Po-TAY-tow, Po-TAH-tow, Tow-MAY-tow, Tow-MAH-tow

German Butterball Potatoes

As I mentioned in my most recent post, last week's box contained:

• Green Beans
• Spigariello
• German Butterball Potatoes
• Yellow Onions
• Tomatoes
• Strawberries
• Summer Squash
• Mixed Sweet Peppers - Mix of young tender sweet Romanian, Cubanelle and Green Pimiento peppers

I had been in China the prior week and didn't have much energy immediately on my return; however, early this week it was a joy to have this food on hand. Such gorgeous produce. Sadly, the strawberries and the spigariello did not make it, but the rest has been or will be put to good use.

Tomatoes

It is tomato season here in California, so all that's needed is a knife and some good salt.  My favorite is Maldon Sea Salt, which you see pictured above. I simply sliced the tomatoes, drizzled them with white balsamic vinegar, and sprinkled them with salt. Beautiful.

I steamed the potatoes with some broccoli and tossed both with a mustard butter made from PIC Dijon mustard. Again, beautiful and so simple.

The green beans found their way into Sichuan-style green beans. Again ... beautiful and simple.

This week was a good reminder of how amazing food, in season, can be served all by itself. For the zucchini, onions, peppers, I'm planning a veggie fajita with fresh salsa from the tomatoes, jalapeños, and tomatillos from tomorrow's box:

• Bull's Blood Beet Greens
• Celery
• Summer Squash
• Chantenay Carrots
• Jalapeno Peppers
• Monica Tomatoes
• Tomatillos
• Strawberries
• Red Leaf Lettuce

A Trio of Seasonal Cannelloni

This week's box included:

• Romaine lettuce
• Summer squash (zucchini)
• Carrots
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Strawberries
• Yellow potatoes
• Oregano

We've actually got quite a backlog going, especially with the zucchini and carrots.  With zucchini in mind, I started digging through cookbooks for a recipe that would help work through that backlog.  Happily I stumbled upon a series of recipes for cannelloni, whose fillings cover several of this week's vegetables; the cookbook: Simple to Spectacular: How to Take One Basic Recipe to Four Levels of Sophistication by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman.

Tonight's menu:

• Hearts of Romaine with Dijion Vinaigrette
• A Trio of Seasonal Cannelloni
• Braised Carrots with Capers (from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan)

Recipe for the cannelloni included below. Other ideas on getting through this week's box included:

• Zucchini: Lemon Rosemary Zucchini Bread 
• Carrots: Baked Carrot Oven Fries
• Potatoes and Greens: Skillet Potatoes with Greens, adding some Field Roast sausages
• Broccoli: Noodles with Stir-Fried Tofu and Broccoli
• Strawberries: eaten out of hand
• Oregano: dried for future use

A Trio of Seasonal Cannelloni
Adapted from Simple to Spectacular by Jean Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman

One pound fresh pasta dough (to be shared across the following fillings), shaped into 4 x 6 inch rectangles, boiled for ~3 minutes, then cooled in a ice water bath.  Pat dry before filling.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Prepare fillings and fill cannelloni as described below.  Bake until golden brown on top, about 10 minutes.

Potatoes and Arugula

1/2 pound potatoes
salt to taste
1.5 T extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)
1 clove garlic, minced
red pepper flakes to taste
1/2 pound arugula, trimmed, washed and dried
1/2 c freshly grated pecorinio Romano
1/2 c stock

Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft, drain and set aside. Sauté the garlic, salt, and pepper, till garlic begins to color; add 2/3 of the arugula, stir for a few minutes, then cover and remove from heat allowing to steam for 5 minutes.  Chop the remaining arugula with the sautéed arugula.  Add potatoes, olive oil, and 1/2 the pecorino; mash and mix well.  Stuff 1/3 of the cannelloni shells, placing them in a single layer in a baking dish, such as an oval gratin.  Drizzle with stock, a bit of olive oil, and the remaining cheese. 

Greens and Herbs

2 T evoo
1 pound spinach, trimmed, washed and dried
1/4 pound arugula, trimmed, washed and dried
1/2 pound mesculun, , trimmed, washed and dried
2 cloves garlic, minced
fresh basil, 10 leaves, chiffonade
egg yolk
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c stock

Sauté the spinach, arugula, mesculun and garlic in 1 T evoo until the greens are tender, about 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool, then finely chop. Stir in the basil, egg yolk, 1/2 the Parmesan, and the nutmeg.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stuff 1/3 of the cannelloni shells, placing them in a single layer in a baking dish, such as an oval gratin.  Drizzle with stock, a bit of olive oil, and the remaining cheese.  

