Potomac Vegetable Farm Summer CSA is finally here!

09 Wednesday Jun 2010

Posted by kimhodgson in CSA, CSA Bounty, CSA Meal Plan

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Potomac Vegetable Farms’ summer CSA has finally started! Hooray for delicious vegetables. My husband and I signed up for the Regular share (feeds 4 or 2 people who eat a lot of veggies). Every week PVF includes a description and photo of the contents of our share. While I pride myself in being an experienced CSA member, I must admit that I had a hard time identifying the broccoli raab – it looks so much different than the grocery store variety.

Here’s what we got “in our bag”:

Garlic curls

Beets

Salad turnips

Lettuce

Sugar snap peas

Endive

Broccoli raab

With all these greens, it’s been challenging trying to figure out how to use everything. Here’s my plan…I will definitely make lots of simple green and white salads with the lettuce, raw salad turnips, and snap peas. This evening I’m going to make a simple Italian stir-fry (broccoli raab, onions, garlic, drizzled with balsamic cream vinegar and served over couscous). Tomorrow I’ll probably make a pasta with a garlic chickpea sauce, sauteed garlic curls and endive, with a beet salad on the side, and grilled sausage.

Shiitake & Greens Thai Inspired Stir Fry

01 Tuesday Jun 2010

Posted by kimhodgson in Dinner, Entree, Meal, Recipe, Vegan, Vegetarian

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black kale, dinosaur kale, edamame, garlic, ginger, kale, lacinato kale, scallions, shiitake mushrooms, sweet peas, tofu

This thai inspired stir-fry is easy to make, but oh so yummy. And, it’s the perfect way to combine different green vegetables, such as sweet peas, kale, scallions, and edamame. Serve with sesame seeds and crushed peanuts over sticky rice. (*Indicates Star Hollow Farm produce.)

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp peanut oil
3 tbsp reduced salt tamari soy sauce
1/2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of scallions, chopped*
1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, rinsed and chopped*
1/2 cup fresh or frozen edamame beans
1 bunch lacinato kale (also called dinosaur or black kale), or other kale*
1 cup sweet peas, rinsed and cut in half*
1 package of tofu, drained and patted dry, and cut into 1 inch cubes
Sesame seeds
Crushed peanuts

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce through red pepper. Set aside.
Heat peanut oil over medium-high in a large saute pan or wok. Add ginger through mushrooms, and cook until almost tender, about 5-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, if using frozen edamame beans, microwave in a bowl, covered, on high for 1 minute.
Add edamame through tofu to wok. Cook over medium heat, until kale wilts. Add soy sauce mixture. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until the kale is tender.
To serve, place about 1/2 cup sticky rice in a bowl, top with 1 cup onion/greens mixture, and tofu. Sprinkle with chopped scallions, sesame seeds, and chopped peanuts.

Southwest Pinto Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayo & Potato Fries

31 Monday May 2010

Posted by kimhodgson in Entree, Recipe, Side, Vegetarian

≈ 2 Comments

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arugula, breadcrumbs, cheddar cheese, chipotle, cilantro, corn, cumin, jalapeno, oats, onion, pinto beans, potatoes

This hearty vegetarian burger, adapted from from Cooking Light, is one of the tastiest I’ve ever had. Be prepared though, because it can be quite spicy. Serve with a side of potato fries for a complete meal. (*Indicates produce from Star Hollow Farm.)

INGREDIENTS

Burgers

1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs or quick oats
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg*
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained (or use frozen corn)

Chipotle Mayonnaise

1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon canned minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce

Potato Fries

1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced into 3 inch strips*
1 tsp montreal steak seasoning (a spice blend made of coarse salt, black pepper, red pepper, garlic, fennel and other spices and herbs)

Other

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6-8 mini buns
Arugula leaves*
6-8 thick slices of tomato*

DIRECTIONS

Potato Fries

Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 425 degrees F.
Toss sweet potatoes with oil and seasoning. Place on a 9X13″ baking dish, coated with olive oil. Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender in the middle and crispy and brown on the edges.

