Zucchini Bread

Ok, so there were a ton of zucchinis in my CSA box this week, 11 to be exact.  It's a veggie that I really enjoy, but I've never had so many at once.  2 of the zucchinis ended up here, 2 of them went to Seth, leaving another 7 to use.  So, I decided to try my hand at zucchini bread.  The best part of doing a recipe like this is that I tend to keep all the necessary ingredients on hand, so it's an easy thing to do on the fly.  The recipe I found seemed to have a lot of sugar, so I did dial it down a bit. Since the bread still tastes a bit too sweet, I should have reduced it a bit more.  I'd suggest 3/4-1 cup sugar total, depending on your taste (I don't have much of a sweet tooth).  The texture and flavor of this bread is absolutely phenomenal.  Definitely worth doing again.

Adapted from the recipe in this cookbook: http://www.amazon.com/The-Cooks-Country-Cookbook-Reimagined/dp/1933615346

Ingredients

1 lb zucchini (I weighed mine, and it was 3 small zucchinis)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Method

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease an 8" loaf pan with extra unsalted butter.


2.  Remove tops of the zucchini, slice lengthwise, and scoop out seeds.  Coarsely grate the zucchini into a bowl.  Pour the grated zucchini into a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible, then discard the liquid.


3.  Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.


4.  Mix the yogurt, eggs, lemon juice, and butter in a separate bowl.  Stir in the zucchini.


5.  Gently mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.


6.  Using a plastic spatula, transfer the batter to the loaf pan.


7.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 55 minutes.  The bread is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out with a few crumbs attached.


8.  Remove from oven and wait at least 10 minutes before taking the bread out from the pan.  Wait at least 1 hour before serving.  Enjoy!

Green Pasta and Cheese

I always try to make my meals as colorful as possible, but this week's CSA box had so many green things that my meal had a decidedly unicolor theme.  The fresh basil really comes through in this simple meal and elevates it from something ordinary to a delicious feast.

Ingredients

7 oz. whole wheat elbow macaroni, cooked to package instructions

1 tbsp olive oil

2 spring onions, greens and white parts finely chopped

2 small zucchinis, chopped

4-5 leaves green kale, stems removed and coarsely chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly grated black pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

A handful of fresh basil leaves, cut into small strips.

1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated

Method

1.  Heat the olive oil in a nonstick pan at medium high heat

2.  When the oil is hot, add the onion and stir occasionally.

3.  When the onion has started to become translucent, add the zucchini and stir occasionally.

4.  When the zucchini has started to release its juices, add the kale.

5.  When the kale has started to wilt, add the salt, black pepper, and red pepper.

6.  Stir in the cooked pasta and mix well.

7.  Serve the pasta, and top each plate with fresh basil and cheese.  Enjoy!

CSA Box #4

The box is starting to get heavier at the weeks go on!  My arms were a bit tired after the crazy cardio class I had attended that morning, so the box felt extra heavy.  The contents were absolutely impressive, and took up the entire dining room table.  Not only were there 11 zucchinis, but each of the 2 giant fennel fronds span half the table!

This week's box contains:

Baby Bok Choi

Beets

2 Giant Fennel Fronds

Green Kale

Red Leaf Lettuce

Spring Onions

Curly Parsley

Zucchini

Dandelion Greens

Red Oak Lettuce

Veggie Maki, Bok Choi, and Tofu

I asked Seth if he wanted to figure out how to cook the Bok Choi, and this is what he came up with.  I was a bit sleepy that afternoon, so I took a nap and woke up to this amazing presentation.  He marinated the Bok Choi and Tofu with teriyaki sauce, then cooked both on a cast iron griddle.  He served it with plain lettuce leaves.The maki contained sushi rice, radishes, and cucumber wrapped up with nori.  He put out soy sauce dishes, wasabi, and towelettes for the meal.  So beautiful and artistic!

