Adventures with a Crop Share

Tis The Season

2011-12-22T17:09:00.000-08:00

Hello Old Friends!

We've been cooking and baking up a storm but have failed at documenting all the goodies. I made a tasty and good looking dish the other night and thought I'd share.

Vegetarian Stew with Quinoa, Butternut Squash & Coconut Milk

Yield: Serves 4

From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck.

2/3 cup quinoa
1 1/3 cup water
Pinch of salt
2 cups diced (1/2-inch) butternut squash
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 large jalapeno pepper, seeds & membranes removed, minced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup lite coconut milk, stirred
1 can (14 oz.) petite diced tomatoes (with juices)
1 can (14 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 green onions, thinly sliced

In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and water, and place over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed. Remove the quinoa from the heat, fluff with a fork and re-cover to keep warm.

In a medium or large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the cubed butternut squash. Cook until the squash is just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat olive oil oil over medium heat. Add onion and kosher salt and cook until the onions are turning brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Add ginger and minced jalapeno and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add garlic. Cook for 1 more minute, stirring.

Add the lite coconut milk, diced tomatoes with juices, chickpeas and cooked butternut squash. Turn the mixture to medium-high and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the butternut squash is tender, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes.

Divide the quinoa between bowls and ladle the stew over top. Garnish with sliced green onions. Serve.

Baking

As far as holiday baking goes, we've been making a bunch of cookies: chocolate crackles (Martha Stewart's recipe is my favorite), sugar cut out cookies, white chocolate cherry shortbread, chocolate covered cherries and macaroons. Macaroons have become my thing.

We tried these pretzel, rolo, M&M candies for the first time this year (found on pinterest). Owen was able to do these without much help - it was great!

For Thanksgiving, I made these cranberry brie bites (also found on pinterest) and they were phenomenal.

I need to share the deliciousness!

2011-08-30T17:10:00.000-07:00

We've had some tasty summer meals lately and I just don't have the time to properly document them in my blog like I used to. So, I'm going to try out an abbreviated format for the time being.

Scallops with Tomatillo Guacamole & Corn Salsa
the kitchn

Both Mike & I love scallops but rarely buy them because they're pricey. I decided to splurge and make this meal and it was so worth it! So delicious and easy, too! Both kids gobbled it up which shocked me. I will definitely make this again. And, I'll be making that tomatillo guacamole to go on tacos, too. I love tomatillos!

Ratatouille Bake
All Recipes
Tasty, easy, delicious. Owen said, "Mama did you make this? It's DELICIOUS!" Score!

Birthday Party Fun

2011-06-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

Our daughter celebrated her first birthday last weekend! We whipped up some of our favorite foods for the occasion.

The Menu:
Ina Garten's Panzanella
Watermelon
Food Should Good Sweet Potato Chips
Grandma's Baked Beans (super secret recipe)
Sausages from Kramarczuk's: Curried Wild Rice Brat, Cherry Bomb Brat, and Mediterranean Lamb
Rainbow Cupcakes

Favorites

2011-06-10T07:57:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a few favorites in the past week: steak fajitas with greens, spring turnip salad, and radish sandwich. If we have a bunch of greens or peppers to use, we often turn to fajitas. The turnip salad is one of my favorite things and the radish sandwich is all about good butter (we used Hope butter this time). Yum!

Steak Fajitas with Green Garlic, Radish Greens, Onion, Spinach

Spring Turnip Salad

1 fresh, young bunch of turnips, stems discarded, greens well washed and sliced into thin ribbons (1/3 inch or less), roots trimmed, peeled, and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Olive oil
Salt
1 tablespoon honey
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, and chives
1 cup cooked white beans
3 hard cooked eggs, peeled and sliced
4 strips bacon, cooked and chopped or crumbled
3 pieces of cornbread (your favorite recipe), cut into small cubes

At least a few hours in advance, toss the raw turnip greens with 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and a big pinch of salt. Cover and refrigerate.

Put the turnip roots in a medium saucepan with an inch of water, a pinch of salt, and a splash of olive oil. Cover, bring to a boil, and boil hard, covered, until turning tender, about 5 minutes. Then remove the lid and continue to boil until tender enough to eat, a minute or two more. Drain if necessary and allow to cool.

Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon honey in 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and the lime juice. Whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir in 1/4 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk and the chopped herbs. Taste and add salt, vinegar, or oil if necessary.

Dress the beans with 2 tablespoons of the yogurt dressing. Spread some greens on each plate and top with egg, beans, bacon, steamed turnips, and cornbread. Serve extra yogurt dressing on the side.

Radish Sandwich

Ono

2011-06-10T07:51:00.001-07:00

Mike visited Hawaii with his family as a child (teenager?) and always talks about the delicious ono fish he had there. Coastal Seafood had ono on special last week so he had to get some. I agreed with him that's it's like fish steak. Delicious!

Grilled Ono with Tamarind Glaze and Grilled Yukina Savoy

Chives, chives and more chives.

2011-06-10T07:47:00.000-07:00

We've been trying to find recipes that use a ton of chives because we have SO many this year! This recipe for Broccoli salad put them to good use.

Broccoli Salad with Bacon, Chives, and Tomato
Adapted from jamieoliver.com

2 heads of broccoli, about 1 1/2 pounds
4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into matchsticks
2 roma tomatoes, halved, seeded and finely chopped
1 bunch fresh chives (15 to 20), finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced or pressed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salty water to boil. In the meantime, trim the woody end from the broccoli heads and break it up into small florets. Slice them into 1/4-inch thick pieces so they cook quickly and evenly. When the water comes to a boil, blanch the broccoli for 1-2 minutes, until they are starting to get tender but still have bite in the middle. Drain in a colander and spread out on a kitchen towel to steam dry, about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, cook the bacon in a large skillet with a splash of olive oil over medium-low heat until the fat renders into the pan and the bacon is crisp but still slightly chewy.

Drain the fat collected in the bacon pan into a bowl and add the garlic, dijon, and vinegar. Whisk well to combine into an emulsion, then add the olive oil slowly in a stream, whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and taste also for acidity, adding more vinegar or oil if needed.

Toss the broccoli with the tomatos, bacon, and dressing. Top with chives and serve.

Pasta with Asparagus, Carrots and Broccoli

2011-06-10T06:51:00.000-07:00

This pasta was so delicious - I think using high quality parmigiano-reggiano had something to do with it. Oh, and the cream and butter!

Adapted from Bottega Favorita by Frank Stitt.

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 heaping cup sliced spring onions
12 slender asparagus spears, tough bottoms discarded and cut into 2-inch pieces
Sliced carrots or other spring vegetables
Broccoli florets (or other vegetable... peas, etc.)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 pound pasta
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino romano
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until very soft.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted to a boil for the pasta. Bring a large sauce pan of water to a boil, add the asparagus, and cook for 1 minute. Add the broccoli and cook for 30 seconds, then drain. Add the asparagus and other vegetables to the onions, then stir in the cream. Set the pan aside while you cook the pasta.

3. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain and transfer to the pan with the onions.

4. Place the pan over high heat and cook, tossing, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the vegetables are hot. Add the chives abd 1/2 cup of the cheese, the lemon zest, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and toss well to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Serve in warm bowls, garnished with more mint and the remaining grated cheese

Friday Night Pizza

2011-06-10T04:54:00.000-07:00

Friday Night Pizza is back! I typically use the pizza dough recipe from Baking Illustrated but one night we were out of bread flour so I ended up using this Emeril Lagasse recipe. I was impressed with how soft and chewy the dough was! I may switch over permanently to this recipe.

Here are some recent pizza creations:

Hon Tsai Tai, Olive, Egyptian Walking Onion, Green Garlic & Mozzarella Pizz

Broccoli, Green Garlic, and Fresh Mozzarella Pizza

Pepperoni, Olive and Cheese Pizza

A whole lot of goodness

2011-05-23T18:03:00.000-07:00

We've been busy!

A Simple Greens Soup
From Asparagus to Zucchini, Harmony Valley Farm Recipe

First of all, if you're cooking in the midwest and using CSA veggies and don't own the cookbook, From Asparagus to Zucchini, go buy it! It's fantastic. To be honest, nettles aren't my favorite but this soup was pretty good.

