Harvest Box for August 30, 2012

AKA: I Have Too Many Tomatoes!!!  

This week is not going to be so much about what you can do with the veggies in your order, but what I did tonight with the veggies in my order.  Each week I look at the list when it comes on Monday to see if there might be something I want extra of that week but I don't really start thinking about the list seriously until Wednesday or Thursday when I write the blog.  So this week, I'm unpacking my box and look, a lovely 3 orange tomatoes, ummm, they will go well with my 2 that I still have from last week.  Ooohhh and look, another lovely pint of cherry tomatoes to go with my other pint from last week.  And WOW, a clamshell full of Roma tomatoes.  (NB - you can return the empty clamshell in your blue tote box and Ferme aux Pleines Saveurs will recycle it)  And then I look over to the counter where I have 2 large bowls of tomatoes picked from our garden.  The plans for the evening suddenly changed.

What was to be a quiet evening of finding some recipes, writing the blog, maybe reading, and heading to bed early has turned into a marathon of cooking, prepping, canning, and figuring out what to do with the tomato bounty.  As I type, there are still two lovely pints of mixed cherry tomatoes sitting in front of me, but that's the best I could do on short notice.  And photos to document it all.

As I stated last week, the leeks were going to get used in soup, never happened, but now that I had two from last week and two more this week, I couldn't let the other two go bad, so a batch of Leek and Potato Soup onto the stove.

Why can't this wait until another night when I don't have to spend a couple of hours writing?  Because we are headed to the cottage this weekend, and I decided earlier today that I would make a Mediterranean Rice Salad knowing that I was getting some red peppers in the order.  I am not really sure where this recipe came from, but it is one of my favorites.

3 c. cooked long grain rice
1 c. cooked wild rice
1 c. feta, crumbled
1/2 c. chopped red onion
1/3. c. each of red, yellow, and green pepper, finely chopped (use the green from last week and the red from this week)
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1/4 c. each chopped black and green olives
2 tbsp capers
1-15oz can of cannellini beans (ordered those a while back as well)

Combine all of that in a large bowl and mix well.

Dressing:
3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 clove of garlic, minced

Mix the dressing ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk.  Pour over the rice mixture and combine well.  Serve chilled, and even better the next day.

The wild rice is still cooling as I type before I can add it to the salad.

 Beets, from last week.  I cooked them last night and since I was on a roll, I decided that they might as well get pickled.  This is the easy recipe from my London Olympics post from a few weeks ago.  Super easy, can't wait to try them.  Make sure to process them as directed.

And the tomatoes - what to do with that many tomatoes?  I looked up a lot of options online.  You could check out the Top Ten Ways to Use Up Tomatoes.  The Tomato Medley recipe from last week is a great option to use up all three types at once.  You could certainly slice the orange tomatoes and have a nice toasted tomato sandwich with some mayo, salt and pepper.  Or as I saw on one "what to do with too many tomatoes" post - upgrade the simple toasted tomato sandwich with a thicker bread, some gouda, and fresh basil.  Layer the tomatoes first onto the bread, top with the gouda, place under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly then top with some shredded basil and cracked pepper.

Most sites suggest roasting the tomatoes or baking them on low heat to dry them for future use.  A lot of recipes also suggest making tomato sauce or paste and then freezing it.  You can also just dry pack the tomatoes (put them in a Ziploc and take out as much air as possible) and freeze them.  When you want to use the tomatoes, bring them out of the freezer, run them under warm water to remove the skins and use in sauces or soups.  If we weren't going to be a the cottage this weekend, I would probably take the time to make a nice pasta sauce with the Romas, the garlic, and some fresh herbs from my pot.

However, I had a soup on the stove, 2 jars of beets waiting to be processed, and a some wild rice about to be drained for a salad - I opted for the least time consuming option.  This title Grab the Blender caught my eye.  So, a bit of sacrilege to some fine tomatoes, but not even a minute in the food processor and I had first some lovely orange tomato juice and secondly some red tomato juice.  I have put it in small storage bags and into the freezer.  Not even 20 minutes of my time, and I will use that juice for sauces and soups over the next few months.  I won't feel bad about any tomatoes going bad, and I won't resent my garden from overdosing on caprese salad, tomato sandwiches, and pasta with tomatoes!

