Showing posts with label lettuce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lettuce. Show all posts

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

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

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

CSA 2013 Week 7

Week 7 Bounty:
Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI


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

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




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


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

Pan-fried Potatoes

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


Roasted Carrots and Broccoli 
12 carrots, peeled and chopped 
Bunch of broccoli, with leaves and stems, chopped 
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or parsley

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

Unbelievable Coconut Brownies

1/2 cup coconut oil (or unsalted butter)
1/2 cup cocoa or cacao plus 1 tablespoon
6 eggs (I used 4 eggs plus flaxseed with water)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup coconut sugar (I did the brown sugar substitution below)
1/3 cup honey or agave
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (I used 2/3 cup walnuts instead)
Tiny pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by 8-inch pan with parchment paper. Melt the coconut oil (just to melting, not hot) and whisk in the cocoa/cacao. In a medium sized bowl whisk the eggs, sugar, honey, and vanilla together. Pour in the chocolate mixture and whisk unt
il combined. Add the coconut flour and coconut and mix until combined.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until set in the middle.
Recipe Notes and Substitutions:

Coconut: Substitute 2/3 cup of nuts for coconut.
Flour: Though I haven’t tried it, I’m pretty confident that if you wanted to try this out with whole wheat flour, oat flour or gluten-free flour, it would work.
Sugar: Not ready to try coconut sugar? 3/4 cup packed brown sugar would work too, but omit the honey. * Recipe from csmonitor.com

Shake (lettuce, pineapple, cantalope, apricot)
Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI
Pina Colada Shake
pineapple
cantalope
apricots
lettuce
coconut water
milk
ice
Add to blender and crush/blend.

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



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

Friday, July 12, 2013

CSA 2013 Week 5

Week 5 Bounty:
Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

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








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

Meal 1 (turnips, radishes, Asian greens, carrots, onions)
These vegetables and chicken were a fabulous combination!  Best of all we were able to share them grilling out with friends.  


Glazed Root Vegetables
4 cups chopped root vegetables (I used turnips, radishes and carrots)
Small bunch of early onions
4 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 Tbsp curry powder
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 bunch of Asian greens, finely chopped.  
Combine turnips, radishes, carrots, coconut oil, maple syrup, and curry in a skillet. Rest lid on top of pan at an angle, do not cover it firmly. Simmer over medium heat until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 20 minutes. Add asian greens and cook thoroughly, a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

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

4 boneless chicken breasts
Marinated for a few hours before grilling in tin foil.

Meal 2 (chard, radish/turnip greens, lettuce mix, basil, oregano)
This is a house favorite.  I always love to throw in whatever green things we have.  It started out as a family recipe for spinach lasagna, but now I love to see what vegetables I can all sneak in.  I love adding diced carrots or other root vegetables. 

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

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

Meal 3 (snow peas, goat cheese)

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


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


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

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

CSA 2013 Week 4

Week 4 Bounty:
Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

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





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


Salad (leaf lettuce mix)
Homemade Dressing (Week 1)
Lettuce
Chia seeds
Walnuts

Side (broccoli, garlic scapes, onions)
Chopped broccoli in the Ninja blender.  Added coconut oil, curry powder, cayenne pepper, ginger, garlic scapes, onions, soy sauce, salt.  Cooked in a fry pan.

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

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

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



Monday, July 1, 2013

CSA 2013 Week 3

Week 3 Bounty:

Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI
Valentine Romaine Lettuce
Bibb lettuce
Bright lights chard
Radishes
Bok Choi
Garlic scapes
Early onions
Leaf lettuce mix






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

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

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


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

Thursday, June 20, 2013

CSA 2013 Week 2

Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI
Week 2 Bounty: 
Red Iceberg Lettuce
Turnips
Early onions
Valentine Romaine Lettuce
Asparagus
Bok Choi
Oregano and Tarragon bundle
Leaf lettuce mix
Sunflower sprouts






Meal 1 (sunflower sprouts, turnips, bok choi, onions)
This was our kid-friendly meal for the week.  The vegetables kind of came about from trying to throw everything left in the fridge together and it worked perfectly!  The nuggets I have made before, but I omitted the parmesan.  The Gia Russa whole grain bread crumbs that I use already have Romano in them, so I didn't feel the need to add more.  The kids agreed as we had no leftovers from this meal!

Curried Vegetables with Rice
image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI
I washed and chopped up the turnips, bok choi, onions and sprouts.  Put 2 Tbsp coconut oil and 2 Tbsp olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat.  I then added the turnips, 2 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp garlic salt, and 1 tsp paprika and cooked this for about 15 minutes (depends on size and quantity of turnip pieces).  Then I added the onions and bok choi stems and cooked for about 5 minutes, or until they are somewhat transparent.  I finally added the bok choi leaves, turnip greens and sunflower sprouts and cooked for about one minute, until the greens just barely wilted.  

Baked Chicken Nuggets
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 cup buttermilk (I cheated with 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice in 1/2 cup milk)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut chicken breasts into 1 1/2 inch size pieces. In a medium bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, salt, thyme, sage and basil. Mix well. Put buttermilk in a bowl or dish for dipping.  Dip chicken pieces into the buttermilk first, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place well coated chicken pieces on a lightly greased cookie sheet in a single layer, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
* Recipe from AllRecipes.com by Teresa

Meal 2 (lettuce)
Salad
Homemade Dressing (Week 1)
Lettuce
Chia seeds
Pumpkin seeds

Pasta with Duck Sauce
This is my favorite from our time living in Italia and we've replicated it quite well.  We froze a few containers back in April, so I was able to thaw it and add to pasta for a wonderful, quick meal.

Meal 3 (asparagus, sweet potatoes)
Baked Salmon
1 salmon fillet (2 pounds, I used four smaller cuts and cooked for less time)
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
Pat salmon dry. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. brush with butter. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over salmon.
Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 20-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Yield: 8 servings. * Recipe from Taste of Home


Roasted Asparagus
1 pound fresh asparagus
Good olive oil
Kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  
Break off the tough ends of the asparagus and, if they're thick, peel them. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast the asparagus for 25 minutes, until tender but still crisp. * Recipe from Ina Garten at foodnetwork.com

Pan-fried Sweet Potatoes
Dice four medium sized sweet potatoes.  Heat olive oil in frying pan  on medium heat and add potatoes.  Cook to your liking, but we cook them until well-browned.