Food In Many Forms

This week's share: - Eggplant - Yellow squash - Hot peppers - Potatoes - Heirloom tomatoes - Baby tomatoes - Cantaloupe - Beets - Cucumbers - Garlic Until today, I had only managed to cut up the cantaloupe from the share this week. I could smell it ripening on the counter. So I needed an easy way to use up a few different vegetables today and came up with a pasta primavera. Every vegetable, apart from the additional small peppers, came from the farm share. Epicurious adds lemon zest, pine nuts, and crushed red pepper, which might some good ideas for next time. Farfalle Primavera INGREDIENTS 1 purple pepper, thinly sliced 2-3 small red & orange peppers 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced 1/2 large yellow squash, thinly sliced 1 cup baby tomatoes, halved 2 small carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 cup fresh basil 4-5 cloves garlic, crushed 8 oz farfalle pasta 1/4 cup grated Parmesan 2 Tbsp Olive oil Salt & pepper DIRECTIONS 1. Cook the pasta per package instructions, drain, and set as...

This week from the farm, we received: - Eggplant - Yellow squash - Fresh onion - Tomatoes - cherry, grape, peach, indigo, roma - Cucumbers - Carrots - Salad greens - Watermelon It's near the end of summer and that means all of the good stuff is coming in season! We got a beautiful little watermelon this week, and all the different color tomatoes are ready to pick. The heirloom tomatoes these past two weeks has made one of our favorite Chinese comfort foods extra delicious -  https://thewoksoflife.com/stir-fried-tomato-and-egg/ . The peppers and onions went into some enormous bean quesadillas. Then the leftover peppers went into a salad for lunch. The watermelon got sliced up for snacking and muddled into cocktails, like this one  https://leanneray.com/fresh-watermelon-mint-fizz/ . Hopefully, I can pickle some onions this week and snack my way through all the baby tomatoes.  Despite my best intentions to make zucchini muffins last week, I waited too long, and some of the z...

This week from the farm: - Beets - Carrots - Zucchini - Yellow squash - Salad greens - Cucumbers - Heirloom tomatoes - Baby tomatoes - Kale It must be peak tomato season because we got almost 3 lb of tomatoes, plus the ones we picked ourselves. I bought green peppers today to make a traditional Andalusian gazpacho with cucumbers, tomatoes, and garlic from the CSA. I am still getting way more zucchini than I know what to do with. A week or so ago, I roasted the squash in wedges with chunks of onion and made sandwiches with hummus and the roasted beets, tomato, and cucumber - I guess I will have to have repeat performance! The carrots were also accumulating in the fridge (I had about 2 weeks worth) so I decided to blanch and freeze them for later. I will definitely appreciate them next time I make stew. I only got 2 beets this week, but it was just the right amount to steam, slice and pickle with garlic and crushed red peppers. Spicy Pickled Beets 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar 1/3 cup ...

I took a week off for my friend's wedding, but I am back in the kitchen this week, prepping foods from my farm share. Our half of the share included: - Cucumber - Salad turnips - Fennel - Yellow squash - Zucchini - Carrots - Pointed Cabbage - Broccoli - Salad greens - Herbs We still had greens left over, so the first thing I did was prep the cucumber, turnips and carrots for a salad. We have used those cut up veggies for multiple salads this week. The yellow squash and basil we sliced up and put on 2 different pizzas - 1 with red sauce, 1 with pesto. The broccoli will probably be frozen for later, and the zucchini will end up in a fried rice. The fennel was my biggest question mark this week. I went to Martha Stewart to tell me how to use this uncommon vegetable, and she had a roasted tomato, fennel, and basil relish. Initially, I wanted to cut the recipe in half because it makes 3 cups, but I also wanted to use up all the fennel, so I left the quantities as they we...

We had our first dusting of snow last week, which means it's casserole season. Baked ziti, lasagna and baked macaroni and cheese bring me comfort on cold days. They give me an excuse to heat up the house, and stand in the warm kitchen for most of the evening.   At the store the other day, I came to the blog to find a ziti recipe, and was surprised to find nothing I had actually tried myself. I had wanted to try out a recipe a while back, but never actually did it. So, I found a new recipe, and adapted it to my preferences. I used a penne pasta with added flax seeds that was absolutely delicious the night I made it, but not as great after a few days. Next time I want to see how it works with a true whole wheat pasta, or one of the new high protein lentil, quinoa or chickpea pasta options that are coming out.  Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce Serves 4-6 Ingredients 1 1/3 lb ground turkey, 93% 2 tsp Italian seasoning 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 4 cl...