Scallops and Zucchini

1 T evoo
1 zucchini, washed, trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 T fresh thyme1/3 pound scallops, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 c cream
2 T butter
2 t fresh lemon juice
cayenne, salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c stock

Sauté the zucchini, a large pinch of salt, and 1/2 the thyme in olive oil over medium high heat till just tender. Toss the zucchini mixture with the scallops and cayenne. Stuff 1/3 of the cannelloni shells, placing them in a single layer in a baking dish, such as an oval gratin.  Drizzle with stock and a bit of olive oil.

Deglaze the sauté pan with the cream, 1/2 water, and the remaining thyme; simmer till reduced to 1/4 cup.  Lower the heat and whisk in the butter; season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Food Across America: Route 66 Days Seven & Eight

Yesterday was a long day that wrapped up nicely at Latitude 26 Tex-Mex.  The food was good and the staff took great care of us.  I'd recommend this spot to others in the area.

We left St. Louis, MO today  ~ heading back to Silicon Valley via I-80.  While off Route 66, we are still deeply interested in the food along the way!  I must say, today has been a banner day.

We started out at the hospital with my father.  It was like the movie "Groundhog Day". I smiled to myself when I saw the breakfast provided to him (pictured below).  Strikingly similar to the buffets along our path so far... 

I have always wondered what "American food" was; I guess the unmistakable pattern we've seen over the past week is the classic American breakfast! 

Dinner tonight was nothing short of stunning.  As a reminder, I'm a vegan and Sean is not.  Lots of compromise happens when we dine.  Tonight was a nearly perfect situation with fantastic meals for each of our individual tastes.

Using Yelp on our iPad, we found a vegan restaurant within minutes from the city's best barbecue.  Both restaurants offered carry-out menus on their web sites, so we were all set.

Sean ordered the rib combo platter (which was enough for 3 people).  It included beef ribs, pork spareribs, pork short ribs and lamb ribs as well as baked beans and french fries.  Nothing was less than excellent, but according to Sean, nothing but the ribs mattered.  The menu itself is incredibly broad; if we were local, Sean would work his way through it.

Star of Show: lamb ribs (due primarily to their novelty; this is the first time he'd seen lamb ribs as an option).

Eden Alley's menu was equally broad. Thankfully their staff was incredibly helpful in narrowing the field of options.  We settled on half orders of the roasted potato burrito (daily special) and the spinach and mushroom loaf.  Truly amazing.

Star of Show: roasted potato burrito; the diablo sauce was incredible.

Food Across America: Route 66 Day Six

The breakfast buffet was on par with the rest of the trip.  From here on out you can assume it is all more of the same unless we note otherwise...

Lunch today was a *very* welcomed, delicious meal. Yelp saves the day again, finding an open restaurant in our area. Today we landed at the City Coffeehouse and Creperie.   On the heels of the last two days I was really hungry and was able to find enough here to get all the way to satisfied...  The leading photo today is the vegetarian sandwich on wheat ~ incredible.

Dinner at Favazza's was good, as was the frozen custard at Ted Drewes.  Both are worth a stop if you are in the area.

Peroni and Pasta at Favazza's

Ted Drewes

We made the trip across the US to be with my father during his deep brain stimulation surgery tomorrow. My sisters, Suzanne and Renee, met us here and tomorrow we go with him for the procedure. He's had Parkinson's Disease for years, tomorrow should be a very good thing.

Perhaps needless to day, I won't be thinking or writing about food tomorrow...

Renee, Fred, Michelle, Suzanne

Family Heirloom Recipes

Holidays like Thanksgiving are rich in tradition.  Many families repeat the same meal year after year, generation to generation.

One family heirloom recipe from my mother's side is "pink dip".  My grandmother, Nonie, made it often and it was a standard part of our holiday meals.  It's a chip dip recipe from the 50s that goes incredibly well with salty things, like pretzels and potato chips.

Careful, it is addicting.

Nonie's Pink Dip
Makes just over 2 cups.

