Crop Share Box # 4 and 6

If you're wondering why I haven't posted about my crop shares recently it's because we've been on the road. We left the day crop share box #5 arrived so that one was enjoyed by our neighbors. Here's the update and recipes from crop shares #4 (from June 23rd) and #6 (from July 21st). This months past box has been my favorite so far. We've almost used everything in it already! The vegetables were very versatile and easy to add to meals.

Crop Share Box #4

 

What this Box Contains:  mini romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, spinach, salad mix, sorrels, kohlrabi, sugar snap peas, broccoli raab, strawberries, iceberg lettuce, scallions, baby white turnips, garlic scapes (curly green in the front) and salad mix in the back

Pictured (from left): sorrels, kohlrabi, broccoli raab, strawberries, iceberg lettuce, scallions, baby white turnips, garlic scapes (curly green in the front) and salad mix in the back

Featured Item: Garlic Scapes
Garlic scapes are the long spirals that grow from garlic plants. The top portion of garlic bulbs. They have the same great flavor as garlic and can be used like a garlic scallion. Try adding chopped or diced garlic scapes to spreads, sauteed veggies or on top of pizza and scrambled eggs.

Recipes & Things I made from this Box:
Well sadly this box didn't have a lot of new or interesting recipes. The garlic scapes have been added to dishes here and there including egg salad, scrambled eggs, veggie burgers, salmon burgers and pizza. The strawberries were eaten raw immediately after receiving the box since they were so juicy and flavorful. Per usual the lettuce and salad mix were used for everyday side salads with dinner and for work. Lastly, and sadly, the kohlrabi and sorrels went bad while we were gone before we used them. :(

Tofu Stir Fry with Broccoli
-I started out by following a recipe from my Super Foods cookbook for this dinner but was short on a few main ingredients so I ended up whipping this up from the things I had on hand.
Ratings: Sina: 2, Ryan: 2 - nothing special but fine to eat for one evening

Crop Share #6 (my favorite so box so far)

What's This Box Contained (same as what's pictured)

Pictured (from left to right): arugula, summer squash, zucchini, rainbow chard, sweet Spanish onions, garlic bulb, cucumber, cauliflower, green & yellow beans, new red potatoes and green top carrots

Featured Item: Arugula
Arugula is a spicy salad green that has a peppery mustard flavor. It's great added into salad or on top of pizza, burgers, sandwiches (especially paninis), sauteed with vegetables or added to soup.

Recipes & Things I made from this Box (so far):
Salmon Burgers (adapted from Cooking Light) with Grilled Rosemary New Red Potatoes & Grilled Zucchini and Summer Squash
You can get the gist of these burgers from our high ratings (the highest yet). They were cooked perfectly with great flavor from the honey mustard sauce, onion arugula topping and in the burger patties themselves. I would suggest following the recipes guidelines to make sure you don't over cook them. Once your grill is heated to medium (ours was at 375) cook them for 3 minutes on each side.
Ratings: Ryan: 4.5 ,Sina: 4.5 ,My Mom: 5

Honey Dijon mustard & onion and arugula mix for topping the burgers



Salmon burger with grilled new red potatoes and grilled summer squash, zucchini & cauliflower

Salmon Burger Recipe: Adapted from Cooking Lights Salmon Burger Recipe 2011 
Ingredients:
-1 pound skinless salmon fillets (skin removed) and diced into 1 inch pieces
-2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
-2 Tbsp Grated lemon rind
-2 Tbsp Parsley, chopped
-1/4 cup diced bell peppers
-1/4 cup capers
-1 Tbsp diced garlic scape (you could use one garlic clove as well)
-1/2 tsp of salt
-1/4 tsp of ground black pepper
-1 Tbsp honey
-1 cup arugula, chopped
-1/2 cup diced scallions (from crop share box #4)
-1 tsp fresh lemon juice
-1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
-4 hamburger buns

