sweet Peppers and Onions
I’m going to make this Shrimp Korma. It calls for frozen peas and I have some of those from the farmer’s market early in the season.

Summer Squash and Zucchini
Hoping for a dinner trip to the pool…I’ll make Quesadillas to pack. This is a recipe for Zucchini Chard Quesadillas. I’ll either skip the greens or use some of the Kale I’ve been freezing.

Grilled Eggplant Sandwich

2011-07-26T04:08:00.001-07:00

I love these onions we have been getting in our CSA!
They are delicate and have good taste in a salad, not overpowering like a regular yellow onion, and they are hearty enough for cooking. The original recipe for last night’s sandwich called for red onion, but these were just perfect.

Meatless Monday Menu – Grilled Eggplant Sandwich, Quick Dill Pickles
Farm Share Food – Eggplant, Onion, Basil, Dill

Quick Dill Pickles

I found this recipe in Everyday Food. It’s a keeper!
We aren’t huge fans of dill, so for us this was a good way to use the dill from the CSA. I let the dill soak with the pickles all day and then took it out when it was time to serve the pickles. I would have made it with our CSA cucumbers, but those are so loved around here I didn’t get a chance. I made them with Kirby cucumbers.

Grilled Eggplant Sandwich
From Simply Recipes

Yummy! I used my Foreman grill just because of the busyness of the day. Would love to make them again outside on the grill. The tomato and onion soaked in the vinegar mixture is the key to the flavor of these sandwiches.

Keeping Up with the CSA – Week 6

2011-07-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

Frozen Carrots
I sliced the carrots, blanched them in boiling water for two minutes, drained them and cooled them. I used a freezer bag to store them in the freezer. As always I relied on my favorite website for freezing vegetables.

Frozen Stored Summer Squash and Zucchini
“From Asparagus to Zucchini” suggests freezing puree of Summer Squash or Zucchini to be used in soups. I thought this sounded like a great idea. Again learning from the Missouri Extension site, I blanched chunks of Summer Squash and Zucchini for 2 minutes – separate batches for each vegetable.
I then froze them the same way I do herbs. I reserved ¾ cup of the puree – a mix of the two and made muffins for breakfast.

Basil
Sitting in the library recently while my children were enjoying the Summer Reading Program I was perusing a volume of Cook’s Illustrated. For storage of Basil Pesto they suggested blanching the basil leaves for 20-30 seconds to retain the bright green color and to discourage browning of the pesto. They suggest it is not worth blanching if you are going to use the pesto right away, but that it is wonderful for storing pesto.

Parsley
I wanted to try a new Parsley Pesto. I tried Parsley Pesto with Sundried Tomatoes from elanaspantry.com. The sundried tomatoes add a wonderful richness. We’ll have it tomorrow night with penne pasta.

Shredded Chicken with Kale and Lentils

2011-07-21T16:42:00.000-07:00

The Shredded Chicken with Kale and Lentils met my expectations, and was a wonderful meal on a hot day! Make this!
I wasn’t as enthused about the Moroccan Carrot Salad. But I also made several mistakes. As I’m looking over the recipe now I realize I forgot the chickpeas – major ingredient. I also realized when serving it I forgot the cilantro. That would have been nice for flavor, but also because finding good ways to use the CSA herbs is a constant challenge. Maybe I should give this salad another chance, if you do let me know what you think.

Wednesday Menu – Shredded Chicken with Kale and Lentils, Moroccan Carrot Salad, Naan
Farm Share Food – Onion, Kale, Carrots
Other Local Food – Thyme from the garden

Moroccan Carrot-Chickpea Salad
From EveryDay with Rachael Ray June/July 2011

Shredded Chicken with Kale and Lentils
From Everyday Food April 2011

Printable Version

2 cups dried lentils
½ t kosher salt
1/8 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 t fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
1 bunch kale, stems removed, rough chopped
1 cup shredded chicken (leftover grilled or roasted chicken would be perfect to shred for this dish)

In a medium saucepan cover lentils with water, 1 inch above the lentils. Add the salt and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes – until lentils are tender. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and thyme, season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion softens. Add the kale to the onion mixture and cook until wilted and tender, 4-6 minutes.

