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

CSA 2013 Week 1

Week 1 Bounty:

Photo from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

Lettuce Mix
Red Iceberg Lettuce
Nancy Butterhead Bibb Lettuce
Bok Choi
Leeks
Carrots
Spinach
Arugula
Oregano

Gift of goat cheese




Meal 1: arugula, pesto, tomato sauce
Pizza with Proscuitto and Arugula
This is one of Allen's favorite pizza's that he enjoyed in Italia.  We used a Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza crust.  As we still have things left in the freezer from the 2012 share, we used some of our homemade pesto and some tomato sauce for the base pizza sauce.  It was topped with mozzarella cheese and prosciutto, then baked for about 10 minutes at 450 degrees.  The arugula was added once it was removed from the oven.

Side Salad (Lettuce Mix and Nancy Butterhead)
with oil and balsamic dressing

Meal 2: 
bok choi, carrots, celery, onion, red iceberg
Chicken Stir Fry with Bok Choi

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
1 bunch bok choi
1 cup sliced heirloom celery
1 cup thinly sliced carrot
1 small onion, cut into wedges
1 cup water
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granule
Cut chicken into 1/2 inch strips; place in a resealable plastic bag. Add cornstarch and toss to coat. Combine soy sauce, ginger, and garlic powder; add to bag and shake well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons oil; stirfry chicken until no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Add remaining oil; stir fry broccoli, celery, carrots, and onion for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add water and bouillon. Return chicken to pan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

Side Salad (Red Iceberg) with Balsamic Honey Dressing
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. dijon-style mustard
1 tsp. honey
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1 shallot/small onion, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl whisk all ingredients to combine orput all ingredients in a jar and shake to combine. Use immediately or keep, covered and chilled, up to one week. Makes 2/3 cup dressing. * recipe from about.com

Meal 3: leeks, onion
Bacon, Egg and Leek Risotto
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable broth
1 cup (4 ounces) finely chopped bacon (from about 4 slices) or pancetta (we used 8 slices)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large or 3 smaller leeks, quartered lengthwise, cleaned of grit, and chopped small
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more to fry eggs
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 cups arborio, carnaroli, or another short-grained Italian rice
1/3 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish if desired
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 large eggs, you’ll want one per serving
Place stock or broth in a small-medium saucepan over very low heat on a back burner. You want to have it heated until steamy when you add it in a bit, but not so much that it simmers and loses volume. Heat a second medium saucepan (3 quarts) or skillet over medium heat. Add bacon or pancetta and cook until it renders its fat, and is tender and just barely crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside, leaving whatever dripping you can in the pan. Add a tablespoon of oil to the bacon fat if needed, then add the leeks. Cook leeks on medium-low for 10 to 12 minutes, until softened and mostly tender. Transfer to bowl with bacon and set aside, leaving stove on. Add butter to pan and, once melted, cook onion in butter until translucent and tender, about 5 minutes. Add rice and cook sauté until faintly toasted, about 4 minutes. Add wine or vermouth and cook until it almost disappears, about 2 minutes. Ladle 1 cup of hot broth into the rice mixture and simmer until it absorbs, stirring frequently. Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is al dente, about 25 to 30 minutes. What you’re looking for in well-cooked risotto is a creamy but loose dish. When ladled onto a plate, it should spill into a creamy puddle, not heap in a mound. You might need an extra splash of broth to loosen it. When you achieve your desired texture and tenderness, stir in the cheese, bacon and leeks. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into serving bowls. Then, quickly, in a small skillet, heat a pat of butter over medium-high and swirl it to coat the pan. Crack one egg into the skillet, season with salt and pepper and reduce heat to medium. I like to cover the skillet with a small lid at this point, as it seems to help the egg cook faster and more evenly. In one minute, you should have a perfect sunny-side-up egg. Transfer to your first bowl of risotto and repeat with remaining eggs. Garnish each with an extra bit of grated parmesan and eat immediately. * Recipe from smittenkitchen.com

Meal 4: spinach, oregano, sage
This was our kid-friendly meal of the week.  We had hot dogs and spaetzle with oil and oregano.  The kids enjoyed fried sage and Allen and I enjoyed steamed spinach. We started growing herbs this year, mostly sage and basil because we just can't get enough of either.  We used the first sage harvest for the kids.  This meal was a huge hit!

