Organic Harvest Box for December 10 , 2010

 Here is our delicious Harvest Box for this week:

Green Beans!  Green beans are a delightful side dish to serve around the holidays, and are easy to incorporate into your Christmas dinner.  These green bean recipes are fast and easy to cook, delicious, and good for you.  Check out these  Green Beans with Lemon and Garlic or tasty Green Beans with Shallots .  You can also serve up Green Beans with Onion, or for a little extra *zing* try these Green Beans in Spicy Peanut Sauce. Pan-Fried Tofu with Garlic Green Beans is a good choice for vegetarians, and these Spicy Green Beans with Lime and Cilantro are a lovely accompaniment to an ethnic meal.

Garlic is another Harvest Box item that is wonderful to add to almost any dish over the holidays.  Despite what some may say, freshly chopped or diced garlic is far better than the jarred or powder varieties.  Nothing tastes as good as fresh garlic!  If you  have a whole head of garlic, then you haven't really lived until you experience true Roasted Garlic.  It's amazing, and there are so many uses for it.  For example, you can try this Roasted Garlic Hummus , or make a Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette.  Another huge favourite is Sourdough Garlic Bread, which makes a perfect pairing with hot soup or chowder on our cold winter evenings.  I came across this Ginger Garlic Paste which can be used in a variety of ways, and I stumbled upon this recipe for  Eggplant in Garlic Sauce, which is surely to be a big supper-time hit!


If you're looking for some interesting ways to work with your button mushrooms, you should give Michael's Best Button Mushrooms a go.  I promise you will not be disappointed.  Mushrooms are like green beans in that they are fast and easy and can be incorporated into so many types of meals.  Other fabulous ways to cook with mushrooms include these Herbed Butter Mushrooms with Mozzarella or Spaghetti with Mushrooms and Garlic. Looking for a little mushroom flare?  Impress your guests with Tofu and Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce or a Mushroom and Asparagus Risoto!

Organic Harvest Box for December 3, 2010

Ginger is a fragrant, flavourful, and versatile root or spice.  It lends itself well to many different styles of cooking . . . and baking as well.  Fresh ginger can be substituted for ground ginger at a ratio of about 6 to 1, although the flavors of fresh and dried ginger are somewhat different.  Ginger is often thought to be effective in treating nausea of various kinds. 


A popular use for cooking with ginger is to pair it with meat, like in this recipe for Ginger Pork.  While pork is especially tasty with ginger, seafood works too, as in something like this Grilled Shrimp with Lemongrass and Ginger.  And be sure to try out this Sesame Ginger Chicken Salad as well. For those with a sweet tooth, like ME, nothing beats the old tried and true Ginger Cookie, especially during the holidays. Or for something different why not serve a hot slice of  Spiced Apple Ginger Bread to your friends and family on Christmas morning?  Another winner on my radar this week is this Pear Ginger Maple Pie - I think the picture speaks for itself!


I'll be the first to admit that as the mother of three young children, endive are not something that are normally on my shopping list.  But when they arrive in my Harvest Box, I'm more than happy to find some exotic uses for them!  Did you know that an endive is is a leaf vegetable belonging to the daisy family. Endive can be cooked or used raw as appetizers or in many types of salad.  A popular favourite is Endive Stuffed with Walnuts and Goat Cheese, and it's lovely to serve as an appetizer before a dinner. Smoked Trout in Endive is a fantastic treat to serve over the holidays, is easy to make and will most definitely impress your guests.  As for salads, a few tasty uses for endive include this Apple and Endive Salad, a Warm Endive Salad, or this Endive-Radicchio Salad with Pancetta and Gorgonzola. One last unique idea - fire up a pan and try this Sauteed Endive with Avocado.

Looking for some new uses for that bag of beets?  We can help you out.  Ever thought of trying Gnocchi with Roasted Beets?  If not, you should give it a go, as I can guarantee you will be delightfully surprised.  Other delicious meal ideas include Beets with Walnut Garlic Sauce, Beets with Lime Butter, and Beets and Greens Quesadillas. And nothing "beets" a traditional Ukranian Borscht.

Keep it healthy, and enjoy your organic produce this week!