csa week ten.

wow, sorry about the delay internetfriends.  let me tell you about the delicious thangs this week!

4 ears of corn
4 peaches!
4 tomatoes
some cucumbers
some summer squash and zukes
6ish potatoes
a watermelon!
a huge head of lettuce
broccoli!

the melon was a wonderfully fun discovery.  i will describe more later.  right now i just can't even handle the work required to get my camera and cord and upload photos?  i'm feeling especially lazy at the moment.  my apologies for the suspense.

UPDATE:  behold the watermelon!!!

whole melon.

oh hi, melon inside!

romnomnomnomnom.

beautiful beeb.

i just wanted to share this photo of beeb that i accidentally captured.  she is so seductive.

beautiful beeb.

as i'm typing this she is up on that same perch daintily cleaning her toe tufts (my favorite tufts).

zucchini risotto.

this might be one of the best foods i have ever made.  i made it once a while back and decided to make it again this week using wonderful csa zucchini and squash.  it was even better this time!  it is based largely on a recipe from the cookbook easy vegetarian.  oh and i'm pretty sure the reason it is so delicious is that it has 2 CUPS of parmesan.  that and plenty of butter.  oh, and ricotta, which is always a good addition.

its a bit of a time commitment (allow an hour) but is SO worth it.  great to use if you wanna impress some folks.  i SWEAR i bought vegetable broth the second to last time i was at trader joe's, but it really was nowhere to be found once it came time to add it into the mix.  so i had to run to shaw's (the worst place on earth) to buy some.  searching for broth in my pantry was worse than trying to dig an old bike out of the garage from behind other bikes that are all tangled and dirty and stuff is falling all over you and its getting hot and dust is in your eyes and the skis get knocked over and you trip on an old tennis ball.


zucchini risotto.

ingredients
6 T unsalted butter
1 HUGE zucchini and 1 medium summer squash (or some equivalent amount, like 4 small zukes), quartered lengthwise then chopped into small pieces
3/4 t dried mint
a handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 quart vegetable broth (good ole TJ's has a very acceptable one)
8 small shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 c risotto rice
1/2 c white wine
1/3 c ricotta
2 c grated parmesan
salt and pepper

directions
1.  melt 3 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet, add the zukes and squash, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  stir in the mint and parsley and set aside.
2.  begin to heat the broth in a saucepan and keep it just barely simmering to keep it warm in anticipation of a later step.
3.  melt the other 3 tablespoons of butter in a deep skillet or large wok.  add the shallots and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes (you want them soft but not brown), then add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so.
4.  add the rice and stir until evenly coated.  add the wine and stir continuously until it is all absorbed.
5.  add the broth, one "ladle" (or 1/2 c measuring cup) at a time, stirring after each one until the liquid is absorbed.  do this until you used up all the broth and the rice is tender but still firm, should take about 20 minutes.
6.  stir in the zuke mixture, ricotta, parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste.  remove from heat and let rest for two minutes before serving (longest two minutes of my life).

i can't believe i managed to take a photo before chomping
this into oblivion.

csa week nine.

week NINE!  jeez, when did that happen?  you'd think the novelty would have worn off by now, but no way.  so what do we have this week?

7 potatoes (2 whites and 5 reds)
4 tomatoes
3 peaches
broccoli
4 ears of corn
2 (TWO!) white eggplants
a purple eggplant
arugula
lettuce
4 cucumbers
zucchini squash
2 yellow summer squashes

i can't believe i never thought to take a photo of the whole
thing til just now.  actually, it was probably the fact that
clearing off and cleaning this table took ten minutes.

i am SO excited about the broccoli.  broc is my favorite vegmino i think so it is wonderful that i can get it in here!!!!

YES.

breadcrumbs and herb omelette.

i was never really into eggs for most of my life.  they kinda creeped me out actually.  but after living in ecuador i have come to love them.  being a vegetarian in ecuador basically means that you are going to get a fried egg in place of meat so i had to adapt to them pretty quickly.  pretty darn quickly.  anyways, the creepy thing?  yeah i'm over it.

eggs are pretty cheap and fast to cook, so i have been trying to keep them on hand (more for dinner meals and baking than breakfast).  this was actually the first time i've ever made an omelette.  i'm sure you could just scramble this too and it be fine.  oh and i made this with the same herb combo as the herb-crusted tofu because i really loved it and thought the flavors and texture of the breadcrumbs would be nice.  this makes two omelettes.

oh and i straight up forgot the parmesan cheese that i meant to put in.  it was still totally delicious but feel free to add cheese if you want (always good advice).


breadcrumbs and herb omelette.


ingredients

3 eggs and 3 egg whites (or whole eggs if you're feelin' it)

a splash of milk
1/2 c panko breadcrumbs
1/2 t dried parsley
1/2 t dried basil
1/4 t dried thyme
1/4 t ground savory
1/4 c grated parmesan (optional)
a bit of butter

directions
1.  lightly beat together the eggs and milk in a bowl.
2.  mix together the breadcrumbs, herbs and cheese.  then mix everything into the eggs.
3.  heat some butter in a frying pan on medium-ish heat.  the bottom should have butter on all parts of it.  pour half of the egg mixture into the pan, let it set, then give the pan a shake.  cook for a few minutes until the bottom is browned the the top is set.  fold onto a pan.  re-butter and repeat with the other half of the egg mixture.

