mi csa su csa: week 1

We're doing both a meat CSA and a veggie CSA this year, both for the first time. The meat CSA is year round and we're on month 2, but the veggies just started. Since we're getting vegetables we don't usually eat, I thought I'd keep a record of what we've created with them.

Week 1:
scapes
broccoli
zucchini
turnips
arugula
red leaf lettuce
peas

First up: broccoli, a couple scapes and mushrooms pan fried with leftover chicken and homemade chicken broth.

I ate most of the lettuce simply dressed with a tangerine dressing—though I didn't get through all of it.

The zucchini made up the meat of a delicious Persian Kuku Kadoo recipe from Saveur, which we served with roasted turnips, scapes and carrots we seasoned with fresh dill from our herb garden.

The arugula didn't make it, but the peas look like they'll still be good enough to eat in week 2.

spring pork chops...anytime

Fresh peaches this spring have been delicious, so they haven't been lasting long enough around our house to make it into an actual dish before being picked up and just eaten as is. This is a great dish because it uses frozen peaches, which you can get any time of the year. The flavors in this dish come together beautifully, sweet and savory all at once. We served it with roasted asparagus and fried plantains.

3-4 (1-inch-thick) pork chops
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
1-2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme
1/4 cup brandy
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen peaches, thawed
1/3 cup peach preserves

Sprinkle pork chops on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper (total) and coat lightly with olive oil.

Heat 12-inch cast iron skillet in oven for 10 minutes at 500 degrees, bring pan back to the stove top and cook pork chops over high heat, turning once, until browned, 3 minutes on each side. Return pan with pork chops to 350 degree oven for 6 minutes, until cooked through. Transfer to a platter and keep warm, loosely covered with foil.

Return skillet to stove top. Heat butter in skillet over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook shallots with thyme, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden-brown, about 5 minutes.

Add 1/4 cup brandy to skillet, then cook over medium heat, scraping bottom of skillet to loosen brown bits. Add peaches, preserves, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and any meat juices from platter. Nestle pork chops in the sauce and cook, until peaches are tender and juicy, about 3 minutes. Plate pork chops and spoon sauce over chops.

Adapted from epicurious.com

smoked mozzarella non-pizza

I crave pizza all the time, but feel pretty terrible after eating a pile of nothing but carbs, cheese and grease. This recipe, which I threw together with a few vegetables and stuff I had on hand, fills the pizza craving without the heaviness. I would recommend making double the recipe below if you want any leftovers.

Ingredients:
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 zucchini
half a ball of smoked mozzarella
parmesan cheese
romano cheese
6 fresh basil leaves
spaghetti sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread evenly on baking sheet. Roast in oven for 30 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and sprinkle with parmesan and romano cheeses. Top with slices of smoked mozzarella and sprinkle with fresh basil leaves. Roast in oven 10 minutes.

Spread a layer of warmed spaghetti sauce on a plate and top with the roasted vegetables and cheese.

cheesy chewy brazilian bread

These little pieces of squishy bread are amazing! Like a combo of warm and chewy crescent rolls and croissants.

Ingredients:

1 egg

1/3 cup olive oil

2/3 cup milk

Scant 1 1/2 cups tapioca flour

1/2 cup (packed) grated queso fresco

1 teaspoon of salt (or more to taste)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a mini-muffin tin. Put all of the ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth. You may need to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender so that everything gets blended well. At this point you can store the batter in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until all puffy and just lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes.

Eat while warm or save to reheat later.

Adapted from Simply Recipes

light and fresh chicken soup

This soup is wonderful for any reason, but is especially good if you're not feeling well. The cornstarch turns the broth silky and beautiful and the ginger gives it a nice bite.

Chicken, Mushroom and Ginger Soup

1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms (dried is much preferable to fresh in this recipe)
4 cups boiling water
4 cups additional water
2 pounds chicken thighs cut into chunks
A 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced very thin
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 teaspoons sugar
A pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch

Boil the first 4 cups of water. Soak the mushrooms in the boiled water for 20 minutes.

While the mushrooms are soaking, mix the soy, sugar, salt and corn starch in a large bowl. Make sure there are no corn starch lumps. Add the chicken and ginger to the bowl, toss to coat with the marinade, and set aside.

When the mushrooms have softened, remove from the water (saving the soaking liquid) and slice thin. Add the mushrooms into the bowl with the chicken. Pour the soaking water though a fine-meshed sieve lined with a paper towel back into the cooking pot.

Put the chicken mushroom mixture, and the additional 4 cups of water into the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a bare simmer, cover the pot and cook gently for 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Adapted from Simply Recipes

potato smoothness

The first time we made this the potatoes we used were on the smaller side, so the soup turned out a little thin, but it was absolutely delicious. I can't wait to make this with even more potatoes for a thick and creamy version. And it's great as a side with corned beef and cabbage in place of boiled potatoes.

Irish Potato Soup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped
6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 cup stock (chicken, vegetable, or ham), homemade if available
2 cups whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: chopped parsley

In a large stock pot, melt the butter. Add the onions and potatoes; heat over medium heat, covered, stirring often until they begin to soften (15-20 minutes). Do not allow them to brown.

Add the stock and milk and allow to come to low simmer. Stirring often, cook until the potatoes and onions are fully soft about 25 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to achieve a smooth consistency. If, after processing, the soup is thicker than desired, pour it back into the cooking pot and thin with additional warm stock.

Adapted from Boulder Locavore

mushroom mushroom badger badger mushroom

I found this recipe back in 2005, and I can't actually remember if I've ever made it, but it certainly looks good and relatively easy. Been craving mushrooms lately, so if I find a good assortment I may just have to whip this up.