Steamed Spinach
Rinse spinach, add to pot with small amount of water on low heat, cover.  Cook for a short time - watch carefully so as not to burn it.  I added a bit of oil butter and nutmeg.

Fried Sage
Heat oil in pan, add whole sage leaves.  Remove when they just begin to brown and place on paper towel.  Add small amount of salt.

Gifted: goat cheese
A kind neighbor helped us out, so they were thrilled when we shared our goat cheese with them in thanks!

CSA Share Week 17

I feel as though I am losing steam and creativity in my cooking.  One meal this week included nothing from our share at all, but I adore mushrooms and it just sounded tasty.  I am very excited to see some of our fall favorites come home in sweet potatoes and kale!

The cool weather makes me want to have a lot of soup and this week's soup is an amazing one - Roasted Root Vegetable Soup.  The kids would say their favorite this week was the Kale Chips - our non-veggie kid devoured them.  Then she cried when we said there were no more :)  We did not yet use the green beans or peppers, but will surely do so in the next few days.

Week 17 Bounty:

Photo courtesy of Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI 

Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes
Carrots
Provider Green Beans
Kale
Bell Peppers 

Hot Peppers
Cilantro
Spicy Greens Mix
Mustard Greens
Leaf Lettuce

Meal #1: kale, sage

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

Hot Dogs

We always warm them in a fry pan.  Oddly enough, our children won't eat them grilled or boiled.  The basic staple of childhood and our kids are still picky.  Hot dogs are unfortunately one of very few meats that our veggie-loving boy will eat. 

Brown Butter Sage Pasta

3 Tbsp butter
6 whole sage leaves
Rest of package of whole sage leaves
Melt butter with sage leaves and a pinch of salt until it foams and begins to brown. Remove whole sage leaves and drain on a paper towel (they will be a crispy, yummy treat). Continue to swirl the butter sauce until it turns a rich chestnut brown. Crumble six of the sage leaves and add to butter.  Add pasta to saucepan and sauté. Serve with fried sage leaves.

Meal #2: sweet potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, onions, celery, garlic, ginger

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

I'm not sure where this recipe originated from.  We discovered it our first year with our CSA and have made it a number of times.  I believe that I adapted it and added some spices.  This week, once I chopped up all vegetables, I realized that I only had about six cups - so I only made half the recipe.  It was the perfect amount for our family to enjoy.  This is so amazing, though, I can't wait for more root vegetables and make a large batch to freeze.

2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
12 cups/4lbs variety chopped root vegetables (such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, parnsips, carrots, turnips, beets, radishes)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups onions, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh heirloom celery
2 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped
6 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 cups tomatoes, chopped and seeded
1/2 tsp fresh gingerroot, minced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp curry
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine vegetables in a large pot or Dutch oven. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread vegetables evenly on jelly roll pan. Roast in the preheated oven until the vegetables are easily pierced with a fork, 30 to 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in your previously used large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the celery, onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in broth/stock and apple cider vinegar and bring to a simmer, uncovered. Add tomatoes and spices. Stir in the roasted vegetables and continue simmering for 10 minutes. Puree the soup. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary. If the soup becomes too thick, add more vegetable broth.

Meal #3: leaf lettuce

Salmon Salad

Allen and I love this and often have it with salmon or tuna.  Our kids love lettuce and salads, but were not fond of this unfortunately.

Package of wild caught pink salmon

Lettuce

Newman's Own olive oil dressing

Croutons or sesame sticks

Meal #4: mushrooms, spicy greens

Steak with Mushrooms and Wild Rice

Pan-cooked small round steaks, then diced them and add them to Trader Joe's Wild Rice mix.  Steamed chopped portabello mushrooms and added them to rice and steak.  Served with steamed spicy greens (I added butter and some nutmeg to take off some of the bite).  Delicious!

