Week Twelve of 2014

We got...

Broccoli, Carmen Peppers, Carrots, Corn,  Cucumber, Eggplant, Garlic, Head Lettuce, Hot Peppers, Onions, Potatoes, Salad Mix,  Slicing Tomatoes, Small Tomatoes, Cilantro, Parsley

Peaches

My ideas...

Broccoli, Hot peppers, Cilantro – Bacon and Broccoli RiceBowl

I think ground beef or turkey could be a substitution for bacon in this dish.

Carmen Peppers and Onions – Arroz Con Pollo

This recipe calls for fresh peppers and onions.  It also calls for roasted peppers.  We have so many peppers I am planning on making Simple Marinated Peppers again.  They could be used as the roasted peppers in this recipe.  I also plan on freezing some of the marinated peppers.

Eggplant and Peppers – Again all the peppers...This AfghanEggplant with Yogurt Sauce is delicious and will be a good  use of both the eggplant and peppers.

Potatoes and Garlic – Skordalia

My husband and I had a fantastic dinner at a Greek restaurant this summer.  We ordered Skordalia which was described as a Garlic dip.  We immediately looked up Skordalia.  I made this with our last potatoes – delicious.  Find some good pita or naan to scoop it up with.

Slicing Tomatoes, Cucumber, Onion, and Herbs - Gazpacho

Review Week Eleven of 2014

Week Eleven we got...

Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Cantaloupe, Carmen Peppers, Corn,  Eggplant, Garlic, Green Beans, Head Lettuce, Salad Mix,  Slicing Tomatoes, Small Yellow Tomatoes, Spaghetti  Squash, Dill, Parsley

Peaches

Here are some dishes I made this week...

I froze the bell peppers, corn, and the green beans from last week.

The bell peppers I cleaned and sliced into strips.  I will use these for fajitas some time.

The green peppers I cleaned and trimmed.  I boiled them for 2 minutes and then transferred to an ice bath.  I drained them and froze them.

We only ate a few ears of corn.  The rest I cut off the niblets and froze them.

Saturday Menu: Summer Garden Pasta and Salad

This menu used Small Yellow Tomatoes, Garlic, and Basil from the CSA share.

This was the easiest weekend dinner ever.  You simple cut up the small tomatoes and marinate them with olive oil, garlic, herbs, salt & pepper for up to 4 hours.  When it was time for dinner I boiled the pasta and made a salad.  You simple toss the marinated tomatoes with the cooked pasta.

Sunday Menu: Soy-Sesame Stir Fry

Stir Fry is great for CSA veggies.  This one included Broccoli, Carrots, and Peppers from the CSA share.  

Week Eleven of 2014

We got...

Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Cantaloupe, Carmen Peppers, Corn,  Eggplant, Garlic, Green Beans, Head Lettuce, Salad Mix,  Slicing Tomatoes, Small Yellow Tomatoes, Spaghetti  Squash, Dill, Parsley

Peaches

My ideas...

Peppers and Garlic – White Chicken Chili

Peppers and Broccoli –Chicken Rice and Parmesan Skillet

Eggplant and Tomatoes – A favorite – Kashmiri Eggplant

Green Beans – Green Beans with Lime

Spaghetti Squash – All-time favorite Spaghetti Squash recipe!  It is best with Italian Sausage in the meatballs.  Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs.

Review Week Ten of 2014

Here is what I did with the CSA share this week...

Caprese Salad – Slicing Tomatoes, Basil

A favorite when we get slicing tomatoes.  I also add avocado into the rotation of tomato and mozzarella and use Balsamic Vinegar.

Wednesday Menu: Potato Chowder, Tomato Soup and Salad

Items from the CSA share used – Onions, Garlic, Carrots, Potatoes, Corn, Small Tomatoes, Salad Items

A reader shared two wonderful soup recipes.  The leftovers were frozen in lunch size proportions.

