Tuesday, July 1, 2014

CSA 2014 Week 3

Week 3 Bounty:
Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI
Turnips 
Leeks
Cherry belle radishes
Oregano
Garlic scapes
Snow peas
Lettuce
Spicy greens
Bright lights chard






Meal #1: (snow peas, garlic, onion, lettuce)
Hash Browned Turnips, Radishes and Potatoes
Finely shredded turnips, radishes and potatoes and fried them up like hash browns.  Served with salt and pepper.
Lamb Chops with Wild Blueberry Marinade
4 lamb chops, depending on size
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 or 3 shallots, diced
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup fresh blueberries
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Season the chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook the lamb as you normally would to desired temperature (with lamb, I always recommend no more than medium to medium-well). While the lamb is cooking, make your sauce. In a medium saute pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent and soft, about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds, until fragrant but not brown. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, stir the pan around and simmer away until reduced by half, three to five minutes. Add the blueberries and balsamic vinegar, stirring again to combine, and simmer for about three minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer to a food processor. Puree until smooth and sauce-like. The finished product will be a beautiful purple-blue sauce. Plate the lamb chops on top of something starchy that will soak up all the extra sauce (we used couscous, but pretty much anything will work nicely) and spoon the sauce on top. *Recipe from Per l'Amore del Cibo


Meal #2: (snow peas, garlic, onion, lettuce)
Salmon and Snow Pea Stir Fry
12 ounces skinless salmon fillet (wild is healthier than farm-raised)
1/2cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup orange juice
2 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoon sesame oil
nonstick cooking spray or peanut oil
2 small onion, halved and sliced
12 ounces snow peas
Cut salmon into 1 1/2 inch cubes and place in a resealable plastic bag. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, juice, garlic and sesame oil; pour half the marinade into the plastic bag with salmon. Marinate the fish for 30 minutes in the fridge. Coat a nonstick frying pan or wok with nonstick spray. Remove salmon from bag; discard leftover marinade. Stir-fry salmon over medium-high heat, about five minutes. Turn salmon over gently so that all sides cook evenly. Be very careful with the salmon pieces so they stay intact - this was the hardest part for me; I didn't realize I'm quite the aggressive mad-woman stir-fryer! Remove salmon from wok and add sliced onion. Stir-fry onion until brown, about five minutes. Add snow peas and stir-fry until they turn bright green, about three minutes. Return salmon to pan and pour reserved marinade over fish and vegetables. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Serve with 1/2 cup of brown rice for each plate, if desired. *Recipe from FLKeysJen on food.com
Salad

Other (chard, oregano)
We shared this dish at dinner with friends and it was gone quickly!
Lemon Garlic Rainbow Chard
3 bunches rainbow chard, trimmed and rinsed (we only made one third of the recipe)
6 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, sliced, or to taste
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Separate the stems of the chard from the leaves. Cut the leaves into thin strips and set aside. Thinly slice the stems. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Stir in the sliced garlic, red pepper flakes, and chard stems, and cook for 3 minutes until the flavor of the garlic mellows and the stems begin to soften. Stir in the shredded chard leaves, cover, and cook 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir, recover, and continue cooking until the chard is tender. Toss with lemon juice to serve. *Recipe from isisillusion at allrecipes.com

Oregano - dried

Monday, June 23, 2014

CSA 2014 Week 2

Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI
Week 2 Bounty:
Early onions
Endive
Red iceberg lettuce
Gold potatoes
Spicy greens mix
Asparagus
Lettuce mix
Hakurai turnips
Radishes
Goat cheese



Meal 1:  (asparagus, potatoes)

Skillet Asparagus
2 lbs. asparagus
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Rinse asparagus in cold water and trim off tough ends of stalks. Put butter in a heavy skillet with a tight-fitting lid and heat until butter is foaming. Lay asparagus in the pan and shake from side to side to coat asparagus gently with melted butter; cover tightly and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Check asparagus and turn as needed to make sure the stalks cook evenly and don't burn. Continue cooking 5 minutes longer, or until asparagus is tender but still crisp and bright green. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot. * Recipe from saveur.com

Baked Potato Chips
1 1/2 pounds unpeeled potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Place the potatoes into a mixing bowl, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, and thyme leaves. Toss to evenly coat, and transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Bake in the preheated oven until the potatoes are golden brown on the edges and tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Cheddar Wurst


Meal #2: (endive, tomato, garlic)
One pizza was more kid-friendly, as they don't care for goat cheese, and the other was something new for us. We used pesto and added tomato sauce for the pancetta pizza. It was fabulous! Both were great! We prepared them both the same, just a few different ingredients.

Pizza with Endive and Pancetta
Pizza with Endive and Goat Cheese

1 unbaked pizza crust (we love Trader Joe's whole wheat)
6 tablespoons prepared pesto sauce3 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 (8 ounce) package seasoned goat cheese (we seasoned our own)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup fresh arugula (or endive)
1 teaspoon olive oil
Preheat oven according to pizza package instructions. Dab pesto onto the center of the pizza base, and spread toward the outer edges. Cut the goat cheese into thin coins, and spread or crumble across the pizza. Arrange tomato slices over goat cheese. Sprinkle with garlic. Brush the crust edges lightly with olive oil. Place pizza directly on preheated oven rack. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the crust edges are golden. After taking pizza out of the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes so that the cheese has time to set. After a couple of minutes, cover the pizza with a few handfuls of arugula/endive. Cut, serve, and enjoy! * Recipe from collmarie at allrecipes.com

Meal #3 (sweet potatoes, early onions, lettuce)
Sweet Potato Latkes
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup vegetable oil
Stir together potatoes, scallions, flour, eggs, salt, and pepper.
Heat oil in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4, spoon 1/8 cup potato mixture per latke into oil and flatten to 3-inch diameter with a slotted spatula. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Transfer latkes with spatula to paper towels to drain. * Recipe from gourmet via epicurious.com
Hamburgers
Salad
Meal #4 (turnips, radishes, leek)
This was supposed to be a daikon omelette.  I used all of the turnips and radishes from the share and finely grated them.  

