Week 12 of 2011

Our hearts go out to our CSA farm as they deal with the flooding of Irene. We’ll put all the wonderful vegetables you have grown for us to good use on our table.

We got….

Beets, Cucumber, Delicata Squash, Eggplant, Garlic, Onions, Peppers – Carmen and Jalapeno, Tomatoes – small and large

Fruit: Peaches

My plans…

Beets
I’m going to make these Roasted Beets with a Balsamic Glaze as a side dish. It calls for orange, but I’ll be check “The Flavor Bible” to see if I can substitute another citrus, orange is not my favorite flavor.

Cucumber
My cucumber’s always just go into a salad or get gobbled by the kids. I’d like to try this recipe for Dan Dan Noodles – an Asian noodle dish featuring cucumbers. I need to dig that out of my “try these” recipe file.

Delicata Squash
This is a squash that taste similar to a sweet potato, but belongs to the same species as summer squash. Thank you Wikipedia! I would like to try and make a mash or puree with it.

Eggplant, Garlic, some Onions and Peppers
I’m going to make my favorite eggplant dish, Afghan Eggplant with Yogurt Sauce.

Tomatoes
First thing I have to do if fulfill my promise to my husband – he wants some tomatoes all his own that he can just slice and eat. Admittedly the best thing to do with a summer tomato!
The Food Network is celebrating #cookingwith tomatoes this week in their Summer Fest blog celebration. The Purple Cook is again a contributor. Check it out on FN Dish.

Eggplant Parmesan Caprese Salad

Summer Fest is cooking with Tomatoes this week. My favorite dishes to watch on TV or read about in my numerous food magazines are those that take a classic dish and give it a twist that makes it impressive, impressive enough that I think about it for days and can’t wait to make it. One such dish inspired my contribution to Summer Fest this week, Aarti Sequeira’s Caprese Salad with Roasted Mango Dressing. I loved the roasted dressing that gives a classic salad that impressive twist. I knew my fridge was bursting with CSA vegetables and that I needed to consider how to implement the roasted dressing with what I had – then it came to me take another classic dish Eggplant Parmesan and turn it into a Caprese Salad.

Eggplant Parmesan Caprese Salad

1 small eggplant
olive oil, drizzle for roasting
¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 T fresh basil, roughly chopped
½ t crushed red pepper
1 ½ T capers, rinsed and drained
2 T red wine vinegar
¼ extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 – 2 Beefsteak Tomatoes, ¼ inch slices
1 8oz. ball of fresh Mozzarella cheese, ¼ inch slices
3-4 fresh basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade


Lightly drizzle olive oil on the whole eggplant and rub on the surface to cover. Wrap the eggplant in foil, place on a baking dish, and roast in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes – 1 hour. After 30 minutes check every 10 – 15 minutes until the eggplant gives to your touch. Remove from oven and let sit until it cools.

Place ¼ cup of Panko on a baking sheet and place in the 425 degree oven. Check after 1 minute, and continue checking regularly until the breadcrumbs are golden and toasted. Be careful, it happens quick!

Once the eggplant has cooled, peel off the skin and scrape the roasted pulp into an appropriate container for immersion blending or into a food processor. Add rough chopped basil, crushed red pepper, capers, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. Puree with the immersion blender until well combined. Set aside dressing.

On a serving plate alternate tomato and cheese slices. Drizzle a line of the eggplant dressing down the middle of the tomato-cheese slices. Sprinkle the salad with the basil chiffonade and toasted Panko breadcrumbs.

Special Thanks to Aarti Sequeira’s Caprese Salad with Roasted Mango Dressing and “The Flavor Bible” by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg for the help they gave in creating this recipe.

Check out the rest of the Tomato Recipes from Summer Fest…

Big Girls Small Kitchen: Seared Chicken with Cherry Tomato Pan Sauce
Haute Apple Pie: Heirloom Tomato & Three Cheese Tart
What's Gaby Cooking: Zebra Tomato and Burrata Crostini
Zaika Zabardast: Balsamic Roasted Tomato-Basil Ice
And Love It Too: Healthy Lunchbox - Garlic Tomato Basil Pesto Bruchetta
Chez Us: Roasted Tomato Sauce
Daily*Dishin: Refreshing and Rustic - Tuscan Bread Salad
Glory Foods: Fresh Tomato Salsa
Dishin and Dishes: Tomato Tart Tatin
The Purple Cook: Eggplant Parmesan Caprese Salad
I Am Mommy: Tomato Crudite
Cooking With My Kid: Gluten-Free White Bean Chive Cakes with Heirloom Tomatoes
FN Dish: Easy Tomato Appetizers
Add a Pinch: Simple Caprese Salad Skewers
Sweet Life Bake: Salsa Cruda
Virtually Homemade: Farfalle with Roasted Tomato Sauce, Bacon and Shaved Romano
Dixie Chik Cooks: Tomato, Basil and Olive Bruschetta
The Sensitive Epicure: Yemista - Greek Stuffed Tomatoes & Peppers with Potatoes
Mooshu Jenne: Sun Burst Tomato Pasta
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Book Club, Tomatoes and a Recipe for Chicken Provençal?
Cooking With Elise: Tomato Parmesan Biscuits
From My Corner of Saratoga: Cooking from the Garden - Bruschetta Pizza
Fritos and Foie Gras: Tomato Terrine
Creative Culinary: Fresh and Savory Tomato Pie
Big Apple Nosh: Caprese Salad/Tomato Carnage
Spices and Aroma: Quick and Easy Paneer Curry
Zaika Zabardast: Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Breakfast Rolls

