CSA delivery

lemon parmesan potato and salad

2011-08-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

We had the grill blazing the other night, and we really didn't have a side dish for what we were making. I took a look around the pantry and found some Long Island grown fingerling potatoes, and remembered that I had noticed that our green beans needed some harvesting when I was watering the garden earlier. I grabbed a few other things we always keep on hand an BAM! an amazing warm salad (which was pretty freaking awesome cold too) was born.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. fingerling potatoes
1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed
1 lemon, sliced
2 shallots, sliced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated (optional, but very tasty. Pecorino Romano or Manchego would also be awesome.)

Grab two nice size sheets of foil. Put the green beans on one and the potatoes on another. Add the shallot and the lemon and then drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Seal them up really tight and toss them on the grill, preferably on the not as hot side. Cover the grill. After 10 minutes the green beans should be done, don't open the foil when you take them off though, they will continue to steam and get all lemony. The potatoes should be done after another 15 minutes (25 minutes of total cook time). Mix both with all of their liquid in a big dish, toss them together, and sprinkle with cheese. Time to nosh!

fajitas

2011-08-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

You know what I like about fajitas? Everything! But I especially like the fact that they require almost no cooking, are super fast, and that there is only one pan to clean. So, it's kind of like the perfect meal. You can use whatever vegetables you want for this dish, the method just makes it special, and totally adaptable to anything you want to throw in the pan. (If you want to do something with meat in it, I would recommend cutting the meat into small pieces to assure proper cooking.) But anyway I digress. Let's fajita!

Ingredients:
1 package of seitan, roughly chopped
1 can of black beans, drained
2 peppers, julienned
2 carrots, julienned
1 yellow squash, julienned
1/2 onion, juli- gotcha!, sliced
1 scallion, sliced
3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
4 Tbsp. safflower oil
2 Tbsp. lime juice (2 limes)
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste

OK, here it goes in 50 words or less: Heat pan smoking hot. Mix oil and juice with spices. Toss with other ingredients. Add to pan, cook for four to six minutes, tossing constantly. Serve on warm tortillas. Top with cheese or sour cream. Eat fajitas! Only wash one pan!

stuffed zucchini blossoms

2011-07-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hell yeah zucchini blossoms! These were super simple, ridiculously delicious, and left us wanting more. We used garbanzo bean flour to make the batter for these. It adds a really nice nutty flavor, and makes a great crunchy crust. Mixed with the extra crunchiness of corn starch, its kind of like Tempura meets Falafel, or Tempurafel coating. Yeah, something like that...

Ingredients:
Zucchini Blossoms, as many as you can get!

Filling:
4 oz. Goat Chevre
1/4 cup Divina Roasted Tomatoes, in liquid (Can't find these? Just substitute Sundried Tomatoes in Oil.)

Batter:
1 cup Garbanzo Bean Flour (Don't have it? Use a mix of AP Flour and Breadcrumbs.)
1/2 cup Corn Starch
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp. Water
Salt and Pepper

Toss the goat cheese and tomatoes into your blendy machine and buzz them until they are smooth. Add a little water if you need to, just not too much, you don't want this to be runny. If you are fancy, transfer the mixture into a piping bag. If (like me) you will probably never have a piping bag, just put it into a ziplock bag, push it into one corner, and then cut a little bit of the corner off. Now fill your blossoms! (See above.)

Put about 1/4 inch of oil into a frying pan (got cast iron? use it!) and turn it on to medium high heat. Mix the cornstarch and flour in a dish and season it with salt and pepper. Beat the eggs in another bowl with the water, this will help the batter to be lighter and not so eggy, these are delicate little flowers and should be pampered, at least until we throw them in hot oil, and then fight over them. Shake off any excess flour and drop them into the now hot oil. Cook them about 2-2.5 minutes on each side and then take them out and let them sit for just a minute before noshing, or you can burn the hell out of your mouth with molten lava filling like I did...
Enjoy!

weekly pickup 07/25

2011-07-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

1 dozen eggs
2 leeks
1 bunch something kenny doesn't remember the name of
1 head red leaf lettuce
4 ears corn
1 cabbage
2 lbs plums
1 bunch mint
4 nectarines
2 green squash
1 bunch spinach
1.5 lb potatoes
1 bunch scallion
3 plums

ps - i know we have not posted any recipes lately - we have been stupid busy but are still cooking like crazy. stay tuned for NINE new recipes!

weekly pickup 07/18

2011-07-18T18:29:00.000-07:00

1 bunch radishes
2 red onions
1 bunch lemongrass (kinda hidden behind the squash, oops!)
2 summer squash
1 bunch kale
1 bunch carrots
1 head romaine
1 bunch basil
1 white onion
1 head celery
1 bunch cilantro

fruit share starts next week for us!

weekly pickup 07/11

2011-07-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

1 bunch beets
1 bunch celery
1 bunch carrots
1 head romaine
1 bunch kale
1 white onion
2 red onions
2 summer squash
1 bunch sage
1 dozen eggs
1 bunch lemongrass

weekly pickup 07/04

2011-07-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

1 bunch parsley
1 bunch beets
1 head red leaf lettuce
4 globe zucchini
2 white onions
1 bunch carrots
1 bunch papalo

weekly pickup 6/28

2011-06-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

2 leeks
1 bunch carrots
2 red onions
1 bunch radishes
1 dozen eggs
6 zucchini blossoms
1 bulb garlic
1 head red leaf lettuce
1 bunch ezapote

three onion and arugula frittata

2011-06-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Nothing is better on a weekend morning than a fresh cooked frittata. Or for that matter, nothing is better to finish off after your husband has gone to work than a fresh cooked frittata, right Katie?

Our CSA has some amazing farm fresh eggs from chickens that roam freely and eat creepy crawlies and oh, you can just read about it here. We had a lot of members of the onion family this week and some awesome local baby arugula as well, and we thought... hmmmm... let's throw it together with eggs and cheese! Speaking of cheese, we also found this awesome company: NYMilk. All the cows are totally pasture fed, there is no animal rennet its all raw milk, and all of the workers are guaranteed a fair wage. Plus its made in state, and its priced competitively with those big national organic cheeses. Go local!

Anyway, back to business. This recipe is highly customizable, just substitute as you see fit.

Ingredients:
6-7 Large Eggs
3 small Leeks (white and pale green parts only), 1 Red Spring Onion and 1 White Spring Onion (both with some greens), all sliced thinly. This is a total of 1.5 cups of goodness.
1/2 pound of arugula, or your favorite green
2 Tbsp. + 1 Tbsp. Earth Balance (or butter)
1 Tbsp. Safflower Oil (or your favorite cooking oil)
1/2 cup shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
salt and pepper to taste

You can take care of the veggies a day or two before hand if you like, or if you just want to sleep in a little longer. Heat the oil and 2 Tbsp. of EB in a saute' pan on medium heat. Add the onion/leek mixture and cook, stirring occasionally until they are just starting to get caramelized, about 10-13 minutes. Once they are ready toss in the greens, adding them slowly but surely as they continue to cook down. This will take about 5-7 minutes until all of the greens are cooked. Season to taste. Ready to move on? Need a coffee break; OK, I can wait.

Good, now set this veggie mixture aside (off the stove would be best, see above), and preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Take the remaining EB and coat a pie dish (we used Pyrex, using metal may vary the cooking time, so check in a little more often). Beat the eggs in a bowl, and then incorporate the cheese. Season if ya like to. Add these to the veggie mixture and mix thoroughly. Place in your dish and throw that bad boy in the oven, gently of course.

Now its time for the waiting. This is probably going to take about 40-45 minutes. Set a timer for 30 minutes. When it goes off turn on your oven light or peek inside eversoquickly to not let heat out. What you will probably see is a delicious crust forming on the top, with the outer rim of the fritatta puffed up and the center still sunken in. It is now time to babysit. Check back every 2 to 3 minutes, once the center has risen it is time to remove it from the oven. Careful, its hot. Set it aside. Don't touch it. Let it set and firm up for about 10 minutes. Plus it'll burn your mouth, be patient. Use this time to make some toast or hash browns. Make another pot of coffee. Call your mom, she is probably eating cereal this morning and will be very proud of what you have just created. Has it been 10 minutes? OK, let's eat breakfast.

pizza and pasta night

2011-06-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

We were having some buds over for dinner on Wednesday, and wanted to make something fun, tasty, and easy to clean up so we could spend time hanging out. We had a lot of greens to use. We had basil, spinach, swiss chard, and some beet greens that I saved from the beets I made popsicles with. (A side note: if you don't save your beet greens when you get them, you totally should. They are delcious and packed with nutrients. It saddens me when I see people at the farmers market or grocery store rip them off and throw them away. I think I will start asking them if I can have them...) The pesto we made for the pizza has spinach in it. Have kids who don't like green veggies? Throw them in pesto, you can't even tell they are there!

Since we had just finished unpacking some of our amazing wedding presents we decided to use a few of them; namely the amazing Vitamix, and a cast iron pizza stone. So here is what we made. It was quick, easy, a breeze to clean up, and it tasted awesome!

Party Time Pasta Ingredients:
1 lb. Pasta, we used Orechiette
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 package Veggie Italian Sausage (or real sausage if you like), sliced into bite sized pieces
1/2 Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 Yellow and 1/2 Red Pepper, diced
4 cups assorted Greens, we used Beet and Swiss Chard, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (optional)
salt, pepper, and pepper flakes to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large saute' pan over medium high heat. Add the sausage into the pan, and cooked until both sides are browned, about 10 minutes. Remove sausage and set to the side. Turn the heat down to medium and add the onion, garlic, and peppers. Cook until onions are translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the greens handful by handful. Combine pasta, sausage, and veggies in a large bowl and sprinkle with Pecorino.

Pesto Pepper Pizza:
1 Fresh or Frozen Pizza Dough (we like the whole wheat one from Whole Foods)
1 bunch Basil
1 bunch Spinach
3 cloves Garlic
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
juice of 1 Lemon
1/2 lb. shredded low moisture part-skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 Red and 1/2 Yellow Pepper, sliced into rings
grated Pecorino Romano for topping (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees with the pizza stone inside. Roll out your dough and place it on a well floured pizza peel (hopefully you have one if you have a stone, if not a large serving platter can work.) Put the spinach, basil, oil, garlic, and lemon juice into your blender (or food processor) and blend until smooth. (This recipe makes about 1.5 cups, so you will have some leftover pesto, but that's a good thing right?) Top pizza dough with pesto, cheese, and peppers (and whatever else you would like to throw on there), and place it carefully on the pizza stone. Bake for 7-9 minutes (yep, that's it), and remove from the oven. Give it a minute or two to cool down once you remove it from the stone, it's like lava hot at this point.

There you have it, an easy, vegetable centered dinner for 4-8 people in under an hour with only 3 or 4 big dishes to clean. Not too shabby for a weekday, eh?

raclette panini with wilted greens

2011-06-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

We were recently gifted a George Foreman Grill. Now, while I do love grilling and am super appreciative of my new found ability to do it indoors, I am equally as excited about its other feature. PANINI PRESS!!!! On our way home the other day we stopped by to visit the nice folks at The Bedford Cheese Shop. We snagged some fresh ciabatta and I spotted some amazing looking Raclette from Spring Brook Farms in Vermont. Raclette is a traditional melting cheese usually made in France, and sometimes Switzerland. It's usually made from cows milk, and has a supple texture and almost beefy flavor. This domestic Raclette was slightly more mild in flavor (which works out well for sandwiches), but as intended was perfect for melting. I am upset we didn't buy extra for grilled cheeses or mac and cheese. Good thing the cheese shop is only a few blocks away. This recipe makes two pretty big sammiches. And if you don't have a panini press of some sort, don't sweat it, just do what we did here.

Ingredients:
2 good sized Crusty Rolls
3 cups of Greens (we used Beet Greens), roughly chopped
1/2 White Onion, sliced thinly
2 Scapes (or 2 cloves of garlic), finely chopped
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
1/4 pound Raclette, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. Safflower Oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a saute' pan over medium high heat, add the oil and onions. Cook until translucent and then add the greens and the lemon juice. Let the greens get just wilted, and then remove them from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Preheat your panini press, and open those rolls. Layer in the cheese and top with the greens. Press until the bread is crusty and the cheese is melted and looks irresistible. Now eat it!

weekly pick up 6/20

2011-06-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

1 bunch basil

2 white onions
1 head green leaf lettuce

3 beets

1 bunch swiss chard
1 bunch spinach

2 garlic bulbs

1 bunch quelite (mexican greens)

tomato black bean bisque

2011-06-18T06:16:00.001-07:00

I don't care what time of the year it is, I love soup. We had a few rainy days this past week, so I whipped up a batch of this simple, spicy recipe to keep us warm and dry.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked Black Beans, reserve 1 cup
1 28 oz. can of Diced Tomatoes (there are no local fresh tomatoes yet)
28 oz. of water
1 white Spring Onion, roughly diced, save greens for garnish
4 Garlic Scapes, 3 of them roughly chopped (you could substitute 2 cloves of garlic)
2 Jalapenos, roughly chopped, (you can remove the seeds and ribs if you don't want it too spicy)
2 Tbsp. 2x Tomato Paste
1/4 cup of whole milk (optional)
2 Tbsp. Safflower Oil
1/2 cup of Creme Fraiche
1/2 cup of Sour Cream
3 Tbsp. Cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the creme fraiche, sour cream, cilantro and the one reserved scape into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and pop it back in the fridge.