Other uses: cilantro, greens

Frozen cilantro

diced and frozen

Leftover greens - pureed

Washed, steamed and pureed all greens and froze into ice cube trays for storage and later use.

CSA Share Week 16

Only a couple of repeat dishes this week in the pesto and cabbage soup.  The rest of the recipes were all new to us and they were all wonderful.  It is amazing that we seemed to have used a lot of vegetables, but somehow still have beets and turnips leftover.

Week 16 Bounty: 

Photo courtesy of Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

Endive
Cabbage
Tomatoes
Beets
Eggplant
Turnips
Bok Choi
Basil
Patty Pan Squash
Zucchini
Peppers

Meal #1: eggplant, tomatoes, bell peppers, hot pepper, onion, garlic, basil

We shared these at an appetizer party.  They we a big hit.  All my husband, Allen's, crazy creation.  He just threw together some vegetables and came up with something wonderful!

Vegetable Sauce

Olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper
2 green bell peppers
2 red bell peppers
1 onion
3 medium eggplants
Bag of tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
Red wine
Balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Basil
Italian seasoning
Chopped vegetables and cooked until very soft in a pan, added spices and pureed.

Meatballs
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground venison
Salt
1 egg
Whole wheat bread crumbs
1 onion, diced
Full recipe of Vegetable Sauce (divided)
Mixed all ingredients together with only 1/2 cup of Vegetable Sauce and formed into balls.  Baked on a sheet in oven at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Then warmed the above recipe of Vegetable Sauce and poured sauce over meatballs in a serving dish.

Meal #2: tomatoes, onions, celery, green bell pepper, garlic, cabbage

Stewed Tomatoes
6 to 8 ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons margarine
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
3 tablespoons sugar (more or less)
1 small bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepperCore tomatoes; place in boiling water for about 15 to 20 seconds, then into ice water to cool quickly; peel. Cut tomatoes in wedges. In Crock Pot, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours. Remove bay leaf. Sprinkle top with parsley, if desired. Serve as a side dish or freeze in portions for soups or other recipes. *Recipe from Diana Rattray at About.com

Healing Cabbage Soup

We didn't have any bouillon or enough broth, so I used 4 cups of broth and 12 cups of water. This made a thicker soup, which we may even like more than the original recipe.
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

Meal #3: endive, bok choi, basil, garlic

Basil Walnut Pesto - frozen into cubes
2 cups packed basil leaves 
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons softened butter (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
Place basil, olive oil, walnuts, garlic and salt (if using) in food processor. Blend until thoroughly combined. Add Parmesan and butter (if using) and blend 5-10 seconds more. Just before serving, add 2 Tbsp of hot pasta water from cooked pasta. Serve over pasta with bread and salad.* Recipe by dahlia at Food.com

Bacon Wrapped Chicken 

Pound chicken breasts flat.  Spread about 2 Tablespoons of Basil Walnut Pesto.  Roll chicken breasts and wrap with bacon.  Hold together using toothpick.  Grill until cooked thoroughly.  

Grilled Polenta

Until recently we had only found tubes of pre-made polenta in the refridgerated section.  Slicing them for grilling never worked out quite like we hoped.  But then we found Polenta Valsugana.  This is much more like what we were accustomed to in Northern Italy.  We cut it into 1/2 inch slices and grill.  Then drizzle with olive oil and salt.  

Braised Belgian Endive and Bok Choi
2 Tbsp. butter
10 to 12 Belgian endives
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup water (feel free to use chicken stock or white wine, if you like)
1 tsp. sugar (optional)
Melt the butter over medium low heat in a large, heavy frying pan, saute pan, or pot with a tight fitting lid. Meanwhile, trim and discard any browned bits on the ends of the endives and any bruised or browning exterior leaves. When the butter is melted, lay the endives in a single layer in the pan. Sprinkle them with the lemon juice and salt. Pour the water down along the side of the pan. If you want to cut the bitterness in the final dish, sprinkle the endives with the sugar.Cover the pan and reduce heat to low. You want a nice, tight fit with the lid. If steam is escaping, lay a piece of foil over the pan and then put on the lid. Let cook, undisturbed, until endives are very tender, about 30 minutes.* Recipe by Molly Watson at food.com