Directions:
-Preheat grill to medium
-Put 1/2 salmon, 1 tbsp mustard and lemon rind into food processor, blend until smooth. Remove and put in a large bowl. Next, put the other 1/2 of the salmon in the food processor and pulse 6 times or until coarsely chopped. Add salmon to bowl and fold in parsley and next 5 ingredients. Divide mixture into 4 and gently shape into 1/2 inch thick patties
-Combine remaining 1 Tbsp mustard and honey in a small bowl. Set aside
-Combine arugula and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
-Coat a grill pan with cooking spray and place on the grill for 3 minutes. Turn patties and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until cooked to your preference.
-Place 1 patty on a bun and brush the honey/mustard mix on the top of the bun and top patty with arugula mix and serve.

Zucchini Bread: Cooking Light 2005
Follow the link above. My adaptations: 1/2 the oil (because I ran out), lime zest instead of lemon and 3 times the cinnamon. To top it off I sprinkled cinnamon crunch on the top (see this pictured below). For a very light bread it still had a lot of flavor from the zest and cinnamon.
Ratings: Sina: 3.5, Ryan: 3.5-4 (I think if you look at is as a light bread then a 4.5 but as a zucchini bread compared to high fat breads then a 3.5)

That's all for now. I still have the Swiss chard, green beans, carrots, cucumber and one onion to use this weekend!

Power Foods

I received a new cookbook for my birthday from my neighbor Greta. The book is from the editors of Whole Living Magazine foreword by Martha Stewart called Power Foods. She knows me well since I love cooking with nutrient dense foods which are the base of their recipes. To give it a test run I made three recipes from the cookbook to bring over for a lunch date with Greta, her mom and baby Matilda.

I have to give Greta credit for making this first dish. She's the first person I've ever met who eats parsley raw. That being said I figured she would love this salad which uses parsley as the base. A big thank you to Greta for loving Parsley because I have now discovered a great recipe. The flavor was unique, fresh, flavorful and fulfilling. A mix of a sharp parsley with sweet tones from the citrus and intensified flavor from the salty olives and capers. I thought the flavors would be good but too strong for me but I was proven wrong and now appreciate this herb much more.  

"Parsley-leaf salad with pine nuts, olives and orange dressing"

Next up were the open faced tofu tomato sandwiches inspired by the cookbook cover. If you're like me you stare at a cookbook and dream about the flavor of the food on the cover and finally get to the point where you have to find out what it tastes like. I was pleasantly happy with the results of this dish but would like to see a little more flavor added to the tofu spread. Maybe a fresh herb, more lemon or garlic? Still worth trying and experimenting with for a vegetarian protein spread.

 

"Open-Faced Tomato sandwiches with herbs and creamy tofu spread"

My last dish choice was for my love of green beans, corn on the cob and tomatoes. I think it will be better once I have heirloom tomatoes from the garden but it was very delicious and easy to make. 

"green bean, corn and tomato salad"

My overall favorite dish was probably the parsley salad followed by the tomato sandwiches. I chose to use basil on the top which was great with the tomatoes. Now for the verdict of the cook book so far: two thumbs up. It's creative and uses familiar foods in new ways and makes adding unique foods to your diet easy.  For anyone who likes to cook new recipes with very healthy foods I recommend trying this book. I'm sure it's available at most bookstores and I saw it online at amazon. 

Grilled Fruit

It's my first day home after a 10 day road trip to Notre Dame, Racine and Webster, Wisconsin. Our week off was filled with friends, family, a wedding, meeting baby Alexis and of course a lot of good food. We enjoyed family dinners with the Postorino's, Teskey's, Eberle's and Connell's and ate lots of fish, grilled meals and fruit desserts.

I was lucky enough to overlap a night in Racine with my brother and since everyone in my family likes to cook we made dinner as a group. It was a ton of fun to share the kitchen and see how great of a sue chef my brother has become.

