Second Farm box

This week our lovely farmers must have known that I was craving zucchini parmesan because we got several. 

Along with those we got some spring onions, radishes, turnips, arugula, spinach, and tons of lettuce.  Look at that beautiful large, purple head of lettuce. 

My menu this week will include zucchini parmesan, pasta with a cashew cream sauce and arugula, taco salad, salad with brie, cashews, and dried pineapple, and a spinach mushroom pizza.  Yes, there is a lot of salad on our list this week, hence the creative brie salad.  I'll let ya know what I think of it, and what dressing I choose. 

What late spring veggies are you using this week?

Arugula

G and I have talked a little bit about this green, leafy vegetable.  Her hubs is not quite a fan, nor are many people.  I would lump arugula along with those bitter tasting vegetables that most Americans tend to not enjoy, much like escarole.  I must say, I enjoy arugula 10 times more than escarole.  Though I am willing to give escarole another chance this year (and be sure to have a plan B dinner ready in waiting).

It is high in Vitamin C and potassium, and considered an aphrodisiac in the Mediterranean (thanks wikipedia).  It is also called rocket in many places.

Well, we had a good, large bag full of arugula to use this last week, and another one today.  I hauled out my new Mark Bittman cookbook (you are probably going to see many recipes from him as the novelty of this cookbook has yet to wear off), and found a tasty sounding recipe.  Well, it sounded tasty, but also potentially not all that tasty.  Grits Gratin with Garlicky Arugula. 

Let me explain.  I have a slight gag reflex for certain foods, off the top of my head, polenta, some types of cooked eggplant, big beans, and large piles of wilted greens.  This is mainly due to feeling ill shortly after digesting such foods and the mental connection has yet to dissapate.  I apologize if this is tmi, but it is really how I felt about this recipe.  Potentially great, potentially gag inducing.  But it sounded so unique I wanted to give it a try.  I chose the option Mark had to add white beans (uh-oh, three reflexes in one dish) to satisfy my hearty food-loving hubs. 

This recipe was 10 times better than expected.  The hint of balsamic vinegar paired with sharp asiago cheese and mounds of garlic was amazingly delicious.  The slight bitterness of the arugula was well offset by the sharp cheese and sweetness of the vinegar.  I would use less olive oil next time, though that could be a preference. 

Grits Gratin with Arugula, White Beans, and Garlicadapted from Mark Bittman - How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
Serves 4-6

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 cups arugula leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 can  white beans
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 recipe Polenta, made with grits and molded according to Grilled or Fried Polenta
1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Lightly oil a shallow 2-quart gratin dish or oblong baking pan.

In a large, deep skillet, heat two tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and starting to color.  Turn off the heat.  Add the arugula, beans, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stir gently a couple of times.  Spread the contents of the pan onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Drizzle with the vinegar.

Turn the grits out of the pan and slice into 1/2 inch slices (I had to clean the knife off halfway through, it got all gummed up with grits).  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Carefully lay them on top of the arugula, overlapping if necessary.  Drizzle with the remaining two tablespoons of oil and sprinkle with the cheese.  Bake for about  25-35  minutes, or until golden and bubbly.  Serve with lots of black pepper.

First fruits!

This week was our first farm pick up.  I got off a little early so the hubs and I could make the trek with G and the kiddos.  It was a beautiful day for a farm trip, sunny, breezy, and about 75 degrees.  We probably could have stayed all afternoon if we weren't ready for dinner.  G and I took a photo of all the spoils before we left so that you could get a taste of just how much we got, even for the first week.  I am hoping to get a photo of all of our share on those weeks later this summer when we get 30 cucumbers or 25 squash. 

Late spring brings us a lot of greens, all in all we got:
spinach, arugula, spring greens salad mix, bok choy, turnips, radishes, kale, squash, lettuce, green onions, and some herbs. 



For the next evening, I made a BLA with a side salad, and homemade honey mustard dressing.  I have been hankering for honey mustart dressing and trying not to buy dressing lately.  I was impressed with the simple recipe: 1/3 c olive oil, 2/3 c honey, 3 T mustard, 1-2 T lemon juice or a vinegar (i used white wine vinegar because it is what I had).  Add a little salt and pepper, wonderful.   

Stay tuned for a Mark Bittman recipe using the arugula. 

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Cookbook Review beginnings

I just ordered for my sister-in-law Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything."  I am the geek who sat and read most of it during the 3 days between receiving it and giving it to her as a present. 

It was ground-breaking.  Well, at least for me.  I do not own any generic cookbooks that cover every topic, mostly vegetarian cookbooks that pretty much stick to appetizers, entree's, and desserts.  I do own a crepe cookbook found at a rummage sale, a pretty crummy mexican cookbook that should probably be called tex-mex, and about 100 cooking magazines (after giving away about 50 in the last few months).

Mark really does cover almost everything.  I was disappointed last night when he gave a pizza dough recipe but not a tortilla recipe, perhaps because I specifically needed a tortilla recipe and thought it could be part of 'everything', but that is besides the point. 

Mark's vegetable section literally goes through each vegetable (within reason), and supplies a handful of simple, fresh recipes.  He provides basic foundational recipes like stir fry, cheese sauce, or grilled cheese, and bestows upon us at least 10 ways to mix it up and throw in some changes.  Mark tells us how to make our own cheese, artisinal bread with no kneading, and so much more.  I love his fresh, minimalist perspective and if you are a more visual person (no photos is one drawback), check out his New York Times videos, if you can cook a bit, you can watch his videos and just make the dish. 

