Roasting the Harvest

Hooray, summer is here! For a regular 9-5 working lady like myself, this usually doesn't change much in my life other than my wardrobe and need for extra SPF. All of that said, the summer of 2012 has already changed for the better with the addition of The Greene Harvest CSA to my household as detailed on this blog in the past few weeks. An added bonus of this summer is that our wedding is taking place in 5 months! With the warm weather here to stay and the wedding dress all ready for me to slip on, the focus for the next few months will be on health, love, and happiness. All good things.

This weeks take home from the CSA didn't offer any newbies other than parsley. Yet, it was a great crop nonetheless in my eyes. Here are the root veggies that we got. Please note the awesome twisted carrot. I love this stuff!


As a side note, turnips were never a staple on my produce shopping list until now. This was the 2nd week that we were graced with white baby turnips. They are a root vegetable that have a very distinct flavor all their own. Yet another example of enjoying what the season and farmers offer. I enjoy tasting new things and falling in love.

List:

Turnips
Carrots
Shell peas
Snap peas
Italian parsley
Rappini
Cherries

Roasted Baby Turnips and Carrots

1 bunch white baby turnips, scrubbed and left whole
1 bunch of carrots, scrubbed and cut into 4 pieces
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place your cleaned and chopped root vegetables into your roasting pan.

Sprinkle your olive oil over with veg and season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 25-30 minutes until fork tender a bit of brown shows.



Serving Tip:

Serve along side your favorite protein or make a meatless meal by serving along side some nutty quinoa or cous cous. The first time that we made this, we ate it as a snack at room temperature. Roasted veggies are so versatile, sweet and nutty.

Although this weeks recipe isn't mind blowing or inventive, sometimes simple can be just what you need. Boring and healthy can be a great balance to some of the richer foods we indulge in throughout the seasons. Another great find at the CSA. I have fallen for turnips!

Happy Independence Day and happy eating to all! Be safe.

Location:Brooklyn, New York

Think (and eat) Green!

The theme of this CSA weeks shopping list was clear from the moment we entered the pick up zone. Contrary to the email of items to expect that CSA sends out to members the day before, greens were determined to be the center of our world (and kitchen) this week. There were some newbies, a couple of oldie but goodies, a surprise, and one head scratcher on hand. However, anyway you looked at it, every veggie except for one was green.

As we learned this week, this endeavor with CSA has brought us to an impasse. With all the dirty fresh from the farm greens we are inheriting, it may very well be time to invest in a salad/greens spinner. Until we opt for yet another cabinet filler, we do it the old fashioned way. My fiancé tackled the cleaning of all the greens by filling the sink with cold water and allowing everyone to take a dip. This mode of cleaning greens allows all of the produce to get cleaned while all the dirt and grit from the farm falls to the bottom of the sink. It worked beautifully. There was not one grain of soil or sand noted. It also helped to clean and prep all of our produce on Sunday. This allowed items to be ready and waiting on weeknights with little to no prep needed.

Week 3's Take Home

Veggies:
Rapini-newbie
Beets-oldie
Romaine-oldie
Escarole-surprise
Spinach-oldie
Pea pods-oldie
Garlic Scapes-???


Fruit:
Cherries
strawberries


Sautéed Rappini and Escarole

2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 bunches Rappini, 3 inches trimmed off ends
1 head escarole, washed and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

1) heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat
2) add minced garlic and stir until fragrant. Careful not to allow it to brown too much or it will become bitter.
3) add Rappini and Escarole to garlic and oil mixture. Using tongs, toss to coat.
4) pour in stock, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir once during cooking time to ensure even cooking. Serve.

Tips:

1) We served these sautéed greens along side roasted chicken breasts and sweet potatoes. The bitterness played off the sweet potato beautifully.
2) I would also recommend mixing a can of white beans in with the veggies and stirring them into your favorite pasta. Top your pasta off with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and you have a hearty and filling meatless meal for the work week.


I threw together a quick pasta this week similar to what I described in "tips" with some peak season grape tomatoes, canalini beans, and the spinach from the CSA crop. I won't go into a whole recipe, but cooking together tomatoes, beans, and spinach with stock, garlic, and starchy cooking liquid from the whole wheat pasta was a delicious addition to the rotation. It was quick, seasonal, and super versatile. Feel free to interchange any of these ingredients for things that you have on hand. Oh ya, and don't forget the freshly grated parmesan cheese!

