CSA 2013 Week 7

Week 7 Bounty:

Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

Onion
Shuyho long cucumber
Beets
H19 cucumbers
Garlic
Summer squash
Basil
Lettuce mix
Green beans
Broccoli

Allen and the kids and I visited the farm last Saturday to "help." I picked 11 pounds of green beans and helped weed/mow the carrot patch. We were only able to stay about 2 hours. I wish that we could have helped more, but we had two kids running circles around the farm. They helped very little, but were most entertained by the many animals and Tony's tractor ride. Dela and Tony were wonderful and welcoming and we hope to make it out there again! While there we purchased the new Farm-Fresh and Fast cookbook. It is amazing. Really beautiful layout and the recipes are so interesting. We tried the Chard Tacos, but I can't wait to try out more! These tacos are delicious and the kids both ate them, which is always a win. Meal #2 was shared with new friends and a wonderful time was had sharing fabulous food. 




Meal #1 (chard, onion)Black and Green Tacos
Mushrooms and Beans:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, caps and stems thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 jalapeno, finely diced (used 1 teaspoon of frozen hot peppers from 2012)
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Greens:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 ounces mixed greens, cut into 1 inch strips (I used chard)
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
1 large avocado, sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar
Mushrooms and Beans: In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minuts, stirring occasonally. Stir in the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and continue to saute for 5-8 minutes, or until the mushrooms and onion are soft. Stir in the jalapeno, black beans, cumin, and more salt if needed, and keep warm until the greens are finished.
Greens: Start the greens while the mushrooms and onion are softening. Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large saute pan. Sprinkle in the crushed red pepper and heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the greens, sprinkle with salt, and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, just until the greens wilt.
To Serve: Put the tortillas, mushrooms and beans, greens, avocado, sour cream, and Cheddar in separate serving dishes for individual taco assembly.
*Recipe from Farm-Fresh and Fast, page 173


Meal #2 (potatoes, broccoli, carrots)
Griglia Mista (Mixed Grilled Meats)
Ribs
Pork roast
Sirloin
Cheddarwurst

Pan-fried Potatoes
Diced or chopped potatoes 

Olive oil
Seasonings
Heat olive oil in pan. Add potatoes. Cook until desired. We like them brown and crunchy. We add salt and seasoning a few minutes before they are finished.

Roasted Carrots and Broccoli 

12 carrots, peeled and chopped 

Bunch of broccoli, with leaves and stems, chopped 

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or parsley
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. If the carrots are thick, cut them in half lengthwise; if not, leave whole. Slice the carrots diagonally in 1 1/2-inch-thick slices. (The carrots will shrink while cooking so make the slices big.) Toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a sheet pan in 1 layer and roast in the oven for 20 minutes, until browned and tender. Toss the carrots with minced dill or parsley, season to taste, and serve. * Recipe from Ina Garten at foodnetwork.com.

Unbelievable Coconut Brownies
1/2 cup coconut oil (or unsalted butter)
1/2 cup cocoa or cacao plus 1 tablespoon
6 eggs (I used 4 eggs plus flaxseed with water)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup coconut sugar (I did the brown sugar substitution below)
1/3 cup honey or agave
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (I used 2/3 cup walnuts instead)
Tiny pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by 8-inch pan with parchment paper. Melt the coconut oil (just to melting, not hot) and whisk in the cocoa/cacao. In a medium sized bowl whisk the eggs, sugar, honey, and vanilla together. Pour in the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the coconut flour and coconut and mix until combined.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until set in the middle.
Recipe Notes and Substitutions:
Coconut: Substitute 2/3 cup of nuts for coconut.
Flour: Though I haven’t tried it, I’m pretty confident that if you wanted to try this out with whole wheat flour, oat flour or gluten-free flour, it would work.
Sugar: Not ready to try coconut sugar? 3/4 cup packed brown sugar would work too, but omit the honey. * Recipe from csmonitor.com

Shake (lettuce, pineapple, cantalope, apricot)

Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

Pina Colada Shake

pineapple

cantalope

apricots

lettuce

coconut water

milk

ice

Add to blender and crush/blend.

Bread (summer squash)

Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake/Bread
I made 2 times this recipe and I poured it into two bread pans. I baked the loaves at 325 degrees for 60 minutes. It is absolutely wonderful! A great treat!
3/4 cup oil
1 1/4 cups sugar (I only used 1 cup)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice in 1 cup measuring cup and fill with milk)
3 Tbsp cocoa or carob powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp each cinnamon and cloves
2 1/2 cups flour (used half white and half whole wheat flour)
Small bag of chocolate or carob chips (used Ghiradelli dark chocolate)
Heat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9-by-13-inch pan. Mix all ingredients and bake 30-35 minutes. Makes 16 servings. *Recipe in From Asparagus to Zucchini via Scotch Hill Farm.