Meal #4: zucchini, squash, onion

Squash Fritters
2 medium zucchini, grated (about 2 cups)
1 small onion, very finely chopped
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup olive oil
Garlic salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
Non-stick cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400º. Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Use a box grater to shred the zucchini. Place shredded zucchini in several layers of paper towels or in a tea towel and press out extra moisture.  After removing excess water, place zucchini shreds into a medium size mixing bowl. Add onions, corn meal, flour, thyme, parmesan and beaten egg. Add a sprinkle of garlic salt and fresh cracked black pepper to the mixture. Stir until well mixed. (Hands work best for mixing and forming the fritters!) Use your hands to form 8 fritters, placing each one individually on the prepared baking sheet. Fritters should be at least 2 inches apart and not touching. Drizzle ¼ teaspoon olive oil over the top of each fritter. Place pan in the in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Take pan out of the oven and flip fritters over with a spatula. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon olive oil over the top of each fritter and return plan to the oven.  Continue baking for 10 minutes or until fritters start to get crispy and slightly brown around the edges. Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle fritters with garlic salt. Serve and enjoy! * Recipe from theundercovercook.com

Pan-fried Tilapia
Tilapia filets
Olive oil
Soy sauce

CSA Share Week 13

The pictures from Scotch Hill Farm fortunately do this produce justice.  It is as beautiful as it looks and it tastes just as good.  

Everything was delicious this week, but the highlight of the week was the "bean" dip.  We shared it at a party and it was a hit.  We might even make it again this week, so that we can enjoy more of it.  

We still have broccoli leftover, but there was more broccoli in today's share so tomorrow's dinner should be hearty!  


Week 13 Bounty: 

Photos courtesy of Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

Heirloom Celery
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Green Bean variety
Okra
Eggplant
Spicy Greens Mix
Basil
Green Wave Mustard
Summer Squash
Green Bell Peppers

Hot Peppers

Meal #1: patty pan squash, basil, oregano

Squash and Bacon Pasta

A small variation of our regular Zucchini and Bacon dish.

8 oz. pasta (we like whole wheat tagliolini with this dish)
6 slices of bacon
squash, diced (used two small patty pan squash)
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
1/4 cup very loosely packed, finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Crumbled dry basil and oregano
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. Remove bacon from pan.  Add the squash to pan with bacon drippings and cook until it starts to soften. Add the reserved pasta water, crumble cooked bacon over top, basil/oregano and the cheese. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately.

Meal #2: squash, greens

Squash Buttermilk Flapjacks
1 1/2 cup flour (used half white, half whole wheat)
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4+1/8 tsp salt
1 egg + 1 egg white
1 1/2 c buttermilk (use 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice in 1 1/2 cup and fill with milk)
3 Tbsp melted butter or vegetable oil (sometimes we use a butter/oil/flaxseed combo)
6 cubes of pureed squash, thawed

1/4 tsp each clove, allspice, cinnamon
Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, clove, allspice, cinnamon and salt together into a mixing bowl. In a 2-cup glass measure or small bowl, beat the egg lightly. Whisk in the buttermilk, beets and melted butter or oil until well blended. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing only until the batter is evenly moistened; it will still contain small lumps. Grease your nonstick frying pan lightly with a paper towel moistened with vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat for about 1 minute. Ladle 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan. Spread out to 5 inches. Cook until golden brown on the bottom with tiny bubbles all over the top, 1 to 2 minutes. Shake the pan or slip a spatula underneath the flapjack to loosen it. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve the flapjacks hot out of the pan with natural maple syrup. Makes about 4 pancakes. * Recipe adapted from A Man And His Pan

Green Eggs
8 eggs
milk
butter/oil
6 cubes of pureed greens
salt and pepper to taste
Thaw the greens and mix them with a fork with eggs, a little milk, a chunk of butter, and salt and pepper. We scramble the eggs.

