squash pancakes and pumpkin waffles

i've done the pumpkin pancake thing before. but for some reason, taking my fresh csa squash and mixing it into a pancake recipe seemed fresher, healthier and more innovative. especially considering it was a winter squash--something that in my mind doesn't automatically belong in a pancake. and i had a squash i need to use. a scenario that tends to be my motivating factor.

thanks to a squash site, i identified my winter squash as a delicata squash. it resulted in a wonderfully moist pancake with a great texture. the squash was not overwhelming in flavor and provided much more of a desirable consistency than anything else. and it was easy too. i just took my normal pancake recipe, added a freshly roasted and pureed winter squash to the batter and threw in some chopped walnuts for good measure.

you want another breakfast squash recipe? and what's that? you don't want healthy-feeling pancakes?


pumpkin waffles (aka pumpkin pancakes meet waffles)

i am confident in saying that the best way to serve these is layered with cheddar cheese (so that it melts) and topped with maple yogurt. yes, you heard me right. now go forth and conquer the cheddar-maple-waffle world that lays before you! or throw that squash you've been saving into your sunday pancake batter.

squash pancakes or pumpkin waffles

because of the similar consistency of squash and pancake or waffle batter, i merely added a cup of squash to a batch of batter. depending on the type of squash you use, you may have to thicken (add more flour) or thin (add more liquids) out the batters. in my case, i used canned pumpkin with the waffles, which left no adjustments. in fact, i added some extra pumpkin without having to adjust anything else. for the pancakes, i added some liquid to the squash to get it to more of a puree, since it was rather thick after roasting.

summer market pasta

aah, summer veggies. one of the best ways to use up all of my csa veggies (besides stir frying) is a giant batch of pasta. you can throw in almost anything, cook it down, serve with cheese, and it's sure to be a hit. also an easy way to feed a crowd. also much more fun if you take a walk around the market to select your veggies. be sure to supplement your walk with a market snack.

summer market pasta
serves 4 (we eat a lot)

• 1 lb brown rice pasta
• 3 shallots, chopped
  
• 2 squash (green and yellow), sliced
  
• 2 cobs worth of kernels of corn
  
• 1 large tomato, chopped
  
• 3 chicken sausage, sliced into pieces
  
• white wine
• parmesean cheese
  
• pesto
• salt and pepper
• arugula
  

• make the pasta
• while the pasta is cooking, start making the "sauce:" add olive oil, 1/2 the garlic and 1/2 the shallots to a large pan. sautee squash until it's almost cooked through and slightly golden. add corn and tomatoes. cook until tomatoes have softened. simmer for a few minutes. remove and place into bowl.
  
• add more olive oil, remaining garlic and shallots to pan, once the shallots and garlic have softened, add the sausage and cook until cooked through and golden brown. remove and add to veggies.
• deglaze pan with white wine: pour a small amount of white wine into the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape all of the bits from the bottom. continue to stir and keep heating until it reduces and slightly thickens. add to bowl.
• stir in a few handfuls of arugula and stir to wilt. when the pasta is ready, add it to the bowl along with some pesto and parmesean cheese. if neccessary, sautee additional shallots and deglaze with more wine.
  

once upon a summer salad (summer peach salad)

3 cheers for summer and summer salads! hooray for the return of csa and having things in my fridge to throw together! and thanks to roommates who supply the missing ingredients! (in this case, half a tomato traded for a lime)

i had basil and peaches. i wanted lunch. although i had thoughts of a fresh tomato and basil salad, i wasn't quite prepared. instead i threw together a few things that i did have. the result was splendiferous, not too sweet but absolutely crisp and refreshing--perfect for a nice 90 degree day in my sweaty kitchen.

summer peach salad
serves 2

• 1 small peach (on the crunchier side seemed to be good here)
  
• 1/2 tomato
• smal handful of fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• splash of champagne vinegar (i think any vinegar would do)
• salt
• pepper

• stir ingredients together. season with vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
  

summer waffles

i would argue that there aren't many better ways to start a morning than waffles with frozen yogurt and peaches. especially farm fresh peaches. and so, with a little help from some friends (bittman and how to cook everything included), i whipped up a batch of waffles and threw on the best things i could find in my fridge/freezer.

