Organic Harvest Box for June 28, 2012

Do you know what an RFP is?  Request for Proposal or what's been going through my head - Request for Pain.  It is due on Tuesday after the long weekend and has caused me enough overtime in 1 week to ensure my summer holidays are covered!  Hence the lateness of this post.  Because of my schedule, I can't even get my box until Friday midday so I don't have any hot tips from Tasha to share with you.  However, after painfully typing away at repetitive technical documents, I am just happy to sip the last of my decaf and write some ideas for this week's box.  I want to share some ideas about kiwi, the results of my scapes recipes, and  highlight a selection of "Canada Day" recipes.   And how smart of Tasha to start a Local Only Box on the week leading up to Canada Day when our national pride is bubbling up. I love the idea of a Local Only Box because for me one of the biggest appeals of buying through Life Organics is the opportunity to get as much local produce as possible.

So here goes - should we start with garlic scapes?  I hope that I'm not the only one who is still oddly excited about them.  I brought both my scape pesto and the white bean scape dip into work last week, although both went over well, I do think people think I'm a bit odd for being so excited about them.  The dip was really nice with crackers, chips, and the beans from last week's box.  I made a whole batch of pesto (so easy in a food processor) and have frozen it in ice cube sizes for use on pasta soon.  I haven't quite decided what I'm going to do with this week's scapes - hopefully get to that great Pork recipe from the New York Times from 2 weeks ago.  Maybe use up my pesto in this Warm Pasta and Chick Pea Salad with Garlic Scapes or for a great weekend entertaining recipe Garlic Scape and Potato Salad.

Kiwis are delicious when they are nice and ripe, and not too tart.  They should be left to ripen at room temperature.  If they are already ripe then they can be stored in the refrigerator.  Kiwis have a very high amount of Vitamin C, more than the an orange of the same size.  They also contain a lot of fibre and are great for the digestive system.  You can eat the skin of a kiwi but just make sure to wash it to remove any dirt or dust, and rub some of the fuzz off prior to eating as well.  I learned that the antioxidants in kiwis actually increase the riper the kiwi gets.  We mostly eat our kiwis just cut up, but they would be equally delicious in a salad, fruit salad or with some yogurt.  Or for something different, try these Kiwifruit Muffins.  Try making a unique salad with this week's romaine, spinach, and tomatoes, tossed with some cut up kiwi and some Kiwi Dressing from the California Kiwi Commission's website.  

We will be spending Canada Day weekend at the cottage with friends and plan to use the grill most of the weekend.  We've picked up the beer and Caesar's but I may have to grab a bottle of some Canadian Whisky and try out this Peach and Whisky Cocktail with the peaches from our box.  You could also use the peaches and/or nectarines in this recipe for Grilled Plums with Yogurt and Spiced Maple Syrup.  And although we don't have a lot of red and white veggies in our box this week, you can certainly still have a lovely Canadian menu with some great recipes taken from freshjuice.ca:

• Green Salad with Toasted Mustard Seed Dressing - use the romaine, spinach, and even scapes in this salad that is inspired by the mustard and seed crops from the Prairies,
• Wild Turkey Burgers - I suppose you could try to catch your own in a local field or on the side of the road!!  Serve these burgers topped with some spinach or romaine, sauteed mushrooms, and sliced tomato (or garlic scape pesto - just had to get that in there),
• Cool Wild Rice and Mushrooms - use the Criminis in this dish that highlights the great wild rice that is harvested from our northern lakes and marshes.

I am fading quickly - one last recipe - a Mushroom Stuffed Zucchini (with good Canadian cheddar).  Have a great long weekend.

Organic Harvest Box for June 21, 2012

It's really late tonight as I'm writing this, so I apologize in advance for any nonsensical musings about garlic scapes and kohlrabi.  I'm trying my best to get the blog posted on Wednesday evenings and hopefully - coming soon to an email near you - to send the blog via email at the same time as your invoice based on the popular response from the survey.  So in my effort to get this to you on Wednesday night, after getting through regular work and family commitments, the blog is getting my full attention as last item to get done very late in the evening.

I am so excited to get garlic scapes this week, maybe a little overly excited.  I love scapes, I discovered them only last year and have been asking the last 3 weeks at the Ottawa Farmers Market, "when will you have scapes?"  And now we do, I bought a huge bag at the market and we are getting more in our veggie box this week.  You may have even had some scapes in your green garlic last week - they are the long firm bean like stems that come out from the green leaves of the garlic.  Scapes have a milder taste than garlic and are very versatile.  They can be sauteed, steamed, chopped fine, stir fried, grilled, put in sauces or pureed into pesto.  You could saute them with this week's green beans, or make a pasta with the scapes and spinach.  I have so many plans for my scapes, but I'm most excited about making pesto from them.  

