Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Our most recent CSA delivery.

Ever find yourself buying the same fruits and vegetables at the store and sticking to the same recipes? Probably so. We all do; that may be why you're reading this, searching through magazines and trying new foods at restaurants. One way to break out of that rut, is to get food from a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). CSA allows city residents to have direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown locally by regional farmers. Good for you, good for the farmer and good for the environment.

Many of you may grow your own vegetables in the summer, get vegetables from family members who do grow their own or have easy access to local farmers and their products. If so, you may not want or need a CSA. For others, like me, a CSA delivery is a beautiful thing!

I've been wanting to do this for years, but have not been able to for various reasons. Here in Albuquerque, I am now purchasing from Skarsgard Farms. They deliver to the house weekly. We've only received two deliveries so far, but are really enjoying it. We'll likely receive a different combination of fruits and vegetables each week -- foods that are in season and that I might not have bought at the store. We ate some delicious pears last week which, for some reason, I had not been buying recently. So they've been a nice addition! And after having a big batch of kale in my weekly delivery, that's when I found the kale/quinoa/shrimp recipe. On sites like www.allrecipes.com, you can search by ingredients that you have to receive a list of possible recipes.


Personal note: There was a time when I would not eat anything green (except peas) and hardly any other vegetables for that matter besides maybe corn and potatoes! Ask my Mom. She has always enjoyed real food though; local Grainger County tomatoes are probably still here favorite. My point is that anyone can change; keep trying new foods and learning to appreciate new tastes. It can definitely be interesting!

Action Item: If you're interested in a CSA near you, check out www.localharvest.com.

For Further Reading: Benefits of Community Supported Agriculture and CSA: What It Is and Why You Should Join

Veggie Tart

You'd think that as much as I enjoy photography that I'd take
a little extra time to photograph my food! But here you go. 

We spent a couple of days with friends in Flagstaff to kick off our summer vacation. This dear friend is also a great cook, and one evening she made us a delicious veggie tart (quiche). A couple of weeks later, that tart was still in my mind and I also had some zucchini, tomatoes and onions from our CSA. I called my friend to get some pointers and also found the recipes below online. It seemed along the same lines as what she told me... she seems to be able to cook from memory/skill/experience whereas I need a recipe!

So I tried this and it took a while because I also made a whole-wheat crust! Yes, proud of myself. My friend made this while we were there and made it seem so simple. It did take me some time, so if this is new to you I recommend making it on a weekend or any day that you are not rushed. The result though was excellent! I forgot to take a photo, because it did look so pretty and this is all that was left. My son even enjoyed it too. He took a bite, kept talking, then took another bite and seemingly surprised said "this really tastes good." 

Flaky Whole Wheat Pie Crust (found this staring at me on the back of Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour package, so I had to try it)

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled (was a lot of butter for me to use, but I did it!)
• 5 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Sift flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into 12 pieces and rub into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with some pea-size pieces. Sprinkle water over mixture, one tablespoon at a time and knead lightly just until a dough forms. Form dough into a ball. Cut in half and press each into a disc shape. Wrap each disc in waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling. Yield: Two 9" single pie crusts or 1 9"double pie crust. Crust will make alone with filling or pre-bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Below is the tart recipe I used from www.ezrapoundcake.com. I made a few changes based on my friend's recommendations and our preferences:

• I used the crust recipe from above.
• I added Swiss chard and cut back on some of the zucchini. My friend recommended always using leafy greens, and I definitely agree. It just works. 
• I used fresh tomatoes.
• I used Gruyere cheese only.
• I used a red onion.

