Getting Things Situated

My share partner reminded me this morning that I had not started to look for a new CSA for when I move home in July.  So, I just did a quick search and I found what I think will be a wonderful new CSA for me. 

The CSA I have chosen is Central Michigan CSA Program (http://www.michiganfarmfreshproduce.com/central-michigan-c-s-a-fruit-and-vegetable-co-op/).  Drop-offs are available in the following places:

• Mt. Pleasant Michigan
• Alma Michigan
• Harrison Michigan
• Clare Michigan
• Farwell Michigan
• Lake Michigan
• Midland Michigan

What appeals to me most about this CSA is that they offer a 1/2 share program!  I had to call directly because I will be starting late and I spoke with Joe Crawford.  Great guy!  He informed me that there are often people who start the program late and he just adjusts the cost accordingly.  When I explained to him that I had had bariatric surgery so I really liked the 1/2 share program because I tend to have to find someone to split shares with, he told me that the would even be willing to do a 1/4 share.  What great flexibility!!!!!  I am so excited to have found him that I just wanted to make sure that my readers in the Mid-Michigan area knew about him! 

If you live in the Midland/Mt. Pleasant area, definitely take a look at this program.  He tells me that they have added an egg program and have great interest in adding beef/pork, although that is in the works so probably won't be available this year.  But I have to tell you, I am going to hook him up with Trevor at Fresh Fork and see if they can figure out the best way to expand this program.  Joe, can't wait to meet you and start working with your program!

Soup Variations - White beans and Kale

While the soup I made last night was very tasty and lovely, when I put the recipe on Sparkrecipes.com to get the nutrition, it only has 5.6 g protein per 1/2 cup serving (yes, that is still about all I can manage to eat for a meal).  That is not quite hearty enough for my nutritional needs, so I decided to tweak the recipe even more. While this is still not the best option for a whole meal (7.9 g protein per 1/2-cup serving), it's better than the original recipe.  I am guessing that I could do better with the protein by either adding chicken (which is a slightly better source of protein than sausage) or breaking down and adding unflavored protein powder to the soup.  However, this is a pretty thick soup as it is, so I would probably then have to add more chicken stock to thin it down a bit.

Slow Cooker Bean Soup with Greens and Chorizo

• 2 cans (15-oz) Pinto beans
• 2 cans (15-oz) Cannellini beans
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion*, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic*, minced
• 2 t dried Italian seasoning
• 4 cups chopped kale*
• 4 cups chopped turnip greens*
• 1 can (14.5 oz) whole tomatoes in juice, broken up
• 4 cups homemade chicken stock*
• 1/2 tsp rubbed sage (use 2 T fresh leaves if you have them)
• 1 lb fresh chorizo*

Puree 1 can of pinto beans and 1 can of cannellini beans in a food processor; set aside.

Heat EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and add onions, cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and Italian seasoning; cook, about 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.  Be careful not to brown the onions.  Place onions in bottom of prepared slow cooker.

Wash, dry and finely chop the greens.  Add the greens, tomatoes, stock and sage to slow cooker; mix well.  Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.  In the meantime, cook chorizo.  Remove from pan and cool about 5 minutes.  Cut chorizo in half longway and then into 1/4 inch slices.  Add to soup and allow to cook for 1 more hour on HIGH to meld flavors.

Makes about 18 1-cup servings (or 36 1/2-cup servings for those of us who have had bariatric surgery).

Nutrition (1-cup serving):
Calories       287.7
Fat                 12.4g
Carbs             29.3g
Fiber                7.4g
Protein            15.8g   

*CSA ingredients 

White Beans and Kale

The pork I cooked was so good this weekend, but alas, it is gone! Because of that, I decided it was time to use the kale we got 2 weeks ago. There is a blog I keep running across thathas the yummiest recipes called Kalyn's Kitchen. This week, I found her recipe for Cannellini and Kale Soup and just had to try it. I only had about half the kale I needed, so I balanced with turnip greens. The soup has such a great animal and, personally, I think its quite pretty (Kalyn says it won't win any beauty contests). Well worth the effort.