2 tablespoons butter or oil
1 small yellow onion, medium diced
1 pound peeled sunchokes
4 cups water or low sodium chicken broth
1 bunch of greens, washed and chopped (we used nettles)
Salt and pepper
1/2 heavy cream (optional but delicious)
Shredded smoked cheddar (optional topping)

Heat butter or oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onions; cook slowly, stirring occasionally until they are translucent (don't let them brown). Add the sunchokes and the water/broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cook until the sunchokes are soft, about 15 minutes. Add the greens and cook until they wilt, about three minutes. (If you're using kale, let cook five minutes.) Puree the soup with an immersion blender (or in batches in a blender or food processor) until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Optional: you may pass soup through a strainer to take out the little bits and make it smoother. For a creamier version, add the heavy cream at the end and heat through. We topped the soup with some shredded smoked cheddar. Makes 4 servings.

Tagliatelle With Parsnips And Bacon
Adapted from Babbo

I had a fantastic afternoon at the spa last week and came home to this dish made with fresh pasta. Awesome.

1/4 pound bacon or pancetta, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds parsnips, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
8 ounces pasta (fresh pasta if you have it)
1/4 cup chopped green onion (or parsley)
Salt and pepper
Grated parmesan

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, add the chopped bacon to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the bacon is browned, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and let drain on a couple paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.

Turn the heat to medium and add the butter to skillet with the bacon fat. Add the parsnips and cook for about 12 minutes, stirring often. They should be lightly browned and very tender. Turn off the heat.

Cook pasta according to the directions on the box. When done, reserve 2 cups of the cooking water and then add the pasta directly to the skillet with the parsnips. Turn heat to high and add about 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water, the bacon, and the green onions. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Add more of the cooking water if it looks too dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Birchwood Cafe Recipe from The Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook

This was the best strawberry rhubarb cobbler I've ever had. There will be no need to try other recipes from now on. We took this to our friends' house for dinner and didn't have the opportunity to take a very good photo but you get the idea.

Burdock Chips

Definitely my favorite way to enjoy burdock. We had these with some fish (fish and chips) and a nice spinach salad.

Ramp Tart
From Eggs on Sunday

We threw this together at the last minute and I forgot to plan ahead and make my own ricotta, resulting in a quick trip to the store, and we realized we didn't have any bacon. Fail! It was still pretty good but it could have used the bacon. Mmm bacon.

For the tart crust:
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed

For the tart filling:
4 slices of good quality bacon
1 large shallot, sliced
3 cups (packed) spinach
1 1/2 cups ricotta
1 large egg
salt and pepper, to taste
about 18 ramps, cleaned and bulb ends trimmed

In a food processor, combine the flours and salt and pulse to combine. Add the pieces of cold unsalted butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the 3 tablespoons ice water, then pulse in 1 second bursts until the mixture resembles curds and clumps (you can add a little more water if needed.) Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface, gather it together in a ball, flatten into a disk shape and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more.

To pre-bake the tart shell, roll it out and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan, trimming off any excess (you can save the excess dough to patch any tears that might appear in the dough.) Prick the bottom of the shell with a fork all over, then lay a piece of foil into the shell and fill the foil with dried beans (they’ll act as weights to keep the shell from puffing up in the oven.) Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and beans and bake for an additional 7 minutes or so, until the dough loses it’s glossiness and turns ever so slightly golden brown around the edges. Remove the shell from the oven, keeping it in the pan, and cool on a rack.

When you’re ready to assemble the tart, cook the bacon in a large, heavy saute pan until browned and crisp. Remove to a cooling rack to drain off any excess fat. Pour off the bacon fat (save it to cook other things with!) until there’s about a tablespoon left in the pan. Return the pan to medium high heat and saute the sliced shallots until softened, then add the spinach and cook the mixture just until wilted.

Transfer the spinach/shallot mixture to the bowl of a food processor. Add the ricotta cheese, egg, and a generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper (I found it didn’t need much additional salt since the bacon is kind of salty.) Puree the mixture until the spinach is chopped, and set aside.

In the same pan you used to cook the bacon and spinach, add the whole ramps and a little bit of water. Cook just until the ramp greens have wilted, and set aside.

Transfer the ricotta/spinach mixture into the tart shell. Top with the crumbled bacon slices, then arrange the wilted ramps over the top. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet, and bake for about 35-45 minutes in a 375 degree F oven, until the top is just starting to turn brown, the filling is slightly puffed and set, and the crust is golden brown. Serves 4 generously.

Nettle Risotto, Ramps Biscuits, and Arugula, Watermelon and Feta Salad

This was a heavenly meal. Even the nettle risotto! A friend of mine, Clare, thought the nettles would ruin the risotto (she's also not a fan) but I have to say that it worked well! The ramp biscuits were to die for as was the salad.

Risotto with Nettles
From Joanne Weir, via Mariquita Farm

6 ounces nettles, stems removed
2 cups homemade chicken stock
2 cups water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, minced (I used some ramps)
1 cup Arborio
3/4 cup dry white wine, preferable Sauvignon Blanc
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Place the chicken stock and water in a sauce pan and heat until it is hot but not boiling. Reduce the heat to low and maintain the heat just below a simmer. Place a ladle in the pan.

Warm the olive oil in a large heavy casserole over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 10 minutes. Add the rice and nettles and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to toast the rice and coat with oil.

Add the wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until the wine has reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Add a few ladlefuls of stock to the rice and stir to wipe the rice away from the sides and the bottom of the pot. Continue to stir until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add another ladleful of stock and continue to stir until the liquid has been almost absorbed. Continue to add stock and stir in the same manner until the rice is no longer chalky, 20 to 25 minutes total, depending upon the variety of rice. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and add another ladleful of stock, the butter and the half of Parmigiano. Cover the pan and let sit covered off the heat for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and stir. Place the risotto in a bowl and serve immediately. Top with remaining parmesan.

Ramp Biscuits
from Bon Appetit

When we made these before, I don't think we did the egg wash or cracked coriander. That was a mistake. See previous blog post for recipe.

Watermelon, Arugula, and Feta Salad
From Serious Eats

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 small shallots, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large bunches of arugula (6 cups packed), washed and dried
2 cups cubed seedless watermelon
1 cup (4 ounces) French feta cheese, crumbled

Combine oil, vinegar, and shallots; mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper; let stand 5 minutes. Arrange arugula on 4 serving plates or bowls. Arrange watermelon and cheese on top of arugula; drizzle with dressing. Serves 4.

A few favorites

2011-05-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

We made two of our favorites the past two days: chive spread and ramp risotto.

Chive Spread

We have a ridiculous amount of chives and one way to use quite a few of them is a simple chive spread. I've adapted a recipe I've found online: stir together a larger tub of whipped cream cheese, container of 2% greek yogurt, a bunch of chopped chives and some garlic powder. Delicious!

Ramp Risotto

Still my favorite way to enjoy ramps! Look back to 2009 for the original post on ramp risotto for the recipe.

Goat Cheese and Chive Gnocchi with Asparagus

2011-05-11T17:28:00.000-07:00

Mike commented at dinner tonight that we find making a dish two years in a row redundant. It's true! We say things like, "should we make Ramp Risotto again? But we made it last year! Maybe we should try something new."

We rarely eat the same meal twice with the exception of beans and rice and friday night pizza but even that is always tweaked differently. There a few things we've had several times but our weekly menus are almost entirely always full of new recipes. That's strange, right? Maybe I should make a list of recipes that we have made more than once. That might be interesting.

Back to the gnocchi! We all gobbled this up (Owen was more impressed with the gnocchi than the asparagus but Jillian ate nearly an adult portion). We said this one made it to our "make again...some year!" list.

Goat Cheese and Chive Gnocchi with Asparagus
Recipe from the kitchn

4 ounces goat cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 - 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 lb. asparagus, washed and trimmed
3 tablespoons butter

In a small mixing bowl, combine goat cheese, Parmesan, egg, 1/4 cup chives and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix with a fork until smooth. Add flour a spoonful at a time until dough comes together but is still a little wet.

Lightly flour a work surface and line a jelly roll pan with wax paper. On the floured surface, knead dough for about a minute. If it's still a little sticky, add some flour as needed, a spoonful at a time.

Divide dough in half. Flour hands and roll into each piece back and forth until it becomes a rope about 1-inch thick. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. If desired, roll each piece against the back of a fork to add texture. Place gnocchi on wax paper-lined pan and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Bring a pot of water to boil for the gnocchi.

Meanwhile, cut asparagus on the bias into 1/2-inch pieces. Steam for about 2 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.

When water is boiling, salt generously. Add gnocchi and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they rise to the surface. Drain and set aside.

