Fried Green Tomato Salad

Anything breaded and fried (in this case, just pan-fried) usually tastes amazing. These fried green tomatoes are no exception. The original recipe said to fry them in a half inch of oil, but I find that just a generous coating of oil is good enough to get a crunchy crust and to soften the inside. Also warm, breaded tomatoes over salad is the perfect combination.

Fried Green Tomato Salad

2 large green tomatoes
1 egg
1/4 cup of milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
lettuce, washed and chopped
cucumbers, peeled and sliced
blue cheese or ranch salad dressing

Slice tomatoes 1/2 inch thick. Discard the ends. Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium-size bowl. Scoop flour onto a plate. Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs and salt and pepper on another plate. Dip tomatoes into flour to coat. Then dip the tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs to completely coat. In a large skillet, pour olive oil and heat over a medium heat. Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches of 4 or 5, depending on the size of your skillet. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on paper towels. Serve Fried Green Tomatoes over a bed of lettuce and cucumbers with blue cheese or ranch dressing.

CSA Week 4 and Garlic Scape Pesto

Week 4 of my CSA: kale, baby bok choy, lettuce, cucumber, scallions, garlic scapes, green tomato, and a tomato plant. (tomato and tomato plant not pictured)  I'm a little behind on posting, so I actually can't quite remember how I used up all these delicious veggies.  I will share a fried green tomato salad later.

I overheard someone at the farmer's market talking about garlic scape pesto and decided I would try it. Um, delicious! It's very garlicy, but different than regular garlic cloves. It's strong, but possibly a little more mellow. I ate the pesto over pasta and gobbled it down. The next day I put on top of salmon.

Garlic Scape Pesto
adapted from Food 52

1 cup garlic scapes, thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesan
salt and pepper, to taste

Add the scapes and pine nuts (or walnuts) to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until everything is broken up a bit. Then turn the processor back on, and with it running, add the oil a little at a time until it's fully incorporated. Add cheese, pulse, then season with salt and pepper to taste. This won't brown like basil pesto will, so if you're not using immediately, just store in a container in the fridge for up to a week.

CSA Week 3 and Quinoa Patties

Green vegetables all around!  Two bunches curly kale, red spring onions, bok choy, cucumber, swiss chard, two lettuce heads, and a bunch of basil.

This week's recipes have left my memory.  I know I made a frittata that used potatoes, red onion, chard, and blue cheese.  Other than that I made these quinoa patties from 101 Cookbooks.  I made another version of these from her cookbook, Super Natural Every Day, that I've been meaning to share, but this version wins because of the added kale.  I eat them with a little sriracha, but they would probably taste good on top of a simple salad as well.

Kale Quinoa Patties
adapted from 101 Cookbooks

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, at room temperature
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh dill or 2 tsp. dried dill
1 cup finely chopped kale
1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon (toasted) cumin
1 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup whole grain bread crumbs, plus more if needed
water or a bit of flour, if needed

1/3 cup crumbled feta

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or clarified butter

Preheat oven to 400F.

Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, dill, kale, onion, garlic, and cumin. Stir well.

Add the baking powder and bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture.

Gently stir in the feta.

At this point, you should have a mixture you can easily form into twelve 1-inch / 2.5cm thick patties. If needed, add more bread crumbs for if the mixture is too moist, or if too dry, add a bit more beaten egg or water. If you're still having trouble getting the mixture to hold - mix in flour, a couple tablespoons at a time.

Oil a baking sheet, and arrange the patties with a bit of space between each. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the bottoms are brown. Flip and bake for another 5 minutes.

Enjoy hot, or allow to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.

Makes about a dozen patties.

CSA - Week 2 and Kale, Onion, and Garlic Pizza

CSA Week 2 - red chard, dill, cucumber, parsnips, lettuce, purple kale.  I've been adding the chard without stems to our nightly smoothies instead of spinach.  With the parsnips, I made a pureed parsnip and potato soup that was delicious.  I used the dill in our favorite Tuna Nicoise Salad.  The lettuce and cucumber were eaten in salad.

I am so excited about this pizza with kale.  I can't wait to make it again - it was delicious.  I'm sure it would work with any variety of kale.

Kale, Onion, and Garlic Pizza

1 bunch kale, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 medium onion, sliced thin and cut into inch-long pieces
1 large clove garlic, minced
salt
olive oil
3 oz. fresh mozzarella, shredded or torn into small pieces
1/4 c. shredded parmesan
1 pizza crust

Preheat oven and pizza stone to 500.

In a skillet over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil and the onions. Saute until softened, about five minutes. Add kale and saute until wilted, just a few minutes. Remove from heat.