Getting ready to make Scape Pesto

There are so many recipes out there for scape pesto that it really just depends on which ingredients you want more or less of.  Here are a few different recipes:

• Scape Pesto 2 Ways 
• Scape Pesto - from www.seriouseats.com
• Scape Pesto - from a local blogger

My Scape Pesto

I came across a recipe for Double Garlic Soup that could make use of last week's green garlic (if you have any left) and this week's scapes, and also this dip recipe from 2 Sisters Garlic in Indiana.

White Bean and Garlic Scape Dip 

1/3 cup sliced garlic scapes (3 to 4)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, more to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling.

In a food processor, process garlic scapes with lemon juice, salt and pepper until finely chopped. Add cannellini beans and process to a rough purée.  With motor running, slowly drizzle olive oil through feed tube and process until fairly smooth. Pulse in 2 or 3 tablespoons water, or more, until mixture is the consistency of a dip. Add more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice, if desired.  Spread out dip on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with more salt.  Serve with bread, tortilla chips, etc.

It may be sounding like it, but this is not late night craziness. I am also excited to get kohlrabi this week. Not quite as excited as I am about the scapes, but a little oddly excited about kohlrabi. I had it for the first time at some point last year in our veggie box and my girls ate it all up - just sliced - they thought it was apple. It was delicious. At some point this spring, my mother told me that my grandmother used to grow kohlrabi all the time in her garden because it grew so easily, and so my daughter and I planted some this spring in front of our tomatoes. I only have 4 plants, and the bunnies have eaten the leaves off three of them, so they are a bit sad looking but the bulbs are growing and should be ready soon. 

I read a few different things about kohlrabi and my favorite description is "little sputnik like vegetables." The bulbs should trimmed of leaves and then stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. The small ones can be eaten as is with the skin, larger ones need the tough skin peeled off. Most of what I read recommends eating kohlrabi raw and I completely agree.  Have it chopped as a snack, cubed, or shredded into a salad such as Kohlrabi Apple Slaw with Creamy Dressing. If the leaves are still on the "sputnik" then they can be sliced into a salad, that is if the bunnies haven't eaten all of them off the plants (not that I'm bitter or anything). Kohlrabi is also good cooked, slice or dice it and wrap in tinfoil to grill on the BBQ or cook it according to this recipe for Kohlrabi Ham Bake.

Okay, now I am into late night craziness as evidenced by the photo, so just one last thing for this week's box. My favorite mom website is SavvyMom.ca.  The most recent installment of One Ingredient, Four Ways, on their EatSavvy section is about cucumbers, which for me is perfect timing.  Number one - we have cucumbers in the box this week, and number two - we are entertaining at the cottage this weekend (where the kids will outnumber the adults, hence sliders instead of burgers) so I can try the Lamb Sliders with Cucumber and Feta Sauce.  The other cucumber recipes from EatSavvy are Homemade Tzaziki, Roasted Salmon with Fresh Cucumber Salsa, and Chilled Cucumber Soup.

Under the wire, blog finished and posted on Wednesday evening, a first for me, like growing kohlrabi and making scape pesto.

POST NOTE - Friday, June 22, 2012 - just got my box and Tasha wanted everyone to know - try to eat your green beans soon, ASAP if you can.

Organic Harvest Box for June 7, 2012

When I picked up my box today, Tasha gave me the heads up that the spinach needs to be eaten first if you can.  It's also important to cut the tops off the radishes, which I did right after this photo.  And, I cut the tops off my carrots right before I took this picture (it makes them easier to fit in the frame) and then proceeded to leave them on the counter and didn't find them until I was mostly through putting everything away, hence no carrots in the photo..

Thank you very much if you took the time to complete the Survey Monkey.  Those of you who read the blog are in the minority, some people even emailed Tasha to say that they didn't know that the blog existed.  But the feedback about the blog itself seemed very positive.  I'm going to keep writing it for now, until Tasha tells me otherwise, and maybe can arrange for it to be emailed out as that seemed to be the preference.  I'm a bit of recipe junkie so I still love researching everything and sharing all my thoughts.

I wanted to update you with my uncle's eggplant recipe (that I couldn't quite remember last week) because it is so good.  I did have to call him again just to get it right.  Here goes: slice the eggplant into 1/4" slices, brush it with olive oil, grill it but not too long as it will get mushy.  After it's grilled, let it cool, and then slice it into thin strips.  Mix up some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chopped garlic, a bit of white wine and pepper.  Marinate the eggplant at least overnight, and it will keep for a few days.  Serve it on crackers or sliced baguette.  It would be good also as a salad topper or on a grilled sandwich.  