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Sweat the onion and scapes until the onion is translucent. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1-2 minutes to toast it. Toss in half of the black beans, the jalapenos, the water and the diced tomatoes and cover. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until piping hot. Using a immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth adding in some milk to cream it if you like. Season to taste. Turn off the heat and add the rest of the black beans. Wait a few minutes, top it with the cilantro cream and onion greens, and serve with some tortillas or chips.

lentil salad with purslane

2011-06-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

Since moving to NYC one thing has become certain in our lives, we do not have as much time to cook as we used to. We have found a lot of ways to adapt. From prepping things a few days ahead, using our slow cooker more, or just making things that are simpler and still packed full of flavor we have found ways to save time and still make some amazing food. This dish is no exception.

This is also the first time we have used purslane. This happy little succulent is not only pretty damn tasty, its also the highest land vegetable in omega-3's. So eat up Veggies! Make friends and dinner with purslane!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups cooked lentils
1 bunch purslane, (2 cups of leaves)
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 spring red onion finely diced, about 1/2 cup
2 inches of onion greens, finely diced
2 garlic scapes, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 carrots finely diced
1 tsp lemon zest
juice of said lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Grab a large bowl. Throw all of the ingredients into it. Toss well, and season to taste. We served it on top of a pita warmed in a pan with a little bit of Earth Balance.

NEW CSA IS HERE!!! WE'RE BACK BITCHES!!! weekly pickup 06/14

2011-06-14T05:46:00.000-07:00

2 red onions
1 dozen eggs
3 leeks
2 beets
2 white onions
1 bunch of purslane
1 bunch spinach
1/4 pound garlic scapes
1 bunch cilantro

we have lots of ideas flowing already.... stay tuned for triple onion quiche, black bean soup and french lentil salad!

O.K. Listen...

2011-04-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

I know we have been really MIA for over a year now, with little spurts of posts here and there; but there have definitely been some reasons for that.

As you know, we didn't score a CSA last year, and seeing as that was our inspiration, it pretty much made things pretty difficult for us to keep the updating coming with things we bought (most of the awesomeness of a CSA is that you have to create something with what you get). Compile that with finally being close to a lot of family, and trying to explore a new city and you get a little tied up in commitments.

Oh shit, did I mention we have been planning our wedding? In TWO weeks from today we will be getting married just outside of Philly. We have taken a lot of care to make sure that the caterer we chose follows our food philosophy. So we are sourcing a lot of products from my hometown and around the greater Philly area to make our epic menu possible. Plus, there are bad ass vegan options. I don't know if you have ever been to a wedding as a veggie/vegan but it usually really freaking blows. Not our wedding. Actually since Katie and I have both been eating vegan since the beginning of the year, I don't think I will even want to try the other offerings. Our vegan menu pretty much blows everything else away.

Damn, I am rambling. Must be all the Danzig in my headphones right now...

Last point:
WE HAVE A CSA THIS YEAR!!!! And it is with a great community of other like-minded folks. We will get into details later, but the basic point of this update was to say just a few things:

We are getting married!
NYC is pretty awesome!
oh, and we are back after out Costa Rican honeymoon!

Happy Earth Day, and lots of love,
K&K

spaghetti squash with ramp pesto

2011-03-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

Oh shit! Did you say ramps? Where are the ramps? How can I get them? It's not even ramp season yet!???!?!?!!?!

Shhhhhhh... quiet down lil foodie friend. We are excited for ramps too, but there is a way to enjoy them all year round. Just hold your horses and I will get right to it.

Ingredients:
1 big ole' Spaghetti Squash, halved long ways, and seeded
1 cup of Ramp Pesto
3 cups of frozen Edamame (or peas), thawed
1 cup of raw Walnut pieces
1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 cup Olive Oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
Nutritional Yeast or Cheese (optional)

It is truly sad that ramps cannot be with us year round. Their little life spans are so short, and they bless us with their garlicky goodness for such a short time each spring. That doesn't mean that you can't have them all year though, and now that it is close to ramp season yet again, I thought it was time to open up a (freezer) door for you to show you how have rampy goodness all up in this piece all year long. It's really pretty easy.

Buy lots of ramps. Make pesto. Can or freeze. The ramp pesto we used in this recipe was made last May, and tastes exactly the same as it did when we made it, even after 10 months in the freezer. Other batches eaten earlier were also delish. This year I will definitely be buying way more, making a ton of pesto, and trying to can some as well.

On to the squash! Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Hack your squash in half long ways and remove the pulp and seeds. Spray lightly with cooking spray and place flesh side down on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Bake for 40 minutes.

Once your squash is cool enough to handle scrape out the "noodles" with a fork or a spoon, whichever you prefer. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the edamame, garlic, walnuts, and chili flakes to the pan. Toss in the spaghetti squash and saute' for 3-4 minutes, stirring so that everything is mixed evenly. Add the ramp pesto and cook an additional 3-4 minutes until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper, serve with warm crusty bread, and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast or Parmesan cheese.

saag tofu

2011-03-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

We love Indian Food. Living in the Lower Haight we were surrounded by a ton of amazing Indian restaurants. However, in NYC we haven't really found one close to our house that we love just yet, so when we got the craving for some saag paneer, we just decided to make it. But we made it vegan, because well, we did. It turned out ridiculously delicious, and made plenty for leftovers. It was also pretty easy, so I imagine this might become a staple around our house. Let's get down to business.

Ingredients:
2 pounds Frozen Spinach
1 medium Onion, diced
2 cups Unsweetened Soy Milk
1 pound Extra Firm Tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 Tomato, chopped
4 cloves of Garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced Ginger
2 Tbsp. Garam Masala
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Tumeric
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Jalapenos, small dice
2 Tbsp. Safflower Oil (or your favorite cooking oil)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cooking Spray

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place your tofu in a single layer on it. Sprinkle the tofu with one of the tablespoons of garam masala and some salt. Spray it again with the cooking spray and place in the oven to bake for 20 minutes.

While the tofu is cooking, place a large pot over medium heat. Add your oil, onions, garlic, ginger, tomato, and jalapenos and saute' for 4-5 minutes. Add the spinach and cover. Stir every few minutes until the spinach is defrosted. (If you defrosted your spinach ahead of time, or if you are using fresh spinach, just continue on.) Once the spinach is ready add the soymilk, and all of the spices, and season with salt.

Right about now your tofu should be ready to go. Here is where you have to make an important decision: Do I want to blend the spinach so that I have a uniform consistency, or do I want texture and chunks? We chose texture, if you want it smooth, go ahead and get your immersion blender. We can wait.

Done? OK. Add the tofu into the pot and simmer for just a few minutes so that everything is at a consistent temperature. Season again with salt and pepper, and serve with rice, naan, or both.

vegan spinach lasagna

2011-03-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

Let me start off by saying two things:

Numero Uno: I like lasagna with a few layers. Not just two really thick layers that collapse and fall apart all over the spatula, and then your plate. It should hold up and be pretty, kind of like a layered cake. Something that takes this much time to prepare shouldn't look like a Rorschach sketch once it is served. All it takes is using a more shallow dish; buying some extra noodz and making the filling a little thinner between the layers.

Dos: Someone needs to make the perfect vegan ricotta. I am so sick of trying to do it, and I think everyone else is as well. Oh shit. This is by far my best incarnation by far. At least as far as pasta goes. Damn, I want to just eat this on crostini. It happens to be thick and slightly difficult to work with (especially with lasagna), but trust me; it will not make your lasagna soggy. Actually, its kinda way better than actual ricotta.

Ok, let's get down to business. Please note we are using a large Pyrex baking dish, not the 9x9 square one, so if you are, well; ummmm, do the same thing we did. I had leftover noodles anyway. I just ate them while cooking.

Ingredients:
2 10 oz. packages of whole grain Lasagna Noodles
1 pound frozen Spinach
1 medium Onion, diced
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp. Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. Safflower Oil
1/2 tsp. Red Chili Flakes
1 jar of Pasta Sauce (we used a jar of amazing sauce canned last Summer by my main man Sean Ulrich). Or you can make your own. We have a lot of recipes for that down the blog...

Cheeze!
1 pound Extra Firm Tofu
1 pound Soft Tofu
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp. Dried Oregano
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
Salt and Pepper to taste

Start your pasta water to boil. It is best to use 2 pots if you can. Lasagna noodles are so big and cumbersome. If you don't have two big pots, then do it in shifts.

Heat a saute' pan on medium heat. Add the safflower oil, and onion. Saute' until translucent. (You know the drill). Add the garlic, chili flakes and lemon juice. Toss the spinach in there and cover with a lid. Turn the heat to low.

In your food processor put all off the cheeze ingredients. Pulse a couple of times to the beat of whatever music you are listening to, and then just pop it on low and let it ride until smooth. Think "hummus" for the texture you are looking for. If you need more liquid you can add pasta water, just do it 1/4 cup at a time.

Stir your spinach every few minutes so that it gets evenly cooked, and keep an eye on your pasta.

Once the spinach is cooked and the pasta is done it is time to assemble. Preheat your oven to 350 and get ready to rock! I always start with a little sauce on the bottom so the noodles don't stick to the pan. Then I layer noodles, and then... I am sure you have done this before, so go for it. If you haven't, look at the close up picture below for details. When you have finished building your masterpiece, cover the pan with foil, making sure that the foil is not resting on the top of the lasagna. Make a little tent with the foil. Now bake it in the oven for 40-45 minutes. As tempting as it will be to eat it as soon as it comes out of the oven, wait about 7-10 minutes for it to set before serving, it will make it far less messy and lead to less clean up later.

An Ode to FFTY

2011-02-22T17:20:00.000-08:00

A few years ago we were inspired to eat locally and seasonally. We decided to keep a record of out experience and blog about what it's really like to join a CSA. I mean seriously!, a farm bought local produce to our doorstep each week! I know, pinch yourself. Too good to be true right?

Not really.

Moving across the country to NYC has been a blessing in many regards. Both of us are closer to family and a lot of friends. But there is a big empty hole missing from our hearts where our FFTY used to be. Besides a few friends, and the burritos, the thing we miss most about SF is getting our box each week!

Luckily for anyone in the Bay Area, all you have to do is sign up for one of their boxes which are an amazing value. $25 for a small veggie and fruit, it's way more than worth it! G'head take about a few minutes to look back through our photos! PLUS, they really customizable! Don't like fennel? Just say so and you NEVER have to receive it!

To summarize: It is seriously almost absurd not to take advantage of this! People who live in the bay area LISTEN UP! They will drop it at your house (w/NO DELIVERY FEE!)

OMG there IS MORE!: Enter code 482 under the promo code to get 20% off your first box.

We have over 2 years of recipes here if you get need inspiration, plus we are always available for questions and advice ! Just hit us up (csadelivery[at]gmail[dot]com) if you need anything, and we will keep blogging from the Big City. (We will still be jealous of your box.)

A bit of a break...

2011-02-10T17:31:00.000-08:00

No, we are not going to post even more inconsistently... we are heading to the Bay Area for the weekend to hang out and hit up some @SFBeerWeek stuff.

ZOMFG BURRITOS!!!!!!

Just downloaded the new Blogger app for Android, so hopefully we will be posting updates from out yonder here or there.

Who wants to go to Ike's with us?!?!?!?!?!?!

carrot ginger soup

2011-02-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

OMFG its cold! Being back in the Northeast for a full Winter has me realizing just how full of shiat Whats-His-Name was when he was talking about S.F. Summers being the coldest thing ever. But the Northeast's Winters, and the year round S.F. climate have one thing in common; they are both perfect for soup!

Everyone loves soup. If you don't love soup you must be an alien, because you certainly are not a citizen of this planet. So far this Winter we have spent a lot of meals (and not a lot of time or money!) eating soup. This particular one came to me right before I was leaving work. I was thinking that the only produce I had in the house was potatoes, carrots, and scallions; but I didn't really want to go shopping for a bunch of stuff, and alas, it was born. This here soup is hearty, packs a lot of flavor, and the ginger warms you up pretty damn well. Plus, its not too carrot-y. So yeah, let's go!

Ingredients:
Soup:
2.5 pounds of Yukon Gold Potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
4 large Carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 large Yellow Onion, diced
4 cups (1 Quart) Veggie Broth
2 Tbsp. 2X Tomato Paste, because its awesome
2 Tbsp. Earth Balance
1-2 cups Unsweetened Soy Milk
1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
2 Tbsp. Ground Ginger
salt and pepper to taste

Cilantro Scallion Pesto: *
1 bunch of scallions, washed and de-rooted
1 bunch of cilatro, washed and de-rooted
2 Tbsp. Lime Juice
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 cup + of Safflower Oil (remember, I told you so...)
salt and pepper to taste

Get a big pot. Put it over medium heat. Add Earth Balance and onions and saute' until translucent, about 7-8 minutes. Toss in the 2X tomato paste and let it toast for 2 minutes. DO NOT PUT THE GINGER IN NOW. I don't mean to yell, but most soups would call for the ginger to come in at the beginning of the soup, and well, that just really mutes its flavor, not to mention cooking away some of its awesome benefits. Just put the ginger down. Do it slowly. OK. Deep breath. Now back to cooking.

Sprinkle the pot with a lil pepper (cayenne if you wanna be dangerous), and then throw in the carrots, potatoes, and veggie broth. Put a lid on the pot and get a drink. These veggies will cook through in about 20-26 minutes, so we should probably make the pesto.

Get out your food processor (or chop-chop-grindy-shreddy mah-cheen as I like to call it) and put all the ingredients inside. Puree' them. After that difficult task you deserve another drink. G'head and grab one. I can wait.

* - Side note! This makes an awful lot of pesto. It isn't a bad thing. It has served us well, let me recount the ways so far...
1. Added to mashed avocado it is instant guacamole
2. It is a great topping for burritos and tacos
3. It was a pivotal ingredient in the dip for the recipe below
4. Chips and... Pesto? Hell yes!
5. We still have about 1.25 cups in the freezer to play with. OH YEAH! I forgot to mention that it freezes really well and can be frozen without losing flavor for a really long time.