Over rolled out pizza dough, brush on a tablespoon or two of olive oil and minced garlic. Add kale and onion mixture, and top with both cheeses.

Transfer pizza to stone in oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the crust is starting to brown and cheese is melted and golden in spots.

CSA - Week 1 and Sauteed Kale with Salmon

In 2010, I documented my CSA (community supported agriculture) share each week and the ways/recipes I used to prepare the produce. I am going to do the same with my CSA this year as it helps motivate me to be creative with the vegetables and fruits I receive.

It's been a cold, rainy start to the summer, so the growing is slow to start.  The first week I received kale, blue potatoes, cucumber, lettuce, green garlic (looks like green onions), and chives.

I thought it would be fun to make a mixed potato dish by making Roasted Potatoes with blue potatoes, white potatoes, and sweet potatoes.  I also used some chives.  This was a fun dish, but didn't taste as exciting as it looked.  It's still just roasted potatoes (which are good!).

My husband still won't eat seafood, but I recently decided to make an effort to eat salmon for lunch once a week with my toddler.  This lunch was so good - one I gobbled up.

Sauteed Kale and Green Garlic with Salmon and Rice

1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch green garlic, white and light green parts, sliced or 1 clove garlic, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper
salmon fillet
white and black sesame seeds (optional)
fresh lemon juice

Heat olive oil in a pan (cast iron adds a lot of flavor) over medium heat. If using green garlic, add to pan and saute for a few minutes before adding kale. If using garlic clove, add garlic and kale at the same time. Saute, stirring frequently until kale is slightly wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Salmon: Season with salt and pepper and white and black sesame seeds (optional). Add to pan with a splash of olive oil (make the kale, and then use the same pan). Allow salmon to cook for a few minutes until golden brown. Flip over and cook a few minutes more until the flesh flakes easily with a fork. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top and garnish with chives (optional). Serve on top of the kale with brown rice.

Green Tomato Cake

Why in the world would I make a green tomato cake? When you belong to a CSA, one challenge is using up all the produce provided. Though not always successful, I really do make an effort to use it all up. So when I received green tomatoes in the fall right before I was heading out of town, I pureed them and froze them. I knew I had seen baked goods with green tomatoes before, so I figured this would work. Fast forward several months, I am cleaning out the last of the fall harvest from my freezer. One of the last items was the bag of green tomatoes. I searched for recipes and found several for spice cake with green tomatoes and gave one a go. The outcome was very good! I never told my husband the secret ingredient, and he never knew why the cake was so moist. If you look closely, a few small chunks of green are visible.

As for the frosting, cream cheese frosting pairs excellently, but honestly I would love to find a substitute. Cream cheese has some weird ingredients, and powdered sugar seems to give me an instant headache. If you have any ideas for another cake topping, please let me know. But alas, I had some cream cheese already in my fridge one day past its expiration date, so I felt obligated to use it up.

**If you're wondering how I can confess my cooking secrets on this blog and not have my husband find out, it's because he doesn't read the blog.  But before you judge and think he should support me by reading my work, he once remarked, "I don't need to read your blog, I live it."  I found this so hilarious because it's a parallel to one of the best lines in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, the movie, which he's only seen once because I forced him.  I agree!

Green Tomato Cake
adapted from Serious Eats

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups olive oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 c. maple syrup
4 large eggs
2 1/2 cups pureed or finely chopped green tomatoes

cream cheese frosting or other frosting of choice

For the cake, adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly coat two 9-inch cake pans with butter. Line bottoms of cake pans with parchment paper rounds and coat with butter once again.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and nutmeg in medium bowl or on large sheet of parchment paper.

In large bowl, beat oil, maple syrup and sugar on medium speed until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add tomatoes and beat just until incorporated, about 30 seconds.

Decrease mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture to green tomato mixture. Mix just until combined, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as necessary.

Divide batter equally between baking pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of cakes comes out clean, 45 to 60 minutes. Transfer cakes to cooling racks and cool in pans for 15 minutes. Invert cakes directly onto racks. Peel off and discard parchment lining and cool completely, about 90 minutes.

Once cool, frost cake.

Eating Philosophy

I've been wanting to write this post for at least a year now. I've fretted over my words, but I'm not submitting this as a college essay and decided to just put it out there.  It's long, but so important to me, and hopefully to you. I hope you'll read it!

taste the rainbow - fresh veggies from the farmer's market

I am not a very opinionated person. It is a rare topic that gets me excited or angry. But if you start talking to me about food, you may have a hard time getting me to stop. I love recounting my latest cooking experiments, telling about a new cookbook or ingredient I've discovered, or going all preachy and giving you my eating philosophy. I actually don't talk to people very much about why I eat the food I do, because I find that I can't relate to most people. When I overhear people talking about their attempt to be healthy with low-fat this or that, Healthy Choice meals, low-calorie snack packs, substitute sweeteners, and worst of all, margarine, I have to leave. It is amazing to me how many people still have such a skewed view of what is healthy. I don't even try to talk to most people about it, because they just don't get it. And I understand, because I was sort of there at one time.

