Monthly Archives: November 2009

CSA Share Week 9

28 Saturday Nov 2009

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It’s our last week of our CSA. How sad!!! I just spoke with Farmer Mike and he said there may be a possibility to extend our share for a few weeks. It pays to know your farmer! On our walk home from picking up our CSA share, Farmer Mike told us that they still have a lot of winter greens, lettuce, and other vegetables to pick – thanks to plastic tarps and extending the growing season. Don’t want to get too excited, but hopefully we’ll be able to get a couple more weeks of fabulous produce. I love not knowing what we’ll get; the challenge of finding inventive recipes; and getting to chat with our farmer every week.

Here’s what we got in our CSA this week:

  • 7 apples (2 Albemarle Pippin, 2 Gold Rush, and 3 Winesap Stayman)
  • 4 Bosc pears
  • 1/2 gallon unpasteurized apple cider
  • 1 medium bunch collard greens
  • 1 medium bunch pak choi (also called bok choy)
  • 1 medium bunch kale
  • 1 stalk of brussel sprouts
  • 1 head of romaine lettuce
  • 1 small head of frisee lettuce
  • 4 small turnips
  • 4 medium Russet potatoes
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Gobble, Gobble

27 Friday Nov 2009

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Wednesday night, with less than 24 hours before Thanksgiving, Rex and I decided to forgo a meal with our good friends, John and Sutton, for an at home feast. This was not an easy decision, after all the more the merrier. Well, last week I came down with a cold, which I gave to Rex. Wednesday evening we were both still had runny noses and a cough (not exactly the best way to start one of our favorite holidays). So instead of infecting our friends with our bug, we opted for a quiet Thanksgiving meal at home. That meant, Wednesday after work I had to run to Whole Foods and gather additional ingredients for our feast. Luckily I found one of the last 9 lb. free-range turkeys. (I was a bit disappointed I couldn’t find a small organic turkey, but at least I found an antibiotic-free, hormone-free free range turkey at such a short notice. The 9 lb.-er would have to do.) I shoved the turkey, along with some sweet potatoes, and brining kit in my backpack and made the 1 mile walk home. I felt so giddy – like a little school girl excited to come home, in anticipation of the holiday – but instead of books, I carried a turkey. What a funny sight! I completely underestimated how heavy a 9 lb. turkey and several pounds of sweet potatoes can be. Oh well, I’ll have a story to tell my kids one day – how I walked 1 hour in the cold with a turkey in my backpack!

Well as you can tell by the pictures, our turkey dinner turned out to be quite a nice little feast. After 5 years of being married, we’ve never celebrated Thanksgiving just the two of us. While we may have been recovering from colds, we made the most out of the holiday. Having never cooked a turkey, I was quite intimidated, but called my sister and my mother multiple times for instructions. Rex and I also found youtube to be quite helpful.

Our meal consisted of the following recipes. The sweet potato dish is a recent tradition in my family. The cranberry salad dates back to my dad’s childhood – an old classic American recipe of my grandma’s. And the roasted brined turkey is my sister’s favorite way to prepare a turkey. In an effort to use as much of my CSA vegetables as possible – I made a sauteed brussel sprout and green bean dish, and a variation of apple crisp.

Kim & Rex’s First Solo Thanksgiving Meal

Roasted Brined Turkey with Dried Herbs

Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole

Green Beans & Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic Shallot Butter

