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 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!

CSA Week Six

It is officially delicious fruit season!  I got a lot of little jewels this week, but I will be honest - where the heck are my cherries?  I am dying for them!  Here is what I got from CSA this week:

-Corn

-Fennel

-Dill

-Lettuce

-Basil

-Arugula

-Onion

-Cucumbers

-Zucchini

-Summer squash

-Plums

-Peaches

-Blackberries

-Blueberries

-Eggs

-Zinnias and snapdragons

Last night I got right down to business, and made a few things I could keep for later use.  I am going out of town this weekend with Murray's Cheese on their Summer Whey-cation trip to the Vermont Cheesemaker's Festival.  There are only a few spots left, so if you are interested in joining, click here to check it out!

CSA Week Five

This weeks CSA, there was a lot of green!

Here is what I got:

-Napa cabbage
-Broccoli
-Zucchini
-Kirby cucumbers
-Lettuce
-Basil
-Onion
-Blackberries
-Blueberries
-Eggs
-Zinnias

I have been getting into a pattern of making black bean tacos with the lettuce and onion, mixed with tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and tons of hot sauce, and blackberries for dessert.  It is just so easy, mindless, and tasty.

I am tempted to make the Broccoli and Pesto Tagliatelle again, but this Summer Zucchini Pasta looks even better.  This Lemony-Zucchini Goat Cheese Pizza looks pretty tasty too!  And making pickles for real this time!  I am even thinking of making kimchi with the napa cabbage.

I made a blueberry-banana sorbet and some blueberry muffins, which I hope to share with you soon, but this week I am sticking to Blueberry Kuchen.

Stacked Tomato Salad

Last week I tried out this fancy little salad from The Splendid Table's How To Eat Supper.  It is a great way to showcase the summer's tomato.  Although, slabs of mozzarella is not my personal favorite, I could definitely see this as a crowd pleasing recipe and perfect for a starter at a dinner party.  In fact, Lynne Rossetto Kasper mentions in her cookbook that it is the most downloaded recipe on her The Splendid Table website.  Some tips for making the recipe - make sure your tomatoes are small enough, and they are juicy yet firm, to ensure that the tomatoes do not topple over.  If you do not mind a sloppier salad, then go for larger tomatoes.  Visually, the salad should be stacked back as a whole tomato with cheese inside.

Ingredients for Ripe Tomato Stack with Pine Nuts and Mozzarella, from The Splendid Table's How To Eat Supper (serves 4 as a main dish, 6 to 8 as a starter):

Dressing 
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 large garlic clove. minced
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
Generous pinch of red pepper flakes
1/3 medium red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 tablespoons dried currants
Salt
2 tight-packed tablespoons fresh basil leaves, torn
2/3 cup pine nuts, toasted (I used almonds.  Use pine nuts if you can afford them)

Salad
6 medium ripe tomatoes
1 pound fresh mozzarella packed in liquid, sliced 1/2 inch thick
About 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

To begin, make the dressing in a small bowl.  Combine the lemon juice, garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes, onion, currants, and salt to taste.  Let the mixture stand for 20 to 30 minutes.  Just before assembling the dish, stir in the basil and all but 1/4 cup of the pine nuts.

Core the tomatoes.  Cut each tomato horizontally into 1/2-inch-thick slices.  Place the bottom slice of each tomato on a serving platter.  Season them with a little salt, then top each with a slice of cheese.  Season the cheese with a teaspoon or so of the onion mixture.  Continue the layers until all the tomatoes are reassembled.

To finish the dish, sprinkle the tomatoes with the reserved pine nuts, the olive oil, and any leftover onion mixture.  Serve at room temperature.  Enjoy!