I'm in week 2 of meal planning for the new year. But I realize after week, that I really only need two or three recipes to hold me over for the week. Last week it was tuna antipasto, French lentils, and homemade hummus. This week, I have quinoa salad and avocado sandwiches planned, which may be plenty since it's also restaurant week :) This Mediterranean edamame salad was super delicious - but maybe next time I will buy the pre-shelled edamame. Ingredients 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained 1 cup water 1 package frozen edamame 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 4 cups fresh arugula/ spinach mix 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1/2 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese Dried basil, salt, pepper, to taste Directions In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer on low for about 15 miutes or until quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed, adding edamame the last 4 minutes of cooking  In sm...

I didn't have all the ingredients for the original recipe from Kitchn - "Tomato-Braised Lentils with Broccoli Rabe" - so I just made the lentil part and served them with brown basmati rice. I would have liked more tomato flavor, and I think next time, I would add more tomato paste, and even maybe some canned diced tomatoes. This year, I'm also going to change the way I estimate cost. Since I love to shop at Aldi, and their prices are amazing, I'll be saving my receipts, and using their prices whenever I buy from them. So the prices may seem a little lower, but they are completely realistic. Ingredients 4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 1/2 cups green French lentils 1 tablespoon tomato paste 3 cups stock (chicken or vegetable) 5 cloves garlic, crushed 3 medium tomatoes, chopped Salt and pepper, to taste Directions Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Sweat the onions over low heat...

Since I started working full-time last September, I have relied heavily on leftovers to save me money and keep me eating healthy during the work week. This was one of the best leftover meals I have made so far. When combined with a 4-pack of chicken sausage, this recipe made about 4 1/2 meals for me last week. The flavors of the Spanish rice meld together making it more rich every extra day it hangs out in the fridge. That being said, I still want to experiment with adding other spices and perfect this dish which is sure to be a favorite. Future additions might include chili powder, oregano, garlic, fresh cilantro, hot sauce, or lime juice. I will keep you posted! Ingredients 1/4 cup olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 bell peppers, seeded, ribs removed, and diced 2 ribs celery, finely chopped (optional) 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup long-grain brown rice 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes 2 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon cumin Pr...

This recipe calls for a "fiery" tomato sauce, but I left out the green chiles for a more mild (but still flavorful) version. Shakshuka Ingredients: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 small onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 large bell pepper, diced 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp sweet paprika 1/2 tsp mild red pepper flakes, or more to taste 2 Tbsp tomato paste 28 oz canned chopped tomatoes, with their juice 1/2 tsp kosher salt Fresh black pepper, to taste 6 large eggs 2-4 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh parsley Directions: Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over low-medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, and saute for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and red bell pepper, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Stir in the cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Mix well, and let the spices cook for 30 seconds. Next, add the tomato paste, and stir that into the mixture. Finally, add th...

Last week, a good friend of mine texted me, "I just made a very involved pasta salad". At the time, I thought, "hmm, okay cool... random, send me the recipe." But now after having made said pasta salad, I realize how much that is the understatement of the year. "Very involved" is exactly how I would describe it. Don't believe the New York Times' estimated prep time of forty-five minutes - it took me closer to an hour and a half or two hours to make. But it is pretty delicious. And a ton of food.  Ingredients: 2 lb ripe campari tomatoes, cut in wedges 5 Tbsp Olive oil Salt and pepper 2 or 3 garlic cloves, pressed 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional) 2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped (optional) 2 medium eggplants, about 1 pound 12 oz whole wheat ziti or other short pasta 6 oz mild feta 1 small bunch of basil, for garnish Directions: 1. Heat broiler. Put tomato wedges in a shallow baking dish in one layer. Drizz...

Didn't I just say I would cut back on the alcohol in my last post? Well, I guess I'll keep trying. These delicious clams and mussels were just too perfect with a few glasses of white wine.  Maybe wine doesn't count... Anyways, I really lucked out with these little sea creatures because out of the 48 total clams and mussels I bought, only 1 was bad and didn't open up. It was probably because I bought them and cooked them on the same day and the lovely seafood lady at Whole Foods sent me with two heaping bags of ice to keep them cool. Although the mussel experts say you can store mussels in the fridge for several days, covered with a damp cloth. Giada, from the Food Network, is one of my favorite chefs. Every recipe I have made from her has been outstanding. This one was great because the crushed red peppers spice up the entire broth and give all of the seafood that little bit of kick. The recipe is supposed to serve 6, but the two of us ate all of the mussels...