Cranberry Salad

Cranberry-Apple Streusel Crisp


Roasted Brined Turkey with Dried Herbs

27 Friday Nov 2009

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This was the first time ever that I cooked a turkey. Usually we spend Thanksgiving with family or friends and I always make most of the sides and desserts. However, this year, since Rex was sick, we had our first Thanksgiving at home. The night before Thanksgiving, I walked to Whole Foods in search of the smallest whole turkey. Luckily I found a fresh, 9 lb one. While it wasn’t organic, it was free range, hormone free, and antibiotic free. Next year, I’ll hopefully have more time to plan and can order a small, organic turkey from a nearby farm. I also picked up a brining kit (next year I’ll have to make my own brine – because it’s basically just salt and herbs). The brining directions say to brine the turkey for 1 hour per pound. Next time I will definitely follow these directions. I let our turkey brine for an extra 2 hours. While our turkey turned out to be quite moist and succulent and delicious (even the breast meat), I found it a tad salty. For detailed directions and a youtube video, check out turkeyperfect.com.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 (9 lb.) fresh, free-range, antibiotic-free, and hormone-free turkey
  • 1 package Fire & Flavor Turkey Perfect Herb Blend Brining Kit (available at Whole Foods) (Note: I only used half of the brine mix for my 9 lb. turkey. Follow the directions included on the package for a larger turkey, instead of my directions below.)
  • 1.5 quarts water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2.5 quarts ice water
  • 1 medium sized roasting pan

DIRECTIONS

Brining Directions

  1. Heat water in a medium stock pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 the brine mix and sugar and stir until dissolved. Add vinegar. Allow to cool for 15 minutes to 1 hour.
  2. Remove neck and giblets from inside turkey. With a knife, carefully cut a 3 inch slit on both sides of the turkey just under the thickest part of the breast – cutting the skin only, not through the meat. Place turkey, breast side down in the plastic brining bag included in the Fire & Flavor Turkey Perfect Herb Blend.. Brining Kit. Place bagged turkey in roasting pan for added support.
  3. Pour brine solution and ice water over turkey in plastic bag. Remove as much air as possible from the bag and seal bag. Brine turkey for NO MORE than 9 hours (1 hour per 1 lb. of turkey).

Roasting Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Remove turkey from brine; carefully straining out leftover herbs/spices from the brine solution. Make sure you remove all the brine solution from the turkey cavity. Remove turkey from the bag. Place in roasting pan. Brush turkey lightly with oil and strained herbs/spices. If you are not stuffing your turkey, cover up the cavity (I didn’t have any twine or pins, so I stuffed the cavity opening with aluminum foil).
  3. Roast turkey for 2 3/4 to 3 hours (about 15-20 minutes per pound), or until temperature gauge (the turkey came with one – see picture above) pops (Note: if you have a meat thermometer use it. I didn’t have one and didn’t have time to buy one.) or until a meat thermometer that is inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 165°F and the innermost part of the thigh reads 180° F.  Do not touch bone when inserting the thermometer.).
  4. Let turkey rest, partially covered with aluminum foil (don’t cover it completely, or else turkey will continue to cook, make sure there are quite a few places where steam can escape), for 20 minutes.
  5. Carve turkey. Check out this youtube video for instructions on how to carve a turkey from cooking.com.

Cranberry-Apple Streusel Crisp

27 Friday Nov 2009

Posted by in Dessert, Recipe, Vegetarian

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This delicious variation of apple crisp combines the sweetness of local fall apples with the tartness of New England fresh cranberries. Serve crisp hot, room temperature, or cold with a couple scoops of vanilla bean ice cream. Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking (click here for the original recipe). (* Indicates CSA vegetable.)

INGREDIENTS

For the streusel

  • 4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped lightly toasted walnuts
  • 1/4 tsp. table salt
  • 3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

  • 5 medium tart baking apples (or a mixture of CSA apples)*
  • 6 oz. fresh cranberries (1-3/4 cups)
  • 3/4 cup plus 6 Tbs. granulated sugar
  • 1 oz. (3-1/2 Tbs.) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven, set a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Make the streusel. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, walnuts, and salt. Using your fingers, blend the butter into the flour mixture. Set aside.
  3. Make the filling. Peel, quarter, and core each apple. Cut each quarter lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and then cut each slice crosswise at 1/4-inch intervals to make tiny rectangles. In a food processor, pulse the cranberries with 3/4 cup of the sugar until coarsely chopped. In a large bowl, combine the remaining 6 Tbs. sugar with the flour, ginger, and cinnamon. Toss in the cranberry mixture and apples.
  4. Mound the filling into a 8X8″ baking dish. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apple mixture, pressing the streusel between your fingers into small lumps as you sprinkle.
  5. Put the crisp on the heated baking sheet and bake until the streusel is deeply browned and the filling is bubbling vigorously at the edges of the pie, 50-60 minutes. Check every 20 minutes, and if the pastry edge or the streusel browns before the filling is done, loosely cover the top or edges of the pie as needed with aluminum foil.
  6. Transfer to a rack and cool completely before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole

27 Friday Nov 2009

Posted by in Farmers' Market, Recipe, Side, Vegetarian

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This is a deliciously sweet sweet potato side dish. Fabulous with a savory main dish, such as roasted chicken or turkey. The streuseled topping adds a nice, crunchy touch. Recipe from Cooking Light.

