A Handful of Rutabagas

My perfect summer cocktail

2014-07-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

On my recent trip to Chicago, after a day of bouncing in and out of restaurants and bars in Logan Square, we headed to a little street festival in the Wicker Park area (which also happened to be right next to Big Star - not a coincidence). It was hot, we were thirsty, and beer just wasn't going to cut it. One booth offered a simple cocktail - the vodka soda. Made with Prairie Organic Cucumber Vodka, it was refreshing and just perfect. To say my friend and I fell a little in love with it might be an understatement. Seriously, we've texted about it on more than one occasion (Including her photo below).

And while I've certainly had my share of cucumber infused cocktails over the years, the simplicity of this one is what made is so perfectly refreshing. Of course, over the long holiday weekend, the mood for a cocktail struck me, and all I could think about was that vodka soda. So I chopped up a cucumber from the CSA pick up, dumped it in a quart size mason jar, and filled the jar with vodka. And after a short afternoon of steeping, I enjoyed a delicious cucumber vodka soda on the patio. And then another one. And just maybe another one after that. You can change it up by muddling in a bit of mint it or adding a squeeze of lime, but it doesn't need it. I may never drink regular vodka again. So, if you're sitting on a crop of cucumber (and if you're not, buy some), go make yourself a cocktail.

What's in the bag this week?

Pretty straightforward stuff, no? I tend to get pretty bored with zucchini after a while, but I'm sure, like me, you've noticed that zucchini is joining cauliflower as the new stand-in for grains. While I personally don't follow a grain-free diet (and although I like cauliflower, you will never fool my tastebuds into thinking it's pizza crust), I'm always up for trying old things new ways. Try turning zucchini into noodles with a spiralizer or mandolin and using it your favorite pasta recipe like this Zucchini Noodles with Roasted Tomatoes recipe or shredding it and using it as a pizza crust. Slice it lengthwise and use it as lasagna noodles. Need something sweet? Try these Zucchini Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies. Or, try the only way I've been able to get my oldest to actually like zucchini with these Parmesan Crisps. You can head over to my pinterest boards for more inspiration.

I'm sure we have more beets and kohlrabi coming our way in future weeks, so I have a revamped recipe to share when we do. If you still have beets from last week and aren't the biggest fan, I ran across this Beet Lemonade from Joy the Baker that might help convert you. If it doesn't, just add some vodka.

Udon Noodle Soup with Bok Choy

2014-06-18T16:33:00.003-07:00

I don't know what is going on with blogger, but it published this post prematurely. Sorry for those who were confused by an incomplete post!

Back in January I opened my mailbox to find the latest issue of Bon Appetit magazine. On the cover was a picture of Spicy Pork and Mustard Green soup that prompted me to immediately run to the grocery store, buy all the ingredients and cook it for dinner. It was spicy and warming and perfect. Despite intending to make it again as soon as possible, months passed and I never got around to it. For some reason, when I picked up my bok choy and garlic scapes last week, it reminded me of that soup. Which is odd because neither ingredient is in the original recipe. And I just happened to have the chicken bones from week one simmering into stock in the crockpot. I looked at the forecast and noted that Saturday's high was 70 degrees, as perfect as you're going to get for soup in the summer. I went to the store that morning to purchase some ground pork, returned home, and my husband informs me we're having guests over for dinner. I put the soup on hold and grilled hamburgers instead. Sunday we have friends over for a Father's Day brunch. No soup again. Monday I make tacos for my husband's birthday dinner. No soup again. Tuesday brings 90 degree heat and humidity. Not exactly soup weather. No matter, I'll just crank up the air and pretend it's soup weather. Air conditioner broken. Postpone soup again. So here we are on a hot and sweaty Wednesday, no air conditioning, and I HAVE TO MAKE THE SOUP. So I did. And I liked it. A LOT. Good news for you - the temps are about to fall, and if you're a Fresh Fork subscriber, you are about to pick up a mountain of greens, any of which could be used in this soup. Follow the original Bon Appetit recipe, or this one and swap in your collards, chard, kale, or spinach for the bok choy and the green onions for the scapes. It's all good.

Udon Noodle Soup with bok choy (Adapted from Bon Appetit)

1 lb. ground pork
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. grated peeled ginger
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
Sea salt, black pepper
8 cups chicken stock
2-3 large heads baby bok choy, sliced
1 bunch garlic scapes
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. fish sauce
1 14 oz package of fresh udon noodles

Mix pork, garlic, ginger, pepper, red pepper, and cumin in a bowl. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add pork mixture; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring to crumble, until browned and cooked through. Add broth and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 8-10 minutes. Add bok choy, garlic scapes, soy sauce and fish sauce and cook, stirring occasionally until bok choy is tender, about 5 minutes. Add udon noodles and simmer until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

This week's bag:

Small Omnivore

1 pack pork chops (2 chops)

1 bunch Swiss chard

1 head kohlrabi

1 bunch collard greens

1 bunch radishes

1 bunch green onions

1 head lettuce

2 each zucchini

1 quart strawberries

Large Omnivore

small omnivore plus:

1 bunch spinach

1 half pint sorghum

1 bunch kale

1 pack chicken brats

Tons of greens to use this week. That original soup recipe above happened to be part of a fantastic feature on supergreens, so check that out for a few ideas. Or just throw them in smoothies, saute them and fold them into omelets or quiches, wilt them into pastas. One of my favorite things to do when I have an abundance of greens I need to use is to simply simmer them in a little stock with bacon or ham and some onion. I know radishes typically aren't on the top of everyone's favorite list, but I love them sliced and served on baguette slices with some really good butter and salt. Or this Roasted Radish and Herbed Ricotta omelet looks like a great breakfast or dinner with some strawberries on the side. They also make a great garnish for soups or tacos. Or you can combine them with the kohlrabi in this slaw. My husband is a big fan of the kohlrabi when I make it into a puree similar to this one from Barefoot Contessa (I just sub in kohlrabi for the celery root). I also thought this Kohlrabi, fennel, and apple slaw looked good, or you could try it au gratin. Sorghum is like a sweetener or syrup, try it place of honey or maple syrup in recipes or as a topping for biscuits.

I'm spending the weekend in Chicago with some friends, which in my world means food. You can check out what I'm eating there by following me at @melalten on instagram.

Rhubarb Scones & Strawberry Jam

2014-06-11T12:28:00.001-07:00

When I got to my CSA pick-up site last week, they had strawberries for sale. I bought two containers. Then yesterday I realized one of the local farms opened for strawberry picking. I loaded the kids up, got there at 9:00, and by 9:30 had 8 quarts of strawberries to bring home. THEN, I look at the CSA newsletter for the week and see I'm getting strawberries as part of my share. Is it possible to have to many strawberries? Perhaps not, but I'm guessing we may make ourselves sick trying to eat them all before they rot. So we ate strawberries for a snack. We had strawberries and whipped cream for dessert. I made strawberry jam.

You know that episode of Friends where Monica has the jam plan and Joey eats jam with a spoon? That is Steven, my 6-year-old right now. He's had jam on toast, PB & J, and now he's resorted to just a spoonful of jam as he passes through the kitchen.

Today I am still facing a mountain of strawberries. I made a strawberry rhubarb sauce this morning to use on pancakes, waffles, and ice cream. Maybe I'll make more jam. I'm pretty sure the jam would pair nicely with the whole wheat rhubarb & ginger scones I made this week. They are a little nutty from the whole wheat, a little tart from the rhubarb, and a little spicy from the crystalized ginger. Strawberry jam would add a bit more sweet. I think I just decided on my afternoon treat (Did I just rhyme?)

Whole Wheat Rhubarb & Ginger Scones (inspired by Brown Eyed Baker)

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup small-diced rhubarb
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 large egg
3/4 cup whole milk, plus more for brushing the tops
Raw sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425*. combine flours, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add rhubarb and ginger. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg and milk. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Consistency will be thick! Drop spoonfuls of dough 1/2 inch apart onto a large ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Scones may be as large or small as you like, but be sure to make them at least 1-inch thick. Brush tops with milk, sprinkle with raw sugar and bake 13 minutes or until tops are golden. Let cool and serve with butter, jam, or whipped cream.

Easy Strawberry Jam (From Ball Canning)

4 cups coarsely crushed strawberries
4 1/2 T. of reduced sugar pectin
3 cups sugar

Place berries in a large saucepan. Gradually stir in pectin. Bring mixture to a full boil over high heat stirring constantly. Add sugar and continue stirring. Return mixture to a full boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, skim foam if necessary. Pack into jars and freeze or process for longer storage if desired.

On to this week's bag:

My add-ons this week are simple staples: milk, eggs, honey, pasta, coffee, and butter.

We've been set up with all the ingredients necessary for a Mexican fiesta. And if you know me, you know I have a slight obsession with chorizo. Chorizo in beans, chorizo in tacos, chorizo in dips. Chorizo in everything! Since Sunday is Father's Day and Monday happens to be my husband's birthday, I let him decide most of the meals for the week. The ground beef is simply turning into hamburgers on the grill, and the chorizo is joining some zucchini and mushrooms in one of our favorite taco recipes (I use much more chorizo than this recipe calls for!). Of course I'll serve the tacos with the corn crackers and some cilantro spiked guacamole. I'm thinking an Asian style soup with the bok choy, inspired by this awesome recipe from Bon Appetit. I'll sauté the spinach with eggs, or toss it with the Ohio City pasta I added to my order this week. Mixed greens for salads and on top of the burgers. The kids will eat the broccoli with lunch. So that leaves us with the garlic scapes. Grill them up with a steak or burger, use them in a simple pesto, chop them, sauté them, and toss them with pasta, or add them to soup.

Seriously, Steven just made his fourth PB & J of the day. Looks like I need to make more jam.

2014-06-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

This post needs to be quick as I'm dealing with a tired and cranky and sick little girl today who will just not allow me to put her down. She was also up at 1:45 this morning and will not go back to sleep.