This week's list just screams salads.  With all the lovely fruit, the avocado, (which is a fruit as well technically) the butter lettuce and the spinach, I picture fancy salads.  I couldn't resist "googling" the combination of spinach, grapefruit, and avocado and came across a couple of great recipes, the two I would recommend are Spinach and Quinoa Salad with Grapefruit and Avocado (I'm a little addicted to quinoa since I bought the 1kg bag of it from Costco) and Grapefruit, Avocado and Spinach Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette - use the juice from an orange instead of the grapefruit to make the dressing.  And you could interchange spinach or the lettuce from this week's box in either recipe.  This recipe from www.skinnytaste.com for Avocado Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette also caught my eye to make use of the cucumbers, avocado, orange and lettuce.  Darn, wish I would've ordered extra avocados and extra grapefruit.  Hindsight is 20/20 right, or maybe I really need to be trying to write the blog on Monday nights when we get the first list so I can adjust my order on Tuesday!

I can't really remember when I started using more cremini mushrooms, they sort of feel like something new to me as I don't remember them being around when I was growing up but I also feel like I've been using them as long as I have been cooking for myself.  We tend to buy them over white mushrooms as they are a bit "meatier" and hold up better in cooking, however if I am using them raw, I do make sure to slice them pretty thin.  So as I was thinking about how I use creminis, I decided that I don't really know anything about them, or the nutritional importance of mushrooms in general.  For us, they are just necessary for a variety of things: pizza, stroganoff, mushroom barley soup - see below, and sauteed with onions for my husband any chance he gets, and I've never really thought about them too much.  So I did a bit of reading and was happy to find a lot of good information that supports what I already thought or do when it comes to mushrooms:

• Button mushrooms, creminis and portobellos are all the same type of mushroom but just differ based on their age.  Button mushrooms being the youngest and softest in texture, creminis are a little older with a darker flesh and a meatier consistency, and portobellos are the most aged with the darkest color and a full thick cap.
• Creminis have a bit of a fuller taste and do stand up better in cooking because of their meatier texture,
• "Mushrooms need a shower, not a bath" as stated in this story from The Kitchn.  I love this quote because it confirms what I've been doing for years.  I got tired of wiping mushrooms with a damp paper towel, went through too many paper towels which was a waste in my mind, and I started just running the mushrooms under a little water and wiping them with my hand.  
• Mushrooms can help the immune system, help protect against cardiovascular disease, have a significant source of conjugated linolenic acid (CLA) which can help with certain forms of breast cancer, and can potentially contain vitamin B12 depending on the type of mushroom (taken from www.whfoods.com),
• Mushrooms are best stored as soon as possible in the refrigerator or else they tend to lose their phytonutrients if left out in temperatures that are too warm.

My husband and I have a joke between us that if we get divorced, I get the cottage and he gets the Mushroom Barley Soup Recipe - it is a big favorite (taken from the Joy of Cooking):

3 1/2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, sliced and tough stems removed

1/2 c. chopped shallots

3 tbsp. dry sherry or Madeira (or just red wine)

1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme

4 1/2 c. Beef Stock or Beef Broth

3/4 c. pearl barley

1/2 - 1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Heat the oil and butter in a soup pot over high heat.  Add the mushrooms and shallots, cook, stirring often until the mushrooms are wilted, about 5 min.  Add the sherry and thyme, and reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring and scraping off the bottom of the pot for about 5 more minutes.  Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the barley is tender, about 1 hour.  Serve garnished with chopped parsley or whole thyme leaves.

I am looking forward to more radishes in this week's box.  Like the carrots in the box, remember to trim off the greenery and store them in a perforated plastic bag in the fridge.  If your radishes get soft or mushy, you can try refreshing them in a bowl of ice water.  Radishes are a really great source of Vitamin C and can help combat urinary and kidney problems.  And although they taste spicy, they can actually help to freshen your breath.  My daughter and I tend to gobble up the radishes raw or sliced on salads and they don't last that long in our house.  Last time we got radishes I suggested a dish for sauteed radishes that was really good, but I found lost the spicy flavor of the radish, which is my favorite part.  A different way to cook the radishes that may retain a bit more of the flavor might be Roasted Radishes with Olive Vinaigrette.  And of course, since I am a bit stuck on salads this week, Watermelon, Cucumber and Radish Salad or Farmer's Salad which reminds me a lot of my grandmother's old creamy cucumber salad.

If you read this on Friday, sorry, no photo yet, as I don't have my box.  And the fact that you are reading and hopefully enjoying the blog does inspire me to continue to write it.  Enjoy.

Organic Harvest Box for April 12, 2012

I have a confession to make - do you remember the last time we got a cabbage in our box?  I don't remember when it was, but I just cooked it last night.  The outer leaves were dry and I discarded them but the rest was fine so I made a Bacon Braised Cabbage recipe from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Cookbook that was fantastic.  Finely slice the cabbage and 6 slices of bacon.  Saute the bacon in a large saucepan with some olive oil until mostly crispy.  Add 2 pats of butter, some garlic, 2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce and cook a little more, then add your cabbage and 1 1/4 c. of broth.  Cover and cook that for 5-10 minutes until the cabbage is soft, remove the lid and cook for a few more minutes until the juice is mostly cooked off.  Season with salt and pepper.  I ate more of this at supper than main dish of Maple Hoisin Glazed Salmon - it is in the Spring Food and Drink magazine and is a great way to use up any extra green onions from last week.  Very easy, very delicious, I will post the link once it gets on the LCBO website.

