A Versatile Summer Treat

So many delicious veggies this week and so little time to indulge. This weeks crop definitely reenforced my passion for home cooking in some great ways. I truly think that I am getting the hang of this!

Week 7

Kohlrabi
Arugula
String-beans
Basil
Celery
Green cabbage or Napa Cabbage
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Zucchini or pattypan squash
Raspberries


The moment we got our share home on Saturday, I immediately knew that the arugula and basil would best be utilized in one of my favorite sauces, pesto. Traditionally, pesto is a purée of pine nuts and basil that is brought together by olive oil in a food processor or blender. It can be as diverse as it is delicious. This "sauce" takes no cooking and can be a hot summer nights best friend and your recipe arsenal's deadliest weapon. Since I had a few different ingredients on hand, the recipe shared below was created from a few seasonal items that I mixed with items I had on hand. The result was nothing short of a delicious summer staple.


Basil-Arugula-Walnut Pesto

Ingredients

2 cups basil leaves
2 cups arugula leaves
1 1/2 cups of walnuts
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grates
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil (add or omit as needed)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions

1) Place arugula, pesto, garlic, and walnuts in work bowl of your food processor.
2) Cover. Pulse 10-15 times to incorporate all ingredients.
3) Open the food processor and scrape the side of the work bowl.
4) Add in 4 peeled garlic cloves, lemon zest and 1/2 cup of the oil. Replace cover.
5) Put the food processor in ON function and let it mix and purée for about 30 seconds.
6) Pour the remaining olive oil into work bowl through the tube on top to get the consistency that you desire.
7) Add parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste.
8) Remove to bowl or airtight container. Will stay for up to a week in your refrigerator or in the freezer 6 months.


Tips:

*Please, get creative! I have made this recipe with different greens, like ramps and parsley. I have also enjoyed making a less expensive pesto by interchanging nuts. This recipe calls for pine nuts usually, but I used walnuts. I have heard that pistachios can add different flare too.
* Use this recipe to top your favorite protein, stuff your own homemade ravioli, slather on crusty bread or mixed into your favorite pasta.
* Always make extra! This particular recipe when followed made enough to top two dinner portions of chicken and left about a pint for the freezer.

This weekend, Doug and I will be road tripping to Cape Cod with our two furry friends. That will mean that we will miss our CSA pick up and therefore won't have our week 8 list or recipes out for the next post. I do however look forward to bringing you all some great tips and picks from the road. Cape Cod does have hold some great food treasures that we can't wait to experience. More to come...

Until than, have a super weekend and happy eating!!!

Location:Brooklyn,United States

Cool as a Cucumber

Here we are, about 1/2 way through the month of July. Temperatures have finally cooled off this week after battling 90's and above since the end of June. As the temps fluctuate and the sticky months settle in, I am working on taking baby steps away from the stove in hopes that I will cool off in the process. Summer leaves me with less of an appetite, as well as a hunger for things that are refreshing. Salads, cold soups and sandwiches come to mind. Yummy!

CSA crop:

Kohlrabi
String beans
Zucchini
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Pattypan squash
Cilantro
Yellow plums
Raspberries...some were massive! (see below)


On the warmest days of this summer this far, I found myself so exhausted and overheated that cooking the meal I had planned out for the week was the furthest thing from my mind. My schedule has also changed a bit in recent weeks due to some sad personal news I received. So, the changes to my schedule have made meal planning a bit difficult to predict. Although this has nothing to do with food, I want to let you in a bit more.

My knee had been bothering me for a few weeks after my runs, so I finally went to see an orthopedist to see what was going on and figure out how to fix it. With no easy fix available, he gave me the devastating news that I would have to hang up my running shoes as a result of damage done to my knee. He added the info that I also suffered from a genetic issue that my dad had dealt with. Instead, I can only do things like ride a bike or use an elliptical machine. No lunging, squatting, kneeling, running, stairs-nothing. I was a zombie for a few days trying to figure out where to put the energy that my running used up. I know, it could be way worse. However, it is the end of an error for me. I have lost a piece of me for sure. I was one with the road. I was one with my dad. Now, it is me and a few hundred strangers sweating together. That is where the gym comes in. New York Sports Club is where I will continue to maintain my sanity. Well, there and my kitchen.

Now, we move toward the meat (or veg in this case) of this weeks posting. As mentioned earlier, I enjoy cooler and lighter fare this time of year. Something thrown on the barbecue is best accompanied by a slaw, pasta/quinoa salad, or this weeks warm weather side. Two of the star ingredients are straight from the farm (CSA).


Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

2 pints of grape tomatoes, quartered
6 cucumbers (Kirby size), peeled,halved and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Chop all ingredients and toss with all liquid ingredients.
Salt and pepper to taste.

A splurge in my house depends on the moment. This week, the splurge was beef. We threw a fresh garlic, lime and cilantro marinated flank steak on the charcoal grill this on Sunday. Alongside this mass of meat, we served our tomato and cucumber salad. Add some flour tortillas, and we had a summer soft taco that was just as beautiful as it was filling.

Have a great week and happy eating!!!

Location:Brooklyn, New York

The heat is on...

This week proved to feel a bit off balance. 2 days of work, 1 day off, 2 days of work. It was Independence Day Wednesday, but this year was different. We didn't participate in any cook outs, we didn't indulge in hamburgers or hot dogs. Instead, I opted for a good long work out and lazed on the couch for most of the holiday. What is more American than channel surfing on the sofa on a day off? A few days prior to the holiday marked our 5th CSA pick up of the 22 week cycle.

CSA Shopping List:

Sugar snap peas
Bok Choy
Dil
Broccoli
Onions
Potatoes
Raspberries


Since the holiday broke up the week in an odd way, the meal planning unfortunately took a back seat. So, when Thursday night rolled around, I noticed that the vegetable drawer still held an assortment of some green veg that had lasted the week. With my wheels turning and my belly empty, I tossed together a quick, delicious and nutritious summer veggie and pork stir fry. The best part? I pulled this off in under 30 with items in the fridge and pantry.

Quick Summertime Pork Stir Fry

I pound of trimmed pork loin, cut into 1 inch strips
1 small head broccoli, cut into florets
1 bunch of baby bok Choy, halved
1/2 cup shell peas
1 lb of sugar snap peas
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 can of baby corn, cut in thirds
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon of fresh garlic, grated
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp Veg or olive oil
1/2 cup chicken (or veg) stock
Sesame seeds for garnish

1) Place pork, ginger, sesame oil, garlic, and a dash of teriyaki sauce into a bowl and combine. Set aside.
2) Warm large skillet over medium heat and brown your pork. Cook 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Remove pork from pan and set aside.
3) Add stock to pan and using a wooden spoon scrape bottom of pan to deglaze. Add broccoli and cover. Cook for 3 minutes.
4) Next, add snow peas and bok choy to broccoli and add soy sauce and teriyaki sauce. Cover and cook another 3 minutes.
5) Uncover and add corn, chestnuts, and peas. Stir to combine.
6) Add your cooked pork back to your pan. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes or until all is warmed through. Veggies should still be a vibrant green and crisp.
7) Serve over your favorite rice or noodle. Top with sesame seeds.


Tip:
* although I didn't have any onions on hand, I usually try to throw in a sliced onion or a bunch of scallion. If using an onion, put in when deglazing the pan after cooking and removing your pork.

Stay cool out there and happy eating!!!

Location:Brooklyn, New York

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