INGREDIENTS

  • 14  cups  (1-inch) cubed peeled organic sweet potato (about 5 pounds)
  • 1/2  cup  half-and-half
  • 1/2  cup  maple syrup
  • 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
  • 3/4  teaspoon  salt
  • 1  large egg, lightly beaten
  • Cooking spray
  • 1/2  cup  all-purpose flour
  • 1/2  cup  packed brown sugar
  • 1/4  cup  chilled butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2  cup  chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 375°.
  2. Place potato in a Dutch oven, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 12 minutes or until tender. Drain.
  3. Combine the half-and-half and next 4 ingredients (half-and-half through egg) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add potato to egg mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Spoon potato mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
  4. Combine flour and sugar in a food processor; pulse to combine. Add chilled butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in pecans; sprinkle over potato mixture.
  5. Cover and bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes or until the topping is browned and the potatoes are thoroughly heated.

Green Beans & Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic Shallot Butter

27 Friday Nov 2009

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I never knew what brussel sprouts looked like growing on the stalk. What a treat to discover that last week’s CSA included them on the stalk…right in time for the big Thanksgiving meal! Prepping them for this dish was so simple – just snap them off the stalk, no need to cut the off the ends of each brussel sprout.

This is a really easy, simple recipe that can be used with green beans, brussel sprouts, asparagus, or any number of spring or winter green vegetables. In this case, I had green beans and brussel sprouts on hand from my CSA share. The recipe calls for shallots, however this time I didn’t have any so I used finely diced red onion from the farmers’ market.

(* Indicates CSA vegetable.)

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 pounds mixture of green beans and brussel sprouts (or asparagus spears)*
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4-1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (or finely diced red onions or vidalia onions)
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (or use 1 tbsp, if you don’t have any lemon rind on hand – see note below next to lemon rind)
  • 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind from 1 organic lemon (or substitute 1 tbsp lemon juice for 1 tbsp of the balsamic vinegar)
  • Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Lightly steam whole brussel sprouts and green beans together in a pressure cooker with about 1 cup of water or according to your pressure cooker’s directions. Cook on high until just comes to pressure. Run partially steamed beans and brussel sprouts under cold water to stop them from cooking. Drain and set aside.
  2. Saute shallots or onions and thyme in extra virgin olive oil in large pan over medium-high heat, until slightly browned. Meanwhile, cut brussel sprouts in half. Add brussel sprout halves and whole green beans to the pan. Saute for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add melted butter. Saute until vegetables begin to brown. Add balsamic vinegar (and lemon juice if your using it). Sautee for one minute, until vegetables are well coated. Remove from heat, stir in lemon rind and salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Serve immediately.

Cranberry Salad

27 Friday Nov 2009

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I’ve had this every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember – a classic mid-west American cranberry dish. I went to Whole Foods looking for all natural gelatin, but decided instead to use real Jell-O. After all, how often do I really use ingredients that aren’t exactly “real”. Next year I may try using the all natural gelatin.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 (3 1/2 oz) can pineapple tidbits (or 1/2 (16 oz) can, chunks, chopped)
  • 2 (3 0z) packages, cherry flavored gelatin
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 1 lb. can whole berry cranberry sauce (such as Whole Foods 365 Organic)
  • 1 cup celery, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

DIRECTIONS

  1. Drain pineapple, reserving liquid.
  2. Add enough water to reserved pineapple liquid to make 1 cup. Bring to a boil and dissolve gelatin in hot liquid. Add 1 cup cold water.
  3. Chill until thick but not set (about 30 minutes). Stir in cranberry sauce, pineapple, celery and nuts. Pour into a serving dish.
  4. Chill until firm.