If you missed yesterday's post, here is a quick snapshot of what I'm working with this week:

Most of these are pretty simple. I would guess the trickiest ingredients for most people are the pea shoots and the rhubarb. Pea shoots have a mild pea flavor and are comprised of leaves and tendrils. I've only used them a handful of times, typically in salads or added to a stir-fry. They would also be a fantastic garnish for any dish that included fresh peas (like this pasta dish or soup) I'm leaning toward a salad this week, similar to this one Green Goddess Detox Salad from Pinch of Yum. As for the rhubarb, Paul has already told me NOT to even think about making a pie with it. Which is absolutely fine since I don't have the greatest track record with pastry dough (read: it usually gets thrown out in favor of a store bought crust). I have a couple of scone recipes saved to pinterest and I have pretty much everything on hand to make this Vanilla Bean Rhubarb-Ginger scone recipe. I may even try making them with some of the wheat flour I'll be getting. Or, since I got a fancy new automatic canning system for my birthday, I may give a shot at some strawberry rhubarb jam. These Rhubarb Custard Bars look pretty awesome, too, as does this French toast recipe. I have actually never made anything with rhubarb before, so it could be fun to experiment!

My tentative plan for the rest of the ingredients:

-Stromboli with the sausage links and spinach or kale (make pizza crust using some of the wheat flour)

-Black bean tacos or quesadillas

-Either Roast the chicken in the oven or put it on our electric smoker whole (be sure to save the bones for stock!) and serve it with cornbread

-A quiche or soft scrambled eggs (please, for the love of God, do not overcook your eggs! Low and slow while constantly stirring yields the most delicious scrambled eggs!) with spinach or kale and some fresh chives from my garden

-The broccoli with a stir-fry or my kids' favorite sweet & sour chicken inspired by this recipe here

My add-ons for the week were just some milk and fresh pasta for a quick easy meal since we are crazy busy through the weekend and won't be home much to cook.

And now I hear the little one up way too soon from her nap. I didn't get a chance to double check all of the links, but I wanted to get this published for those of you picking up a Fresh Fork order today. Till next time.

Here we go again

2014-06-03T10:47:00.001-07:00

I'm not gonna lie. I don't know that I should even think about starting up this blog again. Seriously. It's taken me ten minutes to write the first two sentences. I can't take a picture to save my life. I have no idea how to make the page design look half way decent (really, who can help me on this?!) But I am super excited for summer CSA season. And numerous people have mentioned this blog to me lately. And I've been so focused on other things these days that my time in the kitchen has been minimal, which I hate.

I may or may not have just broken up a fight between my boys.

So I'm giving it another go. It may be a little different this time around. I may not (gasp!) create a weekly meal plan. My posts may not always just focus on the CSA. But I'll do my best to share some recipes and ideas and hopefully give you some inspiration on how to use your seasonal ingredients. And excuse my writing skills. They are a bit rusty these days.

I should mention for those that are new to the blog, the CSA my family subscribes to is Fresh Fork Market. We are going all out this summer and purchased the large full access share. This means I get everything in the small bag, plus the large add-ons, PLUS credits to spend on other items each week. Without further delay, here is what I expect in my bag Thursday:

Now I'm off to gather my thoughts on how to use everything.

And for the record, I was only interrupted six times while writing this post.

Week 12: Meal Plan

2012-08-25T12:32:00.001-07:00

As promised, here is my meal plan for the week. Again, I am sticking to simple dinners that mostly rely on pantry staples combined with my CSA items.

Friday: Appetizer Dinner - Crudites (Cukes, tomatoes, radishes, bell peppers, & carrots) with Tzatziki & Hummus for dipping, Baguette slices, Cheese

Saturday: Grilled Brats, Southern Style Wax Beans

Sunday: Mushroom & Kale Quesadillas (Eat, Live, Run)

Monday: Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes & Basil

Tuesday: A riff on Couscous Casserole (Mark Bittman), using this week's patty pan squash and the ground beef from a previous CSA delivery.

Wednesday: Leftovers or Breakfast for Dinner

Other recipes you may like based on this week's delivery:

Patty Pan Squash with Eggs (Sunset)
Buttery Patty Pan Squash with Basil (Food Renegade)
Marinated Tomatoes (ButterYum)
Melon & Crispy Prosciutto Salad (Confessions of a Recipe Junkie)
Artichoke, Kale, & Ricotta Pie (The Kitchn)
Shaved Radish Sandwiches with Herb Butter (Bon Appetit)

French Breakfast Radishes

Weeks 11 & 12: Bag Contents & (Non) Meal Plan

2012-08-23T08:04:00.002-07:00

I realize I missed last week's post. I didn't forget; it wasn't that I couldn't find the time. Quite honestly, I just never took the time to sit down and make a meal plan for the week. I thought about it, and I looked at recipes in my magazines and cookbooks. I browsed through pinterest every morning while I drank my coffee. But when I actually tried to compose a daily plan of what to serve for dinner, I drew a blank. This is not to say that we ordered take-out everyday and let our food go to waste (although we did make a last minute decision to visit Barroco Grill one night - an excellent decision); instead, I took stock of the basics I keep in the pantry and refrigerator - things like grains, beans, stock, cheese, etc - and designed easy meals using those items with my CSA delivery.

Week 11 bag contents:

-3 lbs red potatoes

-6 ears sweet corn

-2 leeks

-1 bulb fennel

-1.5 lbs heirloom tomatoes
-2 oz basil
-2 lbs slicing tomatoes
-1 lb grassfed ground beef
-2 lbs peaches
-1 eggplant

Large bag additions:

-2 yellow squash

-bag of small red onions
-3 "Italian frier" peppers
-1 canteloupe
-1/2 lb swiss chard
-1 bulb garlic
-1 piece havarti cheese

So what did I serve my family for dinner? Using just my basics and CSA items, we ate a potato, corn, and leek chowder; a crock pot meal of sausage, fennel, potatoes, and cabbage; a cheesy quinoa casserole loaded with squash and eggplant; panini sandwiches with tomato, mozzarella, and basil; and crockpot refried beans served with sauteed onion, pepper, and chard in tortillas. If you're a non-meal planner, there are tons of meals you can make based off items you may regularly keep in the house and take little effort. Here are some of my go-to ideas:

-Make a batch of roasted/sauted/grilled/stir-fried vegetables. Toss them with pasta, serve over rice, or fold into a quesadilla

-Soup. Combine chopped vegetables, herbs, and boxed or homemade stock; add in some meat or beans if you like. Make it even easier by dumping all the ingredients it in the crockpot first thing in the morning.

-Breakfast for dinner. Vegetable hash topped with a fried egg, pancakes with fruit, etc.

-Sandwiches. Press veggies and cheese between slices of thick bread for an easy panini sandwich. Get creative - almost anything can be made into a sandwich, including leftovers!

-Beans. Using a basic crockpot bean recipe, add whatever veggies and meat you have on hand and let it simmer away all day. Eat like a stew, or serve with tortillas or rice.

I'm trying to get myself a bit more organized this week and at least attempting to make a rough meal plan. I'll try to get it posted with more recipe ideas sometime tomorrow. In the meantime, here are the items I've got to work with this week:

Week 12 bag contents:
-1 bag of oats
-1 bunch red russian kale
-2 ct pattypan squash
-1 lb wax beans
-1 bunch French Breakfast radishes
-1 cantaloupe
-2 Candy onions
-2 green peppers
-1 pint cherry tomatoes
-1 package (1.25 lbs) green onion bratwursts, made from Berkshire pork

Large bag additions:
-1 piece grassfed swiss cheese from Heritage Grass Farms (12 oz)
-2.5 lbs San Marzano roma tomatoes
-1 bunch carrots with tops
-2 cucumbers

Week 10: Bag Contents & Meal Plan; Peach Crumbles

2012-08-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

When I first wrote this post, I was lamenting about how exhausted I am, how this pregnancy is leaving me with no motivation, how I barely feel like cooking most nights, yadda, yadda, yadda. The more I thought about it, though, I realized that many of us probably don't feel like cooking much these days. For starters, it's hot. School is just around the corner. We're trying to fit in as much end of summer fun as we possibly can. Who wants to come home after a day at the pool (or the zoo, or the park, or work) and spend a bunch of time preparing a meal? And I'm sure I'm not alone when I say the last thing I feel like doing after dinner is cleaning a big mess. With this in mind, I'm going to do my best in the next few weeks to create simple meal plans that take advantage of all the fresh produce summer has to offer. One pot meals. Meals that require little to no cooking. Meals I can prep ahead of time and then just throw into the oven. Meals I can toss into the slow cooker first thing in the morning so dinner is essentially ready when I drag the kids home from the pool. Meals that can be completely cooked on the grill so there are NO pots and pans to clean. The meals may not be fancy, but they can still taste delicious. Who's coming with me?

Small bag contents:
-1 bunch carrots
-1 dozen eggs
-1 piece gouda cheese
-3 hot hungarian peppers
-2 green peppers
-1 head cabbage
-1.5 lbs heirloom tomatoes
-1 lb green filet beans
-2 ct cucumbers
-1 pint blackberries

Large bag additions:
-1.5 lbs spelt berries
-1 bunch beets
-1 lb chorizo
-1 head broccoli
-2 ct patty pan squash
-6 ears sweet corn

My tentative meal plan:

Thursday: Out

Friday: Tomato & Feta Sandwiches (Bon Appetit); Green Beans

Saturday: Grilled Chorizo Quesadillas; Grilled Mexican-Style Corn

Sunday: Summer Vegetable Stir-Fry (Bon Appetit); Sub in your spelt berries for the grain

Monday: Baked Beet Risotto (Martha Stewart); I will be modifying this so I can bake it.

Tuesday: Slow-Cooker Beef with Broccoli & Bell Peppers (Chef in Training)

Wednesday: Slow-Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup

I am absolutely loving fresh peaches this summer. I eat them as snacks, slice them up and throw them into my cereal or oatmeal, and serve them over ice cream for dessert. Over the weekend I was craving peach pie, but didn't really want to go through the hassle of making pie crust. I also needed a healthier treat as I've been indulging a little too often lately. I decided on individual peach crumbles that required fewer ingredients and less sugar than the usual recipes, and they are made completely with whole grains. This is an easy recipe to assemble before dinner, then just throw it the oven while you're eating. To make it a little more indulgent, we served it with fresh whipped cream.