In a large sauce pan, heat butter over medium heat until it begins to brown. Add the asparagus, gnocchi, 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining chives. Cook for 1 minute. Add black pepper to taste. Serve. Garnish with chive blossoms if desired.

serves 2-4

Quinoa, Crepes and Beans with Rice

2011-05-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

Quinoa Burgers

My friend Clare posted this Quinoa Burger recipe on another friend's blog. I have to admit, that Quinoa isn't my favorite food but maybe that's because I haven't had it this way? I really enjoyed these Quinoa burgers. I had a little trouble getting them to hold together and had to increase the heat to medium high in order for them to be a solid burger. Maybe Clare can show me her trick.

Banana & Salted Caramel Crepes
Adapted from this recipe

This was our Easter breakfast and it was so incredibly delicious. It was Mike's first time making crepes and he did a great job. Next time, I vote for nutella crepes!

Beans & Rice

Over the winter, we made a habit of eating beans & rice once a week. It's cheap, easy and we all love it. We'd mix up the toppings and sometimes use dry beans and sometimes use the time-saving canned beans. It will be great when we get into the tomatoes, onions and peppers season this summer!

Making it at home

2011-05-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

We've been trying to make more and more food at home. This includes bread, pizza dough, ricotta and has now branched out to pasta. We had the opportunity to make some pasta for our dinner club and it's amazingly easy. I hope to make more of our pasta at home but sometimes we need to speed things up with a box of dry pasta.

In preparation for our dinner, we made a basic fettucini earlier in the week. For our dinner club, we made ravioli (homemade dough) with asparagus and ricotta (homemade). It was quite delicious, if I do say so myself.

Pasta with Ramps

2011-05-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

Ramps are a little slice of heaven. No kidding! They are right up there in my favorites with arugula and tiramisu. I was a little worried about trying this recipe because I didn't want to waste the ramps on a mediocre meal. I am relieved to report that it was tasty and that the dish was simple enough for the ramps to shine. Next week, we'll be making ramp risotto. Yummmm!

Pasta with Ramps
From The Splendid Table

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds fresh ramps
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or half oil and half butter
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt
1/2 pound dry pasta, in any shape, such as penne, linguine or orecchiette
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino cheese

To prepare the ramps, trim off the roots with a paring knife and slip off any discolored or dead skin that clings to the bulbs. Wash the ramps in several changes of water and drain well. (As you clean the ramps, stack into loose bundles, so the bulbs and leaves are lined up; this will make them easier to cut). Place on a cutting board and cut off the bulbs; cut the leaves in half crosswise. Reserve both bulbs and leaves. Put a large pot of water on to boil.

In a large non-stick skillet set over low heat, combine the ramp bulbs, olive oil and 1/3 cup water; cover and cook until the bulbs are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the pepperoncino and cook, tossing frequently, about 1 minute. With a tablespoon, scoop about 1 tablespoon of the oil into a small bowl and reserve. Add the ramp greens to the pan along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and about 3 tablespoons water. Cover and cook over moderately high heat, tossing frequently, until the greens are tender and the water has completely evaporated, about 5 minutes. (If the water evaporates before the greens are cooked, add a tablespoon or two more to the pan. If too much water is left in the pan once the vegetables are cooked through, uncover, increase the heat to high and boil it off, or simply drain it off). Turn the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bulbs and greens are meltingly tender and the greens are no longer stringy. Turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, salt the boiling water well. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still slightly firm to the bite. Using a measuring cup, scoop out about 1/4 cup of the cooking water and reserve. Drain the pasta well.

Pour the reserved cooking water back into the pasta pot. Add the reserved ramp oil, and the cooked ramps and bring to a boil for 30 seconds. Add the drained pasta and toss to coat, seasoning with salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper. Divide the pasta among four warm shallow soup bowls, spooning some of the vegetables over each. Serve at once, passing the cheese on the side.

Serves 4

Salmon Cakes with Sorrel Sauce and Spinach Salad

2011-05-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

This was a delicious meal - we will definitely be eating this again! Thank you, Martha Stewart (I don't say that often)! A note of caution - Mike said the sauce wasn't great on it's own but it was phenomenal on top of the salmon. So, don't try to improve the sauce until you taste it with a bit of salmon.

Salmon Cakes with Sorrel Sauce
From Martha Stewart

1 pound cooked or canned salmon, flaked
2/3 cup cooked potato, from Crisp Potato Skins
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 scallions, white and pale-green parts only, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups thinly sliced fresh sorrel leaves (4 ounces)
1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Directions

Mix salmon, potato, eggs, scallions, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a bowl. Form into twelve 2 1/2-inch cakes.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the cakes, and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining oil and cakes.

Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add sorrel and parsley, and cook for 2 minutes. Puree with lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a blender or a food processor until smooth.

Spoon sauce over salmon cakes, and serve immediately.

Sunchoke and Chive Soup

2011-05-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest, I don't go crazy over sunchokes. Last year we did pretty well with them but they started to accumulate toward the end of the season and we had to throw some out. This year we vowed to not let any carry over to the next week.

I don't like sunchokes, but I did think this soup was pretty good. And, the bacon isn't optional in my opinion!

Sunchoke and Chive Soup
From the Harmony Valley Farms Newsletter, May 2007, Week 19

1 lb sunchokes, unpeeled
2 ½ cups vegetable stock
½ bunch chives
1 cup milk
6 slices bacon (optional)
4 Tbsp sour cream (optional)
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 plus 1/8 tsp white pepper

- Cut Sunchokes into 1" chunks. Put into a medium saucepot and add
vegetable stock. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer
gently until the sunchokes are tender. Remove from heat and drain off
liquid into a separate container. Reserve the cooking liquid to add back
to the soup to adjust the consistency.
- In a blender, puree sunchokes, adding cooking liquid as needed to get a
fine puree. Cut chives into 1" pieces and blend into sunchokes along with
milk, salt and pepper.
-Pour the soup back into the saucepot and bring back to a simmer. Adjust
seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
- Slice bacon into small strips and cook over medium heat in a sauté pan
until crisp. Drain and reserve.
- To serve, ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish with bacon and a dollop of
sour cream if desired.

April Eats

2011-04-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

Only a few more weeks until our first CSA delivery! Can't wait. Until then, I'm trying to entertain myself with some new recipes and some old favorites.

Pulled Pork with Apple Slaw

Loved the pulled pork and loved the apple slaw. Mike and I added extra Tabasco on our sandwich. What put this meal over the top was eating it the next day on a homemade baguette. Delicious!

Pulled Pork
from A Year of Slow Cooking

4 pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 onion, sliced in rings
2 cups ketchup (a 24oz bottle seems to be exactly 2 cups. weird.)
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Use a 6 quart crockpot. Trim meat, and place into your crockpot. Add sliced onion. Squeeze in 2 cups of ketchup, and then pour 1/2 cup warm water into the ketchup bottle and shake. Pour the ketchup-y water into your crock. Add vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, Tabasco and salt. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork.

Apple Slaw
from All Recipes

3 cups chopped cabbage
1 unpeeled red apple, cored and chopped
1 unpeeled Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
1 carrot, grated
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, red apple, green apple, carrot, red bell pepper, and green onions. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Pour dressing over salad.

Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies

Do you like peanut butter? Chocolate Chips? Caramel? Cookies? GO MAKE THESE NOW. And if you have a little helper like I do, bring them along but don't let them eat all the snickers.

Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped Snickers Peanut Butter Squared candy bars
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the milk and the vanilla extract and mix again.

Add the flour mixture and beat until flour disappears. Stir in the chopped Snickers and chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Gently flatten each cookie ball with the palm of your hand. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until cookies are slightly brown on the edges.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Friday Night Pizza

This week's pizza was made with spinach, goat cheese, roasted red peppers and leftover homemade marinara (Mario Batali Simple Marinara). Yum!

Cinnamon Rolls

I've been wanting to make these for a long time. Why did I wait so long?! Pure heaven. They were quite easy to make, too. Time consuming but simple. I wanted to eat the entire pan but I found strength and froze most of the pan for later indulgence. The recipe is from one of my very favorite baking books - The Weekend Baker. The author gives great directions and always provides make-ahead directions.

Cumin Roasted Cauliflower Soup
from Serious Eats

We've been meaning to try out some of the recipes from the Eat for Eight Bucks series on Serious Eats and finally got around to trying this soup. The verdict? Easy, delicious and cheap! Perfect!

