Box #10

What we got in Box #10:

Fresh garlic
White cipollini onion
Green Savoy cabbage
Green Top Carrots
Gold beets
Arugula
Green beans
Cauliflower & broccoli
Summer squash
Cucumbers
Chard

What we did with it:

We've been making quite a bit of hummus as of late and eating it with raw veggies.




Our first ever homegrown broccoli:




Hmong Stuffed Cabbage
(recipe via Carrie - originally from St. Paul Farmers; Market Cookbook 2005)

This recipe is a keeper! So very tasty! We sauteed some beans as a side.



4-16 green cabbage leaves (we used 8-10)
1 lb. ground pork
2 green onions, minced
1/2 c brean thread vermicelli noodles, cooked and cut into 1-2 inch lengths
1/4 c fresh carrot, shredded
1/4 c new potatoes, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oyster sauce
1 tsp. soy sauce

Boil cabbage leaves in boiling water 3-4 minutes. Drain. Using a sharp knife, remove the ribs of the cabbage leaves. In a wok kor skillet, stir-fry pork over high heat until cooked and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Divide mixture into as many portions as you have cabbage leaves. put a portion of hte meat mixture at the end of a cabbage leaf. Fold it up like an egg roll. Place the rolls seam side down on a steamer rack and steam for 15 minutes. Steamed rolls can be served hot or refrigerated and served cold.


Hamburger with Roasted Garlic and Spinach and Grilled Summer Squash

The weekly newsletter from the farm suggested roasting the garlic and wilting some spinach to top a burger and we did just that. Mike ground the beef from some leftover meat we had in the freezer. I think we'll be doing that more often now that we know it's so easy to do with the Kitchenaid mixer. What impressed me most about this meal is that Owen loved the roasted garlic...who knew??




Garlicky Greens Tacos
(Rick Bayless via Martha Stewart)

First of all, Rick Bayless rocks so I knew this recipe would be good. Second of all, using chard to make tacos? Even better! Chard isn't really my favorite thing so finding this recipe was super exciting.



8 to 10 corn tortillas (plus a few extra, in case some break)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for blanching
6 cups loosely packed sliced green or red chard leaves (one 12-ounce bunch)
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup finely crumbled Mexican queso fresco; queso anejo; dry feta; pressed, salted farmer's cheese; or Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup Rick's Essential Roasted Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

1. Warm the tortillas: Place a vegetable steamer in a large saucepan filled with 1/2 inch of water. Bring to a boil. Wrap tortillas in a heavy kitchen towel, lay them in the steamer, and cover with a tight lid. Boil 1 minute, turn off the heat, and let stand without opening for about 15 minutes.
2. Prepare the filling: While tortillas are steaming, bring 3 quarts salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add greens, and cook until barely tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, and spread out on a large plate or baking sheet to cool. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop.
3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, stir for 1 minute, then add greens, and stir for about 1 minute, just long enough to heat them through. Season with salt.
4. Prepare the tacos: Scoop the filling into a deep, warm serving dish, and sprinkle with cheese. Serve with the warm tortillas, salsa, and cilantro sprigs. Makes 8 to 10 soft tacos.

The Best Zucchini Brownie Ever
(From Allrecipes.com)

This recipe will come in handy in a few weeks when I'm SO sick of eating zucchini. I actually had some frozen shredded zucchini from our winter crop share to use up. These brownies were awesome and my 5 tasters could not pick out the secret ingredient, including Mike who claims he despises hidden-zucchini dessert recipes.



1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup margarine
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Warning: The batter will be really thick and not what you'd expect. Press it to the pan and don't add any extra liquid - the zucchini will release water when it's heated.
   
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when gently touched. To make the frosting, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners' sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.

Pizza with Salami, Queso Fresco, Pepperoncini, and Queso Fresco

We've designated Friday evenings as Pizza Night. We threw some stuff on here that we needed to use up. It made one tasty pizza!!




Steak Tacos with Queso Fresco, Cilantro, Onion and Cabbage

Another use up random leftovers (and abundant cilantro from garden) recipe. Yum!

Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes in Spicy Tomato Sauce with Cashews
(Adapted from Things Cooks Love)

[Great recipe! Sadly, no photo.]

2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup unsalted raw cashews
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 cup chopped onion
4 teaspoons peeled, finely chopped fresh ginger
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
1 Serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded, and quartered
1 head cauliflower, stems removed and cut into 1-inch florets
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup frozen peas
handful cilantro

1. Pour the oil into a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cashews and cook for 30 seconds and then remove with a slotted spoon. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and cook for another 30 seconds.
2. Add the onions. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Dump in the tomatoes and serrano pepper. Turn heat to medium high and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
3. Add the cauliflower, sweet potatoes, water, and salt. Stir to combine and then cover, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. It might take 20 minutes. Stir halfway through. Add the peas, cover the pot, and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
4. Serve with a sprinkling of cilantro and the cashews. Season to taste with salt.

Box #7, #8, and #9

I'm finally catching up on blogging! The good news is that we're plowing through our veggies but just haven't had time to document it all.