Back to the soup. By now your veggies should be fork tender and ready to rock n' roll. So grab your immersion blender and let's get down to business. Don't turn off the heat the whole way just yet. Add in the nutritional yeast and 1 cup of the soy milk (or almond, rice, cow, goat, pterodactyl, whatever) and start to blend. If you need or want a looser consistency then just keep added more liquid. Is it totally blended and smooth? Now, add the ginger and blend for another minute. Aiiiight. You are ready to season and get down to some serious grub.

Add some of the pesto to the soup and chow down! BTW, you don't have to make dots. You can do zig-zags, tie dye prints, write names in the soup, it's all good.

zucchini pancakes

2011-01-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hash browns, pancakes, latkes, tempura, fry cakes, whatever the hell you call them; we love them passionately. Especially when you can dip them in something awesome and shove them in your face without spending a lot of money or effort. Oh, and while drinking beer.

We got the idea for this dish a few nights before at a pub when Katie ordered zucchini pancakes and actually got pancakes, only with some chunked zucchini and onion in them. They were served with plain sour cream and a boring salsa. After a few bites we realized that we could do this better, and way less than $7 for 4 pancakes. So we started drinking some beers another night and this is what happened.

Zucchini Pancakes: (makes 20 3" pancakes)

2 zucchini
3 potatoes, russet preferably. About 1.5 pounds total.
1 onion, peeled. Please don't shred an unpeeled onion.
1/2 jalapeno, seeded if you please. (odds are this is a good idea).

You got a food processor? OK. Then shred this stuff above and mix it in a bowl. No processor? I hope you have very strong arms and a lot of will power. Rest assured that the end product will be worth the work. Meanwhile mix everything below in another bowl.

2 cups rice flour
3 tablespoons corn starch
3 teaspoons baking powder
salt to taste
2 cups H20, or club soda if you're nasty

Heat some (ahem, about 1 inch of) oil in a deep pan over medium high heat, we used safflower because of its high smoke point and neutral flavor. (Plus its REALLY cheap, its basically the new canola oil. Don't say I didn't let you in on the scoop.) Mix the slurry into the shredded veggie mixture and adjust for any overage or underage of moisture. What you should have should feel like a really grainy, thick and chunky paste. It should feel like something you would never want to eat. But we are about to deep fry it, so just be patient.

OK. First you have to do the unthinkable. You have to make a tester. Then you have to eat it. I HATE this step, but if I MUST make the food right its too crucial to skip. Use a 4 oz. ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup to make 1 pancake in the oil. Please be careful, its real hot. Flip it after about 2 minutes (when its golden brown and delicious on the down side) and cook for an additional 2 minutes on the other side. Check for doneness with the no fail-taste test and adjust your cooking time accordingly. When done, set to drain on paper towels or some fancy rack you have that we don't.

Need more or less cooking time? Then adjust. Keep tasting, this recipe makes enough for everyone and plenty for you to snack on as well.

If you are going to eat them now, keep them in an oven set to 250. If you are just torturing yourself, put them in the fridge. These also freeze remarkably well, just make sure to refrigerate them first so that the temperature change is gradual and you don't pull too much moisture from the veggies. Serve with the dipping sauce below, any salsa that doesn't come from a jar, and some nicely stewed black beans. Oh yeah, and a really fresh IPA.

Chipotle Sour Cream Sauce:

1 container tofutti sour cream
2 tablespoons chipotle sauce in adobo
4 tablespoons cilantro/scallion pesto (it's a basic pesto, recipe will be in one of the next entries)
lime juice and garlic to taste

spaghetti squash

2011-01-19T10:35:00.000-08:00

Spaghetti Squash with peas, walnuts, basil, and Pecorino Romano cheese.

pesto rice salad

2011-01-18T10:32:00.000-08:00

Leftover rice with cilantro and jalapeno pesto, black beans, carrots, cucumber and radishes.

roasted brussel sprouts with parm

2011-01-17T10:34:00.000-08:00

Blanched then roasted brussel sprouts with Parmesan cheese.

MANestrone

2011-01-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

MANestrone: Cheese sachet's in a deep tomatoe broth with onion, kale, zucchini, and cauliflower. Topped with Parmesan cheese.

mmm pasta

2011-01-15T17:13:00.000-08:00

Whole wheat pasta with freshly grated Pecorino Toscano, and Basil. Tossed with lightly sauteed zucchini and peas. Garnished with fresh basil and a fried egg.

asparagus risotto

2011-01-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

Asparagus and Pecorino Risotto with a simple Arugula Salad.

grains

2011-01-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

Qunioa, Avocado, and Black Bean Salad with a Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette.

Black Rice with Raw Cashews, Apples, Red Peppers, and Baked Butternut Squash; with a Sesame Cilantro Vinaigrette.

Dearest Friends, Foodies, and Local peeps...

2011-01-12T17:34:00.000-08:00

It may seem we have been slacking lately, and we might have been- at least on the blog tip. We have been cooking though, and pictures of our dishes with fast descriptions will be following.

We just signed on with a new box for the rest of the Winter. We will let you know about it in the next few days. We will be back to kicking tons of ass soon. Promise. Pinky swear this time.

<3 Kenny

"The Usual"

2010-11-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

Everyone has a "go to" recipe that they make when they don't really feel like cooking, or have a ton of something, or are just really hungry and need something fast. While these definitely evolve over time, and change altogether when you whip up something so amazing that you can't see how you ever lived without it, or can't believe you didn't figure it out before; they are always based on stuff you usually have on hand, and this one is no different.

It's a pasta dish. We usually make a ton of it so that we have some leftovers for lunch, and then don't have to spend 10 bucks eating at work. It usually uses up all of our green veggies every week. But, its ridiculously tasty and is based on one thing; a simple sauce.

So here is my super fast cream sauce, that we are hopelessly addicted to, at least until we figure out something else. We always make it vegan, you don't have to. This recipe is written for the smallest batch, and can be multiplied infinitely. We usually make about triple this size.

Ingredients:
1.5 Tbsp. Canola Oil
1 Tbsp. AP Flour
1 link Light Life Veggie Italian Sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 Onion, diced
1 clove Garlic, minced
1.25 cups Unsweetened Soy Milk, or any other kind of milk
3 Tbsp. Nutritional Yeast
Whatever herbs you like...
Salt and Pepper to taste

Add canola oil to a saute' pan over medium heat. Saute' veggie sausage until browned on both sides. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside, being careful to leave as much oil in the pan as you can (the sausage flavor in the oil will really help to flavor the sauce). Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until onions are translucent, about 7-8 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the onions and garlic, stirring well, and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Now whisk in the soy milk and continue to stir occasionally until it comes to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil for at least 1 minute while constantly stirring. Add the nutritional yeast, and mix until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the sauce with the sausage, pasta, and whatever cooked veggies you have.

Now that I look at this recipe, I think it would also really work for biscuits and gravy. Looks like we know what we are having for brunch this weekend!

We decided to try a new farmers market last Saturday...

2010-11-01T18:29:00.002-07:00

So, we may not have a CSA here. There may not be many totally Organic farms to choose from, but we can still get a good haul at the farmers market. We decided to skip the Union Square Greenmarket this past weekend and avoid Manhattan. Instead we rolled on up the the McCarren Park Greenmarket here in Brooklyn.

This is what we got for $18. That's right, it's not a typo. That pile of awesome right above this text was only 18 Buckaroos. Granted its not organic, but it is local, and damn fresh. We will be busy this week! So much cooking to do!

I can't even tell you how excited I am that we decided to try switching markets. Looks like this will be a permanent choice if next week they have similar offerings.

Hooray for produce!

Super Fast Crust-less Quiche with Greens

2010-11-01T18:27:00.000-07:00

Weekend mornings are usually pretty busy around our household. Since we usually only have one day off together we always have a lot of errands to run, things we couldn't get to during the workweek, and the farmers market to get to, all before we can just relax and enjoy our time together. So getting breakfast out of the way quickly is almost always a good idea, but it still has to taste good, right? I whipped this up last weekend, and it really hit the spot. It was simple, had few steps, and allowed plenty of time to multitask while things were cooking. These are my favorite kind of things to cook.

Ingredients:
9 Large Eggs
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 pound, or 2 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar. More specifically, Grafton Farms 2 year old cheddar.)
1 bunch of Kale, chopped pretty small, with a lot of the larger stems removed
1 stick of Butter or Earth Balance (don't worry, we aren't using it all)
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the kale for about 10-15 seconds, and then strain and shock it with cold water. While the kale is draining, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Use the stick of butter to grease a 9" pie pan (We used Pyrex). Crack all of the eggs into a large bowl and beat them up. Add in the cheese, kale, onion, and some salt and pepper and mix well until everything is incorporated.

So now for the downtime... Get ready to balance you checkbook, read the paper, clean you junk drawer, or whatever it is you have been meaning to do all week. Its going to be a few delicious smelling minutes before breakfast is ready.

Place it into your oven on the middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the eggs are set in the center. Once its ready, let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Happy breakfast!

corn and cauliflower chowder

2010-10-17T19:06:00.001-07:00

Hooray, it's soup season again! Not like it really stops ever being soup time in SF, but after a summer of oppressive heat here in NYC, I for one am damn sure glad I can eat soup without sweating again. This was the perfect treat for using some of the last corn and cauliflower of the summer to make something warm and comforting, and totally fall.

Ingredients:
1 huge head of Cauliflower, about 2 pounds, cut into small florets, don't forget those tender pieces of stem too- chop those up and throw them in there too!
6 ears of Corn, kernels taken off the cob, about 2.5-3 cups of kernels
1 Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
6 cups of Veggie Broth
2 cups Unsweetened Soy Milk
1/4 cup AP Flour
2 Tbsp. Earth Balance
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp. Dried Thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a soup pot over medium heat, saute' the onions, garlic, and thyme until the onions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. When you have reached a boil, add the cauliflower and cook for 3-5 minutes until the cauliflower is cooked through, but not mushy. Add the soy milk in and stir to incorporate.

Now, this next part is completely optional: If you would like to make a smoother soup, you can blend all, or a portion of the soup so far, and get a slightly more velvety texture from the end product. Just sayin'. We chose to blend half, mostly because we don't have an immersion blender any longer, and because we still love texture. Alright, did you blend it? Whatevs, its your call, either way its gonna taste good. Back to the soup.

Add your corn and continue to cook for 10-12 minutes until the corn has cooked through. (If you used frozen corn this should only take about 5-7 minutes.) Season with salt and pepper, grab yourself some crusty bread, put on your Snuggie, and pop on a movie. Hooray for Fall!

chorizo and potatoes for brunch

2010-10-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

This was a quick breakfast idea when we woke up kind of on the wrong side of the bed (read: hungover) one morning. It requires little action, but reaps great rewards.

Ingredients:
1 pound fingerling potatoes, sliced into approx. 1/2" rounds
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 peppers, whatever color you have, coarsely chopped
1 package Light Life Chorizo Style "Sausage", cut into 1/2" slices
1/4 cup crumbled Cotija Cheese, or Queso Fresco
2 Tbsp. Canola Oil
1/2 Tbsp. Cumin
Salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste
Fried Egg (optional)

Wake up. Grab glass of water and Emergen-C. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop stuff. Mix everything except cheese and eggs in a bowl. Put into baking dish and put that into the oven. Put on pot of coffee. Set timer for 25 minutes. Crawl back into bed.

When the timer goes off, get out of bed and check the potatoes. Are they fork tender? OK, good. Remove the dish from the oven and top with cheese. Cook some eggs if you like and throw them on there too. Grab your coffee, sit down and watch some cartoons.

kombucha squash and kale pasta

2010-09-27T19:05:00.001-07:00

Fast and easy. 1 pan + 1 pot + 1 dish + 30 minutes = enough food for 2 for dinner and 4 lunches. Not too mention it tasted ridiculously good and had everyone in my office asking where I bought it so they could order take out, even though we work at Whole Foods...

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. Whole Wheat Penne
1 package Light Life Italian Sausage, roughly chopped. Or just use the real thing, no hate.
1/2 Kombucha Squash (about 2 cups), peeled, seeded, and 1/2" sliced (it's rustic, you don't have to be exact)
1 bunch Kale, roughly julienned
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 Cup Pecorino Romano cheese, shredded (or nutritional yeast)
Salt to taste
Pepper (I like a lot of it in this dish)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, better keep the bottle handy.

Set your oven to 200 degrees and oil a casserole dish.

While pasta water is heating up, add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil to a saute' pan set to medium high heat. Add the 'sausage' and brown for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Try to get it out of the pan without losing to much of the oil since it will help to flavor the rest of the components of the final dish. Place the sausage in the casserole dish and pop it back in the oven.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Add the squash and garlic to the pan (and any oil if you need to) and continue to saute' for about 10 minutes until the squash is fork tender. Season with salt and pepper and place in the casserole dish. By this time your pasta should also be done so shock it with cold water, oil lightly, and add it to the casserole dish as well and place it back in the oven.

Lower the heat of the saute' pan to medium and gently wilt the kale. You might need to do this in two batches if your pan isn't very large, or your bunch of kale is. As you may have guessed; put it in the dish and put it ba- wait! Hold on. Mix everything together in the dish, season to taste with salt (be careful though, pecorino romano is salty as well), tons of freshly ground black pepper, and any extra oil you may like to add. Heck, throw some butter in there if you want. Cover the entire thing in cheese and get down to grubbin', or put it back into the oven until you are ready to eat.

After writing this out, I really want to eat this again. We have been using veggie "sausage" a lot since moving here, especially the Light Life line mentioned above. It just has a super flavor "POP" that we can't resist. It makes even the easiest and fastest pasta night so much tastier, and goes really well with seasonal greens. Mmmmmm fake sausage.

