Showing posts with label CSA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CSA. Show all posts

Quinoa Dumplings & Heirloom Tomato Salad 

Thursday, September 8, 2011 -
Remember the quinoa stuffed peppers?  Well, I had so many leftovers of the stuffing I just couldn't get rid of it.  I quickly looked in the pantry to see what else I could do with them.  Remember, we were avoiding the grocery store and only utilizing what we had in our pantry/fridge/freezer and the wonderfully fresh veggies from our friends CSA. (And yes, I know this post is delayed - my apologies!)

We didn't have much.  But, we always have flour since we make a lot of our own bread and pasta. 

With a little water and flour, I knew I could have a quick dough for some dumplings.  I hesitated because of the starchy quinoa mix being stuffed in more starch.  But, the quinoa is the only ingredient in the mix (there is also meat and veggies) so I shrug my shoulders and give it a go.  I mix 2 cups of flour with just a bit of water to make a dough, then I kneed it until it is perfect consistency.  I let it sit while I mix up the salad dressing.

I was keeping the dressing simple.  Red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, salt and pepper were whisked together before streaming olive oil into the mix.  That's it.  Maybe two tablespoons of vinegar, one of mustard and a few tablespoons of olive oil gave me a slightly zesty dressing.  Perfect for the heirloom tomatoes and greens from the CSA.

After making the dumplings, I cooked the dumplings in some boiling, salted water until done.  And viola, a quick dinner utilizing leftovers, basic pantry items and fresh veggies.  It was quite simple and delish with a little hoisin sauce to taste.

Who else loves to clean out the pantry, get creative in the kitchen, and end up with a great meal?

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Quinoa Stuffed Peppers 

Monday, August 29, 2011 -
A few weeks ago (I know, delayed posting huh?), hubs and I didn't really go grocery shopping.  I like to make a mission out of these weeks.  The ones where life gets too busy on the weekend, so the grocery store just doesn't happen.  Since we don't really eat frozen food or have a lot of pantry items (I love the challenge of shopping only from the outer aisles at the grocery store - thus meaning things have a shelf life), this can sometimes lead to a challenge. 

However, that particular week had a minor exception.  Our friends were out of town and asked us to pick up their CSA box for the week.  As many of you know, hubs and I participated in a Spring CSA and loved it.  We don't partake in the summer due to Farmers' Markets, but absolutely love when we have the opportunity to help a friend (and our stomachs) to the fresh CSA.  We knew one thing, we had some fresh veggies coming our way.  The question was, and usually is with CSA, what will those fresh veggies be?

Okay, let me just say, opening a CSA is like getting a Christmas present.  There is a lot of excitement I feel when I open the box.  It is almost like my personal mystery box (like Chopped or Masterchef) that I can develop the weekly menu from.  To my delight, we had some red peppers, basil, parsley, lettuce, leeks, beets and heirloom tomatoes. 

A quick peek into the fridge and I noticed we had some ground beef.  Huh...how did we not use that?  Oh right, hubs didn't end up using it when he made his fantastic red sauce last week.  A quick look in the pantry and I saw we had some quinoa left - just hanging out.  Well, it is about time I used that.  Wondering how it would work as a rice substitute for stuffed peppers, I decided to give it a try.

Quite simply, I sauteed garlic and onions before adding the ground beef.  Once that was cooked, I removed it and added the quinoa.  Sauteed that briefly, added some broth for my liquid and let it cook.  Once it was done, added the beef back into the mix and some fresh herbs.  I loaded the cleaned red peppers up with the mix and baked for about 30 minutes.  I had a little Parmesan left in the fridge, so I sprinkled that on top, let it broil, topped it with hubs red sauce and dug into the deliciousness.


It was a successful first meal of no groceries.  Plus, plenty of leftovers.  Next up, I had to think of what to do with all the extra quinoa and beef filling that I had...

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Onion Tart with Mache & Walnut Dressing 

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 -
When hubs and I were anticipating our pending Disney trip, I was busy with anticipation cooking.  The Sunday before we left, I woke up wanting a casual and slow in the kitchen.  I love lazy Sunday's, and being casual in the kitchen is part of that.  I had some chives, green onions and mache that I thought would work perfectly with Citricos' Onion Tart that I saw in my Disney cookbook.  Citrocos is a upscale restaurant at the beautiful Grand Floridian Resort - gorgeous.  It is on my bucket list to stay there for a Disney trip.  While thinking of the sunny and beautiful location spot, I put on a pot of coffee and got to work.