 Slow-Cooker Cannellini Soup with Kale and Turnip Greens
  Adapted from: http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/10/slow-cooker-vegetarian-kale-cannellini-soup.html

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 large onions*, chopped small
• 4 cloves minced garlic*
• 2 tsp. dried Italian Seasoning (contains oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme and rosemary)
• 2 cans (15 oz. can) Cannellini beans and juice
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) whole tomatoes with juice, broken up
• 4 oz. finely chopped kale*, washed if needed (about 4 cups finely chopped kale)
• 4 oz. finely chpped turnip greens*
• 4 cups homemade chicken stock*
• 1/2 tsp. dried rubbed sage
• 1-2 pieces of Parmesan rind to add flavor (optional) 
• freshly grated Parmesan, to garnish (optional)

Heat the oil in a large heavy frying pan; add the onions and cook 4-5 minutes or until they are just starting to brown.  Add the garlic and Italian Seasoning and saute 1-2 minutes more, being careful not to let the garlic brown.  Spray the slow cooker with non-stick spray; then put onions and garlic into the slow cooker. 

While the onions are cooking use a food processor to puree the cannellini beans and juice, keeping them a little chunky if you prefer.  (If you're using freshly-cooked beans I would add about 1/4 cup water.)  Finely chop the kale and turnip greens (cutting away thick center ribs if you have them) and wash kale in the salad spinner if you're using garden kale.  

Put the pureed beans, chopped kale, chicken stock, canned tomatoes and juice, and sage into the slow cooker with the onion mixture.  (Add one or two pieces of Parmesan rind if desired for extra flavor.)  Cook 4 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.  Serve the soup hot, with grated Parmesan if desired.

 

*CSA ingredients

 

Broccoli and Eggs

This morning, when I got up, I really wanted something with eggs. At first, I was looking for something with quinoa, but during my search, I ran across a recipe for a crustless broccoli cheddar quiche. Iam pretty much a sucker for broccoli and eggs. They used to make broccoli egg breakfast sandwiches at work and I adored them. It's been about a year since they've made them, so when I saw the recipe, I had to make it! Now, I do not have the right sizes ramekins, or enough smaller ones, so I chose to make it in a pie plate. Although, in hindsight, I suppose I could have used muffin tins. I also didn't have enough cheddar, so this became a 3-cheese broccoli quiche. It really hit the spot!

3-Cheese Crustless Broccoli Quiche
Adapted from: http://www.marthastewart.com/318409/crustless-broccoli-cheddar-quiches

• Coarse salt
• fresh-ground pepper
• 1 oz broccoli florets*
• 6 large eggs*
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• Ground pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

Place broccoli florets into microwave steamer with about 1/4 inch of water. Cook on HIGH for 6 minutes. Spread florets on cutting board to cool; coarsely chop.

In a large bowl, mix eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and milk until will blended. Stir in cheddar and Swiss.

In a prepared pie plate, layer broccoli. Pour egg and cheese mixture over broccoli. Sprinkle with Romano cheese. Bake at 400°F for 35 minutes, or until a knife, inserted into the center, comes out clean. Serves 4 (or 8 if you've had gastric surgery).

*CSA ingredients

Pork Loin

Okay, I admit it! I sometimes can still be a lazy chef. When I cooked meat in the past, especially when cooking in a slow cooker, I often (almost always) skipped the searing step. With stews and fatty meats it didn't seem to make a big difference, so I just kept doing it. However, when cooking lean meats, the slow cooker always seemed to dry them out and make them fall apart and become stringy. Yesterday, I decided to try, once again, to cook a pork tenderloin in the slow cooker. I had finally purchased some nice smoked paprika last week, so I was looking for a paprikash recipe.  In my search, I found this interesting balsamic and paprika pork loin recipe and decided to give it a try. After finishing the dish, I have made a vow to never skip the searing step again!