Turnip Omelette1/3 of a medium-size daikon, peeled, then finely grated or thinly sliced (refer to photo for size); 1 green onion, finely diced
1 egg, lightly whisked; salt and white pepper
Add some oil to the pan and when oil is heated, add in green onions and daikon and fry briskly. Allow the daikon to cook (about 5-8 mins) in the pan, moving them around in the pan, to prevent strips from sticking together. Add about 2 pinch of salt and dash of white pepper to the daikon and fry well in the pan. When daikon strips start browning in the pan, add in the whisked egg evenly around the pan, to form a round omelette shape. (Note: If you have a non-stick pan, it is easier to get a perfect round omelette shape without much control of the heat. If you are using a stainless-steel wok like me, it is ok, just don't move the omelette so much and make sure the heat of the pan is maintained at medium, NOT low). Wait till the underside of the egg is slightly browned, then flip the egg over, or break the omelette into several big pieces in the pan to get the other sides get cooked evenly and thoroughly. * Recipe from teczcape.blogspot.com
Pork Sausages (that we picked up at Scotch Hill Farm)

Other (greens)

Salad with leftovers

Greens - rinsed, removed stems, steamed with a bit of water, pureed and frozen into cubes

Friday, June 13, 2014

CSA 2014 Week 1

Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI
Week 1 Bounty:
Nancy butterhead bibb lettuce
Spinach
Norland Red potatoes
Curly cress
Leeks
Spicy greens mix
Oregano
Leaf lettuce mix
Romaine lettuce
Bok choi
Pink beauty radishes



A new season of vegetables!  They are all so beautiful.  When we bring home our bag of vegetables I love to have my kids help inspect them and prepare them for the fridge.  We talk about what we will eat first, what might not last long and what we are really excited to eat.  This week I was most excited about all of the gorgeous salad greens.

We usually embrace many Italian traditions that we learned while living in Italia.  One of these is eating the salad at the end of the meal.  It is supposed to be very good for digestion.  I never have any problem with this, as my family thinks that I am part rabbit, and will grab a handful of lettuce and eat it as is.  However, by the end of the meal the kids usually tell us they are too full for salad.  So we have started serving the salad at the beginning and found a dressing/topping that each likes and guess what?  They actually eat their salads!  It is ridiculously exciting!

The stir fry actually got an "mmmmm" from Greysen.  This kid is so picky that I have actually often wondered why I put so much effort into good food for my family.  But I keep on trying, so these victories, though not frequent, are so important to me.

The other big surprise of the week was the radish dip.  We had to throw something together quite quickly for a dance recital reception and I found with this recipe.  Allen raced to the store for cream cheese and a very delicious vegetable and cracker dip was made.  It was so good that I cannot wait to make it again!


Meal #1: lettuce, cress, sweet potatoes
Pan-fried Sweet Potatoes
Dice potatoes and fry in pan on medium low heat with olive oil until crisp. We add salt and seasonings (sometimes clove, sometimes tarragon or an Italian spice mix).
Hot Dogs
Salad
We use Newman's Own salad dressings.  My favorite is just oil and vinegar, but my family also thinks that I am part rabbit because I will just eat raw lettuce with nothing on it.  We usually have some nuts, seeds or sesame sticks, cress and other toppings available for each of us to create our own salad.  I found that when I make a single kind of salad inevitably someone will not like it.

Meal #2: spinach, lettuce
This slow cooker recipe was an organic creation of Allen's, so I apologize that there are no specific directions.  He just threw things in the crockpot and turned it on.  This would only end in disaster for me, but he can make it work.
  
Slow Cooker Fish, Mushroom and Quinoa
Butter
Prosecco
White fish
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Mushrooms
Spinach
Truffle oil
Onion
Quinoa
Seasoning salt
Salad (see notes above)

Meal #3: bok choi
Stir-Fried  Bok Choi with Ginger and Garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
8 cups chopped fresh bok choy
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
Salt and ground black pepper
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add bok choy and soy sauce cook 3 to 5 minutes, until greens are wilted and stalks are crisp-tender. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.  Served with pan cooked pieces of chicken, brown rice and cashews.  * Recipe from Robin Miller at foodnetwork.com


Meal #4: lettuce
Risotto Tartufo
This is risotto with black truffles, a favorite of ours from Italia.  This is a cheat - a delicious box we found at Costco that is the closest we've gotten here to the real thing!

Salsiccia
Northern Italian sausage (with no fennel).  We have them specially made at the local meat market.  I like them best grilled the way our friends did in Italia, butterflied.  So delicious!
Salad (see notes above)

Side: radishes, garlic, spinach 
Radish Dip
4 cloves garlic, peeled
6 radishes, quartered (just used whole bunch from share)

Handful of spinach
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
Creole spice blend
Salt to taste
Place garlic in the container of a food processor, and pulse until finely minced. Add radishes and spinach and mince. Add cream cheese, and mix until well blended. Add spices to taste. Transfer to a serving dish, and chill until serving. * Recipe adapted from kgonier at allrecipes.com


Other: radish greens, spicy greens, oregano, potatoes
radish greens - steamed, pureed and frozen (to use later in sauces, eggs, smoothies, etc)
spicy greens - steamed, pureed and frozen 
oregano - hung to dry
potatoes - leftover

Friday, June 6, 2014

CSA 2013 Winter Share 2

I am finally getting back to writing after taking off the entire winter/spring.  I did not realize that while I had written this back in November, I had never officially posted it.  So here is the end of last season before I begin anew.