Meal #3: cabbagettes
Black Bean Tacos
Can of black beans, seasoned for tacos
Shredded taco cheese
1/2 head of cabbage (or a couple cabbagettes), chopped
Black olives
One tomato, diced
Whole wheat tortillas
Drain liquid from beans and heat in stovetop pot. Warm tortillas in microwave, add ingredients as you choose.

Photos courtesy of Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

Gorgeous heirloom tomatoes: (top left going clockwise) yellow brandywine, pink brandywine, great white, amish paste, valencia, german striped, paul robeson, and green zebra. 

Other Uses: tomatoes, onions, garlic, eggplant, green bell peppers, hot pepper, basil, oregano, sage, cabbage(ttes), beans, celery, okra, greens

Clean out the Fridge Freezer Spaghetti Sauce

olive oil, onions, garlic
red wine
tomatoes, eggplant, green bell peppers, hot pepper

basil, oregano, sage
ketchup
balsamic vinegar
sugar
wheat flour
My husband, Allen, is the experimental chef at our house.  He decided to throw the above ingredients in the slow cooker and pureed them once cooked.  He can't tell me how much of anything he used, but that it just "seemed right."  He says it tastes good.  I guess we'll see...

Simmered Cabbage
1/2 head cabbage, chopped into approx 1 inch squares or pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 cup chicken broth or 1 cup vegetable broth (I prefer it with the chicken)
3 tablespoons dry sherry (optional)
Heat oil and butter in large heavy and wide saucepan or saute pan; add cabbage, salt, pepper, and stir over low heat for 5 minutes. Add broth (I usually add a bit of sherry, too) and bring to boil, cover and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often, for about 15 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Raise heat to medium, uncover and let juices reduce to about half (be careful not to let burn). Taste and adjust seasoning, serve hot. * Recipe from Julesong at Food.com

"Bean" Dip

1 cup cashews

2 cups green beans, cleaned and ends removed (used Dragon's Tongue beans)

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

Heirloom Celery

Washed, diced and frozen on jelly roll pan.  Once frozen, place in freezer bag.

Easy Indian Style Okra
Just added the new to last week's bag. See Week 8 for the recipe.

Pureed Greens

Spicy Greens Mix and Green Wave Mustard

Washed, steamed, pureed and frozen.

Hot Peppers
Being dried for future use.

CSA Share Week 7

The weather in southern Wisconsin has not been kind this year.  No rain for six plus weeks and temperatures soaring over 100.  We appreciate even more all the hard work that our farmers go through to bring delicious fresh vegetables to our home.  

It has been an interesting week with lots of activities.  We went camping over the weekend, so a number of our dishes have been frozen for use later.  One particular favorite that we first made last year is Healing Cabbage Soup.  I altered the original recipe, adding quinoa and spices.  Last year we froze a lot of this soup.  Every time someone in the family is feeling under the weather we pull this out and it really does work like magic.  This was the first time that I made my own stewed tomatoes.  It was a great recipe - I would love to make more to freeze.

Our only holdovers are summer squash and zucchini that we intend to grill in the next few days.

Week 7 Bounty:

Photo courtesy of Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

Cabbage
Beets
Summer squash
Zucchini
Basil
Long Cucumber
Short cucumber
Onions
Green bell peppers
Hot pepper
Tomatoes (Jet Star, Juliet, Sun Gold)
Broccoli









Meal #1: broccoli, carrots
Blueberry and Mushroom Risotto
We cheated - this was a pre-packaged risotto that we bought on our recent trip to Italy.  We love trying new things and odd combinations, so we picked this up to try it before making it from scratch.  It actually was very good, but the overwhelming flavors were the mushrooms.  