 Balsamic and Smoked Paprika Glazed Pork Tenderloin
 Adapted from: www.porkbeinspired.com/RecipeView.aspx?RID=2213

• 1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin*, trimmed
•  1 tsp kosher salt
•  1 tsp fresh ground pepper
•  2 Tbsp olive oil
•   1 14-1/2 oz can whole tomatoes, broken up
•  1 medium sweet onion*, sliced
•  1 red bell pepper*, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic*, minced
• 2 cups homemade chicken stock*
• 5 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp honey*
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika

Pat pork dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Sear tenderloin on all sides until browned, about 1 minute on each side.

Place undrained tomatoes, onion, bell pepper and garlic in bottom of the slow cooker. Place pork tenderloins on top. Combine stock, vinegar, honey and paprika in a medium bowl; Pour mixture over pork and vegetables and cook on HIGH for 3 hours. Occasionally stir ingredients to ensure even cooking.

Remove tenderloins and rest, tented, for 10minutes. Slice in thick slices.

I served over an Italian quinoa pilaf.

*CSA ingredients

Aloo Gobi

My absolute favorite Indian dish is Aloo Gobi. There is something about the combination of potato and cauliflower in those wonderful Indian spices that is just comforting tome. The trouble is, like many comfort foods, the dish lacks protein. So, I set forth to attempt to make an Aloo Gobi with garbanzo beans to add a protein punch. While the following recipe was okay, I really need to explore the idea of making my own curry mix. The store bought curries are never quite right. The original recipe also did not have enough tomato, so I adjusted that in my finished dish.

Slow Cooker Aloo Gobi with Chickpeas
 Adapted from: http://www.domesticdivasblog.com/2010/02/meatless-monday-slow-cooked-cauliflower.html

• 1/2 head of golden cauliflower*, chopped
• 1/2 head Romanesco cauliflower*, chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas with carrots
• 2 cups red potatoes*, chopped
• 1 14 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with chiles
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 onion*, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves*, chopped
• 2 cups homemade chicken stock*
• salt and pepper

Place all of the ingredients except the salt, pepper and rice into the slower cooker.  Stir to combine.  Cook on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours, or until the vegetables are tender.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*CSA ingredients

Stewing Time

I don't think I could tell you the last time I made a beef stew.  It has to have been over a year now.  So, my goal this week was to put together a beef stew in the crockpot.  Stew is such a great dish for using the vegetables that we get in the fall.  Especially root vegetables like carrots and turnips.  I found out today that we are getting rutabaga this week, so I guess I should have tried to put this off another couple days, but I didn't know that last night.  So, instead of adding rutabaga to this stew, I just used up the turnips that I had in my last bag.  I decided on this recipe because it sounded different and interesting.  And I will tell you that my apartment smelled wonderful this morning when I woke up (yes, I do choose recipes for the crockpot that I think will smell good).

Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Root Vegetables
Adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robin-miller/slow-cooker-beef-with-root-vegetables-recipe/index.html?nl=EATS_110409_12

• 1 onion*, chopped
• 4 small Yukon gold potatoes*, quartered
• 2 carrots*, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium turnips*, peeled and chopped
• 2-pounds chuck roast. cut in 1-inch pieces
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 jar Clark Pope's Tomato Sauce* (16-oz)
• 1 jar Clark Pope's Roasted Cherry Tomatoes*
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Arrange onion, potatoes, carrots, and turnips in bottom of slow cooker. Season beef all over with salt and black pepper. Rub flour all over beef. Place beef on top of vegetables in slow cooker.

Whisk together tomato sauce,roasted tomatoes, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, mustard powder, and garlic powder. Pour mixture over beef. Cover and cook on LOW for 12 hours or on HIGH for 8 hours.