Individual Peach Crumbles
Serves 4

-3 medium peaches, sliced
-1 to 2 Tablespoons of sugar
-4 Tablespoons butter at room temperature
-1/4 cup unpacked brown sugar
-1/2 cup rolled oats
-1/3 cup whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)
-pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Toss peaches with sugar. Blend together remaining ingredients (If your butter is at room temperature, you should be able to do this by hand). Divide peaches among four 4-oz ramekins. Top each ramekin with butter mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Let cool 15-20 minutes. Serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.

Week 9: Bag Contents & Meal Plan; 20 Zucchini Recipes

2012-08-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

This week's bag is BIG. And we happen to be leaving town Friday and Saturday, so meal planning to use all of my items was harder than expected. But, I did receive one of my favorite CSA items - grass-fed ground beef. No question, I'll be grilling some burgers this week.

Small bag contents:
-1 whole cantaloupe
-1 pint mixed color cherry tomatoes
-2 ct zucchini/squash
-2 ct eggplant
-1 bulb garlic
-1 large candy onion
-2 oz basil
-1 bunch curly kale
-Approx 1.5 lbs slicing tomatoes
-1 lb bulk Italian sausage (ground)
-approx 1.5 lbs peaches

Large bag additions:
-1 small yellow watermelon
-1 lb yellow wax beans
-1 lb grass-fed ground beef
-1 head lettuce
-1 bunch radishes
-2 cucumbers

My meal plan:

Thursday: Avocado & Radish Toasts; Fruit

Friday: Out of Town

Saturday (if we get home in time): Eggplant & Mozzarella Melts (Martha Stewart); Melon & Prosciutto

Sunday: Grilled burgers with caramelized onions & cheddar; Zucchini with potatoes & thyme (Bon Appetit)

Monday: Chickpea & Tomato Salad (GreenLiteBites); Watermelon slices

Tuesday: Slow Cooker White Beans with Sausage & Kale

Wednesday: Cheesy Brown Rice Gratin with Zucchini & Eggplant (Cooking Light)

Are you getting sick of summer squash yet? It's easy to grow and gives all summer long, so we tend to get it weekly in the CSA. Those who grow it in their home gardens usually have so much that they beg people to take it. My husband loves it; I'm indifferent to it. And I'm always looking for new ways to make it because I can only saute it or roast so many times before I just can't take it anymore. If you're in the same boat, below are the links to 18 zucchini & summer squash recipes just for you. Add those to the two listed above, and I've given you 20 ways to use that bumper crop.

Summer Vegetable Stir-Fry (Bon Appetit)
Zucchini Rice Gratin (Smitten Kitchen)
Zucchini Carbonara (Closet Cooking)
Zucchini Bread Pancakes (Smitten Kitchen)
Squash Casserole (Southern Living)
Summer Squash Panini (Cookin Canuck)
Zucchini Tart with Lemon Thyme & Goat Cheese (Fine Cooking)
Pasta with Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Creamy Lemon Yogurt Sauce (Ezra Poundcake)
Zucchini Chile-Cheddar Mash (Eating Well)
Greek Style Zucchini Salad (Closet Cooking)
Stuffed Zucchini (Kayotic Kitchen)
Carrot & Zucchini Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting (Real Mom Kitchen)
Zucchini, Black Bean, and Rice Skillet (Ready, Set, Eat)
Zucchini Tots (Curious Country Cook)
Summer Squash Pizza (Cooking Light)
Free-Form Vegetarian Lasagna (Bev Cooks)
Balsamic Grilled Vegetables with Basil Quinoa Salad (Veggie Belly)
Herbed Zucchini & Feta Quiche with Brown Rice Crust (Closet Cooking)

Week 8: Bag Contents & Meal Plan

2012-07-29T15:31:00.001-07:00

Yes, this post is late. Really, really late. It was an unusually busy week where I barely saw my husband, then both kids ended up sick on different days. I actually did make a meal plan, but between sick kids only wanting crackers and applesauce and a husband gone two nights, I didn't really cook many meals. Rest assured, however, we are still managing to make it through our CSA items due in part to my four-year-old's current obsession with the show Lazytown and it's hero, Sportacus. Sportacus eats what he calls sports candy (i.e. fruits and veggies) to give him energy; therefore, Steven only wants sports candy for snacks. Seriously. I offered to take him for ice cream the other day and he declined in favor of cucumber slices and green pepper sticks. I shouldn't complain, but at six months pregnant, sports candy just isn't going to cut it when a craving for coconut dark chocolate chunk arises.

Small bag contents:
-1 pint blueberries
-6 ears sweet corn
-3 lbs yukon gold potatoes
-1 bunch rainbow swiss chard
-1 bunch collard greens
-2 cucumbers
-1.5 lbs heirloom tomatoes
-1 package chicken bratwursts
-1 lb yellow wax beans
-2 green peppers

Large bag additions:
-1 cantaloupe
-1 package pork spare ribs
-1 jar Pope's BBQ sauce

My favorite item this week is definitely the heirloom tomatoes. If there is one thing I honestly never get sick of, it is fresh summer tomatoes. And I think of love them most in the most simple preparation; sliced and sprinkled with salt and pepper. Maybe a drizzle of olive oil, but it's not necessary. My lunch today consisted of slices of crusty whole grain bread, a smear of mayo, and thick slices of heirloom tomatoes perched on top. (I should mention here that I used to HATE mayonnaise. Really hate it. I've discovered over the past few years, however, that mayo is the perfect companion to fresh tomatoes. It just reinforces my belief that you should always try, try again!)

My lunch today...YUM!

My meal plan for week 8:

Thursday: Take out

Friday: Baked sweet potatoes, sliced cucumbers & bell peppers

Saturday: Out

Sunday: BBQ Ribs, collards & chard, corn on the cob

Monday: Chicken brats, sauteed wax beans, roasted potatoes & onions

Tuesday: Egg salad on toast, cantaloupe

Wednesday: Cowboy beans (Rick Bayless), cucumber and mango salad (Martha Stewart)

With corn in season, I've run across a few recipes to try just in case you somehow get tired of eating it straight off the cob:

Tomato Stack with Corn & Avocado (Cooking Light)
Bacon & Corn Griddle Cakes (Recipe Girl) *Family Favorite!
Sweet Corn-Blueberry Buttermilk Ice Cream (Noble Pig)
Garlicky Summer Squash and Fresh Corn (Carzy Cook)
Chicken & Corn Soup with Chile-Mint Salsa (Bon Appetit)
Grilled Corn & Cheddar Quinoa (How Sweet It Is)
Sauteed Corn with Lime & Manchego

Only a couple more days until my next pick-up. I'll try not to be late again!

Week 7: Bag Items & Menu Plan; Recipe for Tomato Pie

2012-07-19T12:30:00.001-07:00

Since the deliveries the past few weeks have been on the large size, it was almost a relief to see a slightly smaller package with some staples thrown in to give me a break from cooking and preserving. I feel like I can actually take a night or two off without worrying something will go bad!

Small bag contents:
-1 dozen pasture raised chicken eggs
-1 piece Havarti from Mayfield Road Creamery (8 oz)
-3 yellow squash
-1 bunch carrots
-1 lb whole wheat linguine
-6 ears sweet corn
-1 lb green beans
-1 bulb onion
-1 lb apricots

Large bag additions:
-2 lbs peaches
-Approx 1.5 lbs tomatoes
-1 pint mixed color cherry tomatoes
-1 pint blueberries

I actually had been hoping for cheese this week. One of our favorite family "dinners" is what we call appetizer dinner. I just set out a sliced baguette, a cheese or two, maybe some prosciutto or salami, and then some assorted toppings for the bread, such as chutney and tomato bruschetta. It's a perfect meal to enjoy outside after a busy Saturday afternoon. Click here for 7 summer bread toppings from Bon Appetit for more ideas.

My meal plan:

Thursday - Farmer's Market Omelets

Friday - Chicken & Corn Tostada Salad

Saturday - Appetizer Dinner

Sunday - Whole Wheat Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes

Monday - Mexican Baked Eggs

Tuesday - Squash & Mushroom Tacos

Wednesday - Leftovers

Last week I somehow ended up with three bags of apricots. I'm pretty sure it was a mistake, but I'm not complaining! I took the opportunity to make some apricot jam, and, as I mentioned in my last post, I picked up some bruised peaches for a deal at a local farmer's stand and made some peach preserves as well. If I keep this up, I won't need to buy jam for the entire winter.

A recipe that has been in our regular summer meal rotation for years is a Fresh Tomato Tart recipe from Midwest Living. Although we love it as is, my husband's one complaint is that he could eat the whole tart himself. I recently ran across a few quiche recipes from Kevin at Closet Cooking that used a brown rice crust and thought combining this crust with the tomato and cheese topping may result in a more filling and satisfying meal (not to mention the fact that I didn't have to deal with making pastry!). I am happy to report that I was right, and while I'll continue to make the original tomato tart recipe from time to time, this brown rice version will be our new norm.

Tomato Pie
Adapted from Midwest Living & Closet Cooking
Serves 4

-1 to 2 tomatoes, depending on size, thickly sliced
-Salt
-2 cups cooked brown rice
-1/4 cup finely grated mozzarella cheese
-1 egg
-3/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
-4 cloves garlic
-1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
-2/3 cup mayonnaise
-1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Place tomato slices in a single layer on paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and allow to drain for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare pie pan with butter or spray with cooking spray. Combine rice, grated mozzarella and egg in a medium bowl; press mixture into bottom of pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until rice crust starts to turn golden. Remove from oven, set aside, and lower oven temperature to 375 degrees

In a mini food processor or chopper, combine garlic cloves and basil and pulse until combined (Or you can chop by hand). Combine garlic mixture, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, mayo, and pepper and mix well. Place the tomato slices over the rice crust in a single layer; spread mayo & cheese mixture evenly over the top of the tomatoes. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Week 6: Bag Contents & Meal Plan; Chicken, Spinach & Artichoke Calzones

2012-07-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I'm pretty proud of myself at this point. I have actually managed to use all my CSA items without letting anything go bad. As proof, here is a picture of my refrigerator as of today before picking up our CSA package:

Surprisingly, I didn't even need to use any of today's delivery for tonight's dinner. I had exactly one tomato, some bacon and lettuce, and a few eggs left in the house, perfect for making BLTE sandwiches. But besides those items and some basic staples (and yes, that's three jars of pickles on the lower left shelf), I think the only thing left in my house was the pork shoulder from last week's pick up that still sits in the freezer.

