Monday, June 29, 2009

Recipe - Pizza sauce

Saute garlic and vidalia onion (minced) in EVOO.
Add one box of Pomi Strained tomatoes (or tomatoes of your choice, preferable pureed)
Add a tsp or so of dried parsley, basil and oregano
1 1/2 tsp of sugar
3/4 tsp of sea salt
Simmer and adjust seasonings to taste!

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Week 4


In my share this week (last week, technically - I picked up on Thursday)

Lettuce
Garlic scapes
Spinch
Kohlrabi (two huge green ones!)
Beets
Radishes
Kale
Cabbage (Napa)
Chard
Mixed Greens






and PYO (Pick Yer Own)
Strawberries!
Snap peas
Shell peas
Snow peas
Cilantro (YUMMY!)
Dill

What I'm making:
Ramen soup (noodles, spinach, pork, soft eggs)
Fried rice (with bacon and pork)
Wontons 2 ways (pork and tofu)
Asian Cabbage Salad
Caesar Salad
Pizza (see Pizza sauce recipe)
Kale and Tofu (sauteed with garlic scapes and olive oil, add tofu, some chinese bbq sauce from ribs the other day, eat with ramen noodles!)

Since this week and last week sort of blended together and I'm not picking up my share until Thursday again, here's what I'm making this week

Buttermilk chicken (coated with crushed corn flakes)
Spinach salad
Vegetable stock (using beet greens, kale and kale stems, onions, carrot, celery, peppercorns, bay leaves)
Minestrone soup (soaking my beans today, cooking them tomorrow)
Pesto
Humus
Cooking my beets - not sure how I'm eating them yet! I'm tempted to pickle them, but I don't know if I have time this week!
Cole slaw with Arrowhead cabbage from last week.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Recipe - Peanut Noodles

adapted from Working Mother Magazine - Feb/March 2006

1 lb spaghetti (I use whole wheat or soba noodles)
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter (get yourself a Wonder Cup for measuring stuff like peanut butter - http://www.amazon.com/Wonder-Cup-Two-Adjustable-Measuring/dp/B000I21N7O)
3 Tbs rice vinegar
6 Tbs soy sauce
4 Tbs sesame oil
4 Tbs fresh ginger (I use the jarred minced ginger)
1/2 tsp cayenne (optional - I put cayenne on my personal dish rather than in the recipe)
3/4 tsp sugar (haven't tried substituting Agave for this yet!)
1/2 cup hot water (usually take from pasta cooking water)

optional additions - sugar snap peas or snow peas, ripe mango, scallions cilantro, chopped peanuts, lime juice

1. Cook and drain spaghetti
2. Combine all other ingredients above (except optional additions) and whisk well until smooth.
3. Add spaghetti to sauce and mix well.

Serve with all the toppings you like best!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Recipe - Squash Fritters

I don't know where this is from originally, but this recipe is amazing! Great use for squash / zucchini and scallions.

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2 eggs, beaten
2 cups grated summer squash / zucchini
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbs melted butter
2 chopped scallions (or onions and/or favorite herbs)
2 tbs parmesan or feta cheese (or favorite cheese)
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and scoop 3 - 4 Tbs of mixture into hot oil (form a pancake shape and thickness). Fry both sides until browned.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Week 3


What is in our share this week:

Napa Cabbage
Arrowhead Cabbage
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Kohlrabi (purple!)
Lettuce
Beets
Radishes
Spinach
Strawberries!






What I'm making:

Asian Cabbage Salad (I'll make this when I do the sesame chicken/ peanut noodles again - requested by my family to repeat again this week!)

Dressing:
1/4 c. sugar (or less)
8-10 drops of Tabasco or 1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 tbs. sesame oil
1/3 c. oil
6 tbs. plain rice vinegar ( or a little more)

Other ingredients:
2 tbs. sesame oil (for frying seeds and almonds)
1/2 c. sliced almonds
1/4 c. sesame seeds
1 small head
cabbage (any kind you prefer)

Combine dressing ingredients; set aside. Finely chop
cabbage using a
food processor or by hand.

Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil in skillet and toss in almonds and
sesame seeds; cook until just lightly brown. Combine all together,
and chill - let marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Roasted Beets - to eat up plain, in a salad with goat cheese, or whenever!

