Favorite CSA Recipes 2012

This summer has been a great summer for food.  It's amazing how well you can do with the CSA (community supported agriculture) after some practice.  This was our second season with Farmer Daves, and my husband and I decided to step it up to a full share, which typically serves 3-4 people.  I think overall we have wasted less and have learned to adapt to what is in season.  It definitely takes some work, but with a little planning and utilizing canning / freezing methods to preserve, you can make your vegi's go a long way.

My favorite vegi cookbook has got to be Simply In Season.  This cookbook is sorted by season, which is great if you belong to a CSA.  Also, the index is very helpful if you want to see for example all the zucchini recipes.  All the recipes are simple, not to complex and easy to make up after work for dinner.  Also there are many options for substitutions depending on what you have on hand.  My favorite recipes from the book include the Chilled Gazepacho Soup, Summer Squash Skillet, Roasted Summer Vegetables, Sweet and Sour Swiss Chard, and Summer Pesto Pizza. Every time I open the cookbook, I find another recipe that I can't wait to try.

Other favorite recipes include:

Luanns Kale Salad - a wonderful fall salad with yummy apples, kale, and nuts.


Paula Dean's Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread. Absolutely amazing!  And it freezes well too:)


Tuscan Kale & White Bean Soup ---wonderful!  Can you tell I had a lot of Kale to use! :)


Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats --- Great way to use up all those zucchini's!


Black Bean Salad with Corn, Peppers, Avocado & Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette -- This recipe kept well. We also put on top of lettuce.


Garlic Scape Pesto - Amazing! We made a big batch, froze in ice cube trays and have already almost used it all.  We made pesto pizza, used it with summer squash skillet, pasta.  so yummy!!!

1/4 cup pine nuts
3/4 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 t salt
Black pepper to tast
extra virgin olive oil to consistency that you like
handful of basil

Combine in bowl of food processor. Pulse until well combined. Use or place in ice cube trays to freeze. Once solid transfer to freezer ziplock bag.

** I have also used arugula in place of basil.

Kale and Ricotta Ravioli

This recipe is oh so easy (on a side note this will take some time to assemble the ravioli!), and oh so yummy!  It would also be a good way to use up your Kale from a local CSA, or farmer's market you may shop.  And using wonton wrappers (usually located in the produce section), cuts down on the prep time.  And best of all, this recipe makes 48 ravioli, so you will def. have enough to freeze for another night = a quick and easy meal.

The recipe is from Everyday Food, March 2012.

You will need:
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 Bunch of Kale (3/4 lb)
1 3/4 cup ricotta
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1 garlic clove, minced
48 square wonton wrappers
4 cups marinara sauce, warmed

1. In large pot of boiling salted water, cook kale until tender, approx 4 min.  With slotted spoon, transfer to colander.  When cool enough to handle, squeeze out excess water and finely chop.  In medium bowl mash together kale, ricotta, Parmesan, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper

2. Assemble ravioli; Arrange 6 wrappers on work surface, keeping remaining wrappers covered with damp towel. Spoon a scant tablespoon kale mixture in center of each wrapper. With a fingertip, moisten edges of wrapper with water, then fold over filling to form a triangle and press to seal.  (Flatten area around filling to eliminate air pockets.) Place ravioli on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel.  Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

3.  Return salted water to boil, reduce to a bare simmer.  Drop half the ravioli into water, one at a time, stirring gently to prevent sticking.  Cook until al dente, about 3 minutes.  With slotted spoon, transfer ravioli to a paper towel lined baking sheet, arrange in a single later and let drain briefly. Repeat with remaining ravioli.  Top with sauce and enjoy!


**You may chill uncooked ravioli wrapped up to 1 day, or freeze in a single later, then store in a ziplock bag up to 1 month.

Let's Go Patriots!!!

To cheer on our beloved team the New England Patriots, we decided to make some cookies with some team spirit. We cut out cookies in the shape of footballs and team shirts:)  And with the best recipe from Grandma Ruth, these are sure to be a hit for the big game.  And yes, we are amateurs at decorating....

Grandma Ruth's Cut out Cookies

2 c sugar
1 c shortening (I used butter)

Cream together. Then mix:
1 c sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
5 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground nutmeg

Refrigerate till chilled. Roll out, and cut.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Let cool. And have fun frosting.  :)

Thanksgiving Summary

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope you and your family did as well.  Our turkey was delicious and the the desserts to die for!  It was worth all the calories.  We did Thanksgiving Trivia this year for dinner conversation and it turned out great! Everyone enjoyed the interesting facts...something I may have to do again next year.

I really feel like this year's thanksgiving was a year of collecting food. Throughout the spring, summer, and fall I had been preserving fruits and vegi's from our CSA.  It turned out great. Everything we made was from our local farm....Carrots, green beans, apples, potatoes, squash.....