As I mentioned last week, I am invested in the CSA and therefore want to do each and every item I receive justice. This will be a test. This will continue to be trial and error. I will find things I love and accept that there are some that I can do without (sorry beets). Anyway I look at it, I come out on top, because I get the freshest and most seasonal items delivered weekly for our consumption. The bonus will continue to be that we are contributing and giving back to the community that we live in, the community that we love, Brooklyn.

Happy Summer all and even happier eating!!!

Location:Brooklyn, New York

Best. Investment. Ever.

The brilliant colors and smells of the season are officially upon us here in New York City, while a summer is speeding into view with gusto! I can barely believe that we are half way through 2012 and June. Yet, I am so glad that we have arrived at this magical time, a time I've been anxiously anticipating,summer crop season. Late last summer I added myself to the waiting list for our our local CSA after learning about it locally. For those of you that aren't familiar with this acronym, CSA stands for "community supported agriculture", which is defined as a food production and distribution system that directly connects farmers and consumers. Consumers like myself buy "shares" in a farm's harvest in advance allowing farmers to invest in their productivity for the future. It is a wonderful way to support your household while supporting community.


Along with another couple, we made the decision to become members and invest in this years season (if we were offered a coveted spot) that runs from June 2nd thru October 27th. For 22 weeks, we will go to our pick up location every Saturday morning between 9am-11am to gather our fruits and vegetables. Financially it made a ton of sense for us too. We paid for a "family share" vs. a "single share" so that each household could receive equal product for the week ahead. It cost us about $950 for a family vegetable and fruit share. This averaged out to about $475 a household which is $21 per week. In my mind, one of the many draws of doing the CSA is that it will keep fresh fruit and veg in my home consistently for 5 months while maintaining and supporting a local/community based endeavor in the tri-state area. Win win!


This was our 2nd week of the CSA and received the following items:

Turnips
Radishes
Carrots
Snap peas
Kale
Romaine lettuce
Spinach
Strawberries
Rhubarb

Once the pick up was made, the wheels started turning with recipe ideas and "what the heck am I going to do with this?" fears. I quickly got over my hang ups and utilized my share for some tasty concoctions. For my first meal of the week, Mu Shu lettuce wraps (see recipe on this blog) with sautéed snap peas w/sesame. This meal utilized the head of romaine that we received and the pods. A simple recipe, but I feel that this time of year best calls for simple and clean dishes. Nothing complicated, just good local food.

Sautéed snap peas

1 1/2 pounds of snap peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 bunch of scallions, sliced thin
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Sesame seeds


1) Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat.
2) Add cleaned and trimmed pea pods to the skillet and stir to ensure that all pods are coated in oil. Cook about 2 minutes.
3) Add soy sauce and sesame oil and stir to combine. Cook another 2 minutes.
4) Cover and let steam for another 2-3 minutes or until pods reach your ultimate aldente. I steamed them for a little under 2 minutes because we enjoy a crisper product. Transfer to a serving bowl.
5) Finish with sprinkling sesame seeds over the pods and serve.


Tip:
This can be served warm or cold. As with other dressed veggies, these pea pods build flavor over time.To add some more punch, add grated fresh garlic or ginger to this side during cooking process.

The CSA has inspired me and made me experiment in ways in the first two weeks of distribution than I could have ever imagined. As always, I urge you to go to your pantry and local markets to create your own story with what is before you. I want to wish a Happy Father's Day to the men in my life who are fathers and father figures. Although my biggest inspiration isn't here any more, I know that he would be loving the CSA as much as me and menu planning right by my side.

Happy Father's day, Pop and happy eating everyone!

Location:Carlton Ave,Brooklyn,United States

Muffins: Take # 2

Not too long ago I attempted my first muffin recipe and miraculously didn't fail. I considered that endeavor to be so tasty and worthwhile that I wanted to give it another go. Some yummy potential was stocked in my home on a recent lazy Saturday morning and my creative juices were flowing. On hand i had a half used bag of walnuts in the freezer begging to be used and a bunch of bananas turning on the counter. I couldn't imagine not using bananas for something good, so taking these items into account my mind immediately thought of a few options: banana nut pancakes, bread, granola, or muffins. These may not not have been the most original ideas, but I knew that it sure was a great way to use these perishables quickly and efficiently.


