CSA: Week 2

Monday was my turn to do the CSA pick-up. I managed to get there and back without getting lost, so I consider that a notable accomplishment. When I got home I took this photo of the full share with my phone--while maybe lacking in quality, I think the colors more than make up for it! A completely stunning share! I kept a third of what was pictured, and I'm already overwhelmed trying to plan what to do with all of it. This week we got:

-beets
-radishes
-scallions
-garlic scapes
-peas
-salad greens
-strawberries
-fresh mint

Last week we used the mint to make mojitos and tea. This week I think I'll use mine in an ice cream project--hopefully more on that later. I've got post-it filled cookbooks ready for this week's supply, and I'm very excited to see what will come of it!

Tomato and Spinach Quiche

I love quiche. My mom has been making quiche with the same recipe for as long as I can remember, so I've more or less adopted that one. The week I made this I had a lot of beautiful tomatoes and spinach and eggs (fresh blue eggs!), so it seemed like a pretty obvious choice. For the crust I tried a new recipe--it was about as easy as possible, but I think I want to experiment with the recipe a bit before I post it. I imagine there will be a lot of quiches in the near future...

-1 pie crust
-3/4 - 1 c. grated cheese (I used cheddar this time because it's what I had on hand--it was great!)
-1 tomato
-2-3 oz. fresh spinach, cooked and drained
-3 eggs
-1/2 c. milk
-1/2 c. buttermilk
-salt and pepper

1. Arrange pie crust in quiche plate. Line the bottom of the shell with the grated cheese.
2. Arrange the tomato slices and spinach on top of the cheese.
3. Whisk together the eggs, milk, and buttermilk. Pour over the other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 375*.

This was a great quiche. The crust needs some minor flavor adjustments, but it sliced beautifully and maintained a nice texture. I served it with a salad, and it made an excellent dinner (as well as several days' worth of lunch)!

Pressed Arugula Sandwich

The arugula that came in our CSA share last week was probably the best I've ever had. After a few salads, though, I wanted to try something a little different. I ended up making this sandwich out of a few things in the kitchen that seemed like they might go together.

-1 piece of soft lavash
-arugula
-1/2 tomato, sliced
-1 slice prosciutto
-manchego cheese
-fresh basil leaves
-salt and pepper
-balsamic glaze

1. On one half of the lavash, layer the ingredients. Season with salt, pepper, and the balsamic glaze. Fold over the other half of the bread.
2. With a sandwich press (or electric grill), cook on high heat until the cheese is melted and the bread is slightly crisp and brown.

I thought this was a very good sandwich--I think it would have been good with just about any combination of ingredients, but this showcased the awesome arugula pretty nicely!

Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes and Spinach

Last week I wanted a quick dinner, but I also wanted to take advantage of a lot of really excellent ingredients in my fridge. This is what I ended up with. The mozzarella was from here, the tomatoes from here, and the spinach from here--a great combination.

-1 pita
-1 tomato, sliced and seeded
-1-2 oz. spinach, blanched
-fresh mozzarella, cubed
-olive oil
-red pepper flakes
-salt and pepper
-fresh basil
-fresh oregano
-balsamic glaze

1. Arrange tomatoes on the pita. Top with spinach and cubes of mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil--not too much--and then season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Finish with fresh herbs.
2. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350*.
3. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Cut into quarters.

The flavors were wonderful. The pita didn't have as much structural integrity as normal pizza crust, but otherwise this was pretty great--a little easier to put together than a full, real pizza when you're short on time, but every bit as delicious!

Corn and Zucchini with Basil

My mom saw this recipe on an episode of Everyday Food, and made it when I visited earlier this spring. They weren't flavors I would have thought to put together, but the combination is awesome! Especially if you find really fresh, sweet corn.

-2 ears of corn
-2 small (or 1 medium) zucchini, thinly sliced
-1 T. olive oil
-1 clove garlic, minced
-fresh basil leaves
-salt and pepper
-splash of white wine vinegar (I've also used white balsamic vinegar and lemon juice, both are great)

1. Slice kernels of corn off the cobs in a shallow bowl.
2. In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and zucchini, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the corn kernels and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
3. When the corn has been heated through, remove from heat and toss with the basil, seasoning, and vinegar.

This dish is incredibly fast to put together, and delicious! Again, if you can find sweet corn, it makes a big difference.

Asparagus and Red Quinoa "Risotto"

I had seen a lot of recipes using quinoa lately, so I decided to give it a try. I muddled through cooking it, and probably didn't do it the right way, but it was fun to wing it.

