Thursday, March 3rd: What do you do with a rutabaga?

by Brie

I knew as soon as I opened the box this week that I would be turning the butternut squash into my favorite soup. It is so simple and so good.

What I had no idea how to use was the rutabaga. I discovered there are actually a lot of different ways to cook it. Like mashed peppered rutabaga, soup or caramelized with onions. I am intrigued by this rutabaga souffle and plan to make it for Sunday dinner.

Whenever I see an avocado I always want to make guacamole. If I can stop myself from just cutting it up and eating it on its own first. So the avocado, along with cherry tomatoes on the vine and two yellow peppers that will be turned into salsa, will be saved for a Mexican feast. Maybe with a taco salad or black bean, spinach and mushroom burritos.

Spinach and broccoli are very versatile vegetables. Both are great in salads or pies. I want to try something different this week so I am going to make spinach and artichoke dip for a party and lemon broccoli risotto for dinner one night.

The box had some great fruit this week. The strawberries were eaten immediately. And the oranges and bananas will disappear soon too.

This is what's on my menu plan this week. What are you cooking?

Brie loves eating food and is learning to love cooking food. She also blogs about motherhood at Capital Mom and about Ottawa with kids at Kids in the Capital.

Thursday, January 27th box: soup, more soup and kale my kid will eat

by Brie

After the great box last week I could not wait for this week's delivery. We ate so well last week! And having the box helped me in coming up with our meal plan for the week. I used what we got and built around it, shopping on Saturday for the extras I needed to supplement my recipes.

This week I am focusing on soups. I am fighting a cold and, well, with the cold weather outside soups are a perfect meal in my mind. The acorn squash and apple soup recipe I made last week was amazing. I took it to dinner with friends and it was a hit. I don't know if it was thanks to the organic apple, the only sweetener, but it was like eating candy! I am tempted to make it again using the butternut squash that came this week. I have also been thinking about trying out some butternut squash soup recipes. I like this one for the combination of orange juice and ginger with the squash.

My all time favorite soup is French onion soup and it was my first thought when I saw the 3 lbs bag of red onions in the box. I have never tried making the soup with red onions, but I found this recipe and I am going to give it a try. If I had more onions I would be adding roasted red onions with butter, honey and balsamic vinegar to my meal plan and making a side of pickled red onions to go with burgers.

I am pretty sure the pint of grape tomatoes we got will be turned into salsa with the fresh cilantro and red pepper that also came this week. My husband loves to made fresh salsa with a vinegar, sugar and garlic vinaigrette. But. But, I may hold off and try these sautéed cherry tomatoes with garlic and basil or baked cherry tomatoes as a side dish one night this week.

The hardest choice this week was deciding how to use the big bunch of kale. I never used to know how to cook kale, but then I discovered a kale pizza recipe and I was hooked. It is really versatile and can use used in place of other greens, like spinach. I have heard good things about baked kale chips, and I will try them one day, but after making a zucchini phyllo pie last week (and my four year old eating three servings) I have decided to try a kale version of spanakopita. If you wanted to you could try making a squash and kale phyllo pie. I am going to see if I can get my girl to eat three servings of these kale phyllo triangles.  

The box this week had some broccoli, a big bag of Gala apples, some Anjou pears and Satsuma mandarins/ tangerines. While we are big fruit eaters in the house, and I expect the kids and I could work our way through it all, I have decided to set aside the pears and try making spiced Anjou pear bread. I love raisin bread and thought this would make a great bread to take to visit friends.  

This is what's on my menu plan this week. What are you cooking?

Brie loves eating food and is learning to love cooking food. She also blogs about motherhood at Capital Mom and about Ottawa with kids at Kids in the Capital.

Organic Harvest Box for October 8, 2010

It's Thanksgiving weekend up here in Canada, and this week's Harvest Box from Life Organic is full of produce for which to be thankful!


I know Autumn is in full swing when my Harvest Box is full of butternut squash, fresh cranberries, and a pumpkin!

