21st June, 2011 - Posted by katherine - 1 Comment
This week I had some extra squash from my CSA box that I needed to use up, and my husband had just pointed me to this great foodie blog all about using up CSA veggies/fruits, and they happened to have this delicious looking recipe for chocolate chip squash bread. The blog is “Fast Farm to Table: Cooking with CSA” and it has a lot of wonderful recipes. I know I usually like to post a vegetarian main meal dish on here on Tuesdays, but I didn’t make anything new last week that really stood out as a main meal, but this bread was fantastic. I followed the recipe carefully, except I used probably 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips. Plus, even though I thought I was well stocked on white sugar, turns out I only had 1/2 cup left and no more in the pantry, so rather than using 2 cups of white sugar, I used 1/2 cup white sugar with 1.5 cup light brown sugar. The results were amazing – one of my new favorite recipes! I didn’t take a picture, but head on over to their website to check out a picture here.
Here’s the ingredients and directions from the blog:
6 T cocoa powder
2 T vegetable oil
2 c sugar
1 c vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 c grated summer squash, unpeeled, and I like to grate it coarsely so the color and texture stays evident
1 t vanilla
2 c flour
1 t soda
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
3/4 c chocolate chips
In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa and 2 T vegetable oil to make a paste. Stir in sugar and 1 c vegetable oil until combined. Add eggs one at a time, blending after each addition. Stir in vanilla and squash. Sift in all the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in chocolate chips. Divide into two greased 9×5 loaf pans, or whatever pans you desire. Bake at 350 until a toothpick comes out clean – about 45 minutes for loaf pans. This bread freezes very well wrapped in plastic.
Realizing I can use up my CSA contents by making baked goods may have been a not so healthy discovery, but it was a delish discovery! I will certainly be checking out this blog a lot!
Update: I made this again this weekend and here’s a pic!
14th June, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
I had a LOT of mint to use up last week from our CSA box, and didn’t know what to do with it all until I found this mint pesto recipe from Epicurious. It was an easy non-dessert way to get rid of it all, and even though it sounded really odd (mint with jalapeño?) it was rated really highly so I tried it out and loved it. When I’m trying to get rid of mint it will be my go-to recipe and was great on pasta for a vegetarian meal, although can also be served on fish or chicken.
Here are the ingredients:
- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoons (packed) feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons (packed) Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped jalapeño chile
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups (packed) fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
And the directions:
Combine first 7 ingredients in processor. Using on/off turns, process until mixture is smooth. Add mint leaves and lemon juice; process until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Gradually add oil and process until mint pesto is smooth and creamy. (Can be made 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
I didn’t have any feta and just added more parmesan and I used two jalapeños since we’ve been getting a lot of those in our CSA box as well that we needed to get rid of. And I probably tripled the garlic (also, getting a lot of from CSA box). Delicious! Pretty spicy and not overly-minty at all.
7th June, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
I made this on Saturday, all with fresh local ingredients, and it turned out so great – I am going to make it again this week. Laying the sliced eggplant on a towel and putting a little salt on them really drew out the bitterness. I changed this epicurious recipe a little – I didn’t have any panko so I just used flour, and I only needed 2 eggs.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 lb medium eggplants (about 3), cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds
- 3 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 5 lb plum tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 20 fresh basil leaves, torn in half
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 large eggs
- 3 1/2 cups panko * (Japanese bread crumbs)
- 2 ozfinely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (2/3 cup)
- 1 lb chilled fresh mozzarella (not unsalted), thinly sliced
Directions:
Toss eggplant with 2 teaspoons salt in a colander set over a bowl, then let drain 30 minutes.
While eggplant drains, cut an X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch tomatoes together in a 5-quart pot of boiling water 1 minute. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, peel off skin, beginning from scored end, with paring knife.
Coarsely chop tomatoes, then coarsely purée in batches in a blender. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add garlic and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomato purée, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
Stir together flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Lightly beat eggs in a second shallow bowl, then stir together panko and 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a third shallow bowl.
Working with 1 slice at a time, dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg, letting excess drip off, and dredge in panko until evenly coated. Transfer eggplant to sheets of wax paper, arranging slices in 1 layer.