*CSA ingredients

Split Peas and Chorizo

It was a busy weekend with a trip home to Michigan. I picked up the CSA Friday night from Renee and received a really nice chorizo. Since it was thawed, I spent sometime while home looking for a slow-cooker recipe to use it. I figured I could throw it together before I went to bed when I got back to Cleveland. I very quickly ran across this comforting-sounding yellow split pea soup recipe.

 Yellow Split Pea Soup with Chorizo
 Adapted from: www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-yellow-pea-soup-with-chorizo-107162

•  1 (16-oz) pkg dried yellow split peas
•  2-1/2 cups homemade vegetable stock*
•  2 medium carrots*, sliced
•  2 cups water
•  1/2 tsp fresh-ground pepper
•  1 tsp salt-free spicy seasoning blend
•  2 small potatoes*, peeled and diced
•  1/2 medium red pepper*, diced
•  2 cups fresh com kernels*
• 8 oz chorizo sausage*

 Combine all ingredients in Crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours until split peas are cooked.

*CSA ingredients   

Beans and Kale

Today's soup helps me to use up a couple items I generally have trouble using up. The original recipe calls for white beans, but I figured it would taste just as good with black truth beans. Actually, now that it's done, I kind of like the contrast with the green kale. I was a little worried when I woke this morning because this soup looks a little plain without the kale, but I tasted it before adding the kale and it's quite tasty. I also want to note that I did not have celery, but I had a beautiful bunch of but greens. The stems have the same texture as celery and cook about the same. I substituted the stems for the celery and that worked very nicely.

 Sausage Bean Soup with Kale
 Adapted from: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/slow-cooker-white-bean-soup-with-andouille-and-collards-00000000052371/index.html

• 1  pound  dried beans* (I used black turtle beans)
• 1/2  pound  andouille sausage links*, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 
• 1  large onion*, chopped 
• 1 bunch stems from beets*, chopped
• 8  cups  homemade chicken stock*
• 1  bunch  kale*, stems discarded and leaves cut into bite-size pieces (about 8 cups) 
• 1  tablespoon  red wine vinegar 
• kosher salt and black pepper 

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the beans, sausage, onion, and beet stems. Add the broth and stir to combine.
2. Cover and cook until the beans are tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total cooking time).
3. Twenty minutes before serving, add the kale, cover, and cook until the greens are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the vinegar and salt and pepper, as needed.

  * CSA ingredients

Broccoli

Today did not go as planned, but I had a productive day. This week, Renee is off celebrating her anniversary, so the share is all mine. Of course, it would be a bag full of green vegetables. That includes a huge head of broccoli. Since I know that can go bad quickly, I decided to use that first. I have never made broccoli soup before, but I know it's easy to sneak protein into that versatile soup, so that's where I started.

 Broccoli Soup with White Cheddar
 Adapted from: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1848,152190-246196,00.html

•  1 large head broccoli*
• 2 c. water 
• 3 cups homemade vegetable stock*
• 1 tsp. dried whole marjoram 
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• 1/8 tsp. pepper 
• 2 lg. carrots*, scraped & sliced 
• 1 med. candy onion*, quartered
• 2 cups sharp white cheddar, shredded
• 1/2 c. skim milk

 Trim leaves and tough ends of lower stalks from broccoli. Cut into 1" pieces; set aside.

Combine broccoli and remaining ingredients except cheddar and milk in a Dutch oven; cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Remove 2 cups broccoli flowerets from soup mixture with a slotted spoon; set aside. Spoon half of soup mixture into container of an electric blender; process until smooth. Repeat with remaining soup mixture.

Return soup mixture to Dutch oven; stir in cheddar and heat until cheese melts. Stir in milk and reserved flowerets.

Cook soup over low heat, stirring constantly, until thoroughly heated.