The soup is done, the beets are in the canner, and I am just about done typing.  I want to leave you with one last recipe that I will be making tomorrow night with the Savoy Cabbage and Red Pepper.  It's a Napa Cabbage Salad (sub the Savoy for the Napa) and is similar to a Japanese Coleslaw recipe that I may have given you in the past.  I apologize if it's a repeat, but it's a good one.

1 large cabbage, chopped
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
Place chopped cabbage, onion, and red pepper in a large salad bowl

1/4 c. butter
1 c. slivered almonds
2 pkgs chicken flavored ichiban noodles with the seasoning mix
Melt the butter in the frying pan, then add the almonds, broken noodles, and seasonings.  Saute until almonds are golden.  Add to cabbage mixture and toss.

1c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp. soya sauce
1/3 c. sugar
Shake the dressing ingredients in a jar or resealable container.  Consider only making half the dressing or pour about 1/2 the dressing over the salad and toss at least 30 min before serving.  If you made a full batch of dressing, you will have leftovers, refrigerate and use again.

Organic Harvest Box for August 23, 2012

So while I was out of town last week, Tasha is sending me this beautiful photo of the cherry tomatoes from Songberry Farm (not to make me jealous of course) and some of you may have been lucky enough to get them if you are getting the Local Only box.

And then she proceeds to send me this recipe for a Tomato Medley by Jamie Oliver.  Really, we are out of town, not cooking for ourselves checking email only to see mouth watering cherry tomatoes and a great idea for what to do with them - and we can't have any.  However, this week's order has both cherry tomatoes and orange field tomatoes and if I raid our own plants, I think the Tomato Medley will be a great starter one night for dinner.  In case you are unsure, you can get Halloumi cheese for the recipe at almost any Middle Eastern grocery store.  

I don't want to rush the end of summer by any means, my oldest daughter starts school for the first time in a couple of weeks, swimming in the lake won't last much longer, and traffic on your favorite thoroughfare is going to get busy again.  But I do love to see the start of the fall harvest in our veggie order.  Soup season will start again soon and it's one of my favorite meals so I'll probably make a Potato Leek Soup this week.  I make this recipe from the Joy of Cooking, it is very simple:

3 tbsps. unsalted butter
6 medium leeks, chopped
1 1/4 lbs potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
6 c. stock (poultry, vegetable) or water
Salt and Pepper
1/2 to 1 c. heavy cream

In a soup pot, over low heat, melt the butter.  Add the leeks, stirring regularily, and cook until they are tender but not browned about 20 minutes.  Stir in the potatoes and stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft, approx. 30 min.  Puree in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth.  Add the cream and reheat gently.  Serve garnished with snipped chives.

I was trying to keep summer in mind and think of some light and fresh recipes to keep me away from what I really want to start cooking - fall comfort food - so I started to search out salads with beets and fennel.  I could write this whole blog just about that combo (and I apologize in advance if that's what it turns into).  Add some apple or some oranges to the mix and I will need three extra orders of each.  Here is what I came up with - starting light and fresh and still a great choice for this weekend's hot weather - Hearty Beet and Fennel Salad - don't forget to use that basil from the plant from week's ago.  Everything is grated, no cooking and a really fresh tasting dressing - you might want to wear rubber gloves when grating the beets.  Another two salads that caught my eye are Herbed Beets with Fennel and Beets with Fennel, Orange and Walnuts; both require cooking the beets first, roasting or boiling.  But fast forward a few weeks from now when we are getting much cooler weather, frosty mornings, and leaves turning, and you would do equally well to make this recipe for Roasted Beets, Fennel and Apple  or Beet and Fennel Soup with Kefir.