I love the variety of items we're getting this time of year, and this week is no different. Favorite items from last week include the peaches and apricots, so I'm happy to see them again, and I'm really excited to try the garlic scape, spinach and ricotta whole wheat ravioli from Ohio City Pasta.

Small bag contents:

-1 whole chicken

-1 pint blueberries

-1 head leaf lettuce
-2 ct cucumbers
-3 zucchini
-1 head cabbage
-3 tomatoes
-1 lb apricots (looks like way more than a pound!)
-1 bunch beets

Large bag additions:

-2 lbs peaches

-1 bunch green onions
-1 lb green beans
-1 package of ravioli
-1 bunch swiss chard

Now that a lot of fruits and veggies are coming into season, I hope to do some canning and preserving this week. Since I'm pretty sure Steven and I will eat the peaches for breakfast and snacks no problem, I may swing by a farmer's market and pick up a basket or two to turn into jam. My garden is giving more banana peppers than I could possibly use right now, and I know zucchini and squash are just around the corner, so I'm going to give pickling a try for the first time.

My meal plan for the week:
Thursday: Chard & Apricot Pizza
Friday: Out
Saturday: Ravioli; Beet Green Chopped Salad (Sprouted Kitchen
Sunday: Smoked Chicken, Coleslaw, Green Beans
Monday: Tomato Pie, Herby Cucumber Salad (Cooking Light)
Tuesday: Chicken & Black Bean Burritos with Guacamole
Wednesday: Leftovers

I'm not following many recipes this week. I have some homemade pizza dough in the freezer and thought the chard and apricots could pair nicely with some cheese for a simple pizza (we shall see). I plan to serve the ravioli with just some olive oil and herbs, and I have an idea for a tomato pie with a brown rice crust that combines a couple of recipes. Any leftover greens will get thrown into the burritos or may be served with eggs on leftover night.

Other recipes using this week's items that you may like:
Tomato-Zucchini Bake (Health)
Perfect Roast Chicken (Ina Garten)
Roasted Apricots with Mascarpone, Honey & Mint (Joy the Baker)
Potato-Beet Gnocchi (Cooking Light)
Stuffed Cabbage (Martha Stewart)
Grilled Chicken Salad with Feta, Fresh Corn, & Blueberries (Pioneer Woman)

A few weeks ago I was trying to think of a good meal to take to a friend that recently had surgery, but was looking for something kid friendly that wasn't the standard casserole. I ran across an old recipe from Cooking Light for a Chicken & Artichoke Calzone, but I wanted to change it up just a bit by using homemade pizza dough and items I already had on hand. Served with a simple crushed tomato sauce, my kids absolutely loved it, and they were so easy to make! For my fellow Fresh Fork subscribers, this would be a perfect use for leftover chicken and you could easily substitute your swiss chard for the spinach.

Chicken, Spinach & Artichoke Calzones
Adapted from Cooking Light
Makes about 8 Calzones

-3 cups shredded chicken
-2 (14 oz) cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (frozen or even marinated would work just fine)
-4 cups chopped fresh spinach
-3/4 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon black pepper

-4 garlic cloves, minced

-1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (try smoked mozzarella or pepper jack!)

-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

-1 double batch of Really Easy Pizza Dough from Smitten Kitchen*(or use dough recipe of your choice)

Preheat pizza stone or baking sheet in a 425 degrees.

Combine chicken, artichokes, spinach, salt, pepper, and garlic in a large bowl. Stir in cheese.

Divide pizza dough in half; on a floured surface roll one half into a circle or square and cut into fourths. Repeat with remaining dough. Divide chicken mixture between your rolled dough pieces; fold dough over the chicken mixture to form a pocket and press edges to seal. Trim excess dough if needed. Place 4 calzones on pizza stone and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, or until browned and crisp. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining calzones. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

*I like this dough recipe from Smitten Kitchen because it is easy as promised, and it stretches easily without breaking, making it perfect for calzones.

Week 5: Bag Contents & Meal Plan; Oatmeal Yogurt Pancake Recipe

2012-07-05T10:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day! We at the Alten household enjoyed a scorching hot & humid cookout with close friends in our backyard (occasionally sneaking inside for the nice, cool air conditioning). Normally we would pick up our CSA delivery on Wednesday at American Greetings, but due to the holiday, I'll be heading to the Westlake pick up later this afternoon. Here is what I'm expecting to receive:

Small bag contents:
-1 whole chicken or pork roast (I'm planning on grabbing the pork)
-1 bunch beets
-2 bulb onions
-1 bunch carrots or 1 head kohlrabi (hoping for carrots)
-2 lbs tomatoes
-1 baby bok choy
-2 lbs peaches

Large bag additions:
-1 bunch spinach
-1 lb garlic scape and black pepper linguine
-2 lbs apricots
-2 ct cucumbers
-2 ct zucchini

In addition to the tomatoes from Fresh Fork, my husband brought a bunch home from work last week. Despite making an enormous batch of Gazpacho for lunches this week, I still have quite a few left. If I can't get through them all this weekend, I'll likely turn them into sauce or salsa and can them for the winter months.

My meal plan for the week:
Thursday - 4th of July leftovers
Friday - Zucchini & Tomato Deep Dish Pizza (My Kitchen Addiction)
Saturday - Garlic Scape Linguine; Tomato & Mozzarella Salad; Grilled Apricots (Proud Italian Cook)
Sunday - Shredded Pork Sliders; Sweet & Spicy Cukes (Our Best Bites); Baked Beet Chips
Monday - Spinach & Quinoa Casserole (Eat, Live, Run); Baked Parmesan Tomatoes (Eating Well)
Tuesday - Fried Rice w/bok choy, carrots, and leftover pork

Other recipes you may like:
Creamy Lemon Pasta with Chicken, Asparagus, and Spinach (Gimme Some Oven)
Zucchini & Feta Quiche with Brown Rice Crust (Closet Cooking)
Flatbread Pizza with Chicken & Peaches (Simply Reem)
Spelt Berry Salad with Chicken & Apricots

If you have yogurt left from last week's pick up, you may want to try this recipe for Oatmeal Yogurt Pancakes that I created over the weekend. I ate them with a drizzle of the strawberry balsamic sauce & maple syrup. Add blueberries or another fruit to the batter if you like. In the fall I think these would taste fabulous served with homemade applesauce or smeared with apple butter.

Oatmeal Yogurt Pancakes (serves 4)

-1 1/3 cup rolled oats
-1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour*
-1/4 cup unpacked brown sugar
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-2 cups plain yogurt, preferably a farmstead yogurt (do not use Greek)
-2 large eggs
-1 tablespoon canola oil
-butter, oil, or cooking spray for the pan

Whisk together oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk yogurt with eggs and oil until combined. Add yogurt mixture to the oat mixture and stir until well blended.

Heat griddle or large skillet over medium-high. Add your butter or oil, or spray with cooking spray. In batches, using a 1/4 cup measure, drop batter onto skillet (batter will be thick and you may need to help it spread). When pancakes start to bubble on top and edges start to brown (3-5 minutes), gently flip over and cook for 2-3 more minutes, or until cooked through and golden. Serve with butter and syrup as desired.

Week 4: Bag Contents & Meal Plan

2012-06-27T15:03:00.001-07:00

I have to admit, part of me breathed a sigh of relief when I read what to expect in this week's CSA bag. A lot less leafy greens, finally some fruit, and tons of great veggies for quick and easy meals requiring little to no cooking during what promises to be a very hot week.

Small bag contents:
-1 quart of yogurt
-1 pt of black raspberries
-6 ct peaches
-1 package Italian Sausage links, 1.25 lbs
-2 ct zucchini
-1 bunch radishes
-1 head green leaf lettuce
-1 bunch kale

Large bag additions:
-1 head kohlrabi
-1 red bulb onion
-1.5 lbs hoophouse tomatoes
-2 ct cucumbers
-1 head broccoli
-1 jar strawberry basalmic sauce

For those followers who are new subscribers to Fresh Fork, this yogurt will not be like any yogurt you buy from the store. As Trevor describes in the newsletter, it is VERY runny. There are no thickeners, no stabilizers, just cultured milk. It's an excellent, high-quality yogurt, but I do not like to eat it as I would typical yogurt (mixed with fruit and a drizzle of honey). It is, however, a perfect yogurt for making my favorite muesli recipe (I'll use my raspberries & peaches in this!), or to use in smoothies or smoothie popsicles. I also may try baking with it as the people of Fresh Fork suggest, possibly substituting it for buttermilk in my favorite Sunday morning pancakes or whole wheat oat muffins.

Our city's annual four-day Independence Day celebration starts this weekend, and I'm sure we'll indulge in some carnival food while joining in the festivities in the evening (yes, I do enjoy the occasional onion ring or funnel cake!), so I tried to keep my meal plan simple and flexible.