I was a lucky child with a mother who cooked dinner every night and with a lot of fresh ingredients. Now my memory may be failing me a bit, but about the worst thing I remember is occasionally eating rice-a-roni and coveted Little Debbie snacks for a lunchbox snack, though she made plenty of homemade treats. I had grown up with the common misconceptions that slowly built up over the last few generations - for breakfast people eat boxed cold cereal, margarine is healthy, fatty food makes you fat, etc. However, in my late high school years, my parents were introduced to the book The Schwarzbein Principle by Diana Schwarzbein. This book advocated balanced meals - a proper amount of redefined food groups of protein, fats, green vegetables, and carbohydrates (includes grains, starchy vegetables, and fruit) - and eating them in their most natural state possible, while avoiding those things that are not natural - preservatives, refined sugar, refined flour, low-fat, hydrogenated fats, etc. The reason the author gives for eating this way is that it has the power to prevent and REVERSE degenerative diseases, especially type II diabetes. As a doctor, she was able to put this into practice with her patients and see the results.  The real value of this book was it really got me to start to question commonly accepted views about healthy eating.

So it all comes back to the simple truth that diet (meaning the food we eat) and how much we move are the two most important elements of a healthy lifestyle. Not really surprising. But, even though most people know this, they are confused about what eating healthy really means. The labels say low-fat, low-calorie, high in antioxidants, whole grain, lowers cholesterol, etc. But the real secret is eating food with no labels at all, or at least minimal labeling - fruits and vegetables, legumes, quality meat, poultry, and fish, eggs, whole grains bought in bulk. Michael Pollan really summed it up with his eating recommendations in In Defense of Food: eat food (food must be real food, not processed food, which means we have to spend some time in the kitchen), not too much, mostly green. Mostly green? That means vegetables! It's sad that many American's least favorite foods are vegetables: peas, brussels sprouts, broccoli.

A while ago I read French Women Don't Get Fat. I was highly impacted by the author's pure delight in eating fruits and vegetables. The secret is to eat them fresh, in season, and ripe - and the place to get these, short of your own backyard, is a farmer's market. France thrives on farmer's markets. So eventually I found a farmer's market near me and started going. It took me a while to fully warm up to them, but once I did, I became forever hooked. And thankfully, many others agreed with me, as farmer's markets are becoming more available (including winter markets) all over the country.

After browsing the markets, I joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) where I pre-paid for 20 weeks of the farm's harvest. I picked up my bag every week and then tried to figure out how to use it all. I used it as a learning experience to help me learn how to like vegetables better. I documented what I received each week and then what I made in my CSA series on this blog. The CSA introduced me to kale, chard, garlic scapes, beets, and as of this year kohlrabi, delicata squash, and fennel. CSAs are economical in that the amount of food received is cheaper than buying it a la carte, but if you don't eat it all, then maybe not.

Now that I have a baby who's about to start eating solids, I am determined to feed her with whole foods and help her learn to love vegetables (along with my husband and me). I still have much to learn and need to change some aspects of the way I eat (abominable sugar), but as Diana Schwarzbein emphasized, ANY change in the right direction will still benefit your health.

As I've learned more about food over the years, the principles that resonated the most with me were ones I could support with the health guidelines provided by God. This food quest is at it's base spiritual - the stewardship we have to take care of our bodies, having healthy, strong bodies so we can serve others, respecting the earth and all of God's creations, teaching our children truths, developing self-discipline by controlling appetites, and taking care of my family as a wife and mother.

In summary, here are some things I live by and some things I still have to work on:

1. Eat food in season and locally grown.
2. Preserve food when in season.
3. Eat less meat - most meals should be vegetarian. When meat is eaten, it is more for flavor than the main attraction.
4. Make as many items from scratch as possible, using whole ingredients.
5. Use a wheat grinder for freshly ground flours.
6. Grow a garden.
7. Enjoy eating - not just the treats.

And here are the books and resources that have gotten me to where I am. There are many more worthwhile resources, but these are the ones I have encountered. Please share if you have recommendations.

books
The Schwarzbein Principle by Diana Schwarzbein
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
Food Matters by Mark Bittman
French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano
French Kids Eat Everything by Karen Le Billon

films
Food, Inc.
Forks Over Knives
Food Fight
Super Size Me

blogs
wordofwisdomliving.com
100daysofrealfood.com
foodbabe.com

recipe blogs or cookbooks
101cookbooks.com
sproutedkitchen.com
racheleats.wordpress.com
Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson
Tender by Nigel Slater
The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

Fennel-Apple Slaw with Spicy Almonds

Have you tried fennel? I talked about it once before when I made fennel-arugula salad. It has the texture of celery but tastes like licorice! This specimen from my CSA was extra licorice-y.