Raspberry Chip Ice Cream

Someone lent me their ice cream machine to try my hand at tasty frozen treats.  When the crazy heat wave hit, I knew it was time to break it out and see what magic I could produce.  This ice cream has a super rich and deep raspberry flavor, without being too sweet.  It honestly tastes like something from Berthillon, the ice cream shop of my dreams located in the heart of Paris.  We're headed to France in a couple weeks, and you better believe a trip to Berthillon is high on the priority list!  Unfortunately, despite the wonderful raspberry taste, the ice cream ended up being too solid and the chocolate chunks were on the big side.  I expect that the mixture wasn't cooled enough before pouring it into the ice cream machine (I only left it in the fridge for about 3 hours), so it was too liquid by the time I put it in the freezer.  I'm going to experiment more to see if I can produce a dessert with better texture.

Adapted from: http://phoo-d.com/2010/07/19/black-raspberry-chocolate-chunk-ice-cream/

Ingredients

1 cup whipping cream

2 cups half and half

1 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

3 bags frozen raspberries (about 6 cups in total, I purchased mine from Trader Joe's)

1 tbsp lemon juice

90 g 70% dark chocolate, cut into small pieces

Method

1.  Add the cream, half and half, sugar, salt, and raspberries to a large saucepan and cook at medium high heat.  Stir frequently. 

2.  When bubbles have formed around the edges, turn off the heat and cover the pot.  Leave the mixture to sit for 20 or more minutes.

3.  Place a fine mesh strainer over a medium sized bowl and carefully ladle the mixture into the strainer bit by bit.  Use a wooden spoon to stir mixture in the strainer, which helps allow liquid to drain out, leaving raspberry seeds behind.  Keep adding mixture and straining until all the liquid is in the bowl and only seeds remain in the strainer.  

Note: I found these seeds delicious to eat on their own, but I was really glad not to have the seeds in the finished ice cream.  Also, leaving the seeds in the ice cream would have made the overall volume of the mixture too big for the ice cream machine.  If you want to skip this step, reduce the quantity of all ingredients by 33% to accommodate the extra volume.

4.  Stir the lemon juice into the ice cream mixture.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and cool in the fridge for at least 4 hours until completely chilled.

5.  Churn the ice cream mixture according to the instructions included with the ice cream maker.  Add the chocolate pieces 5 minutes before the end of churning.

6.  Transfer ice cream to a freezer-friendly container and freeze until solid.  This will take at least 2 hours.  Try not to peek at the ice cream before it has frozen, since temperature changes can affect the overall texture.

Al Fresco Pizza with Tomato, Basil, and Fresh Mozzarella

I used to work in a brick oven pizza shop in Waterville, ME called the Grand Central Cafe.  I learned a great deal about pizza creations in this job, as well as ideas on flavor combinations.  I was in the mood to recreate one of my favorite pizzas from this restaurant, using the beautiful tomatoes and basil from the CSA box.  Next time, I would cut the dough in half to make two thinner crusts.  This thicker crust made more of a sicilian style pizza, which was delicious in its own way.  By putting the basil under the tomato, it only gets slighly cooked to retain most of its flavor.

Ingredients


For the Dough


1 tsp white sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour


For the Toppings


~20 large leaves fresh basil, coarsely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, green parts removed and sliced into 1/4" slices
15 large kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, finely sliced
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled


Method


1.  Proof the yeast with the sugar and water in a large bowl.


2.  Add the olive oil and salt to the proofed yeast mixture.


3.  Slowly add the flour in 1/2 cup increments and mix into the wet ingredients.  You will have to start mixing by hand towards the end.


4.  Place the dough in a large oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel.  Leave the bowl in a warm place to allow dough to double in size, which will take about an hour.


5.  When the dough is doubled in size, punch it down and knead a few times.  Cover again with the cloth and let rise until doubled, which will take about 45 minutes.
Note: If you prefer to break this into two thin crust doughs, cut the dough in half. One of the doughs can be saved in the fridge for a couple days until you want to use it. Just remove it from the fridge for 30-40 minutes before using.

6.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Lightly coat the parchment paper with additional flour.