Since I offhandedly mentioned wearing rubber gloves for grating your beets, I thought I should check into how to clean beet juice stains from your hands.  Google is a wonderful thing but can easily distract - did you know that drinking beet juice is the latest performance enhancing craze.  According to Adrian Chen of Gawker - beet juice was "the fuel of elite international athletes in London."  Apparently the nitrates improve the muscles ability to use oxygen.  I digress from my original thought - how to remove beet stains from your skin.  If you can, do avoid getting your skin stained in the first place by wearing kitchen gloves when prepping your beets, but if you prefer bare hands - then after the fact you can try a bit of lemon juice when you are washing hands.  Or you can use coarse salt (or table salt if you don't have coarse) on your dry hands and try rubbing them together until the stains start to lift and the salt starts to "melt".  At this point you can rinse you hands, if the stains still remain you can try repeating the process.  Be aware of a couple of things - remove your watch and jewelry prior to using the salt, be wary if you have any nicks or cuts on your skin, and this trick may actually work on clothing as well.

A couple of more ideas for this week:

• Use the green beans and tomatoes in "Beatrice's Salad" from Ricardo's website,
• Use the broccoli and apple in Broccoli Apple Soup from Food52.com,
• Pick up an onion and add it to the fennel, green pepper and tomatoes to make The Ultimate Greek Salad from Nigella's website

And enjoy the hot weather this weekend with some great food and fresh produce.

Organic Harvest Box for August 10, 2012

I am not actually getting a box this week but am hopefully getting just some beans and sugar snap peas to snack on as the peas were so good last week, I couldn't resist.  I am single parenting with only one child this week and we are not getting through our veggies fast enough before we leave on Saturday morning for a few days away.  There will be no box photo with this post, and no post at all next week.  I do have photo though of the makings for a fantastic quick fresh pasta that we enjoyed Monday evening after arriving home from the cottage.

Put your pasta on to boil as you start this sauce.  Heat approximately 2-3tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat.  While that is heating, finely chop your garlic, add to the oil.  Chop your tomatoes (they don't have to be perfectly uniform, and you can use large or cherry tomatoes) and add to the oil.  They will splatter, turn the heat down a little bit.  Let the tomatoes cook for about 5 minutes.  Chop some fresh basil and add to the sauce with some salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat when the pasta is ready, add some shredded parmesan cheese and stir into the pasta.  I don't know if it was specifically the tomatoes that we had last week in our box, but it was so sweet and tasty that my 2 year old ate 2 full bowls - I didn't have any seconds or leftovers for myself!

I came across this great post today on a quick way to chop cherry tomatoes at Food52.com.  I will be using it when I make this pasta again later this week with my garden tomatoes.

I can't believe all the good fruit coming this week, and then the huge amount of veggies.  These days, I am not the best person to ask about how to cook any of these veggies because as usual, they are mostly getting eaten raw.  But I have been cooking the zucchini.  Zucchini is apparently a great source of antioxidants and Vitamin C but research shows that the antioxidant benefits can decrease depending on how it is prepared.  The best way to keep as many nutritional properties as possible with zucchini is to eat it raw or just briefly steamed, and eat the skin, and seeds if possible.  Summer squashes such as zucchini can have fragile skin that can get bad spots if nicked.  To store your zucchini it is best to not wash it and place it in an airtight container in the fridge.  It should last up to 7 days that way.  If you are getting over run by zucchini from the garden then freezing it is a great option and it does maintain its antioxidants when frozen.  Some websites suggest blanching it before freezing, but my experience is to grate it so it can be thawed later to be used in sauces, baking, or casseroles.  My dad has a huge garden and is constantly picking zucchinis at this time of year.  He reminded me of a stuffed zucchini recipe that he does, and this is the closest I could find online - Stuffed Zucchini with Tomatoes and Mozzarella.  Zucchini goes really well with tomatoes and could be done roasted, sautéed, or raw in a salad such Zucchini Carpaccio (Raw Zucchini Salad).

