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 4

My creativity in the kitchen seemed to have departed with the month of May, at least for the first half of the week.  The produce we received in Week 4 was varied and included some of my favorite vegetables, broccoli and spinach, but I didn't make anything special with them.  The familiar veggies lent themselves to habitual preparations. 


We ate some of the leftover quiche with sauteed spinach for dinner one night, which is one of the most common ways that we eat spinach.  On Thursday I made a salad for lunch using some cucumber, and both the romaine and more bitter curly endive for a nice mix of flavors.  We ate fajitas for dinner, made with garlic scapes, onion, sweet peppers, and leftover grilled chicken.  

Our green side was steamed broccoli - another standard at our house.


After two days of attending festivals (the Greek Fest and Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival), things got a little more interesting.  I made a stir fry with bok choy, squash, and the garlic scapes to eat with some boxed macaroni and cheese.  

I used some of the ingredients I'd purchased for my attempt at fish-fragrant eggplant last year, including dark soy sauce, bean paste with chili, and rice vinegar.  The dish tasted way better than eggplant, and had a spicy, rich flavor while still tasting fresh.  I would definitely use this technique again with different combinations of veggies, and it would be easy to add in meat or seafood and rice to make it a full meal.

I made this Lentil Kohlrabi Salad on Monday evening because I was at a complete loss as to how to use my kohlrabi.  I've eaten it in the past, mostly roasted with root vegetables, but was never really wild about it.  The salad recipe caught my eye because I had almost everything for it at home already, and my friend came over with a loaf of cheese bread to round out our dinner.


After several years of putting sunflower seeds on salad, I got sick of them and no longer keep them in the freezer.  I used a combination of chopped pistachios and peanuts for crunch and to try to mimic the soft nuttiness of sunflower seeds. 


Considering how often I use cumin for Southwest/Mexican food, and sesame oil for Asian food, I was a little hesitant that the combination of the two would result in a pleasurable taste.  Somehow they blend together perfectly, both brightening and enhancing the lentils and kohlrabi.  This is another dish that would be a great meal for a hot summer night and packed lunches on the following day(s).  

I didn't use the remaining lettuce or curly endive, but the Lentil Kohlrabi Salad re-inspired me to stay away from my fallback kitchen habits and continue to try recipes that highlight the fresh produce we're getting.