4 - 3oz packages of Philadelphia cream cheese at room temperature
2T plus 2t milk
2T plus 2t red french dressing, like Kraft Catalina
1/2 cup ketchup
2t Reese onion juice
1/4t salt

Combine and blend till smooth.

What are your favorite heirloom recipes?

Individual Cipollini Onion Tartes Tatin

As I mentioned in the last post, I have a great appreciation for "fiddly" food.  To me this means a purposeful dish that is visually appealing, elegantly presented, intensely flavored, usually very small and often time intensive to prepare.

The cipollini onions in this week's box were the perfect opportunity to fiddle.  A quick Google on "onion tatin" landed me at the Really Nice Recipes web site and, not surprisingly, a really nice recipe to use as a base.

My variations were few, though would make a few more on the next pass.  This recipe is definitely a keeper and would make a great first course, a sweet accompaniment to a cheese plate, or an elegant and unique autumn dessert.

Individual Cipollini Onion Tartes Tatin

Serves 6 as a first course

6 cipollini onions, about 3" diameter

1 ounce sugar, ultra fine

1/2t fresh thyme or 1t dried (fresh strongly recommended over dried)

1/4c water

1 sheet puff pastry

parchment paper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and pull puff pastry sheet from freezer to thaw.  Next, clean and halve onions, set aside.  Cut the parchment into squares, roughly 4" by 4", and arrange on a baking sheet. 

Combine sugar, thyme and water in a small sauce pan.  Bring to a boil and cook until a light caramel has formed; should be the color of honey.  Place a small amount of the caramel on each piece of parchment and top with an onion half, cut side down.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, roll and score the puff pastry, then cut 12 - 3.5" circles using cutters like these from Ateco.  Remove the onions from oven and allow to cool.  Top each with a circle of puff pastry, tucking the pastry tightly around the onion.  Return to the oven and cook for 20 minutes, keeping an eye on the pastry; remove from the oven when it is browned to your liking.

Once out of the oven, invert the tartes and remove the parchment immediately.  Allow to cool slightly and enjoy!

These are sweet, so next time around I'd consider a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar or serving with a small bit of fresh goat cheese.

Carrot Ginger Pots de Creme

This week's box contains:

• San Marzano Tomatoes
• Red Beets
• Yellow Carrots
• Rugosa Squash
  
• Romaine and Red Butter Lettuce
• Leeks
• Apples
• Mystery (baby zucchini)

San Marzano Tomatoes:  No question these will go into another batch of oven roasted tomatoes for snacking.  They are a fantastic condiment; my favorite is adding them on top of pita and hummus.

Red Beets:  Roasted and tossed with balsamic vinegar.

Yellow Carrots:  As I've mentioned over the past few weeks, the carrots are stacking up.  We now have three and a half pounds waiting...  We will certainly make baked carrot fries and some form of carrot soup, my absolute favorite recipe can be found here.  We also decided to try a carrot custard, to warm-up (pun intended) our pots de creme muscles for the winter season.

Carrot Ginger Pots de Creme

Serves 8

1 pound carrots
1x2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
3 cups milk, half and half, or heavy cream (or a mixture)
1t salt
6 egg yolks

Bring milk/cream mixture to a simmer, add ginger slices, cover and remove from heat.  Let sit for 1 hour. 

Meanwhile, clean and trim carrots (peel if desired) and slice.  Boil until tender in a small amount of salted water; drain and mash, then set aside.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, mix yolks and salt until integrated but not foamy.  Add mashed carrots and mix well.  Strain milk/cream mixture to remove sliced ginger; slowly whisk into the carrot mixture.

Divide the custard among eight pots de creme cups and cover with lids. Set the cups in a baking dish and add hot water to the baking dish to reach halfway up the sides of the cups.  Bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes, but watch carefully.  Ovens vary and you may need to cook for more or less time; you want the edges set, but the custard should still be trembling in the center.

Remove from oven and allow the custard to fully set before serving, about 15 minutes.  These can be made ahead of time and served warm or at room temperature.

A lighter, yet similar, recipe for carrot custard can be found here.

Rugosa Squash: this is one homely piece of fruit.  It looks like a large, withered butternut squash.  I'll likely halve, seed, bake and peel it, freezing the roasted flesh for future use.


Romaine and Butter Lettuce: I'm still not a lettuce fan.  Hoping to pass the romaine onto my friend Teresa and to use the butter lettuce in an apple/walnut salad.