1 medium head cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
1 large onion, diced
1 garlic clove
3-4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Cayenne Pepper
¼ cup heavy cream
Cilantro for garnish (optional)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut cauliflower into 2-inch florets. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, toss cauliflower with 1 tablespoon of oil, salt, and cumin to coat. Roast in the oven until the cauliflower is just beginning to turn golden brown, but still has a little bite to it, about 20 minutes.

In a medium Dutch oven or lidded saucepan, heat the remaining oil over a medium flame. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for an addition minute. Add the cauliflower, stock, and a dash of cayenne, and bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until the cauliflower is very tender, about 10 minutes.

Puree the soup using an immersion blender, or a standing blender. Return to the pot and add the cream. Thin the soup as necessary with additional stock until you reach your desired consistency. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt and cayenne to taste. Serve.

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Pasta

I loved the simple flavors of this pasta. I can't locate the recipe for this one but all I did was roast some cauliflower and chickpeas (with olive oil) until the chickpeas begin to have a crunch to them. Toss that with the cooked pasta. Throw on some croutons (bake some chopped crusty bread for about 10 minutes while the other stuff is roasting) and top with a dollop of ricotta. And don't forget to salt the pasta water! Easy peasy!

Hot German Slaw

What do you do with some leftover cabbage? Make hot german slaw! Good for your soul but not for your arteries.

Baked Ziti

This recipe is from March 2009 Cooks Illustrated (psst...). I will continue to make this recipe my entire life. It's absolutely perfect.

End of Winter Doldrums

2011-04-03T18:27:00.000-07:00

I can barely stand the wait until our first box of fresh veggies from the farm. We're going with Harmony Valley again this year and can't wait for spring's bounty of radishes, ramps, arugula, asparagus, etc.

In the meantime, I've been experimenting with slow cooker recipes and bread baking.

Sweet & Sour Chicken (from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook)

This was okay. Not great and I wouldn't make it again. Bummer.

St. Patrick's Day

Ever since I can remember, my family has celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a corned beef dinner. The funny thing is that I don't think we're Irish. Scottish, maybe, but not Irish. The last 5 or so years, I've been using the same soda bread recipe. Perhaps soda bread should be dry but I like mine moist. This makes phenomenal french toast the next day.

Wild Rice Soup

Sometimes you just need some creamy wild rice soup that will stick to your ribs. Well, at least I do. Love the recipe from A Good Appetite.

Ebelskivers

Mike received an Ebelskiver pan for Christmas two years ago and has made some tasty creations. They usually contain something sweet inside - raspberry jam, nutella, etc. This time we decided to go savory with the Reuben Ebelskiver. Delicious.

Sugar Crusted Popovers

This recipe had been circulating on my facebook feed and I needed to give it a try. It was pretty much like eating a donut. Yum! I need to make popovers more often. They're so easy!

Bread Baking

It was a long week. Mike worked 7 days in a row and my little man had been sick for four days. We were stuck at home and I was getting bored. So, what do I do? Try my hand at artisan bread! Mike usually does the bread baking but I decided to give it a shot, too. I made a simple batard for my first loaf. It turned out quite well! I have dough in the refrigerator for another loaf. Maybe I'll make a baguette and practice my shaping skills some more.

I have a fun menu lined up for this week - stay tuned!

Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast

2011-03-06T12:15:00.000-08:00

I was in the mood for some serious breakfast. We had a container of mascarpone sitting in our fridge for way too long that needed to be used. I had originally bought the mascarpone to make tiramisu cookies but never got around to doing so.

Awhile back (years ago?), I made this mascarpone stuffed french toast (allrecipes.com) and it came to mind. This time I used canned peaches because it's nearly impossible to find good peaches right now. Other modifications included not stuffing the bread - we just cut pieces of french bread into 1/2" pieces and spooned the filling in between two pieces. I'll definitely skip the "stuffing" again but I'll use fresh peaches. Even Owen liked it!

Friday (errr... Saturday) Night Pizza

2011-03-05T17:20:00.000-08:00

We've been trying to keep up our Friday Night Pizza tradition but it has been to throw together a great pizza without much fresh produce around. It's also a little challenging to make pizza dough on Friday afternoons with two reluctant nappers. So, this week it was a Saturday Night Pizza. I looked for some inspiration this week and found a Sausage and Grape Pizza from A Good Appetite. We paired it with a simple spinach side salad. It was mighty tasty.

PS - Photos

2011-03-02T18:56:00.001-08:00

A photo organizing project went haywire and I broke all the blog photo links. I'm slowly fixing them but it will take me awhile...

Cooking Club

2011-03-02T18:46:00.001-08:00

I'm baaaaaaaaaaack! Well, sort of. I'm getting anxious for spring and fresh produce. I've had my share of winter food and want arugula, spinach, radishes, ramps, etc. I can barely contain my drool just writing those words. So here I am, hoping to get back into blogging about food. I don't really want to post photos of my slow cooker corn chowder or my mexican casserole so stay tuned until we something blog worthy.

Recently, my knitting/playgroup friends and I agreed to start a cooking club. The plan is to get together once a month around a food theme. The host chooses the themes, prepares the main dish, and provides beverages. We all get along quite well and are really hoping our men-folk will get along, too. Last Friday was to be our first cooking club night and Mike and I were the hosts. We chose authentic mexican and planned to make Turkey with Red Mole (Rick Bayless), serve margaritas, Mike's homebrew, and mexican hot chocolate. We began preparing the mole on Wednesday. We washed all our china (because honestly it was super dusty from not being used) and our stemware. And then Friday came and I woke up and felt like I had been hit by a truck. Hello sinus infection. We ended up canceling cooking club (whimper) but Mike finished the turkey dish because we couldn't keep partially-cooked turkey around. The turkey with red mole was served with white rice and vegetables (frozen, because we're sometimes fancy like that). It was seriously tasty. Smokey, spicy, deep, and rich. And, cooking club is rescheduled for March so we get to try this all over again! Luckily, we have a batch of red mole in the freezer because it was quite a bit of work.

End of August Bounty

2010-09-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

We've reached the midpoint of our CSA deliveries and the boxes are getting quite heavy (literally). Here's what we've been cooking:

Steak Fajitas

We pan grilled some steak and served with sauteed onions and peppers. Simple and delicious.

Poached Eggs with Tomato on Toast

I can't get enough tomatoes. There's nothing better than a bright red, juicy tomato. I've been eating as many as I can which translates to tomatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Poached eggs are a standard breakfast around here. We put them on top of all sorts of CSA veggies (sauteed greens, spinach, pea vine, tomatoes, etc.). I believe the tomato in the photo is one from our own garden.

Marinated Peppers on French Bread and Trout
Peppers recipe from All Recipes

In the past, we've had trouble using up the peppers fast enough. My new strategy is to roast them or saute them and eat as many as possible in one meal. We got a variety of peppers this week (ukrainian, roaster, pimento, mini sweets). I used all but the roasters (similar to poblanos) in this mix. A delicious side and a new regular to our menu.

* 1 red bell pepper
* 1 green bell pepper
* 1 yellow bell pepper
* 1 1/2 cloves garlic, sliced
* 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
* 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
* 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley (didn't use)
* salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place the whole red, green and yellow peppers in the oven directly on the rack. Roast for about 15 minutes, turning if needed, until the skin is well scorched. Immediately place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or in a paper bag, and allow to cool. (I put them under the broiler)
2. Remove the skins from the peppers by rubbing with your hands, and rinse under cold water. Cut in half, remove stem and seeds, then cut into strips.
3. Place peppers into a medium serving bowl, and stir in the garlic, vinegar, oil, basil, parsley, salt and pepper.

Tomato Brie Fusilli
recipe from Whole Foods

We've been making this recipe for years and I'm pretty sure I blogged it last year. One of my favorite ways to use tomatoes and basil.

Sausage & Peppers Pasta and Chopped Caprese Salad
recipe from A Good Appetite

I love reading A Good Appetite. They have so many great ideas, they seem to be into the same things we are, AND they're in Minneapolis and get veggies from Harmony Valley. I feel like we should meet them. Anyway! We're fans of the traditional sausage and peppers dish but I like this recipe for a little something different. We had tomatoes to use up (suprise!) so I made a side salad of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt. Easy and delicious!

olive oil
6 - 7 oz bulk Italian sausage
1 medium yellow onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
2 c sweet peppers, seeded & sliced
1/4 c sherry
2 T tomato paste
1 T red wine vinegar
dash of red pepper flakes
4 oz pasta, medium shells
1/4 c reserved pasta cooking water
grated Parmesan (optional)

Coat the bottom of a large skillet with a little olive oil & heat over medium-high heat. Add the sausage & brown until cooked. Add the onions & cook until starting to soften. Stir in the peppers, sherry, tomato paste, vinegar & red pepper flakes. Cover & turn the heat down to low. Let cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the directions. Drain the pasta reserving 1/4 cup of the water. Mix the pasta & water into the sausage & peppers. Top each serving with grated Parmesan if desired.