Another confession, I still haven't made anything with my Roma's, I just keep having them sliced on toast with mayo and salt and pepper or with leftover ham from Easter.  Toasted tomato sandwiches are my staple in the late summer when we have an overabundance of fresh tomatoes in our garden so they feel like a bit a treat right now before my garden is even in.  However, I am trying to convince myself that I will use my tomatoes to greater effect this week.  In the back of my head I keep thinking that I am going to make a lovely pasta with a fresh tomato sauce, I have all sorts of recipes, and the spinach, red pepper and broccoli would really round out a nice pasta sauce.  This simple Penne with Tomato, Basil and Olives would be a great way to use the tomatoes, and you could add part of the red pepper and some broccoli to roast along with the tomatoes to make the pasta sauce.  Or maybe I'll use the tomato, lemon and some leftover green onions for this Best Tuna Burger (also by Jamie Oliver) that I've been wanting to try as it was highly recommended to me by a friend who makes it regularly for his wife and daughter who both love it.  Serve the burgers with some fresh cut up cucumber, the corn on the cob and you have a great backyard BBQ meal.

Last confession, I didn't make any strawberry shortcake at all last weekend, those strawberries were so delicious on their own that we ate the whole container one night for dessert, just plain.

This week's box really makes me feel like summer is coming, lots of fresh veggies, many that can be eaten raw, and Corn on the Cob!  My favorite way to have corn on the cob is on the BBQ.  We have found two ways that get that nice roasted flavor on the cobs.  When you have extra time, use this method where you soak the cobs first and then grill them in the husks.  An easy way to do them when you are more pressed for time is to remove the husks and silk from the cobs, make as many tin foil squares as you have cobs, rub some butter onto the tin foil, sprinkle with a bit of seasoning (right onto the tin foil), place the cob in the middle of the tin foil and roll it up.  Place on a medium to medium high grill for approximately 10-15 minutes.  We mostly eat the corn right off the cob but if you want to do something a little more with it, you could make this Roasted Corn and Red Pepper Salad (make about a quarter of this recipe).

I think that we all have our favorite recipes for cucumbers, broccoli, spinach, red peppers, even just put together like that in a salad makes a great side dish for any meal or cut up as veggies to munch alongside soup and a sandwich so I was trying to find "10 things I didn't know" about: whatever vegetable.  The most interesting that I found were these 10 things that I didn't know about cucumber (adapted from anneorshine.blogspot.com) :

• Cucumbers contain more vitamins than I knew; Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6,Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc,
• Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and carbohydrates that help give that pick me up instead of a sugary snack or drink,
• Tired of your  bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower?  Try rubbing a Cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance,
• Place a few cucumber slices in an aluminum pie tin in your garden to help keep garden pests out.  The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to keep off a scent undetectable to humans but that makes pests flee.  I will try this out this summer,
• I'm a little skeptical about this one but -  looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes (I think that my problem areas might take more than 1 or 2 slices), the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!
• Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache,
• Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water,
• Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams,
• Looking for a "green" way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel?  Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface that you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine but it won't leave streaks or harm your fingers while you clean,
• Lastly, you may know this one, but if you slice up some cucumbers, sprinkle them with just a bit of salt, it's a great snack replacement for chips or crackers when you get the munchies (that one I did know).

The last item from this week's box that I will touch on is kale.  If you don't already know, kale is a superfood with so many health benefits as outlined in these 9 Reasons You Should Eat More Kale.  I usually don't have a problem finding something to do with it, but do admit (veiled confession!) that I have passed a handful off to a friend every now and then who really loves it.  But, the last time we got kale, I made a Kale, Potato and Chickpea soup that was fantastic.  I froze some of it and had it reheated in lunches over the weeks and it was still good.  Tasha sent me a recipe that she tried last night for Lemony Kale Salad.  She noted that she used the whole lemon and was generous with the olive oil and that it was very yummy.  I would love to hear if anyone has made their own kale chips as they are quite popular and visually appealing.  It doesn't look difficult but I would be interested to know if they get crispy?  Are tasty?  Most importantly, will my kids eat them?

I am off to indulge in some seafood this weekend at a curling bonspiel in Cumberland so won't even get to my veggies until Sunday but at least it won't be the two months that it took me to use my cabbage.

Organic Harvest Box for March 22, 2012

Welcome back to the Life Organic Blog!!  I am really excited to be writing the blog for Life Organics.  My family has been receiving the Basic Harvest Box for more than year and have enjoyed the variety of produce and the opportunities to try vegetables that I may never have picked up before.  So, I'm not new to Life Organics, but I am new to blogging, so would be happy to have any feedback about style, recipes, and content that you want to give.

