My plan for this week's box includes soup - which is what the weather calls for. Since we will have beets, I will take full advantage and make curried vegetable beet soup. I'll saute an onion, some garlic, and sliced carrots and beets. I will peel and grate the turnip and add it into the mix. I will season it with about a tablespoon of coriander, a tsp of cumin, and a dash of cayenne pepper. After these have simmered for a bit, I'll add about 6 cups of vegetable stock and let it come to a boil. I'll turn it down and let everything cook for about 20 minutes and then I'll add a handful of pearl barely. Once these are cooked, I'm in business.

I will take the cabbage and use half for cole slaw. I will use the other half and make a stir fry with an onion, garlic, sliced mushrooms, and cabbage. I will serve this over rice with some fish.

Lastly - I hope that I get another kuri squash. It tastes like chestnut to me. I will wash it, slash it in a couple of places vertically and then bake it at 350 for about an hour. I'll let it cool so I can handle it. I'll cut it in half and scoop out the seeds and such. I will then cut 1/2 inch slices and lay these on a greased cookie sheet. I'll spay it with olive oil and sprinkle with salt before tossing it under the broiler for a couple of minutes. I will then turn them and spray with a bit more oil and cook the other side. Oh dear - so good!

This Week's Plan

I love fall produce not only because it makes for very home-y foods they are all gifts from the farm waiting to be stored or frozen for the winter.

Here's a link and a Video for the newcomer to our Box. Everyone please welcome Kuri Squash!



and a brief description from BoingBoing.

One of my favorite apple desserts is to bake them with rosemary. I place them quartered, in some water with butter and and a few whole sprigs of rosemary until they are just a bit softer and serve drained.

Enjoy!

okay -change of plan! I was lucky enough to have a head of cabbage in my box so here's what I'll do:

this recipe is from the ny times

Cabbage Minestrone

Despite having just a few ingredients, the flavors of this minestrone are no less complex than my summer minestrones that have a lot of different vegetables in them. Cabbage sweetens a broth as it simmers gently (and no, it won't smell like boiled cabbage).

1 heaped cup chick peas, washed and picked over, soaked for 6 hours or overnight in 1 quart water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

Salt to taste

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes, seeded and chopped, with juice

1 1/2 pounds cabbage, outer leaves removed, cored and coarsely chopped (about 1 medium cabbage)

2 1/2 quarts water

A bouquet garni made with 1 Parmesan rind, a bay leaf, and a few sprigs each parsley and thyme

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup elbow macaroni or small shells

Freshly grated Parmesan for serving

1. Drain the chick peas and set aside. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy soup pot and add the onion, carrot, and celery. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the mixture is fragrant and the vegetables tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in half the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute or so, until the garlic begins to smell fragrant. Add the tomatoes and their liquid and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down a bit. Add the cabbage, stir together for a minute, then add the drained chick peas, 2 quarts water, and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 1 hour, or until the beans are just about tender.

2. Add the remaining garlic and salt to taste, cover and continue to simmer another 30 minutes to an hour, until the beans are thoroughly cooked and the soup very fragrant. Add a cup more water if it seems too thick. Add pepper, taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.

3. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is cooked al dente, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve, passing the Parmesan at the table for sprinkling.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Advance preparation: The soup may be made a day ahead through Step 2 and refrigerated. Bring back to a simmer and proceed with the recipe. It keeps for a few days in the refrigerator.

Approximate Nutritional Information per Serving (based on 6 Servings): 183 calories; total fat: 5.2g; saturated fat: 0.7g; cholesterol: 0mg; sodium: 413 mg; total carbohydrates: 30.6g; dietary fiber: 7.6g; sugars 9.3g; protein: 5.8g; vitamin A 47 percent recommended daily allowance (RDA) based on a 2,000 calorie diet; vitamin C 92 percent RDA; calcium 9 percent RDA; iron 10 percent RDA. (Nutritional information provided by calorie-count.com)

I am very excited to have delicata squash in our share this week. After washing, I'll slice them in half, remove the seeds and place them in water to bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes or so. Then I'll take them out, discard the water, turn them over, toss a few dried cranberries and dash of maple syrup in and return them to the oven to bake for another 20 minutes or so. Mmmmmm.