Fresh Cream of Tomato Soup

Chicken and Bacon Corn Chowder

Friday Menu: Thai Beef with Chiles and Basil, Corn on the Cob

Items from the CSA share used – Mariachi Peppers, Basil, Corn

I could make this Thai Beef recipe every week during pepper season.

Saturday Menu – Pizza and Salad

Items from the CSA share used – Head Lettuce, Carmen Peppers, Small Tomatoes, Onions, Peppers (all kinds)

On top of the homemade pizza I put Simple Marinated Peppers.  In this batch of Simple Marinated Peppers I had Jalapeno, Carmen, and Bell Peppers.  I’ve been eating them for lunch with a piece of crusty bread too.

Monday Menu: Oven Roasted Salmon and “Best Ever” NewPotatoes and Green Beans

Items from the CSA share used – Parsley, Green Beans, Potatoes, and Garlic

We all enjoyed this meal and it came together in little more than half an hour.

Week Nine of 2014

We got...

Bell Peppers, Cantaloupe, Carmen Peppers, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Garlic, Green Beans, Head Lettuce, Jalapeno, Red Onions,  Slicing Tomatoes, Small Yellow Tomatoes, Zucchini

Peaches

My ideas...

Bell Peppers, Carmen Peppers, and Jalapeno Peppers – I plan to make a batch of Simple Marinated Peppers.

They are good on sandwiches, with some pasta, on a good slice of bread, or just on their own as a side.

Eggplant – Sesame-Honey Eggplant

Green Beans and Garlic – Green Beans in Garlic Sauce

Slicing Tomatoes – Open Faced Salmon and Avocado BLT’s

Small Yellow Tomatoes – I would like to serve this FreshTomato Sauce with homemade pasta (new skill for me).

Small Tomatoes and Zucchini – Chickpea and Vegetable Tagine

Review Week Eight of 2014

Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Cantaloupe, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Green Beans, Head Lettuce, Onions, Potatoes, Salad Mix, Scallions, Serrano Peppers, Small Tomatoes, Zucchini

Here is what I did with the CSA share this week...

Saturday Menu: BLT Sandwiches, Corn on the Cob, Roasted Broccoli, Microwave Potato Chips, and Spicy Cantaloupe and Cucumber Salad.

I used head lettuce, corn, broccoli, potatoes, cantaloupe, cucumber, and serrano peppers from the share for this meal.

Roasted Broccoli – tossed broccoli pieces in olive oil and salt and roasted in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Pool Side Menu: Indian Chicken Wraps and Potato Chips (leftover from Saturday).

I used onions, serrano peppers, and potatoes from the share for this meal.

These wraps were excellent.  They were easy to pack up for an on the go meal.  I keep my freezer well stocked with Naan from Trader Joe’s.

Eggplant, Onion, and Potato – I made the Vegetarian AubergineTagine.  It is in the freezer.  It came out very nicely.  I used one or two of the potatoes we got last week as a substitute for the sweet potato.  I used a can of fire roasted tomatoes, but you could easily rough chop up small tomatoes from the share and use those in this dish.

Green Beans – these went into the freezer.  Green beans blanch for 3 minutes, then into an ice bath, drained and put into a plastic storage bag for the freezer.  I am always checking with my favorite site on freezing vegetables.

Small Tomatoes and Zucchini – Silky Pappardelle and ZucchiniRibbons was a hit!  It came together quickly.  I couldn’t find pappardelle at the store.  I bought lasagna sheets of fresh pasta in the refrigerated section and cut them like pappardelle with a pizza cutter.  The kids loved trying this new cut of pasta.  I also used CSA herbs and not what was listed in the recipe.  I used basil from the plant from the farm and frozen parsley from earlier in the season.

Week Eight of 2014

The game at pick up was to get the craziest looking eggplant.

We got...

Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Cantaloupe, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Green Beans, Head Lettuce, Onions, Potatoes, Salad Mix, Scallions, Serrano Peppers, Small Tomatoes, Zucchini

Peaches

My ideas...