Place the lentils in a large mixing bowl. Add the onion kale mixture and the shredded chicken. Mix to combine. Serve with Naan.

Week 6 of 2011

2011-07-20T06:38:00.000-07:00

Week 6 of 2011

We got…

Carrots, Cucumber, Eggplant, Head Lettuce, Onions, Red Russian Kale, Salad Mix, Summer Squash, Sweet Corn, Zucchini, Basil, Cilantro, Dill, Parsley
Fruit: Peaches

My plans…

Carrots
This Moroccan Carrot-Chickpea Salad would be good one night poolside for dinner.
I hope to freeze some of these too!

Cucumber and Dill
My son loves pickles. Here is a Quick Dill Pickle recipe that will be fun to try.

Eggplant
The eggplant we got was small. I’m going to make Goan Eggplant. They are fried slices of eggplant and would work well as an appetizer or side dish.

Red Russian Kale
I am going to make this Shredded Chicken with Kale and Lentils. I read the title and thought it sounded like a heavy winter dish, but then I reviewed the recipe and I could see serving this room temperature on a hot summer day. It shouldn’t heat up the kitchen too much either.

Summer Squash and Zucchini
I am going to make puree out of these and freeze them for winter soups. I may reserve a little of the puree and make muffins one morning for breakfast.

Cilantro
I plan to make a Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette in “From Asparagus to Zucchini”

Basil, Cilantro, and Parsley
I will make pesto to freeze out of all of these. I plan to try and new Parsley Pesto this week.

Chard Pie, Chocolate Zucchini Snack Cakes

2011-07-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

Meatless Monday Menu – Chard Pie, Chocolate-Zucchini Snack Cakes
Farm Share Produce – Onion, Chard, Zucchini

Swiss Chard Pie
In “From Asparagus to Zucchini”

The following recipe makes 2 pies. I halved the ingredients and made only one pie.

1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
1 bunch Chard, rough chopped and stems removed
6 eggs
1 cup shredded cheese
1 t salt
2 pie crusts (I used the frozen shells – baked from frozen)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
In a skillet on medium-high heat the oil, brown the onion and garlic. Add the Chard to the skillet and cook until wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a bowl whish the eggs, mix in cheese and chard mixture. Pour evenly into the two pie crusts. Bake 30-40 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Chocolate-Zucchini Snack Cake
From Everyday with Rachael Ray April 2011

I passed out samples at playground camp this morning. The feeling on this snack cake was it had good flavor but was too moist. Here is the report from the dinner table…my husband was expecting my best friend’s gooey brownie after looking in the pan, he hated it. My older child said it was just okay and proceed to lick his bowl and beg to have a piece for breakfast. My younger son said it was good, and ate most of what I gave him.

I happen to really like it, but am also not sure about the texture. It’s not a cake, not a brownie, and not fudge. It has qualities of all three. The recipe suggests serving it with a dollop of vanilla yogurt. I didn’t like it that way, but whipped topping or vanilla ice cream would be delicious!

Grill Roasted Cabbage Wedges

2011-07-18T04:27:00.000-07:00

Grill Roasted Cabbage Wedges
From “Fresh Everyday from Foster’s Market”

Printable Version

1 small to medium head green cabbage (about 1 1/2 pounds), cored and cut into 6 or 8 large wedges
2 T unsalted butter, melted
3 T olive oil
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

Preheat the grill to medium –high, about 400 degrees if you have a thermometer.
Combine the butter, oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Place the cabbage wedges in a large bowl and toss with the butter and oil mixture.
Link a grill basket with foil and place the cabbage wedges in. Drizzle with water, enough to make a small layer on the bottom of the pan, ¼-1/2 cup.
Place the basket on the grill for 30-35 minutes until cabbage is tender and edges are slightly crisp and golden brown. Remove from the grill and serve.