7.  Carefully stretch the dough out to fill the baking sheet.  I recommend starting with both fists under the center of the dough and stretching the middle of the dough out. Then, grasp the edges of the dough with both hands and let the rest of the dough hang down, move hands a few inches along the dough, then move again until you've rotated the entire dough through your hands.  Once the dough becomes too big to handle, you can place it on the baking sheet an stretch it out with your finger tips.


8.  Cover the dough with the basil, leaving about 1/2 around the edge which will make the crust of the pizza.  Then add the tomatoes in an even layer.  Then place the mozzarella over the tomatoes.  Sprinkle the feta and olives over the top.  You could also add some minced garlic if desired.


9.  Bake for 14 minutes at 425 degrees.  Then turn the broiler to high and cook for an additional 4 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Dandelion Green and Chard Lebanese-Style Pies

I had never used dandelion greens but from tasting the raw leaves, I thought they would be similar to kale or chard.  Since I've never made Lebanese-style pies (fatayer), I wanted to try my hand as this yummy dish.  The pies are a bit dryer than I would have liked.  Next time, I would be more careful about rolling the dough out thinner.  I definitely wouldn't try going for a 100% whole wheat dough, as this was already pretty dense.  On the plus side, the filling was very tasty and they make an easy portable snack.

Inspired by this: http://www.maureenabood.com/2012/03/22/lebanese-spinach-pies-or-fatayar-or-whatever/

Ingredients

For the Dough

1 package active dry yeast
2 tsp honey
1 1/4 cups warm water

1 cup whole wheat bread flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil

A few tbsp olive oil

For the Filling

1 large bunch dandelion greens, stems removed and chopped

1 large bunch rainbow chard, stems removed and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped diced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon, freshly squeezed
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Large handful toasted pine nuts

Method

For the Dough

1.  Proof the yeast with the honey and 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl for about 10 minutes

2.  Blend together the flour and salt in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center, then pour in canola oil and proofed yeast mixture.  Blend as well as you can, then slowly add the extra cup of water until you have a sticky homogenous dough (I had about 1/4 cup of water leftover).  Knead well.

3.  Place the dough in a large oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Leave to rise in a warm spot until doubled (about 90 min).

For the Filling

1.  Heat a large dry non-stick wok at medium high heat.

2.  When the wok is heated, add dandelion greens, chard, onions and salt.  Stir occasionally.  When juice is released, turn off heat.

3.  Add lemon juice and cinnamon to the wok and mix well.

For Assembly

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Roll out half the dough between two sheets of wax paper as thinly as possible.  Aim for about 1/8" thickness.

3.  Using a 4" circle template, cut out circles from the rolled out dough.  Place the scrap dough back with the rest of the dough.  Transfer the circles to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

4.  Spoon some filling on top of each circle.  Add 6-10 pinenuts on top of the filling.  Fold up the edges of each circle on three sides and pinch closed into a triangle shape.

5.  Roll out rest of dough and repeat steps 2 through 4.  Take the scraps and roll these out to make yet another sheet of dough.  Continue until there is no dough left.  I had to use two baking sheets to accommodate all the pies. 

6.  Brush the pies with olive oil before baking.

7. Cook each sheet of pies for 18 minutes at 375 degrees, then turn the broiler to high and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

8. These pies store well at room temperature wrapped in tin foil. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. I ended up with 14 pies, but it would be better to aim for 18-20 pies.

CSA Box #3

This week's box was full of gorgeous produce!  I've never used dandelion greens, so I'm gonna have to think about a great way to use these greens.  It was particularly nice to see that we got 6 tomatoes this time, instead of only two.  Naturally, tomato and basil send my mind off in a particular direction.  You'll just have to wait and see how I play with this stuff!

