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

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

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

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.

CSA 2013 Week 8

Week 8 Bounty:

Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

H19 little leaf cucumber
Shuyho long cucumber
Summer squash
Tomatoes
Green beans
Bright lights chard
Radishes
Italian red onions
Broccoli

Meal # 1 (broccoli)

Oven Roasted Broccoli
1 pound broccoli, rinsed and trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the broccoli florets, stems and leaves into bite size pieces. Place the broccoli into a mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil and salt. Place in the oven and roast just until the broccoli is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. 

Bigoli al'anatra

We had one container of frozen duck ragu left, so I added that to pasta for a quick meal.

Meal #2 (radishes, beets)
This was a really fun and yummy meal that everyone could enjoy!

Radish Omelettes

Eggs - 5 large
Red Onion (chopped finely)
Red Radishes (chopped finely) - small bunch
Coriander - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Pepper (optional) - a pinch
Oil or butter - 1/2 tbsp
Crack eggs and beat them with a fork or a whisk for few minutes, until they look smooth and has slightly increased in volume. Add all the other ingredients and slowly mix them well. Heat your skillet or non-stick pan and heat the oil/butter. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour the egg mixture and cover and cook for 2 minutes or until the omelette has slightly set and is not runny. (evenly space out the radishes and onions if you like) The omelette would have puffed up when you open the lid and then gently lift it and turn it to the other side and again cook for 1 minute. * Recipe adapted from manjuseatingdelights.blogspot.com.

Red Beet Pancakes

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)

Roasted, pureed beets (about half of the bunch from our share)
1 tsp vanilla
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 10 pancakes. * Recipe adapted from A Man And His Pan

Sides (chard, green beans, cucumbers, onions)

Sauteed Chard
Enjoyed this with some leftovers.

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pounds Swiss chard
4 teaspoons melted butter
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
Directions
Rinse chard; separate stems from leaves. Cut stems into 2-inch pieces; cut leaves crosswise into 1-inch strips. To a saucepan add 2 teaspoons melted butter. Add stems to pan; saute about 5 minutes. Add leaves; cook another 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 teaspoons butter and pepper. Mound in center of serving plate and drizzle with vinegar or lemon juice.

Sauteed Green Beans

While spending the weeked with extended family we shared our last two week's green beans.  No one had made them so simply and they were a hit.

2 cups green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and ground black pepper
In a skillet, saute the green beans in butter until tender-crisp. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. 

Benedictine Spread

This is a delicious spread that we created based on other recipes last year and it is really good with just about anything dipped in it, including other raw vegetables or crackers.

3 small/medium cucumber
Bunch of spring onions, quartered
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Slice cucumber in half lengthwise; remove seeds with a small spoon. Place cucumber in blender/food processor and pulse about 5 times, until cucumber is minced. Place onion in the blender/food processor, pulsing until it is finely chopped. To cucumber/onion mixture add cream cheese and stir well with a spatula. Add salt, cayenne, mayo and red wine vinegar. Spread on crackers or bread for sandwiches.

We still have tomatoes and squash left and plan to combine them with the Week 9 vegetables.

Extra: Jam

We have annually visited Jenehr Farm and harvested 20 pounds of strawberries for homemade jam.  Last year's weather made that impossible and also ruined the new crops for this year.  Fortunately 2013 has been more than kind to our mulberry trees and we have probably harvested over 30 pounds in the freezer.  I used 28 cups for this delicious low-sugar jam.

Mulberry/Strawberry Freezer Jam
32 cups berries (28 cups mulberry, 4 cups strawberry)
10 cups sugar
4 Tbsp lemon juice (juice of 4 lemons) or apple cider vinegar
2 cups pectin
Put the mulberries into a large non-reactive pot. Add the sugar and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. This long maceration reduces the cooking time later, resulting in a fruitier, more brightly flavored and colored jam. The mulberries will have released a lot of their juice during their maceration. Stir the macerated berries and their juice to liquefy any still-undissolved sugar. Stir in the pectin and the lemon juice or cider vinegar.  Place the pot with the mulberry mixture over high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until a rolling boil for two minutes. Ladle the jam into clean jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space between the surface of the jam and the rims of the jars. Wipe off the rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth or paper towel. Screw on the canning lids. Freeze.