*CSA ingredients

Vegetable Stock

Today, I decided to try my hand at making vegetable stock. I received 5 ears of com this week and undertook to cut the kernelsfrom the cobs. Ihad read, somewhere, that the stripped cobs can be used to make vegetable stock. I also had some leftoveronion which I chunked up to add to the cobs. When I looked at the rest of my produce stock, I found carrots, radishes, and roasted garlic, as well as a blend of fresh herbs (thyme, sage & rosemary). I decided this blend would make a lovely stock.

 Slow-cooker Vegetable Stock

•  5 corn cobs*, stripped of kernels
•  1/3 large sweet onion*, cut in chunks
•  2 large late carrots*, cleaned and cut in chunks
•  6 radishes*, cut in half
•  6 cloves roasted garlic
•  1 bunch fresh herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary)
•  kosher salt
•  Water

 Place all vegetables and herbs into slow-cooker. Add water to cover. Cover and cook 3-4 hours on HIGH. Adjust seasoning. Cook 10-15 minutes longer to blend flavors. Drain stock into a bowl; draining through a sieve or colander. Cool and freeze for later use.

*CSA ingredients

Fall Soup

Between my CSA share and my husband's cousin, I ended up with a variety of winter squashes. I decided with the recent change in weather, Squash Soup would be a comforting change. As I usually do, I hit the internet for ideas and found a recipe for Roasted Squash Soup that uses several types of winter squash. Since Ihad butternut, acorn and spaghetti squash, I decided to use this recipe as a basis for my version.

 Roasted Winter Squash Soup
Adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-squash-soup/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=roasted%20squash%20soup&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

• 1 1/2 pounds butternut squash*, halved and seeded
• 1 acorn squash*, halved and seeded
• 1/2 small spaghetti squash*, halved and seeded
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion*, chopped
• 6 cloves roasted garlic*, minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 Gala apples* - peeled, cored and chopped
• 2/3 cup white wine
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place the squash, cut side down, on baking sheets and roast for 45 minutes, or until flesh is soft. Scoop out the flesh into a large bowl.
3. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the oil. Saute the onion, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook 1 minute. Add the apples and sherry and simmer for 10 minutes, or until apples soften.
4. Puree batches of the squash flesh and broth in a food processor or blender. Transfer the squash puree to a large saucepan. Puree the apple/sherry mixture and stir into pureed squash.
5. Heat over medium heat and season with salt, pepper and cayenne, to taste. 

 *CSA ingredients

Potatoes and Leeks

This weekend, I went to a birthday party for my husband's aunt's 90th birthday. While there, his cousin, Rene, offered everyone squash and leeks. I managed to come away with 2 large, beautiful leeks, 2 acorn squash and 1 small spaghetti squash. Since we got potatoes in the last share, I decided to try my hand at potato leek soup. Now, I usually spend a lot of time searching recipes and making a gameplan, but this morning I was in a hurry, so I just threw things in my Crockpot and went to work. I will admit I had some anxiety, and there are some things I would do differently next time, but overall, I ended up with a very tasty soup.

 Potato Leek Soup with Cheddar and Bacon

•  2 large leeks
•  8 small potatoes* 
• 3 medium carrots*
•  32 oz chicken stock
•  2 cups water
• 1 sprig sage
•  1/2 1b bacon
•  2 cups shredded cheese (I used extra sharp white cheddar)

 Trim the leek (use only light green/white part). Cut in half lengthwise and wash out sand. Thinly slice the leeks. Add to the Crockpot.

 Peel and chunk the potatoes; add to the Crockpot. Peel the carrots and cut to 1-inch pieces; add to the Crockpot. Pour chicken stock and water over the vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

Cool soup slightly and blend,using an immersion blenderor regular blender, until chunky. Return to Crockpot, add cooked, crumbled bacon, cheese and sage. Cook until cheese is melted and sage has flavored the soup. Remove sage and adjust seasoning (salt and pepper) if needed.