Leeks: We used the leeks from last week in a Pasta e Fagioli, so still waiting to try the NYT Braised Leeks recipe.

Apples: We'll either eat these out of hand or attempt this Apple Walnut Gorgonzola Tart.


Zucchini: I see a Pasta Primavera in our future...

Parmesan Corn Risotto Cakes

For dinner tonight, we took inspiration from my friend Karen.  Given that we started cooking at 7pm, we skipped making the cakes and went right for the risotto, topping it with some homemade salsa.

Parmesan Corn Risotto Cakes
from Karen at Promoting Central Indiana's Local Food Culture

Fresh Corn Stock:
4 ears fresh corn kernels removed and reserved
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves crushed
2 bay leaves
Few sprigs fresh oregano, parsley, thyme
1 tsp. black peppercorns
2 tsp. coarse salt
8 c. cold water

Place stock ingredients into a pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered for 45 minutes.  Strain and keep warm (you will need 4-5 cups in total for this recipe).

Risotto Cakes:
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. Arborio rice
2 c. fresh corn
1 c. white wine (optional)
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 c. fine cornmeal (I have made these with and without these ingredient - just depends on how "crispy" you like these)

Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy saucepan and sauté onion and garlic until translucent.  Add the rice and cook stirring until the rice is well coated.  Add the corn, season with salt and sauté several minutes.  Pour in the wine and simmer until absorbed.  Now start adding warm corn stock, one cup at a time.  Keep stirring and add the next cup of stock only when most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice looks creamy.  When the rice is tender but the grains still lightly firm to the bite remove risotto from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.  Season to taste and spread the risotto into a baking pan to speed cooling.  Cover and refrigerate.  The recipe can be prepared up to this point one or two days in advance. 

To sauté the cakes, form the risotto into round cakes and dredge in cornmeal.  Fry in hot olive oil until golden and crispy on both sides.

The risotto was fantastic and paired incredibly well with the salsa.   Formed into cakes and fried as Karen recommends, this would make an amazing first course.

Queijo Fresco Tostada

I brought home a tub of Nicolau Farms Queijo Fresco ("fresh cheese") from the Mountain View Farmer's Market today. This queijo fresco is made from goat milk and is perfectly salted. Looking for a quick lunch, and to use up ingredients on hand, we decided on tostadas.

When you think about it, tostadas are a lot like tartines, with tortillas used in place of bread. Here's what we came up with:

Queijo Fresco Tostadas
Serves 2

4 corn tortillas
4 oz queijo fresco
1/2 c tomatillo salsa
1c cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 c white onion, minced
1/2 Anaheim pepper, finely diced

Spread queijo fresco on tortillas and place on a baking sheet; broil till cheese is bubbly and slightly brown. Top tortillas with salsa, tomatoes, onions and peppers. Olé!

Strawberry, Arugula, and Goat Cheese Tartines

Tartines continue to intrigue me. I've been experimenting with them all summer and am looking forward to more. They are extremely easy, offer endless variation and can be quite elegant.

Simply put, tartines are open-faced sandwiches. This style of sandwich has a long history and a global presence. One piece of bread plus a topping or two and you're all set. The basic formula is:

[bread] + [spreadable topping] + [thinly sliced topping] + [chopped or shredded topping]

The approach goes something like this:

1. Spread first topping on bread.
2. Layer on next topping.
3. Finish with final topping and season to taste.
   

Tartines can be served hot ... or cold ... or a combination of the two. They can be sweet ... or savory ... or a combination of the two. They can be served as appetizers (known as canapés or tartinas), breakfasts, lunches, or light dinners along side a salad. The only limit is your imagination.

My favorite combinations so far include:

• sourdough baguette topped with goat cheese, roasted fennel, and arugula in citrus vinaigrette
• whole wheat bread topped with goat cheese, arugula tossed in balsamic vinaigrette, and fresh strawberries
  

Others that come to mind are:

• Caprese Tartinas: thin baguette (sweet or sourdough) sliced cross-wised into disks, spread with pesto and topped with slice of tomato, slice of fresh mozzarella and a basil sprig
• Sweet baguette topped with cantaloupe slices and Prosciutto de Parma
• Sweet baguette topped with melted brie and Major Grey's Mango Chutney
  

What are your favorite combinations?