Other (cucumber)

Again, we have eaten the cucumber like chips with our lunches daily.  The beets, garlic, and green beans are holdovers for next week.  The basil is hanging to dry.  

CSA 2013 Week 6

Week 6 Bounty:

Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

zucchini
radishes
cucumbers
patty-pan squash
green beans
snow peas
chard
mixed greens








Another fun week of experimentation. The Squash Bacon Pasta is a regular at our house. It was a favorite of mine in Italia and we recreate it often. Everything else was new. The Fruit and Veggie Shakes I happened to hear someone talking about them and thought why not try them. They were really wonderful and my kids look forward to more!
Meal 1 (zucchini, patty-pan squash)
Squash Bacon Pasta
1 pound pasta (we like whole wheat tagliolini with this dish)
4 ounces bacon, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 pounds zucchini, (about 2 large), diced
1/2 to 1 cup reserved pasta water
3/4 cup very loosely packed, finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Coarse salt and cracked black pepper
Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water to al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot and set aside. In a large saute pan, add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy. Add the zucchini and cook until it starts to soften. Place the cooked pasta over low heat. Add the reserved pasta water, cooked bacon, zucchini and the grated cheese. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately.

Meal 2 (green beans, onions)
Green Beans with Mushrooms
1 1/4 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut in half
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
2 portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry sherry
Directions
Simmer green beans in salted boiling water 5 minutes. Drain green beans and return skillet to moderate heat. Add oil and butter to the pan. Add onions and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Saute mushrooms 3 to 5 minutes with onions, add green beans back to the pan. Heat green beans through and add sherry. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer green beans and mushrooms to a serving plate. * Recipe from Rachel Ray at foodnetwork.com.
Baked Chicken and Rice
1 cup long-grain rice
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped, plus more for garnishing
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
Heat oven to 400° F.  In a large bowl, combine the rice, tomatoes and their juices, broth, orange juice, parsley, onion, garlic, cumin, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper, and the red pepper (if using). Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Season with the remaining salt and pepper. Nestle the chicken pieces among the rice mixture. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand for 5 minutes. Spoon the rice and chicken into individual bowls. Sprinkle with additional parsley. * Recipe from realsimple.com

Meal 3 (chard, basil, tomato)
Naan Pizza with Prosciutto and Chard
Homemade Sauce: 
Chard, steamed
Garlic scapes
Seasoning salt
Tomato paste
Olive Oil
Sweet Red Wine
Basil 
Put the above ingredients in Ninja and blend.  Spread sauce on naan, top with mozzarella cheese and prosciutto.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.  

Side (mixed greens)
Fruit & Veggie Shake
This is a new discovery and we've tried them a few times this week with much success.  They are different every time, but just as delicious.  I used a handful or two of mixed greens, lots of fruit (I've used anything we have on hand: watermelon, cantalope, pineapple, apricot, kiwi, mulberries).  I tossed in a few pureed veggie cubes from the freezer (beets, greens, etc.).  Add a little whole fruit juice and coconut water and blend. Occasionally I add yogurt.

Other: (radishes, zucchini, cucumber)
We just have radishes, one zucchini, some chard and a little bit of sliced cucumbers left.  We have been eating the cucumbers like chips and it is so refreshing on these hot days.  One of our children loves them and the other we are still trying different dips to get him interested. (The snowpeas were used with last week's snowpeas so the recipe is in Week 5.)

CSA 2013 Week 5

Week 5 Bounty:

Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

snow peas
radishes and radish tops
chard
cucumber
leaf lettuce mix
turnips
onions
herbs (Italian basil and oregano)

Our freezer was all cleaned out of proteins this week, so we had more than our typical one-a-week vegetarian meal.  But they were all wonderfully delicious!  Somehow even with the crazy holiday week that we had we still have kept up with the vegetables.  We have yet to preserve anything.

Meal 1 (turnips, radishes, Asian greens, carrots, onions)

These vegetables and chicken were a fabulous combination!  Best of all we were able to share them grilling out with friends.  

Glazed Root Vegetables

4 cups chopped root vegetables (I used turnips, radishes and carrots)

Small bunch of early onions
4 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 Tbsp curry powder
Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper
1 bunch of Asian greens, finely chopped.  Combine turnips, radishes, carrots, coconut oil, maple syrup, and curry in a skillet. Rest lid on top of pan at an angle, do not cover it firmly. Simmer over medium heat until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 20 minutes. Add asian greens and cook thoroughly, a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

Espresso Cumin Chicken

1 cup dark-brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup ground espresso-roast coffee
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper

4 boneless chicken breasts

Marinated for a few hours before grilling in tin foil.

Meal 2 (chard, radish/turnip greens, lettuce mix, basil, oregano)

This is a house favorite.  I always love to throw in whatever green things we have.  It started out as a family recipe for spinach lasagna, but now I love to see what vegetables I can all sneak in.  I love adding diced carrots or other root vegetables. 

