you joined a CSA... so now what?

For those of you who don't know, the carnivore and I joined a CSA this year. We are just a few weeks in, but already loving it. (Maybe me more than him - but I am the veggie lover and cook in our house, so that's to be expected.) If you are unfamiliar with the term CSA, it means community supported agriculture or community shared agriculture. In essence, a local farm has several people sign up for a goodie bag each week. You pay a set price for a number of weeks (ours lasts 26) and you go pick up your share at a set date and time. Ours comes from a great place called Whitton Farms. You can read more about them here.

The best thing about CSA's is the surprise. For me its kinda like Christmas morning. I count down the hours until I can go pick up my bag each week. As you can see from the picture we have already been blessed with all kinds of amazing fresh produce. Everything from strawberries and swiss chard to sweet potatoes and spinach. We have also received some organic staples, like brown rice and local honey. We have even brought home fresh herbal breads and pizza dough.

But, if you do join a CSA, you have to be flexible. You may have to adjust your weekly menu to work around the groceries you get. For me this challenge is part of the fun. So let's take my recent grab bag as an example. Since I got strawberries and honey I could make my goat cheese pumpernickle toast, since the recipe calls for me to top it with both the sweet berries and the sticky honey. I could saute some of the onions and put them on top of my blue cheese portabellas. I can boil some of the broccoli and tossed it in a primavera pasta, which I can serve with the rosemary bread. I can make a wonderful strawberry and spinach salad for lunch too. The snap peas can be a great accompaniment to a simple stirfry. The fresh pizza dough can make a great base for any number of gourmet pizzas or even a quick calzone, also a great use for some of the spinach.

I know as the seasons change from spring to summer and then to fall, my bag of farm fresh goodies will continue to throw me curve balls. But I am looking forward to the bounty that is to come - from heirloom tomatoes to huckleberries, and there are even promises of fresh eggs!

So, if you do join a CSA (and I really suggest you do - it supports small farmers, it is good for your family to get fresh local produce, and it is good for the environment too) remember, even if you get items that are unfamiliar a quick web search can not only help you identify them, it can also lead you to some great recipes. I promise to post my ideas, like adding diced radishes to a corn and black bean salad, as they happen. And if that fails, well, you can always have you taste tester try the wares straight from the bag. Mmmm strawberries!

grilled cheese

Who doesn't love a good grilled cheese? No one, that's who. But, the recipe I am going to share with you today is not your ordinary bright orange slices of cheese between buttered bread. No, this is grilled feta infused with fresh thyme. Sound intimidating? Well, don't let the fancy words scare you off. This couldn't be more simple. In fact, it came from a suggestion in a recent issue of Real Simple magazine.

To make this grilled cheese you will need:
1 block of fresh feta, drained
olive oil for drizzling
freshly cracked pepper
a generous amount of fresh thyme

Start by placing a block of fresh feta on a square of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil. Crack fresh pepper over the black and top with several sprigs of fresh thyme. (We have tons growing in our herb garden this year.) Then wrap up your package and place it on indirect heat in the grill for about 15 minutes.

At the same time I had my carnivore cooking this gift wrapped goody, I also had him grill a few skewers of cherry tomatoes and sliced zucchini that I coated in olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder. In the meantime, he also grilled a piece of salmon for himself. The only thing I had going in the kitchen was the rice maker which bubbled away til our brown rice was perfect.

Once everything was ready, I unwrapped the cheese and carved off a couple of melty slices. Served along side the veggies and rice, I had a meal that was satisfying, but not stuffing. The salty and strong cheese paired nicely with the sweet squishy tomatoes and charred garlicky zucchini. The rice rounded out the meal nicely. This would also make a great appetizer at your next cookout. Once the feta is done you could put it on the table next to some nutty crackers and just let people dig in.

french revolution

I know I have given you several pizza recipes in the past, but this one has been truly revolutionary in our house. After the first night we had these french bread pizzas, the carnivore told me we could have it any night of the week...and I felt the same way. That second bit is the revolutionary part. While my hubs (who has the palate of a five year old) could eat pizza in any form any night of the week, I would rather have it about once a month. But these savory slices were so amazing we had it three nights in a row! It doesn't hurt they are easy to make too.

To make four vegetarian slices and four carnivore ones you will need the following:

One large french bread loaf (we used whole wheat)
1 small jar of pizza sauce ( I found a great organic one at Whole Foods)
1 small tomato, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 package of pepperoni
2 cups of mozzarella
a bit of fresh basil, chopped
a bit of olive oil for drizzling

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Slice bread lengthwise and then in fourths, making eight mini pizza bases. Place on baking sheet. Stabilize with aluminum foil if needed. Drizzle bread with olive oil. Coat each slice with pizza sauce, about 1-2 tblsp each. Add a generous amount of shredded mozzarella to each piece. On the carnivore pizzas layer on pepperoni. On the vegetarian ones, add diced tomato, onion, and green pepper. Top all four pieces with a bit more cheese. Bake for about twenty minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbly. Top the veggie ones with the fresh basil before serving.