My plan for the peppers is to roast them. I'll wash them then slice in strips, toss with a little olive oil and kosher salt before spreading them on a cookie sheet to roast. I will freeze them away to enjoy later.

The future for my eggplant is as cracker. After washing, I'll slice my eggplant thinly (without peeling), pat it dry on clean towel and then dip in a mixture of seeds and spices. I will then lay them out on a cookie sheet and bake them at 300 to allow them to dry out. These are then crunchy little treats either on their own or topped with a grilled pepper that didn't make it into the freezer yet (see above) and/or some hummus.

The onions will be put to good use in the coming weeks to start soups or stir fry.

The sweet potato will be put to use right away as part of my dinner - I'll wash it, poke a few holes and cook it in the microwave as a 'potato'. If there is a spare - my pet cockatiel is happy to have a fresh slice to nibble.

Enjoy!!

Game Plan for Week 18

There are certainly no shortage of opportunities to cook this time of year, and I've been thinking of recipes that are made to be eaten in a sukkah.
With the cabbage, I will definitely make some stuffed cabbage. Or actually, I make a version that's "unstuffed" - meatballs made with rice on a bed of shredded cabbage. Much easier.
I'm going to try the recipe for mulled spaghetti squash that I've posted below. The spices and cider will give a warm flavor to what I sometimes find to be a pretty bland vegetable.
We don't have a lot of celery fans in the house, so I think I may chop or dice the celery and freeze it to put in soups. I'm thinking minestrone, mushroom barley, and maybe a kitchen sink vegetable soup with odds and ends.
The apples will get eaten plain, and probably the bell peppers too. Spinach and radishes will be great in a salad when I feel like I can't eat another heavy yomtov meal.

Game Plan for Week 17

Here are a few ways I'm thinking of using the produce in this week's box:

Vegetarian Cobb Salad
Romaine speckled lettuce, finely diced red onion, roasted red pepper, cucumber, tomato wedges, sliced hard boiled egg, cubed Italian style tofu, cheddar cheese, crumbled Smart Bacon. Dressing: red wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard and chopped fresh oregano.

Ratatouille
Sautee chopped onion (red, white or yellow) and garlic in a large pot in olive oil. Peel and cube an eggplant. Add to the pot once the onions are translucent. Steam/saute eggplant until it starts to soften. Add chopped red pepper (large pieces) mushrooms (any kind), zucchini or yellow squash. Put in 1-2 cans diced stewed tomatoes. Bring heat up to a strong simmer, then lower and cook until vegetables are tender, about a half hour. Add fresh basil or parsley to taste for the last ten minutes of cooking. Top with shredded cheese, parmesan, or serve over couscous for a filling meal.

Cayenne Peppers – Dry or pickle for use later
http://www.essortment.com/home/growingdryingu_sadl.htm

Stuffed Acorn Squash – Vegan
See this link for a recipe and a video demo!
http://www.chooseveg.com/stuffed-acorn-squash.asp

Game Plan for Week 14

After being out of town for several weeks and weekends, and a lot of the hardier vegetables still waiting for me in my fridge, I am ready to get cooking. With Rosh Hashanah around the corner, I am thinking about what I can cook now and store until the holidays. Definitely something featuring lots of peppers - I will have to do some research on that one - and maybe a moussaka with the eggplants and tomatoes.
I'll be back tomorrow with some recipes and more ideas.

Game Plan for Summer Week 13

Here are a few ideas for how you might use your box's bounty this week. The items from the box are in color:

Grilled Veggie Kabobs with cherry tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, onions, and hunks of marinated tofu

Beet Orange Salad
Peel, cube, and roast beets on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil until fork tender. Let cool before adding to a salad of romaine lettuce, cucumbers, and orange sections. Dress with a mix of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and dijon mustard.