Note: while this soup turned out very tasty, you could probably double the potatoes and carrots and have a much heartier soup. Also, I prefer sharp cheeses in these types of soups, but you could just as easily use mild cheddar or Swiss if you prefer.

* CSA ingredients

Eggplant

We actually seem to have gotten more eggplant this year than last.  If you have followed my blog, you know that I love ratatouille, however, because of my dietary needs due to gastric surgery, that is no longer a dish that I can enjoy as an entree.  So I have been trying to find ways to use eggplant in dishes that are higher in protein and more appropriate for my dietary needs.

As I was perusing eggplant recipes, there seemed to be a theme of tomato based eggplant stew recipes.  Many with beef, a couple just vegetarian, and even a couple that had chickpeas in them.  The one combination that I DO like is eggplant and lamb.  I have loved moussaka since I was a child, but that type of casserole seems to be difficult for me these days.  However, I did have some ground lamb in my refrigerator and decided to take all of the eggplant stew recipe ideas, but use lamb and garbanzo beans for my protein.  I am happy to say that I was able to share this lovely stew with my mom who had come to visit for the night.  It was kind of neat to have the stew fresh with crostata and boursin cheese on the side and then to be able to send some of the stew home with her so Dad could enjoy some too.  The recipe that became the base of the stew will be referenced below:

Eggplant Stew with Lamb and Garbanzo Beans
Adapted from: http://teriskitchen.com/soups/eggplant-b.html

• About 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion*, chopped
• 1 red pepper*, chopped
• 2 medium rainbow carrots*, chopped
• 8 oz button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves*, minced
• 2 medium eggplants* 1/2" dice (I used one purple and one white)
• 2 cans (28-oz) whole tomatoes in juice, hand-crushed
• 1 can (28-ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups homemade chicken stock*
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon dried marjoram leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 lb ground lamb, sauteed
• 1 (15-oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• Freshly grated Romano cheese

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add onion, pepper and carrots, stir and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms and garlic, toss and cook about 2 minutes.  Add eggplant, tomatoes, stock, water and spices.  Heat to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Saute lamb in a skillet, drain and add to the stew.  Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans and add to the stew.  Cover and cook about 30 minutes, or until eggplant is cooked through.  Adjust seasoning as needed.  Serve with fresh Romano cheese.

*CSA ingredients

Minestrone

I will be the first to admit that despite my Italian heritage, I have never dabbled in trying to make a minestrone.  However, I ended up with many of the ingredients to do just that with this past week's CSA, so I decided to play around and see if I could manage to do the soup justice.  Let me first mention here that I love making soups in my Crockpot.  It just makes life easier because I don't have to watch it and stir it every few minutes, etc.  So, while this is a minestrone-like soup, I wouldn't call is a real minestrone.  I am not sure than most people would know the difference, so in the end I could probably call it minestrone, but I do feel a little strange putting it out there as such.  You can be the judge.  Oh, yeah, and there is one other thing.  The recipes all call for carrots, which I did not have.  I did, however, have golden beets, so I chose to substitute those for the carrots.  It seemed to have worked, although, again, normally, you do not have beets in a minestrone.

Crockpot Vegetable "Minestrone"

• 2 cups chopped cabbage*
• 1 bunch Swiss chard*, stems and leaves chopped
• 6 Roma tomatoes*, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 3 golden beets*, quartered and sliced
• 1/2 medium Cousa zucchini*,  cut in thirds and sliced
• 4 cups chicken stock*
• 1 (15-oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Place all ingredients, except parmesan, into crock of Crockpot.  Cook on HIGH for 1 hour, then reduce heat to LOW and cook for 6-8 hours or until cabbage is tender.  Adjust seasoning.  Serve sprinkled with fresh parmesan.