herb-crusted tofu.

i wanted to make a real nice homecookin' meal using my csa goodies.  i decided to go with the classic corn on the cob, no frills, just a little butter and salt (i wish i had popcorn salt!).  we also had some lovely red potatoes so i decided to make my absolute favorite form of potatoes.  mashed potatoes.  just like my mama makes em.  again, no frills, just some milk, butter, and salt.  (okay i know, this is a salty buttery meal, but i WANTED it.  i mean, it wasn't excessive...).  so what could i make that would go along with this meal?  i'm picturing shake and bake for some reason.  which is NOT what i'm going to use, but it did remind me of a delicious looking recipe for herb-crusted tofu in one of deborah madison's cookbooks.  which IS what i used and oh boy, the flavor was delicious (and no salt or butter in the tofu recipe!).  i did switch up the recipe a little to bake instead of fry them.

herb-crusted tofu.

ingredients

1 16 oz package of extra firm tofu

1 c panko breadcrumbs

1/2 c grated parmesan

1 t dried parsley

1 t dried basil (or marjoram if you have that)

1/2 t dried thyme

1/2 t dried savory

1 egg

2 T milk

directions

1.  preheat the oven to 350.  slice the tofu into slabs about 1/3 inch thick.  blot or drain them on towels (paper or cloth) while you mix the other ingredients.

2.  mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan, and herbs in a flat-ish bowl.  beat the egg and milk in another bowl.

3.  yay for assembly lines!  dip each tofu in the eggs, then the herby mixture, then place on a cookie sheet.

4.  bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, turning halfway if you remember.  just go to whatever crispness/brownness level you like!

whole meal on a plate!  sorry about the awful quality... i
had to take this with photobooth at the last minute because
of a dead camera battery situation.

a salad i thought i'd share with the world.

so my improvised vinaigrette and salad for the week is a new favorite.  here you go internetfriends.


morgan's new go-to salad.


ingredients for the dressing
1 small shallot, very finely chopped
1 1/2 T lemon juice
1 1/2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T orange muscat champagne vinegar (impulse buy at TJ's)
6 T olive oil
1 t dijon mustard
a drop of honey
salt and peppa

ingredients for the salad
boston lettuce, torn into pieces that aren't an annoying size to have on a fork (very important...)
cucumbers, halfway peeled and chopped
radishes, thinly sliced
crumbled feta
pine nuts or pepitas (or both!)

directions
1.  mix all the dressing ingredients together (let the shallot sit in the lemon juice and vinegars for 15-20 minutes of you have time).
2.  put the salad ingredients into individual sized bowls.  pour the dressing on and eat right now go!

oh and this week was my first time using radishes, so i thought i'd keep it real simple by just slicing em and putting them in my salad.  they were really really delicious; just the right amount of weird radish spicy (what is that?).  perhaps next time i'll get more adventurous, but this was so good there might not be a need for that.

lebanese potato salad.

so as you know, i love potatoes.  i just love em.  so potato salads are definitely that thing that i keep sneaking onto my plate while hoping no one is keeping tabs on how many times this has occurred.  BUT i do hate when the delicious potatoes are drowning in mayonnaise.  potatoes are great just with a lil' oil/butter and salt.  no need to drench em in mayonnaise, really guys, come on.  SO ENTER LEBANESE POTATO SALAD.  delicious and potato-ey with a hint of lemon and mint.  yeahhhhh.

this recipe is mostly from a cookbook from my meem called The Lebanese Kitchen by Abla Amad.

oh AND the csa box this week gave me some pretty superfantastic potatoes.  they are called all reds...check em out!!

lebanese potato salad.


ingredients
6 medium potatoes
1 t salt
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 c italian parsley, finely chopped
2-3 T dried mint (or 1/2 fresh, finely chopped)
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t allspice

directions
1.  wash and cut the potatoes into bite sized chunks.  cook em in salted water until they are firm but a fork can easily go into them (this was about 15 minutes starting with the cold water for me).  drain them and put them into a bowl.
2.  add all the other ingredients, mix well, and let it cool (either just a tad or in the fridge) then eateateat!

blueberry muffins.

recently i had one of those ah-ha moments.  not quite an epiphany but more just making a connection between two thoughts.  so muffins are really easy to make.  like, the ingredients are all normal kitchen staples and they don't take very long.  in fact, making them homemade might take 2-3 minutes longer than the kind from the box.  so here is my hypothesis... muffins are a traditional morning food and i think this is why!  no coincidence here; our oldentime chef friends knew this and thats why muffins are breakfast food and not dessert....because they are really quick!  

yeah i know, its not that epic.

i made these on a weekend and i think i'm going to make muffins more often now!

blueberry muffins.

ingredients

1 c all-purpose flour

1 c whole wheat flour

1/2 c sugar

1 T ground cinnamon

1/2 t salt

3 t baking powder

3 T butter, melted

1 egg

1 c milk (maybe more)

1 c bluebs (you can do fresh or frozen...no need to thaw)

directions

1.  preheat the oven to 400 and put papers in a muffin tin (or grease it).