Heat remaining 1 1/2 cups oil in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry eggplant 4 slices at a time, turning over once, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.
Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of a rectangular 3 1/2-quart (13- by 11- by 2-inch) baking dish. Arrange about one third of eggplant slices in 1 layer over sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover eggplant with about one third of remaining sauce (about 11/4 cups) and one third of mozzarella. Continue layering with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted and golden and sauce is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes.
31st May, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
I don’t have a picture of this tasty recipe, but trust me, it was good and my family finished it all in one sitting. Here’s a picture of the beautiful Johnson’s Backyard Garden box contents though that caused me to look for a recipe that would use up eggplant and mint:
I actually got quite a few more tomatoes than shown in the pictures, and for this recipe I used those up rather than using canned tomatoes. I also will double the mint the next time I make this, and watch the eggplant carefully so they don’t get burned.
Here’s the delish vegetarian recipe, from epicurious:
Ingredients:
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 2 1-pound eggplants, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch-thick crosswise rounds
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 28-ounce can Italian-style tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup crumbled soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet)
- 8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Directions:
Preheat oven to 500°F. Spray 2 large baking sheets with oil spray. Arrange eggplant rounds on prepared sheets; brush lightly with 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 10 minutes. Turn rounds over and bake until tender and golden, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Meanwhile, heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes with their juices, mint and oregano and simmer until sauce thickens and is reduced to 1 3/4 cups, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon half of tomato sauce into shallow 2-quart baking dish. Arrange eggplant rounds atop sauce, overlapping slightly. Spoon remaining sauce over. Sprinkle cheese over. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with basil.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Eggplant-with-Tomato-Mint-Sauce-and-Goat-Cheese-4975#ixzz1NyLDUxph
3rd May, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
These light and flaky little potato and cabbage turnovers came out really well and if I ever again find myself needing to use up some cabbage, this will be my go-to recipe. I’ll try to remember to add a picture soon, but trust me, they were cute and tasty and made a filling vegetarian meal. This recipe is also from my epicurious iphone app and the reviews on epicurious were really glowing:
These are well worth the time spent! They come out flaky and buttery and the filling is rich tasting without being too heavy. My Russian husband and his familiy were very impressed when I made these! My only tip would be to lightly brush a stick of butter across the top of each one just as they come out of the oven.
and
It looked so plain on paper and we only chose it because we had all of the ingredients on hand. But these little pirozhki were just outstanding when they came, golden brown out of the oven. We added about 1/2 pound of organic, grass fed local ground beef, browned – to the filling. The caraway flavor mixed with the dill and salt was sublime. Dough was excellent too. Spectacular recipe!
Here’s how you make them:
Ingredients:
For the dough
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon cold water if necessary
For the filling
- 3/4 pound russet (baking) potatoes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 cups chopped cabbage
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons water if necessary
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
*an egg wash made by beating 1 large egg with 1 teaspoon water
Directions:
Make the dough:
In a food processor blend together the flour, the baking powder, the salt, and the butter until the mixture resembles meal. In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolks and the sour cream, add the sour cream mixture to the flour mixture, and blend the mixture until it just forms a dough, adding the water if the dough seems dry. Divide the dough into fourths, form each fourth into a flattened round, and chill the dough, each round wrapped well in wax paper, for 1 hour or overnight.
Make the filling:
Peel the potatoes, cut them into 3/4-inch pieces, and in a steamer set over boiling water steam them, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are very tender. Force the potatoes through a ricer or food mill into a bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the butter. In a heavy saucepan cook the onion and the caraway seeds in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until the onion is golden, add the cabbage, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 5 minutes. Cook the mixture, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes more and stir it into the potato mixture with the sour cream, the water if the mixture is too thick, the dill, and salt and pepper to taste. The filling may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.
On a lightly floured surface roll out 1 piece of the dough 1/8 inch thick, keeping the remaining pieces wrapped and chilled, and with a 3-inch cutter cut out rounds. Brush each round with some of the egg wash, put 2 level teaspoons of the filling on one half of each round, and fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon, pressing the edges together firmly to seal them and crimping them with a fork. Gather the scraps of dough, reroll them, and make more pirozhki with the remaining filling and dough and some of the remaining egg wash in the same manner. The pirozhki may be made up to this point 5 days in advance and kept frozen in plastic freeze bags. The pirozhki need not be thawed before baking.