Grandma Helen's Hungarian Spinach/Kale
My Great Grandma Helen handed down this preparation for spinach, and it works well if you steam the kale and then chop it finely. Saute some chopped green onions, add in the chopped kale, a few Tablespoons of Smart balance, and a handful or two of seasoned breadcrumbs or corn-flakes crumbs (depending on how bready you like your kale). This also works as a stuffing for fish roll-ups (tilapia or sole), or for large mushrooms.

Baked Potato Bar
We like to top potatoes with flaked tuna or sour supreme and chives, or leftover broccoli.

Joy of (Modified) Pancakes with Blueberries (see recipe posted below)

Tunisian Vegetable Stew
This stew makes use of peppers and red cabbage. It is delicious served over rice or couscous. Check out the recipe posted below.

My plan for this weeks box includes enjoying the cantaloupe as is (!) and stir frying a mix of the zucchini, celery, chard, tomatoes and some corn.  It is simply hard to go wrong with fresh veggies! As for the cukes - I think I will make a batch of bread and butter pickles with them along with a pepper or two.  I'll used cider vinegar, a smattering of sugar along with mustard seed, celery seed, cloves and tumeric for seasoning.  

Not too tough an assignment!

This Week's Plan

So I see that we will be getting the mysterious alien vegetable Kohlrabi in our boxes. Now before you immediately chuck it into the swap box today, consider all the wonderful possibilities this veggie has to offer. As a rule treat it like you would a turnip, so it can go into soups or vegetable mashes, or mix it with some potatoes, onions (and maybe even this week's zucchinis, and roast in the oven with some olive oil, thyme and garlic for a wonderful side dish. Still not convinced? Heres a recipe that, if you replace the cream with Mayonnaise, will make a tangy variation on a waldorf salad.

Personally, I'm a radish Fiend so I cant wait to eat them raw, in a salad, or like they used to do it in the old country, dipped in a salt cellar. Braising them in butter is also a great way to mellow them out.

If you've never had the chanceto roast peppers, this week is your chance to go for it! just place them directly over the grates of a burner and rotate them with tongs every once in a while until the skin turns 90% black. Let them cool, and then use a paring knife to scrape the skin off leaving nice soft peppers than can be used in hundreds of ways. I put them in quinoa to make a nice salad, or simmer them in tomato sauce for a flavorful pasta sauce.

Finally, while peaches are great on their own, I've been halving them brushing them with a bit of honey, and then putting them on a very hot grill for just a minute until there are grill marks. This adds a really nice smokiness and makes for a wonderful dessert, alone, topped with cream or a simple mint syrup.

Any more ideas? leave them in the comments below!

Game Plan for Week 10

I am headed out of town tonight, and I have been giving a lot of thought to making sure that all of those amazing fruits and vegetables get used or preserved, and not wasted!
My kids were amazed to see that huge melon this morning, and we cut right into it for breakfast. I don't think it will last too long!
As much as I would love to just steam those ears of corn and eat them right off the cob, I don't want to leave them until next week when I'm back, so I'm going to cut the kernels off the cob and freeze them. Then I can throw them into polenta, corn and bean salads, chili, soup, etc.
I had a delicious sandwich this week that uses two things from Vicki, the arugula and the peppers. Roast the peppers (on a grill, under the broiler, or over the flame on your stove) and remove the skin and seeds. On a baguette or other crusty bread, layer the peppers, arugula and goat cheese (Trader Joe's has a delicious herbed goat cheese that is OU certified). Simple and easy. I also roasted and sliced some marinated portabello mushrooms and put those on too - it was a big hit with the friends I served it to.
I think the cauliflower and onion will be just fine until I get back on Sunday... what will you be doing with your box?

Whats in our box this week and how I'm planning on using it.

I'm having a big sheva brachot party this friday night for friends that just got married which means I'm either going to have to supplement my box, or be creative about how to stretch what's in there to serve 20+ people. Here's what I have in mind so far. The cucumbers, lettuce and broccoli should become a nice green salad with a simple vinaigrette. But thats a no brainer, so we're left with kale, which I've had a bit of already in the past few weeks (though check out my video below for an idea), so thats going right in the freezer, and zucchini and basil. The succhini will be diced and added for colour and flavour to some rice. If you can find it (Treasure Island and whole foods usually stock it), get some forbidden black rice. It has a more complex flavour and is definitely more dramatic. The basil will likely get chopped and sprinkled over fresh strawberries. Thats right, strawberries. I make a glaze with balsamic vinegar and brown sugar (whisk a fair amount into the vinegar until it's syrupy), drizzle that over some strawberries and then finish it it a sprinkling of basil. Very different and very delicious.

