4 (!) pounds mixed fruit; plouts, apriums, white nectarines (I was able to pick how many of each I wanted)
1 basket of strawberries (already half gone)
1 bunch of joy and meiking choi or kale (I chose the choi mix)
1 bag of loose leaf lettuce
1 bunch onion scapes
1 head pink blush garlic
1 bunch rosemary or chives (I chose chives)
rosemary focaccia bread sprinkled with salt & pepper
The only oddities for me this week are the choi and onion scapes. Ok, the chives too... I'm just not a huge onion fan (I am learning though), but I didn't want the rosemary because I already have a big bush that I never cut from. If you have a good choi recipe, please share it!
This was waiting for me when I got home from the farm...
I don't plan on becoming a vegetarian (ever), but I've heard a lot of good things about this book, and decided to add it to my library. My goal is to up our vegetarian meals from 1 every 1-2 weeks to 2 a week. I also want to add more whole grains to the diet, and from what I've seen, vegetarian meals are loaded with them.
So, are you wondering how things went with last week's shares (say yes!)? I did pretty well getting things used up, and there wasn't too much grumbling going on at the table...
What's left:
red onion
lemons (When I needed to use a lemon I realized these are actually Meyers, so I haven't used 'em yet).
A teeny bit of kale
What I made:
All of the fruit were eaten raw with lunches, and as dinner sides, so they were easy to get rid of. The butter lettuce was a new variety for us, but again, easy to eat up since salads are the norm here...
The kale and fava beans were the biggies for me. After lots of searching, I ended up making these:
Pork Chops Stuffed with Kale and Mushrooms
I replaced the sage with 3Tbs thyme, and added extra garlic. Boy Wonder's response was, "This, actually isn't that bad, Mom." Success!
2 pound favas, taken out of the pods
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup onions, chopped
olive oil
Put the favas into boiling water for 1-2 minutes to blanch. Remove immediately, rinse in cold water. Take the outer shell off each fava bean. Return to the pan and cook just the inner brighter green beans in the heated oil with the garlic and onion for 2-3 minutes.
Oh! Because last week's caramelized onion and cheese baguette was so friggin' awesome, I made a few of my own. They were delicious but needed more cheese and onions--a lot more.
When I have an excess of greens like Tatsoi, Kale or Bok choy, I make a simple vegetarian dish that a friend taught me. Takes 15 minutes, tops. I take a package of EXTRA FIRM tofu, drained, and cubed into 1/2" or so pieces, and toss in a wok with 2 tbsp of oil on high heat until the edges are nice and crispy. Remove the tofu, and add 2-4 finely chopped garlic cloves, and 1-2 tbsp of freshly grated ginger (both to your taste) and cook for a minute or two until aromatic and lightly golden. Toss the tofu back in the pan, add 1/2 cup teriyaki (like Soy Vay) stir and cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Pile your washed, chopped greens in the pan, and put the lid on just long enough to wilt the greens 2-3 minutes. Remove the lid and stir together. serve over jasmine rice, and I sometimes sprinkle some toasted chopped cashews over the plate if I have them handy. I've also made it without the tofu, just the greens, garlic, ginger, and teriyaki, but it's better with the tofu if you like it. It's a fast dish, which is great for a busy week night.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the book idea...my mom has changed her diet to pretty much vegetatian and I think DH wants to try to do some vegetatian meals to help him lose a bit of weight. I'll have to check into it!
ReplyDeleteThat pork chop recipe looks good too.
Curbstone~Thanks for the recipe. It sounds delicious and easy ta' boot! I'm going to give it a try this weekend (after I pick up some tofu).
ReplyDeleteShawn Ann~This book is huge. It should be called an encyclopedia! I looked through the book for about 30min yesterday, and it's a great book for someone who's never cooked before. It explains the basics of cutting, holding a knife, different styles of heat... And after only the 1st chapter (salads), I have a lot tabbed! I can't wait to try some recipes...
those pork chops look amazing!
ReplyDeleteErin~Thanks! They were really great--perfectly moist...The first night... I tend to make extra meat so I only have to cook the main part of the meal every other day or so, and the pork wasn't as good as leftovers. The bread crumbs became mushy, and the pork was a little dryer than the 1st night. Still tasted good with though!
ReplyDeleteI just picked up my first CSA from our local farmers market. I'm so excited! Everything was so fresh. The pork chops look fantastic!
ReplyDeleteMother Rimmy~Thanks for stopping by (and for your delicious recipes). I look forward to seeing how you utilize your CSA shares.
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