I forgot this existed

While avoiding lesson plans, I remembered there was some sort of blog floating around on my Google homepage. I found the site after a couple hundred clicks of the mouse and the previous page button.

I must say, y'all have done some work in the weeks that this thing has been running.

I share my bag with Margo and I always give her my half of the weird and/or gross vegetables. Also, I don't really do recipes or make actual dinners (I'm more of a side dish cook), but I have a fabulous collection of recipes.

I steam string beans, broccoli, and peas. I tried roasting broccoli last time and it was disgusting. I saute squash and zucchini. I make zucchini bread using my mom's low-fat/low-cal banana bread recipe. Any greens I get, I cook like collards. I do nothing with the cucumbers except eat them with hummus, but I did actually try a cucumber salad this week.

Cucumber Salad

• A random amount of cucumbers, depending on how much you like them, I used two
• 1/4 C rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
• Salt
• Pepper

Combine and let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes. I added parmesan the second night.

Vegetarian Collards

• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 lb collard greens, chopped
• 3 C vegetable stock
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil and butter. Saute onion til softened and then add the red pepper flakes and garlic. Cook for another minute. Add collard greens and cook another minute. Add vegetable stock, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook til greens are tender, about 40 minutes. Add tomatoes and season. 

Zucchini Bread (original recipe for banana bread)

• 1 1/2 C flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• Dash salt
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 C zucchini, finely shredded and wrung out (for banana bread, 2-3 mashed, ripe bananas)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (zucchini bread only)
• 3/4 C sugar (I use a little less)
• 3 Tbsp oil
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk dry ingredients and set aside. Combine wet ingredients well and slowly mix in the dry ingredients. Spray loaf pan and pour in batter. Bake for 50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan. 

Lazy Man's Peach Cobbler

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and melt one stick of butter in a casserole dish in the oven. 

Slice four peaches and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix:

• 1 C flour
• 1 C sugar
• 3/4 C milk
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Pour into butter - do not stir - and top with fruit. Bake for 55 minutes.

Turnip Fries (from Hungry Girl, so I'm sure they might be bitter, possibly soak in sugar water first)

• 2 medium-sized turnips
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray baking sheet. Cut turnips into spears and lay in a single layer and season. Bake about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Bow-Tie Pasta with Broccoli and Potatoes

• Salt and pepper
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 large bunch of broccoli
• 12 oz. bow-tie pasta
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts sliced into half-moons
• 1 head lettuce, torn into pieces
• 1 1/2 C fontina, grated (about 4 oz.)
• 1/2 C parmesan, grated (about 1 oz.)

Boil potatoes for 10 minutes. Add broccoli and pasta and cook as package directs. Melt butter in a skillet. Add leeks and 1 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Cook til softened, 7 minutes. Reserve 1 C of cooking water. Drain pasta and broccoli over lettuce. Return to pot. Add leeks and moisten with cooking water. Stir in cheese and season.

Tomato and Cucumber Salad

• 1/4 lb multi-grain bread, cut roughly into 1 inch cubes
• 5 Tbsp basil-infused olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 C balsamic vinegar
• 2 lbs tomatoes
• 1 cucumber, peeled and seeded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with 2 Tbsp oil and season. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Toss cubes and bake til golden, another 3-5 minutes. In a small saucepan, over low heat, add the vinegar and simmer until reduced by half. Cut the tomatoes and cucumber (length-wise, in half, and sliced into half moons). In a serving bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumbers, and the remaining oil and season. Add the bread cubes and toss. Drizzle with the reduced vinegar.

Tomato Baby

My first tomato is starting to grow!! :)

I am an especially proud momma because these tomato plants were started from seed in our school greenhouse. The four runts of the tomato plant litter came home with me to be nursed back to health...and I must say, they are looking pretty good!

Squash are taking over my fridge!

Any recipes for squash? I keep getting more and more each week in my bag and I always just turn to sauteing them. Creative suggestions?

The (Green) Jam

This is my favorite recipe that I've made so far with anything from my CSA:

Arugula Pesto

• 2 cups of packed arugula leaves, stems removed
• 1/2 cup of shelled walnuts
• 1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup  olive oil
• salt to taste

1 Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown.

2  Combine the arugula, salt, walnuts a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

easy and delicious!

I think turnips are the worst.

So I've been getting turnips and radishes in my CSAs and I don't like either of those things, so if anyone wants them, please let me know!

Cool Website

So it's not a recipe, but you could get some good ideas from it: www.supercook.com is a website where you enter in the ingredients you already have in your house and it gives you all the dishes you can make from them. Give it a try if you're short on ideas, then share the good ones you end up finding!

Summertime Broccoli Salad

This is a perfect (and easy) summer salad. I think it's best to make the night before to let it set and really soak up the flavor. If you do make the night before I'd recommend holding back a little broccoli and a few cranberries to mix in and freshen it up just before serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 head broccoli, stems removed and florets cut into pieces
• 4 slices cooked turkey bacon, crumbled
• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup  light or olive oil mayonnaise (I know, I know - I hate mayo, too but really - you can't taste it once it's in)
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (this is optional but really adds a nice kick)
• 1/4 cup roasted no salt added sunflower seed kernels
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 Preparation:

1. In a small bowl combine mayo, vinegar, horseradish, honey, salt and pepper.  Mix well and set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine broccoli, bacon, onion and cranberries.  Gently stir in the mayo dressing.
3. Add sunflower seeds just before serving.

Served best in the sunshine with a nice cold, adult beverage.

No, but really. This is probably one of my favorites so call me when you make it.

Adapted from A Chick Who Can Cook