Organic Harvest Box for May 31, 2012

It just might be a soup weekend again, given that I have to close the windows in the house as it is getting too cold!!  I picked up my box today and the small coloured peppers are just about gone as they were my lunch when I was late for an appointment this afternoon.  Then I could barely keep them on the table to get the photo before little fingers were grabbing at them and just eating them raw.  I really shouldn't say too much because about a dozen blueberries snuck their way into my mouth pre-photo shoot as well.  I took the tomatoes out of their packaging in order to set up the photo and if the other ones are like mine, it would be best not to keep them in the packaging too long as they are ready to eat.

I am excited about the eggplant this week.  I didn't write about the eggplant last time as it was a late substitution so all week I've been thinking about it and what to write about.  There is this recipe that my uncle made when we were visiting him in Edmonton last year.  I tried messaging him and voice mailing him and he still hasn't gotten back to me - so I am going to do my best to wing it with the recipe because it is delicious.  Some quick tips first:

• To store the eggplant,wrap it in a paper towel or the paper it came in, 
• Place it in a plastic bag with holes and/or in the veggie crisper, 
• Eggplant shouldn't be left for more than about 4 days in the refrigerator as then it starts to get bitter,
• Try to use the eggplant as soon as possible for best flavor and results.  

My uncle would slice the eggplant, brush it with some olive oil and then grill it until soft.  He then cut it into strips and marinated it in . . .this is where I get stuck - I'm sure it was olive oil, garlic, some salt, and . . .whatever else was in there made it absolutely delicious served on crackers or sliced baguette or your favorite crispy bread.  (I'm sure he'll call me back sometime and I'll be able to fill you in.)  This Calabrian recipe for Melanzane Arrostite (Marinated Eggplant with Olive Oil, Garlic and Mint) looks delicious and very similar to my uncle's eggplant.  I also came across this recipe for Spicy Grilled Eggplant that I think would be very tasty and the slices could be used on a sandwich for a meal.  The eggplant could be roasted with the coloured peppers (stove or grill) with some olive oil, chopped and then added to some chopped tomatoes and fresh herbs to make a bruschetta.

The baby bok choy looks fantastic, so fresh and full, but make sure to give them a good wash when you are ready to use them.  Bok choy is a member of the cabbage family and apparently has some of the highest anti-oxidant levels compared to other veggies in the cabbage family.  It is also a great source of Vitamins A and C, fibre, folic acid, and calcium.  It can be stored in the veggie crisper for up to a week.  Chinese cabbage of any variety usually ends up in a stir fry at our house, and it's easy to use but a bit time consuming to do it right.  The stems take a bit longer to cook than the leaves so I often end up taking a little extra time when slicing the bok choy in order to put the stems in to cook before the leaves.  You might have to go get some shitake mushrooms, as the most appealing recipes that I found for baby bok choy included shitakes.  And coincidentally, all my favorite recipes for bok choy are from LCBO's Food and Drink (my vast collection sits in the bookcase next to me as I type each week).  Four different ideas for bok choy:

• Cold Noodle Salad
• House Noodles with Chicken - use the peppers as well in this one
• Steamed Chicken Breasts with Aspargus, Baby Bok Choy and Shitake Mushrooms 
• Bok Choy Stir Fry - for an easy side dish

I do get a bit wordy doing this but I have so many yummy food ideas all the time for all these veggies.  I don't ever get to cooking all of them, but I daydream about all of the fantastic recipes that I would have endless to make - and they would all turn out delicious of course.  Bear with me for two more things. Number 1 - cauliflower - my absolute favorite way to eat it is to toss the florets with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, roast it in the oven at 400F for 20 min or so.  While it is cooking, mix up some cream or preferably creme fraiche, a bit of dijon mustard, and a small squeeze of lemon juice.  When the cauliflower is done cooking, toss it with the sauce.  

Number 2 and last thing for this week - field cucumbers - I know I had one witty post about uses for cucumber, but I have to admit, they are lunch box fare in general for us.  Cukes are so good just sliced up on their own, or with just a dash of salt to curb that craving for a salty snack that it's hard to make a point of "cooking" with them.  I do have one recipe that I use regularly that makes great use of the cucumbers - Gingery Pork and Cucumber Pitas.  My mom found it in Real Simple magazine and every time I make it, my husband and I say to ourselves, "why don't we make this more often?"  It's so easy, and so good and now I feel like I've given you a real recipe for cucumbers.