Roasted Tomato Bean Soup

22 Sunday Nov 2009

Posted by in Farmers' Market, Recipe, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

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This is a super easy and quick recipe that tastes delicious. During tomato season, try using CSA or farmers’ market tomatoes in place of the canned tomatoes. (*Indicates farmers’ market vegetable.)

Recipe adapted from the Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates cookbook.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 1/2 cups chopped red onions (about 2 large onions)*
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 2 cups organic, free-range chicken broth
  • 2 (15.5 oz) cans white beans (such as great northern or cannellini)
  • 3 (14.5 oz) cans Muir Glen organic fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Warm oil in a large stockpot. Add the onions and saute on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown. Stir in oregano and basil and add chicken broth. Bring just to a boil; then cover and simmer for 5 minutes, until the onions are very soft.
  2. In batches in a blender, puree the onion mixture with 2 cups of beans and 3 cups of tomatoes. Pour the pureed mixture back into the stockpot. Stir in the remaining beans and tomatoes and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the balsamic vinegar and pepper to taste.
  3. Serve hot, topped with parmesan cheese.

Pasta with Chickpea Garlic Sauce, Broccoli Rabe & Tatsoi

22 Sunday Nov 2009

Posted by in Dinner, Entree, Recipe

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The chickpea garlic sauce is delicious, flavorful, and savory. It clings nicely to all shapes of pasta and can be combined with quite a number of vegetables. This time I used sauteed broccoli rabe and tatsoi, but you can also use sauteed fresh tomatoes, different types of herbs, sauteed red bell peppers, roasted eggplant, etc. (*Indicates CSA vegetable.)

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light’s Pasta with Chickpeas and Garlic Sauce.

INGREDIENTS

Chickpea Garlic Sauce

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 large cloves of garlic, minced (or more if you really like garlic)
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 1 (15.5 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 3/4 cup organic, free-range chicken broth

Other

  • 16 oz pasta (such as cavatappi shape – try Severino Homemade Pasta 100% Pure Semolina Flour available at Whole Foods)
  • 1 bunch broccoli rabe, rinsed and chopped (use all the leaves, stems, and florets; discard roots and bottom inch of the stem)*
  • 1 head/bunch of tatsoi (use all the leaves and stems, except discard last 1 inch of the stem)*
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 3 tbsp freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, saute 1 minute. Add salt, red pepper, chickpeas, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
  2. Start heating 4-5 quarts of water for the pasta (try using an electric kettle and transferring the water to a large stockpot; this will save you a lot of time).
  3. While garlic mixture simmers and the water heats, chop broccoli rabe and tatsoi, rinse and drain. Saute greens in 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil heated in a large non-stick frying pan on medium heat, until greens are wilted.
  4. Place chickpea mixture in a food processor or blender and process or blend until smooth. Add chickpea garlic sauce to greens, reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes while pasta cooks (see step 5).
  5. Bring preheated water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta in the boiling water, according to package directions, omitting salt and oil; drain well.
  6. Combine pasta, chickpea garlic sauce and greens in a large stockpot (such as the one you used to boil the pasta in). Serve immediately. Sprinkle with freshly grated cheese.

CSA Share Week 8

22 Sunday Nov 2009

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It’s the weekend before Thanksgiving and the second to last share of our autumn CSA. This is what we received in our weekly box of produce:

  • 1 medium bunch of broccoli rabe
  • 1 small bunch of tatsoi (an asian green similar to bok choy, but smaller, more delicate, with a slightly sweet and nutty aroma; usually eaten raw, but can be cooked like spinach to soften its flavor)
  • 1 small bunch of baby kale
  • 1 head of romaine lettuce
  • 1 large stalk of brussel sprouts (bulbs still on the vine)
  • 1/2 gallon of apple cider
  • 6 apples (different varieties)
  • 2 Bosc pears
  • 3 white potatoes

I think I’ll use the apples to make either an apple-cranberry pie with streusel topping or an apple crisp; and the brussel sprouts, kale, and potatoes for a roasted vegetable dish for Thanksgiving dinner. I’ll probably use the broccoli rabe and tat soi in a winter pasta dish for dinner tonight.