it was a joint effort and i can't take credit for the whole idea but i do maintain that if it weren't for my awesomely stocked kitchen (aka endless supply of froyo and stone fruit), this meal never would have come to fruition.

summer WAFFLES! (adapted from mark bittman's everyday buttermilk waffles) makes 4-6 servings

• 2 cups flour (spelt here)
  
• 1/2 tspn salt
• 2 tblspn sugar
• 3 tspns baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups milk (i used soy)
  
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
• 1/2 tspn vanilla extract

• if you're being proper, you might mix all of the dry ingredients together, than all of the wet separately, and combine the two. i tend to mix all of the dry and then just throw the rest right on top and whisk until everything is just combined.
• heat up your waffle maker, give it a little lubrication and let it rip.
• top your golden waffles with frozen yogurt, sliced peaches and just a bit of maple syrup.
  

fried green tomatoes with garlic scape pesto

i couldn't walk by green tomatoes at the market without taking them home. and of course, the first thing i think of when i see them is fried green tomatoes! hence the necessary call to friend number 2 to consult about how a real southern would handle them. and then i threw all of her instructions out the window. dredge and then batter. buttermilk. bacon grease. nah, maybe not, and nope. i went with the approach that if you fry anything in cornmeal, it will automatically taste good. and i think i did just fine. granted, my version used a little sprinkling of spelt flour (any sort of flour would have done), a dip in egg (i was so excited that i forgot about the milk), and a pressing into a seasoned bowl of cornmeal. then i fried in olive oil until they were golden brown on both sides and served with garlic scape pesto.

garlic scape "pesto"

• garlic scapes
  
• olive oil
• parmesean cheese
• pine nuts, almonds, or walnuts (optional)
  

• this is one of those taste as you go and adjust things...i started with 3 garlic scapes, a generous drizzle of olive oil and about a tablespoon of parm. then blend, chop, or scrape together until somewhat combined. you may need to add additional oil to make the pesto smoother. add salt and pepper and taste again.
  

fried green tomatoes (non-southern style)

• green tomatoes, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
• flour (optional; use spelt or a gluten-free blend)
• cornmeal
• egg
• milk (optional)

• sprinkle tomatoes with a little flour
• dip in egg bath (just eggs or eggs and milk) then coat with cornmeal
• heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. once the oil is hot, fry on both sides until golden brown
• top with pesto
  

back in the kitchen: french toast with raspberry syrup

there's nothing like spending a week and a half without being able to cook that will inspire me to get back in the kitchen. a trip to the farmer's market for the first csa pickup of the season certainly also helps. as does being resolved to hang out at home on a saturday afternoon to watch some world cup soccer...

so, to whet my appetite for a day of cooking and futbol watching, I decided to start with some french toast. the catch was that i decided whatever i cooked needed to include at least one piece of csa bounty. for the french toast? raspberry syrup, of course!


french toast with raspberry syrup
serves 1

• 2 slices of your preferred bread (or more if it's small!)
  
• 1 egg
• some milk (or soymilk)
• dash of vanilla
• dash of cinnamon
• 1/2-1 cup raspberries
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• dash lemon juice
• about 1/2 cup water

• combine egg and some milk to create a slightly thick mixture. add vanilla and cinnamon, stir. dip bread in egg mixture and allow to soak.
• meanwhile, combine water and sugar in a saucepan. cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture thickens slightly.
  
• stir in the raspberries, and stir occasionally (the more you stir, the more the berries will break down). bring to a boil and continue cooking until mixture thickens slightly more about 5-10 minutes. add lemon juice towards the end of the cooking time and stir.
• cook toast in a buttered pan over medium high heat until golden brown on both sides.
  
• top with syrup!
  

weeknight dinner: eggs in purgatory casserole

there are certain things that don't have immediate appeal to me. casseroles are one of these things. and it undoubtedly has to do with what was cooked in my house when i was growing up. (lots of spaghetti but never ever meatloaf. got it?)

so when i received my march issue of bon appetit and saw a casserole feature, i first flipped straight past. until the pictures distracted me and i realized how delicious they looked. these weren't your standard tuna noodle casserole (no, i've never had one). and although i wanted to make them all, there was one that particularly caught my eye: eggs in purgatory. a of all, it featured many things i like (eggs, artichokes and parmesean) and b of all, it seemed pretty straightforward. a perfect weeknight meal, if you will. or even better, a perfect roomie meal entree. this is exactly why i file away recipes for later use.