The cabbage wedges can also be roasted in the oven at 400 degrees.

Baked Summer Squash

2011-07-18T04:05:00.000-07:00

The Baked Summer Squash was not a winner. It tasted okay, but the texture was odd and I went 10 minutes past the cooking time of the recipe and it still needed more time.

I’ve rewritten the recipe here with the changes I would make. If I ever have an overabundance of summer squash, I’d try it this way. The flavors were good. The changes I’ve made are to distribute the flour mixture throughout the baked dish. I took out some of the liquid. My dish was very oily and I don’t think the flour mixture could begin to brown because it didn’t have the time to dry out within the cooking time. The cooking time also needed to be extended for the Summer Squash, we still had raw bits in ours.

Baked Summer Squash
In “From Asparagus to Zucchini”

Printable Version

½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup AP flour
2-3 sprigs fresh Thyme leaves
½ t garam masala
1/8 t dried oregano
½ t salt
¼ cup oil (safflower, vegetable, olive)
½ cup water with 3 T tomato paste or ½ cup broth or ½ cup tomato juice
1 – 1 ½ pounds Summer Squash, sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the flour, spices, oil, and liquid together in a small to medium mixing bowl.

Spray a medium sized baking dish with cooking spray. Layer the bottom with slices of Summer Squash. Place dollops of the flour mixture on that layer. Continue with another layer on top with more dollops. Repeat until you are out of Summer Squash and flour mixture.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until lightly browning.

Sunday Menu - the yummy and the just okay

2011-07-18T03:37:00.000-07:00

Sunday Menu – Bratwurst, Grill Roasted Cabbage Wedges, Baked Summer Squash
Farm Share Food – Onions, Cabbage, Summer Squash

The brats were delicious with onions from the farm chopped small. We really like Boar’s Head Bratwurst.

The Grill Roasted Cabbage Wedges were out of this world. They just melted in your mouth.

The Baked Summer Squash was not a winner. It tasted okay, but the texture was odd and I went 10 minutes past the cooking time of the recipe and it still needed more time.

Click on the names of the dishes for their recipes.

Cucumber Gazpacho with Indian Flavored Shrimp Relish

2011-07-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

This soup got rave reviews at our dinner table. The chilled soup was perfect for a hot day, but the spicy Indian flavors gave it an appreciated heat. The soup with the shrimp relish makes a whole meal - the crusty bread is needed for dunking and scraping the bowl.

Tuesday Menu – Cucumber Gazpacho, Crusty Bread
Farm Share Food – Cucumber, Cilantro

Cucumber Gazpacho with Indian Flavored Shrimp Relish

Gazpacho Ingredients:
2 cucumbers, roughly peeled and chopped
1 avocado
10 – 12 sprigs worth of cilantro leaves
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 t rice wine vinegar
Pinch of cayenne
1/8 t each of coriander, cumin, and garam masala

Blend all ingredients with an immersion blender or in a food processor. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

Relish Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1cloves garlic, minced
1/8 t cayenne pepper
¼ t coriander
¼ t cumin
Salt and pepper
¾ pound shrimp, chopped into small pieces
¼ t garam masala
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
½ t sesame oil

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, cayenne, coriander and cumin and cook for 1 minute to flavor the oil. Season shrimp with the salt and pepper and add to the hot oil. Cook 1 - 2 minutes, until done. Remove from heat, add garam masala, cilantro, and sesame oil.

Ladle Gazpacho into bowls and place 1-2 spoonfuls of relish onto the soup for serving.

Three Distinct Cucumber Gazpacho Recipes came together to help me create this recipe.