Venison Tenderloin Bites
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Italian dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound venison tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
salt and pepper to taste
5 cups arugula
1 lemon, cut into quarters
Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Warm the olive oil and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat for 5 minutes to infuse the flavor of the garlic into the olive oil. Place the bread crumbs into a mixing bowl, and pour the oil mixture overtop. Stir the parsley, and Parmesan cheese into the bread crumb mixture until evenly blended. Press the venison cubes into the bread crumb mixture to coat, and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Make sure the venison pieces are not touching. Broil in the oven until the bread crumbs are golden, and the venison has turned from red to pink in the center, or to your desired degree of doneness, about 6 minutes. Turn the cubes occasionally as they cook. Divide the arugula onto 4 dinner plates, and top with the broiled venison. Squeeze a quarter of a lemon over each plate to serve.* Recipe from reneebiscoe at allrecipes.com

Broccoli and Carrots
Diced broccoli and carrots with olive oil and soy sauce tossed in a frying pan until cooked through.   It was good, but not very complimentary with our other dishes.

Meal #2: tomatoes, celery, green bell pepper, onion, garlic, cabbage
Stewed Tomatoes
6 to 8 ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons margarine
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
3 tablespoons sugar (more or less)
1 small bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Core tomatoes; place in boiling water for about 15 to 20 seconds, then into ice water to cool quickly; peel. Cut tomatoes in wedges. In Crock Pot, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours. Remove bay leaf. Sprinkle top with parsley, if desired. Serve as a side dish or freeze in portions for soups or other recipes. *Recipe from Diana Rattray at About.com

Healing Cabbage Soup
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
6 quarts 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, and pepper. 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 Uses: basil, beets, hot pepper, cucumber
Basil Walnut Pesto - frozen into cubes

2 cups packed basil leaves 
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons softened butter (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
Place basil, olive oil, walnuts, garlic and salt (if using) in food processor.  Blend until thoroughly combined. Add Parmesan and butter (if using) and blend 5-10 seconds more. Just before serving, add 2 Tbsp of hot pasta water from cooked pasta. Serve over pasta with bread and salad.* Recipe by dahlia at Food.com.

Roasted Beet Puree  - frozen into cubes 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place rack in middle of oven.Wash and scrub the whole beets to clean off any dirt. Leave the beet whole unless you have some extra large ones (if extra large, cut in half). Trim off the stems (leafy tops) and ends of the beets. Reserve beet leaves for a recipe using them.On a large baking sheet, cover with aluminum foil. Place prepared beets, in a single layer, on top. Toss lightly with some olive oil to coat the beets. Place another large sheet of aluminum foil on top of the beets and crunch up the sides of the aluminum foil together to seal.Place in oven and roast approximately 1 to 2 hours (depending on the size of your beets) or until tender and easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife. Remove from oven and take off the top foil. Set aside to cool enough to handle. When cool enough to handle, peel the skin off. They should peel easily by hand, but you can use a paring knife if you want.

Steamed Beet Greens Puree - frozen into cubes

Hot Pepper - diced and frozen

Cucumber - sliced and enjoyed with our lunches

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup and Maple Soy Tilapia

Both delicious dishes, but I'm not sure that they went well together.  I combined a few different soup recipes to come up with the following.  It was absolutely wonderful.  The kids loved this dinner - it was like candy for supper.  The best part is that it was very healthy!

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup
2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
about 12 cups/4lbs variety chopped root vegetables (such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, parnsips, carrots, turnips, beets, radishes)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups onions, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh heirloom celery
2 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped
6 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 cups tomatoes, chopped and seeded
1/2 tsp fresh gingerroot, minced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp curry
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine vegetables in a large pot or Dutch oven. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread vegetables evenly on jelly roll pan. Roast in the preheated oven until the vegetables are easily pierced with a fork, 30 to 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in your previously used large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the celery and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in broth and bring to a simmer, uncovered. Add tomatoes.  Stir in the roasted vegetables and continue simmering for 10 minutes. Puree the soup. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary. If the soup becomes too thick, add more vegetable broth.

Maple Soy Tilapia
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp maple syrup
couple squirts of lemon juice
3 tilapia filets
Cook filets with oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper for about 2 minutes on each side.  Add maple syrup cook another 2 minutes per side.