Before I get into the ideas for this weeks produce, I wanted to mention that I bought a case of the Camino Fair Trade Organic Mango Juice (did you know they were featured on Episode 2 of The Big Decision on CBC) that Life Organics was offering the last couple of weeks, and my two kids have loved it.  I do recommend to cut the mango juice with water for little kids as it is almost like nectar and very tasty and rich.  This week I ordered a case of Tropical Juice and Limeade and can't wait to try both.  I'm thinking that the Limeade with a bit of tonic, club soda, or sparkling water would've been a great patio drink this week.

When I originally looked at the list for this week's selection all I could think about was grilling, BBQ-ing, and fresh summer salads given our fantastic weather.  Looking at the forecast for the weekend and next week I think that I might still be in the mood for some soups and casseroles.  Tasha and I have had radish discussions over the last couple of weeks, how best to keep them  (trim the leaves, wrap in plastic and refrigerate), what to do when they get soft (immerse them in ice water for an hour before serving), and how to eat them.  I use the Joy of Cooking (Rombauer, Rombauer Becker, and Becker) to look up all sorts of cooking information and was interested to read that radishes were considered an appetite stimulant and that the French had a custom of starting the day with a handful of radishes, eaten with sweet butter.  In our house, we mostly eat our radishes raw, a bright addition to a vegetable tray, or sliced thinly into a salad, but I was interested to find a variety of cooked radish recipes such as, Sauteed Radishes with Watercress or Roasted Radishes. Certainly with the baby lettuce or spinach in this week's box, I think the radishes would be a great addition to your favorite salad recipe.

The other items in the box all inspire a variety of meal ideas.  Our fruit always gets eaten as it is and we've been ordering extra navel oranges because we are finding them so juicy and tasty right now.  The apples could be used for a Baked Apple dessert.  The potatoes could be roasted on the BBQ, boiled, or mashed but for us will probably get used in Leek and Potato Soup, with our leeks from last week.   To take advantage of the early BBQ season I think that we will roast the green beans on the grill (you could add the zucchini with them) in some tin foil with some olive oil, garlic and seasoning.  Or you could do a French Bean Salad with Tarragon and Green Peppercorn from one of my new favorite food websites, Food52.

Lastly, I was happy to see both peppers and zucchini on the list so that I could use it in one of our favorite, kid friendly, regular supper recipes, Chickpea Curry, served over rice or thin egg noodles.

Chickpea Curry 
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped or minced
1/2 c. chopped onion
oil
1/2 c. each red or yellow or green pepper, chopped
1/2 c. zucchini, chopped
1 tbsp. each of cumin, ground coriander, and curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1 c. canned diced tomatoes, drained
3 c. chickpeas
1 can coconut milk


Saute on med-high heat, onion, garlic and ginger in oil until onions are soft.  Add peppers and zucchini and cook until soft (5-7 min).  Add spices and salt and cook for 2-3 min stirring frequently.  Add coconut milk, diced tomatoes, and chickpeas.  Bring to a boil, turn down heat to medium and simmer for 10-15 min.  


I hope you enjoy my recipes and meal ideas, and I would love to see you comment with your ideas.  Enjoy!

Weekly recipe ideas for Thursday, June 16th

by Brie

Fruit, like plums and pears, do make great snacks but they make even better additions to dinner. On a hot night try making a plum chicken salad or roasted plum and spinach salad. And as a side dish caramelized carrots and pears sounds delicious!

 



Green beans are a great side dish to serve with dinner. From the simple, serving them either steamed or roasted, to the more creative, honey cashew green beans or sweet and spicy green beans, they make a great accompaniment to most meals. Green beans can also be served in the main meal, like this green bean masala or this green bean mushroom casserole.

Green onions (also known as scallions) are milder then most other onions. They can be cooked or used raw as a garnish. Add them to sesame orzo with charred scallions or stir-fried tofu. For a lovely dinner make honey glazed pork with scallions and carrots or chicken with rice, broccoli and scallions.   

Spinach is a favorite salad ingredient. If you are wanting to try out some new salad recipes consider cranberry spinach salad or honey curry spinach salad. Our spinach will be chopped up and added to some phylo to make a spinach pie.  

These are some of the ideas 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, May 5th: Salads and more

by Brie

I have never cooked with radishes, although I have eaten them in salads (one of their more common uses).
Radishes are a very low calorie root vegetable that are also a good source of anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber. Seeing them in my box this week, I feel challenged and want to use them in some great tasting recipes. Like this radish and spinach salad or this lettuce and radish salad. They will also be great combined with the garlic and lemon from this week's box in a seared tuna and radish salad with lemon vinaigrette. If you like to eat radishes raw try serving them with flavored salts and butters or make radish butter and serve it on toast.

