CSA Week Twenty-Two

Ugh...still so busy, but here is what I got in my CSA last:

-Acorn squash
-Braising greens
-Escarole
-Parsley
-Collard greens
-Potatoes
-Sweet potatoes
-Mesclun
-Apples
-Eggs

I did have a chance to make my favorite soup - hearty winter vegetable, which uses escarole, potatoes, and squash.  It is soooo good.

I am making several pies this weekend - and I think sweet potato might be one of them.  I'll keep you posted.

CSA Week Twenty-One

The final weeks of my CSA have arrived.  Here is what I got this week:

-Mesclun
-Braising greens
-Dill
-Lettuce
-Acorn Squash
-Broccoli
-Carrots
-Collards
-Apples
-Eggs

This week I roasted the carrots, broccoli, and acorn squash.  I saved the squash seeds, and plan to toast them soon.  I might make this hearty winter vegetable soup with the dill too.

CSA Week Twenty

Wow, tons of greens this week!  Here is what I got:

-Turnips
-Monster sweet potatoes
-Monster fennel
-Mesclun
-Curly endive
-Daikon
-Bok choy
-Kale
-Broccoli
-Jalapenos
-Apples
-Eggs
-Mums

So Wednesday I finally made roasted broccoli, which my mom has been raving about for a year.  It was so good and easy.  You can make it as healthy or unhealthy as you want, but it is really tasty and quick to make.  I used this Alton Brown recipe, and skipped on the cheese and used crushed croutons instead of Panko bread crumbs.  It was good-od-od-od-od-od.  I also made apple chips: FAIL.  They were soggy the next day, so really I just have dehydrated apples (not that exciting).

Last night I made sweet potato tacos, which I hope to share soon.  Really tasty, and a nice change from the old routine.  Tonight I am thinking about a caramelized fennel and onion pizza, but we shall see.

If you are looking for another sweet potato recipe, try this sweet and spicy lentil soup.  You could even substitute the swiss chard for kale.  Or how about this baked spaghetti squash with tomatoes and basil?  I told you I was obsessed.

Apple Cheddar Crostata

I made this Apple Cheddar Crostata for Thanksgiving, and just now got around to sharing.  What I love about it, besides the word "crostata," is how simple and rustic it is.  This is from Martha Stewart Living's Novemeber 2010 issue (of course - what's Thanksgiving without Martha?)  I will admit that I was a bit nervous switching up my classic apple pie for this new dessert with the risky cheddar crust.  In the end I was happy about the change.  The cheddar flavor was definitely there, but not overbearing.  I would give it a try while you are waiting for all the delicious spring fruit to come.

Ingredients for the Apple Cheddar Crostata from Martha Stewart Living, makes one 11-inch crostata:

-1 disk Cheddar Pie Dough (recipe below)
-1 large egg, lightly beaten for egg wash
-Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling
-2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Gala, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 wedges
-2 Macintosh apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 wedges
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/4 cup apricot preserves, warmed


Cheddar Pie Dough, makes one disk of dough
-1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
-A couple tablespoons cup ice water
-1/2 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

Begin by making the cheddar pie dough.  I like to do this the night before.  In a food processor, pulse flour and salt until combined.  Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds.  Drizzle a bit of water in at a time (about 1 tablespoon), and pulse until the mixture just begins to hold together (dough should not be wet or sticky).  Add cheese and pulse until combined.  Shape dough into disk, and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes, up to overnight.  Click here for more tips on perfect pie dough.

Once you dough is chilled, roll out the dough to a 13-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick, on a lightly floured surface.  Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.  I gently roll the dough over my rolling pin to transfer to baking sheet.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling.  Toss together the apples, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.  Fold edges in to form crust.  Brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar.  Refrigerate until edges are firm, about 30 minutes.

Bake crostata until apples are tender and crust is golden.  Martha suggests 1 hour 20 minutes, but mine was ready in an hour, so watch your time.  Let cool slightly, and then brush apples with apricot preserves.  Serve warm or at room temperature, both are good :)

Click here to see the Roasted Vegetable Lasagna my friend Josh made last year.

CSA Week Twenty

Hi!  Here is what I got this week from my CSA:

-Green beans

-Collard greens

-Arugula

-Spaghetti squash

-Sweet potatoes

-Parsley

-Tomatoes

-Apples

-Pears

-Eggs

Since I have parsley and green beans I might make green beans with gremolata, and last weekend my friend made this sweet and spicy lentil soup with sweet potatoes and collards.

Stay tuned later today for a surprisingly tasty spaghetti squash recipe with tomatoes and basil :)

Afton Apple Orchard

A few weeks ago, I flew to Minneapolis to visit my best friend Lisa. Lisa and I are best friends for a lot of reasons - we just get each other, but Lisa and I also have a passion for food. So the weekend was filled with food related things: pulled-pork tacos at a Canadian Tuxedo party, delicious heuvos racheros and corn bread made by Lisa, Arby's curly fries - yum, homemade apple pie, and dinner at Cafe Twenty-Eight.

Minneapolis is a breath of fresh air (literally and figuratively) compared to NYC. After staying with Lisa and her boyfriend Jesse's house, it left me wondering is New York City really that great? Yes and no. Lisa and Jesse have a garden which includes: tomatoes, green beans, squash, herbs (rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, dill), cucumbers, brussel sprouts, asparagus, rhubarb, beets, carrots, garlic and watermelon. Simply amazing! They even were growing raspberries until a ground hog ate them. And although I can go to the Green Market, it just isn't the same as growing the vegetables yourself.

On Saturday, Lisa and Jesse took me to the Afton Apple Orchard. I have only gone apple picking once before so I was pretty excited. After a long but lovely ride out to the country, we arrived. The great thing about Afton Apple Orchard is that they have a booth where you can sample every apple and then go out to the orchard and pick the ones you like best. Deciding which apple was superior became a contentious debate between all of us. We all love Honeycrisp, but that wasn't available for picking. Three against one decided that the Honey Gold was the best. I was the odd man out and this is why: the Honey Gold apple had floral notes like that of a pear, and if I wanted a pear I would have just bought one, I want an apple to taste like an apple. My personal favorite was the Regent, but we ended up getting the Honey Gold and a bunch of Haralsons for baking. Click here to see Afton's description of each apple. Here are some pictures of our visit:

Sampling booth.Apple Orchard.

Haralson Apples. Photo taken by Lisa M. Kreidler.
Sneaky apple eating - Very Illegal. Photo taken by Lisa M. Kreidler.The cutest donkey ever!Apple donut dessert.
Apple pie making. Photo taken by A.W.D.

If you live in Minneapolis I definitely recommend stopping by the Afton Apple Orchard, they also have raspberry, blueberries, cherries, peaches, and pumpkins to pick when each are in season. If you don't live in Minneapolis, find an orchard near you - it is a wonderful activity on a dreamy fall day.