Serves 2 (we increased everything to make enough for 4+)

Rocky Road Cake
recipe from All Recipes

My sister was in town and she had just recently celebrated her 19th birthday (yes, there's quite an age difference there). I decided to make her a cake (because I want cake and she likes cake and it's her birthday) so I found an absolutely ridiculous cake. I tend to make cakes from scratch and avoid mixes and canned frosting but I had a craving for pure junk. Pure junk but absolutely delicious.

Blogging without a camera

2010-08-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

After I declared that I would resume blogging, I realized that we didn't have our camera. We accidently left it at a friend's house and life is so crazy these days that we didn't pick it up for a week and a half (this is a long time for us to be without camera, folks!). In the meantime, we made two fabulous meals. You'll just have to imagine how these meals looked.

Bihari Green Bean Masala
Mark Bittman

I absolutely loved this dish. The sauce was so tasty that I would be willing to drink it from a glass. We'll definitely be making this again and might try some variations.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or light olive oil
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup coconut milk
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro.

1. Heat the oil in a 3-quart sauté pan over medium heat. Add almonds and cook, stirring, until light golden. Remove from heat and transfer almonds to a plate or bowl; set aside for garnish.
2. Add onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, chili pepper flakes and salt to the unwashed sauté pan, and return to medium heat. Sauté until the onion is tender and begins to fry, about 4 minutes.
3. Add coconut milk and green beans. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until the beans are tender, about 6 minutes.
4. Sprinkle beans with lime juice, and toss lightly. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and garnish with almonds and cilantro. If desired, serve accompanied by plain cooked rice or roti flatbread.

Yields 2-3 servings (we doubled and served over rice)

Friday Night Pizza

We had friends over so we made two pizzas. One with eggplant, olive tapenade, roasted red peppers, and goat cheese. And the other with a roasted tomato and cotija cheese topping. They were both heavenly and very photogenic. Too bad we didn't have the camera.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Adapted from Chow

This dish was pretty good but way too salty and way too spicy (and I like my spicy!). We might make again, reducing the salt and skipping the jalepeno and relying on a little heat from the poblano.

1 cup uncooked white long grain rice
1 1/2 cups water
3 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
8 medium poblano peppers
1 cup cooked black beans
1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (about 1/2 bunch)
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes (about 2 small tomatoes)
2/3 cup chopped scallions (about 1/2 bunch)
1 jalepeño, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Place rice in a colander or a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Combine rice, water, and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan and reduce heat to low; cook until water has been completely absorbed, about 10 minutes (rice will be slightly undercooked). Remove the lid and set the pan aside to let rice cool.
2. To prepare peppers for stuffing, use a paring knife to cut a wide circle around each stem (like when carving a jack-o’-lantern), so you end up with a cap that can be replaced once you’ve stuffed the peppers. Be careful not to puncture or rip the peppers. Clean any seeds and membranes from the cap and from the interior of each pepper; set aside.
3. Place beans in a large mixing bowl. Using a potato masher or the back of a fork, lightly mash them (some whole beans will remain). Stir cumin, sour cream, Cotija, cilantro, tomatoes, scallions, jalapeño, pepper, and remaining salt into mashed beans and mix until evenly combined. Gently mix in cooled rice. Taste mixture and, if necessary, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (Note that the filling should be quite salty to compensate for there being no salt on the peppers.) Stuff each pepper with the filling and replace caps, securing with a toothpick.
4. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals out evenly over the charcoal grate. Place stuffed peppers on their sides and close the lid. Roll each pepper a quarter turn every 7 minutes or so to cook all four sides. The peppers are finished once the filling is hot, the skins are well-charred, and the flesh is soft to the touch, about 30 minutes. Remove from the grill and serve. (we used the oven)

Long time, no post!

2010-08-17T13:06:00.001-07:00

The blog got put on the back burner after some serious morning sickness last farm season. Earlier this season, our beautiful baby girl was born (June 2nd) and things were just too hectic to even get dinner on the table, let alone remember to take a photo and post about it. But, here I am again. I hope to resume my weekly posting for the remainder of the season, even if that seems like quite a daunting task.

In the meantime, here's some photos of things we've made that I didn't have time to blog about.

Delicious medium rare (oh how I missed that while pregnant!) burgers made with Thousand Hills ground beef.

Coconut Curry - One of our favorite curry recipes from All Recipes.

Rhubarb Galette - This one looked a little better than it tasted.

Friday Night Pizza: Golden Beets, Artichoke Hearts, Capers, Banana Peppers, Feta

Stuffed Figs - I wish I could eat this through the screen. I absolutely love figs.

Friday Night Pizza: Figs, Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, Arugula

Box #17

2009-10-04T05:43:00.000-07:00

What we got:

Broccoli romanesco
Yellow onion
Italian garlic
Tomato variety bag
Grape tomatoes
Orange Ukraine
UW Roaster
Jalapeño
Teggia horticultural bean
Green top carrots
Watermelon
Cantaloupe/French orange melon
Spigarello
Cucumber
Summer squash
Red or French breakfast radish
Salad or spinach
Colorado Rose or Carola Gold Potatoes
Edamame

What we did with it:

Friday Night Pizza with Poblano, Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

Home Fries with Poached Eggs

Roasted Garlic and Broccoli Pasta with Sauteed Greens and Tomatoes

Poached Eggs over sauteed spigarello, tomato and onion.

Box #16

2009-10-04T05:33:00.000-07:00

I'm only a month behind in posting! Here goes catching up.

What we got:

Yellow onions
Italian garlic
Green beans
Edamame
Sweet corn
Tomato variety bag: Carolina Gold (yellow), a variety of black tomatoes, Copia (striped heirloom type), Rose (pink heirloom type) and some red slicing tomatoes.
Grape tomatoes
Carrots
Squash
Cucumbers
Watermelon
Melon
Poblano peppers
Jalapeños
Bell pepper
Amaranth
Salad Mix
Eggplant
Cauliflower

What we did with it:

Cheeseburger with jalepenos and cheddar, lemony green beans and melon.

Hummus Sandwich with Cucumber, Tomatoes, Eggplant, and Hot Peppers

Friday Pizza Night: Goat Cheese, Salami, Pear Tomatoes, Hot Peppers

Tuna Burger with Amaranth and Carrot Soup

BLT and Melon

Box #15

2009-08-29T16:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

Could life get any better?

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

Box #14

2009-08-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-03T17:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-03T16:41:00.000-07:00

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.

Box #10

2009-07-25T17:18:00.000-07:00

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

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.
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.
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.
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

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
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.
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

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.
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.
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.
Serve with a sprinkling of cilantro and the cashews. Season to taste with salt.

Box #7, #8, and #9

2009-07-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

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

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
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.
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.
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.
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

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.
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.
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.
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

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.
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.
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

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.
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.

What we did with Box #6

2009-06-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

Chili Lime Kohlrabi Salad
(recipe included in our CSA newsletter)

While this recipe was very tasty, it wasn't the best choice for a main course. I felt like I needed a side of cheese or cream. With that said, I'd definitely eat it again as a side dish.

Makes 2-3 Servings

2-3 small kohlrabi
1 bunch scallions
1 small or medium head bok choi or Yukina Savoy
Small head leaf lettuce
½ cup lime juice
1 tsp chili powder
2 Tbsp sunﬂ ower oil (we used peanut oil)
Salt and pepper

1. Wash kohlrabi and trim off leaves at the base, leaving a bare bulb. Slice the bulb crosswise as thinly as possible. Reserve leaves.
2. Wash and chop scallions. Toss scallions and sliced kohlrabi with lime juice and chili powder in a medium-size mixing bowl. Refrigerate 1 hour to marinate kohlrabi.
3. Rinse bok choi or Yukina Savoy and chop into bite-size pieces. Cut kohlrabi leaves crosswise into ¼” thick strips. Rinse leaf lettuce and tear into bite-size pieces.
4. Drain excess lime juice from kohlrabi mixture. Toss with chopped bok choi, kohlrabi leaves, lettuce, and sunﬂ ower oil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Picnic Sandwich

We used a basic italian bread, topped it with arugula pesto one one slice and sage (from our garden) and green garlic spread. We stacked turkey, bacon, cheese, arugula and red leaf lettuce between the bread and voila! This was one heck of a lunch!