Thursday - Out of town
Friday - Blackbean & Veggie Quesadillas
Saturday - California Sandwiches
Sunday - Sausage Risotto with Kale (modified from the cooking light recipe) OR Grilled Sausages with Kale Chips; Zucchini Chile Cheddar Mash
Monday - B.L.T.s; Kohlrabi Slaw
Tuesday - Broccoli Quiche with Brown Rice Crust; Tomato & cucumber salad
Wednesday - Happy Independence Day! Smoked Beef Brisket, Corn, Sliced Tomatoes, Berry Trifle

Other recipe suggestions:
Deep Dish Tomato & Zucchini Pizza
Spicy Kale-Stuffed Shells
Sweet & Spicy Cucumber Slices

Week 3 Meal Plan; What to do with Beet Greens

2012-06-22T04:34:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is my meal plan for the week:

Thursday - Chicken, Spinach & Artichoke Calzones (Recipe to come!)
Friday - Pizza & Salad
Saturday - Grilled Pork Chops & Veggie Skewers
Sunday - Summer Pea, Watermelon & Spelt Berry Salad (Cooking Light)
Monday - Skillet Baked Eggs with Spinach, Yogurt & Chili Oil; Toast (Bon Appetit)
Tuesday - Summer Rolls (Williams-Sonoma); Stir-Fried Snow Peas & Bok Choy
Wednesday - Leftovers

Beet Greens. These seem to be an anomaly to most people. Sure, we can figure out what to do with the actual beet, but what about the leafy green tops? Simply, you can treat them just as you do any other green. To me, they look a bit like swiss chard, and they have an earthy taste similar to kale. I plan to add mine to the spinach when I make skillet baked eggs on Monday. Last summer I created a beet relish using the roots and greens that could be served as a side or as a topping on hamburgers. I also searched and found the below recipes you might want to try:

Pasta with Beet Greens, Blue Cheese, & Hazelnuts (Martha Stewart)
Beet Green Chopped Salad (Sprouted Kitchen) - This looks GORGEOUS!
Sauteed Beet Greens with Garlic & Olive Oil (NY Times)

I made the beet cookies from Weelicious yesterday afternoon and the kids are gobbling them up! Not too sweet with a texture similar to shortbread. I prefer mine a little crisp, so I cook them a bit longer. Tip: to grate my beets I put them through the shredding attachment on my food processor, then change to the regular blade and pulse a few times. Takes just a minute and saves my hands from looking like I just murdered someone. I think the color of these cookies is just amazing!

Week 3: Bag Contents & Recipe Ideas

2012-06-20T16:28:00.000-07:00

I haven't had the opportunity to make my meal plan for the week (90 degree temps require a LOT of pool time), but for my fellow Fresh Forkers who are just itching to get started on their own meal plans - You did start meal planning, right?! - I thought I'd go ahead and share a few ideas for this week's bag contents, and I'll post my meal plan tomorrow evening after I have the opportunity to think about it a little more. If last week had a Mexican theme, I feel like this week is a little more Asian in nature.

Small bag contents:
-1 package boneless loin chops, 2 per pack
-2 lbs spelt berries
-1 bunch spinach
-1 head white stem bok choy
-1 dozen eggs
-1 head baby bok choy
-1 bunch beets with tops
-1 lb snow peas
-1 head chinese napa cabbage

Large bag additions:
-1 bunch carrots
-1 lb shelled peas
-1 head leaf lettuce
-1 extra bunch spinach
-2 bunches red bulb green onions

Honestly, my favorite item in this week's bag is the eggs. We are an egg family and have them for breakfast - sometimes dinner - numerous times a week. I have spent lots of time and money searching for the perfect egg at the grocery store ever since I tried the pasture-raised eggs from Fresh Fork last summer to no avail. No organic, no cage-free, no free-range eggs sold at any of my local groceries came close to having the richness of these local pasture-raised eggs. In fact, I now plan to purchase my eggs weekly at the back of the truck when we pick up our bag each week. If you aren't a CSA subscriber, find a local farmer's market that sells true pasture-raised eggs and see for yourself. For more information on pasture-raised eggs, click here.

Unfortunately, due to some unexpected events, I didn't cook as much as usual last week and I am still sitting on some bok choy, snow peas, kale and cauliflower. Fortunately, I seem to have figured out a way to store my veggies that makes them last longer than expected. As soon as I get home from pick up, I take any leafy greens and place them in large plastic grocery bags with a damp paper towel. Then I put them in the crisper of my second refrigerator that I keep nice and cold. If an item such as beets or carrots come with the greens still attached, I cut off the greens and store them with the other leafy veggies as well. I found that even my leaf lettuce stays fresh for a week or more when stored in this manner. To clear some space, tonight I made a quick and easy stir-fry using my bok choy, snow peas, and cauliflower from week two and served it over quinoa. No recipe, I just heated some oil in a wok, threw in the snow peas, sliced bok choy, and cauliflower florets, added some minced garlic and grated ginger, then finished it with some soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Served with some sri racha or sweet thai chili sauce, it was easy, quick, and healthy!

Some recipe ideas for week 3:
Lemon Chicken Stir Fry (Eating Well)
Shrimp & Egg Fried Rice with Cabbage (Tyler Florence)
Skillet Baked Eggs with Spinach, Yogurt, & Chili Oil (Bon Appetit)
Summer Pea, Watermelon, & Farro (sub spelt berries) Salad (Cooking Light)
Chicken with Kale and Freekeh-Lentil Pilaf (sub your bok choy or spinach for kale; spelt for Freekeh, Bon Appetit)
Sweet Beet Cookies (Weelicious)
Beet & Goat Cheese Arugula Salad (Giada De Laurentiis)

Week 2: Bag Contents, Meal Plan, & Recipe Links

2012-06-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I love Mexican food (at least as Mexican as food can be in Ohio). For pretty much every birthday, anniversary, holiday, etc, I choose to eat at a Mexican restaurant. Chipotle is my fast food of choice (again, I realize this is not really Mexican food, but there is guacamole and salsa so it's good enough for me). My past two trips to Chicago I made sure we stopped to eat at a Rick Bayless restaurant. So it should come as no surprise that I am really excited about this week's CSA delivery. Here's what we got:

Small bag contents:
-2 lb black turtle beans
-1 bag corn chips
-1 lb chorizo sausage
-1 bunch green onions
-1 bunch cilantro
-1 head red leaf lettuce
-1 bunch Swiss chard
-1 head jumbo white stem bok choy
-1.5 lb red slicing tomatoes

Large bag additions:
-1 head cauliflower
-1 bunch red kale
-1 lb snow peas
-2 ct zucchini
-1 package chicken brats
-1 bunch beets

My tentative meal plan:

Thursday:    Summer Squash Pizza (Cooking Light); Simple Salad

Friday:         Cold Sesame Noodles (Cooking Light); Stir Fried Bok Choy & Snow Peas

Saturday:     BLT's; Salt & Vinegar Kale Chips

Sunday:       Hamburgers & Potato Salad (Father's Day, so this was husband's request!)

Monday:       Baked Black Beans & Chorizo (Cooking Light!)*; Chips & Salsa

*Note that this recipe requires modification as it calls for Spanish chorizo which is a cured sausage. Mexican chorizo is a fresh sausage and requires cooking first.

Tuesday:      Chicken Brat, Cauliflower and Brown Rice Bake

I can't really say that I have a single favorite food. But if you asked me to make a top ten list, beans would be on it. Besides being delicious, they're cheap, nutritious, and adaptable. Fortunately for me, my whole family loves beans, so they're included in our meals at a minimum of twice a week. Canned beans are a nice convenience (Trader Joe's canned beans are BPA free, as are Eden Organic), but making your own dried beans is even better. I make a pound or two at a time and we eat them all week in soups, quesadillas, burritos, pasta, etc. They also freeze well when cooked, so you can package them in small containers and thaw as needed. I typically follow the Rick Bayless slow cooker method for preparing dried beans. This is a basic recipe that allows you to use the cooked beans in a variety of preparations. If you want to turn the pot of beans into a meal, season as desired, add vegetables and/or meat, and dinner is done.

Home-Cooked Beans (Slow-Cooker Variation)
From Mexican Everyday, By Rick Bayless

-1 lb (about 2 1/2 cups) dried beans
-2 T. oil or lard
-1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
-Salt

Wash and sort the beans. Pour the beans into a medium-large pot, pour in two quarts of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat; then pour into the slow-cooker. Add the oil or lard and onion. Allow the beans to cook for at least 6 hours on high in order for them to become tender, though they may continue cooking up to 10 hours. When the beans are tender, stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Taste and add additional salt if needed.

*A note about soaking beans - According to Rick Bayless, Mexican cooks don't soak beans. It doesn't do much to make them more, um, digestible (as you include beans more and more in your diet your body adjusts), and it makes the beans turn out pale in color and flavor. I never soak my beans and I have never had any problems.

Below are links to some other recipes that you might like for this week's bag. Some of these I have linked to before, some I've never tried. Remember, a recipe can always be modified to fit your taste! If you're having trouble adjusting a recipe to fit your needs, leave a comment and I'll try to help. You can also follow me on Pinterest and check out my recipe boards there.

Mexican Beans with Chorizo & Greens (Dinner & Dessert)
Zucchini Mushroom Tacos with Chorizo (Cooking Claire)
Salt & Vinegar Kale Mashed Potatoes (Edible Perspective)
Kale with Black Beans & Sweet Potatoes (Healthy Girl's Kitchen)
Chard & Gruyere Grilled Cheese (Sprouted Kitchen)
Stir Fried Bok Choy with Ginger & Garlic (Robin Miller)
Kale Caesar Slaw (Bon Appetit)

It's CSA Season!

2012-06-12T16:10:00.001-07:00

I'm back! At least, I hope so. At the end of last summer I faded away without notice; No CSA wrap up, no goodbye. I got busy; I missed a week, then two. Essentially, I gave up. As this year's CSA season approached, however, a number of people who followed this blog last year started contacting me asking if I was going to blog about the experience again. And I'm happy to say that I seem to have convinced quite a few people to join a CSA for the first time. My life is no less crazy than it was last fall - Jack is now 18 months old and quite a handful, Steven is four and busy with activities, and we are expecting baby number three in October - but I'm going to give this blog another go. As usual, I plan to share ideas for each week's bag contents, links to recipes (I am obsessed with Pinterest and have spent the past few months discovering new recipes & blogs), and my own original recipes. The site is currently under construction as I try to finalize a design I can live with, and I hope to include pictures with my recipes. Disclaimer: I am not a photographer. I own a point and shoot camera that I rarely use and regularly rely on my iPhone to take pictures of my children at important events.

All this being said, I am a week late in getting started. I received my first bag of the season last Wednesday (Again we chose to subscribe to the large omnivore package) and none of it went to waste.

