CSA Box #5

The box is getting heavier and heavier, but also more varied.  I can't wait to try the cucumbers and carrots in  this week's harvest.  Also, currants are a berry I'm less familiar, so it will be fun to try something new.  They do seem a bit tart for eating raw, however.

This week's box contains:


Carrots

Cucumbers

Green Chard

Red Boston Lettuce

Spring Onions

Raddichio

Zucchini

Beets

Collards

Red Oak Leaf Lettuce

Currants

Goat Cheese and Zucchini Pizza

After posting about the zucchini bread on Facebook, a friend suggested I try this interesting looking pizza recipe with the rest of the zucchini.  I happened to have all the ingredients for this in the kitchen, so it seemed like a real no brainer.  This was quite possible the best pizza I've ever made.  The crust was crispy and tasty, and the goat cheese and zucchini were a heavenly combination.  There's no question that I'll make this again.  And I wouldn't change a thing, since it is amazing as is.

Adapted from: http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/07/lemony-zucchini-goat-cheese-pizza/

Ingredients

1 batch of the pizza dough recipe detailed here, but I used only half of the dough for this pie
Juice of 1/2 lemon
6 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Small handful fresh basil, finely chopped
3 small zucchinis, sliced as finely as possible
1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Method

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2.  Stretch out the pizza dough as described here and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper that is sprinkled with flour.

3.  In a bowl, mix together the goat cheese, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.  I used a fork to get this mixture nice and smooth.

4.  Spread the goat cheese mixture over the stretch pizza dough using a plastic spatula.  Leave about 1/2 inch of dough around the edges to form the pizza crust.

5.  Sprinkle the basil over the goat cheese.

6.  Arrange the zucchini slices over the goat cheese and basil so that the slices overlap slightly and the cheese is completely covered.

7.  Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the salt and pepper.

8.  Bake pizza at 450 degrees for 12 minutes.  Then turn the broiler to high and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

9.  Wait 5-10 minutes before slicing.  Enjoy!

Open-Faced Breakfast Sandwiches

I adore eating eggs in the morning, and this has been true for a very long time.  I have perfected the art of cooking an egg over medium, and particularly enjoy eating this in the form of an open-faced sandwich.  This time, I wanted to try adding some of the CSA kale to the sandwich, as well as some of the beautiful farmstand tomatoes that Seth got from his aunt in upstate New York.  One of the best parts about eating a breakfast like this is that it keeps you full for a long time!

Ingredients

4 slices multigrain or other favorite bread
8 small slices extra sharp cheddar cheese
4-5 large leaves of curly kale, stems removed and coarsely chopped
1 medium tomato, sliced into 1/3" slices
4 eggs
1/2 tbsp salted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt or more to taste
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Method

1.  In a large nonstick pan, heat the olive oil at medium high heat.  Add the kale, salt, and pepper.  Mix occasionally.  Cook until the kale has wilted.


2.  Toast the bread until slightly browned but still soft


3.  Heat a separate nonstick pan to medium high heat.  Add the butter and spread over the bottom of the pan.


4.  Crack the eggs into the pan with the butter.  Try to get the eggs towards the edges of the pan so they don't overlap much.


5.  When the egg whites have set but the yellows are still runny, carefully separate the eggs from each other and flip each egg.  As soon as all 4 eggs are flipped, turn off the heat but leave the pan on the hot burner.


6.  Place 2 slices of cheese on top of each piece of toast.  Spoon the kale evenly over the cheese.  Place the tomato slices over the kale. Top each piece of bread with one egg.

Enjoy!

Lebanese Feast: Tabouli and Mjeddrah

I wanted to make a cheap, delicious, and hearty meal to bring on a long drive to upstate New York.  Food options along a highway are generally pretty grim, so we packed the car with wonderful food to eat on the way.  In addition to this Lebanese feast, I packed some slices of zucchini bread, blueberries, and red grapes.  Yum!  The tabouli was also a great way to use up all of that gorgeous curly parsley.  Next time, I would want to use a food processor to chop the parsley up smaller.

Ingredients

For the Tabouli

2 cups bulghur wheat
2 cups boiling water
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
The green parts of 8 spring onions, sliced
1/2 cup fresh mint, stems removed and finely chopped
1 large bunch curly parsley, stems removed and chopped as finely as possible

Juice of 2 fresh lemons (about 1/2 cup juice)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

2 tsp salt

For the Mjeddrah

1 cup brown lentils, rinsed

1 cup brown basmati rice, rinsed

5 cups water

2 tsp salt

3 tbsp olive oil

The white parts of 8 spring onions, finely chopped

1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Method

For the Tabouli

1.  Mix together the bulghur wheat and boiling water in a small heatproof bowl and cover for about 30 minutes until completely soaked.

2.  In a large bowl, mix together the cucumber, tomato, spring onions, mint, and parsley.

3.  Add the soaked bulghur wheat and mix well.

4.  Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix well.

5.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

For the Mjeddrah

1.  Add the water and 1 tsp salt to a covered saucepan and heat on high.

2.  When the water is boiling, add the lentils and rice, then replace cover and turn the heat to low to allow mixture to simmer.  Simmer this mixture for 45 min.

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

4.  When the oil is hot, add the onions and stir occasionally.  The onions will be best if cooked low and slow for a long time until browned evenly.  They will take at least 20 minutes to cook, but better if cooked longer.

5.  When the lentil/rice mixture is finished, add the cooked onions, pepper, cumin, and remaining salt. Stir well.  Enjoy hot or at room temperature.

I served the tabouli over the mjeddrah.