Bell Peppers, Onions, and Tomatoes – Chicken Scaloppine with Peperonata

Broccoli  - Sesame Broccoli

This recipe suggests steaming the broccoli.  I may roast it to get a bit of crunch and char to deepen the flavor.

Cantaloupe, Cucumber, and Serrano Peppers – Spicy Cantaloupe Cucumber Salad

Eggplant, Onions, and Tomatoes – Vegetarian Aubergine Tagine

No Tagine?  I’ll be making this in a dutch oven.

Green Beans – Green Beans with Lime

Easy side dish!

Head Lettuce, Salad Mix, Scallions, Tomato, Cucumber – First week of the season that the whole salad will be from the CSA share!  YEAH!!!

Potatoes – Lemon Caper Parmesan Potato Bites

Zucchini and Tomatoes – Silky Pappardelle and ZucchiniRibbons

Review of Week Seven of 2014

Here are some dishes I made this week...

Chorizo Rice Skillet – This dish used the bell peppers, onions, and scallions.

This dish came together so quickly.  The idea of sautéing some vegetables, combining with ground meat or sausage, and adding rice to simmer could be used to create several different flavor profiles.

Tingly Chicken and Green Noodle Bowl – This dish used chard, cucumber, and scallions.

This was delicious!

I thought this would be true to it’s tingly name with both Szechuan peppercorns and Sriracha, but I didn’t find it to have much of a bite.  Next time I would sprinkle the peppercorns on top of the dish and add more Sriracha to the ground chicken.

Grilled Eggplant Bahn Mi Sandwiches - This dish used eggplant, carrots, and cucumber from the CSA.

I made these to take to dinner at the pool.  They can be prepared ahead of time. 

Indian Zucchini and Summer Squash – This dish used onions, zucchini and summer squash.

I made this Zucchini Paneer recipe, but did not add the paneer.  It made for a nice side dish.

Indonesian Vegetable Salad – This dish used carrots, green beans, bell pepper, and cucumber from the CSA.

This is a cold salad good for dinner on a hot summer night.  There is only boiling water for blanching some of the veggies to make any heat in the kitchen. 

The recipe says this salad is often served with crunchy shrimp crackers.  I did not have a crunchy cracker option and it would have rounded out the dish.  

Week Seven of 2014

We got...

Bell Peppers, Chard, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Green Beans, Head Lettuce, Onions, Poblano Peppers, Scallions, Summer Squash, Zucchini, Dill

Peaches

My ideas...

Bell Pepper, Onions, and Scallions – Chorizo Rice Skillet

Chard, Cucumber, and Scallions – Tingly Chicken and GreensNoodle Bowl

Yes!  This will be tingly with Szechuan Peppercorns and Sriracha, but I’m sure you could cut back on the spiciness. 

Eggplant and Bell Pepper – Eggplant Sloppy Joes

A nice Meatless Monday option.

Green Beans – Grilled Green Beans

Poblano and Corn – Grilled Cheesy Cannellini StuffedPoblanos

Zucchini and Dill – Pine Nut and Raisin Zucchini Toppers

Week Five of 2014

Week Five of 2014

We got...

Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cucumber, Head Lettuce, Kale, Onions, Salad Mix, Scallions, Summer Squash, Zucchini, Basil

Strawberries

My ideas...

Broccoli, Onions, Scallions – Five Spice Orange Beef andBroccoli

Use the whole recipe for a complete meal or just do the broccoli as a side dish.

Cabbage, Scallions – Hoisin Glazed Pork Mu Shu Casserole

Carrots, Cucumbers – Cucumber and Shaved Carrot Salad

Kale – Kale and Chicken Scaloppine Caesar

Summer Squash and Zucchini – Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia withSquash Salad

Zucchini – Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Basil – Pesto to Freeze

I’ll freeze the pesto in ice cube trays.  The blocks of pesto come in handy throughout the year for soups and other recipes.

CSA Staycation

The kids are away visiting family and we have been having a great time checking out lots of local eateries and barely cooking.  What then to do with the wonderful items in our CSA?