Small bag contents:

-1 whole pasture raised chicken
-1 bulb kohlrabi
-1 bunch collard greens
-1 quart strawberries
-1 bunch Russian red kale
-1 bunch garlic scapes
-1 head green leaf lettuce
-1 bunch radishes
-1 quarter lb bag pea tendrils

Large bag additions:
-2 bunches spinach
-1 lb shelled peas
-1 head broccoli
-1 lb sweet pea & basil pasta

Tomorrow is delivery day again, so tonight I'll be working on my meal plan and searching for recipe ideas to share with you. I know I'm receiving some of my favorite items (black beans!), so I'm excited to get started. And, as always, feel free to share your ideas with me!

Week 16: Cabbage Soup & Easy Baked Applesauce

2011-09-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

*Note: I have been working on this post for over a week now, so it's a bit of a long one. Things just kept popping up that prevented me from finishing it. Feel free to blame my kids. I do.

Back to school germs stormed our house this week. On Friday I noticed Steven's voice sounded a bit strange, Saturday morning Steven and Jack both had runny noses and my throat felt scratchy, and sure enough, by Sunday the three of us were miserable. I'm sure everyone has a certain food or drink from childhood that their mom or dad always served to make them feel better. I still find myself reaching for those foods as an adult. A sore throat always leads me to a cup of hot tea and buttered toast. An upset stomach has me sipping warm sprite and nibbling saltine crackers. As a child, the magic cure for a cold was always Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup. (The classic one. Not the one with home style noodles, not the one with ring noodles. I am very particular about that.) And I won't lie; I still grab a can on the occasions I feel especially yucky. So as I lay on the couch Sunday afternoon watching football with a box of tissues, I knew I would be making soup for dinner. While my original thought was to just make some chicken noodle soup, I realized that, one, I didn't have any chicken, and two, I didn't have any noodles. Sort of necessary items in chicken noodle soup. I did, however, have a giant head of cabbage from the CSA, along with some carrots and celery, so the idea of cabbage soup popped into my head. With some onion, garlic, and a can of diced tomato, this simple soup is surprisingly filling, and very comforting. I was actually quite pleased with the results, and happy to watch Steven take down two bowls. Although it didn't magically cure our colds, I dubbed the recipe "Healing Cabbage Soup" just for fun. This recipe makes a plentiful amount; freeze the leftovers or have them for lunch all week.

Healing Cabbage Soup

-1 Tablespoon olive oil
-1 large onion, chopped
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-2 to 3 carrots, small dice
-3 stalks celery, sliced
-pinch crushed red pepper
-1 head green cabbage, sliced
-2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
-1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
-Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot and celery, saute until onion is translucent. Add crushed red pepper, saute one minute. Add cabbage and stock, bring to a simmer and cook until cabbage wilts, about 15 minutes. Add tomatoes; Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer another 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld. Serve with crackers.

Another food memory from childhood is my Grandma Muir's applesauce. I've never really been a huge fan of applesauce; I find most of it pretty bland. Even though my grandma died when I was young, I remember loving HER applesauce because it was chunky with lots of flavor. I had a bunch of apples I needed to use, so I thought I would make some sauce for the kiddos. No one seems to have my grandma's recipe (my mom remembers her swearing by transparent apples), but I thought I could at least create a thick, flavorful applesauce similar to hers. The best part is that there is absolutely no added sugar and it's a cinch to make (the fact that it makes the house smell amazing doesn't hurt either). Experiment with your favorite apple varieties.

Easy Baked Applesauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and core desired amount of apples. Combine apples, the juice of one to two oranges, and one to two teaspoons of cinnamon in a large dutch oven. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the apples are soft. Using a whisk or wooden spoon, stir and mash the apple mixture until desired consistency is achieved. For a smoother texture, use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Serve warm, room temperature or cold.

Since this post is so late, I am going to skip posting last week's meal plan, and just move into the items from week 17. This is what I received on Friday:

-1 whole pasture raised chicken
-3 lbs sweet potatoes
-2 bulbs garlic
-2 lbs concord grapes
-6 ears sweet corn
-1 lb green beans
-1 head leaf lettuce
-1 butternut squash
-1 spaghetti squash
-1 half pint red raspberries
-1 head cabbage
-2 onions
-1 lb fresh whole wheat linguine

Paul and I were out of town for a wedding over the weekend, so I didn't do any cooking. Today I intended to roast the chicken with the sweet potatoes and onions and serve it with some green beans on the side. Of course, AFTER I peeled and chopped the potatoes I realized that the chicken was still somewhat frozen. Oops. After staring in the fridge and pantry for a while, I decided to carb it up and make whole wheat pasta with roasted sweet potatoes and garlic oil (the oil being a gift from my mom who bought it on a recent trip to California). I was pleasantly surprised by the results. I roasted the potatoes with some onion, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, then tossed them with the fresh whole wheat pasta, some chopped sage from my garden, and a drizzle of roasted garlic oil. A carb lover's dream. And since it combined my 9-month-old's favorite foods of pasta and sweet potato, he was very happy.

My meal plan for the rest of the week:

Tuesday: Roasted Chicken

Wednesday: Edamame Succotash

Thursday: Chicken Salad Sandwiches (with the leftover chicken)

Friday: ??? Something with squash and sausage.

Saturday: Stuffed Cabbage (Or cabbage rolls, as I knew them growing up from my grandma)

Sunday: Crock Pot Chicken Chili (recipe below)

I know a lot of people swear by using their slow cooker all the time. While I love my slow cooker, I tend not to use it often in the summer simply because the types of food I like to cook in it aren't what I consider summer foods. As the weather begins to cool and I start to crave more warm and comforting foods, I turn to my slow cooker on a regular basis, especially to make soups and stews. One of my favorite slow cooker recipes was given to me by my friend Denise. I made this chicken chili for my son's lunch time birthday party last year and cooked it in my slow cooker overnight. Everyone asked for the recipe, even my brother.

White Chicken Chili

-1.5 - 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken (can use all breast or I sometimes use a combo of breast and thigh for more flavor)
-3 jalapeno peppers, minced (seeded if you don't want it spicy)
-1 large yellow onion, diced
-1 tablespoon ground cumin
-1 tablespoon dried oregano
-1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-6-10 tomatillos, husks removed and quartered
-2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
-2 cans navy or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
-1 to 1.5 quarts chicken stock
-1 jar salsa verde (I use Trader Joe's)
-16 ounces fresh or frozen corn

Saute onion and garlic in one tablespoon of olive oil until soft. Add all ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on low until chicken is cooked and tender. Remove chicken and shred (I shred it right in the pot), return to slow cooker. Taste and adjust the spices as necessary. Continue cooking on low for several hours allowing all the flavors to blend.

Week 15: Veggies, Veggies, and more Veggies!

2011-09-13T17:49:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a bit late in posting for week 15. In fact, I just received the email with the list of items I'll be getting for week 16 this afternoon. I've been feeling a little frazzled this past week dealing with the start of preschool for Steven and the kick-off of the PTA year (I'm serving as president and as one of the membership chairs!), and it's left me a bit uninspired. Actually, I never sat down and created a meal plan for the week and have just been making it up as I go. And two of my meals this week were decided with total disregard for my CSA items. Friday I made a meal for another family and just doubled it for my own, and Saturday we just plain felt like having some tacos with chorizo. Of course, because of this, I realized today when I looked in my refrigerator that I have a TON of veggies left that need to be used ASAP. In my kitchen that means tomorrow's dinner is going to be "a crock-pot full of any veggie I can stuff into it stew." The contents of week 15's bag:

-1 lb pumpkin sage pasta
-2 lb log organic butter
-2 eggplant
-2 red bell peppers
-2 carnival squash
-1.5 lbs slicing tomatoes
-1 lb green beans
-1/4 peck gala apples
-1 head leaf lettuce
-2 lbs San Marzano Roma tomatoes
-1 head broccoli
-2 candy onions
-1 (ginormous) head cabbage

My meal (non) plan:

Friday: Roasted Chicken & Butternut Soup, Cape Cod Chopped Salad
*Cook's Note: You could substitute another winter squash for the butternut if you like. My three-year-old ate two bowls and claimed the leftovers as his. And the dressing for the salad is one of my favorites. I mix a batch and keep it in the fridge for lunch and dinner salads all week.

Saturday: Black Bean & Chorizo Tacos
*Cook's Note: This was inspired by the recipe for Crusty Black Bean-Chorizo Subs by Rick Bayless. I served the mixture on tortillas instead.

Sunday: Uh, go Brown's? Went to the game, so cook's day off!

Monday: Roasted Shrimp with Peppers
*Cook's Note: I served this with brown rice instead of white. As always, I threw in some extra veggies by adding a couple more red bell peppers and a pound of green beans to the mixture.

Tuesday: Pumpkin Sage Pasta, Cape Cod Chopped Salad
*Cook's Note: For the pasta, I warmed some olive oil in a large skillet, added a pinch of crushed red pepper, some minced garlic, and some chopped fresh sage. When the garlic was golden, I added the cooked pasta, some salt and some pepper, and then topped it with a bit of Parmesan. My 8-month-old was a huge fan of the pasta!

The next two days will be filled with attempts at using any remaining vegetables before the next CSA delivery. I already plan to make some applesauce with all the remaining apples (I still have some from the week before as well, and I'm going apple picking next week. I'll have to do a post solely on apple recipes soon.), and I'm going to make some tomato sauce as well. The carnival squash should keep a little while, so I'll likely save it until next week. And I'm not kidding when I say I'm going to stuff the crock-pot tomorrow. I'm sure I can create a sort of ratatouille with some of the remaining vegetables. Anything left on Thursday will get turned into baby food.

And since I'm here, I'll go ahead and post what I expect to receive for Week 16:

-1 pint cherry tomatoes
-1 package chicken sausage
-1 dozen eggs
-1 bunch carrots with tops
-1 bunch turnip greens
-2 green bell peppers
-2 poblano peppers
-1.5 lbs Stanley plums (prune plums)
-1 head broccoli OR 1 stalk celery
-1 bunch candy striped beets with tops
-1 bunch multi-colored Swiss chard
-1.5 lbs heirloom tomatoes
-1.5 lbs nectarines

My evenings are actually meeting-free this week, and my son is in preschool now for two blissful hours, three days a week, so I could actually get a chance to sit down and create a meal plan in the next two days. And in a thought completely unrelated to cooking: In my "Dinner Guests" section there is a blog titled, "MoZo's Road to the Ironman." Well, MoZo made it to the Ironman and conquered it. Congrats! I can only imagine what he had for dinner that night...