Here's a photo of fennel:

You usually eat the white bulb part, not the green stems or fronds. However, you can use those to flavor chicken or vegetable stock. The bottom of the white bulb is usually a little tough, so I don't use that part either. You know you're to the good stuff when sliced bulb has the shape of boomerangs.

Fennel-Apple Slaw with Spicy Almonds
adapted from The Endless Meal

1 large or 2 small bulb fennel, sliced thin
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced into small pieces or matchsticks

Dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Spicy Almonds:
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. sugar
Salt and pepper

Toast almonds in a dry frying pan over high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Quickly add water, sugar, salt and pepper and stir. Continue to stir occasionally until water has evaporated. Remove from heat to a sheet of wax paper, spreading out the almonds. Set aside and allow to cool.

Combine all dressing ingredients together and set aside.
Toss fennel and apple with half the dressing and toss. Add more dressing as necessary. Top with almonds.

Kohlrabi Apple Slaw

What is kohlrabi? I honestly had no idea before I received some in my CSA. Turns out kohlrabi is like cabbage, only it's solid instead of a bunch of leaves. It would be a nice addition to a plate of cut-up veggies. The farmer sends a weekly email update, often with recipes, which is where I got this one. It was delicious!

Kohlrabi and Apple Slaw
from A Veggie Venture

1/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon good mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt & pepper to taste
fresh mint, chopped

1 pound fresh kohlrabi, trimmed, peeled, grated
2 apples, peeled, grated

note: aim for equal amounts of kohlrabi and apple

Whisk cream into light pillows. Stir in remaining dressing ingredients, and then the kohlrabi and apple. Serve immediately.

CSA - Week 20

Last week of CSA: Pie pumpkin, lettuce, green pepper, squash, zucchini, green beans, assorted hot peppers, tomatoes, grape tomatoes, eggs, watermelon, and potatoes.

 I have a huge mound of potatoes leftover from weeks and weeks of CSA.  I needed something new to try,   and roasting potatoes on a bed of salt sounded interesting. These turned out simple but tasty.

Salt Roasted Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place 1-1/2 cups of coarse sea salt in an oven-proof pan that has a cover. Wash the potatoes and dry them with towels. Place the potatoes in a bowl and lightly cover them with olive oil. Place the potatoes, one by one, into the bed of salt, leaving room between them. Season them with another teaspoon or two of salt. Put the cover on the pan and roast them in the oven for 45 minutes. The potatoes are done when a knife slips into the potato with no resistance. Allow the potatoes to cool a bit and then remove them from the salt, brushing off the excess salt.

I found this great online article about lacto-fermentation as a preservation method. I thought I'd try it out. If it works, I'm definitely going to try and make kimchi. Instead of using whey, I opted to use the extra salt. But making whey is very easy, so try it if you want a guaranteed lacto-fermented end product.

note: Create whey by allowing plain yogurt to sit in a coffee filter or kitchen towel. The liquid that drains out is whey.

UPDATE 1/15/11: It's been several months since I made this salsa. I opened up the large jar of salsa the other day and it bubbled and fizzed! It worked! The salsa definitely has a tang, but inside a tortilla with other ingredients, I didn't notice. The big test: my husband didn't notice the difference in taste.

I will be trying out kimchi soon, now that I know lacto-fermentation is so easy.

Cultured Salsa
adapted from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon via simplebites

4 medium tomatoes, about 2 pounds total
2 small onions, finely chopped
1-2 bell peppers, seeded
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded (or not if you prefer more spice)
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon sea salt
4 tablespoons whey (if not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)
1/4 cup filtered water

If you prefer peeled tomatoes: score the bottoms, drop into boiling water for about 15 seconds, remove and place in ice water. The peels should come off easily.

Chop all ingredients by hand or with a food processor to desired consistency. Mix and place in a very clean quart-sized, wide mouth mason jar. Press down with a wooden spoon, adding more water to cover the vegetables. Be sure to leave 1-2″ head space.

Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for 2-3 days before transferring to cold storage.

CSA - Week 19

Week 19: Eggs, watermelon, zucchini, butternut squash, grape tomatoes, tomatoes, assorted hot peppers, yellow beans, potatoes, ornamental corn, mini pumpkins, and a jack-o-lantern pumpkin.  I gave the jack-o-lantern pumpkin to my friend to carve with her children.