As I said, my yellow beans are going to get eaten raw as a snack on our road trip.  But there are so many options with yellow or green beans to make a nice side dish.  You can easily sauté or steam them and add your favorite oil/butter/lemon juice and then herbs or seasonings.  This recipe for Garlic Yellow Beans is a great starting point and you can add or adjust with your preference or what's in your pantry.  If beans are still available after my holidays, I am going to get a few pounds and try these Spicy Dilled Beans from Canadian Living.  Their intro caught my eye stating that the dilled beans would be a great cocktail garnish, and I might tone down a jar or two given that the kiddies are into everything pickled (don't judge, but they love a pickle at breakfast).

I often feel that I should be writing more recipes for the fruit that's in the box, however, I would be surprised how many people are actually cooking with their fruit as opposed to just eating it.  But I am going to challenge myself to include 1 fruit recipe each week.  Last week's Plum Strudel recipe was the inadvertent start, and as I was reviewing the list this week, I thought to myself that I better include that easy tart recipe from the Food and Drink, and good thing I looked at last week's blog - already done!  So this week, I want to share some ideas for Mango Salad.  Mango Salad with shrimp is one of my favorite dishes at Vietnamese or Thai restaurants.  Here are two easy recipes with no shrimp in either but it could be added easily.  One recipe for Thai Mango Salad from the Toronto Sun and another recipe from Canadian Living.

Wish me luck on a 6 hour road trip with a 2 year old, some snacks of yellow beans and snap peas, multiple kids CDs, and likely a barrage of stickers in the backseat.  I'll return, somehow rested hopefully, in 2 weeks.

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 14, 2012

A potted basil plant?  What if it doesn't grow, how guilty will I feel? It's the same sentiment I had when my mother-in-law told me that she had a hibiscus tree for me when we first got married, what if I kill it?  "Maybe you should keep it for now until we get a bigger place."  That was 15 years ago, I still don't own any indoor plants.

Some basil at Belle Terre

I am pretty decent at keeping a vegetable garden but in the last few years, I haven't had any luck with basil. It could be the constant sun in the backyard, or the plant boxes that didn't retain any moisture, and most recently the children that like to water everything all of the time, over and over and over.  This year, I have my herbs in a new pot, and not surprisingly the mint has taken over almost the whole pot.  Luckily, my oldest daughter is keen to chew on anything that comes out of our garden so every time we go outside, she can have a sprig of mint.  I will try to grow the 3" potted basil in that big herb pot.  I did a bit of reading to make sure I am doing the right things with my basil, and what I did learn is that basil does need sunny conditions (up to 8 hours per day) with soil that has good moisture retention.  It is important to regularly (weekly) pick the basil leaves to encourage further growth, and apparently by pinching the centers, it will promote bushiness.  Fresh basil is so great to have all year if you can.  My favorite use for fresh basil is a simple Caprese Salad which you could do this week with the new basil plant (your first trimming) and the hot house tomatoes.  Pick up a really good piece of buffalo mozzarella or fresh mozzarella, your favorite olive oil and I opt for some balsamic vinegar as well.  Part of the fun of making Caprese salad is deciding how to present it.  Later in the summer when I have cherry tomatoes, I slice them in half and then toss them with squarish chunks of mozzarella or torn pieces of the cheese.  With the tomatoes that are coming in this week's box, a more interesting presentation would be to slice the tomatoes into 1/2" slices and mozzarella into 1/4" slices.  Overlap the tomatoes and mozzarella in a round on a plate or my absolute favorite (taken from a great meal we had at Casa Bella in Gananoque years ago) is to alternate stacking them about 2" high.  Sprinkle the basil leaves over the salad.  Drizzle the olive oil over, sprinkle with a bit of balsamic if you choose and a really good salt (I love fleur de sel for this) and a bit of pepper.