Here is what I did with many of the items we got...

Broccoli – I froze it.  Trim, boil 3 minutes and then submerge in ice water.  Drain and freeze.

Here are great guidelines for freezing many different vegetables.

Freezing Vegetables

Chard & Beet Greens – Braised in Tomato Sauce, then frozen

I will eat these with pasta or rice for lunch.

Braised Greens

Summer Squash & Zucchini – shredded and froze

I’ll use this later in soups or quick breads.  Follow this link for other great ideas for shredded squash.

Zucchini & Squash ideas

Parsley & Basil – froze

Frozen herbs are great for pasta and soup recipes.

Freezing Herbs

Grilled Beets and Kohlrabi

The farm newsletter a couple of weeks ago had a suggestion for Grilled Kohlrabi.  I used this recipe as a guide.

Grilled Kohlrabi

I thought I’d try it with beets too.  It was a great side dish.

Grilled Beets and Kohlrabi

1 Kohlrabi, peeled

1 bunch Beets, peeled

olive oil

salt & pepper

1-2 Garlic Scapes

Basil – rough chop

Boil Kohlrabi and Beets until tender (45 minutes).  Let cool.  Slice.

Mix olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and basil.  Once Kohlrabi and Beets are sliced allow them to marinate in oil mixture.  Grill up to 5 minutes per side on medium heat.

Week Four of 2014

Later in the summer the farm will not be able to provide basil, so they potted basil for us to grow and have for use all summer.

We got...

Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Chard, Cucumber, Head Lettuce, Salad Mix, Scallions, Snow Peas, Summer Squash,  Zucchini, Basil, Parsley, Basil Pots

My ideas...

Beets and Basil – Golden Beet Pasta with Basil-Almond Pesto

This recipe calls for Golden Beets, but I’m sure the striated Chioggia Beet would look great in this dish.

Broccoli – Sweet Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Broccoli

Cabbage – Cabbage Slaw with Tangy Mustard Dressing

We needed a slaw for the July 4^th Holiday!

Chard and Parsley – Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli

I have some wonton wrappers I need to use so I’m going to replace the spinach with chard and try this recipe.

Cucumber – Shaved Cucumber Salad

Snow Peas – Seared Scallops with Snap Peas and Pancetta

I’m going to try the snow peas as a substitution for the snap peas.

Summer Squash and/or Zucchini – Chickpea and VegetableTagine  

Pad Thai

This is an easy and tasty make at home version of Pad Thai.

Shrimp Pad Thai

A couple of thoughts to share on making this recipe with a CSA share...

First off, I am always excited to find recipes that use many of the items we got in the week’s share.  This recipe used cabbage, garlic scapes, scallions, and cilantro from this week's share. 

The recipe calls for coleslaw mix.  I slice the CSA cabbage thin to make this recipe.  The recipe does not call for cooking the cabbage, except to heat through.   The sliced CSA cabbage needs a little cooking time.  When this recipe calls for the cabbage I add it, then put a little water in the pan, cover it, and steam for 5 minutes.  Then I continue with the recipe as written.

The picture above is a vegetarian version of this Pad Thai recipe.  I just eliminated the shrimp.  You could also make it with other protein – chicken, beef, or pork.   

Soy-Sesame Stir Fry

This came together beautifully the day we picked up our farm share vegetables.  It used up a couple of items from the week before and allowed us to immediately enjoy items like snow peas that we couldn’t wait to devour.

Soy-Sesame Stir Fry

Printable Version

1 T soy sauce

1 T sherry

1 pound bite size protein (shrimp, beef, chicken, pork, tofu)

1 medium onion, cut into 8 wedges

1 pound vegetables (this one had radish, squash, zucchini, arugula, snow peas)

1 T fresh garlic (used Garlic Scapes from the CSA)

1 T fresh ginger

3 T oil (divided)

Soy-Sesame Sauce

2 t cornstarch

¼ cup + 2 T broth

¼ cup soy sauce

2t rice wine vinegar

2 t sesame oil

1 t crushed red pepper (optional)

1 t sugar

Combine the first two ingredients and protein.  Allow this mixture to sit while preparing the other ingredients.