 

Grilled fruit has been on my list of things to cook this summer so I was very excited for our family dinner of salad, chicken and vegetable kabobs and grilled pineapples and peaches. To start we sliced the pineapple and placed them on skewers and cut the peaches in half. My next thought was to drizzle them with honey since I didn't want to use butter, which a lot of recipes call for, but there was no honey in the house so we cooked them plain. The results were great since the grill enhanced the flavors of the fresh fruit.  The pineapple was delicious with the chicken and the peaches were enjoyed as dessert. The sweetness was increased and perfect without anything on it. I can't wait to try other variations with cinnamon or nutmeg!!

If you want to try this on your own it's very simple. Slice up fresh fruit (peaches, pineapple, mangoes, pears and strawberries would all work --along with more options I'm sure), grill on each side for ~5-8 minutes (or until crisp with grill marks), remove and enjoy! Try them plain, sprinkled with cinnamon, sugar or nutmeg or over ice cream for a healthy treat!

Food of the Month

It took awhile to heat up this summer but now that it has it sure feels good. Most of the time by July the hot temps can be bothersome but after all the rainy days I'm enjoying my 80 and 90 degree days.This time of year I always crave cold things and berries are on the top of that list. July's featured food is blueberries. If you've watched the news or read any magazine in the past 5-10 years then it will be no surprise to you that this small, vibrant, juicy fruit is a "super food." They are low in calories, only 80 per cup, and rich in nutrients. In addition, these small blue berries are a great source of Vitamin C (1 serving has 14 mg--about 25% of our recommended intake for the day) and rich in antioxidants which protect our cells from damage. The good thing about this super fruit is that it is packed with flavor so it's easy to indulge! 

As I'm writing this I'm enjoying fresh blueberries in my yogurt...Mmm. Besides eating them plain my other favorite ways to eat them are in smoothies, cereal or baked into oatmeal pancakes. Really you can add them to anything including salads or salad dressings.

Another benefit of blueberries for me is the memories that they bring back. Growing up my friend Katie ( who I was inseparable from) and I used to go to my cabin for the 4th of July and we started a tradition of making an American flag cake. It's a great dessert for the 4th because it is quick to make (doesn't require baking) refreshing and contains fruit! Start with pound cake (growing up we used Sara Lee) cut thin and layered in the bottom of a 9 x 11 pan. Next layer on fat free cool whip and then top with strawberries and blueberries to look like a flag. There are many variations of these flags including layered puddings and other fruit cakes with the fruit and whipped cream toppings. If you don't have something to serve for tomorrow whip this up this afternoon. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Ours never looked this good but this gives you an idea of what it turns out like

A Tribute to the Food of the Month - Aaron's Favorite Turkey Burgers

My brother-in-law shares the same love for cooking as I do and this year for my birthday he sent me his favorite turkey burger recipe for June's Food of the Month. It was such a thoughtful gift and I was very excited to make this recipe since olives and feta cheese are right up my alley.

I made the burgers this Thursday when our friends Jena and Ryan came over for dinner. Although it's a big statement I can say they are the best homemade turkey burger I have ever made; and believe me I've made a lot. He also sent me a great recipe for homemade french fries which was ironic since at work I just talked about satisfying cravings, specifically french fries, in a healthy way. If you've been craving a burger and fries try making them at home with healthier ingredients. Not only will you save money but you'll save fat and your arteries as well!

Turkey Burgers with Tomato Jam, Olives and Feta (Source: Bon Appetit August 2008)

Burger Ingredients (pre-olives)

Oven Fries:
-Two pounds unpeeled russet potatoes cut into 1/2 inch sticks
-2 Tbsp olive oil
-1.5 tsp cracked coriander seeds
-1 tsp dried thyme
-Course salt
-I also added some fresh rosemary, chopped
Toss ingredients in a large bowl and bake at 450 degrees for 40-50 minutes (or until crispy).
Ratings: Sina: 5, Ryan: 3.5 (per Ryan "a 4 if I would have made them crispier")

 

Crop Share Box #3

Even though Box number 3 came three weeks ago I didn't post yet because I had one more dish to make with its contents. This box was filled with greens and very easy to use although during my excited state from getting more vegetables I ate the asparagus and used the rhubarb before I took the picture. Whoopsie. Once again a lot of random salads were made with this weeks share and aren't listed below. So far my favorite thing about this farm is that they send a lot of lettuce, spring mix and spinach with each box, which means I always have salad ingredients. 