I am making a new lamb dish this weekend for friends from the Early Summer edition of LCBO's Food and Drink magazine - it is Slow-Roasted Breast of Lamb with Potatoes and it calls for Yukon Gold potatoes - how apt that we are getting some in our box.  This dish is a bit fancy, but you could also use your potatoes for roasting in the oven or on the BBQ, or sliced with some onions, the green garlic, and some butter wrapped in tin foil and placed on the BBQ.  Here however is the LCBO recipe - I'm sure in a few months it will be available www.lcbo.com, but not just yet.

4lbs lamb breast on the bone (about 2 breasts), trimmed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2lbs large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut in thirds
1/2 c. 2 inch rosemary sprigs
1 whole head garlic, separated into cloves


SAUCE
1/2 c. red wine
2 tbsp. port
2 c. beef or chicken stock
1 tsp. tomato paste


Preheat oven to 275F.  Cut away any excess fat from the top of the breasts.  Sear, fat side down in a large skillet over high heat for 3 min. or until browned.  Turn over and repeat for bone side.  Season lamb with salt and pepper and place, fat side up, in a roasting pan.  Add potatoes to skillet and toss in lamb fat to coat.  Season with salt and add to roasting.  Sprinkle over rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves and cover pan tightly with lid and/or foil.  Place in oven and roast for 3 to 3 1/2 hrs or until the meat is fork tender and much of the fat has melted.  Uncover, raise heat to 400F and roast for 20-30 minutes longer until potatoes are golden and meat is browned.  Remove lamb and potatoes from roasting pan to a carving board.  Let rest for 10 minutes while you make the sauce.


Discard all fat from roasting pan but keep any juices.  Discard rosemary.  Slip garlic out of skins and discard any burnt ones.  Mash the remaining garlic.  Add red wine and port and place over high heat scraping the base of the pan to incorporate all the browned bits as well as the garlic.  Reduce by half then add stock and tomato pasted.  Continue to boil until sauce coats the back of a spoon.  Divide the breasts into ribs and serve with potatoes and sauce.


I got a sneak peek at the green garlic when I was picking up last week's box from Tasha, it looked so good and I can't wait to use mine.  Green garlic is regular garlic that is picked before the bulbs start to form.  It can be called spring garlic or baby garlic.  Farmers sometimes offer it up when they are thinning their crops and lately as it becomes more popular, some are growing it as a crop.  It has a milder flavor than garlic but still stronger than a green onion or chive.  To use green garlic, slice off the root and remove any tough green leaves.  It can be used in very much the same way as green onions, baby leeks, regular garlic or chives.  I plan to use some of the green garlic in the sauce for a big batch of pasta that I am making for the kids (who are not getting served the breast of lamb).  I also came across this article from the New York Times, Grassy, Sweet and in Season when gathering info on green garlic, and I am definitely going to try their Seared Pork Cutlets with Green Garlic Salsa Verde - with my overabundant mint, my own chives and fresh lemon juice from the lemon in the veggie order.

In wanting to give a few more ideas to use some of the vegetables in this weeks box, I thought that broccoli and lemon or green beans and lemon would make a great combination.  Apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks this - I came across so many recipes for both.  I think the appeal is in the contrast of yellow zest against some fresh dark green vegetables and also the fresh taste of lemon paired with some crisp greens. I really had to narrow down the list of recipes so I'm recommending to use the broccoli and lemon with chicken in any one of these recipes: Lemon Chicken and Broccoli, Chicken, Broccoli and Lemon Stir Fry, or Lemony Broccoli Pasta with Chicken.  Or use the lemon with the green beans in Green Beans with Lemon and Garlic, Lemon Green Beans, or Green Beans with Lemon Butter.  All are pretty straightforward easy recipes and most can use the green garlic as well.

Good luck with the basil plant, hopefully it will continue to prosper throughout the summer so it can be used over and over in a variety of recipes and doesn't get sunburned, over watered or picked by little hands too soon.

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 for May 24, 2012

So we did get eaten alive by blackflies on the weekend, but we did enjoy our Japanese Coleslaw, a fantastic Quinoa salad, a tasty cantaloupe and the asparagus grilled on the BBQ was fantastic.