Herb-Roasted Chicken with Melted Tomatoes

My mouth watered reading this recipe and I wasn’t disappointed. This roast chicken was also relatively little work. Keeper!

Monday Menu – Herb Roasted Chicken with Melted Tomatoes, Orzo
Farm Share Food – Golden Rave Tomatoes, Onion, Parsley, Cilantro, Basil, Dill

I put to use some of those herbs I’ve been freezing. I had fresh dill and basil from the CSA, but dug out Parsley and Cilantro.

Herb-Roasted Chicken with Melted Tomatoes

Bok Choy Sautee

This is a basic bok choy recipe. You could add a protein – chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu, and make a whole meal of it served with rice. It goes quick, so prep your ingredients and cook it up right before you are ready to eat.

Friday Menu – Quesadillas, Bok Choy Sautee
Farm Share Food – Arugula, Bell Pepper, Onion, Broccoli, Bok Choy

The Quesadillas last night had mushrooms, arugula, bell peppers, and garlic. Click on the link for my Quesadilla Formula.

Bok Choy Sautee
Based on Best Bok Choy by Guy Fieri

2 T olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, julienned
1 head of broccoli florets, cut into bite size pieces
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 head of Bok Choy, sliced into ½ inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 T soy sauce, reduced sodium
Fresh cracked pepper

In a wok or large sauté pan heat the oil, add the onion and pepper. Sautee, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the broccoli and mushrooms and cook 2 more minutes. Add the bok choy, garlic, and soy sauce. Sautee until just wilted. Crack fresh pepper over the sauté and serve immediately.

What's in Season? Mapping it out...

Check out Epicurious' tool, the Seasonal Ingredient Map!

You click on a state and it tell you what is in seasonal locally. You can also plan ahead or look back by choosing a month. What a great planning tool for your weekly menu or a big event like Thanksgiving to help you know what you will be seeing in your CSA or at the Farmer's Market.

Sautéed Shrimp with Arugula and Tomatoes

Arugula and Tomatoes are a winner combination at our dinner table, we love them every time. I like the texture of rice with this dish. It would also be good served with pasta, maybe capellini or penne.

Wednesday Menu – Sautéed Shrimp with Arugula and Tomatoes, Basmati Pilaf, Corn on the Cob
Farm Share Food – Arugula, Mountain Magic Tomatoes, Onion, Sweet Corn

Sautéed Shrimp with Arugula and Tomatoes

Basmati Pilaf
From Everyday Food Volume 85

2 t olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 ½ cups Basmati Rice
Salt and Pepper, to taste

In a medium saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add rice. Stir to coat with oil and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add 2 ½ cups water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high and then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook 10-15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Week 11 of 2011

We got…

Arugula, Bok Choi, Broccoli, Cantaloupe, Eggplant, Green Beans, Peppers – Bell, Jalapeno, Salad Mix, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes –Beefsteak, Golden Rave, Mt. Magic, Basil, Dill

Fruit: Peaches

My plans…

Arugula and some Tomatoes
I’m looking forward to making this Shrimp with Arugula and Tomatoes. I think I’ll serve it with rice.

Bok Choi
We just love this Sesame Tuna with Bok Choi. It’s pretty easy too!

Broccoli
On Splendid Table I heard this idea for cutting up the stems of broccoli and pickling them with garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. I want to give it a try and I’ll let you know how it goes.

Eggplant and some Tomatoes
I want to make this Eggplant Tomato Relish. It calls for canned tomatoes, but with all these fresh tomatoes I might think about a way to put them to use. We’ll see.

Green Beans
I think I’ll freeze these this week.

Tomatoes
This Roasted Chicken with Melted Tomatoes recipe made my mouth water while I was reading it. It uses Dill too!