Sadly, we gave our box #7 to friends since we were out of town. The box contained one of my favorites - sugar snap peas. Our friends just had to mention they were the best they've ever had. *sigh*

We made a stop home during vacation (between Michigan and going back to Wisconsin for a long weekend at the cabin) just for our veggies. We used some veggies at the cabin but the rest were left at home. The week following the 4th, Owen was really sick and I can't even remember what we made to eat but I do know that we used a lot of veggies. So, that week is forever lost. But here are the few things that we documented making with boxes 8 and 9.

Traditional Caesar Salad
(recipe from Allrecipes.com)

This was our first attempt at making a traditional caesar salad. We don't order them at restaurants unless we know they're the real deal. None of that creamy white "dressing", please.




2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 tablespoons safflower oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 (2 ounce) can anchovy filets
1 egg
1 French baguette, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 large head romaine lettuce - rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
2. Prepare the dressing in a glass jar by combining the garlic, oil, salt, mustard, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, and lemon juice. Rinse anchovy filets under warm water, pat dry on paper towels, and roughly chop them. Place anchovy in jar with other ingredients. Cover with tight fitting lid and shake to mix.
3. To coddle the egg, bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Carefully lower egg into water; remove from heat and let stand for 1 minute. Remove and set aside to cool. Crack open the egg and with a spoon, scrape out all yolk (even the runny white). Use a wire whisk and whip in a small bowl until very frothy. Pour egg to the rest of the dressing and mix well.
4. Prepare the croutons by combining the bread cubes, melted butter, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon grated cheese. Toss well to coat bread, then place in a single layer on a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
5. Prepare salad in a large bowl by combining the romaine, 1/2 cup grated cheese, dressing and croutons to taste. Toss well to coat and serve.

Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage and Fennel
(Recipes from Allrecipes.com)

This is one of my favorite pasta bake recipes. I feel the need to pause for a moment and explain my obsession with Allrecipes.com. While there's a lot of crap on there, you can also find some hidden treasures. I love reading the reviews and seeing how people manipulate the recipe to make it better. We found this recipe last year and have made it several times.



1 pound hot Italian sausage links
1 (16 ounce) package rigatoni pasta
1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (we use a lot more)
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Fry the sausages in a large skillet over medium heat, turning frequently until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the skillet, cool slightly and slice into rounds. Add the garlic, fennel and onion to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, then add the roasted red peppers, basil, sliced sausage and pasta sauce. Heat through over low heat until warmed.
3. Combine the pasta with the sauce and vegetables in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread the mozzarella, Parmesan and Asiago cheeses over the top. Garnish with a few fennel leaves left from the bulb. Cover with aluminum foil.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, then remove the aluminum foil. Set the oven to broil, and cook for another 5 minutes or until cheese is browned.

Grilled Pizza with Beets and Goat Cheese
(Found through random google search on cookingequipment.about.com)

I love finding recipes that use not only the root but also the greens. We are doing so much better this year using all the vegetables, including the green tops. And combining beets with goat cheese is just heavenly. Our favorite pizza dough recipe can be found in Baking Illustrated.



1 pound beets with greens
Extra virgin olive oil ( 3 to 4 tablespoons, divided)
Salt and pepper
1 shallot, minced
Dough for 1 pizza, either homemade or store bought
All-purpose flour, semolina or cornmeal, for dusting
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Cut beet greens from the beets and reserve. Trim the stems from the beets and peel them. Then cut them into 1/2 inch cubes and spread them on the foil-lined pan. (Some juice will come off on your hands and the cutting board, but you can get most of it off if you wash your hands and any surfaces right away) Drizzle the beets with about 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and papper, stirring or tossing with a spatula to coat completely. Loosely cover the pan with another sheet of aluminum foil and cook in the oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour, removing the foil after about 20 minutes. Beets should be tender when pierced with a fork. Reserve until you're ready to assemble the pizza.

2. Meanwhile, remove any tough stems from the beet greens and roughly chop them. Wash them thoroughly and dry them in a salad spinner or by squeezing them gently in a clean dishtowel. In a skillet heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil, tilting pan to spread over the bottom of the pan. Add the shallot and saute over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is translucent. Add the greens and cook, turning with a spatula, until they begin to wilt down. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, until wilted and tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Make your pizza dough. Dust the pan with flour or cornmeal and form the dough on the pan. Brush the pizza with olive oil, and evenly spread the roasted beets and beet greens over the pizza. Sprinkle evenly with crumbled goat cheese. If using a pizza peel and a stone, carefully slide the pizza off the peel onto the pizza stone. If using a pan, place pan in the oven. Bake at 400˚F for 10 to 15 minutes, until exposed crust is turning golden and firm, and goat cheese is beginning to turn light golden. Let pizza rest for a few minutes, then cut into wedges.

Grilled Pork Chop with Grilled Summer Sqaush and Cabbage Slaw
(Slaw recipe from ... can you guess? Allrecipes.com)




Mike's Mom has made this slaw many times since I've known her and it's absolutely delicious. I can't find the exact recipe we used (I think we just adapt whatever recipe we can find).

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 (3 ounce) package chicken flavored ramen noodles, crushed, seasoning packet reserved
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup sliced almonds (toasted, if you prefer)
1/2 medium head cabbage, shredded
5 green onions, chopped

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, ramen noodle spice mix (we did not include this), salt and pepper to create a dressing.
2. In a large salad bowl, combine the cabbage, green onions and crushed ramen noodles. Pour dressing over the cabbage, and toss to coat evenly. Top with toasted sesame seeds and almonds.