Arrange the pirozhki on lightly greased baking sheets and brush the tops with the remaining egg wash. Bake the pirozhki in preheated 350°F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are golden, and serve them warm or at room temperature.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pirozhki-11648#ixzz1LKNkLHcD
19th April, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
picture from Epicurious
This recipe from epicurious was a very easy and tasty dish. Plus it used up a lot of cilantro, which was great since we got a bunch in our CSA box the week I made this. If you’re like me you may have noticed that most recipes using cilantro just call for a small amount of it, and then you’re left with a bunch of leftover cilantro that’s hard to use up and may end up going bad before you can use it. Many a time I’ve found some old cilantro in the veggie drawer of my fridge, slowly turning into a disgusting green sludge. Well this recipe a great way to avoid wasting leftover cilantro, and although it was really good with tofu, it would probably be good served with chicken or fish as well. Plus you only need 2 tablespoons of pine nuts to make this pesto, which is nice since pine nuts can be pretty expensive. I ended up frying the tofu in a little olive oil rather than broiling it, and using extra firm worked really well for me.
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup mild olive oil plus additional for brushing
- 2 (14- to 16-oz) packages firm tofu, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Preheat broiler and lightly oil a shallow flameproof baking pan with olive oil.
Cut each block of tofu crosswise into 6 slices and pat dry between several layers of paper towels. Arrange in 1 layer in baking pan and brush tops of slices with more olive oil. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat, without turning, until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
While tofu is broiling, purée cilantro, pine nuts, lime juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, sugar, remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper in a food processor until bright green and smooth, about 1 minute.
Transfer tofu with a slotted spatula to a platter and serve with cilantro pesto.
Serve with a salad and you’ve just made delicious meat-free dinner in less than 20 minutes. Enjoy!
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Broiled-Tofu-with-Cilantro-Pesto-231002#ixzz1Jzo5kf7P
12th April, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
This was the best thing I’ve made in a long time and it was pretty easy. This was another great recipe from Epicurious that I looked up when I had some beets from our CSA box to get rid of. The ingredients were simple and along with tasting awesome, these raviolis were pretty too. My raviolis tended to stick together after I took them out of the boiling water, but I think if I had dunked them in cold water afterwards they would have stuck together less. I didn’t make the poppy seed butter, I just melted some butter on the side to serve with them, and I didn’t make my own dough, I just used wanton wrappers. Also, at the suggestion of many of the reviewers, I used a small log of goat cheese and 1/3 of a stick of cream cheese rather than ricotta. The most difficult part was making sure they were really sealed tightly after filling the wanton wrappers with the beet-cheese mixture so that they didn’t come apart in the boiling water, but even that wasn’t too tricky.
Here’s how to make them:
Ingredients:
- 2 large red or golden beets (about 14 ounces) (I probably had about 3 cups of shredded beets after I used up everything from my CSA box)
- 1/2 cup fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese (or a small log of goat cheese and 1/3 stick of cream cheese)
- 2 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs (I skipped this)
- 1 1/4 pounds Fresh Egg Pasta (or wanton wrappers)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds ( I skipped)
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap beets individually in foil; place on baking sheet. Roast until tender when pierced with knife, about 1 hour. Open foil carefully (steam will escape). Cool. (I did this the night before and just stuck them in the fridge). Peel beets; finely grate into medium bowl. Add ricotta cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in breadcrumbs.
Roll Fresh Egg Pasta dough into sheets according to recipe. Place 1 dough sheet on work surface. Using 3-inch round biscuit cutter, cut sheet into 7 rounds. Transfer rounds to lightly floured baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough for total of 56 rounds.
Sprinkle 2 smooth kitchen towels with flour. Place 8 pasta rounds on work surface, keeping remaining dough covered with plastic. Place small bowl of water next to work surface. Spoon 1 teaspoon beet filling onto half of each round. Dip fingertip into water and dampen edge of 1 round. Fold dough over filling, pushing out as much air as possible and pressing edges firmly to seal. Transfer to prepared towels. Repeat with remaining rounds. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and place in freezer until frozen solid, about 6 hours. Transfer ravioli to resealable plastic bags.)
