Box #15

What we got:

Italian garlic
Yellow onions
Green top carrots
Summer squash
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Green Bell peppers
Italia or UW roaster peppers
Green beans
Tomatillo salsa pack: This was awesome! Everything we needed to make some great salsa.
Melons
Sweet corn
Salad mix
Amaranth
Eggplant


What we did with it.


Friday Night Pizza

This was definitely our best pizza yet. Tomatoes (a mixture of tomatoes from our garden and our crop share), basil and fresh mozzarella. Delicious!




Corn, Squash, and Green Beans with Jalepeno Butter
(Via The Heavy Table)

The downside of blogging only once a week is that I forget what we had with this. I think we had a burger and maybe it wasn't photo worthy? Who knows. But this side was pretty tasty. The jalepeno butter was great and I think I would like to slather that on just about anything.



2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, smash to a paste with a little salt
4 cups corn kernels (from 8 ears of sweet corn)
2 lbs zucchini or summer squash, diced
2 lbs green beans, topped and tailed and cut into ½-inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup water (only if you need it)
Jalapeño Butter (see recipe below)
Optional garnish: cilantro leaves, chopped

Over medium flame, heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, corn, zucchini (or squash), and green beans. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn heat to high and, stirring, cook for 2 minutes. Add water. [A note about the water = I don't think you need all of it. We ended up having to cook a lot of it off. The veggies released their own water and with adding water, it was just too much.] Cover pan, then cook five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally. When the vegetables are soft, but not mushy, mix in jalapeño butter. Top with cilantro. Serve in a warmed bowl. Serves 8 to 10.

Jalapeño Butter:
Stick butter, softened
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and minced (if you like it spicier, you can leave the seeds in)
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice and grated zest of 1 lime
1 tbsp chives, cut into 1-inch pieces

In a small bowl and with a wooden spoon, mix jalapeño into butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add lime zest, lime juice, and chives and mix well.


Miso Flank Steak, Edamame, Sungold Tomatoes, Melon, and Apple Crisp Hard Cider

A perfect summer meal! We have a bunch of miso to use up so it was great to find another use for it. I was so excited to get edamame but after Owen had so much fun eating it, I remembered that he had "trouble" with it when he was younger. And once again, he had "trouble". Poor kid. No more edamame for him.



1 tablespoon miso paste, I used shiro-miso
1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili pepper
1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated
Flank steak, 9-ounce
Canola oil

Add the miso paste, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili pepper, and grated ginger to a bowl. Whisk until combined.

Add the meat to the bowl and toss until well coated. Let marinate for about 30 minutes, flipping the meat about halfway through.

Set a grill pan or iron skillet over high heat. Add the meat and cook for about 2 minutes per side. This will depend on the thickness of your flank steak. If you have very thick ones, then cook it on the grill pan and then finish it in a 400 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

Let the steak rest for a few minutes, and then slice against the grain into 1/4 inch pieces. Serves 2.


Zucchini, Potato and Amaranth Tacos

I can't take any credit for these. Mike whipped them up and they were fantastic! We topped them with the tomatillo salsa we made from the salsa pack.




Eggplant Parmesan
(Recipe from Cooks Illustrated, let me know if you want the recipe)

This is hands-down the best eggplant parmesan recipe. Just ask anyone we've made it for. If you want the recipe, let me know and I'll type (ugh) it up. But, the recipe is so good, I'm willing to share.

Look at this beauty.

Homegrown Tomatoes

Could life get any better?

Aruija, Isis Candy and Yellow Pear tomatoes in Mike's palms.

Box #14

What we got:

Italian garlic
Onions
Green Top carrots:
Summer squash:
Cucumbers:
Tomatoes
Peppers
Eggplant
Potatoes
Green beans
Red & gold amaranth
Yellow Watermelon
Salad or sauté mix

What we did with it:

Zucchini and Corn Pasta
(Recipe from A Good Appetite via Serious Eats via Gourmet)

This was a fantastic dish. It was much better than I imagined, as the blogger who I got the recipe from said. The bacon makes the dish, so don't skip it.



Pesto:

1 c fresh basil leaves
1/3 c pine nuts, toasted (we skipped the pine nuts)
1 clove garlic
1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 c olive oil
salt & pepper

Put the basil, nuts, garlic & cheese in a food processor & process until they create a chunky paste. Add the olive oil & process until smooth. Salt & pepper to taste.

The Pasta:

3 sliced of bacon, chopped
2 ears of corn, kernels cut off the cob (not cooked)
2 large zucchinis, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
1/2 lb pasta (fusilli, penne, farfalle)
Pesto (from above)
Parmesan
Pepper

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to drain. Leave about 1/2 - 1 T of the bacon fat in the skillet for later.