*CSA ingredients 

Using Up Summer Produce

One of the advantages of moving is that you can get a really good look at what is in your freezer.  Yes, I am one of those people who puts things in the freezer and forgets about it.  In the move, I discovered that I had an uncured smoked ham hock.  I also had bags of homemade chicken stock.  So, I again decided that I needed to make a soup.  The nice thing about the end of summer is that we get quite a hodgepodge of produce.  I have been trying to decide what to do with certain items: zucchini, the excess of tomatoes, a pattypan squash, etc.  So, last night, I put the stock, the ham hock, and some of this produce into the crockpot and made a vegetable soup.  Please note, this soup will work with whatever produce you might have available, however, if you would like to use Swiss chard, spinach, kale or beet greens in place of the collard greens, save them until the last hour of cooking.  Collard Greens require longer cooking than the other greens. 

"Potluck" Crockpot Vegetable Soup

• 4 cups homemade chicken stock*
• 1 large uncured, smoked ham hock*
• 1 medium pattypan squash*, cut into 8 wedges and then sliced thin
• 1 medium zucchini squash*, cut in quarters lengthwise and then sliced thin
• 2 medium slicing tomatoes*, diced
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels* (from approx 2 cobs)
• 1 Tbsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp dried thyme 
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1 small bunch collard greens*, stems removed and cut to bite-sized pieces

Place all ingredients in crock of Crockpot.  Cook on HIGH for 1 hour.  Reduce heat to LOW and cook 6-8 hours or until vegetables are cooked.  Remove ham hock; cool.  Pull meat from ham hock and shred; return to Crockpot.  Heat through.  Adjust seasoning as needed.

*CSA ingredients

A Different Beet Soup

I've been trying to decide what to do with all the beets we've gotten over the last few weeks. I was looking for something different this time and in searching for recipes, kept running across recipes for spicy beet soups. Since we received a variety of hot peppers last week, I decided to give one a try. The jalapeno and cumin gave the soup a nice smoky taste, sort of like I roasted the beets instead of boiled them.

Spicy Beet Soup
 Adapted from: http://www.newcoventgardensoup.com/members-soups/olympic-spicy-beetroot-and-carrot-soup

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb beets*
• 1 medium onion*
• 1 jalapeno*
• 1 large carrot*
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp ground ginger
• 2 cups homemade chicken stock*
• kosher salt, to taste

Trim stems and carefully wash beets. Cover with water and boil 20-30 minutes until fork tender. Cool and peel; cut into large chunks and place in blender.

 Finely dice onion and jalapeno; dice carrot. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute vegetables in oil 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add stock, cumin, ginger and salt, if needed,  to pot; boil for 10 min or until carrots are tender. Pour into blender. Puree until smooth.

*CSA ingredients

Chorizo and Corn

I have the most amazing smell in my apartment right now! I had thawed a pound of local chorizo this week. I also had six ears of corn I needed to use. So, as I usually do, I  Googled recipes with these ingredients. There are a lot of ideas out there from frittatas to soup. I finally decided on a chorizo and black bean soup made with a beer base. I just happen to have a partial 6-pack of Oktoberfest in the refrigerator and thought that would make an interesting base. I have to say it was interesting starting this today because I am still unpacking my kitchen. It was an adventure going through bags and boxes to find everything I needed. There were some ingredients I didn't have, so , I just increased the corn and added a poblano pepper as a substitute.

 Black Bean Chorizo Soup with Beer
 Adapted from: http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Negra-Modelo-Chorizo-_-Black-Bean-Soup-Recipezaar

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
•  1 lb chorizo*
•  1 lg onion*, diced
•  1 red pepper*, diced
•  1 poblano pepper*, diced
•  3 cloves garlic *, minced
•  2 quarts water
•   36 oz beer (l used Oktoberfest)
•  4 cups fresh corn kernels *, (from approx. 6 ears corn)
•  2 (15-oz) cans black beans, with liquid
• 1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
•  1 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
•  1/2 tsp fresh-ground pepper
•  2 Tbsp lime juice

 Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and cook, breaking the chorizo up as you cook, until pink.