And we went on a field trip to Belle Terre Organics Garden at Otter Lake, QC.  Owners Joyce Angelus-Keller and Wayne Keller were fantastic hosts and showed us around, let the girls plant some pumpkin seeds, let us taste some herbs, and astounded us with their immense amount of knowledge.  It was fascinating to learn that their business is the original Belle Terre Botanical Gardens that ran from 1978 to 1994 when the Kellers ran a tea house, teaching gardens for local colleges, and their organic plant business.  Their business is much smaller now, supplying their organic plants, flowers and herbs to a small number of select stores in the Ottawa/Gatineau region.



Joyce is wealth of information when it comes to plants, what their uses are, how to prepare or eat them, grow them, and care for them.  They have an unimaginable variety of plants from flowers to herbs to vegetables to perennials and more.  If there is something unique or unusual, they might have it.  Pretty much anything that you are looking for, Belle Terre can probably offer.  It is obvious when talking with both Wayne and Joyce that they have a love of the business and the land around them.

 

Belle Terre is certified by Pro-Cert and meets both the Canadian Organic Standards and the Quebec Organic Standards as they follow the strict criteria for organic production.  Organic production is based on principles that support healthy practices that are sustainable and harmonious with the environment.  Belle Terre uses watering and irrigation sources from natural spring headwaters.  They work with the Quebec Ministry of the Environment to maintain a healthy and sustainable forest and they compost and sterilize their own soil through strictly organic means.

Helping out with seed planting

All sorts of basil

The classic old sign that Joyce didn't want me to photograph, because "it's old and there's dirt on it."

Kale plants on their way

Young Toy Choy plants which do well in our cooler climate

I am sure that if you had any questions about any of the plants that Belle Terre is offering that Joyce and Wayne would be happy to answer them.  Our visit there made me really excited about the growing season and I'm looking forward to our harvest in our small garden.  Life Organics is still offering Belle Terre's plants for sale and a full list is available on the Life Organic website.

The newer sign that Joyce really wanted me to take a photo of, no dirt!

I won't offer you much in terms of recipes for this weeks produce. Don't forget to chop the greens off the carrots to keep them as fresh as possible, and Tasha thinks that the Pachino tomatoes are better if they have been chilled for a few minutes.  We have our daughter's birthday party this weekend and will be serving up sliders and mini hot dogs for the kiddies and parents so the romaine and spinach are going to come in handy for a nice big green salad.  And the carrots will be great cut up and dipped for the younger crowd.  I can't wait to grill the asparagus again as it is so good this time of year.  And I still have more rhubarb from my garden so another apple and rhubarb crisp is on the way.   But I am a recipe addict so I have to leave you with Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Apples which is how I will choose to use the yams and apples, served alongside some simple grilled asparagus, grilled chicken and elk sausages from the market.

Organic Harvest Box for May 17, 2012

Happy Victoria Day weekend!  The weather is looking fabulous so it should be a great weekend for bbq-ing, gardening, or just enjoying the outdoors.  We are headed to the cottage and are hoping the blackflies don't eat us alive.  And though I didn't get there last weekend, we are hoping to go see Joyce and Wayne at Belle Terre Botanic Garden in Otter Lake, QC on Sunday.  I can't wait to bring back some tips, ideas, and photos.

Guess what - haven't used my cabbage yet, but I am going to use it to make the Japanese Coleslaw (from last week's blog) this weekend when we have a large group of friends visiting at the cottage.  I call those types of salads my weekend salads, as they do well to sit for a couple of days and can be a dinner side and then part of lunch the next day.  I am also going to make a Quinoa Salad that can last as well for a couple of days in the fridge.  Here are 3 absolutely fantastic quinoa salad recipes that are versatile and can be used with the tomatoes, peppers, cucumber and/or apples in this week's box: Summer Quinoa Salad, Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas, Feta, and Apples, and Vegetable Quinoa Salad.  My other favorite "weekend" salad that I often make is a Broccoli Salad, which you probably have had in some form or another:

1 1/2 c. broccoli, cut up into florets
1 c. celery, chopped
1/2 c. chopped red onion or green onion
1 1/2 c. grapes, red or green, halved
Any combination of:
handful of sunflower seeds, unsalted
handful of bacon bits
handful of raisins
handful of slivered almonds


Dressing (this is my aunt's recipe - it can be a bit sweet):
1 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
OR
Dressing (a little healthier with no sugar):
1/2 c. low fat plain yogurt
1/4 c. light mayonnaise
1 tbsp. lemon juice


I went to my recipe box to grab the broccoli salad recipe, and found this one that I need to share, Broccoli Salad with Oriental Flavours.  And I found one that is a great summer salad and a good use for the romaine lettuce, Romaine Lettuce Salad with Spicy Blueberry Salsa.  Do try making the raisin bread croutons, they are so yummy.  Just a few salads later, and there's not much left in the veggie box except some fruit, asparagus and avocado.



Did you know that in some parts of Europe, people won't eat the green asparagus and will only eat the white asparagus?  White asparagus is grown the same way as green, but the plants are covered up with mounds of dirt to prevent light from getting to the plants.  The white asparagus tends to be milder and more tender and restaurants across Spain, France, Poland, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland will prepare special menus for asparagus during the season.  In Germany, asparagus season has it's own name, Spargelsaison or Spargelzeit and often regions have their own celebrations.  Our "lowly" green asparagus doesn't always get that same status, but in order to treat your asparagus best, you might want to consider:

• eating it soon after purchase,
• store it as you would a bouquet of flowers, trim the ends, and store standing up in a small amount of water to keep the stems fresh,
• small asparagus stems can have just a little bit cut off the end,
• larger stems can be more woody so should have their ends snapped off or the stalk can be laid flat on a cutting board and peeled with a vegetable peeler,
• asparagus can be prepared a number of ways, boiled, steamed, sauteed, or roasted

Our favorite way to have asparagus is to roast it with some olive oil and parmesan cheese, either in a roasting dish in the oven or wrapped in tinfoil and done on the barbecue.  

A little late for Cinco de Mayo, but our avocado is going to be used to make guacamole this weekend, served alongside some quesadillas grilled up on the BBQ.  I also came across this recipe for Kale Salad with Apricots, Avocado and Parmesan which led me to read some of the links from thekitchn.com and their posts about avocados.  What I learned was that avocados that are not ripe can be stored on the counter, but if you want to halt the ripening process, put your avocados in the fridge so that they don't get over ripe.  To keep a partial avocado from going brown put the cut avocado in a 500ml plastic container (ie. leftover yogurt or sour cream container) with a chunk of onion.  Apparently the onion acts as a preservative and keeps the avocado from going brown.  The fun part of an avocado is removing the pit, in fact if I am cutting an avocado, I usually get an insistent look from my husband that he wants to do it.  Why?  Because the easiest way to get the pit out is to slice the avocado in half lengthwise and then strike the pit firmly with the heel end of a  good chef's knife so that the knife lodges into the pit and then give it a gentle twist and it should pop out nicely.   Just be careful getting the pit off the knife, as it is a slippery little thing.  (Photo credit from www.thekitchn.com)

I am looking forward to some time at the cottage and since we are entertaining friends up there, I know that the contents of my veggie box this week will be gone by the end of the weekend.  But I may have some of those salads left for lunch on Tuesday when we're back to work.  Enjoy your long weekend.

Organic Harvest Box for May 10, 2012

We arrived back from holidays on Saturday, one day late for getting our veggie order last week.  The fridge was bare so we went for groceries on Sunday morning - I was confused - what do you mean I have to decide which vegetables to get?  We are going to get the vegetables that are on the list that comes in my email, I don't have to decide, it's decided for me.  It was certainly odd having to make a whole vegetable and fruit list from scratch.  I did make it through the grocery experience and it reminded me to thank Tasha for making part of my grocery list for me each week.