Meanwhile, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Salt the water & cook the pasta according to directions. When the pasta has 2 minutes left add the corn kernels & zucchini. When the pasta is done drain it & the vegetables, reserving a little of the cooking water.

Add the pasta & vegetables to the skillet with the reserved bacon fat & stir to coat. Stir in the pesto & bacon pieces. If the pasta seems dry add a bit of the cooking water.

Serve topped with Parmesan & pepper.

Serves 2



Saturday Night Pizza: Tomato, Green Pepper, Bacon, Zucchini, Garlic and Fontina

We had guests on Friday night and had a lovely dinner - unfortunately the camera battery was dead so we couldn't get a shot of it. So, we rescheduled our Friday Night Pizza for Saturday.





Buttermilk Pancakes with Bananas and Walnuts

These pancakes are fabulous and the recipe is a real keeper. The recipe is from Cooks Illustrated.





Stuffed Green Peppers

We actually didn't use a recipe for this one which is highly unusual for us. This use of green pepper was suggested in our farm newsletter. We combined browned italian sausage, onion, sauteed amaranth, garlic, brown rice. We stuff that in the green pepper (picked from our garden, we ate the peppers from our farm raw) and topped it off with some cheese. Yum!




Penne with Tomato, Brie and Basil
(Recipe from Whole Foods Market)

This is one of our all time favorite recipes. As soon as tomatoes are in season, I whip this up. I originally found it on a handout at Whole Foods - I couldn't find my copy so I did an online search and luckily WF had it posted.

5 tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped or 2 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
8 ounces brie, with rind, or other semi-soft cheese such as Fontina, cut into (1-inch) pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
3 to 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound whole wheat penne
1 cup basil leaves, torn

Put tomatoes, garlic, brie, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper into a large bowl and toss gently to combine. Cover and set aside at room temperature to let marinate for 2 to 3 hours.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain well and transfer hot pasta to bowl with tomato mixture. Add basil and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Greek Orzo
(Recipe from Allrecipes.com)

This recipe was a little "meh" but it used up some cucumber. I've decided that cucumbers are definitely not my favorite veggie. The worst part about this recipe is that it made a TON and I feel like we've been eating it for a year.



1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
2 (6 ounce) cans marinated artichoke hearts
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 (2 ounce) can black olives, drained (we used kalamata)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Drain artichoke hearts, reserving liquid.

In large bowl combine pasta, artichoke hearts, tomato, cucumber, onion, feta, olives, parsley, lemon juice, oregano and lemon pepper. Toss and chill for 1 hour in refrigerator.

Just before serving, drizzle reserved artichoke marinade over salad.

Box #13

Well, I was behind on blogging and by the time I got around to posting this, it seems we only made four meals in a week. I don't remember what else we ate but maybe it wasn't notable.

What we got:

Italian garlic
Sweet Spanish onion
Green Top carrots
Savoy cabbage
Summer squash
Cucumbers
Tomatoes, variety
Peppers: Italia, Green Bell, Jalapeño
Salad mix
Romance or Satina Gold potatoes
Green komatsuna
Celery

What we did with it:


Thai Cabbage Salad
(Source unknown - sorry original recipe writer)

We enjoyed this one. You can control the heat - Mike bumped it up to super hot. I wouldn't recommend that. Although, I suppose it did give me permission to down a beer.




1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons lime juice
Zest of 1 lime

For the salad:
2 chicken thighs, cooked and shredded
1/2 head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, shredded
1/4 cilantro leaves, chopped, plus whole leaves for garnish
1 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish

Toss the sliced cabbage with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and set in a colander over a bowl (or your sink, you don’t need the liquid) for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and dry well. Set aside.

Whisk together the curry paste, fish sauce, vinegar, salt, sugar, oil, cayenne and lime zest and juice. Set aside.

Combine the cabbage, carrots, cilantro and chopped peanuts with the dressing and toss well to coat. Divide among four plates, and top with shredded chicken, a sprinkling of nuts and a few cilantro leaves.



Chicken Tacos

We used up some extra stuff to whip up some tasty chicken tacos.





Komatsuna in Ginger Miso Sauce
(Recipe from Cupcake Punk)


This dish was pretty good. It was a little on the salty side, even after making adjustments,

1 bunch Komatsuna Greens, stems and leaves separated
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 lb firm tofu
2 tablespoons soy sauce (low-sodium might be good to reduce the salt)
1 tablespoon miso
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup cooked red quinoa (or rice or other grain)

Dry fry the tofu. After it is crisped the way you prefer it, set it aside on a plate to add to the stir-fry later.