CSA 2013 Week 6

Week 6 Bounty:

Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

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








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

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

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

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

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

CSA 2013 Week 5

Week 5 Bounty:

Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

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

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

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

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

Glazed Root Vegetables

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

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

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

Espresso Cumin Chicken

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

4 boneless chicken breasts

Marinated for a few hours before grilling in tin foil.

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

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

Veggie Lasagna

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

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

Meal 3 (snow peas, goat cheese)

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

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

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

CSA 2013 Week 4

Week 4 Bounty:

Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

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





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


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

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

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

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

CSA 2013 Week 3

Week 3 Bounty:

Image from Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

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






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

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

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


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

CSA Share Week 12

We have had a very busy and unusual week.  There is a kindergartener in our family!  I am working with him through a virtual school, so our schedule is in a major upheaval.  That while managing a toddler and helping out friends with two other toddlers makes for quite the challenge to properly use all of these vegetables.  I do not like to waste anything, and so far have not.  

I managed to used most of this share in the first evening with the spaghetti sauce.  It's been helpful to make larger portions of everything and eat more leftovers.  That way I am not standing in the kitchen as many days of the week.  It may not work every week, but it has been a huge relief this week!

Still do have cabbagettes leftover, but I have plans for those...


Week 12 Bounty: 

Photos courtesy of Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

Carrots
Tomatoes
Radishes
Eggplant
Cabbagettes
Summer Squash
Bell Peppers
Hot Peppers
Sweet corn
Broccoli
Ice Box Melon



Meal #1: onions, garlic, green bell pepper, tomatoes, oregano, basil, parsley, carrots, eggplant, squash, radishes
I have made this in years past and I love to add whatever extra vegetables I've got.  This time around it was carrots, eggplant, radishes (with greens) and squash.  I cheated, too.  I have small children who won't eat chunky sauce.  So I cut everything into sizable chunks and threw it all in the blender.  Then I cooked it for 3 hours on low in the slow cooker.  It is really absolutely delicious.  


Stephanie's Freezer Spaghetti Sauce
4 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
16 cups chopped tomatoes, seeds squeezed out
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried basil
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
In a slow cooker saute together the onion, garlic, green pepper, and vegetable oil. Cook until onion is transparent. Add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, basil, parsley, sugar, salt, and ground black pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 hours on low heat. Stir frequently. Let sauce cool. Pour sauce into quart size freezer containers. Store in freezer. When ready to use sauce, stir in can of tomato paste. [I only did 1/8 c sugar and 1.5 Tbsp salt, and after having made this with pasta would double the tomato paste] * Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com by Stephanie Lane

Meal #2: broccoli, garlic scapes
Stir-fry with Broccoli and Chicken
Bunch of broccoli, florets diced (I diced them quite finely and also used the leaves, but ground them in the Magic Bullet with some olive oil so the kids would eat them)
1-2 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 tablespoon diced garlic scapes
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce, to taste
2 large chicken breasts, but into bite-size pieces
Cashews
6 servings of cooked brown rice
Rinse the broccoli and trim the ends. Heat the oil in a preheated wok or skillet on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the finely chopped garlic. Stir-fry briefly until it is aromatic, then add the chicken. Cook until they appear fully cooked on outside, then add broccoli and salt. Stir-fry briefly, then add the soy sauce. Stir-fry for another minute and then add the cooked rice to mix and serve. 

Meal #3: sweet corn
Corn on the cob and burgers 

Other uses: ice box melon
This melon was the most delicious melon we've ever had.  My son couldn't stop eating it.  We're not quite sure what it was.  It looked like watermelon on the outside and had the same seeds.  But the meat was orange.  And it was so juicy.  