When I picked up my box from Tasha on Thursday she mentioned a couple of substitutions, firstly, zucchini instead of cucumber this week.  She also mentioned that the strawberries might need to sit out of the fridge for a half hour or so prior to eating.

My eyes zeroed in on the cabbage in the list this week - it is truly my nemesis on the veggie list.  I don't dislike it, I just am not very creative, inventive or fun with my cabbage recipes.  That last cabbage recipe that I gave you in the April 12, 2012 post was a hit with my family - how can I top that?  For now, I probably can't top it.  However, one of my previous favorite recipes for cabbage was a recipe that my mom passed down to me for Chinese Hekka.  This link does not list the source, but I'm pretty sure that it is from Company's Coming.  I hadn't had this meal in years until I was talking to my mom about my challenges with using up the cabbages and she reminded me of this.  It is really easy, basic ingredients, the kids like it (always important for me) and is really good served over rice.  This time of year, using the cabbage for coleslaw would be great to have alongside a BBQ.  This recipe from the Tabasco site has a great looking dressing for coleslaw.  The bagged coleslaw can be substituted by using shredded or finely chopped cabbage and some grated carrot.  If I'm making coleslaw, I do prefer this recipe that we make almost every time that we have a crowd at the cottage for a long weekend, it will last a couple of days in the fridge:

Japanese Coleslaw 


1/2 head of medium cabbage, shredded or finely chopped
2 big handfuls of bean sprouts
2 c. of sliced mushrooms
1/4 c. sunflower seeds (preferably unsalted)
1 pack of ichiban noodles, broken up
2 c. chow mein noodles


Dressing:
Seasoning pack from the ichiban noodles
1/2 c. oil
4 tbsp. soya sauce
3 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper


Mix the cabbage, bean sprouts, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, and half each of the ichiban noodles and chow mein noodles together in a large bowl.  Mix all of the dressing ingredients together.  Pour 1/2 to 3/4 of the dressing on the salad.  Let the salad sit for 2-3 hours before serving.  Add the remaining ichiban and chow mein noodles to the salad just prior to serving and add remaining dressing if required.

Recently, we barbecued hamburgers and my husband made a fantastic burger topper of sauteed mushrooms and onions.  It's a really easy way to dress up your hamburger and the cremini mushrooms and yellow onions on this week's list would be great to use.

Put a bit of oil in a saute pan, add some minced garlic, and start heating on medium.  Slice the onions and add to the pan.  While the onions are starting to soften, slice the mushrooms and add to the pan.  Saute over medium heat until everything is softened.  If there is too much liquid then turn the heat up and cook a bit longer.  If you are serving it over meat, you can add a little bit of cream at the end to get it saucy.  Serve this over burgers, steaks, grilled chicken, over even toast.  

If you are having burgers, slice up the cucumber, trim the snap peas, and half the cherry tomatoes for a nice side to the burgers.

I didn't get to try the baby kale last time as we were leaving on holidays, but I'd be interested to know (use the comment link at the bottom of the post) if anyone tried the baby kale recipes from the April 26, 2012 post.  I am hoping to try the baby kale salad or actually making kale chips with this week's order.

I can't wait to see if this week's strawberries are as good as on Easter weekend.  I have rhubarb in my garden that is in good shape so I am going to use it alongside the strawberries in this Rude Barb's Strawbapple Crisp (anyone cooked out of Looneyspoons before?  All their recipe names are witty!).  It is a great crisp recipe and you can substitute the fruit for berries, pears, or peaches, as long as the amounts stay the same.  I can tell you that the peaches in this week's order will not make it into any cooking.  If they are as good as some that Tasha got in last week, I may just hide them from the rest of family and eat them fresh.

With gardening time upon us, the plant list from Belle Terre got me really interested in their products.  I am hoping to do a field trip to their greenhouse this weekend, if they'll have us.  I hope that I will be able to report back next week with photos and tips on how best to use their plants.

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.