Thyme and Mushroom Soup

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 onion, sliced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (removed from the stems)
10 cups sliced assorted mushrooms (One very full brown paper mushroom bag will slice up into about 10 cups)
1 cup white wine
4 1/4 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon sea salt (depending on how salty your stock is)
1 teaspoon cracked pepper

Melt butter in the bottom of a large stockpot. Cook and stir onions, garlic and thyme over medium heat for 5 or so minutes, until onions begin to brown and the scent of thyme fills your kitchen.

Add mushrooms and cook, over med-high, heat stirring only occasionally, to brown the mushrooms a bit before they start giving off too much water. Continue to cook, stirring for 6 to 8 minutes.

Add in remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Ladle off 1/2 the mixture into a bowl. Use immersion blender on one half the soup. Combine the two portions again and heat through.

Adapted from Lex Culinaria

dreams of new orleans

As I recently discovered, don't skimp on the 45 minute cooking time. Giving the flavors time to blend is important.

Red Beans and Rice

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fully cooked smoked sausage or Kielbasa, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 14 1/2- to 16-ounce cans kidney beans
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning
3 cups cooked rice

Heat olive oil in heavy large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until onion is brown, about 15 minutes.

Mix in kidney beans with their juices, broth and Creole seasoning. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until flavors are blended and mixture is very thick, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Divide cooked rice among large shallow soup bowls. Spoon bean mixture over rice and serve.

Adapted from Epicurious.com

crockpot delights

We've tried this both on the stove-top and in the crockpot and while the depth of flavor is a little more complex when cooked on the stove, the crockpot version is so easy and just as delicious that it's worth the time and effort saved to be able to make it on a weeknight.

Sweet Potato Soup with Rum Cream

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (1 3/4 to 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 fresh thyme sprigs or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch ground red pepper
Rum Cream or caramelized onions

Stove-top directions:
Melt butter in pot over medium-high heat; add onion, and saute until tender. Stir in chicken broth and next 4 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until potato is tender. Remove and discard thyme sprigs. Cool slightly.

Use an immersion blender to process until smooth in the pot. Stir in whipping cream and next 4 ingredients. Serve with Rum Cream or caramelized onions.

Crockpot directions:
Add butter and onions to the crockpot. Stir in chicken broth and next 4 ingredients. Cook in crockpot for 10 hours on low. Remove and discard thyme sprigs. Cool slightly.

Use an immersion blender to process until smooth in the crockpot. Stir in whipping cream and next 4 ingredients. Serve with Rum Cream or caramelized onions.

Rum Cream

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/8 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum

Directions:
Beat all ingredients at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.

The above recipes are adapted (barely) from Southern Living

Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:
5 lb bag of white onions or vidalia onions - sliced
1/2 half stick of butter
2 tbsp of olive oil

Throw all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low for 10 hours.

Result: The onions weren't as browned as I expected, though they tasted wonderful, if not as sweet as we would have liked. We used regular spanish onions, so next time I will add some sugar to help with the sweetness, or use vidalias. I will also aim to cook them for closer to 12 hours and see how much more that browns them and breaks them down.

all the ice creams

We just got an ice cream maker attachment for our Kitchenaid mixer and after our first less than perfect attempt we've found a really great base. We made strawberry ice cream with it and I can't wait to try it out with peaches once they're in season.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1 1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 pound strawberries, hulled
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

Stir together the half-and-half and 2 cups sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the vanilla extract. Heat the mixture until it's hot but not simmering or boiling.

In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks vigorously with a whisk until they start to lighten in color, about 2 minutes.

Pour half a cup of the hot half-and-half mixture and very slowly drizzle it into the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking the whole time. Repeat with another half cup of hot half-and-half mixture, making sure to whisk the whole time.

Pour the tempered yolks into the saucepan with the rest of the half and half mixture and stir gently with a wooden spoon for 2 to 4 minutes, cooking it slowly until it's thick enough to coat the spoon.

Pour the thick liquid through a fine mesh strainer and into a clean bowl. Add the heavy cream to the bowl and stir gently to combine. Refrigerate this mixture for 2 hours, or until chilled.

Here is where you can add whatever flavoring you like. Below are the directions for strawberries.

Meanwhile, combine the strawberries and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a blender. Puree until smooth (or you can stop just short of smooth if you want a little texture.) Pour the pureed strawberries into the chilled custard mixture and stir.

Now pour half the mixture into the ice cream maker and freeze it according to its directions. Remove the first batch and freeze, and then pour the second half into the ice cream maker. Freeze ice cream for at least 4 hours, or until frozen firm.

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

stuffed pizzacchini

Twice in the last few weeks I've seen recipes for stuffed zucchini, and it seemed like a good time to try out our own version. Throwing what we had on hand into the pot we came up with pizza-zucchini, and everyone devoured every bite.

Ingredients:

4 small to medium zucchini
1 pound ground pork
1/2 can tomato paste
garlic powder
onion powder
salt
pepper
olive oil
oregano
basil
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
2 tbsp romano cheese
mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

To make the zucchini boats, cut the ends off the zucchini and then cut down  the center lengthwise. Use a small spoon to scoop out the flesh in the center - do not cut through the skin. Continue until each zucchini half resembles a canoe. Chop the zucchini flesh into small chunks to use in the stuffing and reserve.

Place the hollowed zucchini boats onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Roast until they begin to soften, 20 minutes.

Brown the ground pork in a large pan, seasoning to taste with the garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper and oregano and basil. Once the ground pork is mostly browned, add the reserved zucchini chunks and the half can of tomato paste. Mix to combine. Add the parmesan and romano cheeses and mix. Cook mixture for 5 to 8 minutes.

Once zucchini boats are roasted, add stuffing mixture to the boats and top with mozzarella cheese. Broil for about 5 minutes or until GBD. Eat everything.