I have to tell you, these baked beauties were crunchy cheesy perfection. And you can switch out the toppings to pretty much anything that floats your boat - ground sausage, mushrooms, canadian bacon, spinach, you name it. Very easy for a varied diet family. Now that's revolutionary!

a midsummer night's dream

The carnivore and I have planted a full garden this year. (I promise to show you it soon in an upcoming post.) It is pretty exciting news in our house. We already have a couple of green tomatoes, a few strawberries, and one lone blueberry already popping out. But, while we patiently wait for all our homegrown goodies to bloom, I am supplementing with fresh veggies from our farmers' markets and the CSA we joined this year. But, even they aren't able to satisfy my summer (second trimester) cravings fully. So, on a recent trip to my local produce market I scooped up some mid-summer vegetables and made this dreamy saute. Its the kinda thing that will get better as the season goes on.

I diced one medium tomato, one zucchini, and one yellow squash. I sauteed them in olive oil with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. I also tossed in several oregano leaves from our herb garden (which is already in full bloom).  Once the veggies were softened, I transferred them to my plate and topped them with grated paremsan cheese.

The result was fantastic. Fresh, clean, and uncomplicated. The veggies were the stars. I can't wait for our own tomatoes, zucchini, and squash to burst from the ground so I can make it again. Until then I can dream about this dish.

menu ideas:

I served this up with garlic green beans and fried red potatoes with red onions. The carnivore had these sides along side barbecue chicken. We both left the table stuffed and satisfied.

kiss my grits

There are some things every good Southerner should know. How to bait your own hook, how to talk trash during football season, and how to make good cheese grits. These are really the essentials. Okay, there are probably a few other things, but these are pretty important. And when it comes to grits - we mean business. We eat them early in the morning, and late at night. And we never eat them out of a pre-made instant packet. Blasphemy!

This is my family's take on the low country classic shrimp and grits. To make enough grits for four to six folks (carnivores and vegetarians) you will need the following ingredients:

for the grits:
1 cup of stone ground grits
1 cup of vegetable broth
1 cup of whole milk
2 cups of water
2 cups of organic shredded cheese (get the good stuff)
1/4 cup of organic butter
a bit of salt and pepper

for the toppings:
4 strips of organic hardwood bacon
20-25 medium shrimp
a bunch of green onions
2 cloves of garlic
a bunch of fresh parsley
2-4 fake crab cakes
a tlbsp of butter

Start by pouring the milk, broth and water in a medium sized pot. Heat until boiling. Add in the grits and stir with a bit of salt and pepper. Cover and reduce to a simmer for around 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat. Add in the cheese and butter, and melt thoroughly before serving. Keep covered. In the meantime, cook four pieces of bacon. Remove from skillet. In same skillet add one minced garlic clove and two sliced green onions on medium heat. Add in shrimp once garlic is fragrant. Cook until plump and pink. Remove from skillet and toss with bacon that has been chopped in a small bowl. In separate small skillet cook the other garlic clove and more green onion in the butter until soft. Then assemble the bowls. Add a generous amount of grits to each. In the carnivore plates top with the bacon and shrimp mixture. In the vegetarian ones, add one or two fake crab cakes (Whole Foods has really good ones in their pre-made section) and the sauteed garlic and onions. Finally, sprinkle fresh parsley over each.

I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn't. And the end result is soul stuffing good. Plus, as any good Southerner knows, somethings are worth the wait - like that big fish you hooked after a day with no bites, or that win over your rival team after a years of loosing, or rich creamy cheese grits.

stacked

Sometimes when I make a vegetarian dish that is so pretty my carnivore has to admit it looks good - even if he would never touch it. This stacked eggplant beauty is just that sort of thing.

Now, when the carnivore has our grill out and going for his steak or chicken or whatever meat he is is enjoying for dinner, I always take advantage of him...or rather his agreeableness to add something on the fire for me. Sometimes this is simply a side dish, like corn or potatoes. Sometimes it means grilled fruit for dessert, pineapples or peaches maybe. Other times, I con him into making my main dish too. On this occasion I had my man make me grilled eggplant. You can find out just how he makes this mouthwatering veggie by clicking here.

While he cooked the eggplant, I sliced a beefsteak tomato and fresh mozzarella into hefty chunks. I also gathered some basil from my herb garden. Once the eggplant was ready, I started stacking the ingredients. I then topped the tower with cracked pepper, kosher salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and a few dashes of balsamic vinegar.

It was not only nice to look at, this grilled eggplant dish was delicious too. A fresh bit of summer stacked in a pretty pile on my plate. Even the carnivore commented on it...as he chewed his steak.