A note about the sage and green garlic spread. I have recently discovered greek yogurt and am obsessed with it. I've been adapting this recipes for chive and onion spread in all sorts of ways and the sage and green garlic is one of the trials. The possibilities are endless! Good thing I discovered 2% greek yogurt.

Radish and Arugula Sandwich

I love radishes - am I repeating myself yet? My favorite way to enjoy them is by eating them raw or eating them thinly sliced on buttered (I break down and buy Plugra butter during radish season) bread. Mike thinks this is too simple of a concept. So, he made these radish sandwiches which is pretty much the same thing but with arugula and it's not served open-face. Give me radish, Plugra and some bread and I'm set. Add arugula and I'm sold!

Smoked Salmon, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Pizza

We had a crust in the freezer from last time we made pizza so we whipped up this one with salmon, asparagus and goat cheese. Smoked salmon and goat cheese make it on to my favorite things list (along with radish, Plugra, and arugula). All we did for this pizza is brush the crust with olive oil and sprinkled some sliced green garlic. We then topped it with blanched asparagus, smoked salmon and lumps of goat cheese. We ended up eating the whole pizza between the two of us. I could really go for another piece right now.

Italian Sausage and Spinach Pasta
(Mike found this recipe somewhere, sorry person we stole it from)

This pasta was a lot tastier than I expected. The best part? It only used one pot! That's my kind of recipe. Owen ate a big serving of this and didn't even pick out the spinach. We'll definitely be making this again!

serves 2-3

1 pound spicy Italian sausage, split in half and sliced into 1-inch pieces
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 pound spaghetti
10 ounces spinach, washed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup half-and-half
Handful grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

1. Set a large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until they begin to release some of their fat. Toss in the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon off any accumulated fat.
2. Pour in the chicken broth. Bring it to a boil. Add the spaghetti. It probably won't all fit in the liquid, but just keep stirring every 10 seconds or so, until it is tender enough sink into liquid. Keep stirring every 30 seconds to allow the noodles to cook evenly. Cook until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes.
3. Toss in the spinach, stir, and then cover the pot and cook for 3 minutes. Stir, and then add the half-and-half. Let the sauce thicken, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve.

Rhubarb Cardamom Sorbet
(by way of A Good Appetite, originally from Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic)

We have this in the works as I type this, more to come later...

3 1/2 c fresh rhubarb, chopped
2 1/2 c water
1 2/3 c sugar
1/4 t salt
2 t dried lemon zest
1/2 t cardamom
1 t vanilla extract
2 t corn syrup

Place the rhubarb, water, sugar, salt & lemon zest in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover & let simmer for 5 minutes. The rhubarb should get very soft. Let cool. Press through a fine strainer to remove the pulp. Stir in the cardamom, vanilla & corn syrup. Cover & chill until very cold. Process in your ice cream maker until creamy. Place in a container & freeze. Makes about 1 quart.

Box #6

2009-06-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

What we'll make this week is completely up in the air but here's what we have to work with:

Red Leaf Lettuce
Kohlrabi
Spinach
French Breakfast Radishes
Purple Scallions
Garlic Scapes
Yukina Savoy
Asparagus
Rhubarb
Sauté Mix
Basil

What we did with Box #5

2009-06-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

Spicy Stir Fried Chicken with Peanuts
(recipe included in HVF newsletter, originally from epicurious.com)

For some unknown reason, I'm not a big fan of stir fry. I always think I'll really like it but it often just doesn't do it for me. Must be a lack of cheese. Or cream. Or both.

With that said, this dish was pretty good. Not plate licking good but good. I'd make it again.

2 Tbsp soy sauce, divided
2 Tbsp dry Sherry, divided
3 tsp Asian sesame oil, divided
2 tsp honey, divided
1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into
1/3-inch-wide strips
3 Tbsp peanut oil, divided
4 green onions or 2 green garlic, white parts and green parts
chopped separately
2 tsp chopped dried chiles
1 large bunch greens (such as spinach, hon tsai tai, bok choi,
mustard greens, kale), spinach left whole, other greens cut into
1-inch strips
1 cup broccoli ﬂorets
1 cup asparagus
1/4 cup chopped roasted salted peanuts

Whisk 1-tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Sherry, 1-teaspoon sesame oil, and 1-teaspoon honey in medium bowl. Add chicken; marinate 20 to 30 minutes.

Whisk remaining 1-tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Sherry, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and 1-teaspoon honey in small bowl and reserve.

Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add white parts of onions and garlic and chile ﬂakes; stir 30 seconds. Add chicken; stir-fry just until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken mixture to bowl. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to same skillet; heat over high heat. Add broccoli, asparagus and greens by large handfuls; stir just until beginning to wilt before adding more. Sauté just until tender, 1 to 6 minutes, depending on type of greens.

Return chicken to skillet. Add reserved soy sauce mixture; stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl; sprinkle with green parts of onions and peanuts. Serves 4

Breakfast Sandwich with Sauteed Pea Vine
(another recipe from the HVF newsletter)

We often don't use our produce for breakfast but we saw this recipe in the newsletter and to try it. We love breakfast sandwiches, especially when they include bacon and creamy sauce. This one didn't disappoint. My only regret is that I didn't make homemade muffins to use for this. Someday...

Sauce: 1 ½ Tbsp ﬂ our
1 ½ Tbsp butter
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 ¼-1 ½ cup milk
Salt & Pepper, to taste

2 Biscuits or English Mufﬁns, warmed
6 oz bacon or ham, cooked
1 Tbsp butter
4 eggs
1 bunch pea vine

In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, melt butter for the sauce. Sprinkle in ﬂ our and stir to combine with a rubber spatula until it is well combined and has the appearance of wet sand.

Stir in mustard and gradually add milk in small amounts, stirring with a wire whisk. Once all the milk has been incorporated, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently. Simmer for 15 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm until ready to serve.

Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat. Melt 1 ½ tsp butter and sauté pea vine just until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and set aside.

Start to assemble sandwiches. Open biscuit or mufﬁn. On each half, place crumbled bacon or slices of ham.

Coat the small sauté pan with butter over medium heat. Cook the eggs one at a time. Cook to over-easy so the yolk is still liquid. Remove from pan and place on top of bacon or ham on the open-faced sandwich. Repeat with remaining 3 eggs.

Top eggs with sauce and then sautéed pea vine. Enjoy!

Chinese Braised Pork Ribs
(from Eating Out Loud via A Good Appetite)

I saw this recipe on A Good Appetite and decided I must have the ribs and I must have them now. The ribs were finger-licking good - literally. The meat fell off the bones and the sauce was delicious. We served the ribs with brown rice and a side of bok choy (sauteed with a few random asian ingredients from the pantry) as A Good Appetite did. I drool just remembering the taste of these ribs.

1 rack baby back ribs, about 2 - 2 1/2 lbs
2 T canola oil
1/2 c soy sauce
1 c sweetened rice wine (we find this in the Asian section of the grocery store)
1/4 c hoisin sauce
1/4 t red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh ginger, peeled & minced
2 T honey

Cut the rack of ribs into separate ribs. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a dutch oven. Add the ribs & brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients & bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat & simmer for 45 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Remove lid & let boil gently until the sauce is thickened & coating the ribs, 15 - 20 minutes.

Serves 3 -4 (depending on how many ribs you serve per person.)

Pasta with Asparagus, Arugula, and Ricotta
(from NY Times)

I'm not a big fan of cooking elaborate meals (my definition of elaborate = rib recipe above). I like eating them but not cooking them or cleaning up the mess from cooking them. This recipe for pasta is more my style - simple, quick and tasty. I will note that mixing the ricotta with water seemed really, really wrong. We did it anyway and it worked. I might just throw lumps of ricotta in if we make this in the future.

3/4 pound thin asparagus, woody ends snapped off, cut into 1-inch lengths
Salt
3/4 pound penne, fusilli or bow-tie pasta
1/2 cup fresh ricotta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
A generous handful of baby arugula or wild arugula leaves, rinsed and spun dry (about 1 ounce, or 1 cup tightly packed)
Freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add a generous amount of salt. Add the asparagus. Cook pencil-thin asparagus for two minutes, three to four minutes if stems are medium-thick. Transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water. Drain and set aside.