Mexican Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

2010-09-27T18:58:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
2 Acorn Squash, halved and seeded
1 Cup Long Grain Brown Rice (if you use white, ditch 1/2 of a cup of the water below)
1 can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 Onion, 1/4" dice. We had a red onion.
1 Jalapeno, small dice, seeded if you ain't inta the spicy ish
2 Tbsp. 2x Tomato Paste
1/2 Cup Cotija Cheese, crumbled
2+ Tbsp. Canola Oil
1 Tbsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 Tbsp. Cayenne (or substitute 1.5 Tbsp. Chili Powder for this and the cumin)
Salt, cause it's good
Pepper, cause it's Salt's BFF
2.5 cups Water
Cilantro if you have it, I kind of wish we would have

Halve and clean the squash. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Oil the inside of the squash and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. of the cumin/cayenne blend. Add some salt and pepper at your discretion and place them in a baking dish.

Saute' the onion and pepper in a sauce pan with set to medium with 2 Tbsp. of oil. Add spices and season with salt and pepper. After onion becomes translucent (about 7 minutes) add your rice and stir until its coated in the goodness that is in the pan. Toss in the tomato paste and incorporate for about 90 seconds. Now get that water in there and cover that pan. Pop the squash in the oven, and pop a squat on the couch. Wait 25 minutes. Check the squash. Is it fork tender? Good. Take it out. Don't check the rice though, it needs 5 more minutes. Take this time to crumble your cheese and make another margarita.

OK, rice is done. Mix in the black beans, and season it if you need to. Stuff it into the squash. Top it with the cheese and the (hopefully not imaginary) cilantro. Eat it. Be careful, it's hot.

We used to have a blog.

2010-09-25T19:06:00.000-07:00

We were really proud of what we had done, and were excited to create each and every week.

Since we moved to NYC a lot of things have changed; we couldn't find a CSA, we were far busier than we could have imagined, and reconnecting with family and friends (and making new ones!) had taken up a large part of our time. Not to mention that we are planning a wedding!

We still shopped at the Union Square Green Market, still cooked like crazy, but every time we had thought to take a picture, or try to remember a recipe, our plates were already empty or an exact recollection couldn't be made. Something was always missing; from our lives, our plates, our intentions; our blog.

We decided last week that we would come back with a different focus, local, organic, and add budget conscious. We both took a large pay decrease to come to New York, and are paying more in rent here (I know, but we LOVE our place!), so with a wedding coming and adjusting to a new income level, our budget has been under scrutiny. BUT, we still have standards we can't compromise.

Last week we did 4; count 'em; 4 recipes that we are so gung-ho to post. And we will post them this week, but last night we found out about an organic, some what local-as-can-be, cost-conscious delivery service from our good buddy Nicole. With Winter coming in the Northeast and the availability of local produce depleting, we decided to sign up, and use this as our base. We will also be doing some features on local producers of some awesome products that we love, and have found we can't live without.

We will still be visiting the USQ Green Market as well; dammit, we are just gonna keep it real, and keep it on a budget.

Interwebs, we have missed you. Here we come!, again.

pizza seems like a good place to start

2010-04-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

Living on the West Coast, whenever I thought about coming back home, all I thought about was eating pizza- and TONS of it. It doesn't surprise me that our first blog post is about this amazing portable, delicious, and versatile food. We hit the Union Square Green Market the other day and grabbed some seasonal veggies. Although a little more limited from our usual California cornucopia, we found some really great gems. The early spring broccoli rabe, and the late winter fingerling potatoes were just amazing. We grabbed bunches of both while getting sprouts for our garden and spent the train ride home figuring out what we would do with them. The idea was obvious from the beginning. Pizza. Greens on pizza are amazing. Potato chips on pizza are superb (oh come on, you know you've done it). So we decided to make a pie. We almost ate the whole thing in one sitting it was so good. Katie made the dough while I was at work the day before, and then it rested until we made the dish for lunch the next afternoon. Our crust came out crispy, stiff, flaky, and moist; the veggies cooked to perfection; and the cheese was wonderfully caramelized.

Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for table
3/4 cup 110-115 degree water, think hot tub
3/4 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for bowl
1 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar

In a small bowl, combine the active dry yeast with warm water, olive oil, salt, and sugar. Stir and allow to sit for 5 minutes so the yeast can reanimate and get excited. Add wet ingredients to food processor first, followed by the flour, and give it a little stir to incorporate so you don't set off a flour bomb in the kitchen. Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until a solid dough ball forms (depending on your flour, humidity, or other factors you may need to add a little more flour to the food processor. Just make sure to add only a little at a time). Remove ball from your food processor and knead on a floured surface by hand for about 5 minutes, folding in half, squishing the dough, then turn 90 degrees and do the same. Then put about 1 1/2 tsp. of olive oil in a large bowl, roll the dough ball around to coat. Cover the bowl with a warm wet kitchen towel and let it sit on the kitchen counter to rise for one hour. The dough will rise to about twice its size. Wrap tightly and store for at least 24 hours. Dough will be fine in the fridge for up to 3 days. This recipe is easily doubled, tripled, quadrupled, or more. It is great to make in large batches, and the remaining dough can be separated into pizza sized balls and frozen in freezer bags for up to 2 month, just make sure the ball is coated with oil before placing into the bag.

Top with Sundried Tomato Pesto. We used Sauces 'n Love. Or you can pick your favorite pesto. Whatevs.

Sprinkle with 1/2 pound of shredded mozzarella, reserving about 1 handful.

Top with 2 cups of roughly chopped broccoli rabe, and 1/4 cup of shaved fingerling potatoes.

Finish the pizza off with the rest of the cheese, a sprinkle of olive oil, and some salt. Place into a 450 degree oven for 11 minutes on the middle rack.

Remove, cut, and get your grub on.

We're back!

eating seasonally in brooklyn

2010-04-01T17:06:00.000-07:00

Hi! Remember us? We've missed you! We just moved into our apartment on (a very cold and rainy) Tuesday. We're still getting our kitchen set up but we are absolutely going to be reviving our blog. We are still trying to decide on a CSA based in NYC that offers a decent amount of variety while still having somewhat easy to access a pick-up location. In the meantime we will be shopping the Green Market at Union Square Park (WHICH HAS RAMPS NOW!!!), and will begin getting back to blogging full-time as soon as we get some more furniture, and finish getting settled. We moved in to a really amazing apartment in South Williamsburg and have a MUUUUUCH larger and nicer kitchen than before! Thanks for hanging with us for so long, and we apologize for being gone for so long, but this move and our recent sublet have kept us out of the kitchen for a hot minute.

So... Look forward to more great recipes, silly anecdotes, and cooking tips from Katie and I. And while you are doing so, keep it local, and drink some good beer.

Any help on CSAs in Brooklyn would be amazing, even Southern Manhattan is doable since I (Kenny) work there. Also any help or tips for backyard gardens in NYC would be great as we plan to plant about 50 sq. feet of space with TONS of veggies!

Thanks for reading, and any advice you can give,

Kenny

Ummmmmmmmm yeah......

2010-01-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

Anyone know any good CSA's in New York City? Specifically in Brooklyn. Cause, you know, we have some- *ahem* friends who might be moving there soon. They are a really awesome couple, and kind of can't live without a box. Just friends of ours. Totally. Let us know. For them. Yeah...

weekly delivery 01/06

2010-01-06T21:47:00.001-08:00

1 bunch kale

1 head savoy cabbage

2 ruby grapefruits

4 Comice pears

9 Navel oranges

1 bunch cilantro

1 butternut squash

1 head green leaf lettuce

6 Fuji apples

4 leeks

2 bulbs garlic

stuffed shells with butternut squash and ricotta filling

2010-01-06T11:51:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 large 3 pound butternut squash, halved, seeds and pulp removed

1 package of large pasta shells, cooked to package instructions

1 pound of ricotta cheese

1 pound of fresh mozzarella, sliced

2 small heads of red cabbage, shredded

2 small yellow onions, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. dried Italian seasoning

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

2 tsp. canola oil

2 Tbsp. Earth balance

salt and pepper to taste

Do this a day ahead if possible: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, place the squash face up. Rub with canola oil. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Place in oven uncovered and cook until completely cooked through, (should have a "mashed potato" kinda feel to it) about 45-55 minutes. Allow to cool, so that its easy to handle. Scrape the squash from the skin and set aside in a bowl. In this bowl, mix the ricotta cheese in with with cooked and cooled squash. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large saute' pan over medium heat add the remaining 2 Tbsp. of oil and sweat the onions until translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add in the cabbage slowly while tossing, the cabbage will cook down fast, and allow more room in the pan quickly. Add salt and pepper throughout the cooking, since you want it to be well seasoned, but are still adding new food to the pan. Once all of the cabbage has been cooked, stir in the beans and set the pan to the side- do not drain the cabbage/onion liquid from the pan, you will need it later. (Sound familiar?)

In a large pyrex or casserole, put half of the cabbage and onion mixture on the bottom. Stuff the shells with the squash and ricotta filling and place them into the casserole dish. Top with the rest of the cabbage and onion mixture. Top with parmesan, breadcrumbs, and slices of fresh mozzarella. Cover the whole dish with a layer of parchment paper, and then foil, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes covered, and then an additional 5 minutes uncovered. Pull it out of the oven and let it set for 4-5 minutes before gorging yourself on its deliciousness!

cabbage soup

2010-01-03T16:18:00.000-08:00

MORE CABBAGE! This recipe highlights all of the ingredients in it. You can taste each one and its contribution to the dish. It's simple, hearty, and cooks pretty darn fast. Great for a nice chilly evening.

Ingredients:

2 small heads of napa cabbage, shredded- about 4 cups

2.5 quarts of veggie stock

2 pounds of red potatoes, cut into 1/2" pieces, and well rinsed

1 pound of carrots, cut into 1/2 pieces

1 LARGE leek, white and green parts only, halved, and cut into 1/4' slices- about 1.25 cups packed

1.5 Tbsp. Earth Balance

3 tsp. dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the Earth Balance, and saute' leeks until translucent, about 7-8 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots, thyme, and stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil (10 or so minutes), the potatoes and carrots should be almost cooked. Test them. If they are fork tender, its time to proceed, if not, continue cooking until they are ready. I'm waiting. OK, they're done- let's move on. Add cabbage and turn off the heat. Stir for 2 minutes until the cabbage is cooked through. Serve with some nice crusty bread or crackers and eat while watching Jersey Shore, wrapped up in your Snuggie.

UPDATE 1/7/10:

Tonight we took the leftovers from this soup and totally reinvented it. We cooked 12 vegan meatballs in the oven, reheated the soup with the leftover shells from the recipe above, and 2.5 Tbsp. 2x tomato paste, and added 2 tsp. of oregano. Tossed the meatballs into the soup, and made some nice crostini. It was damn good (I ate 2 huge bowls!). Hooray for versatile recipes!

pasta with butternut squash, purple cabbage and cannellini beans

2010-01-01T21:04:00.000-08:00

So this week we had a RIDICULOUS amount of cabbage and butternut squash. We wanted to make some dishes that were fast, super tasty, and had a lot of leftovers that we could take to work. So, the next three posts will all be these recipes. Similar ingredients with different twists, some of them a little unconventional- but they came out damn good. Here's the first!

Ingredients:

1 pound whole wheat penne pasta, cooked to package directions

1 3-pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" chunks

2 small heads of purple cabbage, cored and shredded

2 small yellow onions, thinly sliced

1 15 oz. can of cannelini beans, drained

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

3 Tbsp. canola oil

2 tsps. dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Toss the squash chunks with 1 Tbsp. of oil, the thyme, and some salt and pepper. Lay this out in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until the squash is cooked through, but still firm, about 20-25 minutes.

Right about now your pasta should be done, and so should the squash. Find a BIG mixing bowl, and toss everything in! Sprinkle the nutritional yeast in as your mixing, it and the left-over cabbage/onion juice will make a nice sauce. Adjust any seasonings- more salt and pepper, more herbs, whatever you like. Then gobble it up!

weekly delivery 12/22

2009-12-22T11:26:00.000-08:00

Early Xmas present! Our box came a day early this week!

18 Satsuma Mandarin oranges

4 Navel oranges

2 yellow onions

2 Napa cabbages

4 Empire apples

1 giant leek

2 bok choy

1 head green leaf lettuce

1 bunch collard greens

1 bunch kale

1 bunch broccoli

rice, squash, greens and leek bake. hello winter in CA.

2009-12-20T10:25:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups white rice

1 bunch kale, stems removed

4 slices prosciutto

1/2 butternut squash, peeled and thinly sliced

1 leek, thinly sliced

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

2/3 lb parrano cheese, shredded and divided equally

2 cups milk

3 eggs

1 1/4 cups vegetable stock

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

dash of nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Layer the bottom of a large casserole dish with uncooked white rice. Next spread the kale leaves over the rice to cover completely. Then top with slices of prosciutto. Next up is the butternut squash, then pour the beschemel over the whole thing. OMG! We forgot the sauce! Make a light roux by melting 2 Tbsp butter in a small sauce pan. Stir in 2 Tbsp flour and whisk to incorporate. Whisk in the milk and veggie broth. Temper in the eggs, by beating them in a small bowl and pouring a small amount of the hot milk into that small bowl. This will ensure that the eggs do not scramble. Add the tempered eggs to the sauce. Right before the sauce comes to a boil, whisk in 1/2 of the Parrano cheese. Dump the sauce over the casserole. Next toast the breadcrumbs and leeks together for a few minutes. Layer the leek and breadcrumb mixture on top of the casserole then cover with the remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Wait 5 minutes before you slice into it!