Week 14: Pulled Pork, Smoky Corn Chowder, & Roasted Cucumber Sandwiches

2011-09-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

Remember when I said the recipe for Eggplant Fries was coming soon? I lied. I tried to get all healthy and bake them in the oven after coating them with some panko. They did not turn out as I had envisioned. Were they edible? Yes. Would I make them that way again? Absolutely not. In case you're interested in attempting to make some eggplant fries of your own, Bon Appetit's recipe sounds delicious, (just be aware you must start the recipe at least 2-3 hours before you want to fry them), or even just cut the eggplant into fries and follow the breading instruction for your favorite eggplant Parmesan recipe.

I have to comment on the little yellow doll watermelon from last week's bag. My husband and Steven were absolutely dying to cut into this watermelon. Steven kept commenting, "It's just my size!" So we were very disappointed when we discovered it had absolutely NO TASTE! I'm not sure if ours was under ripe, overripe, or just bad, but I'm not kidding when I say it tasted like water. I searched the Internet and most of what I read claimed yellow dolls have a sweet taste similar to red watermelon, so I'm going to have to believe the one we got was simply a fluke. Oh well.

I know I'm a bit late with this post, but here is what I received last Friday:

-6 ears super sweet corn
-3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
-1 lb grass fed ground beef
-2 green bell peppers
-1 lb green beans
-1.5 lbs peaches
-2 cucumbers
-2 yellow squash
-8 oz bag kale
-1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes
-4 lb pork shoulder
-16 oz jar BBQ sauce
-1 tub cream cheese
-1 lb seedless grapes

I was super excited when I saw the weather forecast for this week. I probably have a dozen or so corn chowder recipes, but I really didn't care to make soup when it was 90 degrees and 100% humidity. Monday brought perfect soup weather, and the Smoky Corn Chowder recipe I chose was a huge hit with the entire family. Steven ate two bowls and walked away from the table rubbing his belly, saying "that was so good. I can't believe it was so good!" The recipe is slightly smoky from the bacon & paprika, slightly sweet from the corn, slightly spicy from the crushed red pepper, and just a bit creamy thanks to some half-and-half. The recipe calls for frozen corn, but I opted to use my fresh corn instead, and I used my immersion blender to blend the soup right in the pot to save myself from washing extra dishes.

My complete meal plan for the week:

Saturday: Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Smoked Potato Salad, Sauteed Patty-Pan Squash & Tomatoes
*Cook's Note: We put the pork shoulder on our electric smoker for about 8 hrs, shredded it and served it on whole wheat buns with the BBQ sauce from the CSA. Leftover pork made amazing quesadillas for lunch the next day, using the BBQ sauce for dipping. The potatoes smoked for 3 hours and I dressed them with a vinaigrette. Cooking Light had a recipe for smoked potato salad recently as well.

Sunday: Grass fed Beef Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Green Beans
*Cook's Note: I omit the brown sugar when making the sweet potato fries.

Monday: Smoky Corn Chowder, Cherry Tomatoes

Tuesday: Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables
*Cook's Note: I made this with whole wheat penne instead of ziti, and added a green and a red bell pepper. I also opted to use fresh mozzarella in place of the ricotta and doubled the recipe to ensure leftovers for lunch.

Wednesday: Roasted Cucumber Sandwiches, Kale Chips

Thursday: Leftovers

I have been dying to try this Roasted Cucumber Sandwich recipe, so hopefully it won't disappoint. I love the refreshing flavor of cucumbers, but I have never thought to cook them, let alone roast them in the oven. And I should also comment on the BBQ sauce in this week's bag. This unique sauce was created by Fresh Fork with Clark Pope Catering. At first my husband seemed a bit unsure about it, but after a few bites we both agreed we love it. It has a strong tomato flavor, is a little sweet, yet it finishes with a bit of heat. And I love that there are no preservatives or artificial flavors. I thought it might be fun to do a little label comparison between this BBQ sauce and a popular sauce from the grocery store. Ingredients listed directly as listed on the jar. Pope's BBQ Sauce: Ohio Grown Tomatoes, Apple & White Vinegar, Cayenne Pepper, Brown Sugar, Garlic, Soy Sauce, Liquid Smoke, Molasses, Onions, Cloves, Tamarind, Anchovies. Sweet Baby Ray's: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Distilled Vinegar, Tomato Paste, Water, Modified Food Starch, Salt, Pineapple Juice Concentrate, Natural Smoke Flavor, Spices, Caramel Color, Jalapeno Pepper, Sodium Benzoate, Molasses, Corn Syrup, Garlic, Sugar, Tamarind, Natural Flavor. Seriously? The first ingredient in Sweet Baby Ray's is high fructose corn syrup? Case closed.

Week 13: Grilled Halloumi & Watermelon, Brussel Sprout Relish, & Eggplant

2011-08-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

First, I wanted to let you know that my missing watermelon magically appeared on my husband's chair at work. And it was excellent.

Second, I want to rave about a recipe I tried last week. The Grilled Halloumi with Watermelon and Basil-Mint Oil was AWESOME. For those who aren't familiar with Halloumi, it is a salty, firm cheese that can retain its shape when grilled or sauteed. YUM. If there are any Fresh Fork subscribers out there who haven't used their baby yellow watermelon from the most recent pick up, I highly recommend giving this recipe a try. I tweaked it just a bit to enable me to use my heirloom cherry tomatoes (which were not attached to the vine as the recipe specified) and made it the entire meal on the stove instead of the grill. I wish I had taken a picture because it looked gorgeous on the plate. It would be a great dish to serve a few friends for lunch on a summer afternoon, with a nice crusty bread to soak up all the juices from the tomatoes and the basil oil. The basil oil would be delicious drizzled over other veggies as well.  Bonus:  it takes 15 minutes to pull the whole dish together.

Moving on, the contents of this week's bag:

-1 yellow doll watermelon
-2 eggplant
-1 quart of hot Hungarian peppers
-1 lb clover honey
-1 medium cantaloupe
-2 heirloom tomatoes
-2 patty pan squash
-1 pint mixed baby sweet peppers
-quarter peck golden supreme apples
-1 lb slicing tomatoes
-12 oz jar brussels sprout relish
-2 zucchini
-1.5 lbs red fortune plums

I must take a moment to comment on the brussels sprout relish. I'm sure a number of people reading this have an immediate thought of revulsion. For some reason, brussels sprouts tend to be on most people's top-ten most disgusting food lists. I for one LOVE them, as does the rest of my family. I would say you haven't had them cooked correctly, but I'll get to that another time. This brussels sprout relish from Ann's Raspberry Farm is tangy and spicy and delicious, similar to a pickle relish, but soooooo much better. In fact, the relish was a blue ribbon winner in the pickle category from the Good Food Awards in San Francisco.  We tried it on some crostini's with a little goat cheese, but I think it would be killer on a great grilled sausage or, for my Columbus friends, a Schmidt's Bahama Mama.

My meal plan for the week (back-tracking to Saturday):

Saturday: Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs*, sliced Heirloom Tomatoes, Grilled Jalapenos
*Cook's Note: I prepared these on the grill.For my three-year old, I simply sprinkled one of the chicken thighs with garlic powder, cumin, and paprika, then brushed it with honey as the recipe states.  My husband and I both agreed the spice rub was delicious and would work just as well on other cuts of meat.

Sunday: Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloin, Veggie Potato Salad

Monday: Whole-Wheat Rotelli with Broccoli*
*Cook's Note: The recipe calls for bow ties, but I wanted to use a whole wheat pasta. I substituted about 10 oz of Trader Joe's whole wheat rotelli pasta in place of the bow ties.

Tuesday:  Sage-Breaded Chicken, Eggplant "Fries," Squash Salad

Wednesday: Marinated Peppers & Mozzarella, Pan-fried Trout

Thursday: PTA social at my house. Day off!

Recipes for the Potato Salad, Sage-Breaded Chicken, and Eggplant Fries to come!

I've heard a lot of grumblings from my fellow Fresh Forkers about their distaste for eggplant. I personally don't think it has much flavor, hence why people tend to fry it up and smother it with marinara and cheese. But for those people who simply can't stand the spongy fruit/vegetable (it could be considered either depending on who you ask), I suggest trying Roasted Eggplant Spread. I've been making this a lot lately as an alternative to the standard pita and hummus. It's low in fat and calories (provided you go easy on the olive oil), and most people don't even realize it's eggplant. For those who do love the sauce and cheese smothered eggplant, below is my absolute favorite eggplant Parmesan recipe. It was given to me by a friend a couple of years ago in my Freezer Friend's group. Salting the eggplant removes the bitterness, and panko breadcrumbs ensure the eggplant stays crispy, not soggy.

Eggplant Parmesan

-1 large eggplant
-1/2 c. Italian breadcrumbs
-3/4 c. Panko Japanese breadcrumbs
-1/2 c. coarsely shredded Parmesan cheese
-2 eggs
-1 c. flour
-1 c. shredded Mozzarella
-6 slices fresh Mozzarella
-1 large can of tomato sauce (or can use homemade sauce)
-1 tsp. oregano
-salt
-olive oil for frying

Peel skin off of eggplant with potato peeler and cut off ends. Cut eggplant into thin slices, approx. 1/4 inch thick. Spread out on cutting board and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse under cold water and pat dry. Combine Italian bread crumbs, Panko bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Pour onto plate for breading. Beat egg in bowl. Pour flour onto separate plate. Dip each eggplant slice first into the flour, coating both sides. Dip into egg, followed by bread crumb mixture until coated with breading. Once finished breading, heat olive oil in frying pan. Brown each slice of eggplant on both sides, set aside on plate lined w/ paper towel. Once all eggplant is fried, stack and place in refrigerator to cool for 30 minutes. Pour shallow layer of tomato sauce into 13 x 9 baking dish. Layer eggplant slices until they are 2 slices deep. Add a layer of mozzarella cheese slices. Layer remaining eggplant on top. Top evenly with remaining sauce. Top with shredded mozzarella, Parmesan and oregano. Bake covered for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Cut into slices and serve.

