CSA Week Nineteen

Here is what I got yesterday in my CSA:

-Kale
-Potatoes
-Radishes
-Carrots
-Broccoli
-Eggplant
-Mesclun
-Apples
-Bosc Pears
-Eggs
-Chrysanthemums

So I have big apple plans this weekend.  I am making caramel apples and an apple crisp or pie.  I have a ton of apples to use from my trip to the Hudson Valley.

I am so tempted to roast vegetables again and just put them on top of some farro or quinoa, but maybe I could get more creative.  We shall see.

Don't these Crostinis with Kale and Parmesan look tasty as an appetizer?  Or how about this carrot salad?

Can I just say I am in love with spaghetti squash?  You can literally eat it like spaghetti and not feel bad about all the carbs.  Genius.

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 Fourteen

Wow, it's finally fall, or at least it looks like it in this picture.  This week in my CSA I got:

-Eggplant
-Collard greens
-Beets
-Fennel
-Peppers
-Garlic
-Carrots
-Sweet potato leaves
-Spaghetti squash
-Apples
-Eggs

I have no idea what I will be making this week, but my CSA group emailed us a little about sweet potato leaves:

The sweet potato is one of the world's most cultivated crops, and is grown all over the world, but especially in Asia and the Pacific. The leaves are high in protein. Chinese herbalist lore says that the leaves can improve the respiratory and renal system function. Like spinach, chard and other greens, sweet potatoes leaves are highly versatile. Here is a recipe for stir-fried sweet potato leaves:
Ingredients: One bunch of sweet potato leaves; 1-2 hot dried red chilies (optional); 1-2 cloves of garlic
Salt, soy sauce, pepper to taste
Method

1. Fill a pot with water and put it on the stove over high heat. The pot should be large enough to hold the leaves, and there should be enough water to cover the leaves.
2. Strip the leaves from the branches. The thin stems that attach the leaves to the branch are tender enough to eat, so there is no need to remove only the leaves. Wash and drain the leaves.
3. Mince 1-2 cloves of garlic.
4. Chop the chilies fine, and combine with the garlic.
5. When the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and carefully add the sweet potato leaves. After 2 minutes, remove and rinse with cold water. Chop the leaves. (This step was recommended by the cookbook to remove traces of natural slime from the leaves.)
6. In a large skillet or wok, heat some vegetable oil over high heat. When it is hot, add the garlic and chilies. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring often.

Add the greens, then stir-fry the mixture until the greens are tender, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add salt, pepper, soy sauce, or other flavorings to taste.

If you are looking for a fall pasta dish, try this pasta with brocoli rabe, toasted garlic, and bread crumbs - soooo good.  Or how about chocolate ice cream for dessert?

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 Twelve

I can't believe today is September 1st.  Where did the summer go?  Here is what I got in my CSA yesterday:

-Swiss chard
-Eggplant
-Green and red peppers
-Corn
-Cucumbers
-Summer squash
-Tomatoes
-Peaches
-Nectarines
-Eggs
-Marigolds

Last night I made penne with eggplant and tomato.  It was so good and easy, you should definitely try it.  I love most recipes on Alexandra's Kitchen!  Doesn't this tomato, ricotta, and grilled bread look good too?

Definitely making fajitas tonight with peppers, Swiss chard, maybe some squash, and with some Mexican corn on the cob.  These charred corn tacos look pretty good too.

Hope to share my peach ice cream recipe soon too!

CSA Week Eleven

Okay, I am totally behind, blame it on Irene.  She really put a cramp in everyone's style this week.  Here what I got in my CSA this week:

-Red onion
-Hot peppers
-Green bell peppers
-Eggplant
-Carrots
-Corn
-Tomatoes
-Basil
-Watermelon
-Nectarines
-Peaches
-Eggs

CSA Week Ten

Hooray!  Finally got real tomatoes!  Here is what else I got this week from my CSA:

-Basil
-Carrots
-Corn
-Eggplant
-Cucumber
-Summer squash
-Lettuce
-Peppers
-Cherry tomatoes
-Tomatoes
-Peaches
-Melon
-Eggs
-Wild Flowers

Last night I made tostadas with the lettuce and cherry tomatoes.

Sometimes my favorite thing to do with a tomato is just slice it up and put some salt on it.  I think I am going to save a few and make a margherita pizza, with my own tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese, and basil.  A pepper pizza sounds pretty good too, and even this grilled-peach and proscuitto pizza sounds interesting.  Pizza party!