CSA Share Week 5

Sometimes I wonder how dinner ever makes it to the table at our house.  In the middle of making risotto, which requires near constant stirring, I had two crying children that needed comfort/mediation.  Thankfully, my husband, Allen arrived as if on schedule so that I didn't need to decide whether to ruin a wonderful risotto or let them cry it out!  

I can't believe that Week 5 is already complete and I have yet to mention From Asparagus to Zucchini. This has been my constant companion, although less so in our third year, as I am more familiar with the vegetables. It really does give great detail on how to clean and keep vegetables (one of my favorite tips is cutting off root vegetable greens as soon as possible - I preserve the greens, but it keeps the vegetable from becoming mushy). We've gotten vegetables that I was not at all familiar with and From Asparagus to Zucchini was a lifesaver. The following link lists where to find this essential book:
http://www.csacoalition.org/resources/consumers/cookbook/

I do love the recipes in From Asparagus to Zucchini and have tried some in years past, but I tend to change them to fit our needs. I like to use what we typically have on hand and try to only go to the store once a week. That is why Google is my best friend when meal planning - I can type in what ingredients I would like to use and something wonderful usually pops up!

We managed to clean out the vegetable supply incredibly well this week.  Our favorite of the week is the Bacon Zucchini Pasta.  I've heard that bacon is cheating, but it is really just a wonderful dish.  There are a lot of leftovers, so hopefully we can keep up with the Week 6 share that we just picked up.  We still have some spring onions, garlic and garlic scapes hanging on...

We are so grateful to those at Scotch Hill Farm who are working overtime trying to get water to our food in this now severe drought we are suffering in southern Wisconsin.  We appreciate every vegetable we receive and truly understand the care that goes into it thanks to the wonderful people at Scotch Hill.

Week 5 Bounty:

Photos courtesy of Scotch Hill Farm, Broadhead, WI

Snow peas

Leaf lettuce mix
Zucchini
Broccoli
Spring onions
Radishes
Cucumbers
Garlic
Oregano






Meal #1: radishes, broccoli, garlic scapes, spring onions
Both the risotto and lamb nuggets were delicious, the radishes were a superior addition to the risotto.  But next time I will dip the radishes in the egg first, maybe even skip the flour.  Typically when I bread something I dip in egg or buttermilk first and then breading.  Doing the flour first made it very difficult to work with.  I had one child who adored the lamb nuggets (my meat-eater) and one who adored the pan-fried radishes (my veggie-lover).  So we took that as a win.

Spring Risotto with Pan-Fried Radishes
2 cups diced broccoli (including leaves)
2 cups chicken broth plus 1 cup water
2.5 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Bunch of spring onions, diced
1 cup arborio rice
2 inches chopped garlic scapes
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1.5 teaspoons parmesan cheese
Olive oil as needed to cook broccoli and radishes
In a saucepan, heat the broth and water until warm, but not hot . In a skillet, add a bit of olive oil and broccoli on medium low heat and cover.Be sure to remove from heat once cooked - it only takes about 5 minutes if finely diced, but you can let it cook while you start the risotto. Next, in large skillet or dutch oven, over medium heat, melt 2.5 tablespoons of butter or olive oil. Once melted, add spring onions and garlic scapes and cook until softened. Now add arborio rice and cook until rice is translucent. Then add the warm broth to the rice, 1/2 a cup at a time, stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed. Keep adding broth mixture 1/2 a cup at a time until rice is al dente. You may not use all your broth mixture. Once you reach desired consistency, stir in broccoli, salt and pepper and then Parmesan cheese. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup flour and radishes and shake or toss until they're coated. In a separate bowl, beat egg and pour flour-coated slices into the egg and make sure they're coated well. In the bowl, add 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Transfer flour and egg coated radish slices into the bread crumb mixture and toss to coat. In a large skillet over medium to medium-high, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add your coated radish slices and fry until just brown, flipping to get all sides. Serve the risotto with several radish slices as your topping. *Recipe adapted from www.food52.com

Lamb Nuggets
1 lb ground lamb
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
1 egg
½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs
Coarsely ground salt and fresh cracked
½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs
½ cup sunflower seeds (or walnuts, almonds, etc) finely chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil a jelly roll pan and set aside. In a bowl, gently mix the lamb, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper making sure to not overwork as the meat can then become very dense. Roll the meat into even-sized balls, cover with breadcrumbs a seeds/nuts. Bake for 10 minutes, then broil at 400 degrees for 5 additional minutes.  *Recipe adapted from www.yumandyummer.com 


Meal #2: snow peas(including leftover from last week), garlic
We shared this dish at a friend's gathering and the comments were very favorable.  We will make it again.