Chop the komatsuna stems into 1/2 inch pieces. Julienne the leaves.

Heat up a wok (without oil) and add the almonds. Stir-fry quickly until fragrant and toasted, about 45 seconds. Remove.

Then in the wok, heat up 1-2 tbsp of sesame oil on medium heat. Add the onion, cook for 6-7 minutes or until the onion turns clear and soft. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the komatsuna stems and cook for 5 minutes. Add the leaves and cook for another 5 minutes.

While the komatsunas are cooking, combine the soy sauce, miso, and vinegar until smooth and set it aside.

When the greens are tender, add the tofu and then drizzle with miso sauce and sprinkle with almonds.

Pulled Pork Sandwich, Potato Salad and Corn
(Recipes from Allrecipes.com: Pork and Potato Salad)

I was rushing to get the pork started and botched the recipe but it still turned out really well. I added the BBQ sauce with the pork and beef broth and then didn't bother putting it in the oven. I think fixing those two mistakes would make this a winner. Make sure you use a good BBQ sauce. The potato salad was quite tasty as far as potato salads go.



Pulled Pork

1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
3 pounds boneless pork ribs
1 (18 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce

Pour can of beef broth into slow cooker, and add boneless pork ribs. Cook on High heat for 4 hours, or until meat shreds easily. Remove meat, and shred with two forks. It will seem that it's not working right away, but it will.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Transfer the shredded pork to a Dutch oven or iron skillet, and stir in barbeque sauce.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until heated through.


Potato Salad

8 medium red potatoes
4 eggs
8 slices bacon
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 green onions, diced
3 fresh jalapeno peppers, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
2 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons brown mustard
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender. Drain, dice, and cool.

Place eggs in a pot with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover saucepan, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, cool, peel and chop.

Place bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix chopped eggs, 1/2 the bacon, black beans, green onions, jalapeno peppers, bell pepper, mayonnaise, mustard, and Cajun seasoning. Gently mix in diced, cooled potatoes.

Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with remaining bacon. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

One of my favorites

This didn't use any of our CSA stuff, but it's one of my favorite breakfasts.

Soft Scrambled Eggs with Ricotta and Chives

Box #12

What we found in Box #12:

Italian garlic
Sweet Spanish onion
Green Top carrots
Saute Mix
Arugula
Romance Potatoes
Yellow & Green beans
Summer Squash & Zucchini
Cucumber
Red mizuna
Tomatoes
Dill
Green Bell or Italian Frying Pepper

What we did with it:

Penne with Beef and Arugula(Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network)
My friend Traci posted this on Facebook. It looked delicious and it was delicious.

1 (1-pound) New York strip steak
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons (we used much less oil)
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for steak and pasta water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for steak
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 cups chopped arugula

Season the steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper, herbs de Provence, and minced garlic. In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook steak about 7 minutes per side. Remove the meat from pan and let it rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, fresh herbs, and 3/4 cup olive oil. In a large bowl toss the pasta with half of the salad dressing and the reserved pasta water. Add the arugula and steak, more dressing, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed. Toss, pack for the picnic, or serve.

Grilled Potatoes and Carrots

We grilled up some carrots and potatoes to accompany grilled pork chops. Why is it that cooking on the grill makes everything taste better?

Wilted Asian Greens (Mizuna)(Recipe from Noble Foods Farm)
I told a friend of mine, Tami, that she shouldn't be afraid of Mizuna. I was mistaken - you should be afraid, very afraid. Ha! I was picturing something else when I said this and forgot how I don't really care for Mizuna. I think it's mostly a texture thing. But, this recipe was pretty good. Would I make it again? Probably not.

¼ cup water
¼ cup tamari (or soy sauce)
2Tbs rice vinegar
2 Tbs rice wine (mirin)
1 Tbs dark sesame oil
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
6 cups Asian greens (mizuna, mustard, bok choy, chinese celery)
1 mango, pitted, peeled, julienned
¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
Toasted sesame seeds

Whisk together water, tamari, vinegar, rice wine & sesame oil. Set aside. Heat vegetable oil in saucepan. Cook garlic for 1 minute. Add vinegar mixture; heat 2 minutes. Toss greens, mango & onion in a large serving bow. Pour warm dressing over salad; sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.


