Fall CSA - Week 1

Last week reinforced my love for the CSA, and I was so grateful to have our share back that I even decided to try eggplant again.  Since Davy and I both didn't hate last year's fish-fragrant eggplant, I decided to try it again.  There was also a small amount of okra that I hadn't really planned anything for, and it made sense to throw them in with the eggplant.  

The okra worked very well with this preparation.  It retained its texture without being slimy, and the seeds popped pleasantly when I bit down on them.  It's not the prettiest dish, or at least it wasn't when I made it, so I didn't take any pictures of the final product.  Our main course that night was Asian turkey burger sliders which didn't photograph well but were flavorful and moist.  We topped them with sauteed onions and a delicious carrot habanero hot sauce from our friend Travis.

Our yellow wax beans were crunchy and made a refreshing accompaniment to takeout from 8 1/2 (pizza, spaghetti carbonara and an arugula/mozzarella/prosciutto hero).  Similarly, I blanched and sauteed the broccoli rabe to have alongside a leftover sandwich from Secco.  Lunch at Secco is just as delectable as dinner, and the prices are just as reasonable.  I even threw in the remaining fried chickpeas with the broccoli rabe, and they added a lovely saltiness and contrasting texture to the greens.


On Tuesday we had a large dinner salad with romaine, grilled chicken, feta, tomato, sweet peppers, and cucumber dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. It was simple but extremely fresh and satisfying, especially as we grasp at the end of summer vegetables.

Davy used the other sweet pepper and some of the basil to make me an omelet with lots of feta.  Again, it was nice to taste summery flavors even though the temperatures are cooling off.


This is one of my favorite times of the year because I'm excited about so many types of food - the last of light, summer meals as well as the more comforting dishes that suggest autumn and colder weather.  I feel fortunate to have the CSA as an excuse to take advantage of it all.  

CSA Meals - Week 14

Looking back over my notes from last week's dinners, I realized that everything I made was (unintentionally) vegetarian.  This occurred partly because Davy went on a fishing excursion that yielded several pounds of mahi mahi, and also because I was on my own for more than one dinner during Week 14.


My solo meal on Tuesday night consisted of a typical pasta dish: whole wheat and regular penne fresh tomato, baby zucchini, garlic, mushrooms, pine nuts, and basil.  

Two nights later, I branched out and experimented with cacik, a Turkish yogurt dip/soup that I saw on Big Girls Small Kitchen.  The cucumber was from my garden, and it was somewhat bitter, but the tomato I used was juicy and sweet.   

I enjoyed the dish until I was about halfway done; I felt full, but not totally satisfied, and the recipe was meant to serve one.  There's a good chance that I didn't water it down correctly, and that I should have cut the cucumber into smaller pieces, but the idea of cacik was more appealing to me than the food itself.


My other new recipe venture was more successful.  I'd almost forgotten how wonderful roasted tomatoes are until a recipe for Roasted Tomato Lentil Salad with Crispy Shallots from Serious Eats reminded me.  The salad hits several different flavor targets (sweet, tangy, savory, etc.) and is extremely healthy. I had to use vinegar instead of lemon, because I forgot to purchase one during my three trips to the grocery store in two days.  I also substituted feta for goat cheese, because I had feta and because Davy doesn't love goat cheese like I do. 

We ate the lentils in whole wheat pita pockets, though I almost think I'd prefer the salad on its own or over some greens.  

On Sunday we defrosted some of the mahi filets to make ceviche.  We used tomatoes and sweet peppers from the share, and caught up on Breaking Bad while scooping the fish out of a big bowl with tortilla chips.  

Before we put the leftovers in the fridge, I drained most of the juice so the fish wouldn't disintegrate into an inedible texture.  We were able to use the rest in fish tacos the following night, and we ate sauteed zucchini on the side. The baby zucchini was incredibly tender and didn't need much time in the pan after I'd thinly sliced it.  I used garlic, chili flakes, toasted pine nuts, and feta to make it a little more interesting, and I couldn't wait to get my fork into the rest of it the next day.

I'm certainly not drifting into vegetarian territory anytime soon, but I have really enjoyed our produce this summer, and it's comforting to know that dinners without meat can taste so good - as long as they're not comprised mainly of yogurt, and they don't include eggplant.

CSA Meals - Week 9

My default cuisine, especially in the summer, is Italian.  Something about the combination of multiple vegetables and the abundance of basil always inspires me to make pasta, pizza, or risotto.  


Week 9 was no exception.  I combined the remaining zucchini and corn from the Fourth of July extravaganza with arugula, raw green beans, thyme, lemon juice, and tomatoes to make a tasty salad.  It didn't have typical Italian flavors, but using the ends of several different dishes to produce something new is a very Italian technique.

I employed the same method on Wednesday and used cherry tomatoes, arugula, and more of the Brigid's Abbey cheese in a pasta dish for lunch.  The cheese lent the perfect "saline funk" (the appropriate words Melissa Clark used to describe a pecorino) to the plain pasta and fresh vegetables.   

That night for dinner we used more of the arugula to imitate 8 1/2's arugula, prosciutto and mozzarella hero.  Davy even got the rolls and mozzarella from 8 1/2, and the prosciutto from the butcher.  By now I don't need to describe how much we love these ingredients together, but hopefully the pictures do them justice.  We also had a cucumber, tomato, and feta salad to complete the meal.