Week 12: I'm Back!

2011-08-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

After a week of vacation at a beach house with cooking knives that made slicing a ripe banana back-breaking work, I'm happy to be home in my own kitchen. And, since I brought home a few souvenir extra pounds courtesy of nightly cocktails and a delicious little treat known as shrimp bombs (shrimp stuffed with pepper jack cheese, wrapped in prosciutto, then fried), I immediately sat down to create this week's meal plan with an eye on the lighter side of things. Because our CSA is in a partnership with my husband's place of business, we were able to pick up Friday's bag today instead of getting another week's worth of vacation credits. Here is what I received:

-1 quart of yogurt
-1 lb nitrate free bacon
-1.5 lbs Roma tomatoes
-1 head leaf lettuce (this was not in very good shape and immediately went to the compost pile)
-3 lbs red new potatoes
-1 bunch candy cane beets
-1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes
-1.5 lbs peaches
-1 cantaloupe
-8 oz piece of farmstead Gouda cheese
-1 quart hot Hungarian peppers
-1 lb dragon tongue beans
-1/2 lb Swiss chard
-1 head of broccoli

I was also supposed to receive a watermelon, however, it seemed to go missing in the cafeteria cooler over the weekend. My husband has an email into the organizers of the partnership, and we'll likely get an extra item next week. I actually designed a couple of meals around the watermelon, so I went and picked some up at the grocery store anyway.

Monday: Grilled Halloumi & Watermelon Salad, sauteed Dragon Tongue Beans

Tuesday: New Potatoes with Swiss Chard & Fried Egg

Wednesday: B.L.T., Broccoli Salad

Thursday: Strawberry Melon Gazpacho, Grilled Chicken (Thanks for the gazpacho suggestion, Rachel!)

I'm not sure what I plan to do with the beets and Hungarian peppers yet, but I remember a recipe in Bon Appetit recently for a beet slaw, so maybe I'll try it with Thursday's meal. The hot peppers could be used on a pizza or in a quesadilla for lunch, or possibly pickled? The potatoes are beautiful, and there are a lot, so I'm thinking I might try a smoked potato salad over the weekend with the leftovers from Tuesday. I'm thinking of mixing the yogurt with some vanilla bean for flavor and pairing it with some grilled peaches, if the peaches make it through the day, or I'm considering using the yogurt to make blueberry smoothie ice pops.

As I mentioned briefly, Fresh Fork offers vacation credits so you don't miss out on an entire week's worth of items. When you can't pick up your bag, you notify Fresh Fork and they allow you to choose additional items for a future week. I'm hoping I get to choose my items for pick up next week, just before Labor Day weekend, and I'm definitely hoping I get to add some of the grass-fed ground beef we've been getting this summer. It is one of my favorite items of the CSA package, and I often find myself craving it. In fact, I'm so spoiled by this beef that I can't seem to enjoy a "regular" burger as much as I once did! Other items I would be happy to add to my list are any of the cheeses, especially the Siberian Night from Mayfield Creamery, or the heirloom tortilla chips.

I can't believe fall is approaching so quickly, but I'm ready for cooler evenings and fall produce. I tend to cook very seasonally, so I look forward to shifts in the weather. My husband thinks I'm crazy, but there are certain dishes I simply won't make in the summertime, just as I won't make a caprese salad in the winter. For me, Fall means the return of soups and chowders, pasta with red sauce, and oven roasted vegetables. Of course, ask me how I feel some time in January and I just might be singing a different tune.

Week 10: Meal Plan, Green Gazpacho, Chicken & Corn Tostada Salad

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

I didn't really get the opportunity to be creative this past week. Actually, things were so busy that my husband and I were barely home together for dinner. And, it has been so hot and humid lately that I can barely stand to turn on the oven. A cool, refreshing, no-cook gazpacho soup seemed like the perfect remedy for a hot day. While, I enjoy standard gazpacho made with red tomatoes (Ina Garten has an excellent Gazpacho recipe), after a while I start to feel like I am eating a bowl of salsa without the chips. Last summer I discovered a recipe for Tangy Green Zebra Gazpacho in Food & Wine Magazine and it instantly became my favorite summer soup. Since green zebra tomatoes can be hard to find, I like to use a mixture of unripe red tomatoes and tomatillos. Throw in an extra jalapeno if you like, and add a few dashes of green Tabasco. To keep it a truly no-cook meal, pick up some crusty bread from a bakery, some thinly sliced prosciutto, and some of your favorite cheeses and olives to serve on the side. I suggest eating it on the patio with a glass of white wine.

One of the most requested recipes I make is called Chicken & Corn Tostada Salad. In fact, three people have asked for it the past week. Since I have been getting lots of corn and tomatoes from the CSA in recent weeks, I decided it would be fitting to go ahead and share the recipe here. My mom got this recipe from a friend, and we assume it was originally came from Kraft foods, but I couldn't locate the exact recipe online. The recipe calls for frozen corn, but I like to substitute fresh when corn is in season. Amber, this post is for you!

Chicken & Corn Tostada Salad

-16 oz fresh or frozen corn kernels
-1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 red bell pepper, chopped
-3 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
-1 greenish black avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped
-1 cup chopped Roma tomatoes
-2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
-3 cups torn romaine lettuce
-2 to 3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store and you don't even have to cook!)
-1/4 cup vinegar
-3 tablespoons honey
-1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-fresh ground pepper
-tortilla chips, sour cream, and salsa for serving

To make the dressing, whisk together vinegar, honey, cumin, and salt in a small bowl. Season with pepper. Set aside.

Combine remaining ingredients in a LARGE bowl. Toss with dressing. Serve over tortilla chips, top with sour cream and salsa.

Because I was hardly home last week, I failed to post my CSA items for the week. This is what I received:

-1 lb ground Italian sausage
-8 oz grass fed Gouda cheese
-1 bunch of leeks
-1 pint of cherry tomatoes
-1 quart hot Hungarian peppers
-2 patty pan squash
-1.5 lbs slicing tomatoes
-1 pint blueberries
-1.5 lbs peaches
-1 bunch of Swiss chard
-1/4 lb basil
-2 lbs Roma tomatoes
-6 ears sweet corn
-1 package of chicken sausage links

It seems I have already burned through most of my items. A last minute cookout with my in-laws used the chicken sausage, corn, and slicing tomatoes, and as usual, the peaches and blueberries seemed to evaporate into thin air (peaches are currently my 3-year-old's food obsession). Even the cherry tomatoes are gone due to my son's new ability to climb onto the counter to sneak a treat now and then. The goal of this week's meal plan is to use everything in our refrigerator before we leave for vacation. I'll be cooking on the fly this week (no recipes), so I hopefully I will have a new recipe or two to share before we go:

Sunday: Grilled Salmon, Veggie Skewers, Couscous

Monday: Leek & Chard Frittata

Tuesday: Whole Wheat Penne with Tomatoes & Pesto

Wednesday: Sausage-Stuffed Patty Pan Squash & Hot Peppers

Thursday: Leftover night

Friday: Grilled Chicken with any veggies & fruits left in the house

Saturday: VACATION

Week 9: Sauteed Corn, Kale Chips

2011-08-01T17:33:00.000-07:00

When sweet corn is in season it really doesn't take much to make it taste delicious. In fact, my son usually eats an ear or two of it raw as he "helps" me shuck it for dinner. While I love to simply grill or steam it and enjoy it straight off the cob, I have so many recipes involving corn that I can scarcely get through them before the end of corn season. Corn salads, corn chowders, corn pudding, cornbread (try adding fresh corn kernels to the cornmeal batter!), even a sweet corn ice cream. Last night I decided to saute the corn, but wanted to ramp up the flavor just a bit. A bit of lime and jalapeno, a sprinkle of Manchego cheese, and a new favorite was created. As usual, the recipe can be changed to suit your taste. Swap cilantro for the basil, try Parmesan or Cotija (the Mexican version of Parmesan) instead of the Manchego, it is up to you. I served it with grilled chicken breasts marinated with lime juice and basil, and some purple beans.

Sauteed Corn with Lime & Manchego

-4 to 5 ears of corn, shucked, kernels cut from cob
-2 to 3 jalapeno peppers, seeds and membranes removed, chopped fine
-1 medium onion, chopped
-2 limes, juiced and zested
-1/2 cup chopped basil
-1/2 cup grated Manchego cheese
-2 to 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
-salt & pepper

Heat oil or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add jalapeno, cook one minute. Add corn, season with salt & pepper. Saute about 5 minutes, until corn is brightly colored and still crisp. Remove from heat, stir in lime juice, zest, and basil. Sprinkle with cheese.

It always makes me laugh when I see a recipe for Kale Chips that claims, "make these the next time your craving potato chips." Seriously? What potato chips have you been eating lately? While I don't think the thin, crispy leaves are going to satisfy your chip craving, I do think they are a good healthier alternative to serve with sandwiches at dinner. I served them tonight alongside sausage & peppers sandwiches, using the sweet Italian sausage and hot block peppers from this week's CSA delivery. It seems as though there are a gazillion recipes for Kale Chips out there, but they are all basically the same. Try adding some crushed red pepper or dried herbs for some variety. Next time I get some mustard greens I might try this recipe on those as well.

Kale Chips

-1 bunch of kale
-Olive oil
-Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and dry kale leaves, remove tough stems and tear large leaves into smaller pieces. Toss with just enough olive oil to lightly coat (I do this directly on the sheet pan). Lay in a single layer on a large sheet pan and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes, checking frequently to make sure they don't burn.

Coming up in this week's meal plan:

Tuesday: Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes & Basil

Wednesday: Leftovers/Clear the fridge night

Thursday: Happy Birthday to my Mom! Tangy Green Gazpacho, Jalapeno Shrimp, Crusty Bread & Cheese, Blackberry Buttermilk Cake

As for the remaining items in this week's CSA delivery, the peaches and apricots were devoured within two days by my boys, as were the green beans. Eggs were served on sandwiches with sliced tomatoes and lettuce for lunch, and the rest were hard-boiled for snacks. So I've cruised through this week's contents pretty quickly. Almost half-way through the CSA season and I can't say I've been disappointed, plus peak harvest season is still to come!