I followed the recipe pretty closely with this one given that I was a banana-nut muffin virgin. However, i did throw in some unsweetened apple sauce in place of some butter and did cut the sugar significantly. I made these changes because my personal goal when cooking and baking is to always be able to share whatever I make with my family and friends. That being said, I also want both myself and my fiancé to be able to eat these without a ton of guilt. It is for these reasons and more that I try to sub out or cut down on those ingredients (in this case sugar and butter) that may make an item heavy, greasy, or high in saturated fat and calories.

Banana Nut Muffins Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter (I cut this in half and added apple sauce)
3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/4 cup of sugar)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup of flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (toasted or raw)


METHOD

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.
2 Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla.
3 Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.
4 Add the flour, mix until it is just incorporated. Fold in the chopped walnuts.
5 Pour mixture into a prepared muffin tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean, it's done. Cool on a rack.

Yield: Makes 12 muffins.


This recipe is a quick and simple way to use up any nuts that you may have. I am thinking that slivered almonds or pecans would work with the banana flavor well too. This particular muffin is also a wonderful way to make your home smell as though you have been baking all day.

A bonus was that they were a cinch to put together without any major kitchen electrics at all. I invested in Rachel Ray's set of three silicon spatulas about 2 years ago from Bed Bath and Beyond and couldn't be happier. The set includes three VERY different sizes for your various kitchen needs, these never ever fail me. The medium one came in very handy for this particular recipe by helping me to scrape every last bit of muffin batter from the side of the bowl. Honestly, i am sure that any spatulas will do, but this set is my go to due to their head shape. I will post the link below along with the link for this weeks recipe.

Spatula link:
http://www.rachaelraystore.com/Product/detail/Rachael-Ray-Tools-Gadgets-3-pc-Spatula-Set-Orange/601092

Recipe link:
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_nut_muffins/

Happy eating everyone and an even happier weekend!

Location:Brooklyn,United States

Who wants crabs?

Last week I wrote an entry surrounding the Brooklyn food "scene" and how the community has been changing for better and worse in recent years. This week I am going to talk a bit about my personal sense of community in Brooklyn and how food (and our dogs) have brought us all together.




This past weekend in honor of the long memorial day weekend, our close friends came up with the idea of holding a crab boil in their beautiful Brooklyn back yard. In years past we have had the opportunity to be a part of a crawfish boil and lobster boil, loving every moment. So the idea of a crab boil sounded like the perfect summer kick off. These backyard events go on for hours and are always filled with delicious food, tons of laughs and wonderful memories.




Since the crustaceans were the star of the show, I opted for a few items that could withstand the heat of the day and mingle with the other items on our menu. I made a white bean dip with homemade pitas and a cold orzo salad with sautéed zucchini and tomatoes. The orzo was tasty, but is still a work in progress, so today I will share the bean dip and pita chips.




This white bean dip recipe originated as a Giada DeLaurentis recipe on foodtv.com, but quickly became a party staple when times call for something a little heartier and healthier than the usual chips and salsa (also delicious). I have made this dip about 5 times since my first go at it last spring and a few changes have evolved. However, I owe this one to Giada. I should also add that if you are attempting this dip or another that requires beans, use a food processor. Your life will change with this piece of equipment in your arsenal. It certainly changed mine.

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

For dip:
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chickpeas, also drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of chopped curly or flat leaf parsley, rinsed and dried
3 garlic cloves
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
Salt and pepper to taste

For pita chips:
1 package of pocketless pitas (about 10 large pitas)
Olive oil cooking spray
Dried oregano
Garlic powder
Salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.

Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet.

Pour the remaining oil over the pitas. Toss and spread out the wedges evenly.
Sprinkle with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden in color.

Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree.




The key to this dip in my opinion is to add more liquid (lemon juice or oil) until you find that it is at the perfect consistency (for you) for dipping. Luckily the pita chips are so hearty that they can stand up to a thick dip like this.




Another tip is to allow the garlic to build over time if you are doubling the recipe for a big party. I made the error a few batches ago and doubled the garlic along with all the other ingredients. Needless to say, a lot of altoids were used that night and some loved it while others did not. The garlic will over power if you aren't careful. If you do love extra garlic, I would suggest poaching garlic in the oil you will use or roasting the garlic. Either option will give you a great result.

Hope everyone has enjoyed the first unofficial week of summer. Enjoy oneanother and happy eating!

Original recipe is courtesy of:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/white-bean-dip-with-pita-chips-recipe/index.html

Location:Brooklyn,United States