Winter Share 2 Bounty:
Thyme
Brussel's sprouts

Leaf lettuce mix 
Cutting celery (smaller, heirloom variety)
Spicy greens mix
Bright Lights Chard
Green tomatoes
Buttercup squash

Beets
Collards
Kale
Bok choi
White turnips
Onions

Carrots
Garlic
Red Norland potatoes (about 5 lbs.)
Some delicious extras: 
Dela's spiced crab apples
Dela's salsa
Gift of cream cheese from our goat milk
A bar of Dela's goat milk soap 


Meal #1: 
(carrots, onion)
Moroccan Carrot Soup 
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 cup chopped white onion
1 pound large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 2/3 cups)
2 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup plain yogurt, stirred to loosen
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes. Mix in carrots. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Stir cumin seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes; cool. Finely grind in spice mill. Remove soup from heat. Puree in batches in blender until smooth. Return to same pan. Whisk in honey, lemon juice, and allspice. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle yogurt over; sprinkle generously with cumin. *Recipe from Bon Appetit

Meal #2: 
(chard, garlic, parsley)
Chard and Rosemary Pesto 
served with Chicken and Gnocchi
Kosher salt
10 ounces dried, shaped whole-wheat pasta, such as fusilli
5 to 6 stems dark green Swiss chard (see headnote)
Several stems flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons packed rosemary leaves
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or more as needed
1/2 cup pine nuts (2.4 ounces)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a generous pinch of salt, then the pasta. Cook for 5 minutes less than the package directs (to keep the pasta from getting mushy), taste-testing a piece for al-dente doneness. Meanwhile, separate the chard leaves from their ribs and stems, reserving the stems for another use if desired and stuffing the leaves into a food processor as you work. Pluck enough parsley leaves to yield 1/4 cup packed and enough rosemary leaves to yield 2 packed tablespoons, and place them both in the food processor. Smash and peel the garlic cloves, then place them in the food processor along with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and pine nuts. Pulse until finely chopped; stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the motor running, gradually add the oil to form a well-incorporated pesto. Taste, and add cheese if needed. Season with salt and/or pepper to taste. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot (off the heat). Add all of the pesto and 1/4 cup of the cooking water, tossing to coat evenly. If the pesto seems too thick, stir in some or all of the remaining cooking water. Divide among wide, shallow bowls. Serve right away, with more cheese at the table. * Recipe from The Washington Post

Meal #3: (spicy greens)
Mahi Mahi and Spicy greens mix served over nachos
We didn't use a recipe, but threw in what we thought were "taco seasonings." I steamed the greens and finely chopped them.
Meal #4: (celery, sweet potato)
Turkey Wild Rice Soup 
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken or turkey broth
2 cups cooked wild rice
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
2 cups half-and-half cream
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
In a Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour until blended; cook until bubbly. Gradually whisk in broth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the remaining ingredients; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Yield: 12 servings (about 3 quarts). * Recipe from Taste of Home

Meal #4: (brussels sprouts, sweet potato)
Carmelized Brussels Sprouts
1 pound brussels sprouts
2-3 tablespoons olive oilA few heavy pinches of sea salt and/or other seasonings
Trim your sprouts if they have too much stem. Then steam them in skillet for 6-7 minutes until they are just beginning to turn bright green. Next you need to brown them in a shallow skillet with olive oil over medium/high heat. Lay them in the pan in one layer and just let them cook for 4-5 minutes. You can shake the pan a bit to make sure they don’t stick, but resist the temptation to flip them early. You want to get them slightly crispy, but try not too burn them. Then flip and cook an additional 3 minutes. Drizzle on more olive oil as needed, sprinkle on the sea salt or other seasonings. We cook until nicely browned.

Truffle Mac
2 1/4 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
2 cups sliced onion (about 1 medium)
1 bay leaf
12 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Comte or Gruyere cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons white truffle oil
2 ounces French bread baguette, torn
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Heat 1 3/4 cups milk, onion, and bay leaf in a large saucepan to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edges (do not boil). Cover and remove from heat; let stand 15 minutes. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Strain milk mixture through a colander over a bowl; discard solids. Return milk to saucepan over medium heat. Combine remaining 1/2 cup milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Gradually stir flour mixture and salt into warm milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; let stand 6 minutes or until mixture cools to 155°. Gradually add fontina and Comté cheeses, stirring until cheeses melt. Stir in pasta and truffle oil. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart broiler-safe glass or ceramic baking dish. Preheat broiler. Place bread, Parmesan cheese, and garlic in a food processor; process until coarse crumbs form. Drizzle with olive oil; pulse until fine crumbs form. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over pasta. Place dish on middle rack in oven; broil 2 minutes or until golden brown. * Recipe from Ann Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light