Organic Harvest Box April 26, 2012

I am a little jealous - I am not actually getting my veggie box this week as we leave on Saturday for a week away (hint hint - don't expect a post next week).  I looked at what's on the list and started thinking about and looking for recipes and there are so many tasty possibilities for the Baby Kale, Broccolini, and Rainbow Chard. And Tasha said that the pears that are in the boxes are fantastic. Maybe someone will try out the recipes and tell me how they turned out.  Since I don't have a box this week, I don't have a photo, but I do have photos of some of the food I made this week, and what a great excuse to write about what I ended up using my veggies for.  Each week I search out and post recipes that I have either used or really think are useable or that I will try, but often I end up with something completely different, or a week behind in using some of my veggies.  Like my kale, I posted Tasha's recipe two weeks ago for the Lemony Kale Salad, but only made it on Sunday.  It was delicious, so easy, and my husband even enjoyed it - well worth trying.

I had the best intentions of making a pork roast with the roasted carrots, potatoes and the winter parsnips, but while looking out the window at the cold and grey Saturday morning while having a warm bowl of oatmeal with the kids, I just wanted some soup.  I rifled through the cupboards and sure enough had all of the ingredients for one of my favorites - Hamburger Soup from the Best of Bridge Cookbook.  By 930 a.m. I had my carrots, celery, and onions chopped and soup on the stove.  It simmered all day and we had it for supper with a batch of homemade biscuits and some cheese buns (guilty pleasure).  I have had it twice more this week for lunches.

The other dish that I made to use a variety of the veggies was a weeknight pasta meal that is very easy to make.  I start with some pork sausage (removed from casings) or leftover ham and cook that in a large non-stick skillet while putting some water on for any type of pasta.  While that is cooking, chop some combination of onions, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and add them to the skillet.  You can add some fresh herbs at this point as well.  Make sure your pasta is in the boiling water with a bit of salt.  Once the veggies are getting soft, add a good amount of pesto, some grated parmesan, and once the pasta has been boiling for a bit, add a 1/2 c. of the pasta water to the sauce.  When the pasta is close to being done, add some cream cheese or cream to the sauce to thicken a bit.  Drain the pasta and toss together with the sauce.  This a hit with my kids and is different each time but consistently good.

Enough about last week's veggies - did you know that Broccolini is actually a hybrid vegetable that was created in Japan in the early 1990s?  It was created to be softer, sweeter, and easier to cook than broccoli.  It is not baby broccoli but a species all of its own that was engineered to be more appealing for cooking and eating.  It is best to store it in a bag as you would broccoli and it should last in the fridge for up to 10 days.  For a dish that  can act as a main dish or side try this Broccolini, Caulifower, Chard and Tofu Roman Style.  I also like the looks of this Steamed Broccoli with Honey Soy Sauce.  You can certainly cook the broccolini as you would asparagus or broccoli and maybe by calling it "baby broccoli" you can entice your kids to eat more greens.

I will miss out on this week's Rainbow Chard but I did come across a few more recipes since the last time there was chard that I will try next time.  A few recipes that I found on my Epicurious app on the iPad (ie. multipurpose cookbook) are Pasta with Kielbasa and Swiss Chard (appealing to my Ukranian heritage), Roasted Garbanzo Beans and Garlic with Swiss Chard (Meatless Monday meal?), or Frittata Bites with Chard, Sausage and Feta (for brunch or cut small for a cocktail party).

Baby Kale - I read that it is milder than regular kale, and being that it is smaller and a little less tough, it is much more amenable to salads and it cooks more quickly.  I still haven't tried kale chips but did love reading this blog about making kale chips from Baby Kale specifically.  If you have any bok choy left from this past week, try a side dish of Baby Kale and Bok Choy with Sesame and Ginger.  Or use the kale in this Baby Kale Salad (taken from www.wholelivingdaily.wholeliving.com).

Baby Kale Salad

15 oz. baby kale
2 cups walnuts, chopped
2 apples, thinly sliced (we used Pink Ladies)
1/2 lb. goat's milk gouda (or any other cheese you love), cut into small cubes
1 bunch chives, chopped into 1-inch pieces

For the dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
salt and pepper to taste


1. Place walnuts on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake in an oven at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes, tossing halfway through.
2. Combine baby kale, walnuts, apples, gouda, and chives in a large bowl.