Speaking of butternut squash . . . its deep flavour lends itself well to hot, steaming soups. I'm a big fan of this Spicy Butternut Squash Soup and my entire family adores this Apple and Butternut Squash Soup. Both go well as a light supper with fresh bread or sandwiches, or they make for a tasty, filling lunch. I gathered a few more soup recipes that I haven't tried yet, but am hoping to soon. They include this mouth-watering Butternut Squash Soup with Fontina Cheese Crostini, a Spicy Lentil and Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, and this fabulous-looking
Curried Butternut Squash Soup.

You also don't want to miss this Butternut Squash risotto as it makes a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving table. This Butternut Squash Pie (no shell) is also another Thanksgiving favourite, and I don't think you could go wrong pairing your turkey with a side of Glazed Butternut Squash.

Fresh Cranberries! Perfect for a good old fashioned Cranberry Sauce to be enjoyed by one and all. Cranberries pair well with most of the white meats, and I especially like this Chicken with Cranberries, or this Easy Pork Chop Saute with Cranberries. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries is perfect for a holiday weekend, and why not try adorning your Thanksgiving table with these beautiful Sparkling Cranberries? If you've still got a few cranberries lying around after the long weekend, be sure to toss them into these Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut and Cranberries. Delicious!

The sugar pie pumpkin that you received is best for cooking or baking, so be sure not to use that one to carve your jack-o-lantern! Instead, try this tasty Sugar Pie Pumpkin Pie and top it with a dollop of whipped cream. Or really "wow" your Thanksgiving guests with a stunning Pumpkin Mousse Trifle. Entirely new to me is this Pumpkin Pie Dip - sounds interesting and I can imagine it is something my kids would love. On the cooking side of things, this Grilled Pumpkin with Rosemary and Sea Salt is absolutely divine. And, this Moroccan Pumpkin and Lentil Soup is on my radar and will hopefully be making an appearance in our home soon. If you're looking for something really different, why not have a go at Pumpkin with Yogurt and Meat Sauce (Habeas Brulee)?

Happy Thanksgiving weekend to you all!

Apple and Butternut Squash Soup

4 cups chicken stock
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch cubes
2 medium tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup light cream (10%)

In a large pot, combine stock, squash, apples, onions, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.


Remove from heat and stir in cream. Allow soup to cool slightly.

In a food processor or blender, puree soup in batches until smooth, transferring each batch to a saucepan. Bring to a boil before serving.



Voila! A rich and tasty, healthy soup for all to enjoy. My family absolutely loves this.

Harvest Box for February 26, 2010

What a colourful Harvest box this week - take a look inside . . .

Did you notice this week's lemons look slightly more orange than regular lemons? They are Meyer lemons, a fruit thought to be a cross between Eureka or Lisbon lemons and a mandarin orange. Meyer lemons are much sweeter than regular lemons, and they make great additions to salads and other dishes because they lack the sour tartness of other lemons. For more fantastic info on Meyer lemons, be sure to check out All About Meyer Lemons. I did manage to scour up a good collection of recipes to try with your Meyer Lemons . . .

This Fennel Salad with Meyer Lemon looks light and tasty, and this Meyer Lemon Marmalade would be a delightful topping to any scone or bagel. For those with a sweet tooth, why not try a Meyer Lemon Cake with Lavender Cream or Martha's very own Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake? I also found this Meyer Lemon Pudding, which is mostly raw and vegan.

Every time I see a butternut squash I can't wait to start peeling it and cutting it up for soup. There is something about the flavour of butternut squash that truly lends it self to delicious soups. Our family favourite has always been this Apple and Butternut Squash Soup but I'm hoping to try out this Butternut Squash Soup this week. After stumbling upon this Butternut Squash and Macaroni Casserole recipe I think I will test it out and see if I can get the kids to eat it - looks pretty tasty.

Not totally sure what to do with your collard greens? One of the simplest ways in which to enjoy the full flavour of collard greens is to simply sautee them - this recipe for Sauteed Collard Greens is a great place to start. I hear that this Tasty Collard Greens recipe is fabulous - just not sure I am sure yet how I feel about a smoked turkey drumstick being thrown in the recipe! And for the adventurous cook with a lot of time to spare, check out these phenomenal Shredded Mediterranean Carrots Wrapped in Collard Greens - so amazingly healthy and delicious too.

So, get to eating that Harvest Box and be sure to check in with us again next week!