Here are the recipes for the desserts I made this year.  Absolutely Amazing!

Mom's Apple Pie

6-7 thinly sliced apples
1 1/2 c sugar
3 T flour (I used 4 T flour, apples were frozen)
1 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg

Mix together. Put in 9" unbaked pie shell.  Put pat of butter on top. Then top with top crust.  Brush with a little milk and sprinkle sugar on top of crust.  Bake at 350 for 75 min.  Watch the crust and place tin foil around perimeter if starting to brown.


Pumpkin Pecan Pie

3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 can pumpkin
1 c. sugar
1 c. dark corn syrup
1 t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
2 T melted butter
1 c chopped pecans (for topping)
9" unbaked pie shell

Mix all ingredients well, except nuts. Pour into pie shell and top with nuts.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, or until knife inserted comes out clean.


Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream-Cheese Filling


This delicious recipe is from Martha Stewart...you can find it here

The only change I would make is to decrease both the ginger and cloves in the recipe from 1 T to 2 tsp.

Stuffed Eggplant

This weeks CSA produce, had a bundle of yummy fruits and vegetables. I couldn't wait to eat the Eggplant. With the tip from my friend Gretchen, we found a recipe for Stuffed Eggplant.

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 onion, small diced
• 1 red pepper, small diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly chopped basil leaves, chopped
• 1 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano, divided
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 chopped tomatoes

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the eggplant in half and scoop out the center, leaving enough meat inside the skin so that it holds its shape when baked. Boil the scooped-out center part until very soft, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add the seasoned ground beef to the pan and saute until all of its liquid is evaporated and the beef begins to brown slightly. Drain the beef, removing the extra, unnecessary fat. Let cool briefly and chop the cooked beef so that there are no large chunks of meat. In another medium saute pan over medium heat add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute the onions, peppers and garlic together.

In a bowl mix together the cooked eggplant, vegetables, cooked beef, herbs, 1 cup of the cheese, bread crumbs, and the egg.

Fill the scooped-out eggplant halves with this mixture, dividing it evenly among the 2 halves.

Top with chopped tomatoes and the remaining 1/4 cup of grated cheese, season with salt and pepper, place on an oiled oven tray or baking dish, and bake for 50 minutes in preheated oven. Let cool briefly, slice widthwise and serve.

I think it looks good, what do you think?

I was surprised when I cut into the watermelon, thinking I would see the typical red color. However, we are pleasantly surprised at how good this watermelon tastes:)

Pickles, Pickles, and more Pickles!

We have cucumbers coming out of our ears! The CSA has been wonderful these past few weeks. We have more cucumbers than we can handle, so I decided to make my mom's awesome refrigerator pickles. It's the easiest thing and no "hot bath" is required for the canning.

You will need:

4 cups of vinegar

4 cups of sugar

3/4 cup salt

1 1/2 T celary seed

1 1/2 T mustard seed

1 1/2 T tumeric

Cucumbers (6-8)

Onion (2)

Slice cucumbers and 1-2 white onion. Divide into quart size mason jar. Mix together ingredients and whisk until sugar dissolved. Pour over cucumbers. Place jars into refridgerator. Shake daily, should be ready in 6 weeks. Good for 1 year. The mixture is enough for 4 qt. size mason jar.

Happy Birthday Jon!

For my husband's birthday, he requested his favorite Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. I stumbled across a recipe with a little twist from MS Everyday Food magazine.

Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, and Pecan Cookies

Here is the recipe:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/4 cup rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp

1 cup light-brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 lg egg

1 cup chopped toasted pecans

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer beat butter and brown sugar on high until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scrapping down bowl as needed. Add vanilla and egg and beat until combined. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat just until combined. Fold in pecans and chocolate chips.

2. Drop dough by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake cookies until puffed and golden around edges 15 minutes (for my oven 10 minutes was perfect). Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool. Makes 44

Enjoy!

What's Cooking: Light Italian Wedding Soup

With the subzero temperatures here in New England, I was looking for a soup recipe to warm us up. As I was browsing through my Everyday Food magazines, I came across Martha's Light Italian Wedding Soup. Since this is one of my favorite soups, I decided to give it a try.

Here is the recipe: Serves 6, prep/cooking time is approx 30 min.

1 pound ground turkey meat (93% lean)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs (we used Panko Bread Crumbs)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
course salt and ground pepper
1 T olive oil
1 med onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 cans (14.5 oz each) reduced sodium chicken broth
2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes in juice (we used diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, garlic)
2 heads escarole (2 pounds total) ) (we used baby spinach, and cut the amount in half)

Directions:
1. In bowl, combine turkey, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper. Roll mixture into balls
2. In large pot, heat oil over medium. Cook onion stirring occasionally until softened (approx 3-4 minutes). Add broth and tomatoes with juice, bring to a simmer. Add meatballs; cook without stiring, until meatballs float to surface, about 5 minutes.
3. Add as much escarole to pot as will fit. Cook, gradually adding remaining escarole until wilted and meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Thin soup with water if desired. Season with salt and pepper. Serve soup with sprinkled with Parmesan.