This week, instead of going to the farmer's market to pick up the CSA share, the farmer invited us to their farm.  I am amazed that one family can keep all of it going.  They hire some help, but mostly they do all the work themselves.

These are rows and rows of strawberry plants.  25,000 strawberry plants that were planted by hand.  They'll grow over the winter and be kept warm with blankets.  They have a cannon machine nearby that makes a loud noise every few minutes at night to keep away the deer, who like to munch on the plants. I was too busy looking at animals and supervising pony rides with my friends' children to explore the greenhouses where many of the plants are grown.

CSA - Week 18

  

In week 18 I received: zucchini, yellow squash, potatoes, acorn squash, assorted peppers, radishes, yellow tomatoes, tomatoes, kale, swiss chard, eggs and watermelon.

My only recipe to share is a basic tomato sauce. This recipe is super easy, and of course I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned. Peel the tomatoes by cutting an X on the bottom of the tomatoes. Drop them in boiling water for 30 seconds. Run under cold water. Peel the skins off, cut out the stem part of the tomato, squeeze out some of the seeds, and puree in a food processor.

Basic Tomato Sauce
from Trattoria by Patricia Wells

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, minced
3 fresh garlic cloves, minced
sea salt to taste
one 28-ounce can peeled Italian plum tomatoes in juice or one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes in puree
several sprigs of fresh parsley, bay leaves, and celery leaves

In a large unheated saucepan, combine the oil, onion, garlic, and salt, and stir to coat with oil. Cook over moderate heat just until the garlic turns golden but does not brown, 2 to 3 minutes. If using whole canned tomatoes, puree the tomatoes first and add to the skillet. Crushed tomatoes can be added directly from the can. Add the herbs, stir to blend, and simmer uncovered, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Remove and discard herbs. The sauce may be used immediately, stored in the refrigerator for 2 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.

CSA - Week 17

Week 17 (almost done): Eggs, acorn squash, summer squash, assorted peppers, potatoes, honeydew melon, tomatoes, and pear tomatoes.

I guess I'm getting a little burned out on trying new recipes with my recurring CSA produce. Don't get me wrong; I've been eating it, but in kind of boring ways. For example, I ate the pear tomatoes and the honeydew melon plain. I froze the hot peppers and grated the summer squash to put in the freezer.

Here'a new egg recipe, though!  I really do love eggs.  A friend verbally told me about this recipe, and I'm sure I got it all wrong, but this is the type of recipe where there's a thousand ways to make it. But here's what I did, and it worked. My husband said he really liked it.

Spanish Tortilla

4 slices bacon (2 slices tastes just as good)
3 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold work well), peeled and cut in half-inch cubes
1/2 onion, diced
6 eggs
salt and pepper
chopped chives (optional)

In a non-stick skillet, fry the four pieces of bacon until cooked through. Remove the bacon from the pan. Once cool, crumble the bacon into small pieces.

If there's a lot of bacon grease left in the pan, you can remove some of it, but leave several tablespoons in the pan. Add the potatoes and onions and cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir in bacon and chives, if using. Once potatoes and onions are done, pour the egg mixture over top. Cover the pan and cook for 5-8 minutes.

CSA - Week 16

Week 16: Assorted hot peppers, tomatoes, pear tomatoes, potatoes, squash, zucchini, corn and eggs.

It was a slow cooking week this week as I was out of town for a bit and then my oven broke! It was out of commission for 5 whole days.

I bought some extra roma tomatoes so I could make a batch of pizza sauce. I stored the sauce in little plastic containers that I stuck in the freezer. Each container has one pizza's worth of sauce.

Pizza Sauce

2 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped, juices reserved OR 1 can (28 oz) Italian plum tomatoes and their juice.
4 garlic cloves, pressed
2 T olive oil
½ t red pepper flakes (optional)
¼ t dried basil
¼ t dried oregano
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Coarsely chop fresh tomatoes if using and set aside. Press or mince garlic into sauce pan. Stir in olive oil, red pepper flakes, basil and oregano, and cook over medium heat 1 – 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juice, bring to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, 25 – 35 min or until sauce is thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Depending on the consistency, you can puree in food processor, if desired. The sauce can be used immediately or stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (Yield 2 cups – enough for 2 pizzas)

CSA - Week 15

I received yellow cherry tomatoes, assorted peppers, radishes, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, acorn squash, and a pumpkin.  No eggs due to a mix-up.

I roasted the pumpkin to make pumpkin puree for baking, and it was actually pretty easy.  The hardest thing was cutting the pumpkin open (does anyone have a machete?).  I put the puree in the freezer to use later.  I also roasted the seeds with salt and butter -- they were gone in no time!