Lemon Butter Snow Peas
1/2 pound fresh snow peas

1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
In a microwave-safe dish, combine the snow peas, water and garlic. Cover and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Combine the butter, lemon juice and Italian seasoning. Drizzle over peas; toss to coat. *Recipe by Taste of Home Test Kitchen at allrecipes.com


Meal #3: zucchini

This dish is based on something we ate at our favorite restaurant in Venice and it is always a favorite at our house.  

Bacon Zucchini Pasta
1 pound pasta (we like whole wheat tagliolini with this dish)
4 ounces bacon, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 pounds zucchini, (about 2 large), diced
1/2 to 1 cup reserved pasta water
3/4 cup very loosely packed, finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Coarse salt and cracked black pepper
Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water to al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot and set aside. In a large saute pan, add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy. Add the zucchini and cook until it starts to soften. Place the cooked pasta over low heat. Add the reserved pasta water, cooked bacon, zucchini and the grated cheese. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately.

Meal #4: cucumbers, spring onions, lettuce mix
The kids adore cous cous and I can hide the veggies in there without them knowing.  They will always devour it!  The cucumber moons are quite good, too, although I don't think the kids were fond of the dill.

Cucumber moons

2 large cucumbers, or 3 medium
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp minced spring onions
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste
Peel cucumbers and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out all the seeds with a spoon. Slice in half-moons, about 1/4 to 1/3-inch thick. Heat butter in large heavy skillet over medium flame. Be careful not to let the butter brown, but it does need to be good and hot. Add the cucumbers and shallots and cook, tossing often, until the cucumbers begin to get tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in dill, plus salt and pepper to taste. Continue to toss and cook until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve immediately. *Recipe from www.willystreet.coop.

Cous Cous 
Cooked whole wheat cous cous to directions and added 6 cubes of pureed roasted root vegetables from the 2011 harvest.  Added fresh ginger, turmeric and cumin.  

Cod 
Pan-fried fillets that had maple syrup and salt and pepper to taste.

Lettuce Mix 
We had simple salads to round out the meal.

Meal #5: pole beans
Sliced Baked Sweet Potatoes
4 medium sweet potatoes (evenly-sized)
1 teaspoon salt
2 -3 tablespoons olive oil
2 -3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs or 2 -3 teaspoons dried herbs, of your choice  (ie parsley, chives, thyme, sage)  
Preheat over 425°F. Peel potatoes, if the skin is too tough, otherwise just scrub and rinse them.
Cut potatoes into thin slices, but NOT all the way through. (Place a handle of a spoon or table knife along-side the potato to prevent the knife from slicing all the way.) Put potatoes in a baking dish; slightly fan out the slices. Mix olive oil, salt and herbs. Sprinkle mixture evenly over potatoes. Bake (425°F) for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Check to be sure it is cooked through, cook time depends on size of potatoes.

Pan-seared Pole Beans
Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add pole beans, and stir to coat.  Cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  When they are nearly done, add your favorite seasoning.  We love one we found in Italy, Sale Roma or Sale Rom.  It is supposed to be for potatoes and poultry, but we love it on everything.  We just haven't found it in Wisconsin yet, but heard that Penzey's may create something by request.

We paired these with leftover pasta and meat from a previous meal.

Meal #6: radish greens, other leftover lettuce/greens, oregano
Pureed cubes

Steam and puree any leftover greens (adding water as needed), then I freeze them into ice cube trays for easier storage and future use.