If you're looking for additional information in this culinary neighborhood, I highly recommend Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book: The Best Sandwiches Ever--from Thursday Nights at Campanile. This book contains amazing recipes and solid guidance on a wide variety of sandwich techniques, not just open-faced.

Strawberry, Arugula and Goat Cheese Tartines
Serves 4

loaf whole wheat bread, thinly sliced (~1 cm)
4 oz fresh goat cheese, brought to spreadable temperature (room temp is fine)
2c arugula
balsamic vinaigrette
1 pint fresh strawberries, trimmed and quartered

Lighty grill bread over open flame or toast under broiler. Spread goat cheese on the toasted bread. Toss arugula in vinaigrette and layer over goat cheese. Top with strawberries and serve.

This proved to be a really flavorful, yet light dish that would pair nicely with a blanc de blanc for an elegant brunch.

Summer Squash Galette

While wandering a thread of what to do with too much squash, I stumbled upon a recipe for Individual Zucchini, Lemon, and Ricotta Galettes.

I'd never thought about a savory galette. Our good friend Alyce whips up fruit galettes with ease using simple a "formula", so why not adapt that formula to savory ingredients? As we did have an annoying box of puff pastry clogging up our freezer, I decided to give it a try.

Alyce uses the frozen puff pastry, thawed, and whatever fruit is on hand. She rolls the pastry a bit and tops all but the outside inch with fruit jam and sliced fruit. Finally, she folds the edges to form a containing crust, brushes it with melted butter, and drizzles the top of the galette with melted jam or sprinkles it with sugar. I followed a similar process using savory ingredients.

Summer Squash Galette
Serves 4 as a main course

1 sheet puff pastry
1 recipe tofu basil ricotta (minus the basil)
1 recipe pesto
2-3 medium-sized summer squash, thinly sliced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Thaw the puff pastry on a sheet of parchment and roll to desired thickness. Top puff pastry with 1/3 of the pesto, spreading out to within 1" of the edge. Toss the sliced squash with the remaining pesto, set aside. Top the pesto covered puff pastry with the ricotta, again spreading out to within 1" of the edge. Layer the squash slices over the ricotta. Fold puff pastry up to provide an edge to contain the liquids released as the squash cooks. Spray or brush the puff pastry edges with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste over the galette. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until crusts are nicely browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Toss tomatoes with balsamic and salt. Slice galette and top with diced tomato mixture. Enjoy!

While this was close in essence to dinner last night, it was world's apart. The pastry added something special. It is worth noting that eating seasonally does mean similar food from day to day, but not from month to month...

Now that I've tried a savory galette, I'll try them again. The topping possibilities are endless. This could quite possibly make the "tried and true" list...

Roasted Fennel Tartines

I'm not a big fan of fennel. Happy to make pesto from the fronds, but the bulbs are never something I look forward to eating. This week's CSA newsletter recommended topping crostini with roasted fennel and goat cheese, so I thought I'd expand on that to make tartines -- open faced baguette sandwiches.

Roasted Fennel Tartines
rustic baguette
roasted fennel bulbs
fresh goat cheese
arugula
orange vinaigrette

Allow the goat cheese to come to room temperature. Slice baguette in thirds crosswise and slice each section in half lengthwise. Spread with goat cheese to taste (you can use white bean pate as a vegan alternative to cheese). Top with roasted fennel and put under the broiler until the bread begins to brown; remove from oven.

Mix arugula with the orange vinaigrette and salt and pepper to taste. Top the warm tartines with the salad mixture. Enjoy!

Just in case you don't have an easy recipe for roasted fennel, here you go.

Roasted Fennel
fennel bulbs, halved and sliced thin
olive oil
lemon zest
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roast for 20 minutes until the fennel is beginning to brown.

This recipe really worked; the flavor combination was fantastic. A few ingredients are worth a mention:

• Nicolau Farms Chevre: Along with the rest of the fresh ingredients (besides the fennel), I found this cheese at the Mountain View Farmers' Market.

• Maldon Sea Salt: You can see it on top of the tartine above; both the taste and the texture of this salt were amazing. I also love the way it looks.
  

More with English Peas

Still feeling groggy with jet lag, I needed to do something simple and wanted something flavorful and satisfying.

We had fresh English peas and a few odds and ends on hand, as well as new ingredient, smoked sweet onions from Tierra Vegetables. Using Ina Garten's Fresh Pea Soup recipe as a base, I made the following soup for dinner.