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat and stir in poppy seeds; keep warm. Working in batches, cook ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until cooked through, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to skillet with melted butter; toss to coat. Divide ravioli among 8 plates; sprinkle with Parmesan.
Really delicious!
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Beet-Ravioli-with-Poppy-Seed-Butter-232091#ixzz1JJa3a28g
5th April, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
I tried out this recipe from Epicuious on Friday and thought it turned out well enough that I would make it again. It was very tasty, easy to make, and I looked forward to eating the leftovers. I had some boy choy from our CSA box, and I had most of the seasonings already, so I only needed to pick up the noodles and some tofu. This was maybe my 6th time trying to cook tofu and it went well – using the extra firm tofu seems to help a lot. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 8 green onions, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
- 2 heads bok choy, bottom third discarded, leaves thickly sliced
- 1 12-ounce package extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, drained well on paper towels
- 1 12-ounce package udon noodles or 12 ounces linguine, freshly cooked
Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, honey, 1 tablespoon oil and cornstarch in small bowl to blend. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic and ginger and stir 30 seconds. Add bok choy and sauté until beginning to wilt, about 2 minutes. Mix in tofu, then noodles and soy mixture. Stir until sauce thickens and coats noodle mixture, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
I used egg noddles I found in the Asian section of Whole Foods- they didn’t have any udon noodles. Also, I wanted to use up the whole bok choy so I ended up separating the leaves from the stems, cutting the stems into 1/2 inch sticks, and cooking those for about 5 minutes after the onions, garlic, and ginger were added. Then I added the leaves, which I had chopped into large pieces, and cook for about 1 minute before I added the soy mixture. Here’s the end result:
29th March, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
Yesterday I tried a new recipe, based loosely on this epicurious recipe. We have been getting rainbow chard in our CSA box (Johnson’s Backyard Garden) for the past few weeks and normally I have just been using the leafy greens and discarding the stems. But then I found the above recipe using he stems and decided to try it out. Here’s what I did:
Ingredients:
2 cups Swiss chard stems (reserve leaves for another use)
2 cups frozen edamame (soybean pods)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon garlic clove
Preparation
Blanch chard stems:
Halve stems crosswise and cook in a large pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 4 quarts water) until just barely tender, 3 to 5 minutes (depending on thickness). Cool in an ice bath, reserving cooking water, then transfer to a plate.
Prepare edamame:
Cook beans in boiling water 3 minutes, then drain and transfer to ice bath.
Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium heat for gas). Toss chard stems with 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Oil grill rack, then grill chard stems, covered only if using a gas grill, turning occasionally, until tender and lightly charred, about 7 minutes. Cut into 1-inch lengths.
Cook garlic in remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring, until just pale golden. Add beans and chard and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Transfer to a serving dish and stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
22nd March, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
I’ve made this vegetarian Rachel Ray recipe twice and both times it has turned out good. Some of the reviewers complained it was not flavorful enough, but if you like a somewhat cheesy, filling, and fast meal, this is a good recipe. Plus Rachel Ray kept blabbing on about how healthy it was since you’re using whole wheat pasta, and I suppose that’s true too. When I made it, I used more garlic than suggested and I also added in some cherry tomatoes that I had lying around to make it a little more colorful and tasty.
Here’s the recipe from her website:
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole-wheat penne rigate
- Salt
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, cracked from skin and sliced
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 head cauliflower, stem removed and chopped
- 1 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
- 3/4 cup grated Romano, 3 generous handfuls
- Salt and black pepper
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and pasta and cook to al dente. Drain and reserve 2 ladles of pasta water.
While water is coming up to a boil and pasta cooks, make sauce. Heat a deep skillet over medium heat with extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic and cook 3 minutes, then remove. Add onions and cook 5 minutes then add cauliflower, chicken stock and the rosemary. Cover the pan and cook 15 minutes. Uncover the sauce, add 1 to 2 ladles of pasta water and mash the cauliflower with the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher. Add the pasta and cheese to the cauliflower and toss to combine. Season the dish with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.