Pumpkin Puree
from my kitchen addiction

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.

Begin by slicing the top of the pumpkin off, right below the stem. Then, cut the pumpkin in half, cutting from top to bottom. Use a spoon to scoop the seeds and pulp out from the inside of the pumpkin. Don’t throw the seeds away; you can roast them. Once you’ve removed the seeds and pulp, cut each half of the pumpkin in half again so that the pumpkin is cut into quarters.

Transfer the pieces of pumpkin to the baking sheet, cut side down. Bake until the pumpkin is fork tender (for about 45 – 60 minutes). Allow the pumpkin to cool for about 10 – 15 minutes, until it is cool enough to handle. Then, use a spoon to scoop the flesh of the pumpkin out of the skin.

Transfer the flesh of the pumpkin to a food processor and puree. Refrigerate for about a week or freeze for up to 6 months. Use in any recipe where you would use canned pumpkin puree.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
adapted from Cantaloupe Alone

the seeds of one squash (1/4 - 1 cup)
1 tbsp. butter
1/8 tsp salt, or more to taste
1/2 tsp chili powder, optional

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Scoop seeds out of halved squash or pumpkin with a spoon and place in a a colander. The seeds will be entangled with squash membrane. Use your fingers to pick the stringy, slippery membrane out. Rinse with water, and shake off excess. Spread the seeds on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with butter, chili powder, and salt. Toast in oven for 45 - 60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes. The seeds will have a light to medium brown color. They won't crisp up until they are removed from the oven. To test remove one seed from the oven, wait five minutes. If it crunches when you bite it, the seeds are ready, otherwise back in the oven for 15 minutes.

Here's a very easy recipe to use up fresh peppers. Who doesn't love a quesadilla?

Chile-Bean Quesadilla
from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

3-4 jalapeno, poblano, or serrano chiles, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup pinto beans (if using canned, rinse well)
1/2 cup corn or canola oil (optional, can use use nonstick pan or a cast iron pan and omit oil)
eight 8-inch flour tortillas
2 cups grated cheese
1/2 cup minced scallion
1/4 cup salsa

Saute the chiles and garlic in a tablespoon of oil. Set aside.

Put 1 tablespoon of oil in skillet over medium heat. When hot, put a tortilla in the skillet. Top with a quarter of the cheese, scallion, chiles, beans, and salsa, then another tortilla.

Cook until the cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook until the cheese is melted and both sides are toasted, another 2 to 3 minutes. Drain if necessary, then cut into wedges and serve or keep warm until the remaining quesadillas are done.

CSA - Week 14

Summer is fading away fast! What will I do without my CSA and other farmer's market purchases?

This week's CSA roundup: tomatoes, grape tomatoes, hot peppers, banana peppers, green pepper, yellow beans, yellow potatoes, green tomatillos, swiss chard, kale, and eggs.

I used some of the produce in two scrumptious main dishes:

Pasta Amatriciana - grape tomatoes
Chili - green pepper and tomatoes

I ate the rest of the stuff in ways I've mentioned previously. I don't want to sound like a broken record, so I'll spare you the details. But let me give one tip: kale crisps up nicely in a pan as well as the oven.

CSA - Week 13

Another CSA roundup: yellow beans, yellow pear tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, cayenne peppers, banana peppers, green pepper, okra, red potatoes, tomatoes, and eggs.

I have no idea what to do with okra. Fried okra seemed like a good way to hide the okra. So I tried it and I'll admit, I loved it! No sliminess at all and I loved the pop of the seeds. This was so good I might actually seek out more okra to make more.

Fried Okra
from hungrycravings

¾ cup fine cornmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
canola oil, for frying
¾ pound fresh okra, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1/3 cup buttermilk

Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, granulated garlic, cayenne, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a large, shallow dish. Add enough oil to a large, heavy frying pan to come to a depth of ¾ inch. Heat over medium-high heat until a pinch of the cornmeal mixture sizzles immediately when added. Meanwhile, add the okra to the buttermilk, and stir to coat. Transfer the okra to the cornmeal mixture and toss to coat, separating any pieces that stick together. Shaking off any excess cornmeal mixture, add about half of the okra to the oil and fry, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Using a skimmer, remove to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately season to taste with salt. Fry the remaining okra in the same manner. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.

This watermelon is from the previous week's CSA and has been perfect eaten on its own, but I wanted to try a watermelon feta salad before it was gone. I'm glad I did. This salad is surprising, but delightful. Did I tell you how much I love fresh herbs? The mint makes the salad.

Watermelon Feta Salad
from Two Peas

6 cups cubed watermelon
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
Balsamic vinegar - optional

In a large bowl combine watermelon, red onion, feta, and mint. Stir until ingredients are well combined. Serve chilled with balsamic vinegar.