-1-2 T. olive oil
-1 shallot, finely chopped
-1 clove of garlic, minced
-4 oz. red quinoa
-3 oz. white wine
-hot water or broth (I used water because I had no broth; broth would have been better)
-3 T. grated parmesan
-salt and pepper
-1/3 bunch of fresh asparagus

1. In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium-low heat and cook shallot and garlic for about a minute. Add the quinoa and wine, and stir, letting the grain absorb the wine.
2. Add hot water or broth a few ounces at a time, allowing the liquid to be mostly absorbed each time, and stirring at intervals. The grains will start 'popping' as they cook--when they're mostly popped and the consistency is creamy, stir in the grated parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Meanwhile, boil fresh asparagus for about 3 minutes. Drain, and serve full stalks on a bed of the risotto.

I thought this turned out fairly well for something so unscientifically prepared, but I don't know that I would want to have this very often. I think I would be willing to trade the healthy qualities of the grain for a more traditional rice-based dish almost any day, but it was still exciting to try something new!

CSA: Week 1

Last Monday we had our first CSA pick-up. The three of us drove to the other side of town (a whopping 4 miles) to collect our full share. We got:

-salad greens
-head lettuce
-arugula
-spinach
-kale
-chard
-bok choy
-strawberries
-fresh mint

It was a *lot* of greens. And I'll admit, I had never tried kale or chard or bok choy before. This had me trying three new things in the first week alone--an instant success! Mostly I ended up making a lot of salads, which were phenomenal. I'm not trying to over-romanticize the CSA produce, but something about eating greens picked the same day from a farm a few miles away made them taste so much better and more nutrient-rich than any salad I've ever made with store-bought greens. Honestly.

I tried a handful of projects that will show up here soon. But I wanted to document the list before my mind overwrote the information with Week 2 produce!

Parchment Steamed Tilapia and Vegetables

I picked up a new cookbook last weekend--it's a fun read, and in addition, all the recipes make enough for one or two servings, so I don't have to do all the math that's involved in cutting bigger recipes down. This recipe was inspired by one in the book.

-6-8 oz. tilapia
-1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
-1 carrot, sliced lengthwise
-2 garlic scapes, sliced lengthwise (light green and white segments only)
-2-3 small potatoes
-olive oil
-salt & pepper
-lemon juice
-fresh chives

1. Boil or roast the potatoes until soft but not cooked all the way through.
2. Spread a sheet of parchment on a baking sheet, and place a salted and peppered piece of fish in the center.
3. Pile the vegetables on top of the fish. Add the sliced potatoes. Drizzle some olive oil over the vegetables, season with more salt and pepper, and add a splash of lemon juice and water. Sprinkle with chives.
4. Fold the parchment over, and seal the edges of the pocket. Put in a 425* oven for 12-13 minutes.

I thought this was great--the recipe was so simple, and healthy too. Also, it gave me an excuse to use purple potatoes, which I love. Win-win!

Orecchiette with Tomato and Summer Squash

This was something I threw together the week before a big exam (I was eating a LOT of pasta that week) and I was pleasantly surprised with how good this combination was.

-1/4 lb. orecchiette
-1-2 T. olive oil
-2 cloves of garlic, minced
-1 shallot, finely chopped
-1 summer squash, thinly sliced
-2 tomatoes, diced
-2 t. tomato paste
-1 t. dried oregano
-1/4 t. dried red pepper flakes
-salt & pepper
-fresh ricotta
-fresh basil

1. Heat olive oil in medium skillet. Add minced garlic and chopped shallot and cook over medium-low heat for about a minute. Add red pepper flakes and slices of squash, and cook until the squash is bright in color (~3 minutes). Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and dried oregano, and cook until the tomatoes have reduced--about another 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Boil pasta until al dente. Drain and return to pot. Toss with sauce.
3. Transfer the pasta to serving dishes and top with fresh ricotta. Garnish with torn fresh basil.

This was great--I made about two servings, and had the rest the following day for lunch. The sauce was even richer the second time around, and that time I had it with some fresh parmesan instead of ricotta. Also a winning combination!

Chicken Kabobs with Lemon Orzo

This recipe made about four kabobs--I don't have a real grill, so I cooked these on my George Forman, and it worked really well! I served this with a mixed green salad tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
-1 zucchini
-1 shallot
-1 T. olive oil
-1 t. dried oregano
-2 T. red wine vinegar
-salt & pepper
-1/4 c. plain yogurt
-fresh parsley (as much or as little as you like)
-3 T. lemon juice
-1/4 c. orzo

1. Cut chicken into ~1 inch pieces. Slice zucchini into 1 inch pieces and cut in half. Cut shallot into small wedges. Combine oil, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper in a resealable bag and marinate the chicken and vegetables in the oil mixture for 30 minutes.
2. Assemble kabobs on skewers. Grill until chicken is cooked through (~10-15 minutes, depending on your grill).
3. Boil orzo until al dente. Drain, and toss with lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
4. In a food processor, combine yogurt, 1 T. lemon juice, and fresh parsley. Serve on the side.

This will be a summer favorite. It was very easy to put together, and the flavor was excellent. And it reheats well!