Enjoy! We loved this recipe. And per serving approx. 250 cal, 9.8 g fat, 23.6 g protein, 19.3 g carb, and 4.8 g fiber.....So enjoy and stay warm!!!

What's Cooking: Carmalized Onions

We love to make carmalized onions. It's a little time consuming to do, as it takes approx. 2 hours to complete However if you want to put together a fast hearty french onion soup during the week, it can be done in 20 minutes. Which is great for those winter nights after work.

For the carmalized onions:
Simply slice 6-8 large onions (halved then sliced 1/4 inch thick)
Melt 3/4 cup butter and 2 tsp coarse salt in dutch oven.
Cook the onions stirring frequently on med-med high heat on the stove until softened and just beginning to brown (approx 30 minutes)
Add 1 T sugar and cook stirring often to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan (30-40 minutes)
When done, the onions should be deep golden brown and have a jam like consistency.
Remove from heat and season with salt.
Let cool completely and place in airtight container in the refrigerater for up to 2 weeks
We divide the carmalized onions into 2 batches.

To make the French Onion Soup, simply take 1 batch of carmalized onions and 5 1/2 cups of low-sodium beef broth, simmer over medium heat. Season with salt and ground pepper. Top with thich sliced country bread with Gruyere cheese and season with pepper. Broil until toasted. Enjoy, it's a great winter nights dinner:)

First Ever Double Layer Cake

I decided to get a little creative with the cake department and attempt to make a double layer cake. The recipe was pretty simple, yellow cake with very yummy chocolate frosting. We were very happy with the chocolate frosting however the cake itself was a touch on the dry side....I guess that only means that more practice is in store for me in the baking department. Which I'm sure my husband would be happy to live with:)

To check out the recipe, visit Martha Stewart. If you decide bake this cake, please make sure to leave feedback for me! Enjoy!

Cooking Lessons with Mom

My Mom is the best cook! She can whip up anything and it always turns out. So when she comes to visit, I try and learn how from her. I hope I can have at least half her talent!


This year the menu consisted of:

Grandma Hodgen's Angel Food Cake
Nana's Moons
and Mom's Famous Lasagna

Grandma Hodgen's Angel Food Cake

Here is the Recipe for the Angle Food cake. This cookbook is a special Hodgen family cookbook. The recipes were compiled by the family and as you can see in the picture, even the handwritten originals from Grandma Hodgen were scanned it. Too special!


Forming the stiff peaks with the 13 egg whites~


The finished cake, we then placed it upside down on a wine bottle overnight to set.


The finished cake. To serve, we topped with fresh strawberries and blue berries.....Delicious!

Grandma Hodgen's Angle Food Cake Recipe:

2 cup egg whites (approx 13)
1 1/3 tsp cream tartar
5 tsp water (cold)
1 1/3 c cake flour

Sift flour and measure. Then sift with 2/3 c sugar. Set aside. Sift remaining 1 1/3 c. sugar separately. Set aside. Beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar. Beat until stiff. Add water. Gradually add the 1 1/3 sugar. Fold in, beat or stir slowly. Then add flour/sugar mixture and fold in slowly. Pour into angel food cake pan. Bake 1/2 hour at 250 degrees F. Increase heat to 325 degrees F for another 1/2 hour.


As for Nana's Moon's we attempted to bake them just right....However they are tricky, as the temperature needs to be just right! No humidity, fresh eggs, and a little not so specific instructions. But a great delicious treat to have.


And the brown paper bags are a must... Silly me, I didn't take a picture of the finished product. White cream filling to create the finished moon. They did turn out delicious, but not quite like Nana's!

Nana's Moons Recipe

Filling:
1 Box conf. sugar
1/2 or more small jar marshmallow
About 3/4 cup Crisco
Milk and small splash of vanilla

Add gradually until consistency to spread. Mix with mixer until sluffy.

Moons
Oven at 400 degrees F for 7 min
2 c flour (sifted)
1/2 c cocoa (Hershey's unsweetened)
1 tsp vanilla
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c milk (evaporated 1/2 with 1/2 water)
1 egg (fresh)

Sift together, dry ingrediants. Add Crisco, milk, egg, and vanilla. Mix by hand. Drop on cookie sheet with tsp. Cool on brown paper bag. No Crisco needed for cookie sheet. Makes 2 dozen moons.