10/30/2010 Update: I tried another watermelon, feta salad that I liked better than this one. This one has watermelon and feta on top of a bed of arugula with a delightful honey dressing.

Watermelon, Arugula, Feta Salad
from Week of Menus

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
Salt
Pepper

6 cups of arugula
3 cups of cold, fresh, and ripe watermelon, cubed
1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese (almost 2 oz)

Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, salt and pepper together. Set aside.

On four individual plates, place a layer of arugula, artfully put some watermelon on top of the arugula and then sprinkle feta cheese, divided equally among four plates. Carefully drizzle a small amount of dressing over each plate.

CSA - Week 12

This week I received: eggs (I upgraded to a dozen), banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, hot peppers, kale, tomatoes, grape tomatoes, green pepper, corn, red potatoes, and the best watermelon you ever did eat.

So I really don't have a lot to say this week. I ate most of the produce but didn't prepare anything in a formal recipe. For example, I ate the kale sauteed in my morning eggs, ate the grape tomatoes plain, pickled more banana peppers, and ate the juicy, sweet watermelon by itself.

I decided to do some research on hot peppers since I have quite the collection from the past several weeks, not all pictured here. The best I can tell, these peppers are (left to right): banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, red and green cayenne peppers, and an unknown very hot pepper.   I ordered them from mild to most hot.  I know by taste which ones are the hottest.  I chopped up the cayenne peppers and the hottest pepper and put them in a ziploc bag to freeze.  That way I can easily add them to recipes later.

Funny story: I've read many times about wearing gloves while chopping peppers.  I never really understood why until now.  After I chopped up the peppers and removed the seeds and ribs to freeze them, the burning started.  My hands were on fire for about an hour!  I washed my hands thoroughly several times, but to no avail. 



I bought some lovely green and purple tomatillos at the farmer's market to try tomatillo salsa. Since the batch was larger than I could use in one day, I froze half before adding the cilantro and green onions. When I'm ready to use the frozen portion, then I'll add the cilantro and green onions to keep it fresh.

The purple tomatillos gave this salsa the purple hue; more traditional salsa is made with only green tomatillos. This salsa was very good and very sweet.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
adapted from Our Best Bites

1 lb. tomatillos, husks removed
3-4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 small yellow or white onion, peeled and quartered
1 jalapeno pepper (remove the seeds and membranes for less heat), cut in half lengthwise
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
1/4-1/3 c. chopped green onions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.

After husking the tomatillos, rinse them well in cool water (they can be sticky). Cut the stems and hard portions (if any) off the tomatillos and cut any very large ones in half.

Combine the tomatillos, unpeeled garlic, onion, and the jalapeno on the lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss the ingredients with your hands to make sure they are all well-coated.

Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. If the vegetables have not charred, turn the broiler on to high and cook for 3-5 more minutes or until the skins of the peppers and tomatillos begin to turn black. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

When the vegetables have cooled, carefully squeeze the skin of the roasted garlic, releasing the soft, roasted garlic clove, into the jar of a blender or workbowl of a food processor. Add the remaining roasted vegetables and then add the salt, pepper, and lime juice. Process until the desired consistency is reached and then transfer to a serving dish. Stir in the chopped cilantro and green onions and serve with chips.

CSA - Week 11

Watermelon, corn, zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes, green pepper, red potatoes, hot peppers, and eggs comprised the week's CSA roundup.

I stuck these muffins in the freezer to pull out as needed. I imagine they'll be a great breakfast companion to eggs.

Savory Zucchini Corn Muffins
from mykitchenaddiction.com

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup corn meal
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
3/4 cup corn kernels (steamed and cut off of the cob)
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a muffin tin (regular sized, 12 muffins) with paper cups or lightly grease and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the white whole wheat flour, corn meal, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened (be careful not to over mix). Fold in the zucchini and corn.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin. Bake for 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the muffins in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

If you haven't read French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano, I highly recommend it. The author really opened my eyes to the European culture of fresh, seasonal foods, eating for pleasure, why high quality foods are worth the expense, and walking as the transportation mode of choice. Guiliano describes fruits and vegetables picked from the vine and how delicious they can be with little or no preparation. I remember my mouth watering at her description of a plum (if I remember correctly - it's been a few years since I read it).

When I saw this recipe for a simple tomato salad, I wasn't expecting much. But if the tomatoes are ripe, this is one of my favorite green salads! Actually I need to make this salad dressing for other salads as well - it's very good as well.

The tomatoes in this picture are from my friend's garden. I admire her success - she's a first year gardener.