Here is the basic recipe and steps for the tart.  I did change it up a little and made notations as applicable:
  •  olive oil
  • large onion (I used four small)
  • bay leaf (I used two)
  • 2 eggs (modified to three since I was making one large tart, not four small)
  • 2 tbls. heavy cream (probably 3 on my end)
  • 2 tbls. milk (I used skim, about 3 tbls.)
  • 1 minced garlic clove (2)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • refrigerated pie dough
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese
While the oven preheated, I sauteed onions with the bay leaves in some olive oil until they were soft and lightly browned, but not caramelized to be overly sweet.  While this was cooking, I prepped the crust by laying the pie dough into a tart pan.  I pricked the dough (so that it wouldn't rise when pre-baking) and baked it in a 375 degree oven for about 5 minutes.  When the tart was done baking, I removed the bay leaves from the onion mixture and spread it in the crust.

For the egg mixture, I whisked together the heavy cream, milk, eggs and garlic.  I also decided to add the chives from our weekly CSA to the mix before adding salt and pepper to taste.  This was poured over the onion mixture in the tart pan.  I then sprinkled bleu cheese crumbles on top and placed it into a 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.


While it was baking, I mixed up the walnut dressing that was going to drizzle over the top.  The recipe calls for:
  • 1/2 c. sherry vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
  • 1/2 teas. Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbls. chopped walnuts
  • 1 shallot, minced (I used our CSA green onion base)
  • 1 c. olive oil (I used about 3/4 c.)
  • salt and pepper to taste
This was all blended together and then drizzled over the top of the tart.  I also topped the tart with the mache from our CSA to freshen it up a bit more.  Overall, the tart was sweet from the onions but sharp with the bleu cheese.  It was filling but not heavy.  Which is good when you are planning on going on vacation in a warm place!

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Quinoa & Black Bean Salad 

Thursday, May 5, 2011 -
I've had this in my back pocket for quite sometime (okay really, I just forgot to post it and found it sitting there...waiting patiently.)  With all of the mache we've received from our CSA, hubs and I made fish tacos the first time around.  And when hubs said he wanted fish tacos, I happily agreed and quickly thought how great a black bean side would be as an accompaniment.  Had some quinoa in the pantry and decided to mix up with the two ingredients.

I sauteed some finely chopped white onion with about 4 cloves of garlic.  Once the onions were translucent, I added about 3/4 cup of quinoa.  Then, some cumin and cayenne pepper to the mix.  One this was all mixed up, I added about 2 cups of vegetable stock and let it come to a boil.  Then, the simmering began.

I was thinking maybe 15 minutes for this, but the quinoa was just tough for some reason.  I don't cook with quinoa very often, so I may have had the texture wrong, but I knew that I wanted it to be cooked a bit more.  It was soaking up the liquid like a rock star, so I kept adding 1/4 cup here, a 1/4 cup there until it was the texture I was looking for.  This lasted for about 30 minutes total, but it wasn't a big deal because I started it much earlier than everything else.  I guess my mind knew something it wasn't really telling me during the cooking process.

Once it was a good texture, I added two cans of rinsed black beans and cooked until everything was hot.  Added some cilantro (what was left - so only about a tablespoon, though it could have had more) and wild chives.

It made a lot of salad, let me tell you.  Plus, it was extremely filling.  All good things in my book.  There was enough for me to make a meal out of it the next day.  And to jazz it up, I added the leftover grilled nectarine salsa we had from our fish tacos the next day - it was delicious (and just as filling!)

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More Greens 

Sunday, May 1, 2011 -
Week four of our CSA has given us more greens.  The cooler was full, lots of things to use for this week - which is short due to a trip to Green Bay (one of my best friends is getting married!) so we'll need to be creative this week. We have...
  • baby romaine
  • spinach
  • mache
  • red and green lettuce
  • chives
  • green onions
  • our own sage plant
So, a few repeats.  Well, a lot of repeats.  I wish we were getting a few different things, like asparagus and other spring vegetables.  But leafy greens it is!  I already have plans for most of it, but if anyone has any suggestions, don't hesitate!  

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Spoodles in the Kitchen 

Friday, April 29, 2011 -
Photo Credit
More anticipation for our pending Disney trip, I found myself making a dish from Spoodles. Spoodles was a restaurant located on Disney's BoardWalk.  I never had the opportunity to dine there, and won't have a chance since it closed in 2009.  However, I never really heard anything great about the restaurant, so I don't feel like I missed out on too much.

What drove me to make a dish from a closed restaurant that I never dined at, I can't say.  But I was still inspired by the fried polenta with sauteed mushrooms and wilted greens. I had spinach from our week 3 CSA and a cluster of shitake, oyster and baby bella mushrooms.  Why not? 

To save time, I grabbed already made polenta.  I wasn't confident in it until hubs and I actually sat down to eat dinner because through the process it was breaking and just didn't taste right to me.  I guess that is what happens when you don't make your own, but it worked out in the end!