Easy Zucchini, Tomato and Cheese Tart

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 SHEET (HALF OF A 17.3-OUNCE PACKAGE) FROZEN PUFF PASTRY
• 2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL
• 1 ONION, FINELY DICED
• 2 GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED
• 2 MEDIUM ZUCCHINI, QUARTERED LENGTHWISE AND THINLY SLICED
• 1/2 TEASPOON DRIED OREGANO
• 1/4 TEASPOON GROUND BLACK PEPPER
• 1 (14-OUNCE) CAN READY-CUT DICED TOMATOES, WELL DRAINED
• 3 LARGE EGGS
• 1 CUP GRATED SMOKED GOUDA (SUBSTITUTES: CHEDDAR, MONTEREY JACK, MOZZARELLA, MUENSTER, PROVOLONE)
• 1/2 TEASPOON SALT
• GENEROUS SEASONING FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly butter a glass pie plate or a dark 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Set aside.
2. Remove the puff pastry from the package, and let it thaw at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, Make the Filling: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion is slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the zucchini, and saute just until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Season with oregano and black pepper.
5. Mix in the drained tomatoes, and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring often, until the zucchini is tender but not mushy and the juices have evaporated. Set the pan off the heat, and let the veggies cool.
6. For the Crust: Sprinkle a little flour on your counter and rolling pin, and gently roll the puff pastry into an 11-inch square. Press the pastry into the bottom and up the sides of your pan. (Trim off the excess pastry, and discard.) Prick the pastry  with a fork, and place a piece of aluminum foil on the pastry. Add dried beans or pie weights to weigh down the foil. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and weights. Let the pastry cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
7. Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
8. To Assemble the Tart: In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the cheese, salt, pepper, and cooled vegetables. Spoon the mixture into the tart pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pastry is brown and a knife inserted in the center of the tart comes out clean. Remove the outer rim of the tart pan, and let the tart cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.

Action Item: Try new recipes when you can! Set aside one day each week or one day each month to try a new recipe. Add it to your calendar!

For Further Reading: Still have lots of zucchini from your garden or CSA? Or do you just love zucchini? Try these recipes from Meatless Monday.

Better Than Kale

... better tasting to me anyway (milder taste than kale)! We received a bunch of Swiss chard in our CSA this week, so I turned to www.allrecipes.com again and found just what I was looking for. Ron said he was skeptical when he came home and saw it, but was very surprised. We both went back for seconds, and our son ate his one serving! Sometimes he is thrilled that I try new recipes to share on this blog... other times, not so much :)

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings        

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

                       

1 bunch rainbow chard - leaves and stems separated and chopped 

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 ounce feta cheese, broken into 1/2 inch pieces

        

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
2. Toss the chard stems and onions in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and spread onto the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the chard stems have softened and the onion is starting to brown on the corners, about 15 minutes. Toss the chard leaves with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Sprinkle the leaves over the stem mixture, then scatter the feta cheese over top.
4. Return to the oven, and bake until the stems are tender, the leaves are beginning to crisp, and the feta is melted and golden, about 20 minutes.                                           

 

 

I had to cook it a little longer than stated in the directions, but our oven is old and loses heat. I also noticed that I can probably use a little less oil next time. Start with less, because you can always add more if necessary.

 

 

Action Item: Pick up some Swiss chard at the grocery! This recipe called for rainbow chard, but I had red chard and used that instead.

 

For Further Reading: 6 Hidden Health Benefits of Eating Peels, Stems and Rinds

                                                 

 

Pizza

If you make the Vegetarian Korma and have tomato sauce left over, you might have just enough to make sauce for homemade pizza! Add some oregano, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper and... voila!

I find it difficult to believe that I haven't posted about homemade pizza before. At one time, I made it often. Sometimes I made my own crust, most other times I buy a whole-wheat crust. Our son went through a long period where he said he didn't like tomato sauce (spaghetti, lasagna, pizza.) We have introduced him to enough different pizzas that he eats it again!

The great news is that you can add whatever toppings you like. We chose, because these are items from our CSA this week, we ate: onion, spinach, yellow bell pepper and zucchini.

Some of our other favorite toppings include:

mushrooms

bell peppers

tomatoes

artichoke

boiled egg

ham

or whatever leftover veggies we have (even spinach or cauliflower, though not my husbands favorite!)

 I always shred my own cheese. It takes a little longer, but in my opinion it's a little healthier because shredded cheese often has extra ingredients to keep it fresh. Not to mention, it's less expensive in a block because you're not paying for the shredding. 

 

 

Action Item: Instead of going out for pizza, make your own! It can be a family affair; everyone can help with chopping or adding favorite toppings to the pizzas.

 

For Further Reading: Find recipes to make your own pizza crust, here's one I just found but have never tried for No-Rise Pizza Crust and you guessed it, my whole-wheat pizza crust recipe is on allrecipes.com. You can probably find a favorite there as well.