15th March, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
Yesterday, in an effort to use up some carrots from our Johnson’s Backyard Garden CSA box, I tried this recipe from the website of JBG:
* 4 large carrots, peeled
* Olive oil
* Kosher salt and black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Cut the carrots into 2-3 chunks. Cut those chunks lengthwise into quarters (or even eighths if the carrot is particularly large).
Place the carrots on a cookie sheet. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place in the oven and bake, tossing about half way through, until the edges of the carrots start to caramelize, about 20-30 minutes. Keep an eye on them after 15 minutes to make sure they don’t burn.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly on a pepper towel lined plate
I used about 10 carrots instead and they turned out great. I don’t normally like carrots that much but this was a nice way to prepare them that I will be sure to try again.
To use up the rainbow chard and scallions from the CSA box, I sautéed the scallions in 2 tablespoons of butter for about 4 minutes (until they got a little brown) and then added about 2 cups of rainbow chard with the stems removed, plus about 1/3 cup of cream. I cooked this on medium till the chard wilted down a little (about 2 minutes) and added 1/2 cup of mozzarella and some pepper, and then served this on some pasta. It was an easy quick way to use up the chard, and the scallion flavor was really nice.
pasta and carrot fries
14th March, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
Johnson’s Backyard Garden, an organic garden in Austin, recently started distributing weekly boxes of organic fruits and vegetables at my husband’s work place, so we decided to sign up to get a box for the next 4 weeks (however, when my husband paid for 4 weeks, the people at Johnson’s emailed him and said he would get a 5th week for free.) You can read about my previous experience trying the Greenling box here - Greenling is another local company that distributes boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables in Austin. I think the JBG box is similar in quantity and price to the Greenling box, but at the time I tried out the Greenling box maybe I had too high of expectations and that’s why I didn’t have as good of an experience. Anyway, so far we’re enjoying getting the JBG box (although we’ve only gotten one so far) and we’re not finding it super hard to use up the contents of the box. (I gave up meat and seafood for lent though, so that’s probably making it easier to go through all the fruits and veggies.)
Here’s a pic of the contents of the box (a cost of $32):
It came with 5 or 6 small turnips, probably 15 very sweet carrots, a small bag of lettuce mix, cilantro, parsley, 2 grapefruit, 4 oranges, a small bunch of spinach and rainbow chard, brussel sprouts, and scallions.
The grapefruit was really good. I don’t think I had ever eaten a whole grapefruit before, but I’m trying to be healthier and I don’t want to waste any of the food. It was a messy but delicious experience. I used the cilantro in chicken tikka masala I made for my husband, and then made a couple of Indian side dishes -one with the carrots and one with the turnips. One night we sauteed the spinach and it turned out well. And my husband made this dish with the brussels sprout greens (we still have the actual brussels sprouts left over):
1 bunch brussel sprout greens (or any greens)
2 T butter
salt, pepper, pinch nutmeg
2 T flour
1 c milk
4 oz (about) cream cheese
1 c orzo, uncooked
Cook orzo according to package directions. While it’s cooking, bring about 4 c salted water to a boil. Roughly chop the greens, add to the boiling water, and cook until tender (about 2-4 minutes). Immediately transfer cooked greens to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. When the greens are cool enough to handle, squeeze the water out by hand. Puree greens in a food processor.
Melt butter in a large saucepan (the one used to boil greens, cleaned). Add pureed greens. Sprinkle with flour and stir to keep from sticking. Slowly add milk, stirring the entire time. This should leave a thick green mixture. Add cream cheese and stir over low heat until melted. Add orzo. Top with bacon crumbs or Parmesan.
It looks a little funny but it was good!