Veggie Lasagna

15 oz ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
1.5 c. shredded mozzarella
1 egg, beaten
Bunch of chard, radish/turnip greens, lettuce mix
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano & basil (I used fresh so it is 1/2 Tbsp. each)

1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 jar (15.5 oz) spaghetti sauce 
1 c. water (I did not use this as my homemade sauce is very watery)
Rinsed greens and gently steamed them in a covered pot with a bit of water.  In a large bowl, mix ricotta, 1 c. mozzarella, egg, greens, salt, pepper, oregano and nutmeg. In a greased 13" x 9" x 2" pan layer 1/2 c. spaghetti sauce and 1/3 of noodles and 1/2 of cheese mixture. Repeat three layers . Top with remaining noodles and sauce and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella on top. Pour water around edges and cover tightly with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr 15 min. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.  (Note: I was on a tight schedule and tried it on convection, baked covered at 325 degrees convection for 55 minutes.  It worked perfectly.)

Meal 3 (snow peas, goat cheese)

This was a good summer dish.  We left the goat cheese on the side, as we didn't know what the kids would think of it.  They weren't fans of the cheese, but they loved the meal.  

Quinoa with Chickpeas and Snow Peas
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoons sea salt
2 cups quinoa
1.5 cups snow peas
1 lemon
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
Cook quinoa and set aside to cool. While quinoa cooks, drizzle olive oil and lightly sauté asparagus and sugar snap peas. When the quinoa, asparagus, sugar snap peas have cooled combine all ingredients and add the chickpeas, lemon juice, parsley and chives. Mix and sprinkle the goat cheese. Salt to taste. *Recipe adapted from sacramentostreet.com

Cucumber - the kids and I had for a snack.  It made it all the more exciting, because we recently saw My Neighbor Totoro.  The little girl in the film eats a cucumber whole, so that made it cool.

CSA 2013 Week 4

Week 4 Bounty:

Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

leaf lettuce mix
radishes
hakurai turnips
snow peas
asian greens
garlic scapes
broccoli
goat cheese





I had no idea that I was so far behind in posting already. The birthday/holiday week threw me off completely. I am realizing now that we never made a complete meal all week (except for the birthday party, but that is not worth posting here!). We traveled a bit and were at a few engagements where we only needed to supply sides.


Salad (leaf lettuce mix)
Homemade Dressing (Week 1)
Lettuce
Chia seeds
Walnuts
Side (broccoli, garlic scapes, onions)
Chopped broccoli in the Ninja blender.  Added coconut oil, curry powder, cayenne pepper, ginger, garlic scapes, onions, soy sauce, salt.  Cooked in a fry pan.

Side 2 (snow peas)
Rinsed and prepped snow peas.  Heated olive oil in fry pan and added snow peas.  Cooked until nicely green.  Tossed with Sala Roma - our favorite seasoning mix from Italia.  The kids ate these like they were candy!  I love it when we find a way to serve them vegetables and have them eat like that!

*Radishes, turnips, asian greens and goat cheese were used in the following week.

The only thing worth sharing from the 6 year old birthday party is the Pokemon Pikachu Fruit Salad (pineapple, strawberries, mulberries):

CSA 2013 Week 3

Week 3 Bounty:

Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

Valentine Romaine Lettuce
Bibb lettuce
Bright lights chard
Radishes
Bok Choi
Garlic scapes
Early onions
Leaf lettuce mix






Last week was a very experimental, throw-it-together week.  We have a lot going on planning a 6 year old birthday party that we are doing all homemade.  Both of these main dishes were very easy to throw in a pan and cook quickly.  And both were delicious things that we will surely try again.  I found recipes and then changed them drastically to match what I had around the kitchen.

Meal 1 (chard, radishes, radish greens)
Spiced Vegetables and Salmon on Naan
Diced radishes
Chopped chard stems and leaves separately
Chopped radish greens
3 salmon filets
6 pieces of naan
Spices - I used a generous amount of garam masala and salt
Coconut oil
Cook salmon to taste separately (I actually cheated this time and used a pack of precooked salmon in oil that we keep on hand to throw in salads. I added this with the greens.)  Heat the coconut oil in frying pan at medium heat.  Add radishes and cook them until nearly done.  Add chard stems and cook for a few minutes.  Then add greens/leaves, spices and salmon.  

Meal 2 (bok choi, onions, garlic scapes)
"Chili" Stir Fry 
Bunch of bok choi, chopped
Bunch of early onions, diced
Garlic scapes, diced
Can of black beans
Vegetable oil
Cumin
Chili powder
Salt
Sugar
Add vegetable oil to frying pan on medium heat.  Add the bok choi, onions and garlic. Once onions are translucent, add beans and spices.  Cook till warmed.  Serve over rice.


Side Dish (romaine lettuce, bibb lettuce, leaf lettuce)
Shared as salad at family gathering with shredded carrots and bacon pieces on top.