Cucumber Gazpacho with Shrimp Relish

Cucumber Lychee Gazpacho
Cucumber Soup

Cucumber Recipes from Summer Fest

Pinch My Salt: Chilled Cucumber, Kefir and Avocado Soup
What’s Gaby Cooking: Cucumber-Basil Gimlet
In Jennie’s Kitchen: Radish-Cucumber Crostini
Big Girl Small Kitchen: Spicy Cucumber Salad with Shallot, Ginger and Mint
Grecian Kitchen: Summer Cucumber Salad
And Love It Too: Cucumber, Mint and Watermelon Salad
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Cucumbers Coolers with Agave Simple Syrup
Cooking With My Kid: Cucumber Limeade
FN Dish: Summer Fest: Cucumber Recipes
CIA Dropout: Relishing Cucumbers
Healthy Eats: Cool Cucumber Soup
Food for 7 Stages of Life: Cucumber Cherry Salsa
Cooking With Elise: Green Tea Cucumber Pops
Glory Foods: Cucumber and Shrimp Boat
Virtually Vegan Mama: Fire-Roasted Tomato and Cucumber Gazpacho
Food2: When Life Gives You Cucumbers, Make a Cucumber Cocktail
Cooking Channel: Cucumbers Stuffed with Crab-Mango Salad
Recipe Girl: Bread and Butter Pickles
Taste With the Eyes: Spicy Pickled Cucumbers with Wakame and Garlic Blossoms
Virtually Homemade: Cold Thai Cucumber-Mint Soup
Add a Pinch: Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
The Cultural Dish: Ahi Tuna with Cucumber Sauce and Salad
Daily*Dishin: Cool n’ Zesty Cukes: 7 Minute Summer in a Jar
Daydreamer Desserts: Cubanita Margarita
Purple Cook: Cucumber Gazpacho with Indian Flavored Shrimp Relish
Indian Simmer: Cucumber at its Best with Chaat Masala
Big Apple Nosh: Quick and Easy Homemade Pickles
Sweet Life Bake: Agua de Pepino
The Sensitive Epicure: Tzatziki with Grilled Gluten-Free Pitas and Fresh Cucumbers and Peppers

Zaika Zabardast: Cucumber Gazpacho
A Way to Garden: Cucumber-Growing Q&A and the Best Pickles
Cooking with Books: Summer Fest: Cucumbers

Tex-Mex Bruschetta

2011-07-15T07:43:00.000-07:00

I had no idea what to call this yumminess I threw together. I was inspired by the Tex-Mex terminology used in “The Flavor Bible” when looking up what cheese would go well with cilantro. Is it bruschetta without tomatoes? Who knows? This was good, so I had to share it. I had the leftovers for breakfast this morning.

Tex-Mex Bruschetta

6-8 slices crusty bread
Cilantro Pesto – for spreading
Grilled Chicken (leftover, remember I grilled it with the Salsa Verde)
Cheddar Cheese

Place slices of bread on a baking sheet and broil 2-3 minutes. When just beginning to toast remove from oven and flip over. Spread Cilantro Pesto on the bread. Layer slices of chicken. Top with Cheddar Cheese. Broil 3-5 minutes, don’t let them burn! (I always do.)

Why are my pictures turning when I put them into a blog post?

Week 5 of 2011

2011-07-14T03:52:00.000-07:00

We got…
Beets, Broccoli, Cucumber, Chard, Head Lettuce, Onions, Summer Squash, Sweet Corn, Zucchini, Cilantro, Parsley
Fruit: Cherries
Beef: Top Round Steak, Ground Beef

My plans…
Beets
I enjoy this Beets and Beet Greens Salad.

Broccoli
I’m going to freeze the broccoli.

Cucumber
I’m going to try a Cucumber Gazpacho.

Chard
I’ve been waiting for Chard. I’m going to make a Chard Pie in “From Asparagus to Zucchini”

Head Lettuce
Salads. We had our usual Tuesday dinner of grilled chicken and salad. I grilled the chicken with a coating of the leftover Salsa Verde.

Summer Squash/Zucchini
I still haven’t tried the Stuffed Zucchini with Cheesy Breadcrumbs.

Sweet Corn
We love the corn from our CSA. Mostly it just gets boiled or grilled and eaten with butter, salt and pepper. That was what happened to it Wednesday night.