What are YOU going to do with your box? let us know in the comments section.

Game Plan for Week Five

Although the weather has been cool this week, it's getting warmer and it's nice to have vegetables from Vicki that require little or no cooking.
I think I will make a cucumber salad with those delicious cucumbers, a green salad with the lettuce, and a bean salad with the green beans.
I have a delicious recipe for the red cabbage, but it's sort of autumnal. I'll post it; you might want to keep it in mind for fall.
I braised last week's broccoli and chard with garlic and cumin and used it as a taco filling, which was delicious! I wasn't sure what to do with the long broccoli stalks, so I just cut away the thick outer layer and then cut into sticks; it made a good snack while I was cooking (like you'd snack on carrot or celery sticks).
I'm still looking for great ways to use collard greens and would love any suggestions.

Game Plan for Week Four

This week is tough for me - I always have a hard time with all the greens.

One evening, when it gets a little cooler, I'll braise the chard - my recipe is off the back of bag of chard from Trader Joe's.

When I picked up my produce tonight, I flipped through the Farmer John's Cookbook and found a recipe for kohlrabi hash browns. That sounds like it would make a delicious dinner with some of Vicki's eggs.

I have been making pizza with a Trader Joe's pizza dough about once a week; I think I'll just steam the broccoli and put it on top of a pizza one night.

As for the lettuce and cabbage, I am bringing lunch for a group to work on Tuesday, and I think I'll bring a favorite sandwich that I discovered at a restaurant in Kansas City, called the Mr. Green Jeans sandwich, that will use the lettuce, and I'll make a big batch of cole slaw to go with it. The sandwich is pesto, brie, asparagus, lettuce, tomato and sprouts on crusty bread. It sounds simple but the combination is perfect.

The recipes for the chard, kohlrabi and cole slaw are posted separately; I am feeling a little uninspired and would love to hear any great ideas that other members have.

Game Plan

What the Gutsteins Might Be Eating This Week - Summer Week 3


Wednesday
Soup from the deep with a fresh burst of Kale

I am no gourmand and I rely heavily on my stockpile of banked freezer items like soups. Whenever I take something out of the freezer, I like to add at least one fresh ingredient. Kale is a great green to add to soups and is versatile. I’ve dumped it into potato soup, yellow split pea, vegetable or minestrone and it has been well received. Then again, Josh will eat just about anything. To add the kale, I just cut out the thickest parts of the stem, chop it up and add it to my pot. A nice benefit of this is that all the good nutrients from the kale stay in the soup instead of being steamed away.


Thursday
Stir Fry with Daikon Radish
Also featuring: Red peppers, broccoli, onion, ginger, garlic and tofu

Sometimes we like our stir fry with a little something different. This carmelizing stir fry sauce, adapted from Canyon Ranch Cooks: More Great Tastes is rich and delicious:
2 T low-sodium tamari sauce (I usually just use whatever soy sauce I have)
2 T brown sugar (I could use 1 T per recipe and be just fine)
pinch red chili flakes
2 t sesame tahini

In a small saucepan, combine tamari sauce, brown sugar, chili flakes and tahini. Simmer until sugar is melted and mixture bcecomes a syrup, about 5 minutes, and set aside. This sauce is for about 4 sensible servings. Serve the vegetables and tofu over brown rice or soba noodles.

Friday
Grilled Salmon and Asparagus

The grill is already heated, so why not use it to cook up the vegetables,too? My brother-in-law Jon is especially good at grilling asparagus, and he recommends brushing them with olive oil, grilling, and then finishing with lemon and a sprinkle of kosher salt.