3. Mix dressing ingredients and toss with salad.

My last two offerings this week - I think that this recipe for Curried Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Baby Kale is a great idea for a vegetarian main course, and I love the combination of lentils with sweet potatoes.  Or alternately, use the yams in this fun side dish or appetizer recipe, Sweet Potato and Pancetta Gratin.

Enjoy the veggies and fruit this week while I enjoy a week away.

Organic Harvest Box for April 19, 2012

I am sitting watching the hockey playoffs as I am writing this blog.  The weather for this weekend is again not sounding very promising with rainy cool days and the potential for flurries on Monday.  I still haven't transferred over all my cold weather clothes to summer clothes.  I'm feeling a bit wintry and so my veggies this week are most likely going to be roasted or put in soups.

Some tips about this week's box - Tasha had to substitute out the spinach with Bok Choy, which we haven't had in our box in a while and will be great sauteed or in a stir fry.  Some of the grapefruits may need a bit of time to fully ripen as will the Bartlett Pears.  The carrots will keep best if the greenery is chopped off and then store them in the fridge tied up in a plastic bag.  If the cucumbers are as good as last week, they were great just sliced up and eaten fresh.

An interesting tip about this week's parsnips - they are Spring Parsnips which means that they have been in the ground all winter as opposed to being stored indoors.  Being in the ground all winter apparently makes them much sweeter and quite a treat as the last parsnips of the harvest.  Store them in a plastic bag (the one they came in will work) in the vegetable crisper and they should keep for a couple of weeks.  It's a toss up whether to use the parsnips in a simple Roasted Vegetable dish to get the full effect of their spring sweetness, or to make something completely different, such as this Seared Scallops with Spring Parsnip Butter recipe.  Cajun Parsnip Fries make a nice side dish to any casual meal.  I am a big fan of savoury muffins so might even try these Savoury Parsnip Parmesan Mini Muffins and serve them alongside a Parsnip Soup.

Romaine lettuce has a surprising amount of nutrients, is extremely low in calories, and has a high water content.  A serving of Romaine contains well over 100% of the daily Vitamin K and Vitamin A, and a third of the daily requirement of Vitamin C and Folate.  It is so easy to slice up a tomato or cucumber, shred some carrot or put the zucchini through the mandolin to dress up a lettuce salad.  Chopping some apple or pear, sectioning an orange, or slicing some strawberry on top often will entice my children to have a bit of salad.  A nice fresh citrus dressing made with a lemon or orange, some fresh parmesan, and some nuts and you have a decadent salad at any meal.  But how often do you get any more creative with lettuce?  An interesting alternative to salad is to do a plain Grilled Romaine dish or dress it up with a Bacon and Blue Cheese Vinaigrette.

Bok Choy is extremely versatile and can be substituted for many greens that you would steam, saute or boil.  A simple Bok Choy Stir Fry could be made, add some sauteed chicken and rice for a great meal.  Put a couple of carrots and the zucchini through a mandolin to add to the stir fry and it will add color and variety.  This vegetarian Spicy Bok Choy Soup is exactly the type of dish that I love, easy ingredients with a comforting result.  Or try this Spicy Shrimp and Bok Choy Soup with a few more extras in it.  You can use your leftover veggies from last week's box to create a homemade vegetable stock for either soup.  I have used the tip in the veggie stock recipe that suggests using your vegetable trimmings for your stock.  I keep a large Ziploc in the freezer and add clean vegetable trimmings such as celery greens, carrot peelings, potato peelings, zucchini ends, and fresh herbs that are at the end of their shelf life.  It's an inexpensive way to get some great flavor into a stock.

I wasn't able to get any good fresh tuna this past week to try the tuna burgers from last week's post, but I am hoping to get some this week so that we can barbeque those up.   I plan to use the cucumbers and tomatoes on the burgers.  The potatoes will get sliced up with some onion, butter, seasonings, garlic cloves and wrapped in tin foil.  We cook them on the grill for about 20 minutes, and then set them on the top rack as we cook the burgers.  It doesn't quite feel like BBQ season just yet, but it's coming.