Glazed Ham
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped thyme
1 (12-to 14-pounds) boneless or semiboneless fully cooked ham at room temperature 1 hour
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup mild honey
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Melt butter with thyme and let stand until ready to use. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in lower third. Peel off and discard any rind or skin from ham, leaving 1/4 inch of fat on ham. Score fat on top of ham in a crosshatch pattern without cutting into meat. Put ham on a rack in a large roasting pan. Cover ham with parchment paper, then cover roasting pan with foil. Bake 1 3/4 hours. Meanwhile, boil vinegar in a small saucepan until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Remove from heat and whisk in honey, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme butter. Let honey glaze stand until ham has baked 1 3/4 hours. Discard foil and parchment from ham. If there is no liquid in roasting pan, add 1 cup water (liquid will prevent glaze from burning in pan). Brush ham with half of honey glaze, then bake, uncovered, 30 minutes. Brush with remaining glaze and bake until glaze is deep golden-brown and ham is heated through, about 30 minutes more. * Recipe from epicurious.com
 
Other
Thyme - hung to dry
Squash, Beets, Turnips, Collards - steamed and pureed and frozen
Bok Choi - blanched and frozen
Potatoes - we eventually used these, finely chopped, cooked in olive oil

Monday, November 18, 2013

CSA 2013 Winter Share 1

Winter Share 1 Bounty:

Green tomatoes 
Turnips (and greens)
Onions
Acorn Squash
Kohlrabi
Garlic

Carrots 
Leaf lettuce Mix
Broccoli spears
Peppers
Spicy Greens Mix (brassicas, oriental kale, purple kale)
Gold Potatoes
Cilantro
Red Cabbage
Bright Lights Chard
Kale
Bok Choi
Collard Greens
Dilled pickles in a glass canning jar 
Tomato sauce in a glass canning jar


Meal #1: (tomatoes, potatoes, turnips, onions, squash, kohlrabi, garlic, carrots)
Image from whatwouldcathyeat.com
Slow Cooker Moroccan Chickpea and Vegetable Stew
I used all carrots from share, two small squashes (which I pre-roasted so that I could scoop out the meat), and I added turnips, turnip greens and kohlrabi.  I doubled the broth and spices to balance the recipe.  When it was all cooked I put it in the Ninja and pulsed it a few times.  We served it over whole wheat couscous. Everyone devoured it.  Definitely a recipe to make again.  Fortunately, we still have leftovers and two more containers that went into the freezer!  
2 large carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces (or a big handful of baby carrots) 
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 small gold potatoes 
(I also added turnips and greens and kohlrabi)
2 cups soaked dried chickpeas (or 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
14 oz. diced tomatoes with juices
2 c vegetable broth
2 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ginger
1 cinnamon stick
4 large cloves garlic
1 yellow onion diced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Place carrots, butternut squash, potatoes, chickpeas, and tomatoes in the slow cooker. Add vegetable broth, spices, salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Cover and cook at low heat for 6 hours or until vegetables and beans are tender. Taste and add more salt and pepper and spices if more flavor is desired. Serve over rice or couscous or with flatbread. Sprinkle with cilantro, almonds, and raisins. * Recipe from yummymummykitchen.com

Meal #2 (onion, carrot, garlic, bok choi, tomatoes, mushrooms)
I modified this for the crock pot. We used the entire duck, inerds removed. Put all other ingredients on the bottom of crockpot and placed the duck on top. Cooked for 3 hours on high, checked that inner temperature was 185 degrees Fahrenheit.  Then we removed the skin and bones and placed meat in our Kitchen Ninja and pulsed a few times to shred the meat.  We used an immersion blender to puree the vegetables and stock.  Then combined and served over pasta.  Love, love, LOVE this dish!
Image from thepalladiantraveler.com

Bigoli al'anatra (Duck Bigoli)
4 duck legs and thighs, skin removed
4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped into 1/4-inch dice (substituted bok choi stems)
8 ounces red wine (Chianti preferred)
1 (28-ounce can) tomatoes, peeled whole
1 cup chicken stock
2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
Salt and freshly ground black pepper Wash the duck legs and remove all fat. Pat dry. In a heavy-bottomed casserole or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil until smoking. Add the duck legs and cook until brown on all sides and remove, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and celery and cook until softened, about 7 to 9 minutes. Add the wine, tomatoes, chicken stock and dried mushrooms and bring to a boil. Add the duck legs and return to a boil, lower the heat, cover and allow to simmer for 1 hour. Remove the duck legs and allow to cool. Pull all meat off the bones and return to pot, without the bones. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until quite thick. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Fill a large pot with 6 quarts water and add 2 tablespoons salt. Cook bigoli until "al dente", about 8 to 9 minutes. Heat the sauce, drain pasta and toss in pan. Toss to coat and serve immediately. * Recipe from Mario Batali


Meal #3 (chard)
Chard and Bacon Pasta
We pan-cooked the bacon until crispy and removed from the pan onto a paper towel.  Then we sauteed the chard in the bacon grease.  We crumbled the bacon into the chard and served it over pasta. Salt and pepper as needed.

Side #1 (leaf lettuce mix)
Side salad with chia seeds and olive oil and balsamic vinagrette.  We shared this at a dinner with friends.