Tomato Salad With Goat Cheese
adapted from French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano

1 bag mixed leaf salad leaves
4 large tomatoes, sliced
2 Tablespoons of shallots, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons vinegar (balsamic or champagne)
6 Tablespoons cold pressed olive oil
4 oz. goat cheese
salt and pepper
4 Tablespoons parsley or basil, chopped (optional)

Place a layer of salad leaves on each plate and then follow with a layer of sliced tomatoes. Salt the tomatoes generously.

Place the minced shallot, mustard, vinegar and olive oil in a bowl and mix well.

Crumble the goat's cheese over the tomatoes and season generously.

Top with some of the dressing over the salad. Lastly, top the salad with chopped parsley.

CSA - Week 10

In CSA Share Week 10 (halfway!) I received kale, corn, tomatoes, banana peppers, serrano peppers, purple potatoes, eggs, cantaloupe, yellow squash, and cucumber.

I made the following recipes:

Cantaloupe and Prosciutto Appetizer - see an upcoming Italian appetizers post for the details
Kale Chips
Corn Fritters
Tasty Frittata


Roasting vegetables with oil always yields yummy results. These kale chips were great, though they're very fragile and almost dissolve in your mouth. This is an easy, no-coaxing-required way to eat a very healthy vegetable.

Kale Chips

1 bunch kale
olive oil
good-quality coarse salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Wash kale and dry it in a salad spinner or between tea towels. (Extra moisture will keep them from getting nice and crispy.) Cut or pull out the tough stems, tear the leaves into chip-sized pieces and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and toss with your hands to coat well; arrange in a single layer and sprinkle with salt.

Roast for about 10 minutes, until crispy and starting to turn brown on the edges, but not too dark. Serve immediately or cool completely and store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

I don't think I've ever had corn fritters before. They're an easy way to eat more vegetables. They're supposed to be fried, but I used a very shallow layer of oil to cook them instead of immersing them in oil. These fritters are dominated mostly by the corn, even though other flavors are added to the batter. Serve with sour cream.

Corn Fritters
adapted from veggienumnum.com

1 cup flour
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp brown sugar
2 eggs
½ cup milk
3 cobs of corn (3 cups of corn kernels)
1 cup peas
½ red bell pepper, diced
2 green onions, finely diced
1-2 tbsp cilantro or parsley, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
vegetable oil for frying

Sift the flour into a large bowl, stir in the paprika and sugar and make a well in the center.

Whisk the two eggs with the milk in a separate bowl. Gradually add the egg mixture to the flour stirring until it forms a stiff batter.

Remove the kernels from the corn cobs and in a large bowl combine them with the remaining fresh ingredients.

Gently fold the batter into the corn mixture until well combined.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil over a medium heat in a large fry pan.

Drop heaped tablespoons of batter into the hot oil, cook on either side for a few minutes until crisp and golden. Remove from the heat and keep warm while you cook the remainder adding a little more oil when needed.

I love eggs and this frittata is super tasty, but that's to be expected coming from 101cookbooks. I used the purple potatoes in this frittata for a pretty twist.

Toasting the pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas) is a must. To toast the seeds, place in an ungreased skillet on medium-high heat. Stir frequently. The seeds will toast in just a few minutes - they actually pop and puff up slightly and get golden brown.

A Tasty Frittata
from 101cookbooks.com

Cilantro Chile Sauce
2 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 small bunch cilantro
1 green (serrano) chile, seeds removed
2 pinches ground cumin
a couple big pinches of salt

Frittata
6 large organic eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 small potatoes, very very thinly sliced
1/2 cup yellow zucchini or cauliflower, 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
couple pinches of salt

Preheat your oven to 450F degrees. Make the cilantro chile sauce by pureeing the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, chile, cumin, and salt until very smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk the eggs with a small pinch of salt. Set aside. In a (small) 8 1/2-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil, onion, and another pinch of salt. Saute, stirring constantly, until the onion starts to brown, 5 - 7 minutes. Add the potatoes and zucchini (or cauliflower), cover, and cook for another 3 minutes or so. Slide everything out of the skillet onto a plate and set aside.

Turn down the heat a bit. Using the same skillet, add the eggs and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until the eggs are just set and there isn't a lot of liquid running around the pan. To facilitate this, run a spatula underneath the sides of the frittata and tilt the pan so the uncooked eggs run to the underside and cook. Drizzle the eggs with a few tablespoons of the cilantro chile sauce, now sprinkle the potato onion mixture over the top.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 9 minutes, or until well set and puffy. Add a crumble of goat cheese and the pumpkin seeds across the top of the frittata in the final 2 minutes of baking. Remove from oven (be careful the handle is hot!), cut into wedges and serve.

Serves 2 to 4.