Purple Pesto Pizza

I was getting concerned about the purple basil. Here is how it was looking.

I didn’t like the leaves losing their purple. So I checked it out on the internet and as the leaves grow you are supposed to pluck them off and let the plant keep producing leaves and growing. Good to know. I’m so bad with plants.

So here is what I harvested.

The plant has been looking pretty good since then. I used the harvested leaves to make a purple basil pesto. I made a pesto pizza with it for Friday night pizza night.
http://purplecook.blogspot.com/2010/05/csa-and-pizza-happy-partnership.html

Sea Scallops with Asparagus Sauce

Asparagus season is almost over, but I think we’ll have this again next week!

(Note the purple stalk!)

I was able to get some super thin stalks of asparagus, which I think was a real advantage when I made the puree. The beauties of a farmer’s market – getting to pick the exact produce you want.

Sea Scallops with Asparagus Sauce
Adapted from http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/sea_scallops_with_asparagus_sauce/ and http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Simple-Saute-Scallops-102311

½ pound asparagus
¼ cup chicken broth
1 ½ T butter
1 T olive oil
1 T minced garlic
8 sea scallops
1 t smoked paprika
Ground black pepper

Break off the tough end of the asparagus and chop into 2 inch pieces. Boil for 5-8 minutes. To retain color, put asparagus in an ice bath when finished boiling. Use an immersion blender to puree asparagus with chicken broth. Put the mixture in a saucepan with butter. Melt butter and cook down to the thickness desired.

Meanwhile heat a sauté pan and add oil. Saute garlic until just golden brown. Add scallops and sprinkle with paprika. Cook scallops on medium heat for 15 minutes, turning mid way.

Spread asparagus sauce on plate, grind black pepper over the sauce, place scallops on the sauce and serve.

NOTES: The original recipe at simplyrecipes.com gives some great tips about cooking scallops and especially if you are using regular sized asparagus stalks. I have had success many times over with the scallop method from Recipezaar, which is why I used it again for dinner last night. It makes a mess of the pan because the garlic gets way overcooked in the oil. I just get the stuff off as quickly as possible, and then let the pan soak. Any leftover grime came off easily this morning. Again, check out the tips in the simplyrecipes.com version.

Roasting

In the spirit of counting down to CSA time, I wanted to mention roasting as a good option for many of the vegetables that usually come in a CSA. Roasting will often give a sweetness to veggies and gives them a wonderful texture. Here is a favorite combination at our house….carrots, zucchini, and onions (red onions are the best).
A rule of thumb I use is 400degreesF and check after 20 minutes. Most need about 40 minutes. Once the vegetable sstart rolling in, I’ll be roasting them, so I’ll share a variety of recipes.

Last year I dreaded getting beets, YUCK (I thought) on so many levels. Not a taste I enjoyed and what a messy vegetable to prepare. And then I roasted them…yum! We can’t wait for beets again soon.

Here is a list of vegetables I get from my CSA that are really good roasted.

Beets, Broccoli, Carrots, Eggplant, Garlic, Onions, Peppers, Potatoes, Summer Squash, Turnips, Winter Squash, and Zucchini.

Garlicky Spaghetti

So here is the story of last night’s dinner. First, you need to know my husband approaches any dish with bitter greens, like arugula, with trepidation. Let me just tell you he is counting the days to CSA time too because he just can’t wait for all those green leaves – the bitter ones and the ones I turn into pastes, as he refers to the many pesto’s that grace our table.

So I get to eating first, and declare this dinner DELICIOUS! He says, “Great, so I’m not going to like it”. After 2 or 3 bites, he too declares it delicious. We have a winner!!! I’ll say it right now, this one will be served several times this summer. It could be made ahead, we’ll go to the pool, and have dinner waiting for us when we return. Last night’s version was made with arugula and green garlic from the market. I can’t wait for those sweet little tomatoes fresh from the farm to give this dish that much more flavor.

Garlicky Spaghetti with Beans and Greens
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1911373

I think this dish worked because it has heat from the crushed red pepper and sweetness from the tomatoes that doesn’t allow the bitterness of the greens to overpower. Any bitter green would work in this dish, and there should be lots of those during CSA season. We also had this for Meatless Monday and it makes for a great choice with the beans, pasta, and veggies making for a complete meal. Like I said, we have a winner!