Whisk the sauce ingredients together and set aside until needed.

Allow the pan to get hot.  Add 1 T of oil and stir fry the protein.  This may need to be done in batches.  Transfer the protein to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 T of oil to the pan.  Stir fry the onion for 1 minute until it begins to brown.  Add ginger and garlic.  Add the vegetables one at a time, starting with the one that will take the longest to cook.  Stir fry for about 1 minute after adding each vegetable. 

Return the protein to the pan and add the sauce.  Stir to coat and cook until glossy.  Serve immediately.

Week Three of 2014

We got...

Arrowhead Cabbage, Garlic Scapes, Head Lettuce, Kohlrabi, Red Russian Kale, Salad Mix, Scallions, Snow Peas, Summer Squash,  Zucchini, Cilantro, Basil, Parsley

My ideas...

Arrowhead Cabbage and Scallions – Shrimp Pad Thai

A friend shared this recipe with me when I was looking for cabbage ideas in the fall.  I was looking forward to cabbage this spring so I could make it again with cabbage from the CSA.

Head Lettuce – Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Hoisin Sauce

We had these last nights and kids asked for seconds. 

NOTE: I made them with ground turkey, but they call for tofu making them a great vegetarian meal.  I also didn't use Sriracha to make them more family friendly.  This could always be added to individual wraps depending on how spicy you like your food. 

Kohlrabi and Herbs– Grilled Kohlrabi Slices

The farm has this suggestion on Facebook.  I found a recipe to follow.  The farm suggestion also included fresh herbs to the marinade.

Red Russian Kale – Sausage and Kale Soup

I plan to make this and freeze it.

Snow Peas, Summer Squash, Zucchini – Stir Fry

We had this the night the veggies came home and it was a huge hit.

Review of Week Two 2014

Here are some dishes I made this week...

Arugula, Radishes and Basil – Radish Salad with Parmesan and Lemon

This was a great find.  It used three items we got this week and was a lovely side dish to steak on the grill.

Kale and Garlic Scapes – Linguine with Garlicky Kale andWhite Beans

Rave reviews from the husband who doesn’t always look forward to the season of greens with much enthusiasm.  I also used up my beloved Garlic Scapes for the ¼ cup of garlic this recipe calls for.

NOTE: The recipe calls for frozen kale.  To make the recipe as a CSA share holder I boiled water and added a little salt.  I rough chopped the Kale and simmered it covered for 25 minutes until tender.  Drain the Kale and it is ready for this recipe.

Summer Squash and Zucchini – Crunchy Zucchini Coins

A bunch of families got together for a potluck dinner of snacks for the kids between activities.  These took only minutes to make and were kid friendly.

FREEZER IDEAS

I also froze several items this week.

Basil – we got such a lovely bunch of basil in the share.  What I didn’t use got cut up and frozen into cubes for use later in sauces and soups.

Freezing Herbs

Broccoli Rabe – I love using Broccoli Rabe to create a pasta starter that goes in the freezer and makes for a quick meal later.  The following link includes directions for the pasta starter and how to prepare the meal when the time comes.

Chicken Sausage with Broccoli Rabe and Penne

Turnips – I cut the turnips into bite size cubes and froze them.  They will be perfect in Stir Fry and Briyani.

Vegetable Biryani

Week Two of 2014

Check out these huge heads of lettuce that are so impressive to my kids.  They are even eating seconds on salad they are so intrigued with the lettuce we are getting in our CSA.

We got...

Arugula, Broccoli Rabe, Garlic Scapes, Head Lettuce, Kale, Radishes, Salad Mix, Scallions, Summer Squash, Turnip, Zucchini, Basil, Cilantro

My ideas...

Arugula – Pesto Tortellini Salad

We got a beautiful bunch of basil to make fresh Basil Pesto for this recipe. 

