Tater Tot Pizza

Last year, kind of as a joke, and kind of seriously, I decided to make a masterpiece known as Tater Tot Pizza.  I love tater tots, and so do my friends.  I can't believe it has taken me so long to actually share the recipe, but since it is winter and totally sports season, I thought why not now?  The thing with this pizza is that there are a lot of separate steps, but you can totally make the ingredients ahead of time and combine them all once you are ready to bake your pizza.

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.

CSA Week Fifteen

I have been such a lazy bum when it comes to cooking these days.  I have been pretty busy at work, etc., etc..  So hopefully I can get back on track with cooking this week.  Here is what I got from my CSA last week:

-Kohlrabi
-Kale
-Lettuce
-Carrots
-Potatoes
-Eggplant
-Jalapenos
-Onions
-Pears
-Plums
-Eggs
-Marigolds and one sunflower

On Wednesday I made tacos, story of my life.  And on Sunday I roasted a ton of veggies, and I might make a cannelloni bean and kale soup this week.

CSA Week Thirteen

Here is what I got in my CSA this week:

-Fennel
-Corn
-Potatoes
-Eggplant
-Tomato
-Red peppers
-Jalapenos
-Summer squash
-Red onion
-Peaches
-Plums
-Green beans
-Eggs

This week I made this eggplant, tomato, and caramelized onion pasta.  It makes for really great leftovers.  My friend froze some of the corn for soups this winter.  We made some Mexican rice with the peppers and onion.  I also made a peach upside-down cake too (more on that later).

The plums go great on top of vanilla ice cream.  And the green beans are perfect for Parmigiano Gremolata, but doesn't this green bean salad with fennel and fried almonds look good too?

CSA Week Eight

This week I got tomatoes for the first time, tons of corn, and delicious fruit.  Last night I munched on a lot of stuff instead of making any real dinner.

Here is what I got:

-Onion
-Purslane
-Basil
-Cherry tomatoes
-Summer squash
-Peppers
-Jalapenos
-Cucumber
-Corn
-Watermelon
-Peaches
-Apricots
-Eggs
-Sunflowers

Last night I made some poached apricots for some hand pies I will be making later in the week.
I might make this corn and zucchini salad.  Or corn fritters!
Maybe I will try this squash loaf cake, but I am just going to say it - I am sick of zucchini.
And I am making a huge salad tonight with the lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers!  Watermelon with basil and feta sounds pretty good too!
And I might make a little bit of salsa too!

Guacamole & Jalapeno Sour Cream

Last week I made turkey chili and huevos rancheros (recipe to come soon), and with those meals came a lot of condiments.  I thought I would share the guacamole and jalapeno sour cream recipes from the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook.  The guacamole was really fresh and limey.  I would definitely add more jalapeno next time though, because it was not hot at all.  As for the jalapeno sour cream, I didn't try it.  I hate sour cream, and while I was making it, I literally dry heaved.  No joke.  I didn't even take photos because I just wanted to get the thing over with!  I was told it was good though.  The sour cream ends up turning into more of a sauce that goes great on many Mexican dishes.

Ingredients for Guacamole from the Clinton St. Baking Company's Cookbook, make 3 cups:

-4 Hass avocados, soft to the touch, but not mushy

-2 tablespoons lime juice

-3 tablespoons red onion, minced

-3 tablespoons fresh jalapeno (including seeds), minced (I would double that if you want it hotter)

-2 teaspoons salt, preferably kosher

-1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

-1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed

To begin, halve the avocados lengthwise and remove the pits.  Scoop out the flesh into a bowl.  Reserve two of the pits for later.  Discard the skins.

Add the lime juice to the avocado.  Use a potato masher or a sturdy whisk to mash the avocado with the juice until the mixture is somewhat chunky, but pureed and pulverized in parts.  Mix in the onion, jalapeno, salt, and pepper with a spoon.

Chop the cilantro leaves and add them to the guacamole.  Adjust the seasoning to taste.  Put the avocado pits back in the guacamole for a rustic look.  It will also keep the avocados from browning (that's cool).  The cookbook also says when storing guacamole, pour 1 tablespoon canola or olive oil on top to prevent discoloration.  Seal the bowl with plastic wrap.


Ingredients for Jalapeno Sour Cream from the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook, makes 2 1/2 cups:

-3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, tightly packed

-1/4 cup fresh lime juice

-1 1/2 tablespoons jalapeno (seeds included), minced

-1 clove garlic, finely minced

-2 teaspoons salt

-1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper (I used black pepper - sue me)

-2 cups sour cream

With a blender (I used a food processor, but I halved the recipe) on medium speed, blend together cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno, garlic, salt, and pepper, until well combined.  Turn blender off and add sour cream.  Start the blender on low and as the ingredients gradually come together, you can increase the speed.  Adjust the seasoning to taste.

The jalapeno sour cream will keep for one week to ten days in the fridge.