I am actually making tomato and eggplant soup tonight, and I desperately need to make some zucchini bread and freeze it for the later.  I still have a few zuccs hanging around in my fridge.

If you end up making tomato sauce, how about some homemade pasta to go with it?

CSA Week Nine

This week in my CSA I got more zucchini (ugh) and a ton of other stuff.  Here is what I got:

-Mesclun greens
-Green bell peppers
-Beets
-Eggplant (my arch nemesis)
-Basil
-Yellow squash
-Zucchini
-Cucumbers
-Cherry tomatoes
-Melon
-Watermelon
-White peaches
-Eggs
-Sunflowers

Feeling a little unmotivated this week, but made some tacos and pesto on Wednesday.  On Thursday, my friend made these stuffed peppers from Smitten Kitchen, which used up the rest of the tomatoes, peppers, and some zucchini.

Tonight, I am planning on making a zucchini tart, which uses the pesto I made and the zucchini!

I would love to make a watermelon salad with basil and feta, and maybe roast some beets.  Ugh, what to do with this eggplant?  I might make this roasted tomato and eggplant soup (to hide it)!

Check out my review on the Van Leeuwan Ice Cream Truck.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Satisfied diners - Matt and Chef Josh

So a couple weeks ago, some friends of mine got together for an Italian feast. Josh was kind enough to prepare a vegetarian dish for me - The Joy of Cooking's Roasted Vegetable Lasagna. Although Josh and I don't have the same version of The Joy of Cooking (I have the 75th Anniversary Edition and Josh has one that is much more bougie), the recipe is pretty close. I know that he actually roasted the tomatoes with the rest of the vegetables, while my version just calls for tomato sauce.

Here are the ingredients for The Joy of Cooking's Roasted Vegetable Lasagna (8-12 main course servings):

For the layers:

-3 cups tomato sauce

-4 cups shredded mozzarella (1 pound)

-1/2 cup grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces)

-2 eggplants (about 3 pounds), quartered lengthwise, sliced in half inches

-6 medium zucchini (about 2 pounds), sliced in half inches

-1/2 cup of olive oil

-1 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon black pepper

-1 pound of lasagne

For cheese filling:

-15 ounces ricotta

-2 large eggs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)

-1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Black pepper to taste

Grated or ground nutmeg to taste

To begin, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease a 13x9x2 inch baking or lasagne pan.

Slice vegetables in half inch pieces. Toss vegetables with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Divide the vegetables between two roasting pans or baking sheets, spreading them in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes, then toss the vegetables and continue to roast until well browned and soft, about 20 minutes more. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
*Note: you can roast the vegetables a day ahead of time and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

While your vegetables are roasting, cook the lasagne noodles in a large pot of boiling water until barely tender. Drain the pasta and place it in a bowl of ice water to cool. Separate the pasta and blot it dry.

In a medium bowl, make the cheese filling, by combining the ricotta, eggs, Parmesan, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Then stir until well combined.

Now it is time to assemble the dish. Spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of the prepared pan. Cover with a layer of pasta, slightly overlapping. Spread with one-third of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with one-quarter of the mozzarella and grated Parmesan over the ricotta. Spoon one-third of the roasted vegetables on top and then 1/2 cup of sauce. Add another layer of pasta and then continue layering the lasagne until you have 4 layers of pasta and three layers of filling. Spread the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Josh layering and peppering the lasagne.

Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until golden and bubbly, about 15 minutes more. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Ta-da!

Overall dinner was absolutely delicious. I think one of the most important details to point out is that Josh cooked the pasta to the perfect tenderness - not too tender. The noodles were still firm enough after the lasagne baked, that each layer was distinguishable in your mouth. Also, roasting the vegetables gives the dish an added richness overall, and although I didn't notice it, everyone said that you could really taste the nutmeg.

To finish the dish, we enjoyed a mediocre pint of chocolate gelato, and tasty box of Amaretti di Saronno cookies. The cookies are wrapped in pairs with tissue paper, making them feel like you are unwrapping a gift every time you have one. They are a real treat, but kind of pricy.

On a side note: Josh's sister gave him an electric pepper grinder. When you turn it upside down the grinder turns on and pepper comes out. Click to watch the video below.