Minestrone Soup (didn't make it last week - made the veggie broth for it!)
I made up my own recipe. I'll try to post soon.

Kohlrabi and Squash Empanadas (didn't make it last week either!)
Beef empanadas

I had extra filling - maybe I will make more empanadas, or maybe put the filling into quiche (for the kohlrabi/zucchini one) and pie (aka meat pie).

Pickled cauliflower (will post recipe) - made this last fall and it was awesome (I finally got around to eating it this winter and my pregnant sister loved it! - I'll give her her own jar this time!)

Maybe....


Thinking about trying this next time we get Kale...



Saturday, June 13, 2009

Embracing the radish

I have no grand expectations for myself for this blog. I simply was looking for a place to put my weekly menu plan (or ideas) and keep track of of my CSA share. I would love to include pictures, but that might be too unrealistic for myself at the moment. Actually it all started because I wanted to make a recipe book of my favorite recipes that come from my farm share. But that project is too big for this year, or so I think. Anyway....

Why radishes and turnips? I am no longer afraid of radishes, or turnips, or kohlrabi, or kale. After 4 years of CSA shares I am ready to want and use everything. Even if I'm the only one in my family eating some of them.

I'm not going to hold on to a bunch of radishes for 3 weeks only to put it in the food scraps when it starts to get yucky. Last week I made pickled radishes (they smell horrible but taste great!) - this week I made a spring turnip salad and used my escarole for something other than escarole soup.

This winter I started making a lot of things I used to buy premade - humus, chicken broth, beans... turnips became a regular part of my broth-making (and now I'm saving up my veggie tops in the freezer for vegetable broth)... soaking beans ahead of time became less daunting (just need to think ahead by a day!)... homemade humus never tasted better (and lasts much longer!).

I'm looking forward to making lots of pesto, cole slaw, and salsa this summer again as well.

Hopefully this blog will be of interest to at least one other person beside myself :-)

Week 2



Arugula
Lettuce
Radishes
Broccoli
Bok Choi
Escarole
Kale
Kohlrabi









What I'm making this week:

Sesame chicken with peanut noodles

Ingredients

1 cup dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
4 tablespoons butter, melted
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Method

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a wide, shallow dish stir together bread crumbs, sesame seeds, paprika, salt and pepper. Put butter into a second wide, shallow dish. Dip chicken in butter, then roll in bread crumb mixture and transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet, arranging pieces so they don't touch. Use two baking sheets, if needed. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the juices in the meat run clear when checked with a knife. Transfer chicken to plates and serve.


Burritos of leftover brown rice, steak, broccoli, bok choy and teriyaki sauce (in whole wheat tortilla)

Salad with leftover sesame chicken and Newman's Family Style Italian Dressing (fantastic on chicken!)

Escarole sauteed in evoo, garlic, and shallots with cannelini beans on brown rice, drizzled with soy sauce

Kohlrabi & Squash Empanadas

Minestrone soup (with Kale) - vegetable broth made with turnip/radish tops, broccoli stems, carrot, onion, celery, fresh parsley, bay leaves, peppercorns, and kale

Broccoli and cheddar quiche - pastry crust 1/2 whole wheat 1/2 white from Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook - basic quiche crust - cheddar cheese, broccoli filling, topped with 1/2 and 1/2 and buttermilk with eggs

Crunch bok choi slaw, adapted from
The original recipe called for carrots. I used radishes instead!

Crunchy Bok Choi Slaw
¼ c. Rice Vinegar
1 TBS dark sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
¼ tsp salt
6 c. very thinly sliced Bok Choi
2 large radishes, shredded
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Mix all together, serve.




Friday, June 5, 2009

Week 1 - 2009

Week 1:
Lettuce
Spinach
Arugula
Broccoli
Bok Choi
Salad Turnips
Radishes











What I'm making this week:

Arugula Salad with tomatoes, red onion, and sesame soy dressing

Turkey Burgers and sauteed spinach

Coriander scallops with bok choi and brown rice and steamed broccoli

Bread and butter radishes

Spinach salad with potatoes, onion, corn, and bacon

Burritos (this week using 365 Ranchero Beans and Near East Spanish Rice for a quick meal on a busy night)