Fresh Pea Soup with Smoked Sweet Onions and Basil Creme
Serves 4

5c fresh English peas
.25c smoked sweet onions, chopped
1c walla walla onion greens (white and light green parts only), sliced
2T olive oil
1t salt
.25t black pepper
4c water
1c basil creme (heavy cream infused with fresh basil)

Heat olive oil in a small stockpot. Add both types onions and sautee till soft. Add water and peas, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5-10 minutes, checking peas frequently -- do not overcook. Blend in batches with salt, pepper, and basil cream.

Zucchini Pesto Gratin

Dinner tonight sets us up nicely for the new box tomorrow. Following this dish, we'll have consumed all the legacy veggies and will be ready for a new batch.

I had some over zealous basil plants, 4 zucchini, some mozzarella, and some frozen marinara sauce, thus the zucchini pesto gratin was born. Using my absolute favorite recipe for pesto, below, I sliced the zucchini, tossed it with the pesto, placed in a 10" round gratin, and topped with about 1c mozzarella. The entire pan was covered with foil so the cheese would melt down into the zucchini and form a sauce that would give the dish some structure as it cooled. I baked the concoction at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes, removed the foil, and baked for an additional 15 minutes. in the meantime, I cooked down the marinara to a thick, flavorful tomato sauce. The gratin was sliced like a pie and topped with the tomato sauce. Fantastico!

However ... if I were to do it again, I'd drastically reduce or eliminate the oil in the pesto for this dish in particular. Water might be a good substitute. The amount of basil, etc. was great, but there was a fair amount of seepage. Worth noting that I would *not* precook the zucchini -- it had a very pleasant crunch (not al dente) that added to the dish.

[Herb of your Choice]-Walnut Pesto
... makes 25 - 2 tablespoon servings

3/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted (*far* better than pine nuts)
1 bunch herb of choice, ends trimmed
1 large garlic clove, pressed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon mellow barley miso
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender, adjust salt and pepper and use or freeze.

This pesto is incredible by itself on a spoon or used any of the ways you see pesto in the wild. It freezes amazingly well.

This pesto recipe comes from the Voluptuous Vegan, by Myra Kornfeld.

I'd like to point you towards a blog entry, and a tremendous accomplishment, my friend Karen (and her partner ChefThomE) posted earlier today: Looks Like We Made It!

Karen and ChefThomE have lived locally for one solid year -- in Indiana -- which is much more of a challenge than California. (I feel OK saying that since I grew up in Illinois and now live in California -- there is a difference! No state rivalries implied, just kudos to Karen and ChefThomE!) Many of their top 10 lessons learned ring true for me, but this one in particular stands out in our meal tonight:

You will cook more creatively with limited supplies. Let's face it, the beginning of Spring is a tough time for dining locally at your own home. The winter supplies have dwindled. The spring crops have yet to arrive. You will become incredibly resourceful when you start to evaluate what you can make with apples, green beans, corn on the cob, pureed peppers and plums. Danger: There are no known recipes that contain all these ingredients!

I've had a chance this week to experiment with the food on hand and making something satisfying and enjoyable - without a trip to the store. Far, far better than the alternatives.

Congratulations Karen and ChefThomE! You made it!

What to do with all this thyme...

I'm on "staycation" all week, so had ample opportunity to cook today. Two great recipes happened, so thought I'd share...

Oven Roasted Garlic Potatoes with Thyme:
The recipe linked here, which calls for rosemary, used the new potatoes and some of the thyme. After making this once, I'll do it again. The 6 cloves of garlic and the amount of salt (1t) were perfect; any sturdy herb would do. This was easy enough to do any night of the week. The crispiness of the potatoes and the flavor of the thyme were a special treat.

Spring Onion Risotto
Again, loosely adapted, I made risotto for dinner tonight based on the linked recipe. This dish showcased the two bunches of spring onions and the spinach. The changes I made were:

• Used two bunches of spring onions, pictured above, and about 8 cloves of garlic.
• Added a bunch of spinach, coarsely chopped, and roughly 1t Aleppo pepper.
  
• Swapped veggie stock for chicken stock and mozzarella for Parmesan.
• Skipped the chives.

Sean added chopped pepperoni to his, but preferred it without.

Worth noting that we put all our veggie trimmings in bags that we store in the freezer. When the mood strikes, these trimmings form the base of veggie stock.