P.S. CSA Delivery blog does not support the ehm... use of a sort-of-illegal-but-pretty-much-decriminalized-in-CA drug. But if we did, then we would eat this right out the dish with two forks and not call for shitty pizza or take out noodles. Well, we might get noodles AND eat this dish together. BLAM.

The rice in this dish gets all milky and cheesy. The layers stay intact. OMG, I wish I could eat this year round and still be sustainable. Actually, this would probably work with lots of different veggies. If you are looking to do it vegan: Sub- Earth Balance, Lightlife Tempeh Bacon, and unsweetened soy milk, egg replacer, or corn starch. The cheese? Well thats up to you and your proximity to "decent" vegan cheese.

orange glazed tofu, dirty hoe

2009-12-19T17:31:00.000-08:00

We seriously had like 4 weeks worth of oranges and clementines piled up. AFTER I brought a whole bag into work to share w/co-workers. So I juiced em all. 1.5 quarts of orange juice. ridiculous.

Hoegaarden with a shot of orange juice. Popularized by Azure in Philly (RIP).

Orange Glazed Tofu

Ingredients:

1 lb. extra firm tofu, cut into 1" chunks

5 heads baby bok choy, quartered

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp. sriracha sauce

2 Tbsp. canola oil

1 Tbsp. grated ginger

1 Tbsp. corn starch

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds, for garnish

In a large non-stick pan or wok set over high heat, saute' the tofu in the canola oil until all sides are browned, about 10 minutes. Mix OJ, soy sauce, sriracha, and corn starch in a bowl and whisk until corn starch is thoroughly incorporated. Add ginger and bok choy to the pan and toss for one minute. Toss in the sauce and stir to cover the tofu and the bok choy. You want to bring the sauce to a boil while constantly stirring (takes about 3 minutes) and let it remain at this temperature for an additional minute, still stirring. The result should be a sweet and spicy sauce that is glazed over all of the ingredients in the pan. Serve over rice, and garnish with sesame seeds.

balsamic kale, brie and crispy prosciutto sandwiches

2009-12-15T11:43:00.000-08:00

We originally planned on making this with broccoli rabe, but our broccoli rabe went bad before we got around to it. Luckily our kale was much heartier!

Ingredients:

1 fresh baguette

1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves roughly torn

1/4 lb of prosciutto thinly sliced

1/2 brie thinly sliced

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

salt and pepper to taste

Cut kale into bite sized pieces. Halve baguette. Apply brie to one side of the baguette. Apply prosciutto to the other half of the baguette. Toast the open face sandwiches in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees until the cheese is melty. Sautee the kale with onions, garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar for 4-8 minutes until softened.

green mash

2009-12-02T22:06:00.001-08:00

As a kid I hated greens. OK, to tell the truth, I had no idea what they were. I only experienced the joy of fresh produce when I was 18 and went vegan. Before that it was all boiled frozen veggies, or canned varieties. I didn't even try to eat leafies until I was at least 22. But now I can't get enough of them, and wish someone would incorporate them into dishes I already love. Oh wait! We are just about to do that!

Ingredients:

2 leeks, thinly sliced

5 lbs potatoes, 1" chunks

1 bunch chard, stems removed and leaves roughly ripped

1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves roughly ripped

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until fork tender. Caramelize leeks in a separate pan with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Blanch chard and kale in boiling water for one minute. Mash everything together. Eat mashed potatoes every day for 10 days straight and then never want to eat them again! Weeeee! Top with your favorite gravy, and get down!

weekly delivery 12/02

2009-12-02T21:35:00.000-08:00

Our CSA share this week:

1 bunch kale

4 navel oranges

6 Satsuma mandarin oranges

1 head savoy cabbage

2 heads romaine lettuce

2 leeks

3 yellow onions

3 heads bok choy

1 head radicchio

1 bulb fennel

5 Rome beauty Apples

5 Fuyu persimmons

double squash coconut curry

2009-12-01T21:28:00.000-08:00

We love squash. Sure it's a pain in the ass to peel and clean, but it just tastes so good, and is so versatile. It's a good thing, because we keep getting them in the box. Also, they do last a while, so you can kind of pile them up for a few weeks until you figure out what to do with them. This week we needed to make some recipes that were easy, and either fast to cook, or cooked while we were gone (such busy lives we lead...). So we decided to use our slow cooker to make some awesome squash curry. This recipe would work with any kind of squash or pumpkin. Easy, cheap, and totally made itself while we were at work. All it took was 15 minutes of prep.

Ingredients:

2 approximately two lb kombucha squash

1 approximately two lb butternut squash

2 fifteen oz cans of coconut milk (We used 365 Organic Light- less fat)

1 onion, roughly sliced

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 cups veggie stock

3 Tbsp curry powder, drunkenly bartered from our neighbor Jennifer for a slice of pumpkin pie

salt and pepper to taste

Peel and seed the squash. Yeah, I know it sucks; but just do it. Have a cocktail and listen to Moving Mountains, it helped me. Cut it into one inch chunks. Not exact, this isn't the French Laundry, and it's going to cook for a really long time. Chop the onions and garlic. OK, you're done. No really. Toss liquid ingredients into your slow cooker pot and stir together. Add 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Dump in all the veggies. Pop it in the fridge and get on with your evening.

In the morning, put it into the slow cooker and set it to low for 8 hours. When you get home from a hard day at work, deliciousness awaits!

You can strain off the liquid (like we did for the above photo), and serve it over rice. Then use the remaining liquid to make an awesome soup by adding some lentils or pasta! Like so:

thanksgiving redux

2009-11-30T20:27:00.000-08:00

Every time I update the blog, Kenny's facebook and twitter automatically update with the name of the post, a link and the first couple words of the post, up to the character limit. Sometimes words get cut off. Sometimes it's unintentionally hilarious:

Ha! Anyways... I had leftover roasted butt salad from thanksgiving and I decided I should make something else with it before the arugula got wilty and gross. I had not tossed the salad w/the orange vinaigrette so I had a clean slate to come up with something totally different. I separated out all the pomegranate seeds and tossed the arugula, walnuts and butternut squash in a simple cream sauce with some pasta shells. The sauce was about 1 cup soy milk, 1/4 cup of parmesan, 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast and 2 Tbsp soy yogurt. Wilt the leftovers with some olive oil and then toss everything together.

thanksgiving

2009-11-27T17:05:00.000-08:00

Here are the recipes I made for our annual Thanksgiving potluck this year:

A salad of roasted butternut squash, walnuts, pomegranate seeds and arugula with orange vinaigrette from Bon Appetit. Here's a helpful step-by-step guide on How to de-seed a pomegranate, with photos.

No-cream creamed spinach from the White House via the NY Times.

some screwed up combination of these two carrot soup recipes: Carrot soup from 101 Cookbooks, and Carrot and red lentil soup from What For Lunch, Honey? (Btw, just found that blog and it's beautiful!). It's my family's tradition to serve a first course of soup at Thanksgiving. So for the last three years that I've been out in SF, I've made soup to bring to our annual potluck. And every year I manage to screw up the soup and need to scramble to save it. This year involved too much salt in the broth and a last minute run to the corner store for a bottle of Odwalla pressed carrot juice and a bag of baby carrots. Next year... I might just skip the soup.

All of these recipes are of course seasonal, using ingredients from the CSA box and they all happen to be vegan and (I believe) gluten-free, though I'm not super familiar with what's allow or not allowed in the gluten-free diet so I could be wrong on that one.

No photos because I suck. Seriously, I don't even have an excuse for our lack of blogging lately- we just really suck.

So, how was your Thanksgiving? What did you make? Any awesome seasonal recipes we should check out?

epic dinner

2009-11-11T21:19:00.000-08:00

Fenneled Colcannon

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds of potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 head of napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 bulb of fennel, thinly sliced
1 cup of unsweetened soy milk (or milk)
2 Tbsp of Earth Balance (or butter)
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until fork tender, about 12 minutes. Remove potatoes and add the cabbage and fennel to the pot, and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mash the crap outta them!

Traditional Pot Roast

Ingredients:
1 piece of beef (We used a 1 1/2 pound piece of london broil. Light on the fat, and quick cooking.)
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 pound of baby carrots
2 ribs of celery, roughly chopped
1 cup of red wine
2 cups stock
2 Tbsp double concentrate tomato paste
3 Tbsp canola oil
salt and pepper to taste

For gravy:
3 Tbsp Earth Balance
3 Tbsp all purpose flour

If you have a dutch oven, you should use it for this recipe. If you don't, just follow along. In a large pan, heat the canola oil on medium high heat. Season both sides of the meat with salt and pepper, and sear all sides in the hot pan, about 2 minutes a side. Yes, all sides, use some tongs and hold the meat so you can get the ends and everything- we aren't trying to let ANY juices out! When the meat is seared, set it aside in a pyrex baking dish. Add the shallots, celery, carrots, and tomato paste to the pan and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. De-glaze the pan with the wine (afraid of losing eyebrows and armhair? Pro-tip- turn off the fire underneath the pan.) and using a wooden spoon, make sure you get all the meaty bits from the bottom of the pan to dissolve into the wine by scraping them up. Allow this liquid to reduce by half and then add your stock. Pour all of this over the meat, cover, and place into a preheated 350 degree oven until it reaches 165 degrees, about 1 hour.

After the tasty roast is ready, remove the meat and veggies from the remaining sauce and allow to rest on a plate for 8-10 minutes before cutting against the grain and serving. Meanwhile, melt the Earth Balance in a pan and use it and the flour to make a roux. Once the roux is complete and smells like buttered toast, add the remaining cooking liquid into the pan. Make sure to stir or whisk thoroughly so the roux dissolves completely in the liquid (no lumps here Ma!), and allow to come to a boil. Continue stirring until it does so, it shouldn't take long, the liquid is already piping hot. Allow to boil for 1-2 minutes, until gravy thickens up and coats the back of a spoon.

Sourdough Bacon Shallot and Sage Stuffing

Ingredients:
4 cups of fresh sourdough bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 slices of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 ribs of celery, cut in 1/4 inch pieces
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 cups stock
4 dried sage leaves, finely chopped (or 2 tsp. dried sage)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot on medium heat, add bacon and saute until crispy and delicious, about 10 minutes. Remove cooked bacon leaving oil in pot. (I removed about 1 Tbsp of the leftover bacon grease, I know- sacrilege, but I didn't want it to be too bacon-y.) Add celery, and shallots and cook until shallots are translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Toss in your herbs, and then the bread. Slowly add stock 1/4 cup at a time while stirring the mixture. Stop adding stock when you start to notice excess stock not being soaked up by the bread. Add in half of the cooked bacon, taste and season with salt and pepper. Put the entire mixture in a baking dish and top with the rest of the cooked bacon and then cover with foil. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes covered, and then 10-15 minutes uncovered until the top is golden brown.

weekly delivery 11/11

2009-11-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

Lots of greens this week:

1.5 lbs red Norland potatoes

4 Satsuma Mandarin oranges

1 leek

1 head Romaine lettuce

1 butternut squash

1 bunch broccoli rabe rapini

4 red beets

5 Starkrimson pears

1 bunch cilantro

1 bunch arugula

5 golden delicious apples

1 bunch dinosaur kale

2 heads broccoli

dolmas and caramelized leek hummus

2009-11-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Hummus:

3 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced in half length wise then 1/4" chopped

1/4 cup butter (Earth Balance)

2 Tbsp water

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 Tbsp cayenne pepper

salt to taste

Melt the butter in a small pot, then add in the leeks and toss to coat. Add the water and a dash of salt, cover and cook on low heat until the leeks soften and begin to caramelize, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, dump in a can of chickpeas and puree with an immersion blender. Or you could add everything to a food processor and puree that way, but why make more dishes? Season to your liking with lemon juice, cayenne pepper and salt. Transfer to a small bowl and stick it in the fridge to cool down.

Dolmas:

1 cup white rice, cooked

juice from 1 1/2 lemons

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced

2 leaves fresh mint, chiffonade

salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

1 bunch chard

Cook the rice and let it cool. Toss with lemon juice, olive oil, scallions and mint. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. The rice needs to be a bit sticky for this recipe. To assemble to dolmas, remove the rib from a leaf of chard, place a dollop of rice on the leaf, tuck the sides in and then roll like a burrito. Traditionally, dolmas are braised in oil but we like to keep it health-conscious around here (uh... sometimes) so we simply steamed them. Place the dolmas, seam side down, in a steamer basket over an inch of boiling water and steam for about 2 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

weekly delivery 11/04

2009-11-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

Here what we got this week:

1 head broccoli

4 Satsuma mandarin oranges

1 bunch rainbow chard

5 bartlett pears

1 bulb fennel

10 Russian banana potatoes

1 head red leaf lettuce

4 Fuji apples

1 head Napa cabbage

1 bunch fresh cilantro

chile infused beet and radicchio salad

2009-10-31T17:50:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 head radicchio, whole leaves

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 lb beets

2 dried ancho chiles

1 tsp salt

8 small radishes

3 peppers

juice from 1 lime

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp chili flakes

cilantro, whole leaves for garnish

1/4 lb queso fresco, crumbled

Add beets and ancho chilis to a pot of boiling water with 1 tsp of salt. Adjust to a simmer and cook for 35 minutes. Remove beets from liquid and cool. Remove the chilis. Slice radishes and carrots thinly, and peppers in a 1/4" dice. Mix olive oil, lime juice, chili flakes, and salt and pepper to taste, in a dressing shaker. Let sit while beets cool so that the chili can permeate the dressing. When the beets have cooled, add them over the radicchio leaves. Top with other veggies and dressing. Then crumble queso fresco over the dish, and top with whole cilantro leaves.

I ate this for dinner the other night, and for lunch the past two days. The dressing and dish flavor just gets better with age. Sweet, spicy, salty, and just damn delicious. I kind of wish we would get this all in the box again sometime soon.

potato medley!