Cilantro/Parsley
I’ll make another batch of Salsa Verde. With the Cilantro I’ll make a recipe of the Cilantro Pesto.

Cherries
They'll just get eaten as we pass through the kitchen.

Beef
I wasn't sure which cuts of meat we would get. Now that I have my ground beef and top round steak I'll make plans and share them soon.

“Squash-amole”

2011-07-12T04:08:00.000-07:00

My 7 year old has been begging for Bacon. What is that about? I have bacon in the house maybe once a year, maybe. Don’t get me wrong, we love bacon as much as everyone else, hence the reason it’s in the house maybe once a year. Bacon is a treat food for us, like at restaurants or while we are traveling. BUT yesterday we found ourselves faced with a super hot day and Daddy working late…SO BLT’s pool side for dinner it was.

Oh, and the “Squash-amole” was an awesome dip!

Monday Menu – BLT’s, “Squash-amole”, Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips
Farm Share Food – Bibb Lettuce for the L in BLT, Summer Squash, Zucchini, Parsley
Other Local Food – Thyme from the garden

“Squash-amole”
Original recipe found in Everyday with Rachael Ray August 2011

Printable Version

3 cloves Garlic, peeled
Olive Oil, for drizzling
1 pound of Summer Squash and Zucchini, sliced lengthwise
½ Onion, thickly sliced
Seasoning (S & P, season salt, taco seasoning, fajita seasoning - I used Bangkok Blend from Penzey’s Spices)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup Walnuts, toasted
10-15 Parsley leaves
2-3 sprig of Thyme, leaves removed from stems

Wrap garlic cloves with a drizzle of olive oil in tin foil. Place on grill (I used my Foreman Grill) for 15 minutes. Drizzle Summer Squash, Zucchini and Onion with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning. 5 minutes into the garlic’s cooking time add the vegetables to the grill and cook for 10 minutes. Allow vegetables to cool.

With an immersion blender or in a food processor combine garlic, vegetables, cheese, nuts, and herbs.

Keeping up with the CSA

2011-07-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

One of my challenges (fun challenge) this year is having a full share, I split a share with a friend for the last two years. When making the decision to have a full share for our family I decided that each week items would need to be stored – freezer or canning. I spent yesterday morning doing just that. Here are the projects I worked on.

Frozen Carrots
I sliced the carrots, blanched them in boiling water for two minutes, drained them and cooled them. I used a freezer bag to store them in the freezer. As always I replied on my favorite website for freezing vegetables - see side panel of blog.

Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup
I made this soup to freeze. I split it in half for storage, I’m thinking we’ll get two meals out it in the fall. It made the house smell so good. I love that you puree half the broth and potatoes together to make a creamy broth for the whole soup, but still have some of those lovely potato chunks.

Freezing Basil and Parsley
Got the ice cube trays out and froze some more herbs.

Salsa Verde
Okay, this one wasn’t for storage purposes. This project put some of the herbs into a more usable form. The original recipe suggests using it to toss with vegetables like green beans, potatoes, or summer squash. It can also be used to drizzle on meat, chicken, or seafood. How about as a sandwich spread? It also goes well with eggs. ENJOY!

Salsa Verde

2011-07-09T04:58:00.000-07:00

Salsa Verde
Based on this original recipe

Printable Version

2 cups mixed fresh herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro)
1 garlic clove
1 ¼ t red wine vinegar
2 T capers, rinsed and drained
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Blend ingredients together with an immersion blender or in a food processor.

USES: toss with vegetables like green beans, potatoes, or summer squash, drizzle on meat, chicken, or seafood, spread on a sandwich, try it with your morning eggs, ENJOY!

NOTES: the original recipe calls for 3 anchovy fillets. My husband shies away from the flavor of anchovy, so I left it out.
I thought my version was a tad bit salty. I think I put in my usual amount of salt for my taste and I’m thinking the capers added more saltiness. I’m sure the anchovies would add even more. Taste test first.