Burgers

To prepare burgers, combine the first 10 ingredients in a large bowl. Add pinto beans and corn; partially mash with a fork. Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 3 1/2-inch patty, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
To prepare chipotle mayonnaise, combine mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon chipotle in a small bowl; set aside.
Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until thoroughly heated. Place patties on bottom halves of buns; top each patty with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, arugula, one thick slice of tomato, and top half of bun.

Greens and Strawberries

30 Sunday May 2010

Posted by kimhodgson in CSA, CSA Bounty

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star hollow farm

I definitely went over board this time. I must have been really hungry when I made this purchase, because in addition to ordering the harvest box, I also ordered quite a few other things:

CSA Harvest Box

baby lettuce mix – a bag of delicate lettuce leaves
spinach – one pound of crisp spinach leaves
lacinato kale – also called dinosaur or black kale
asparagus
radishes
scallions
strawberries

CSA A La Carte items

english cucumbers
sugar snap peas
yellow hothouse tomatoes
scallions (Oops. This was a mistake. I guess I should have looked more closely at the contents of the harvest box. Not sure what I’m going to do now with 2 bunches of scallions.)
red swiss chard
farm-grown shiitake mushrooms
strawberries (I knew the 1 quart that came with the harvest box would be gone in no time.)

Sauteed Asparagus

30 Sunday May 2010

Posted by kimhodgson in Dinner, Recipe, Side, Vegan, Vegetarian

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asparagus

This is by far the easiest way to quickly cook asparagus. And, it just happens to be delicious too!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. asparagus spears, ends broken off
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cream balsamic vinegar
1 pinch of sugar
Salt

DIRECTIONS

Rinse asparagus in water and pat dry.
Heat oil in a non-stick large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, and saute for about 5 minutes.
Add balsamic vinegar and sugar, saute for another 2-3 minutes, or until the asparagus are crisp-tender.
Season with salt to taste.

Butternut Squash Tortellini with Spring Greens & Onions

29 Saturday May 2010

Posted by kimhodgson in Dinner, Entree, Recipe, Vegetarian

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arugula, butternut squash, onion, parmigiano-reggiano, spinach, spring greens, swiss chard, vodka marinara sauce

Over the winter I made Butternut Squash Tortellini. I doubled the recipe and froze half so that one day, when I was too busy to cook from scratch I would could still have a fabulous meal with little effort. Well that day occurred multiple times this week. All you need to bring this recipe together is any type of spring green, such as arugula, spinach, swiss chard, or other green that wilts well (note: kale and collard greens are a little too tough/sturdy for this recipe).

This recipe makes 2-3 servings.

INGREDIENTS

15-20 frozen Butternut Squash Tortellini
1/2 large sweet onion, such as vidalia
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
1 large bunch of swiss chard, spinach, arugula or a mixture of spring greens
1/2 jar of vodka marinara sauce, such as Trader Joe’s
freshly grated parmesan

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large stock pot filled with water to a boil.
Meanwhile, dice onion and coarsely chop the greens.
Add frozen butternut squash tortellini directly to pot of boiling water. Return water to a boil, and boil for about 5-10 minutes, or until the tortellini begin to float to the top. Carefully remove from the water and transfer directly into two- three serving bowls. Drizzle with a little olive oil and set aside.
Saute onion in olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet, until the onion turns golden brown. Add greens and sauce, saute until the greens are just wilted and the sauce is hot.
Spoon sauce evenly over the tortellini and top with freshly grate parmesan cheese.

Star Hollow Farm Purchase

26 Wednesday May 2010

Posted by kimhodgson in CSA, CSA Bounty

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star hollow farm

I just placed my order for the week. Looking forward to a weekend of cooking!