This week's box contains:

Basil 

 
Baby Bok Choi

Rainbow Chard

Salad Mix

Red Oak Lettuce

Spring Onions

Hot House Tomatoes

Dandelion Greens

Red Boston Lettuce

Hakurai Turnips

Kale, Chard and Mushroom Whole Wheat Tomato-Less Lasagna

Lasagna is really time-consuming, requires a bunch of ingredients, and can cause a fair amount of stress during preparation.  But going through the process always leads to wonderful wonderful things, as well as a fridge full of fantastic leftovers.  In my fridge, I had a ton of red chard, lacinato kale, and a pesky fennel bulb that would wouldn't disappear.  I've never been a fan of the anise seed/licorice flavor, and my CSA box buddy was not a huge fan of eating the fennel raw, so I wanted to find a way to use this ingredient as a nice accent for an already tasty meal.  It worked great in this dish, and I even could have used more fennel flavor.  The prep stage took about 1 hour total with 2 people working on it.

Adapted from here: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/01/swiss_chard_lasagna_with_ricotta_and_mushrooms

Ingredients

For the Béchamel

3 cups 2% milk
6 tbsp unsalted butter
5 tbsp all purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves

For the Veggies

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 large bunch red chard, stems removed and coarsely chopped
1 large bunch lacinato kale, stems removed and coarsely chopped
1 fennel bulb, finely chopped
20 oz. baby bella mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp salt

For the Ricotta Mixture

1 15 oz. container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup 2% milk
2 oz. fontina cheese, grated

For the Lasagna

9-10 whole wheat lasagna noodles
5 oz. fontina cheese, coarsely grated
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

Method

For the Béchamel

1.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan at medium heat and whisk in the flour until incorporated but not browned.

2.  Slowly add in the milk and whisk occasionally.

3.  Add the salt, nutmeg, and cloves.

4.  Simmer the sauce until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

For the Veggies

1.  Heat olive oil in a large wok at medium high heat.

2.  Add the onion, crushed garlic, and crushed red pepper.

3.  After the onions become translucent, add the kale, chard, and fennel.

4.  After the greens are wilted, add the mushrooms and salt.  Cook until the mushrooms and greens are tender.

For the Ricotta Mixture

1.  Blend together the ricotta, egg, and milk in a medium-sized bowl.

2.  Mix in the fontina cheese.

For the Lasagna

1.  Boil salted water in a large covered saucepan.  Add lasagna noodles and cook for 9 minutes.  Drain noodles in a colander and rinse well with cold water.

2.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Brush a 13 x 9 pyrex dish with olive oil.

3.  Spread a few spoons of béchamel into a thin even layer at the bottom of the dish. Then place 3 noodles over the béchamel and be careful that the noodles don't overlap.

4. Add half of the veggies then half the ricotta cheese. Smooth down evenly using the back of a spoon. Then add 1/2 of the fontina cheese and 1/3 of the parmesan cheese. Pour 1/3 of the remaining béchamel over the top of the cheeses and smooth evenly with the back of a spoon.

5. Place 3 noodles on top of the layer and be careful that the noodles don't overlap.

6. Repeat step 4 using the rest of the veggies, ricotta, and fontina, as well as 1/3 of the parmesan, and 1/3 of the béchamel.

7. Use 3-4 noodles to cover the layer and be careful that the noodles don't overlap. You can rip or cut some noodles to make them fit nicely.

8. Pour remaining béchamel over the top and smooth down. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the top. Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil.

9. Bake the covered lasagna for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Then remove the foil and continue cooking for 25 more minutes.

10. After removing lasagna from oven, resist the urge to eat it immediately. It needs to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Kale and Tofu Stir Fry with Garlic Scapes

Making stir fries is a great way to enjoy lots of veggies.  Lessons from this one:  the very tips of garlic scapes are a little bit too chewy.  It still ended up being an enjoyable and satisfying meal.

Ingredients

1 cup brown jasmine rice

1 tsp salt

1 brick extra firm tofu

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp spicy sesame oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 orange bell pepper, chopped

2 cups garlic scapes, chopped into 1" pieces

1 bunch purple kale, stems removed and coarsely chopped

1 cup snap peas, tops removed

2" piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/3 cup Thai green curry Sauce (this was a pretty liquid sauce from Trader Joes)

Method

1.  Boil 2 cups water with 1 tsp salt in a small covered saucepan.  Rinse dry rice and add to boiling water.  Cover pot and simmer for 40 minutes at low temperature.