The mushrooms were sauteed and then cooked in a red wine/broth reduction for a few minutes.  The wilted greens were spinach, sauteed with just a bit of water and butter.  I lightly fried the polenta in some olive oil, and then drizzled a balsamic vinaigrette with chopped basil over it all.


I wasn't anticipating it being so filling, but it was.  A light meal, inspired by Disney once again!

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Not so sure about these kale chips... 

Tuesday, April 26, 2011 -
We had our kale from week 2 and week 3 of our CSA to use, so I decided to bake up some kale chips. To be honest, I'm getting a little tired of kale despite really only cooking it once so far from our CSA mission.  So I was hoping this use would brighten up my current dislove of the veggie.

I knew it would be a simple process, just didn't know how it would turn out.  I began by cutting the kale from the the stems into bite sized pieces.  I washed them and made sure they were really dry before tossing them with some olive oil.  Then, in a single layer, I put them onto a baking sheet.


First round, they were in the oven for about 10 minutes - 350 degrees.  They were very crisp, and turned a little brown.  I thought it may have been due to the size of the kale, so for the second round, I used only the larger pieces.



The chips were crisp, light and airy.  I personally wasn't a fan of the chips - but I could see why people would love this nutritious treat.  Hubs ate them up very quickly despite his initial hesitation when he saw me tossing the kale with olive oil.

I'd be interested in making them again, but jazzing it up with something other than just sea salt.  Maybe garlic salt?  Or a little spice?

What are your thoughts for next time?

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Sunday Morning Ritual with a Splash of Pesto 

Friday, April 22, 2011 -
I like grocery shopping.  I know most people don't, but there is something that I genuinely enjoy about it.  I make our weekly menu on Sunday morning over a cup of coffee, pack up our reusable bags and then head to the store with hubs.  We always begin with veggie picking and then work our way to the meat and dairy.  It's a Sunday ritual I really enjoy - like brunch and reading the paper with my coffee. 

I think we didn't go this past week because it was my birthDAY (opposed to week, weekend or month.)  Not that it is a reason to not go, but we were busy and just didn't make it.  When we don't go to the store, we are always left with two options during the week:

1.) Go to the store - just do the trip on Monday or Tuesday - during the week.
2.) Get creative with the pantry and fridge.

Sometimes option one is difficult with our schedules.  I'm a busy lady, I know this, and sometimes it is a battle to get everything into the week.  But option two can be difficult as well because we don't stock up on items in the pantry.  We like to buy a lot of things fresh, so we don't freeze a lot either.  We don't have frozen pizza on hand and we don't really do boxed meals. 

But this week, we decided on option 2 - let's make it work.  We had some fresh veggies from our second week of CSA so that dramatically makes it easier.  With a little inspiration from Jessica over at The Novice Chef, I decided to use the spinach and make a pesto of my own.  I had never used spinach in a pesto, and without basil, I knew it would be interesting (our basil seeds are not giving us any love quite yet, but they will! Hubs has a green thumb for sure.) 

I pulled out my mini chopper (I'm in desperate need of a full-sized food processor.  If anyone would like to contribute, I'm taking donations) and began by pulsing some spinach.  I added maybe a cup of leftover ricotta cheese, about 4 cloves of garlic, a few handfuls of Parmesan cheese and seasoned it with salt and pepper.


I added it to the cooked macaroni noodles we had on hand and tossed with about a cup of raw spinach leaves.  A little dusting of grated Parmesan on top, served with a simple red and green leaf lettuce salad.

So, veggie box update:
  • Spinach
  • Red and Green leaf lettuce
  • Mache (which we used last week to make fish tacos)
  • Wild chives
  • Green onions
  • Kale
Unfortunately, our mache is looking a little gloom.  But I do plan on using it before it all goes down hill.  I'll sneak the wild chives and onions in somewhere, and the kale, we'll figure it out sometime.  Time just seems to not be on my side this week...

Happy Earth Day!

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CSA Week 2 

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 -
Another Saturday means another CSA!  Last week, we had greens and this week is no different.  The line-up includes:
  • Spinach
  • Red and Green leaf lettuce
  • Mache (which we used last week to make fish tacos)
  • Wild chives
  • Green onions
  • Kale (plan on not keeping it so simple this week!)
Some thoughts for this week's menu includes a mixed Spring salad and potentially a gratin.  We'll need to use our greens earlier than last time since we don't want any wilting to happen!

Any ideas for the ingredients we have?

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Sauteed Kale & Mushrooms 

Monday, April 18, 2011 -
Quick & simple post, I had to update you on the last item from our first week of CSA.  The kale!  I knew immediately that I wanted a simple side of kale and mushrooms. I had it when I was in Boston and my friend Denise cooked for me, so it was an easy side dish to some grilled chicken and spring vegetables.