Side #2 (kale)
Baked Kale Chips
(Served with leftovers)
1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt, for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes. Serve as finger food. * Recipe from Melissa d'Arabian at foodnetwork.com


Other (spicy greens, collard greens, cilantro)
Greens - steamed, pureed and frozen (we add to sauces and eggs, etc.)
Cilantro - frozen

Bread
A new endeavor, making homemade bread.  It has been wonderful.  I found a great recipe and modified it based on the comments.  * The whole family has been eating solely this bread for the past two months.  Everyone enjoys it.  I have forgotten the yeast once and lost count on cups of flour while dealing with a child "emergency," but all other attempts have been perfect.  It is great with sandwiches and toast.  
100% Whole Wheat Bread
For 1 1/2 lb. bread machine (2 lb.)
1 1/4 cups water (1 2/3 c)
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) olive or vegetable oil (2 T + 2 t)
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup (1/3 c)
3 cups (14 ounces) 100% White Whole Wheat or Traditional Whole Wheat Flour (3 1/2 c)
1/4 cup oats (1/3 c)
1/4 cup wheat bran (1/3 c)
1/4 cup sunflower, sesame or flax seeds, or a combination (I used ground flax) (1/3 c)
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten 
(1 T + 1 t)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (2 t)
1/4 cup bakers dry milk (1/3 c)
2 teaspoons instant yeast

Put all of the ingredients into the bread pan in the order listed. Program for basic white bread, and press Start. * Recipe adapted from kingarthurflour.com

CSA 2013 Week 20

Week 20 Bounty:
Brussels Sprouts
Assorted tomatoes
Peppers
Greens Mix
Beets
Yellow Potatoes
Onions
Eggplant
Winter Squash
Arugula
Kale



It has been a while and I just realized that I failed to ever post about our last regular season share.  All of these dishes were superb.  The chili is a mainstay at our house.  The Pizza with Arugula we have enjoyed previously, but this time we added prosciutto.  The truffled mashed potatoes were scrumptious.  It really was one wonderful meal after another!

Meal #1 (chard, garlic, onion, kale)
Stir Fried Swiss Chard with Spicy Honey Cashew Sauce2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, pressed with a garlic press
1 medium size onion, sliced
4 kale leaves, roughly chopped
2 Swiss chard leaves, roughly chopped
1 carrot, julienned
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp garam masala
4 green onion stalks, minced
8 fresh basil leaves, torn
1/2 cup cashews (I used raw, unsalted), chopped well
1 inch nub of ginger, grated
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Sriracha (substituted chili pepper)
Chop the cashews with a nut chopper or food processor until broken into teeny, tiny pieces and some particles are powdery. In a small bowl, mix well together the ginger, honey, and soy sauce. Heat a small nonstick pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, toast the cashew pieces for about 2 minutes until fragrant and golden. Stir often to avoid getting the cashews burnt. Pour the wet mixture all over the cashews and turn the heat down to medium low. Stir well for about a minute, making sure all cashew pieces are coated with the sauce. Add the Sriracha and stir for another minute. Move pan away from heat. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, sauté the garlic until fragrant and golden brown. Throw in the onions and sauté until soft and almost caramelized, about 4 minutes. Toss in the kale and Swiss chard and cook, stirring often, until it wilts, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for 2 minutes, stir often. Mix in the spice mixture and stir well. Turn off the burner and remove pan from heat. Throw in the green onions and basil leaves, mix well. We mixed the nuts and greens together and served over rice. * Recipe adapted from Let's Cook and Be Friends blog
Image from annmariavolpi.com

Meal #2 (arugula, basil)
Pizza con Rucola/Arugula
Whole wheat Trader Joe's pizza crust
Frozen pesto cubes from the freezer, thawed
Sliced fresh mozzarellla
Prosciutto
Arugula
Spread pesto on crust, added mozzarella slices and prosciutto and baked at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. Added arugula just before serving.

Meal #3 (brussels sprouts, garlic, scallions)
Pork and Brussels Sprouts Stir Fry
3 tablespoons oil1/2 pound boneless pork loin chops, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips
1 pound brussels sprouts, halved2 scallions, whites and greens sliced separately
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Heat 1 tbsp. oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add pork and cook until golden; transfer to plate. Add remaining 2 tbsp. oil and sprouts to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add scallion whites and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, brown sugar and 1/4 cupwater; cook until sauce is slightly thickened. Return pork to pan and toss to coat. Top with scallion greens. *Recipe from rachelraymag.com


Meal #4 (tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic)
Image from kalynskitchen.com
Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
3 cans black beans
2 yellow or green bell peppers
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
5 to 6 medium-sized garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon lime juice
two 4 oz. canned diced green chiles (or 1-2 medium-sized minced Anaheim or poblano chiles)
2 teaspoons dried basil (or 1 tablespoon fresh basil)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 cup tomato puree
Heat oil in skillet. Add garlic and all other seasonings, lime juice, bell peppers, and chiles. Sauté over medium heat until peppers and chiles are tender (about 15 minutes). Add sauté to beans and tomato puree. Simmer covered over low heat for about 20 min., stirring occasionally. Serve with dollop of light sour cream, sprinkle of cheese, or without any toppings. We served with taco chips. *Recipe from FitSugar.com.

Side (potatoes)
I do not even remember what we served this with, but know that we still have some in the freezer and I cannot wait to break them out again!  We used real black truffle, shaved, that we brought back from a trip to Italy last year.  We spent $20 on what would cost us around $100 for the same here in the U.S.  As for the recipe, we cut out the dill as we wanted to just let the truffle work it's magic!
Rustic Truffled Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Dill
2 pounds Idaho russet potatoes (~4 big ones, wash but do not peel)
1 heaping teaspoon table salt
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons truffle oil (yes, I know it is ridiculously expensive!)
1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill weed)
Scant 1/2 teaspoon flaked sea salt (may need more)
Grinding of fresh black pepper
A fresh black truffle, if you can afford it (optional)
Place potatoes and salt in medium pot. Fill with water so it comes to about 1-1 1/2 inches above potatoes, and bring to a boil. Throw in garlic cloves, partially cover pot and turn heat down so it is just boiling (not furiously boiling). Boil 18-20 minutes. Remove lid and poke a bamboo tester or toothpick into potatoes to make sure they are done. If done, drain water and leave potatoes and garlic in the pot. To the pot, add butter, oil, dill, salt and pepper, and mash a bit with a potato masher. Put lid back on pot and let potatoes rest about 3-5 minutes, so butter can fully melt into the hot potatoes. Uncover pot and mash with potato masher further, until you have desired consistency. I like to leave them a bit rustic; not too smooth. As you mash, the potato skin will break up charmingly. Taste and adjust for salt, adding a bit more if you need it. Remember, you can always add more salt, but it is difficult to repair a dish that is too salty, so go slow on the salt. Put lid on pot and let rest until serving time. At serving time, grate some fresh truffle over each mound of mashed potatoes on plates, and be sure to serve with a dramatic flourish. If you don’t have fresh truffle, that’s OK. There will still be plenty of truffle flavor infused from the truffle oil. Just make a mental note to save up for a fresh truffle, at least once in your life. Serves 4-6, depending on appetites. * Recipe from shockinglydelicious.com