"Steady As She Goes"

Notes and meals from the past week.

My family
"The" Family

Wednesday: Caramelized Spring Onion pizza with goat cheese and bacon (green garlic, oregano)

Thursday: Caramelized Spring Onion tart with goat cheese (oregano), Salad of cucumber, French Breakfast Radish and feta on Red Butterhead lettuce, Sauteed Collard Greens with bacon, Green Garlic and Leek Risotto, Strawberry Shortcake. Also a roasted vegetable and sausage pasta (broccoli).

Friday: Curried Collard Greens with Chickpeas (Wilgenburg tomato, green garlic, oregano and spring onion), Chicken sauteed with butter and green garlic.

At dinner Friday my daughters and I polished off 3 apriums and 2 apples. The Honeyrich apriums have this incredible sweet meat and tart flesh which I love. The Enterprise apples are wonderful. Dense, crisp and just the right amount of tartness. The Pink Lady was nice too, but Enterprise is my new favorite.

I would have to say that my favorite dish was the Curried Collard Greens with Chickpeas (see photo). Greens and beans are one of my favorite combinations. I will often add sausage and sometimes pasta. But tonight I was channeling the Braised Greens and Almond Butter dish at Calafia in Palo Alto. Here's what I did.

• Green garlic bulb, sliced


• Spring onion, sliced (this was one from my own garden that my darling daughter decided to harvest a tad early. It was larger than a scallion, about the diameter of a nickle)


• Collard greens, stems removed and sliced into ribbons


• Canned chickpeas, drained


• Curry Powder


• Oregano


• Tomato, diced

Saute garlic and onion in butter with a pinch of salt until tender. Add
greens, toss. Add chickpeas, curry powder and oregano. Saute until greens start to soften, add a bit of water if necessary. When the greens are just about as tender as you like them add the tomato. I added mine early on and they lost a bit of their integrity, but I liked it, so it's a personal call. Adjust
seasoning.

You could use any leafy green for this dish. I've made similar dishes with Swiss Chard, Kale and Spinach.

When Life Gives You Avocados...

make guacamole.

Today's the day we've decided to relax and enjoy. Thanks to the the ingredients on hand, we're having:

• Guacamole
• Peach Salsa
  
• Veggie Quesadillas
• Margaritas

As we don't have any particular "favorite" in the guacamole department. Sean has a long history of "intuitive guacamole", so he's whipping one up with the following ingredients: avocados, onion, jalapeno, salt, cilantro, cayenne, and Cholula hot sauce. For the peach salsa, we simply added 4 peaches to the Cilantro-Lime Salsa recipe on the Muir Glen website, using their fire roasted tomatoes. Last but not least, the beverage of choice:

Simple Margaritas

1 part tequila of your choice, we like Patron Anejo
1 part triple sec of your choice, we like Cointreau
1 part fresh squeezed lime juice
kosher salt

Mix well and enjoy.

Box Contents May 22, 2009

This week's box contains:

• Chantenay Carrots
• Bok Choy
• Strawberries
• Mystery (we got zucchini)
  
• Fava Beans
• Purplette Onions
• Bacon Avocadoes

From last week, we still have:

• Radishes
• Spinach
• Carrots
• Chard
• Lettuce Little Gem (swapped for more chard)
  
• Baby Broccoli

And from the week before:

• Agretti
• Green Garlic
  

It was a long week -- thankfully it is a long weekend. All the veggies from past weeks' boxes are in excellent shape thanks to Evert-Fresh bags.

There's lots to love in the pile of veggies we have to manage over the next week. The strawberries were immediately added to my "smoothie" bag in the freezer.

Next, there is fava beans. Favas are a lot of work, but well worth it. From a recent article on npr.com (Fava Beans: A Little Spring on Your Plate):

I actually like shucking the beans, which I find a somewhat Zen-like experience. It is a bit similar to gardening: lots of concentration, no deep thought and tangible results. Cooperative friends and family, and a bottle of wine help.

Preparing the beans takes a few steps: stringing the pods, blanching the beans and removing their casings. I prepped the beans pictured here this morning (without the bottle of wine!), all together it took about an hour. My favorite way to eat favas is sauteed with a bit of garlic and olive oil. While we may end up there, given the time and ingredients on hand, my plan is to try Bobby Flay's Fava Bean Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and Shaved Manchego Cheese.