Friday Night Pizza
Ah, Friday night is pizza night and we try to use whatever we have on hand. This time we ended up with salami, hot pepper (from our garden), green pepper, onion and goat cheese. On the side, we had a salad with tomatoes from our garden, cucumber, and cashews. Oh how I love Fridays!

Poached Eggs with Yellow Tomato, Saute Greens on Homemade Bread
I also refer to this meal as, "another reason I would marry my husband again in a heartbeat". I slept in and had this waiting for me. Heaven! It not only contains a beautiful yellow tomato (tomatoes are finally here!) but it also contained one of my favorite seasonings - smoked paprika. Life doesn't get much better than spending time with my family and eating such delicious food.

Box #11

What we got:

Sweet Spanish onions
Green Top carrots
Amaranth
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Salad mix
Potatoes
Green/yellow beans
Zucchini/squash
Cucumbers
Chioggia beets
Fennel

What we did with it:

Pav Bhaji
(recipe from allrecipes.com)

We used garam masala instead of pav bhaji masala, so technically what we made is not Pav Bhaji. We also left out the tomatoes which I think would have been a good thing to include. It turned out okay. Not sure I would make it again. The buns, however, were divine.



1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon finely chopped green chile peppers
1 cup chopped onions
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 cup chopped roma (plum) tomatoes
2 cups cauliflower, finely chopped
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 cup green peas
1 cup grated carrots
4 potatoes, boiled and mashed
3 tablespoons pav bhaji masala
salt to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice

8 (2 inch square) dinner rolls
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped green chile peppers
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Saute garlic and green chile for 30 seconds, then stir in onions and ginger. Cook until onions are brown. Add tomatoes, and cook until pasty. Stir in cauliflower, cabbage, peas, carrots and potatoes. Season with pav bhaji masala. Cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, and stir in lemon juice.

Toast the dinner rolls, and spread lightly with butter. Serve garnished with chopped onion, green chile and cilantro.


Greek Salad
(Secret Family Recipe - ha!)

It's a little strange, but Greek Salad is to me what Tater Tot Hot Dish is to a Minnesotan. I grew up eating Greek Salad all the time. What's up with that, Mom? Anyway... this time we roasted our own beets instead of using the canned variety. Yum!




Carrot Top Soup
(Recipe from HVF Newsletter)

Yes, I'm serious. We've been trying to eat our entire crop share this year, leaving little waste. That means eating all the greens - beet greens, carrot greens, etc. I wasn't very skeptical about eating carrot greens but this soup actually ended up being tasty. I think it has everything to do with the fennel and coconut milk and little to do with the carrot greens.



4 green top carrots with greens
2 bulbs fennel with fronds
2 scallions, sliced thin
2 Tbsp butter
1 bay leaf
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade
½ cup vegetable stock or water

Remove green tops from carrots and chop coarsely, set aside; cut carrots into small dice. Remove stalks and fronds from fennel bulbs. Coarsely chop the fronds and stalks, set aside with carrot tops. Cut fennel bulbs into small dice and add to carrots.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add scallions and sauté until softened. Add carrot tops and fennel fronds and stalks. Add vegetable stock, coconut milk, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and puree in a blender. Return the soup to the saucepan and bring back to a simmer. Add diced carrots and fennel and simmer until vegetables are tender. Immediately prior to serving, add basil and adjust seasoning. Serves 3-4.


Grilled Chicken with Grilled Summer Squash and Green Bean Salad
(Midsummer Bean Salad recipe from HVF Newsletter)



Midsummer Green Bean Salad, Adapted from Barbara Kafka’s Vegetable Love
(From HVF Newsletter)
Serves 6

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons kosher salt (we used a lot less salt and it was still really salty)
2 pounds green beans, tipped and tailed
1 pound sliced cucumber or sliced and sautéed summer squash
½ cup fresh onions, sliced thin
½ cup olive oil
Generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh dill
½ lemon

Bring 3 quarts water plus the ¼ cup salt to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add the beans. Return water to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. While the beans cook, prepare a very cold ice water bath in a large bowl. Drain the beans and plunge into ice water. Stir and toss.

While the beans are chilling, combine the cucumbers/ summer squash with remaining 2 Tbsp salt and sliced onions in a bowl. Toss and allow to sit for 20 minutes.

Drain the beans and add to the squash/cucumber mixture. Add the olive oil and pepper and toss to coat evenly. Allow to sit until ready to serve, or up to 1 hours.

Before serving, toss in the dill and squeeze lemon over the top.


Home Fries

We take turns sleeping in on the weekends/Mike's days off and on my turn, I woke up to the heavenly smell of home fries. Mike served this up with a couple of runny eggs on top.