Other (beets, eggplant, sqush, greens)
Beets roasted, pureed and frozen
Eggplant roasted, pureed and frozen
Squash roasted, pureed and frozen
Greens, steamed, pureed and frozen

Thursday, October 17, 2013

CSA 2013 Week 19

Week 19 Bounty:
Cabbage
Cilantro
Peppers
Lettuce mix
Melons
Assorted tomatoes
Bok choi
Beets
Russet potatoes
Kale
Mustard greens

*Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

Meal #1 (tomatoes, peppers) 
Roasted Pepper Sauce 
Served with pasta and sausages 
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
Salt
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped (I added basil and Mexican tarragon)
3-5 anchovies, or 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
2 Tbsp tomato paste (I added the Week 19 tomatoes, pureed)
1 1/2 cups red wine
4 cups roasted red peppers (jarred or freshly roasted)
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne or hot paprika
Grated cheese (parmesan, pecorino, manchego, etc.)
Some minced fresh sage for garnish

If you are using jarred peppers, drain away the marinade and soak them in a large bowl of cold water. If you skip this step, the sauce will become too acidic. Soak for 10-15 minutes before proceeding. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring from time to time, until it is wilted and translucent, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle some salt over the onions as they cook.  Add the garlic and sage, mix well, and sauté another minute. Mix in the anchovies, smashing them up, and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the paste begins to turn a brick red. Add the red wine and stir well. Turn the heat up to high and let this boil down by half. Stir in the roasted red peppers and turn the heat back down to medium. Let this simmer for 10-20 minutes – it’s pretty forgiving at this point. You just want the peppers to be cooked through and soft. Purée the sauce in a blender. You might need to do this in batches, because you don’t want to fill your blender more than 2/3 up at one time. Purée the sauce, starting with the machine on low for 1-2 minutes to break up the big pieces. Turn off the blender and scrape the sides down. Turn it on again, and starting at the low setting, bring it up to its highest setting. Purée for at least a minute, until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan and heat to medium-low. Taste for salt and add some if needed. Add the cayenne or hot paprika, along with smoked paprika if you have some. If you want, a teaspoon of sugar helps, too, if your peppers are not already sweet enough. Serve warm over pasta. Garnish with some grated cheese and minced fresh sage. Serve with a medium-bodied red wine, or a dry rose. * Recipe from simplyrecipes.com

Meal #2 (kale)
Baked Kale Chips
(Served with hot dogs and a yummy box of risotto tartufo)
1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt, for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes. Serve as finger food. * Recipe from Melissa d'Arabian at foodnetwork.com


Meal #3 (cabbage, onion, garlic, tomato)
Healing Cabbage Soup
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
6 quarts (24 cups) water
8 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 head cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped
2 cup Italian-style stewed tomatoes, drained and diced
2 cups quinoa
In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic; cook until onion is transparent, about 5 minutes. Stir in water, bouillon, salt, pepper and other spices. Bring to a boil, then stir in cabbage. Simmer until cabbage wilts, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and quinoa. Return to a boil, then cover and simmer 15 to 30 minutes, stirring often. Done when quinoa is tender but still chewy and white spiral-like threads appear around each grain. Serves 16. *Recipe adapted from JGCase at allrecipes.com


Other 
cilantro - frozen
melon - eaten with lunch
lettuce mix - yogurt smoothies

Leftover
Bok choi
Beets
Russet potatoes
Mustard greens

Thursday, October 10, 2013

CSA 2013 Week 18

Week 18 Bounty: 


Bright lights chard
Assorted specialty tomatoes
Kale
Bok choi
Norland red potatoes
Melons
Red peppers
Garlic
Radishes

*Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI






Meal #1 (bok choi, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, cilantro)
Chicken Tikka Masala
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, cut in 1 inch cubes
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoons ground red pepper
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala (buy in Indian market)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
I made a quick version of this recipe and threw everything in the food processor, cooked chunks of chicken in a pan, heated the sauce and served over basmati rice.

Meal #2 (tomatoes, chard, carrots, peppers, radishes, garlic)
Pasta Bolognese
Another night of "cheating" with my food processor.  I threw in tomatoes, chard, carrots, a bell pepper, radishes and greens, garlic, basil, some other Italian spice mix, olive oil and added it to ground beef and served over pasta.

Meal #3 (kale)
Risotto Tartufo
A delicious box (I know, we cheated) we found at Costco that is the closest thing we've found to the real thing!

Baked Chicken
Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Brush both sides of chicken with oil. Sprinkle both sides with desired seasonings. Place in baking dish. Bake uncovered 25 to 35 minutes or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Cool chicken 10 to 15 minutes. 

Baked Kale Chips
1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt, for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes. Serve as finger food. * Recipe from Melissa d'Arabian at foodnetwork.com

Side (melon)
Enjoyed by all as a snack.