1CSA2	1 CSA Harvest box	$21.80/each	$21.80
1V4Pcu07-NO	2 ENGLISH Cucumbers	$1.80/each	$3.60
1V4Ppe03	1/2 lb SUGAR SNAP Peas	$3.00/each	$3.00
1V4Pto1st07-NO	1 lb YELLOW Hothouse Tomatoes	$4.00/each	$4.00
1V4Psc02-NO	1 bun Scallions	$1.75/each	$1.75
1V3OGch07	1 bun RED Swiss Chard	$3.00/each	$3.00
2Msh03-NO	1/4 lb FARM-GROWN Shiitakes	$3.25/each	$3.25
3F1Bst04-NO	1 QUART of Strawberries	$5.50/each	$5.50



		Total:	$45.90

From Plot to Pots

18 Tuesday May 2010

Posted by kimhodgson in Gardening

≈ 1 Comment

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community garden, garden, patio garden, urban agriculture

In 2005, I started my very first garden in a fabulous sized plot in the shared yard of our apartment in Blacksburg, VA. I learned quite a bit that first spring (e.g. there’s a reason why you should space seedlings a certain distance apart from one another, so as not to create a jungle garden). The next season (same plot) I felt quite experienced and confident in my gardening skills, but quickly realized that each season is different and brings with it different challenges (weather, pests, etc.).

Apartment Garden Plot | Blacksburg, VA

My husband and I then moved to Alexandria, VA, where I was exceptionally lucky to discover that the Chinquapin Park Community Garden was expanding and had some extra, unclaimed plots. My friend, Sara, and I were able to take over 2 plots. What a fabulous summer of gardening. The plots were huge – about 20 feet by 20 feet.

Chinquapin Park Community Garden Plot | Alexandria, VA

Sadly, my community garden plot days are over. My husband and I moved to Washington DC at the end of 2008. We quickly learned that community garden plots are in high demand, and there just isn’t enough of them to meet this demand. We tried to get a plot at the Kalorama Heights Community Garden. Although we live only a 5 minute walk from the garden and they had a couple of openings, as Adams Morgan residents we are out of the “catchment” zone. Perhaps these plots are meant only for those wealthy enough to live in Kalorama Heights. Well, after giving up on getting a community garden plot and being inspired by my friend and co-worker, John (the mastermind behind Grown in the City), I decided to take advantage of my patio and plant a few tomato plants and herbs in flower pots. While we do not get the best light (we’re on the north side of the building), the plants are flourishing.

Patio Flower Pot Garden | Washington, DC

Cherry Tomatoes

Mint

Basil

Garlic Chives

Since we have roof access, I’m going to take my tomato plants up to the roof so they’ll get full sunlight. Maybe if I ever become brave enough (note: we never asked for permission from our landlord to put our plants on the roof), I’ll expand my small flower pot garden to a full-sized roof garden. Perhaps a project for next summer?

Radish & Spring Green Sandwiches

17 Monday May 2010

Posted by kimhodgson in Lunch, Recipe, Vegetarian

≈ 1 Comment

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cream cheese, cucumber, radishes, salad greens, tomatoes

I love this simple sandwich recipe. It’s a great way to use fresh spring produce such as radishes and salad greens. If you are lucky enough to have access to hothouse grown vegetables – cucumbers and tomatoes – as I was this week, then throw them on too for a deliciously thick and crunchy vegetable sandwich.

INGREDIENTS

1-2 tbsp chive cream cheese
5 slices of cucumber
4 slices of radish
1 slice of tomato, cut in half
1/2 cup spring greens (such as arugula, baby beet greens, mesclun, or other lettuce)
2 slices fresh bread

DIRECTIONS

Spread cream cheese evenly on both slices of bread.
Top one side with sliced cucumber, radishes, tomatoes and greens. Cover with other slice of bread.
Eat immediately or wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate until lunch time.

CSA Bounty – Greens, greens and more greens

16 Sunday May 2010

Posted by kimhodgson in CSA, CSA Bounty

≈ 2 Comments

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star hollow farm

This week I decided to opt out of Star Hollow Farm’s CSA Harvest Box and create my own. I love all the amazing late spring greens, so I ordered lettuce mix, curly kale, stir-fry greens and mixed chard. I also ordered portabella mushrooms, Tuscarora radishes, Austrian fingerling potatoes, asparagus, english cucumbers, hothouse tomatoes, and eggs. I am looking forward to making grilled portabella mushroom burgers, asparagus, and salad; sandwiches with cream cheese, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes and greens; and a few Indian dishes with potatoes, kale and chard. I may have gone a bit overboard with my order (I was quite excited and eager to cook when I filled out my rather large order for 2 people). This week will be a challenge, but I’m looking forward to it.

Stir-Fry Greens Mix (6 oz)