Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Week 3

  • Arugula
  • Chard
  • Chives
  • Lettuce mix
  • Pea sprouts
  • Spinach
  • Strawberries
  • Turnips
RECIPES:
Wild Fried Rice
-Pea sprouts
Apple and Walnut Salad
-Lettuce mix and arugula
Penne Rosa
-Spinach

I am planning to make the Garlicky Greens from week 1 with the chard again because it was delicious!

Apple and Walnut Salad
Salad mix
Arugula
Green apple, chopped
Candied walnuts
Feta cheese
Balsamic vinaigrette

Penne Rosa
(this is my attempt to copy a recipe from Noodles & Co. - I think it's easier to eat more spinach when it's wilted, and we have LOTS of spinach to eat)

1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil)

2 cloves of chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes
Crushed red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
1 cup heavy cream (or soy milk)
Spinach
Feta cheese
Penne pasta

Heat butter/oil in skillet over med heat. Add garlic and onions and cook until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and crushed red pepper flakes and cook 3-4 min. Add salt to taste. Transfer contents of skillet to food processor. Add cream to food processor and puree. Wilt spinach. Combine sauce, spinach and penne. Top with feta cheese

How to Roast Beets
(From the NYTimes)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Cut the greens away from the beets, leaving about 1/4 inch of stems.
Scrub the beets and place in a baking dish (or lidded ovenproof casserole dish).
Add 1/4 inch of water to the dish. Cover tightly. Place in the oven and roast small beets (three ounces or less) for 30 to 40 minutes, medium beets (four to six ounces) for 40 to 45 minutes, and large beets (eight ounces or more) for 50 to 60 minutes.
They’re done when they’re easily penetrated with the tip of a knife.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the covered baking dish.
Cut away the ends and slip off the skins.
Roasted beets are wonderful on their own or simply dressed with a vinaigrette, and they will keep for five days in a covered bowl in the refrigerator. Best not to peel them until you plan to eat them.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Week 2

  • Asparagus
  • Basil
  • Bibb lettuce
  • Bok choy
  • Salad mix
  • Spinach
  • Strawberries
  • Turnips

Recipes:
Strawberry spinach salad
-spinach, strawberries
Lettuce wraps
-bibb lettuce, radishes
Chicken fried rice with bok choy
-bok choy
Asparagus stir fry
- asparagus, spina
ch, basil
Straw and hay fettuccine
(Recipe to follow)
-asparagus, spinach

Straw and Hay Fettuccine Tangle
with Spring Asparagus Puree
From: "Super Natural Cooking" by Heidi Swanson


1 bunch asparagus spears, trimmed and halved crosswise
3 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for topping
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
4 ounces dried spinach fettuccine, or 6 ounces fresh
4 ounces dried egg fettuccine, or 6 ounces fresh

Bring 2 pots of water to a rolling boil, one large and one medium. You'll use the large one to cook the pasta and the medium one to blanch the asparagus.

To make the asparagus puree, salt the asparagus water and drop the spears into the pot. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the spears are bright green and barely tender. Drain and transfer to a food processor (preferably) or a blender. Add the spinach, garlic, the 1 cup Parmesan, and 3/4 cup of the pine nuts. Puree and, with the motor running, drizzle in the 1/4 cup of olive oil until a paste forms. It should be the loose consistency of a pesto; if too thick, thin it with a bit of the pasta water. Add the lemon juice and salt, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

Salt the pasta water well and cook the pasta until just tender; you'll need less time for fresh pasta, more time for dried. Drain and toss immediately with 1 cup of the asparagus puree, stirring in more afterward depending on how heavily coated you like your pasta. Serve sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, a dusting of Parmesean, and a quick drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Serves 4-6

Week 1

First delivery of the season!
  • Radishes
  • Lettuce mix
  • Spinach
  • Pea sprouts
  • Chard
Recipes:

Garlic Soba Noodles
-radishes and spinach
Garlicky Greens
-chard
Radish Top Soup
-radishes and radish greens

Welcome to my CSA Recipe Journal!

This is my collection of seasonal recipes that use the ingredients I receive from my CSA!
My Food Philosophy:
There is no "good" food or "bad" food. Food should not be associated with guilt. Food is not "sinful" or "evil." I don't want to hear about food "going straight to your hips" or how you will "redeem" yourself from eating something "evil" by running on a treadmill for so many minutes. I also don't want to hear food described as "low-cal", "low fat", "fat melting", etc. I think it is unhealthy to think of only calories, body image, and guilt when eating. This leads to disordered thinking and disordered eating. Instead, when I eat food I want to be thankful to God for providing the food, be amazed by the miracle of how food grows, appreciate the farmers who grew and raised it, enjoy the process of preparing it, savor the taste of it, know that it is nourishing my body and celebrate the joy of sharing a meal with family and friends. I try to make my meals around fruits, vegetables, truly whole grains, and protein. I think it is important to eat a variety of foods and to try new foods, but I am also a fervent believer in the importance of how a food is grown, harvested and prepared to make it palatable and enjoyable. I believe food should be whole, local, seasonal, organic and homemade whenever possible (especially when it comes to meat and dairy!). This is the philosophy underlying my selection of the recipes found here - so go forth and enjoy healthy eating with joy!

(Also find recipes by ingredient)