With the weather getting warmer (hopefully!) salads are a great, easy to prepare meal choice. In this week's box we received both spinach and leaf lettuce. With the spinach try adding some of the fruit from this week's box and make an orange glazed beef and spinach salad or spinach shrimp and cantaloupe salad. The red oak leaf lettuce is perfect for this cheese and red grape salad or pear salad. And if you have any lettuce, cucumber, peppers or tomatoes left try adding them to this falafel burger recipe.

Cantaloupes are a great fat free snack that are also cholesterol free and high in vitamin A and C. Firm cantaloupes should be left on the counter at room temperature for a few days until the fruit feels softer. Once cut the cantaloupe should be wrapped and stored in the fridge. But, really, the best thing to do is to eat it fresh!

A cantaloupe can be cut into slices or cubes and eaten anytime of day. Served with some yogurt and crushed walnuts it would make a tasty breakfast! Great in smoothies and ice cream, it can also take centre stage in a chilled soup.

These are some of the ideas 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, April 28th: A box full of greens and oranges

by Brie

A big bunch of spinach came in our box this week. Spinach is a popular vegetable in our house, not only because it tastes good, but because it is a great source of vitamins, iron and calcium. I also like how versatile it is. It is great tossed in a salad, aloo palak or in our favorite recipe of spanakopita. This low fat spanakopita strudel recipe is next on my list to try.

I love sugar snap peas and was excited to find some in our box. They make a great snack and are easy to wash and take along with you. It is hard to go wrong when you fry them up on their own or in a stirfry with broccoli. If you prefer they can also be steamed. I plan to make this spicy Asian roasted broccoli and snap peas dish I discovered.

Broccoli, like the other green vegetables in this week's box, is high in Vitamin C and dietary fiber. Broccoli on its own makes for a great side dish. It would be great served with garlic butter and cashews or with Parmesan and lemon. With the weather warming up, broccoli is also a great base for salads, like this broccoli and bacon salad.

Since starting with Life Organic we have made some great recipes with carrots. Two favorites are this carrot cake and these carrot fritters. I am always looking for new recipes though. This week I am thinking of trying carrot halwa or candied carrots.  These root vegetables are rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins and dietary fiber.

Some fabulous fruit arrived in our box. Navel oranges, spartan apples and a box of strawberries are all perfect for snacking. For bakers, there is the option to try making an apple and strawberry crumble or ricotta orange pound cake with strawberries. If you prefer something savory try this fresh orange and apple chutney.

These are some of the ideas 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, March 17th box: Meals from around the world

by Brie

I love opening up our box and imagining all of the meals we could make with the produce inside. It's like looking at an empty canvas. The hard part comes when I have to narrow down all the choices.

The bag of beets and crimini mushrooms are going to be part of a Ukrainian meal we are making for a weekend dinner party. I tried making homemade pierogies once before and they turned out great. This time I am going to make them with a potato and mushroom filling. The beets are going to be turned into borscht, with a little help from the big bag of celery from our box.

(I am trying to find new recipe ideas for beets. I thought this beet cake with cream cheese icing looked good. Do you have any yummy beet recipes to share?)

The broccoli and leaf lettuce are going to form the basis of two Thai meals. I am thinking of a broccoli and tofu stirfry served with noodles, although I still haven't decided on a sweet ginger sauce or peanut sauce. I love lettuce wraps because there are so many filling options. I love these soba noodles and vegetable lettuce wraps with hosin and chili sauce and curried chickpeas an quinoa recipes.

Finally, the spinach and basil are going to be used to make an Italian meal. I am still deciding between a spinach-walnut pesto and a warm spinach-basil sauce.

This week's box had bananas, blueberries and navel oranges. All great fruit to be eaten for snacks or as dessert!

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, March 10th: Making muffins and roasting vegetables

by Brie

Our box this week arrived after dinner and the kids had to open it as soon as we dragged it into the house. They they had to sit and eat half the strawberries. I managed to snag one for myself and it was good!




Some anjou pears arrived in the box which means I will be making my favorite spiced anjou pear bread. This bread recipe has been one of my best discoveries and is perfect for taking visiting. It also got me thinking about how I could bake with the grapefruit. Grapefruit muffins anyone? And because we go through muffins like crazy in this house I am also going to turn the big bag of carrots into spiced carrot muffins. I like to make the mini muffins and freeze some to be pulled out when needed for snacks.

There were two greens in the box this week, Swiss chard and spinach. I am going to cook the chard with chick peas and fresh tomatoes and serve it with quinoa but you could also try a chard and goat cheese pizza or spicy Thai vegetable soup. I am going to try making these spinach brownies. The spinach would also be tasty in this curried lentil and spinach soup.