Sunday
Cilantro Pesto Pasta
Salad with farm lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, and balsamic and olive oil dressing

This recipe is from the Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. I've never actually made it, but always thought it sounded novel to use something other than basil. For the other dairy-free people out there, it's also a no cheese version:

1 C loosely packed cilantro leaves
1 C loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
1/3 whole amonds
1 small fresh chile, or 1/4-1/2 t cayenne
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 T fresh lime or lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
salt and ground black pepper to taste

To make the pesto, whirl all the ingredients, except the oil, in a food processor. When everything is well chopped, add the oil in a thin stream to form a smooth paste. If you try the pesto and it's too strong for your tastes, I have found adding a handful of raw spinach works wonders to mellow the flavors.


Monday
Spinach Mushroom Omelettes
Oven Potatoes with last week’s oregano

There’s at least one egg night in our house each week, and it’s usually Monday. After a busy day at work, it’s nice to have an easy go-to-meal.

I didn't feature a suggestion for strawberries because they are one of the first things to get eaten, sometimes on the way home from a Tuv Ha'aretz pick-up. If you haven't used your strawberries and they are looking a little wilted, see our recipe for Rhubarb/Strawberry Applesauce, which could certainly be made without the rhubarb.

Enjoy!

I hope you all enjoyed last week's box of produce; onward to week 2.

Game plan, week 2:

The first thing I will do with this week's box is wash my lettuce which I will rip into salad size pieces, spin dry, and then store in a plastic bag with a paper towel.  I know - why do this first when there are other things to deal with? The reason - if I don't, I may put it off and then instead of having amazing lettuce to enjoy all week, it will be limp at best.

Next up - I will supplement this week's box a bit.  I am going to saute some onions, garlic and mushrooms.  While these are melding, I'll wash and chop the boc choi and toss it in the mix.  I'll season it with a bit of soy sauce.  I will serve these with tofu and rice.

The strawberries and rhubarb will be put to utilized in a dish Chris described to me while we were working last week.  I will put about 1/2 cup of sugar in a medium sized pot with a 1/4 cup water, a shot of citron liqueur, ground cardamon, and vanilla.  Once the sugar has dissolved, I will add the rhubarb which I washed and chopped while things were warming up.  I will let the mix come back to a boil and then simmer for about 4 minutes while I wash and chop the strawberries.  I'll add them and cook for another minute or so.  I'll take it off and let the mixture cool.  When it is about room temp, I will make yogurt parfaits in glasses, layering plain (or vanilla) yogurt, rhubarb-strawberry mix, yogurt, mix, and a layer of yogurt on top.  I will cover each glass and put them in the refrigerator.

I will be making a pot of vegetable soup - I'll saute the greens from the turnips along with onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms.  Once these have softened, I will add vegetable stock and a can of diced tomatoes, bring it to a boil and then simmer.  While this is going on, I will grate the turnips and toss them in the soup.  I'll add some spices (including some thyme that I dried from last week's box) and salt along with a handful of barley.  Once the barley is cooked, I'll turn the pot off, let it cool and then refrigerate.  

Last of all - wash and spin the oregano.  I'll then hang it up to dry.  After a few days, once it is dry - I'll store it on the stalks in a brown paper bag. 

Game Plan for Week One

This is a new feature on our Tuv Ha'aretz blog, a game plan for using the week's produce, since it can be daunting to figure out what to do with everything.
The radishes and asparagus in my box today were a nice surprise that I'm excited to use. Here's what I'm planning:

• Tonight I had scrambled eggs (from Vicki) and kale chips for dinner. Definitely try Vicki's recipe for kale chips. I drizzled a little olive oil and sprinkled a little kosher salt on bite-sized pieces and baked them for about 10 minutes. This dinner was so easy and good that it might be on the menu tomorrow night too.
• For Shabbat, I am going to make a fritatta with the spinach and any other vegetables that I have, a salad with the mesclun mix, and either roasted asparagus or a cold asparagus soup. (I saw this recipe for a soup that can be served hot or cold in the Tribune recently.) And then rhubarb crisp and vanilla ice cream for dessert; the recipe is posted here.
• On Saturday night, I'll use the radishes in a friend's Dillicious Radicious dip. That recipe is also posted here.

Please post any other recommendations or plans that you've got for this week's recipes!