Leftover (potatoes)

Apples!
We picked 75 pounds of Jonagold apples from Door Creek Orchard and have used 50 pounds so far for apple sauce and apple pies.  Applesauce is just sweet apples, cored and put through food mill - the kids love the pink applesause!  I add cinnamon to taste.  I will share the pie recipe next week, but this crust was a great new find.

Whole Wheat Pie Crust Recipe
Makes 2 Pie Crusts
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup softened coconut oil or softened butter
Approximately 1/2 cup cold water
In a mixer (or by hand if you are daring enough), mix dry ingredients and coconut oil/butter together. Once you have good looking crumbs, slowly start to add your water. You should start to have a pliable ball of dough. Once you reach that consistency you can stop adding water. Depending on your flour, you may need to add more/less water. If you add too much, don’t worry! Just add some more flour to the mixture until you reach the right consistency. On a sheet of wax paper, roll out your dough with a rolling pin. Use extra flour on your rolling pin, wax paper and hands so that the dough doesn’t stick. Once you have a nice flat and round pie crust area, pick it up – wax paper and all. Use the wax paper to turn your crust over and place it in your greased pie pan. Remove wax paper, and shape your pie crust. Trim the ends around the edge of the pie plate. Bake your pie crust at 450 for about 10 minutes until you have a pretty golden brown. * Recipe from thethriftymama.com

CSA 2013 Week 17

Week 17 Bounty:
Chard
Assorted tomatoes
Sweet Peppers (also yellow, orange or green and hot)
Fresh Cilantro

Basil
Pumpkin
Gift of Cream cheese from our goats milk
Ice Box Melon
Radishes
Okra
Broccoli



Meal #1 (tomato, basil, carrots, celery, cilantro, peppers)
Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup
Makes about 2 quarts (about 8 servings)
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
(I also threw in some cilantro and sweet peppers and two frozen beet green cubes and two frozen zucchini cubes)
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
2 cups half and half, warmed (or skim milk if you’re trying to cut some calories)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don’t be afraid to always season to taste at the end). Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve. * Recipe from Today's Mama

Meal #2 (corn, cabbage, onions, carrots)
Smoked Meat with Rub
We smoked ribs and brisket.  
RUB:
3 tablespoons ground coffee
1 tablespoon coarse (kosher) salt
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder


Corn Muffins from freezer

Ramen Noodle Salad
1 lg. head cabbage - chopped
5 green onions, chopped
1/2 sm. carrots, grated
2 pkg. Ramen noodles (broken)
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1 pkg. slivered almonds
1/2 c. butter
Brown noodles, sunflower seeds, almonds in butter; set aside.
DRESSING
1 c. salad oil
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
Mix until well blended. Add dressing and noodle and nut mix to cabbage 15 to 20 minutes before serving. * Recipe from Cooks.com

Side (broccoli, chard, potatoes)
Diced Broccoli and Chard with Potatoes
We put the chard and fingerling potatoes in our food processor, then cooked it in a fry pan with some olive oil and soy sauce.  It was delicious!

Other (okra, zucchini)
Easy Indian Style Okra (for the freezer)
1 pound sliced fresh okra (about 1/2 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garam masala
Salt to taste
1 medium onion, chopped
3 Tablespoons oil
Place the sliced okra in a large ziploc bag, add cumin, ginger, coriander, garam masala, pepper and salt. Freeze. When ready to eat, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. Add frozen, spiced okra and stir for a few minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover the pan. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until okra is tender. It may take longer depending on size of okra. *Recipe adapted from CALIGAL76 at allrecipes.com


Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake
3/4 cup oil
1 1/4 cups sugar
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.


Melon was enjoyed with our lunches. 
The pumpkin, radishes, peppers and goat cheese are leftover.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

CSA 2013 Week 16

Week 16 Bounty:

Peppers
Squash
Zucchini
Cabbage
Okra
Hercules carrots
Green beans
Beedy Camden's Kale
Spicy greens mix
Assorted tomatoes

* Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI



Meal #1 (beets, carrots)
Roasted Chicken and Beets With Couscous and Yogurt Sauce

2 1/4 pounds chicken drumsticks and thighs (8 total)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
3 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
2 pounds beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges (I also added carrots)
1 cup couscous
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Heat oven to 425° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the chicken with the cumin, paprika, 1 tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. On a second rimmed baking sheet, toss the beets with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast, tossing the beets once, until the beets are tender and the chicken is cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the couscous according to the package directions.
In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lime juice, and cilantro. Serve the chicken with the couscous, beets, yogurt sauce, and lime wedges. * Recipe from realsimple.com

Meal #2 (spicy greens, potatoes)
Salmon in Lemon Brodetto with Greens Puree

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, diced
2 lemons, juiced
1 lemon, zested
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
2 cups frozen peas, thawed (about 10 ounces) - I used the spicy greens
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Salmon:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 (4 to 6-ounce) pieces salmon
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
To make the Lemon Brodetto, warm the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the lemon juice, zest, and broth. Bring to a simmer, and keep warm, covered, over low heat. 
To make the Puree, combine the greens, mint, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor and puree. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a steady drizzle. Transfer the puree to a small bowl and stir in the Parmesan. Set aside.To make the Salmon, warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Season the salmon pieces with salt and pepper. Sear the salmon until a golden crust forms, about 4 to 5 minutes on the first side. Flip the fish and continue cooking until medium-rare, about 2 minutes more depending on the thickness of the fish. To assemble the dish, add the tablespoon chopped mint to the Lemon Brodetto and divide between 4 shallow dishes. Place a large spoonful of Puree into the center of each bowl. Place a salmon piece atop each mound of Puree. Serve immediately. * Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis at foodnetwork.com

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.