2.  Drain water from tofu, cut into small flat pieces, place into a small bowl, and mix gently with the soy sauce.

3.  Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a large non-stick frying pan and add tofu.  Try to spread out tofu in pan so it covers bottom of pan.  When pieces get crispy, flip them.  

4.  Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a large wok and add onion.  Mix as needed with a wooden spoon.

5.  After onion becomes translucent, add bell pepper, then kale, then garlic scapes, then snap peas.

6.  Add veggies cook down, add ginger and red pepper flakes.  Mix well.  Add tofu when it is crispy.

7.  After veggies are cooked (about 15-20 min), add green curry sauce and 2 tbsp water.  Mix well.

8.  Serve veggies over the rice.  Sriracha sauce tastes great with this stir fry.

Summer Couscous and Chick Pea Salad

I was in the mood for something light and refreshing that was also packed with nutrition and flavor.  This meal was super easy to prepare, and only took about 20 minutes start to finish.   I often use fresh lemon juice in this style of salad, but didn't have any on hand.  The combination of the tangy olives and parmesan cheese really helped round out the flavor without lemon juice.  The final product tasted wonderful and kept well in the fridge for a couple of days.

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat couscous

2 tsp salt

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1 14 oz. can chick peas, drained and rinsed

3 green onions, sliced into 1/4" rounds

~20 large kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped into quarters
1 cup arugula, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

Method

1.  Boil 1 cup water, 1 tsp salt, and a tbsp of olive oil in a small covered saucepan.  Add the couscous, cover the pot, and remove from the heat.  Let sit for 15 minutes/

2.  In a large bowl, mix together the chick peas, green onions, olives, tomato, artichoke hearts, arugula, and parmesan cheese.  Mix together with a large spoon.

3.  Add the couscous, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and the black pepper.  Mix well.

CSA Box #2

After the first box, I decided that the small share wasn't big enough.  From now on, I'll be getting a large share every week.  So far, the large is definitely bigger than the small, but not double in size.  Greens really dominate this week's box, although the tomatoes look lovely again.  Also, garlic scapes are one of my favorite veggies.

This week's box contains:


Snap Peas

Arugula

Greenhouse Tomatoes

Garlic Scapes

Lacinato Kale

Red Chard

The largest Fennel I've ever seen

Two kinds of Lettuce (Boston and Red Leaf)

Cold Peanut Noodles with Baby Bok Choi

After a speedy 8 mile hike through the Middlesex Fells, we were ravenous.  We brought a lovely picnic on the trail, consisting of leftover quiche, a mixed salad, and some slices of watermelon.  Upon returning home, we needed an easy but hearty meal to satisfy our appetites.  This was surprisingly simple to make, yet absolutely delicious. 

Ingredients

16 oz. whole wheat spaghetti

2-3 large heads of baby bok choi, center removed and cut into chunky pieces

Handful of other greens (I used the radish leaves from my veggie box)

1/2 container baby bella mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup sesame seeds

1 cup crunchy salted all-natural peanut butter

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp rice vinegar

6 tbsp water

2 tbsp honey

3 tbsp spicy sesame oil

1 tsp crushed red pepper

3 scallions, sliced

Method

1.  Heat salted water in a large covered pot until it reaches a rolling boil, add noodles and stir, set timer for 11 minutes.

2. Heat 1 1/2 tbsp spicy sesame oil in a large wok over medium high heat.

3. When the oil is hot, add the bok choi, greens, and mushrooms, stir mixture occasionally and cook until the leaves are wilted and the mushrooms have released their juices.

4.  Heat a small non-stick pan over medium heat, add the sesame seeds, stir occasionally and turn off the heat when the seeds are browned.

5.  In a large bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients until well-mixed. Stir in the browned sesame seeds.

6.  When the noodles are cooked, pour them into a colander, fill empty pot with cold water, and place colander into pot to soak noodles. When the noodles are cool, pull colander out of the pot and allow water to drain out.

7.  Add noodles to the large bowl containing the sauce.  Mix well to coat all the noodles with sauce.  

8.  Add the veggies and any juices left in the wok to the large bowl and mix with the noodles.