2. Place the ricotta in a large pasta bowl.

3. Bring the water back to a boil, and add the pasta. Cook al dente, following the directions for timing on the package but checking a minute before the suggested cooking time. Stir 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water into the ricotta. Drain the pasta and toss at once with the olive oil and ricotta, the arugula, asparagus and Parmesan. Serve hot. (Serves four)

Tofu with Spinach Sauce
(recipe by Mark Bittman)

I love, love, love, love this recipe. It's almost like palak paneer but not quite (because, obviously, it has tofu and not paneer and that's a huge difference). But, I'd be content eating this rather than getting palak paneer takeout. Just don't plan to have people over the morning after cooking this unless they really like the smell of garam marsala.

A note about this recipe which makes it even more fantastic - you can use any sort of greens (as long as they don't have a real strong flavor) in addition to the spinach. We added turnip greens and it was great.

1 1/2 pounds spinach
12 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons butter or oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 dried chilies
2 tablespoons garam masala or curry powder
Salt to taste
1/2 cup yogurt
1 1/2 cups light cream or half-and-half

1. Trim and wash spinach; do not dry. Chop leaves in one-inch pieces. Cut tofu in two horizontally and wrap in paper towels. Put it under a couple of plates.
2. Put butter or oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. A minute later, add ginger, garlic and chilies and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic begins to color.
3. Stir in garam masala or curry powder and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until it wilts, then add yogurt and a cup of cream. Pick out chilies and discard.
4. Cook mixture over medium-high heat; liquid in spinach will boil off. When mixture is nearly dry, cut tofu into half-inch pieces and incorporate. When tofu is hot, add remaining cream and cook for another minute or two, stirring. Adjust seasoning and serve. (4 servings)

Variations - Spinach sauce: In Step 4, omit tofu. Purée mixture with 1/2 cup remaining cream. Add squeeze of lime juice. Serve with grilled meat, poultry, fish or vegetables.

Parsnip Rosti
(adapted from UKTV Food)

We had quite a few parsnips to use up. Time for parsnip rosti! Pretty much like a potato pancake but with parsnip and some potato onion. Mike whipped up a sour cream/yogurt/onion topping (not pictured), too. Even Owen liked this one!

Box #5

2009-06-06T17:13:00.000-07:00

Box #5 arrived on Thursday with some tasty stuff:

Green garlic
Potato onions
Spinach
Arugula
Hon tsai tai
Sweet baby broccoli
Rhubarb
Asparagus
Bok choi
Baby white turnips with tops

Our plans for this week:

- Spicy Stir Fried Chicken & Greens with Peanuts (Hon Tsai Tai, Broccoli)
- Parsnip Rosti (using last weeks parsnips)
- Pasta with Asparagus, Arugula and Ricotta
- Chinese Braised Short Ribs with Bok Choy on the side
- Cardamom Rhubarb Sorbet

Asparagus, Spinach, Hon Tsai Tai, OH MY!

2009-06-06T16:51:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days, we've used up most of Box #4. Here are the results:

Grilled Pizza with Mushrooms, Green Garlic, Spinach and Goat Cheese

This was our first time grilling pizza and it was fantastic. I can't wait to do it again! We added some shredded mozzarella to hold everything together in addition to the goat cheese.

Asparagus and Mushroom Bread Pudding
Recipe courtesy Deborah Madison, Local Flavors (by way of Barbara Kingsolver's Book, Animal Vegetable Miracle)

This recipe is absolutely delicious. The original recipe calls for morel mushrooms. Unfortunately, we cannot afford to buy a pound of morel mushrooms at this moment but I can only imagine how wonderful it would be if we had used morels.

3 cups milk
1 cup chopped spring onions with green shoots
Add onions to milk in sauce pan and bring to a boil, set aside to steep

1 loaf stale or toasted multigrain bread broken into crouton sized crumbs
Pour milk over crumbs and allow bread to soak

1 lb. asparagus
Chop into ½ inch pieces and simmer in skillet full of boiling water until bright
green

2 tbs. butter
1 lb. morels (or other wild mushrooms)
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in skillet, cook mushrooms until tender, add spices and set aside

4 eggs
1/3 cup chopped parsley
3 tbs. oregano
3 cups grated Swiss cheese
Break eggs and beat until smooth, add herbs and plenty of salt and pepper, add
bread crumbs with remaining milk, asparagus and mushrooms with their juices
and 2/3 of the cheese. Mix thoroughly and pour into a greased, 8x12 gratin,
sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes (until
puffy and golden).

Flank Steak with Hon Tsai Tai
Recipe courtesy Harmony Valley Farm

Owen has been such a trooper with trying our new creations. He really liked this one, but picked out the Hon Tsai Tai (it's green!).

1 ½lb. Flank steak
1 stalk green garlic
1 bunch Hon Tsai Tai or 2 heads baby bok choi
Peanut Oil to taste (we left this out because Owen hasn't had peanuts yet)
Mirin, to taste
Juice from one lemon
¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted
Soy Sauce to taste
4 small dried chile peppers, chopped finely
1 cup mushrooms, washed, and sliced, stems removed (can save and add to a stock)
¾ of package Soba noodles
5 Carrots, peeled, lengthwise slices

--Marinate steak in equal parts mirin, soy sauce, peanut oil and juice from one lemon for 1 hour
--In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, heat 1 tbsp oil. Sear flank steak on both sides, then reduce heat and cooked to desired degree of doneness. Set aside and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice thinly on a bias.
--Prepare soba noodles according to package, drain and set aside.
--Saute mushrooms until soft and cooked down, add carrots, green garlic, chile peppers and sauté until carrots are tender.
--Add a light drizzle of peanut oil (1-2 tsp), a dash of mirin (2-3 tsp), and a splash of soy sauce (1-2 Tbsp) to desired taste and enough to just to coat veggies.
--Cut Hon Tsai Tai and/or bok choi into bite-sized pieces and add to veggies. Cook until the greens are wilted.
--Add soba noodles and flank steak—stir until well combined and heated through. Top with toasted sesame seeds and serve. Peanut Marinated Flank Steak with Hon Tsai Tai
Serves 4-6

Radish and Pea Shoot Sandwich

2009-05-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

I didn't make it to the store to buy fancy butter for the radish sandwiches but they still turned out well. All we did is butter some lightly toasted (homemade) bread, top with sliced radish and pea shoot and voila!

This is our first time having pea shoot and it's quite tasty! It tastes a lot like peas, imagine that? It's not so easy to bite through the pea shoot which was a little problematic for the sandwich. Mike said he would have enjoyed a little more flavor on the sandwich but I thought it was good as is.

Box #4

2009-05-28T17:23:00.001-07:00

Box #4 brings more delicious goodness.

Green garlic
Green onion
Parsnips
Sunchokes
Spinach
Salad mix - I cannot explain to you how fantastic this mix is.
Spring radish - I heard radish. Time to buy some fancy butter for some radish sandwiches!
Pea vine
Rhubarb - A pie is in my future.
Asparagus
Hon tsai tai:

Steak with Saute Greens, Grilled Parsnips and Ramp Biscuits

2009-05-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

To sum up this meal I ask, why go out to dinner when you can eat like this?!

We sauteed the greens with some walking onion, olive oil and red pepper flakes. Topped that with some grilled sirloin from Clancy's Meat and threw some grilled parsnips and leftover biscuits on the side. A fantastic meal for a beautiful spring day.

And of course, we had a nice glass of beer (thanks to our wonderful Portland friends).

Box #3

2009-05-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

We're finishing up Box #3. The contents?

Asparagus
Ramps
Parsnip
Sunchoke
Spinach
Salad mix
Green Garlic
Egyptian Walking Onion
Spring radish
Rhubarb
Sauté Mix
Garden Herb Packs

We went to the cabin for the holiday weekend and took a few items with us. We used the spinach salad to make a spinach, strawberry and onion salad with a poppyseed dressing. Delish!

Also while at the cabin, we made sunchoke dip with half of the sunchokes. Not my favorite recipe. Too bland and the texture wasn't right for me.

So far, the best use of the sunchoke was sunchoke pancakes (like potato pancakes). I think cooking sunchokes at a very high temperature so you get them nicely brown and crispy is the way to go. With the sunchoke pancakes, we had the asparagus with poached egg, ramp biscuits, and radish.