Our bag of arugula seemed never-ending, though it help up nicely for the whole week.  On Sunday I made myself an arugula and feta omelet, and on Monday I finished it off in a risotto tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, onions, garlic, and basil.


I sauteed the garlic, onion and zucchini, and added the tomatoes and arugula after I'd turned off the burner.  When the risotto was ready, I was able to unload all of the contents in the pan, as well as three cheeses (fresh mozzarella, Brigid's Abbey and parmesan), and we had a wholesome one pot meal for dinner and lunch the following day.  If I lived in Italy, I would have used the risotto to make arancini during my siesta the next day, but for now, I'll have to be content with mimicking the cuisine as well as I can from Richmond.

CSA Meals - Week 8

Due to the exciting three day holiday weekend, I stuck to basic and quick meals during Week 8: pasta with pesto and cucumber and tomato salad; tuna salad with cucumber, tomato, parsley, feta, lemon juice, and homegrown greens from our garden over toast; grilled mahi mahi fish tacos garnished with cabbage and spring onions, along with grilled carrots and spring onions.  There are pictures of some of the highlights below, minus the fish itself, which I forgot to photograph.  I hope you all had a nice Fourth of July!

CSA Meals - Week 7

To kick off Week 7, we got subs from 8 1/2 and had the first cucumber and tomato salad of the year.  I never get over how such simple ingredients (cucumber, tomato, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, salt, pepper) can turn into such a subliminal combination of tastes.  This year's tomato crop has been sweet and beautiful so far, perfect for my staple summertime salad.

The next night we raided the fridge to eliminate some of last week's stragglers, and wound up with kale and potato quesadillas.  The kale and potatoes were already cooked, so they took almost no time at all to make.  I need to remember that almost all vegetables taste good encased in a tortilla, warmed with cheese, and served with salsa.


Last Thursday was the NBA Draft, which has turned into a notable event in our house.  I got some frozen Trader Joe's goodies (including the transcendent fried mac and cheese balls), and made sauteed cabbage to ensure that we consumed something healthy that evening.  The cabbage, as I mentioned in Week 6, had the appropriate balance of tenderness and crunch, and with soy sauce and sesame oil, blended in nicely with the rest of our spread.


The final culinary endeavor of the week was a white pizza.  We'd obtained a beautiful piece of Brigid's Abbey cheese from River City Cellars, and I shaved several pieces off to layer onto the pizza crust.  For the next layer, I sauteed a small portion of one of Shannon's giant zucchinis with onions and garlic until the onions were transparent and the zucchini started to soften around the edges.  The vegetables went on top of the cheese, followed by a sprinkling of red pepper flakes, grated parmesan, and additional shavings of the creamy Brigid's Abbey.

We let the pizza warm up for five minutes in the oven, then added chopped tomato, and put it back in for a few more minutes.  The cheese had a hint of brown when I pulled the pizza out and sprinkled it with several leaves of amethyst basil.  

It was an aesthetically pleasing pizza, and also loyal to the season, which made it all the more satisfying to devour.  As long as the tomatoes continue to be this wonderful, I'm going to try to use them in dishes that aren't (all) salads featuring them with cucumber.

CSA Meals - Week 2

If I can help it, I like to make one pot meals, or at least use multiple types of vegetables in one dish.  Surprisingly, Davy and I don't eat a lot of salads, even though they lend themselves to using a variety of ingredients.


Soup, on the other hand, is one of my favorite things to make and to eat, even in hot weather.  Last Wednesday I used the garlic scallions, kale, and broccoli rabe from our to make a vegetable soup.  Sauteed carrot and celery, along with the scallions, formed the base.  Once they were cooked through, I added a little wine, then homemade chicken stock, and petite diced tomatoes. 


I blanched the broccoli rabe separately from the soup pot, fearing that the bitter flavor would leach out into the broth.  The contents got a good hour or so to simmer together before I added the greens (broccoli rabe and kale) and a can of cannellini beans.  

I flavored the soup with some rosemary sprigs and parmesan rinds, but it still needed salt, pepper, grated parmesan, and oil to make it really tasty.


Thursday was the exception to the rare salad rule.  I was on my own for dinner, and decided to make use of the nice lettuce mix.  Pistachios, a hard-boiled egg, feta, and a sliced radish made the salad more interesting and substantial.    


I blanched the remaining greens, which consisted mustard greens, mizuna and a few other Asian varieties.  I froze about a quarter of them, and used the rest to lighten up a big bowl of sesame noodles (my uncle's recipe), along with frozen edamame.    

The turnips from Fertile Crescent Farm have been large and gorgeous this spring.  Normally I don't get excited about turnips, but I was intrigued when I realized I could mash them and then make them into cakes to pan fry.

As you can see, the cakes weren't overly sturdy, and I didn't do a great job of flipping them, but they were very tasty.  Despite the fact that they were cooked in butter, I still felt healthy eating them alongside of a salad.


We're left with some nice-looking radishes and some salad mix, but considering all of the extras Adam and Darbi have been giving us, I feel good about how many vegetables we ate in a week.  One dish dinners are a convenient and easy way to consume a lot of produce, even if you have to resort to a salad to do so.