Slow Roasted Salmon and Potatoes - an adaptation

I got these fingerling potatoes at the market last week and the farmer recommended roasting them. I thought, “Perfect, I’ll make the slow roasted salmon and potatoes again”.
http://purplecook.blogspot.com/2010/03/purple-potatoes.html
Ooops, the recipe calls for boiling the potatoes! That’s okay, we can adapt the recipe. Here is what we had last night…

To adapt the recipe, I put the scallions and potatoes in a 400 F oven for 25 minutes. Then I turned it down to 275 F, placed the salmon on top of the scallions and potatoes, brushed it with olive oil and sprinkled it with salt and pepper. I baked all of it for an additional 20 minutes. It worked great.

For the herb butter I had parsley and chives (1 T, not mentioned in the recipe) from my garden. I used my immersion blender instead of the food processor. The best kitchen tool ever!!! And it got the herbs nicely blended. The herb butter goes on the salmon and potatoes.

CSA and pizza – a happy partnership

We are getting closer to CSA season, two weeks from tomorrow is my first pick up. As we countdown I want to share tips for using the produce from your CSA. Pizza is a great partner for a family with a CSA.

Is Friday night pizza night at your house? It has become so at the request of my 6 year old at our house. My husband sighs on Friday mornings as he leaves, knowing he’s coming home AGAIN to pizza on Friday. He recently requested an adult pie for he and I to share, an option that provides variety to the standard tomato sauce and meat topping (turkey pepperoni, meatballs, or chicken sausage for my kids). CSA season will allow me to easily fulfill his request. Pizza is a great way to use leftover veggies and herbs you can’t use fast enough. Often I find myself with just a few roasted vegetables, those will be great to throw on a pizza. I have pesto recipes for every herb – basil, parsley, cilantro, etc. Those make great alternative sauces. My Dad’s wife, an Italian through and through, recently reminded me that pizza was invented to get rid of leftovers, let’s celebrate CSA season with creative, leftover pizza toppings.

This pizza is made from the last of my frozen pesto. I don't freeze it with cheese or nuts, so it makes for a perfect pizza sauce to which I add pine nuts, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan. I love it with a little crushed red pepper added right before serving.

Here is my pizza crust recipe…
Formulated with inspiration from these two recipes
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/whole-wheat-pizza-dough
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/homemade_pizza/

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

1 ½ cups warm water (105degrees F – 115degrees F)
1 package (2 ¼ t) of active dry yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup Bread Flour
1 cup Self Rising Flour
¼ cup olive oil
2 t salt
2 T sugar

Add warm water to the bowl of the stand mixer (Kitchen Aid). Sprinkle on the yeast and let site for 5 minutes. Stir to dissolve completely at the end of 5 minutes.

With the mixing paddle, combine the olive oil, flour, salt and sugar with the yeast water on low speed. When combined, switch to the dough hook and knead for about 10 minutes on medium speed. You may want to start on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Places the dough ball in a bowl coated with olive oil. Coat the dough ball with olive oil too. Let sit in a warm place for 1 – 1 ½ hours.
Need a warm place? Heat the oven to 150degrees F and then turn it off. Place the dough in the oven to rise.

Rhubarb Ice Cream

A reader sent me this recipe. I really wanted to get some Rhubarb at the market this weekend, but I knew I just wouldn't be able to make it this week. Everything this reader makes is yummy, so I thought it would be best to pass this on before Rhubarb season is over. I'll let you know if I try it. Let me know if you get a chance to try it!

RHUBARB ICE CREAM
Serves 8

1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, about 3 1/2 cups
1 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
2/3 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream

In a saucepan, combine rhubarb and 3/4 cup sugar. Cover and cook over low heat until rhubarb releases its juices, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until most of water evaporates and rhubarb has a soft jam like consistency, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Whisk egg yolks lightly. In a saucepan, combine milk and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil. Gradually whisk milk mixture into yolks. Return to saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Using a fine-meshed sieve, strain into a bowl. Add rhubarb mixture and cream. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight. Freeze in an ice-cream maker to manufacturer's instructions.