Sunchoke (jerusalem artichokes) Pancakes
via What's in the box

1 small onion
1 ½ pounds of Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon of walnut or hazelnut oil (Optional) -- I used hazelnut
1 ½ teaspoons of kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of cayenne
1/8 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
¼ cup of vegetable oil, or more as needed
1 tablespoon of butter

Using the shredder attachment, grate the onion in a food processor or through the largest holes of a hand grater, and transfer to a large bowl. Do the same with the Jerusalem artichokes.

Add the egg to the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until well blended. Add the flour and stir in lightly; do not overwork. Add the maple syrup and the nutmeg, if using, and season with the salt, and the black pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. Form into 8 or 9 equal pancakes, about 3 inches in diameter and a ½ inch thick. Place each pancake on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

Heat the vegetable oil and butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or on a griddle over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the pancakes until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes per side. You may need to adjust the heat as you work to avoid browning the outside of the pancakes too much before the inside cooks through. If the pan or griddle gets dry, add up to one more tablespoon of oil. Place the cooked pancakes on a plate lined with paper towels to drain, and cover loosely with foil to keep warm until ready to serve.

From Second Helpings from Union Square Cafe by Danny Meyer and Michael Romano

Ramp Biscuits from Bon Appetit April 2009

3/4 cup chilled buttermilk
3/4 cup thinly sliced trimmed ramps (bulbs, stems, and green tops)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, cracked

Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix buttermilk and ramps in small bowl. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in processor. Add chilled butter to processor; using on/off turns, cut in butter until fine meal forms. Transfer flour mixture to medium bowl. Add buttermilk mixture; stir until dough forms. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and press out to 7-inch round, about 1/2 inch thick. Using 2-inch-diameter biscuit cutter dipped in flour, cut out rounds. Gather dough scraps; press out to 1/2-inch thickness and cut out additional rounds. Transfer dough rounds to baking sheet. Brush biscuit tops with some of egg glaze. Sprinkle with cracked coriander seeds. Bake biscuits until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

The last (and I mean last, we're not getting anymore) of our ramps, we made Ramp and Green Garlic Pasta.

Fantastic recipe. Simple and delicious. Even Owen liked it!

Box #2

2009-05-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

Here's what box #2 contained:

Asparagus
Chives
Ramps
Sunchoke
Arugula
Spinach
Black radish
Salad mix
Sorrel

We're a little behind on box #2 because of our weekend of camping and some unexpected meals out this week. But, here's what we've done so far.

Asparagus on the campfire.

Spring Greens Salad with Goat Cheese and Dried Cranberries

BLT with Arugula instead of Lettuce (one of my favorite ways to have arugula!). I just noticed you can't see the bacon on the sandwich. I assure you there was bacon and plenty of it. It must be hiding under the tomato.

Bagel with Chive Spread and Arugula and another Spring Greens Salad

Chive Spread (adapted from all recipes)

3-5 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
A few dashes of garlic salt
12 ounce ontainer whipped cream cheese
8 ounce container Greek-style yogurt

Mix together. It's better the next day when the flavors blend together but who can wait that long? The second batch I made (yes, second), I used less cream cheese so it was about a 1:1 ratio of cream cheese and yogurt. I also tried 2% yogurt instead of whole. It's a little looser of a spread but still delicious.

Sorrel and Spinach Salad with Sunchoke and Chicken

Recipe coming soon...

Update: Box 1

2009-05-20T17:57:00.001-07:00

I'm a blog slacker. We're finished with Box #1 and almost #2. Here's what we ended up doing with the rest of Box #1.

Ramps: Ramp Risotto, courtesy cook eat FRET via A Good Appetite. Result? Absolutely, positively delicious!

Ramp Risotto

1 1/2 T unsalted butter
7 ramps, sliced thin, greens & all. Keep the sliced bulbs & stems separate from the sliced greens.
1/4 c cream
salt & pepper
3 1/2 c broth (chicken or vegetable)
1/4 c white wine
1/2 T olive oil
1 shallot, minced
3/4 c arborio rice
1/4 c grated Parmesan
pinch - 1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)

Heat 1/2 T of the butter in a small skillet over med heat. Add the sliced ramps bulbs & stems & cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the cream & cook for another few minutes until the cream has thickened slightly. Salt & pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a saucepan bring the broth to a simmer & keep it warm during cooking.

Heat 1 T of the butter & the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallot & sauté for a minute or two. Add the arborio rice & stir for 1 minute until coated. Add the wine & stir until completely absorbed. Add 1/2 c of the broth & cook until absorbed, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Once absorbed add the next 1/2 c of broth along with the ramp greens & cook until broth is absorbed. Continuing adding the broth, 1/2 c at a time, as each addition is absorbed. When 1/4 - 1/2 c of broth is left, about 18 to 20 minutes, the rice should be creamy & tender but still have a bite. Add the final addition of broth, red pepper flakes & the cream ramp mixture. Stir to combine. Remove from the heat & stir in cheese. Serve immediately.

Sunchoke, Ramps, Black Radish and Burdock: We used the sunchoke, ramps and black radish in an adapted version of Quinoa Sunchoke Pilaf. Result? Pretty tasty. We'd make it again but it's not to die for or anything. Main pitfall? It tasted too healthy. Then, we fried up some burdock chips. We had to fight over these, Owen included. We also sauteed some fiddleheads from the garden to go with - those were fantastic.

Rhubarb: Mike made a delicious rhubarb sauce using a recipe from our farm, Harmony Valley, to go on top of some homemade vanilla icecream.

Rhubarb Sauce

For the simplest preparation, rinse the stems and chop into 1 inch chunks. With just the water still clinging to the pieces place in saucepan and add sweetner. Simmer over low heat, covered, until the rhubarb is softened. Stir frequently. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add several tablespoons of water. Adjust sweetner and simmer and stir until throughly mixed. Enjoy over ice cream, cake or just as a dessert sauce on the side. Serves 4

I'll try to do a big update tomorrow on what we did with box #2 before we get box #3!

Box #1

2009-05-12T17:23:00.001-07:00

We got our first box of the season this past Thursday. The contents (next week, I'll remember to take a photo of the raw crops)?

sunchokes ... what?
ramps ... what?
sorrel ... what?!
overwintered spinach ... ok, I know what spinach is but overwintered?
overwintered parsnips
rhubarb ... yes! something I'm familiar with
burdock .... huh
chives ... yum!
black radish ... black?
decorative willow ... nice!

We did some research and found some promising ideas.

First off, the spinach and parsnips (Friday). This was easy. We used some spinach in eggs benedict and roasted the parsnips to go with steak. Let me tell you - roasted parsnips are to die for! I love parsnips but always forget about them.

Next up, the sorrel (Sunday). A quick story - when Mike was cleaning off the produce, he ripped of a piece of something green and said, "here, taste this!" and so I did. I expected something like the taste of spinach. But instead it was if I took a bite of lemon. And that is sorrel. Tasty stuff if you know that it is lemony before taking a bite. Mike found a bunch of sorrel recipes on this site and I decided on Quiche with Sorrel and Goat Cheese. I figure, anything with goat cheese has to taste pretty darn good.

Sorrel and Goat Cheese Quiche
A Luna Circle Farm original recipe

2-3 cups sorrel, coarsely chopped
a few scallions, chopped
3-4 ounces goat cheese (chevre)
3 eggs
1½ cups milk
¼ teaspoon salt
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread goat cheese (or any strong flavored cheese) in the bottom of a piecrust. Cover with chopped sorrel and scallions. Beat eggs, salt and milk together. Pour over greens. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is golden browns.

I followed the recipe as is and it was delicious! I was a wee disappointed with myself because I didn't make the crust. But cooking with a toddler around calls for shortcuts.

To come, ramp risotto and quinoa with sunchoke.

Crop Share Year 3

2009-01-04T13:03:00.000-08:00

We're finishing up our first ever winter crop share and will soon be entering our third year of purchasing a crop share (aka Community Supported Agriculture aka CSA). We've been pleased with the last two years but are thinking of trying a new farm for 2009. I recently discovered a fellow Mpls CSA supporter when searching for a recipe for Kabocha squash. They support Harmony Valley Farm in Wisconsin and after reading what they represent, I think we need to give them a try! We still have a few months to decide but some farms sell out quite quickly so we should make up our minds soon.

I've been wanting to document our bounty and the ways we use our veggies - mainly so that we can remember the "keeper" recipes. Thus, the creation of this blog! I really hope I keep it up - chasing Owen around keeps me mighty busy these days.