End of August Bounty

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.

Box #12

What we found in Box #12:

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

What we did with it:

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

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

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

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

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

Grilled Potatoes and Carrots

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

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

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

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


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

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