I may have ordered it the day after we gave the regular one to my sister-in-law.  I may have sat reading this cookbook as well the last few days. 

Look out for many recipes to come once we get our first boxes.  I hear rumors of June 2nd!!

Jamaican Night and Cookbook Review

When a Borders near my house was closing, my wonderful hubs went with a friend and graciously looked through the vegetarian cookbooks for me!  And I didn't even have to ask, so sweet. 

There he found many sub-par books, and many without photos for every recipe (a big must for me to really enjoy my cookbook).  Amongst the picked through remains he came across a book I had long since asked for: The Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook: Vegetarian Recipes Carnivores Will Devour .  On Amazon, it has a great Look Inside! feature that allows you to browse the recipes, some even in their entirety.  I had a list of recipes I wanted to try from the get-go, and have done the following (sans photos-sorry, I know, I am a slacker). 

* Spinach and Feta Crostada - easy and very good- wouldn't use the vinegar next time
* Stuffed Shells with Winter Ragout- again, easy and pretty good though I didn't use stuffable pasta- bit too 
    tomatoe-y for the hubs
* Jerk Tempeh and Zesty Pineapple Salad (pictured)

So, before I started writing this post I thought I had made many more, only to realize they have been on my menu plan for quite some time only to get knocked aside from a busy schedule. 

Many of the recipes have more ingredients than I care to use on a weeknight meal.  I have been desperately trying to get our grocery bill to a lower level while also trying to have more whole foods in our diets.  On the latter point, the book is handy as everything is homemade, from the crusts to the sauces.  *score*  Our weeknights have been booking up and on nights with activities, the hubs is in the door at 6:30 and we are out of it by 7:00.  I am lucky enough to get home by 5 at the latest, and some days I exercise, some days I make food (consuming instead of expending). 

Another meh point for the cookbook is that it is carb-heavy somewhat, though you are obviously by no means limited to the menu planned for you in the book- it just helps. 

And final critique, I know few hardcore meat-eaters who would try tempeh or tofu.  My parents and siblings to start with...though my mom may venture one bite.  My in-laws will try it, may even eat it, but probably ask not to have it again (i.e. the Easter dinner tofu curry scenario).  The only people I know to be willing to try/enjoy such substitutions are those who are generally flexitarian anywho or are adventerous in their eating. 

No worries though, there are many faux-meat-free dishes throughout the book, many bean heavy.  I am anxoius to try the tempeh-hoagieletta, homemade falafels, and the pot pie (made it to the menu several times only to be bumped off due to crust making time crunch). 

The recipe pictured above was delicious.  I actually used the last of the jerk sauce last night and paired it with bell pepper slaw (good though I would not put in the dijon mustard next time- the spicyness killed it). 

While the tempeh was tasty, the pineapple salad was a-mazing.  I would eat this once a week it was such a good balance of flavors. 

The jamaican style peas and rice I used black beans (we like them better than black eyed peas) and accidentally added the entire can of coconut milk.  We had rice and beans for days, the portions were a bit off in that respect. 

Overall, great meal, and I will use both the jerk sauce and the pineapple salad recipe again and again. 

Look out for more recipes from this cookbook in the future.  And look out for our first CSA box, probably in late May or early June!  I am going to try to get to the farm tour and take some photos.  But I am so excited for this season to kick off- plus more friends joined this year!

Oh My!

I am working on a post, but have to collect a few more photos as well as finish writing, but for now, revel in this beauty:

Go to Closet Cooking and make this simple but oh sooo tasty jalapeno popper grilled cheese.  I made it Saturday night, and it was so worth it!

Indian Style Mustard Greens Pizza

I have been inspired as of late to attempt to create Indian dishes at home.  Now, this has led me to one thing my husband dreads. 

Buying spices.

Now, let me clarify.  The hubs loves trying new food, he loves ethnic food, and he has no problem supporting my habit of trying new recipes.  What he does have a problem with is budget-breaking grocery store trips.  And let me tell you, spices can get expensive. 

That is, until recently.  Until recently I frequented grocery stores for my spices, places like Trader Joe's and Giant.  While good ol' TJ's is not as pricey as the main line grocery stores, it is still on average $1.99 for a jar of spice.  And why pay so much the next time if I already have a jar?

As of late I have been purchasing my spices at a local bulk store, the Head Nut (highly recommended).  I usually get 3 oz for under $2.  Mind you, those jars I purchase from the store are usually 1 oz, and at Giant or Target could cost upwards of $5-6.  I can get smoked paprika, hungarian paprika, mexican oregano, garlic powder, cardamom, and more!  I love getting a spice that is 39 cents per ounce! 

I also have been getting Food and Wine magazine for free through a survey company online.  Great stuff.  And inside of a recent issue, they interviewed an Indian Chef who gave some favorite recipes.  This was pretty easy, super tasty, and a wonderful way to get a ton of greens into your diet.

I made Indian Style Mustard Greens and put it atop some naan that I made for the first time! After topping with mozarella, which is an easy substitute for paneer if you don't have access to an indian grocery store,  I baked it in the oven at 400 for about 10 minutes, just until everything was hot. 

For the naan recipe, go here.  The best/most important thing about the naan was to put it on top of my gas burner for a minute or two (with close close watch) to get the char that you get at indian restaurants.  It does get a bit hard day 2, so I am trying out a new recipe soon, or reheat in the oven.