2.  mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3.  beat the butter, egg, and milk together in a small bowl (or the measuring cup if you like to conserve dishes because of lack of dishwasher...).

4.  make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the wet ingredients in, and fold it all together until everything is just moist.  you might need to add a splash more of milk.  with muffin batter it is important to mix until just combined; you still want it lumpy.  over-handling will make for tough muffins.  gently fold the bluebs in at the last second.

5.  use a small measuring cup to fill the muffin tins 2/3 full.  (fun fact: fill empty tins with a bit of water while baking to prevent uneven cooking and drying).

6.  bake for 20-30 minutes or until a fork (or toothpick....who HAS those?!) comes out clean.  let em rest for 5 minutes before taking em out of the pan.

dramatic muffin in the morning sun.

oh and watch out for cats who apparently LOVE these.  no really, they'll steal them off the table.  oh and dogs at work who steal them from your backpack.  i had 50% muffin losses due to various animal scavengers!!

csa week eight.

another sunday and another csa box.  am i bored of it yet?  NO NOT EVEN A LITTLE.  this is great.  how convenient that the earth likes to grow different things as the seasons progress...  keepin' me on my toes but still giving me some old standbys.  thanks earth!

so here's the breakdown:

3 peaches (oh boy i am still not over the fact that PEACHES come in this csa box)
4 tomatoes
boston lettuce
kale
arugula
a purple eggplant
a white eggplant!
radishes (i have never used radishes before!!)
2 cucumber
4 ears of corn
5 potatoes (i am thinking all-reds)


can we just reflect for a moment that this is a half share.  so much food!  i would be spending so much more money on this if i were buying this same stuff in a supermarket every week.  plus it wouldn't be even close to as good.  oh and my conscience would be cringing.

if you want more info on signing up for the csa next year and the size and price options they have, take a peek at the stillman's farm website!

here are some photos of a few of the items in this bounty:

eggplant friends.

lovely radishes!

two cucumbers really arranged embarrassingly on a plate...don't judge!

a HUGE head of kale (a new favorite this summer).

improvised eggplant parm.

in the csa box this week we got TWO types of eggplant.  a nice purple one and a really cool white one!

conflicting needs:
-eat and compare both varieties
-don't monopolize the eggplants away from steph (my roommate sharing the box at the moment)

solution: cook half of each one (i still haven't seen her so she hasn't told me if she was cool with that or not...)


breaded eggplant.


ingredients
1-2 eggplants
1/4 c cornmeal
1/4 c flour
1/4 c panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten

directions
1. preheat the oven to 350.  cut the eggplant into 1/4 - 1/2 inch slices.
2.  mix the cornmeal, flour, and bread crumbs in a bowl along with the salt and pepper (be generous with that salt).
3.  set up an assembly line: egg.  crumbs.  greased cookie sheet.
4.  coat each piece of eggplant in the egg, then the breadcrumbs, then place on the cookie sheet.
5.  bake for 20-30 minutes, turning after 10 minutes.  just go to however crispy and brown you want em.


so these were really really excellent plain, but we also ate them in an eggplant parmesan-like meal.  i cooked some spaghetti noodles, put those into bowls, put some eggplant pieces on top, poured tomato sauce over, sprinkled on a hefty amount of quattro formaggio blend from trader joe's, and romnomnomnommmm....

now to discuss the two eggplant varieties.  they were both really delicious and both tasted like eggplant.  the purple one has a fuller flavor and is more savory, while the white one is milder and has a hint of sweetness...its almost creamy.

my cookbook section on eggplants told me that unless they were garden-fresh i should salt them first for 30 minutes.  ...skipped that step!!!  these babies were SO garden fresh.

also i didn't take a photo because i ate them too fast.  sorry?

UPDATE: i came up with a better version of this recipe.  so if you want to make this, use the recipe in this post instead!!

roasted rosemary potatoes.

so potatoes may be my favorite of all edible items.  it really might be true.  i love potatoes in every form.  roasted potatoes is a side dish that yields an excellent amount of deliciousness for how easy they are.  rosemary and garlic is my favorite flavor combo.  alright, i'll admit it.  i'd eat these as a whole meal.


roasted rosemary potatoes.


ingredients
6 red potatoes
1/2 - 1 T olive oil or grapeseed oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T dried rosemary or to taste
salt
freshly ground black pepper

directions
1.  preheat the oven to 350.  wash and cut the potatoes into nicely sized chunks (i did quarters for small red potatoes).  leave the skin on.  put them into a bowl.
2.  drizzle on the oil and toss the potatoes until they are lightly coated.
3.  sprinkle them with the garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper and mix very well.
4.  bake for 45 minutes to an hour, turning and rotating every 15-20 minutes.  they are done when a fork easily goes into them and they are browned to your liking.
5.  feastfeastfeastfeast.