Pretty easy:
  1. Saute about 3 or 4 garlic cloves.
  2. Add mushrooms - cook until softened.
  3. Add kale until it wilts, just a few minutes.
Simple & done.  Earthy kale helped make this meal a bit more healthy and fresh.  Afterward, hubby looks at me and says "kale is pretty earthy huh?"  Yes, why yes it is.

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Fish Tacos with Mache & Grilled Nectarine Salsa 

Saturday, April 16, 2011 -
With our first CSA in hand, hubs had decided to make some fish tacos using our chives, mache and cilantro.  I was pleasantly surprised by this as he usually doesn't enjoy fish tacos, but I adore them.  We bought a large trout filet at the grocery and took it home for some corn tortilla tacos.

Hubs prepped all of the ingredients, so really, I just mixed and seasoned while he was grilling the nectarines I needed for the salsa.  We had about half a cup each of red onions and green bell peppers, a few tablespoons of mache and a few tablespoons of cilantro.  Mache is a mild, lettuce like ingredient.  I've also heard it called lamb lettuce, so if you have too, well, that is what we were using. 

I threw in the grilled, diced nectarines (we used two total), some cayenne and red pepper flakes, lime juice (fresh from one lime), salt and pepper to taste.  And of course, the wild chives we had to give it a little something else.

This was probably the freshest tasting salsa we've had in a long time.  Maybe it was the beautiful evening we were enjoying on the patio while indulging in these fish tacos, but it was refreshingly and guilt free.  Crisp in flavors, it worked perfectly with the grilled trout we had.

So far, this week's CSA:
  • Cilantro
  • Wild Chives
  • Mache
  • Romaine (Nothing will be posted on this - it got slimy and wilted after a few days.  Insert sad face.)
  • Kale
  • Spinach (won't post this either - we had plans to make a pasta, but time ran out on us and it ended up as a lunch salad.)
Made anything recently that was completely guilt free, but made you feel like you were indulging?

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Supporting Local Food & Farmers 

Friday, April 15, 2011 -
A few weeks ago, the IndySpectator published an article about Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).  Ever since our friends Mallory & Ryan had signed up for a CSA last year, I've been bugging hubs to get in on it so we could have a veggie box of our own.  And after the article came out, it reminded me that I still wanted one.  Thus, the Ahrens' purchased their very own CSA for the spring.

You may ask, what is a CSA? I'm a huge fan of farmer's markets, and this is another way that you can support your local farmer's and the community of food producers.  Essentially, you purchase a "share" of a local farmer's produce and for that price, receive a bounty of fruit, veggies, herbs and other local items.  Programs can vary by weeks (ours is 7 for the Spring) and by price points, as well as items offered.  These bountiful boxes can be delivered directly to your door or you can pick them up at the farm or a local shop.

After some research, I settled on a local farm in Zionville, IN called Valentine Hill Farm.  This particular CSA worked for us because of the price point (around $17 a week) and because of the pick-up location, which is at the delicious Trader's Point Creamery (go there for brunch if you haven't - delish).  Another reason we picked it was because of the options.  They had four:
  • Small share (for two people)
  • Small share (for two people) including bread
  • Large share (for four people)
  • Large share (for four people) including bread
I was extremely interested in the bread, because you could get freshly made loaves of bread, English muffins, homemade pasta or pies.  Delicious, but not necessary for us.  Since we enjoy making our own pasta and hubs is one fantastic baker, we decided to stick to the small share sans carbs.  I signed us up, and our first weekend pickup was this past Saturday.  I was in Chicago for work and a friend's bridal shower, and hubs was working, so bestie Mel came to the rescue and picked up the veg box for us.  Plus, she sent me this photo to get me all excited for Sunday menu planning (a ritual in the Ahrens' household).  And can I just note it came in a Charles Shaw wine box?  Veggies in a wine box?  My kind of veggies!

What was in the lovely veg box?  Spinach, mache, baby Little Gem romaine lettuce, kale, wild chives, and cilantro.  I love not knowing what we'll get - it is all fresh and in season which makes the pending weekend menu planning that much more fun to me.  And Valentine Farm sends a newsletter with 3-4 recipes that you can try with your new produce.  Honestly, what is there not to love?

We are still in debate if we'll continue through the summer.  You may wonder, "Why Angie, you love your CSA veg box!?" but it is because we also love to frequent the farmer's markets.  Taking a quick bike ride down the Monon to the Carmel Farmers Market is one of our favorite summer activities.  And we are still getting fresh and local ingredients, all while supporting the local community. So, I guess we'll see...

Stay tuned for all the great cooking we get from this new adventure.  Not to mention, future photos of veggie box excitement.  Can you tell I'm excited? I hope you are too!

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