One really nice thing about JBG is their website. My husband found the above recipe on their website – prior to this we didn’t know that brussels sprouts had greens or that you could eat them, but here was a recipe that made use of the greens. Plus every Tuesday they post a picture of what will be included in your box (pretty accurate quantity depiction of what you will get) which is very very helpful, and you can click on each item in the box you are going to get and find tips on how to wash/prepare/store that item and how to cook it. It’s a very well designed website
12th January, 2011 - Posted by katherine - 1 Comment
Meee! I haven’t had a lot of success with winter gardening, things have not been growing very fast at all, but I did finally have enough kale to make some delicious Italian soup, like the kind they serve at the Olive Garden. It’s not very healthy and it’s not vegetarian, but at least a small fraction of it came from my back yard. Here’s a link to the recipe - I didn’t use any bacon and used less cream than recommended, and I probably used 5 cups of chopped kale.
- here’s the kale I collected from outside
- and the finished soup!
16th November, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
I’ve written before about how delicious spaghetti squash is here. I made some more last night and although the recipe I used wasn’t vegetarian (I added shrimp), it’s still overall healthier than eating a pot roast or some other meat-heavy meal. Check it out while it’s still in season!
12th October, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
Yesterday I tried to make spaghetti squash based on this Emeril recipe. Spaghetti squash is in season right now and easy to find at stores like Whole Foods, and sometimes HEB. I bought mine at HEB, and although I’ve made it before, I wanted to try a new recipe with it rather than just serving it with spaghetti sauce like I normally do. If you aren’t familiar with spaghetti squash, it’s a large squash that has light yellow strands that resemble spaghetti. It’s a healthy alternative to pasta, although when you eat it you realize it’s not pasta at all. It’s still very tasty and I like to make it in the fall. Here’s how I made mine:
- 1 spaghetti squash, about 4 pounds
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed soft herbs, such as basil, chives, chervil, parsley and sage ( I used basil, garlic chives, and parsley from our garden).
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise and place, cut side down, in a baking dish. Add enough water to come 1/2-inch up the sides of the baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the squash is easily pierced with a paring knife.
- Using a spoon, remove the seeds and discard. Gently pull the strands of squash away from the peel.
- Heat a skillet. Add the butter. When melted, add garlic and cook on medium heat for 1 minute. Add spaghetti squash, herbs, salt and pepper and toss thoroughly to heat and combine. Serve with parmesan.
7th September, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
This is a quick, easy recipe that I made last week, and best of all, the fresh ingredients all came from my garden. I love this dish -it’s so easy and simply to make.
Ingredients:
1 16 oz bag of pasta (I used mini shells this time and like how they trapped the sauce)
12-15 roma tomatoes, peeled, de-seeded, and diced (the peeling part is tricky – I use a vegetable peeler and then once Ive finished that, I cut the tomatoes in a few slices and squeeze the seeds out)
1-2 tablespoons garlic
3/4 cup of olive oil
12-20 basil leaves, diced
Directions:
All you do is place the peeled, de-seeded tomatoes in a bowl, cover with the olive oil, mix in the garlic and basil, and let sit for 30 minutes in the fridge. I also added 1 cayenne pepper that I sliced down the middle and de-seeded, and 3 small onions from the garden, which I put in whole.
After the sauce had marinated, I removed the onion and pepper. Cook the pasta according to the directions, and pour the olive-tomato sauce over the pasta, and top with Parmesan. It’s very easy, and great because you can use ingredients that are simply to grown in your garden!
31st August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
I tried out this vegetarian recipe yesterday for something different. I had 2 setbacks in making this recipe: 1) I couldn’t find soba noodles at the HEB on Spicewood Springs so I had to use pad thai noodles and 2) I foolishly assumes that of course there would be soy sauce in the pantry, so I didn’t pick any up at the store and it turned out we didn’t have any. That said, it turned out pretty well even without all of the right ingredients, and I would like to try it again with soy sauce and soba noodles. Here are the directions:
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil ( I just used regular sesame oil)
- 10 to 12 ounces nigari tofu, cut into 1-in. cubes (I couldn’t find this either, I just bought “firm” tofu)
- 16 small fresh shiitake mushroom caps (again, not at HEB, so I used regular mushrooms)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 green onions, cut into 1 1/2-in. lengths
- 12 ounces dried soba noodles
- 8 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2/3 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons wasabi paste
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
Preparation
1. Heat grill to medium. ( I grilled mine inside on a cast-iron grill pan)
2. Mix soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil in a bowl. Add tofu and marinate 10 minutes.
3. Heat a large pot of water to boiling. In a bowl, toss mushrooms in oil to coat.
4. Drain tofu, reserving marinade. Slip cubes onto 4 metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternating with green onions and mushrooms. Thinly slice any leftover onion.