2009-10-31T15:32:00.001-07:00

If you have known me for a grip, you know that there are two things I (and most of the Hub/Cone) were addicted to from Trader Joe's. I work at Whole Foods, and so do most of my friends. We shop there, and budget it well. (Don't even start the Whole Paycheck ish, you get what you pay for, or you aren't doing it right.) BUT, there were two amazing items that lead me back to TJ's again and again, and both have been discontinued within the last year or so. The first, which we will address here, is potato medley, the second (which would take a miracle to produce) were the veggie gyoza. There were many nights when our sustenance depended on these items, late nights, early mornings, bonding moments sharing recipes. In truth, some of the best times of my life.

So fuck you TJ's for letting these items go by the wayside; but I understand. If something is too popular with your customers, the factory HAS to produce it instead of giving you leftovers, and that makes the price go up for you, lessening your profit. Just raise the price and bring them back, I will buy cases, seriously. CASES!

Ingredients:

1 lb red potatoes, cut in 1/4" slices

1 onion, 1/4" slices

2 carrots. Julienned

3 peppers, Julienned

1 head broccoli, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
olive oil, for cooking

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Get a pot of salted water on the stove to boil. Slice potatoes and onions. Spray 2 baking sheets with oil and layer the potatoes and onions on them, seasoning with salt and pepper, and adding a layer of sprayed oil on the top. Place in oven for 35 minutes. Remove and let cool to room temperature.

Blanch all other veggies. Carrots 4 mins. Peppers 3 mins. Broccoli 1/2 a minute. And let them cool with the potato/onion mixture. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Let cool, and store in the fridge. This should last 6-7 days, if you can wait that long. I have already eaten twice with this as an ingredient, and I am not near done!

weekly delivery 10/29

2009-10-29T12:50:00.001-07:00

2 Fuji apples

2 French fingerling potatoes

3 leeks

1 bunch rainbow chard

1 head broccoli

1 head Treviso radicchio

4 heads mixed baby lettuces

1 bunch cilantro

1 beets

4 kiwis

2 Fuyu persimmons

3 peppers

going to ny!

2009-10-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

We are headed off to New York on a red eye tonight. We canceled our box this week but we have a bunch of new posts coming up and of course some vacation photos when we get back! Hope everyone has a great weekend.

soft chili tofu

2009-10-12T20:16:00.002-07:00

We still have some quick pickled veggies left over from last week. I guess now they're not quick anymore - just regular pickled veggies. We thought they would pair well with our favorite appetizer which we always get when we order Chinese takeout. Here's our own version of soft chili tofu. It's super simple, fast and the flavors very vibrant - fresh, salty, and little spicy.

Ingredients:

1 block soft tofu, small dice

3 Tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1/2 scallions, finely diced

2 tsp red pepper flakes

Cut the tofu into very small cubes and add to a large bowl. Pour in the soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar and very gently toss to incorporate. Next add the scallions and red pepper flakes. Soft tofu is very crumbly so stir everything together as gently as possible. Garnish with pickles cucumbers, beets and onions. And you're done - it's that easy!

potato and gruyere "sandwiches"

2009-10-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

This recipe proves that you don't need a dozen ingredients to make something delicious.

Ingredients:

1 lb russet potatoes, cut into 1/8" slices (Got a mandolin? Use it!)

1/4 lb gruyere, cut into thin slices (Mandolin helpful here as well.)

Earth Balance, for frying (Like butter? Go for it!)
Salt and pepper

Grilled cheese and french fries, potato gratin, cheese fries, chili cheese fries, poutine, nacho fries, cheesy mashed potatoes... potatoes and cheese are just meant to be bestest buddies. I wanted to make something simple, delicious, and bite size since we were having some friends over for a little late night Rock Band and pissing off the neighbors, so why not make some mini grilled cheeses, but with potatoes for bread!!! I know, I'm a genius, or just a little drunk- take your pick.

Steam potatoes until just fork tender, about 6-8 minutes. Carefully remove them and set them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and let them cool in the refrigerator for 4 hours. We are trying to let the potatoes lose as much moisture as possible with this step so that they will crisp and absorb lots of buttery goodness when they are cooking. Assemble lots of little sandwiches, seasoning the middle with salt and pepper. In a saute pan over medium heat, add the Earth Balance and cook them until crispy on the outside, and the cheese gets happy and melty. Eat them! Repeat!

Kenny's legendary vegan cheese sauce

2009-10-08T22:15:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

5 slicing tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 pint cherry tomatoes, seeded and chopped

5 red peppers, finely diced

a few leaves of arugula, about 1/4 lb

1/2 red onion, diced finely

3 cloves garlic, diced finely

1 lb pasta, your choice

vegan cheese sauce:

2 Tbsp earth balance

2 Tbsp all purpose flour

2 cups soy milk (unsweetened is preferable)

2 tsp garlic powder

1 cup nutritional yeast

salt & pepper to taste

1 Tbsp dijon mustard (optional)

We made some epic vegan mac using my famous "cheeze" sauce. Saute the onions and garlic over medium heat in 1 Tbsp. of olive oil until translucent. Add the tomatoes and peppers and continue to cook until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 10 minutes.

For the cheeze sauce, make a rue with the earth balance and flour and allow to cook over medium heat until it no longer smells like flour, and is a nice toasty golden color, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the soy milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Allow to boil for 1 minute, (still whisking!) and start to add the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and finally the mustard. Season with salt and pepper, combine with the veggies and pasta, and wolf down!

weekly delivery 10/07

2009-10-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

YES! Arugula has returned!

2 acorn squash
6 slicing tomatoes
4 yellow onions
4 red plums
1 bunch arugula

4 Valencia oranges

6 red peppers
1 head Romaine lettuce

5 Russet potatoes

3 red beets

8 Gala apples

1 bunch baby bok choy

1 bunch Italian parsley

vegetable curry

2009-10-06T23:24:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 lb russet potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks

2 medium onion, roughly diced

1 lb tomatoes, seeded, and roughly chopped

1 head chard, stems removed, and julienned

1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" segments

2 medium kombucha squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1" chunks

4 Tbsp curry powder

4 cups veggie stock
2 cans of coconut milk
2 Tbsp double concentrate tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste

I've been really busy at work lately, and haven't had much time for cooking (or updating the blog), so I have been trying to come up with recipes that are quick, allow me to multitask and get other stuff done around the house, or just veg out in front of the tube for a few minutes to relax while some other appliance does the work. This one is no exception. Its fast, easy, and soooo freaking good you will want to spill it all over your favorite pair of jeans staining them yellow/orange with tumeric so you will never ever forget this tasty meal again. OK, don't do that. I did, and I am kinda sad about my favorite pants. Anyway, here is how easy it is. It only has 6 simple steps.

1. Chop all the veggies.
2. Add everything that isn't green into a large pot on medium heat, bring to a simmer.
3. Mix drink, sit on couch, watch Mighty Boosh Season 3.
4. Cover and cook for 15-17 minutes until squash and potatoes are ALMOST fork tender.
5. Add green things into pot, stir, cover and cook for 3-4 more minutes.
6. Taste, season, spill on pants.

weekly delivery 09/30

2009-09-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

In this week's box:

1 melon

1 bunch red grapes

1 small bunch red leaf lettuce

6 gala apples

1 bunch red chard

3 red beets

6 Yukon gold potatoes

1 bunch green beans

2 kabocha squash

4 heirloom tomatoes

6 peppers

Capay on NPR

2009-09-29T14:43:00.001-07:00

Check it out: Our CSA farm, Capay Organics, was featured on NPR today!

chard and chickpea burgers with quick pickled veggies

2009-09-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
Burgers:
1 bunch chard, roughly chopped
1 can chick peas, drained
1/2 cup all purpose flour, possibly more
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 Tbsp canola oil (or less, your choice- it won't really make a difference in frying texture, only time)

Pickled Veggies

2 beets, peeled, and thinly sliced

2 cucumber, thinly sliced

1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cups hot water, not boiling
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt

For the veggies: Put the onions and cucumbers into one bowl, and the beets into another... unless you want them all pink, then hell, just use one bowl, do less dishes. Mix the sugar and salt into the hot water, then add the vinegar, and set aside to cool. When the pickling liquid has cooled, add the liquid to the veggies, just enough to cover them, and then cover the bowls and place them in the fridge.

For the burgers:
Put all ingredients (minus the oil) in a food processor or bender and blend until incorporated. Seasonally, you made need more or less flour depending on your greens, or you could even substitute gluten free flours if you so choose. When it looks like its ready to be pattied, wet your hands and get ready to rock. Put 3 Tbsp of oil into a sauce pan and add the pattied burgers, flipping after 2 minutes on each side. Put on your favorite buns, top with pickled veggies and some Wildwood Garlic Aioli, or Veganaise and some greens. Eat them up!

honeydew sorbet

2009-09-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

Got melons piling up? Yeah, so do we. I had an idea to make a melon sorbet with the honeydew but we don't have an ice cream maker. Wait a minute, ice cream has been around way longer than ice cream makers! Well, thanks to David Lebovitz, I learned how to make sorbet and ice cream with an immersion blender!

I also used this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens as a guide.

Ingredients:

2 honeydew melons, rinds removed and cut roughly into cubes

juice from 1 orange

1/4 cup cane sugar

1/2 water

Boil the water in a small pot and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Set aside to chill. Use a blender or food processor to finely puree the honeydew. You made need to work in batches. The orange juice will help liquify the honeydew but won't alter the taste of the sorbet. When your melon is uniformly pureed, add the sugar syrup and pulse. Pour the mixture into a large glass baking dish. Freeze for 3 hours, until the mixture has begun to freeze around the edges. Take the dish out for the freezer and dump the mixture into a bowl and beat with an immersion blender for just a minute. You just want to break up the frozen bits, without melting the whole thing all over again. Return to the dish and freeze again. If you want very fine grained sorbet, you can repeat this process of freezing and beating once or twice more. When you are happy with the consistency, freeze overnight. Remove the dish from the freezer and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

weekly delivery 09/23

2009-09-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

Here's what we got from our CSA this week:

1 head red leaf lettuce
1 head romaine lettuce
2 bunches black seedless grapes

3 red beets

2 huge! red onions

1 gala melon

1 cucumber

5 sweet peppers

1 bunch rainbow chard

8 heirloom tomatoes
1 pint cherry tomatoes

potato leek soup

2009-09-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

We've made a couple of potato soups at this point. Last year, we made a vegan sweet potato soup; and in January, Kenny reinvented an old family recipe with vegan cream of potato and chard soup. But ya know what? We're not sick of 'em yet! This one's for the omnivores!

Ingredients:

5 slices of bacon (Fatted Calf!), roughly chopped

1 lb potatoes, peeled and sliced

2 leeks, white and green parts only, thinly sliced

1 cup milk (Want to use cream? go for it!)

1/2 lb frozen petite peas

4 cups vegetable stock
salt, pepper to taste

Add the potatoes to a large pot of boiling, salted water, and cook until fork tender. Strain and set aside. In the same pot, over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until all the fat is rendered out and the bacon is crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside for later on a paper towel. Fight the urge to eat the bacon. Saute the leeks in the bacon fat until translucent, about 5-6 minutes. OK, eat a piece or two of the bacon. Add the potatoes, vegetable stock, and some salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook until simmering. When the soup is hot, blend ingredients together with an immersion blender, and once smooth, slowly add the milk or cream while still blending, until incorporated. When the soup is creamy and delicious, add the peas and continue to cook for 3 minutes. Taste and season again, and then top with the reserved bacon, and serve with some crusty bread.

vegan lasagna feat. Daiya

2009-09-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
no boil lasagna noodles
4 or 5 decently sized heirloom tomatoes (about 1-1/4 lb total)
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 peppers, small dice
1-1/2 blocks extra firm tofu
juice from 3 lemons
1 bunch chard, leaves roughly torn
1/2 lb Daiya vegan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

We are going to start by a making a super fast sauce. Just add the tomatoes and garlic into your food processor, season with salt and pepper and blend while drizzling olive oil in until the sauce is finely pureed. Add this to a pot and cook on medium heat until the sauce reduces to about half it's volume, about 30 minutes. To make the tofu ricotta, add the tofu, lemon juice and chard leaves to the food processor and blend until smooth, seasoning with salt and pepper. To assemble to lasagna, spoon some sauce on to the bottom of a casserole dish, then add a layer of lasagna noodles, next spoon on some of the ricotta, then more noodles, a layer of peppers & cheese, and so forth until you've used everything up! Bake at 350 degrees, covered with tin foil, for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes so that the cheese on top gets nice and melty!*

* I usually find vegan cheeses repulsive. The many different textures and off-putting flavors I have experienced over the years have jaded me, and made me never want to stick anything labeled "vegan cheese" anywhere near my eating hole. But then @vegansaurus couldn't stop raving about Daiya, and we dig them, so I figured I would give it one more go around and hope not to have to hold my nose to get through dinner. To my astonishment, it's good! It melts! Wait- did you hear me? IT MELTS!!! Not the kind of melt that firms back up in 30 seconds after it loses all its moisture and turns into plastic either. It freaking melts for real and stays melted. And it tastes pretty good too! Is it cheese? No. Is it the best vegan cheese I have ever had after eating them for 13 years? DAMN STRAIGHT. So get down to Rainbow, look past the $9.99/lb. because really, it's not that expensive, and if you're vegan, it's well worth it. I want to try the cheddar flavor so I can make grilled cheese!

weekly delivery 09/16

2009-09-16T09:27:00.001-07:00

Big heavy box this week!