Whenever I see little potatoes in my box I always want to sprinkle them with some sea salt and roast them. Yum. You can't go wrong with roasted potatoes. I have the same urge with yams, but cut as fries. But they would also be great baked and served with cream cheese. The beautiful cauliflower will end up being roasted with sea salt and thrown into my favorite soup recipe. For something different you could try a cauliflower cheese pie or cauliflower curry.

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, 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, February 17th box: Greens and reds

by Brie

The best part of this week's food box didn't need to be cooked. The big container of fresh organic strawberries were inhaled by my two kids as soon as they woke up. Strawberries make a good breakfast I say!

The other bright red container in this week's box was a pint of grape tomatoes. I like to eat grape tomatoes raw, or sauteed with garlic and basil. They would also be great in a baked tomato sauce or in these cute tomato and mozzarella appetisers.  And tomatoes are also perfect in soup.

There were lots of green vegetables this week. A bunch of snap peas had me thinking about all the fun things I could make, like snap pea and brussel sprout sautee or mushroom, tofu and snap pea stir fry. But what I really want to try is this garlic and snap pea soup. I am also going to be throwing baby bok choi in this garlicky soup (perfect for the flu making its way through our house). You could also try soy glazed baby bok choi or garlic bok choi. Yum.

My first thought when I get spinach in my box is to make a salad, but I am always pleased when I try something different, like this chana masala recipe. Spinach is also great in any kind of pie or casserole. Like this spinach phyllo pizza or eggplant and spinach lasagna.

The hardest vegetable for me is celery. While it can be useful to throw into other dishes, I wasn't sure how to use it as a main ingredient. Now I know. If you are looking for some good celery dishes try pear and celery soup, watermelon and celery salad or spinach and celery salad. I'm going to try making this sweet and sour celery.

We love to eat roasted vegetables and one of my favorites are parsnips. For something a little different I am going to try these parsnip fries. They would also be yummy glazed with honey and roasted with carrots. Parsnips would also be great in parsnip fritters or a parsnip pie.

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.

First box. First blog post.

by Brie

I am very excited to be taking over blogging at the Life Organic Blog. Thanks Shannon for all the great recipe ideas you have shared here. I know I will be looking through the archives for suggestions!

I am even more excited with my first box (or Tupperware container) filled with fabulous organic fruit and vegetables. Its arrival late on Thursday couldn't have been better timed. By the end of the week we are running low on groceries and I am searching the freezer trying to remember what the brown thing in the glass container is. Now I have a fridge stocked full of fresh organic produce and I couldn't be happier.

As soon as I saw what was in the box I started wondering how to use everything. I don't have to think hard about the fruit. I predict that before I could ever get around to baking with the fruit it will be consumed by my two young kids. The pint of blueberries will disappear as soon as my four year old daughter gets home from school and we will eat the Granny Smith Apples, Anjou pears and bag of kiwis as snacks throughout the day. 

My plan for the lovely looking acorn squash is soup. Mmm, soup. It is perfect weather for soup. I am going to make this recipe, which will also let me use one of the crisp green apples, some shallots and a carrot. The rest of the carrots will be grated and made into carrot cake, topped with cream cheese icing of course, to share with friends this weekend. The carrots are so great looking I am sure my kids would eat them whole.

I am a bit of a purist when it comes to green beans. I like them steamed with some butter and salt. Simple but really my favorite.

The only difficult choice with this week's basket is what to do with a box of crimini mushrooms and spinach bunch. I am tempted to make a cheesy rice and spinach casserole or one of these great spinach recipes from around the world. Even a nice spinach salad with mushrooms and red onion would be nice. But I think I will make these mushroom and spinach calazones using our favorite homemade pizza dough recipe. This should make enough for dinner and have leftovers that can be frozen for lunches.

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 June 4, 2010

This week's Organic Harvest Box is as inviting as ever! Nothing says spring (and almost summer!) like a beautiful box of fresh organic produce. Take a look:


Spinach is one of the most versatile and delicious greens out there. It is packed full of Vitamin K, as well as carotenoids like beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. A good supply of vitamins B6 and C may help put you in a good mood, as both play vital roles in the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. Not convinced yet? Spinach is also an excellent source of folate, known to protect against birth defects, and it also helps prevent cancers of the cervix and lungs. It can also work with vitamin B6 to protect against heart disease.

So there you go! Grab yourself a big spinach salad and dig in.

Salads are still just about my favourite way to eat spinach. Many people are not aware of the vast array of possibilities for spinach salads - they do not have to be dull and boring! I've compiled a great list for you this week, and I urge you to try at least one of these super salads and report back with your results:

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Almonds and Dill

Spinach Salad with Poached Eggs

Wilted Spinach Salad with Chickpeas

Sassa's Spinach Salad

Spinach Salad with Mushroom and Parmesan

Spinach Salad with Bacon and Feta

Really not a salad fanatic like I am??? Toss your spinach into a batch of this Spinach and Basil Pesto or simply turn your greens into a delightful side dish and serve up this Sauteed Spinach.