5. Boil noodles in water until al dente, 4 minutes. Drain; rinse well with cold water. Divide noodles among dinner bowls and garnish with radishes and sliced onion.
6. Oil cooking grate, using tongs and a wad of oiled paper towels. Grill tofu skewers, covered, turning once, until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Set skewers on noodles.
7. Mix marinade with broth, wasabi, lemon zest, and juice and serve on the side.
17th August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
Last week my husband tried out this new recipe and it turned out really well! We actually saw the recipe on the back of the farro package (farro is a type of grain), but I also have seen the same recipe several places online. He used acorn squash rather than butternut squash because we had some leftover, and he didn’t use walnut oil, just olive oil. Here are the ingredients he used:
2 cups farro, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt
5 cups water (or stock)
3 cups acorn squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large red onion cut into 1/8ths
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup walnuts, deeply toasted
3 tablespoons toasted walnut oil (or more olive oil)
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
And the directions:
Preheat oven to 375.
Combine the farro, salt, and water in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the farro is tender, 45 minutes to an hour, or about half the time if you are using semi-pearled farro. Taste often as it is cooking, you want it to be toothsome and retain structure. Remove from heat, drain any excess water, and set aside.
While the farro is cooking toss the squash, onion, and thyme with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a couple big pinches of salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange in a single layer and place in the oven for about 20 minutes. Toss the squash and onions every 5-7 minutes to get browning on multiple sides. Remove from the oven, let cool a bit, and mince just 1/2 of the red onions.
In a large bowl gently toss the everything (except the goat cheese) with the toasted walnut oil (or olive oil). Taste and add a bit of salt if necessary. Garnish with the goat cheese.
10th August, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments
I made this soup the other day as an alternative to chicken noodle soup when my stomach was a little upset . It was a little bland at first (which was desirable given my tummy ache), but I thought it could use a little something extra so I added some soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic powder. Although some of the mushrooms had sort of a chewy texture, the soup had an overall hearty, comforting taste and was just the right thing to make me feel better. The recipe is from How to Make Everything: Vegetarian Cooking.
Ingredients:
- 8 cups water
- 1/2 cup pearled barley
- 1/2 cup peeled and roughly chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup peeled and roughly chopped onion
- 1/2 cup peeled and roughly chopped celery
- 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, any kind
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup snipped fresh dill, minced chives, or minced parsley leaves
Directions
- Put the water in a stockpot and bring to a boil. Add the barley, carrots, onion, and celery.
- Turn the heat to low and partially cover; the mixture should be bubbling, but only a little. Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water to cover until tender (about 10 minutes), and clean, trim, and slice the fresh mushrooms.
- Strain the soaked mushrooms; reserve their liquid. Add all the mushrooms to the simmering soup. Add the mushroom-soaking liquid to the soup. Simmer the soup for 30-45 minutes more, until the barley and vegetables are tender.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in half the dill, chives, or parsley, then top individual servings with the remaining herb.
3rd August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
On Sunday I tried out this new recipe from Food and Wine - “Okra and Green-Pea Curry”. I had some okra I wanted to use up, and I’ve only ever had okra fried or plain, and wanted to learn to make something different with it. I thought this turned out pretty well and was very easy to make. I’m not crazy about okra, but I thought the okra went well in this dish because (and this sounds gross) the mucus-ey insides of the okra gave the dish extra thickness. I served it with buttery vegetable curry from this entry, which is by far one of my favorite vegetarian recipes, and this okra dish didn’t really compare, but it’s probably a lot healthier.
Here are the ingredients and directions from Food and Wine:
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes with their juice (from one 15-ounce can)
- 2 10-ounce packages frozen cut okra, defrosted
- 1 10-ounce package frozen peas
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Directions
- In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the fennel seeds, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer. Increase the heat to moderate. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until no liquid remains in the pan, about 5 minutes.
- Add the okra, peas, water, and salt and simmer just until the vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro.
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