1 bunch scarlet royal grapes
2 huge-normous leeks
1 honeydew melon
4 sweet peppers
4 heirloom tomatoes
3 Bosc pears

5 sweet potatoes
10 Yukon gold potatoes
5 yellow nectarines
1 bunch rainbow chard

spicy stir fry and how to make perfect brown rice

2009-09-14T21:36:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:
5 peppers, thinly sliced
3 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 patty pan squash, quartered and sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
1 block super firm tofu, cut into 1" cubes
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup cold water
1 Tbsp. corn starch

Mix the chili sauce, soy sauce, and rice vinegar in a bowl and set it aside. Do the same with the cold water and corn starch. Heat your wok or a large saute' pan on high and add the canola oil. Place your tofu into the wok and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring, until browned on all sides. Add the peppers and zucchini and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes until cooked through but not mushy, we are looking for some good veggie texture in this dish. Now add in the jalepeno and the sauce mixture and toss for 2-3 minutes until everything is coated and the sauce is piping hot. Re-stir the corn starch and water, and add this into the wok. Keep stirring as the liquid comes back to a boil and starts to thicken. Let the boil roll for about one minute until everything is slathered in a thick delicious sweet and spicy sauce. Now get'cher eat on.

For the perfect brown rice:
I remembered reading this in a Cooks Illustrated sometime ago (spring '08) and wanted to find it and give it a whirl. We do love our rice cooker dearly, but to be honest, sometimes the brown rice doesn't come out so well (mushy), and heck, its usually a big pain to clean up. We thought we would try something new and it worked, to perfection, with an easy clean up. It may be safe to say that this is the best brown rice I have ever had.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups brown rice (we used short grain)
2 1/3 cups of water
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1/3 tsp. salt

Put your oven rack in the middle of your oven and preheat it to 375 degrees. Put the brown rice in an 8"x8" Pyrex baking dish. Bring the water and oil to a boil (covered) on the stove. This part is important so you don't lose too much water due to evaporation: as soon as it reaches a boil, stir in the salt and pour over the rice. Cover with foil and place into the oven for one hour. Remove the baking dish and fluff rice with a fork. Recover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Uncover and allow 5 more minutes to sit before serving.

Best. Brown. Rice. Evar. Sorry Mr. Rice Cooker, this is how we will be making brown rice forever, you only get to cook the white stuff.

mini quiches

2009-09-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

I was going to make myself a whole tray of mushroom & onion mini quiches because I'm a glutton like that. But we had still had some peppers in the fridge, so I figured I'd be nice and make some quiches that Kenny would like as well. Last time we made quiche was awesome, but this time I wanted to make the dough from scratch and use our muffin tin to make these cutesy little mini quiches. They make great hors d'oeuvres and the possibilities for the filling are endless!

Ingredients:
Crust:
2 cups all purpose flour
8 Tbsp cold butter, sliced into small pieces
3-5 Tbsp water
1 tsp salt

Add the flour, salt and butter to a food processor and pulse for a minute. Transfer to a large bowl and add 3 Tbsp water and begin to knead the dough and form into a ball. If the dough is not sticking enough, add more water one Tbsp at a time until it becomes easier. Form into a ball then put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. When your dough is set up, flour a cutting board and rolling pin, and roll out the dough. Use a cookie cutter or a glass to cut circles in the dough. Press a dough circle into each well of a 12 well non-stick muffin tin, pushing the dough down to conform to the tin. Use a fork to poke holes in each mini crust.

We are going to blind bake the crusts so that they hold their shape. Rip off some squares of tin foil and press a piece into each muffin well then fill with dry rice or beans which will act as weights. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 425. Remove the tin foil and weights and return to the oven for another 10 minutes at 350. The crust should be dry and cooked through.

Mushroom filling:
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 oz white button mushrooms, quartered
1/2 onion, diced
pinches of oregano thyme, salt & pepper

Pepper filling:
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 gypsy peppers, small matchstick slice
1/2 onion, diced
pinches of red pepper flakes, salt & pepper

You can take care of this while you are waiting for your dough to set up & blind bake. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat and simply cook the ingredients together until just before the onions start to caramelize. Remember they will cook again in the quiche, so don't over do it at this point. Set aside in two separate bowls.

Quiche filling:
2 cups heavy cream
4 eggs
1 cup parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl then, add the remaining ingredients and whisk until uniformly combined. Separate into equal portions using a measuring cup and add the mushroom filling to one portion and the pepper filling to the other. Pour the mushroom and quiche filling mixture into the first 6 mini pie crusts. Pour the pepper and quiche filling mixture in to the last 6 crusts. Bake for 40 minutes, turning the tin around halfway through if your oven doesn't bake evenly. At the end of 40 minutes, the mini quiches should be puffed up and beautifully golden on top. Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing the mini quiches from the muffin tin. Use a small spoon to run along the edge and pop them out.

orange thyme fruit salad

2009-09-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
2 apples, 1/2" dice
1 cup grapes (The grapes we had were small. If you have large ones, cut them in half.)
juice of 1 orange
3 sprigs thyme, leaves taken off, no woody stems. roughly chopped.
1 lemon
2 tsp olive oil
pinch of salt

I was stoked to make breakfast on Saturday morning, I even set my alarm because I couldn't wait for fruit salad and poached eggs. Then the thunder happened! It was awesome. I kind of thought that there was going to be a giant earthquake, but with one look out the window I saw the pouring rain and heard some more claps of thunder and knew that my roof had no chance of falling on my head anytime soon. I was pumped. I love thunderstorms, and I love breakfast, what better way to spend the morning. Then another BANG from the sky, and the power went out. It only lasted an hour, which in my experience with other public utility fixings in SF, was super fast. So we got down to business. I won't go into detail about the eggs, because we do them so often, but let's get into this salad.

Juice half of your lemon into a bowl. Add 2 cups of cold water, and start cutting your apples. Toss the apples into the lemon water, and they won't get all brown and mushy, even if you have to walk away for 10 or 15 minutes or more. Once they are done and your grapes are free of pesky little vine tips, it's time to make the dressing. Juice the orange and the other half of lemon into a small container or bowl, be careful not to get any seeds in there! Add a pinch of salt, the thyme and olive oil, and stir or shake until the oil is incorporated into the dressing. Drain the apples, add the grapes, toss with the dressing and nom it up! It's sweet, it's savory, and good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch, dunch, linner, or a light late night snack.

roasted red pepper, tomato and chard soup

2009-09-11T22:53:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs heirloom tomatoes (or other ripe tomatoes), roughly chopped and seeded (or 2 28 oz cans of canned tomatoes, drained)
3 roasted red peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 bunch chard, thick stems discarded and cut in a chiffonade
4 cups vegetable stock
1 onion, 1/2" dice
3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 sprig rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp double concentrate tomato paste
salt & pepper of course!

In an effort not to get off topic later in this post, I am going to start, well- off topic. I have read on some message boards that people really like to save their veggie scraps (stems of greens/beets, broccoli, pepper ends, etc.) for later use in making stocks. Please don't torture yourself or your loved ones by doing such a silly thing. These can be used in so many other ways; broccoli stems can be peeled and shredded in slaws, pepper ends can merely be trimmed and used in the recipe you are making or a later one, and stems of greens while good in longer cooked dishes, can and should just be composted if you aren't going to use them. Putting these things into stocks, especially cruciferous veggies and green trimmings, will only do one thing- make your stock bitter. Not to mention the discoloration that would make it less appetizing. (If you really like bitter, dark stock then please, by all means, go ahead and continue.) Traditional vegetable stock has been made the same way for ages, and I am sure that many before us had ventured to add some extras into it, only to return to the simplicity that is as the French would say the "mirepoix". Two parts of one of the members of the Allium family (onions, leeks, etc.), one part carrot, and one part celery. It just makes perfect stock, and I would like to think that if it isn't broken, we shouldn't try to fix it. In this case, the case of taste, it's good to let history and past mistakes tell us what to do.

On to the soup!

In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute the onions until translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and continue to cook an additional 3 minutes. Toss in the tomatoes, red peppers, and herbs (Whoa Kenny! Toss them in whole, and don't remove the tomato skin? Totes, we want to make this soup fast, so we will strain it all out later.) and cook, stirring until the tomatoes soften, about 12-14 minutes. Add the stock, pop on a lid, and go read a book for 15 minutes. When the soup starts to boil, adjust the heat to low and allow to simmer, covered for an additional 20 minutes.

Now it's time to get down to business. Remove the sprigs of herbs and use your immersion blender to blend the soup until all the chunks are removed. You will notice that it's a little thick, and if you are really hungry, or like the soup just like that- go ahead and skip this next step. Turn off the heat and using a fine mesh strainer or a chinois (I hate those things, sorry, one tried to kill me once) strain the soup into another bowl, using a spoon to help you along. Compost the leftover chunky bits that are clouding your strainer and continue until all the soup has been strained. Place the soup back into the pot, and return the heat to low. The soup will still be pretty hot, so getting it back to a simmer won't take to long. When it reaches a simmer, add the chard and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the chard is just cooked through, but still has a little bite to it. Spoon into a big bowl, grab some bread, get in your Slanket, and turn on the tube; it's time to get comfy and relax.

weekly delivery 09/09

2009-09-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

This week, our FFTY box included:

6 Gala apples
9 heirloom tomatoes
6 black plums
5 Valencia oranges

1 bunch rainbow chard
1 bunch green grapes
1 pint white button mushrooms
1 head red leaf lettuce
2 bulbs garlic
2 onions
8 gypsy peppers
1 bunch thyme
3 zucchini
1 patty pan squash

pasta bake with fire roasted vegetables

2009-09-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 lb whole wheat pasta shells
1 pint fire roasted cherry tomatoes (see below)
2 cups remaining zucchini, onion, bell pepper and garlic mix from yesterday (see below)
1 cup grated parmesean
2 cups Italian shredded cheese blend

I am not really a fan of raw tomatoes. Every chance I get I will cook them just so I don't have to even think about making anything that contains an uncooked tomato. One of my favorite ways is to fire or oven roast them with olive oil and balsamic. Its a great topping for salads, pastas, chicken or fish. So yesterday while we were grilling I took a pint of cherry tomatoes from the box and put them in a foil pouch with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, and some salt and pepper. After we had finished our grilling and were eating, I popped them on to the hot side of the grill and cooked them covered for 15 minutes (The same can be accomplished in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes, but although while really delicious, they will lack the smokey flavor- which you might not want anyway, your choice.).

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a sauce pan, heat the tomatoes, and veggie mixture over medium heat. Once it is hot, about 9-10 minutes, stir in the parmesan. Cook the pasta according to package directions, but take it out about 1 minute before its supposed to be al dente, cause this is still going to cook in the oven for a few minutes. Combine the pasta and tomato/veggie goodness in a baking dish and top with shredded cheese. Since both the pasta and the veggies are warm, we can bake this uncovered for a short amount of time. Place it on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes, until the cheese gets melty and starts to turn golden brown. Now hold everyone back from digging in before you serve, because that dish is gonna be hot. This was an awesome fast and easy meal that gave us some tasty lunches in the days to follow. Not too bad what a little planning ahead can do eh?

stuffed tomatoes

2009-09-07T17:07:00.002-07:00

Ingredients:
4 large ROUND heirloom tomatoes
1 large red bell pepper, 1/4" dice
1 large zucchini, 1/4" dice
1/2 white onion, 1/4" dice
3 Tbsp parsley, roughly torn or chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Italian cheese blend
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp fresh Italian herbs (or 1.5 tsp dried)

This dinner is a multi-tasker. You will end up with way more stuffing than you need, but fear not (and look above) because it works into a second equally awesome recipe.

Chop all your veggies first. That way while you cook them, you can be hollowing out the tomatoes. If you are getting heirlooms, make sure to use the roundest ones you have. The weird, bulbous tomatoes are a pain to stuff. Not using heirlooms? Well the odds are that years of cross breading and hybridization have yielded you a nice, round tomato. Congrats. (It just won't taste quite as good.)

The way I clean them is simple. Cut off the top down past where the vine attaches, and squeeze all the tomato goo into the compost. Run your knife around the outer meat, cutting all the ribs, but being careful not to poke through the bottom. Next just grab a spoon, retrace the same cut you just did, only putting some pressure on the bottom rib of the tomato, and POW!, it should pop right out.

Heat a large skillet to medium and add your oil. Toss in the onions and allow to sweat until translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic and peppers and continue to cook until the peppers are softened, another 6-7 minutes. Now throw in your herbs, the zucchini, and some salt and pepper. Let this cook for a good 9-10 minutes until the zucchini is cooked through. Transfer 2 cups of this mixture to a small bowl with a slotted spoon, pressing as much liquid as you can back into the skillet. (We don't want soggy tomatoes, now do we?) Add the breadcrumbs and parsley to the mixture in the bowl, stir, taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Your tomatoes should be completely hollowed out, with no seeds, liquid, or ribs inside. Stuff the mixture into the tomatoes, and top them with cheese. You can wrap them together if you like, or like we did in little individual foil pouches (if you are going to do them in the oven you could just just a sprayed Pyrex dish) making sure to spray the foil with cooking spray before inserting the goods. Just don't cover the tops, we aren't looking to lose any cheese here.

Place them on the cold side of the grill and pop the cover on, cook for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted, and the stuffing is piping hot. Proceed to shove in face.

cantaloupe caprese

2009-09-07T17:07:00.001-07:00

Well, we had planned to make something entirely different with this cantaloupe and some fresh mozzarella, but unfortunately the teeny tiny fresh mozz balls we bought at Safeway just happened to have been opened before we bought them (we didn't check, dummies) and so Katie had to roam the neighborhood for a substitute and this is all she could find. Fortunately for us (and the BBQ we were having in mere moments) it tasted wonderful. The sweetness of the melon, mixed with the olive oil, herbs, salt, pepper, and the freshness and texture of the mozzarella made for one heck of a salad. This is super in a pinch and so, so easy. What a happy accident!