What this box contained:
Romaine Lettuce, Saute Mix, Salad Mix, Asparagus, Rhubarb, Baby White Turnips (gave to our neighbors), Pea Vine, Potato Onion, Green Garlic and Bok Choi

Pictured Items from Left to Right:
Pea Vine, Bok Choi, Green Garlic, Romaine Lettuce
In bag in back: 1/2 Saute Mix, 1/2 Salad Mix
Things I forgot to picture: Asparagus and Rhubarb

New Recipes I made from this box:
Soba noodles, tofu and vegetable stir fry (Source: Power Foods Cookbook)
This dish was a 2 in 1 since it used my bok choi from this box and the broccoli from the box I picked up this week. A few downfalls came with this dish but were more related to my poor job buying the ingredients. First, I realized that I ate both the red peppers that I bought for this dish in salads this week. Then I remembered that I wasn't able to find buckwheat soba noodles or any soba noodles for that matter. Ours really turned out to be a "rice noodle, tofu and vegetable stir fry."
Ratings: Sina: 3, Ryan: 3 (we both agreed it needed more vegetables--ahem...the red peppers it called for-- but we liked the asian flavors)

Sauteed Greens with Potato Onions
I decided to saute the greens with diced potato onions and minced garlic in olive oil. I then sprinkled on salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Ratings: Sina: 3, Ryan: 2.5

Brisket Birthday Dinner

Yesterday was my husbands birthday so the dinner menu was centered around him, which means one thing, BEEF. While reading my Cooking Light magazine this past month I came across a page showing beef brisket sandwiches that looked amazing. After returning to the page to find the recipe I saw that it was an add from Beef It's What's For Dinner. Wandering to their website for the first time I found a basic recipe that was perfect to work off of to make the sandwiches (recipe below). I chose to make them in a crock pot instead of the oven since we were out golfing while they cooked.

On the side we had Grilled Corn with Roasted Jalapeno Butter (Source: Cooking Light June 2011). Roasting the jalapeno reduced the spicy kick and the honey and lime zest gave it a great sweet balance (sounds weird but tasted great). 

Lastly, we balanced our plate with a salad made with lettuce and spring mix from my crop share, red peppers, tomatoes, feta cheese and an avocado. Topped with my coworkers favorite vinaigrette (if she's okay with me sharing it I'll post it tomorrow). 

Even though corn is a starchy vegetable I think we did a good job trying to live up to the MyPlate food guide!

It was delicious and enjoyed by all but it didn't stop there, per Ryan's request we had chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream cake from DQ! I rarely feel like a meal was the perfect amount of food and all worth remaking but this one nailed it. Not too much food a great combination. 

Beer Braised Beef Brisket Sandwiches (Inspired and Adapted from a Beef It's What's For Dinner recipe)

-4 pounds of beef brisket - fat trimmed off

-2 garlic cloves, minced

-salt & pepper

-1 (12 ounce) bottle of beer

-1 (12 ounce) bottle of chili sauce

-Olive Oil

-2 onions (chopped into 12 pieces each)

-Buns

Directions: 

Rub minced garlic onto beef. Heat oil in a pan and place the beef in the pan and brown it on each side (1-3 minutes per side). Remove beef from heat and season with salt and pepper

Turn crock pot to high and place the chopped onions on the bottom and the beef on top of them. Mix the bottle of beer and chili sauce and pour over the beef. Cover and let cook for 4-5 hours. Remove beef from crock pot and slice thinly against the grain. Place back in the crock pot on low until you are ready to eat. 

Serve with good buns and the sauce on top.