Along with the favas, we'll have green garlic risotto, incorporating both the green garlic and the purplette onions.

As far as the spinach goes, I'd like to try Heidi Swanson's Spinach-Mushroom Quiche with a side of her Baked Carrot Oven Fries, consuming the carrots.

Other ideas for the remaining veggies include:

• Avocados: guacamole with chips and a pitcher of margaritas
• Broccoli and bok choy: stir-fry
• Zucchini: grilled, served as a side
  
• Chard: sauteed, served as a side
• Agretti: may try to bury this in the sauteed chard, but open for other ideas...
  

Tuesday's Dinner

Continuing to work through the supplies on hand, tonight's dinner consumes frozen corn kernels, garlic, rye pasta and feta we had on hand, plus zucchini and baby shallots from this week's box.

Rotelle with Roasted Corn, Braised Zucchini, Roasted Garlic, Oregano and Feta
Robin Miller, compliments of The Food Network

Ingredients

• 2 ears roasted corn
• 1 pound rotelle pasta, or any spiral-shaped pasta
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup roasted garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wrap corn in foil and roast in preheated oven for about 1 hour. This can be done in advance on a prep day.

Cook rotelle according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Transfer pasta to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add corn cut from cob, zucchini and onion and saute for 3 minutes, until golden brown. Add oregano and cook 1 minute. Add broth and roasted garlic and bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes. Pour mixture over pasta and toss to combine, adding cooking water, if necessary, to moisten pasta. Fold in parsley and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Transfer pasta to a serving platter and top with feta cheese.

I made the following substitutions:

• Frozen corn kernels, roasted, in place of fresh corn.
• Vegetable stock for chicken stock.
• Baby shallots in place of red onions.
• Rye spirals for rotelle.
• Skipped the parsley.
  

A note on the rye pasta. It does not taste like the typical rye loaf of bread, which normally includes caraway seeds. It is "grainy" however, so not for everyone.

The dish tasted like something you'd find at Calafia or Greens - great flavor and obvious nutrition. If you are making this for a non-veg crowd, I'd substitute white pasta for the rye and might pair with grilled fish or chicken. A to Z Pinot Gris would be an excellent, moderately priced wine choice.

This recipe is definitely worth a try...

Grilled Pizza

It has been that kind of weekend. The weather was gorgeous, so cooking outside felt best.

Tonight we decided to grill pizzas for a change of pace, loosely following Heidi Swanson's Grilled Pizza recipe. We've grilled pizza before, following the Cook's Illustrated technique the last few times. Regardless of who's method you follow, it is a fast-paced, slightly tricky endeavor.

You start by shaping the dough as you would for a pizza cooked in an oven.



Then you brush the dough with olive oil and place the oiled side on a hot grill.



Cover the grill and let the dough cook for 2-3 minutes, checking frequently. When the crust is done to your liking, take the crust off the grill, placing the raw side up. Brush again with olive oil and flip onto a flat surface (freshly oiled side down).

Dress the pizza to your tastes and return to the grill.







Cover the grill and let the bottom of the crust cook while the cheese melts, checking the bottom of the crust frequently. The pizza is done when it looks good to the eater; tolerance for coloring of crust and expectations for the melting of cheese vary widely ...





Grilled pizzas are incredible, though vastly different than the run-of-the-mill delivery variety.



A few items of note:

• Thickness of the dough when it goes on the grill makes a difference. First, remember it's bread and will rise as it cooks. Thick dough makes for thicker crust. Second, consistency of thickness makes cooking easier. If its thin in the middle and thick on the edges, you run the risk of a perfectly crisp center and uncooked edges. Consistently thin dough works best.
  
• Juicy ingredients, like the sauteed spinach and pineapple we had on hand, can make for soggy pizza. Drain everything well.
• You'll likely make several pizzas, so it is fun to let your guest make their own individual pizzas. Little pizzas are easier to manage as well...
  
• Putting the lid on the grill is a big deal. You want heat all around the pizza to ensure the crust cooks through and the cheese melts.

Grilling pizza takes practice to master, but it is fun and well worth the effort. Plan to have extra dough and extra toppings so you can make a few practice pizzas while you get the hang of it. While it might seem like a minimalist menu, all you really need for this meal is the pizza and the beverages of your choice.

Well, maybe a little bit of dark chocolate wouldn't hurt...