Ingredients:
1 cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, 1/2" dice
12 oz marinated fresh mozzarella boccocini
salt and pepper to taste

You can cut the melon ahead of time, but I wouldn't toss it with the marinated mozzarella or seasonings until about 15 minutes before you serve it. I would fear that the salt (which is one of the reasons its so good) might leech out too much moisture from the melon. It's just as simple as mix, toss, and eat! We took this down in minutes!

weekly delivery 09/02

2009-09-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

Here's what we got this week:

1 head green leaf lettuce
1 cantaloupe
3 red beets
1 monster sized red bell pepper
3 gypsy peppers
2 bulbs garlic
2 zucchini and 1 patty pan squash

4 heirloom tomatoes
1 bunch Italian parsley
2 yellow onions
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 Bartlett pears
6 oz white button mushrooms
1 bunch crimson grapes

minestrone

2009-08-31T21:31:00.001-07:00

My worst love is the Olive Garden. I LOVE the minestrone and breadsticks and would eat it every meal if it was followed by cheesesteaks. But for serious, summer in SF is time for soup, because well... its freaking cold! So we made some awesome minestrone and have been eating for days with some local crusty bread. I have been topping mine with grated parm and nut yeast, but that's just me. Our minestrone puts the OG to shame... which is where the OG belongs- in a deep, dark pit of fake Italian shame. Anyhoo...

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, 1/4" dice
4 ribs celery, 1/4" dice
3 carrots, 1/4" dice
2 Tbsp double concentrate tomato paste
5 large heirloom tomatoes, chopped roughly
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup water
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed, cut into 1/4" segments
1 cup pasta (We used Eden Organic Alphabet pasta)
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
salt & pepper to taste

Get a big pot and turn on the heat to low. Throw in your oil, mirepoix (onions, carrots and celery), a pinch of S&P and saute until your entire apartment smells good, about 15 minutes, stirring between songs on your ipod, every 5 minutes or so. Add in the tomato paste and cook for an additional 5 minutes to "toast" the tomato paste and bring out the tomato flavor.

Add the chickpeas, heirlooms, stock and water, cover the pot and go have a drink. Heck, have 3, you have 45 minutes. Get a separate pot of water boiling for your pasta. When the 45 minutes are up, the tomatoes will be nicely broken down in the soup and you can start cooking your pasta in the other pot. Toss the green beans and Italian seasoning into the soup pot, taste and adjust the S&P. Now you need to cut your bread and get it into the toaster oven as well. When the pasta finishes cooking, drain and add it to the soup, and then thank me in the morning. Soup is awesome!

fig spread, pear & brie flatbread

2009-08-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

OH MY FREAKING GOD I WANT TO EAT THIS ALL DAY LONG. Heck, I would bathe in this if Katie let me. Mmmmmm delicious sweet, savory and buttery loofa. I digress. We both had some ideas on how we wanted to use the pears, figs, and some brie on top of some crusty bread, and those ideas progressed over a few hours and this is what came out. If we have a party, or attend a pot luck soon while figs are in season, I guarantee that this is what we will be bringing on top of some crostini. It was easy, relatively quick for making a fruit spread, and completely blew our minds.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
10 figs, trimmed and cut into eighths
1/4 white or yellow onion, 1/4" dice
2 pinches dried thyme
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 pear cored, thinly sliced
1/2 lb brie, sliced (We used Fromager d'Affinois)
BIG and CRUSTY bread
salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a small sauce pan on medium-low heat. Toss in your onions and go take a break; watch some TV, do some dishes, make fun of Rachel Ray, whatever makes you happy. Just stir them every 5 minutes or so. Once the onions are caramelized, about 16-20 minutes, add the figs, thyme, lemon juice and a pinch of salt, cover and repeat the exact same process again; stirring every 5 minutes while saying "Yumm-O!" in silly voices until the figs are also caramelized and the whole product looks like fig spread, approximately 20 minutes.

Smear the resulting product on to some thick sliced crusty bread, top with sliced pears and brie and put it in the toaster oven for a few minutes until the brie gets melty. Seriously the best thing I have put mouth in a hot minute. I have eaten it 3 times since we made it, and everyday its more amazing than the last. I really want to eat this everyday until I have a heart attack.

zucchini and squash "pasta" with alfredo sauce

2009-08-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

For this light dish, we used a romano cheese that was studded with black peppercorns, recommended to us by the super knowledgeable and always on-point Hazel Rue!

Ingredients:
3 zucchini
3 summer squash
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup peppercorn romano
1/2 cup grated parmesan
salt & pepper to taste

Using a mandolin, slice the zucchini and squash into matchsticks. If you don't own a mandolin, just do your best to thinly slice them. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan and stir in the flour to form a roux. Stir constantly to incorporate the flour until the roux starts to smell like buttered toast, about 4 to 6 minutes. Next, add in the heavy cream slowly to incorporate with the roux. While the cream is thickening, add in the garlic. When the sauce has reached your desired consistency, stir in the cheeses and season to taste. Add the zucchini and squash, cover and cook over medium high heat until the veggies are heated through, about 6 or 7 minutes.

weekly delivery 08/26

2009-08-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

In this week's box:

3 red beets
1 honeydew melon
3 Bartlett pears
2 zucchini
1 bunch dried lavender
3 tiny summer squash

2 heirloom tomatoes
1 pint Mission figs
3 tiny lemon cucumber
1 bunch fresh rosemary
4 yellow onion
1 cucumber
1 bunch green okra

panzanella

2009-08-25T20:18:00.001-07:00

Using tomatoes with varying degrees of ripeness will not only add color to your panzanella, but also a lovely contrast in textures. Ripe red tomatoes will release their juices and help moisten the dish, while green tomatoes offer a delightful crisp bite similar to that of an apple.

Ingredients:
1 loaf day old bread, cut into bite sized cubes (We used Semifreddi's country levain)
4 heirloom tomatoes, sliced into wedges
1 clove garlic, minced
5 sweet peppers, julienned
1 pint fresh mozzarella bocconcini
2-3 Tbs olive oil
salt & pepper

Once you have everything prepped, toss it all in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt & pepper. Refrigerate for one hour before serving so that all the flavors meld together. Got some basil, red onion or cucumber laying around? They'd all make great additions!

cabbage and carrot slaw

2009-08-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 small cabbage, shredded
1 large head of romaine lettuce, shredded
4 carrots, shredded
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup coconut milk
juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp mixed black and white sesame seeds
salt to taste

This salad was SUPER tasty! It takes your average everyday cole slaw to a whole new level!
Just combine all of the vegetables, mix and then add the coconut milk and lime juice. Add salt to taste. Top your pulled pork sandwich, tacos, or just eat it right out of the bowl. Oh my gosh, so good. I finished ALL the leftovers for lunch the next day.

BBQ skewers

2009-08-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

A list of things I really enjoy would include salty cheese, figs, and anything smothered in hoisin sauce. Add the word grilled to any of the above and I'm in heaven.

Ingredients:
Fig & haloumi skewers:
1 pint figs, trimmed and cut in half
1/2 lb haloumi cheese, cubed

Eggplant, tofu & red onion skewers:
3 Japanese eggplant, cut into 1" chunks
1 block super firm tofu, cut into 1" chunks
1 red onion, also cut into large chunks
Hoisin sauce

After we assembled all of the skewers, I cooked them on the hot side of the grill for about 3-4 minutes on each side. The tofu and eggplant skewers got a lathering of Hoisin sauce with each turn. So simple and easy but so ridiculously amazing tasting. While eating these I put the contents of one of the tofu skewers on a warm corn tortilla and topped it with our carrot and cabage slaw, and it was bliss. Follow it up with the fig and haloumi for dessert? Out of this world. They were a total hit with the friends that we had over for dinner. We will definitely be making these again!

melon salsa

2009-08-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 cantaloupe, 1/4" dice
1 avocado, 1/4" dice
1/2 red onion, 1/4" dice
2 Tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped
juice of 2 limes
1 jalapeno, finely diced (You can remove the seeds if you don't want it too spicy.)
salt to taste

What to do with all of this melon? While just snacking on it is great, we decided it was time to put it to another use (it also helped that there were people coming over for dinner!), so we made some salsa! Just cut and mix all of the ingredients together, add the lime juice and give it a nice stir, carefully though as not to crush all the delicious avocado chunks. Serve with some tasty chips and get down! It has a great blend of sweet, salty, spicy, and creamy that really explodes on your taste buds.

happy blogoversary!

2009-08-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

Woo!!! We've been blogging for one year! To celebrate I bought a whole bunch of new backdrops from Pink Chalk Fabrics. Get ready for some color, folks.

weekly delivery 08/19

2009-08-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

Super colorful box this week:

1 melon
2 yellow crookneck squash
4 Bartlett pears (oops, I already ate one)
1 bunch carrots

4 sweet gypsy peppers
3 lipstick peppers
3 heirloom tomatoes
5 yellow onions

1 zucchini
1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley
1 pint figs
3 Japanese eggplant

ratatouille

2009-08-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

Not only do we constantly have food on the brain, we also love to watch any and all TV shows about food, including The Next Food Network Star. The winner this year, Melissa D'Arabian, made ratatouille for her last elimination challenge and mentioned a helpful mnemonic device she uses to ensure all the vegetables are cooked perfectly: EZPOT. That stands for eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onions and tomatoes- the order in which you need to add each ingredient into the pot. Well it just so happened that inside the box this week were all the ingredients you need to make ratatouille! Uh, assuming you still have some onions left over from last week that is.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 sweet peppers, seeded and cut into chunks
1 onion, sliced
5 tomatoes, seeded and cut into chunks
1 eggplant, peeled and cut into chunks
2 summer squash, sliced
3 pattypan squash, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
salt, pepper & 2 tsp herbs du provence

Follow the EZPOT- or in this case ESPOGT. Doesn't have quite the same ring. Heat the oil in a large pot and add the eggplant. Allow to cook just until it begins to soften, then add the squash. When the squash has softened, throw in the peppers. After the peppers start to soften, next up are the onions and garlic. Finally, add in the tomatoes when the onions are translucent. Season generously with salt, pepper and herbs du provence. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for one hour. We served with some polenta, to which we added 1/4 lb Montasio cheese.

chipotle peach seitan

2009-08-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I think this is the best thing we've made in a while. The photo doesn't do it justice. Sweet peaches and smoky chipotle are in perfect harmony. Slather on some garlic aioli and top with avocado and you've got yourself one hell of a sandwich! The kind of sandwich that makes you mumble "Damn, this is good!" while you've got a big bite of it in your mouth. Didn't your mother teach you not to talk with your mouth full?!

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 peaches, pitted and sliced into eighths
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
2 packages seitan, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup ketchup
1.5 Tbsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp liquid smoke

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add in the peaches and chipotles and cook until the peaches begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add in the seitan and stir until heated through. Next add the ketchup, brown sugar and liquid smoke and cover the pan. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes until everything is hot and moist. (Ha! Hot & moist. I'm a 12 year old boy.) Toast your bread, spread on some garlic aioli or Vegenaise, top with the chipotle peach seitan and then with avocado. If you can resist, allow to cool slightly before devouring. Makes enough for 4 sandwiches, or ditch the bread and serve over rice.

weekly delivery 08/12

2009-08-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

Here's what we received from our CSA this week:

1 bunch purple basil
3 yellow peaches
1 pint blueberries
2 yellow summer squash
3 patty pan squash
4 sweet gypsy peppers

1 gala melon
1 bunch grapes
1 globe eggplant
9 heirloom tomatoes

1 pint strawberries
1 head red leaf lettuce

slow cooker veggie curry

2009-08-11T21:23:00.000-07:00

Ever since we ate at Vij's in Vancouver we have been dying for more Indian fare. The problem with good curry is that it takes time, usually lots of it. Luckily we have a slow cooker! We started it in the morning before we went to work, and then finished it up when we got home. The long simmer time was able to really infuse the tofu with lots of flavor, and give it a nice firm texture.

Ingredients:
1 block super firm tofu, cubed
2 onions, sliced
3 heirloom tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 Tbsp curry powder
4 cups water
1/4 cup vegetarian chicken broth powder
1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets
1/2 pound green beans, ends trimmed, and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. garam masala powder
salt and pepper to taste

Add onions, tomatoes and tofu into your slow cooker. Whisk the chicken broth powder into the water then pour into the slow cooker. Add the curry powder and cook on low for 6 hours. Start a large pot on the stove on medium heat, and add the canola oil. With a slotted spoon remove tofu, tomatoes, and onions from the liquid and put them into the pot on the stove. Reserve the extra liquid on the side. Toss in the cauliflower, coconut milk, lime juice, and garam masala; cover and cook for 6-7 minutes until the cauliflower is almost cooked through. Add in the green beans, and a little of the reserved cooking liquid if necessary. Cover again, and cook for 4-5 minutes until green beans are finished cooking. Stir in the cilantro, and season with salt and pepper.

We served this with long grain white rice that we added 6 cardamom pods, and about 15 coriander seeds to in the rice cooker. It was super flavorful and really paired well with the curry. The leftover cooking liquid from the slow cooker can be used for a lot of things, making rice, another curry, or some lentil daal; which is what we tried, except I forgot about it and it didn't come out so well. Meh, next time.

weekly delivery 08/05

2009-08-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

So excited to get our box this week and get back in the kitchen! Hell yeah, let's do the damn thing!

3 hearts romaine lettuce
1 gala melon
1 bunch Bing cherries
1 bunch broccoli
1 bunch purple basil
4 yellow onions
1 portobello mushroom
1 pint blueberries

1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 heirloom tomatoes
1 bunch seedless grapes