Broccoli Rabe and Garlic Scapes– This is a basic BroccoliRabe with Garlic recipe from Ina Garten

Kale – Linguine with Garlicky Kale and White Beans

This looks like a good option for Meatless Monday

Radishes and Salad Greens – Radish Salad with AvocadoDressing

Zucchini – Crunchy Zucchini Coins

Kale Chips

I feel like I have been keeping this recipe a secret.  I struggled with Kale Chips, either they burned or I couldn’t get them crisp enough.  This recipe has always worked and has worked with all kinds of kale varieties – Red Russian, Curly, and Dinosaur.

Kale Chips

Sunday Menu – SpicyZucchini Burgers, Zucchini Rice, Kale Chips

Farm Share Food – Zucchini, Cilantro, Kale

Tatsoi with Avocado and Roasted Garlic Dressing

The tang of the Tatsoi goes nicely with the smooth creaminess of the avocado. 

The recipe has instructions for Roasted Garlic Dressing.  I took a short cut and used Garlic Expressions, a favorite dressing at our house.

Tatsoi & Avocado Salad with Roast Garlic Dressing

Friday Menu – Turkey Burgers, Steak Fries, Tatsoi & Avocado Salad

Farm Share Food – Tatsoi

Friday meals are as easy as possible.  The turkey burgers were from Trader Joe’s and cooked on my indoor grill, steak fries into the oven.  The salad was easy because I just spun the Tatsoi clean, cut up an avocado and used the Garlic Expressions Dressing.

Lime-Soy-Sesame Broccoli

This kicky broccoli dish is a great side and kinda quick to make.  I used the skillet to steam the broccoli, transferred the broccoli, and continued to use the same skillet for the rest of the preparation.

Lime-Soy-Sesame Broccoli

Wednesday Menu – Chicken Pot Pie, Lime-Soy-Sesame Broccoli

Farm Share Food – Broccoli

So my new goal is meal planning and I’m feeling like you are out there reading this menu saying to yourself, “What?”!!!  So life has been a little hectic with me starting a new part time job a few weeks ago that has different levels of time commitment – right now the commitment is heavy.  I was also traveling alone this weekend and did a rush job of meal planning and shopping that just made sure we wouldn’t starve this week.  AND THEN I realized the first CSA pick up was this week.  So quick and easy pot pie was on the menu, but I really wanted to make a side with the CSA veggies.  Hence the odd menu above.

If I was really meal planning and wanted to include this dish, it would look more like this...

Menu – Grilled Chicken, Zucchini Rice, Lime-Soy-Sesame Broccoli

Week One of 2014

Happy CSA Season!!!

My goal for the season is to focus on meal planning.  I will talk about why I choose to have a meal on a certain night – like we had lots of time today so I choose this complicated meal or we were running to the pool so this dinner made more sense.  I will also talk about how I plan for the whole week.  Finally, I’ve been asked to include whole menus.  So if I post about a side dish, like the Zesty Broccoli below, I will share what I served with it and why.

 

We got...

 

Arugula, Broccoli, Broccoli Rabe, Head Lettuce, Kale, Radishes, Salad Mix, Summer Squash, Tatsoi, Turnip, Zucchini, Cilantro

 

My ideas...

 

Arugula – Greek Style Meat Loaves with Arugula Salad

This looks like a great meal to start off the summer season.

 

Broccoli – Zesty Broccoli

 

Broccoli Rabe – Gingery Fish and Noodles

We’ve had this in the CSA off season – delicious!

 

Kale – Almond-Avocado Kale Salad

 

Radishes – Shrimp and Radish Pasta

This has been on the blog before and is an old favorite.   I couldn’t wait for CSA radishes to have this yummy dish for dinner.

 

Summer Squash and Zucchini – Lasagna with Zucchini

 

Tatsoi – All Things Tatsoi

Here is a website with a long list of ways to use Tatsoi.

 

Turnips – 4 Turnips Recipes

Real Simple offers four different turnip recipes.