Meal #3 (squash, zucchini)
Cheesy Zucchini Quinoa
1 3/4 cups vegetable broth or water
1 medium zucchini, grated (1 zucchini and 1 small squash)
1 cup cheddar, shredded (I used 1.5 cups of mild brick)
(I added a can of garbanzo beans, drained)
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring the quinoa and broth to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat and simmer covered until the broth has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender,about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the zucchini, cheese, salt and pepper. * Recipe from closetcooking.com
Other (kale, green beans, okra)
Fruit and Veggie Shake
Add kale, lots of fruit (anything we have on hand: watermelon, cantalope, pineapple, apricot, kiwi, mulberries). Add a little whole fruit juice and coconut water and blend. Occasionally I add yogurt.

"Bean" Dip
1 cup cashews
2 cups green beans, cleaned and ends removed
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp oil (I used olive)
2 tsp onion powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
Dash cayenne pepper
Soak 1 cup cashews in water for 30 minutes. Drain most of liquid, but not all. Puree 1 cup soaked Cashews into a paste. Leave cashew paste in your food processor or blender and add the remaining ingredients. Puree everything together until well blended. * Recipe adapted from www.addictedtoveggies.com

Easy Indian Style Okra (for the freezer)
1 pound sliced fresh okra (about 1/2 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garam masala
salt to taste
1 medium onion, chopped
3 Tablespoons oil
Place the sliced okra in a large ziploc bag, add cumin, ginger, coriander, garam masala, pepper and salt. Freeze. When ready to eat, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. Add frozen, spiced okra and stir for a few minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover the pan. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until okra is tender. It may take longer depending on size of okra. *Recipe adapted from CALIGAL76 at allrecipes.com


Leftover 
Peppers, cabbage, tomatoes

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

CSA 2013 Week 15


Week 15 Bounty:
Squash
Tomatoes
Peppers
Green beans
Cabbage
Bok choi
Chard
Beets
Cilantro

Melon




Meal #1 (cucumber, carrot, sweet potato)

This was for our Good Food Club. Four couples who just enjoy great food and want to try new things.  The theme for this dinner was Chile.  We also enjoyed empanadas, cherry-glazed chicken, and tres leches cake that our friends provided.  The Cucumber/Carrot Salad used a lot of chili powder for our taste.  It was very powerful for everyone in our group, but still good.  If I make it again, I will cut the chili in half.  The sopaipillas were fantastic and I can't wait to make them again.
Chilean Cucumber and Carrot Salad
1 cucumber, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1 fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon chili powder, can use more if you like
salt, to taste
red pepper, to taste (optional)
Toss sliced veggies with fresh lime juice and sprinkle with chili powder. Adjust the seasoning to your own taste and serve. This salad does not hold well so please enjoy right away. * Recipe from Debbwl at food.com


Chilean Style Sopaipilla
9 ounces zapallo squash (we used sweet potato)
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups canola oil for pan-frying
Peel, seed, and cut the zapallo into chunks. Place in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until zapallo is soft and easily pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and allow to cool slightly.
Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl, and set aside. Stir together the squash and melted butter. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until blended. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until soft and satiny, adding a little more flour if necessary. Cover dough with a towel and allow to rest 15 minutes.
Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick, and cut into 3 inch diameter circles. Poke each circle a few times with a fork to make holes and prevent rising.
Pour vegetable oil into a large, deep skillet and heat over medium-high heat until hot, 385 degrees F (195 degrees C). Place several of the dough circles into hot oil; cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Cook remainder of dough circles in batches. * Recipe from allrecipes.com

Meal #2 (chard, bok choi) 
This was really very, very good!
Stir Fry with Mahi Mahi and Bok choi
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Four 6-ounce filets Mahi Mahi
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
4 bok choy (about 3 pounds total), cut crosswise into 1-inch-/2.5-cm-wide ribbons
½ cup raw macadamia nuts, sliced (I used cashews)
½ cup thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Place a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle 2 tablespoons/30 ml of oil over the pan. Sprinkle the filets with salt and pepper. Place the filets in the pan and cook for about 4 minutes per side or until golden brown on the outside and just cooked through.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons/30 ml of oil in a large wok over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant and tender.
Add the bok choy and stir fry for 5 to 10 minutes or until the green parts of the bok choy have wilted and the white parts are crisp-tender. Season the bok choy to taste with salt.
Divide the bok choy evenly among 4 serving plates. Remove the filets from the pan and place them atop the bok choy. Gently wipe out the nonstick sauté pan and return it to the heat. Place the macadamia nuts in the pan and stir for about 2 minutes or until golden brown.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon/15 ml of olive oil, the green onions, and lemon juice and sauté for 2 minutes or until the onions soften slightly. Remove from the heat and spoon the nut mixture over the fish and serve. * Recipe from the Take Home Chef

Other
 (tomatoes, beet greens, chard, melon, cilantro)
Tomato Bruschetta 
Tomatoes, seeds removed
Garlic
Basil
Olive oil
Put in food processor and serve with crackers, chips or toasted bread.

Fruit and Veggie Shake
We used the chard greens, beet greens, lots of fruit (anything we have on hand: watermelon, cantalope, pineapple, apricot, kiwi, mulberries). Add a little whole fruit juice and coconut water and blend. Occasionally I add yogurt.


Melon eaten with lunches
Cilantro, chopped and frozen

Leftover 
beets, green beans, cabbage, squash