Here is the recipe for the Lasagna....No pictures, but absolutely amazing:)

Mom’s Lasagna

Brown 1 ½ lb. Hamburger with 1 med diced onion. Drain off grease.

Add: ½ diced green pepper

2 cloves garlic or ¼ tsp. Garlic powder

1 – 16 oz. Can tomato sauce

2 – 6 oz. Italian tomato paste

1 can tomatoes (I use 1 pt. Stewed tomatoes)

1 sm stalk celery, diced

3 bay leaves

4 whole cloves

1 tsp. Oregano, 1 tsp. Salt, ½ tsp pepper

1 tbsp sugar

Cover and let simmer 1 hour. Remove bay leaves and cloves. Cook 1 pkg lasagna noodles and drain. Use ½ - ¾ lb. Grated Swiss cheese and ½ - ¾ lb grated mozz. Cheese. Layer noodles, sauce, cheese. Repeat. Bake covered @350 for 45 min – 1 hr. 9 x 13 greased pan. Let set for 10 min. before serving.

Happy Belated Birthday to Me!

Sunday the 27th was my birthday. Unfortunately, I had to work a 12 hour shift, however my friends and husband made up for it before and after! Craig and Jenna hosted us over for a wonderful BBQ on Friday. It was perfect. We ended the evening with a campfire and of course wine:) But the best part was I received the Martha Stewart Cupcake recipe book from Craig and Jenna!!!! There have been sooooo many times I was at a bookstore and picked up the book, looked at it, and then put it back. :)


So on Tuesday, my lovely hubby made me homemade pizza and because I was soooo excited to use my new cupcake recipe book, I made myself birthday cupcakes.

We started the evening with chips and homemade salsa from my mom. It was a special occassion, and I absolutely LOVE my mom's salsa:) But because we have to ship it from Iowa, we try to savor it and save it for special occasions:)
Jon made the pizza dough with 1/2 wheat, 1/2 white flour. The pizza sauce was awesome with honey and brown sugar added. We topped the pizza with 1/3 fresh basil from our garden, 1/3 green pepper and onion, and 1/3 cheese. It was amazing!


Isn't he the cutest:)
The finished pie:
And now for the best Strawberry Cupcakes. Made from scratch with fresh strawberries. Yummy!
Topped with homemade whipped cream (never knew it could be so easy!)


Bon Appetit!

What's Cooking: New Orleans-Style BBQ Shrimp & Homemade Apple Crisp

Last night for dinner, I made my hubby this recipe from Every Day Food. Overall the recipe was easy to follow and simple to make. Since I couldn't find Creole seasoning in the grocery store, my husband went to work and made it from scratch using a recipe online. The sauce was very tasty, the only complaint was the shrimp was a little tough, but not the recipes fault.
And for dessert, I made homemade apple crisp, using my cousin's recipe. The funny part is, there is usually something I mess up or forget, and this time I forgot to peel the apples! So I am definitely not perfect and still learning, however it still tasted pretty good.


Even the pups got dessert. Vanilla Ice Cream with a Milk Bone! They loved it:)

What's Cooking: Chicken Enchiladas

I am making my favorite Chicken Enchiladas! Last time I made this recipe, I made both my husband and our friend Kevin sweat! I love spicy food, however with this recipe you can spice it up to your taste. The recipe is from Martha Stewart Everyday. Check out the recipe, it's easy and you can prep the night before if your crunched for time. Enjoy!

What's Cooking: Linguine Carbonara

Tonight, my hubby is making Linguine Carbonara. A favorite in our house! Very easy and is a hit with friends and family. We substitute the bacon for prosciutto ham. Check out the recipe:

Linguine Carbonara Recipe | Food & Wine

Favorite Egg Salad Sandwich

We found this Egg Salad Recipe on Martha Stewart's website and loved it! However we did modify slightly. We kept the egg yolks in the recipe. We also put the left-overs in an airtight container, which will keep for 1-2 days. Enjoy!

Coffee Chocolate Yogurt Cake

We are trying out a new version to a favorite, well trusted recipe: Yogurt Cake. My husband loves chocolate cake, and suggested "why don't we try the yogurt cake but with chocolate instead of the white cake?" So off we went to the store to get the ingredients. The cake is in the oven as we speak! Here is the original recipe:

Yogurt Cake compliments Heidi Hodgen

1 box white cake mix (pudding in mix if available)
2 containers of any flavor yogurt (strawberry our favorite)
1 1/4 c. water
2 egg whites
8 oz cool whip

Mix the cake mix, one yogurt, water, and egg whites together. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Frosting: Mix other yogurt container and cool whip, spread on top when cake is cooled.
Keep Refrigerated and Enjoy!

Coffee Chocolate Yogurt Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix
2 containers of coffee yogurt
1 1/4 cup water
2 eggs
8 oz cool whip, chocolate if available

Instructions, same as above.