I get the Kraft Canada magazine in the mail several times a year - they send one out for each season, and there are often a couple recipes I try out of each book. They are free and you can sign up for the service at their web site. This week I tried this Mexicana Chopped Salad and this Peaches and Greens Salad and both were welcome additions to my lunch time routine. I often substitute the prepackaged ingredients for those I make myself at home - especially the Kraft salad dressings as they are often high in sugar. I'm making a few tweaks to this Broccoli Salad this weekend and am taking it to a potluck barbecue.

Blueberries - what can I say? We love them at our house. I've slowly been experimenting with main meal recipes that incorporate blueberries - although often the blueberries get gobbled up as soon as I wash them by three pairs of little tiny hands in my house. However, I'm really hoping to try this Grilled Chicken with Blueberry-Basil Salsa this week. For lighter fare, I like the looks of this Summer Salad with Blueberries or a Chilled Blueberry Soup. And who can say no to a piece of steaming hot Blueberry Coffee Cake or a slice of Blueberry Breakfast Bake?

Fresh spring asparagus is another of our regular favourites. I rarely get to experiment with dark, green stalks because I tend to grill them up on the barbecue, sprinkle them with olive oil, lemon, and salt and pepper, and eat an entire bunch at once. But, just for you, I've gathered together a nice list of asparagus choices for you this week:

Asparagus and Crab Salad

Asparagus and Cucumber Vinaigrette

Asparagus with Mustard-Herb Vinaigrette

Roasted Asparagus with Capers and Lemon

Quinoa with Tofu and Asparagus

Grilled Vegetable Wrap

Looking to try something new with your avocado this week? Guacamole not cuttin' it for you? Why not experiment with these Glazed Chocolate-Avocado Cupcakes? For a healthy lunch choice, dig into these Mango Avocado Rolls or serve up this tangy Asian Spinach Salad with Marinated Mushrooms.

Happy organic eating to you all!

Organic Harvest Box for May 21, 2010

Let's have a look inside our tasty Organic Harvest Box this week:


I found this recipe for a Fruity Spinach Salad in my inbox this week and am really excited to try it. It looks easy and delicious, and is something I can eat on the South Beach diet. I'm truly addicted to my lunch time salads now, and my goal is to branch out over the summer months to try new combinations of vegetables and fruits together. I don't want to get bored, so the key is mixing it up and keeping it a little exciting!

I recommend this Spicy Curried Spinach Open Omelet if you're in the mood for something new for breakfast or brunch. This omelet has some zing and is full of healthy goodness. Serve it this holiday long weekend and impress your friends and family!

If you have an ice cream machine at home (I, unfortunately, do not) then I most definitely suggest you try whipping a batch of Strawberry Ice Cream for some Victoria Day weekend fun. You'll need to freeze your strawberries first, or else use frozen strawberries from your freezer. Another fun and easy berry dessert is this Charred Eggy Bread with Strawberries and Honey - something fun to grill up on the barbecue and enjoy with your strawberries. I also like the look of this Strawberry Orange Salad - another I'm adding to my "must try" list for the next week or two. And if you're not trying to lose weight this week, why not get that baker's apron dirty and throw together this Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (with lattice crust) or this one (with one crust). Be sure to report back and let us know how it turns out - strawberry rhubarb pie was something I enjoyed as as a child, and it really takes a special cook to be able to make it just right!

Do you like to use your red or green peppers for stuffed pepper recipes? Stuffed peppers are delicious and often healthy, and are a simple way to really impress your dinner guests (or your kids . . . or your mother, you know what I mean). If you're new to this type of cooking, try out this recipe for Stuffed Peppers or these Stuffed Bell Peppers. I came across this recipe for Green Pepper Relish and think it looks worth every bit of effort it likely takes. But if you like to keep it simple, nothing beats a summer Red and Green Pepper Salad - easy, healthy, and too tasty for words.

Ready to try something a little out of the ordinary with this week's tomatoes? Why not ditch your regular jarred salsa from the store and make this Grilled Tomato Salsa - it's simple and adds a kick to any salsa-deserving meal or appetizer. I guarantee you'll never go back to store bought after making your own. Also new this week is this Tomato and Fennel Salad with Barbecued Fish and Fried Eggs with Tomato, Watercress, and Breadcrumbs. And for those looking to enjoy a tomato's flavour all on its own, add this Tomato and Basil Salad to your long weekend fare.

I absolutely love this Broccoli Salad from Jamie Oliver - it gets raved about every time I serve it. I love adding broccoli to salads in the warmer months. But since my family seems to adore broccoli served with pasta, I hope to try this Quick Vegetable Pasta and maybe even this Penne with Broccoli to share with them.

Enjoy your long weekend and be sure to gobble up your harvest box treasures!