 
Dice the onion and peppers; mince garlic.

Add vegetables to chorizo; cook until onion is translucent.

Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 2 hours or until vegetables are cooked.

Note: I did not have carrots this time, but I think I would add them if I did to make this even heartier. Because of the bean liquid, I didn't feel this soup needed anymore salt, however, feel free to add salt if you feel it's needed You may also add cayenne if you want more spice.

 *CSA ingredients

Hash, Microwave Style

I am in the middle of moving and up to yesterday didn't have a working stove. I turned out that the gas was shut off. It was turned back on while I was teaching yesterday. So, yesterday morning, I decided to get creative in cooking eggs. I searched the web for creative ways to cook hard-boiled eggs. I didn't have an oven either, so I thought maybe I could use my rice cooker. Believe it or not, it worked!

 Rice Cooker Hard Boiled Eggs

• 4 farm-fresh eggs*

 Line rice cooker bowl with 3-4 moist paper towels. Place eggs on towels. Cook on white rice setting. Depending how you like your yolks, allow to sit up to 2 minutes when cooking is done. Put eggs in cold water for 5 minutes to stop cooking.

 Note: My husband prefers medium-cooked eggs. I don't think that's exactly possible, but next time I will cool the eggs as soon as the timer goes off.

 For carbohydrates, I decided to cook potatoes in the microwave. We had gotten a bag of small potatoes in the last CSA bag. Here's how I cooked them.

 Microwave Potatoes

• 4 small potatoes*
•  salt and pepper, to taste

Large dice the potatoes and place in a microwave-safe cooker. Cover and cook on high 3 minutes. Stir potatoes and cook on high 3 to 5 minutes longer (depending on microwave power). Allow potatoes to sit in closed cooker 2-3 minutes to finish cooking. Check to see if potatoes are fluffy. If not done, cook in intervals of 1 minute until cooked. Be careful to not overcook as potatoes tendto get mushy when overcooked in the microwave.

My husband reminded me late last night that I had a leftover bratwurst in the refrigerator. Since we haven't brought the pan over that I normally use for hard-cooking eggs, I decided to try making hash in the microwave starting with the above microwave potato recipe.

 Microwave Potato Hash

•  5 small farm-fresh potatoes*
•  1 green onion bratwurst*, cooked
• 3 farm-fresh eggs*
•  salt and pepper, to taste

 Large dice potatoes and place in microwave cooker. Cook on high for 3 minutes. Stir eggs and cook an additional 3-5 minutes. In the meantime, slice cooked bratwurst.  Add the bratwurst to the potatoes and stir to combine.  Careful break eggs on top of mixture. Cook an additional 1 minute per egg. Allow to stand in closed cooker 1-3 minutes to finish cooking.

*CSA ingredients

Italian Eggs

As I was refiling emails last night, I came across a recipe idea for Italian eggs. I have this love affair with eggs cooked in sauces and salsas. It started with my brother and has grown as I've experimented over the last year.

This morning, I decided to play with this idea again. Given that I have fresh slow-roasted heirloom tomato sauce, I decided to add Genoa salami and see what we get. This recipe was prepared on stovetop and I am still learning how long you need to cook the egg. Today, it turned out medium. I, personally, prefer a runny yolk, but this was still very tasty.

Italian Egg

• 1/2 cup slow roasted heirloom tomato sauce* (http://csafoodie.blogspot.com/2012/08/italian-eggs.html)
• 2 thin slices Genoa salami
• 1 large egg*

Cut salami into thin strips. Heat a small skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat. Cook salami until translucent.  Add sauce and heat, stirring, until warmed through. Reduce heat to low. Make a hole in the center of the sauce with a spoon. Crack egg onto a small plate. Then carefully pour egg into depression so that the yolk and most of the egg are in the hole (some whites may escape). Cover and 4-6 minutes (for medium egg use 6 min), or to desired doneness.













 

*CSA ingredients