and even though this dish incorporated things i'm not so fond of (okay, one thing: potatoes) it allowed me to knock off some more of those csa potatoes. yes, they're still around. in a nutshell: comfort food at its finest. yum yum.

eggs in purgatory
from bon appetit

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• coarse kosher salt
• 1 8- to 10-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, drained
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted)
• 8 ounces red-skinned or white-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 8 large eggs
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  

• heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. add onion, thyme, and red pepper; sprinkle lightly with coarse kosher salt and sauté until onion is tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. add artichokes and minced garlic; stir 1 minute. stir in diced tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. reduce heat; cover skillet and simmer 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
• meanwhile, cook potatoes in small saucepan of boiling salted water just until tender, about 8 minutes. drain. add potatoes and capers to tomato-artichoke sauce; cover and simmer 5 minutes. season to taste with coarse salt and pepper.
• preheat oven to 375°F. pour tomato-artichoke sauce into 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. using back of spoon, make 8 evenly spaced indentations in sauce for holding eggs. crack 1 egg into each indentation in sauce (some of eggs may run together slightly in spots). bake until egg whites and yolks are softly set, 12 to 16 minutes. carefully remove baking dish from oven; sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over and serve.
• serves 4 very hungry roomies
  

winter csa: april

1. the bounty

• 1 bunch spinach
  
• 6 lbs potatoes
  
• 2 bunches kale
• 1 bunch leeks
  
• 1 bag pea shoots
  
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 2.5 lbs sweet potatoes
  
• 3 dozen eggs

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect except where otherwise indicated):

veggies:

• 1 bunch spinach: $4.50 (csa estimate)
  
• 6 lbs potatoes: $12 (organic)
  
• 2 bunches kale: $7 (organic)
  
• 1 bunch leeks: $5 (organic)
  
• 1 bag pea shoots: $4.50 (csa estimate)
  
• 1 bunch cilantro: $2.50 (organic)
  
• 2.5 lbs sweet potatoes: $5 (organic)
  
• 3 dozen eggs: $15 (farm price)
  

= $55.50
actual csa cost per week = $45

and just when i couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, there was spinach.

winter csa: march

1. the bounty

• 1 head red cabbage
• 5 lbs potatoes
  
• 2 black radish
• 2 white turnips
  
• 1 kohlrabi
  
• 3 lbs carrots
• 3 lbs sweet potatoes
  
• 1 bulb garlic
• 3 dozen eggs

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect except where otherwise indicated):

veggies:

• red cabbage: $5 (organic)
  
• potatoes: $10 (organic)
  
• black radish: $2 (csa estimate)
  
• kohlrabi: $2 (csa estimate)
  
• carrots: $15 (csa estimate)
  
• sweet potatoes: $6 (organic)
  
• garlic: $1 (organic)
  
• eggs: $15 (farm price)
  

= $56
actual csa cost per week = $45

i'm so over root vegetables. there. i said it.

winter csa: february

1. the bounty

• 1 head red cabbage
• 5 lbs potatoes
  
• 2 daikon radish
• 2 kohlrabi
  
• 3 lbs carrots
• 3 lbs sweet potatoes
  
• 2 bulbs garlic
• 2 dozen eggs

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect except where otherwise indicated):

veggies:

• red cabbage: $5 (organic)
  
• potatoes: $10 (organic)
  
• daikon: $3 (csa estimate)
  
• kohlrabi: $2 (csa estimate)
  
• carrots: $15 (csa estimate)
  
• sweet potatoes: $6 (organic)
  
• garlic: $1 (organic)
  
• eggs: $10 (farm price)
  

= $52
actual csa cost per week = $45

now if only they would throw in some celeriac.

root vegetable shepherd's pie (february csa)

this one was a weekend project. project meaning it took over 3 hours to make. save your groaning and moaning for later. this recipe was perfectly paced for some weekend meditative cooking, which was ideal since i planned my entire saturday around it. think multiple steps, lots of chopping, and nothing too fast paced: things won't start smoking if you turn your head for a moment too long.

this recipe came about as i was craving sheppard's pie and wanted to use a butternut squash topping. i stumbled across this one from the la times for a root vegetable shepherd's pie from rustic canyon in santa monica. i had been dying to try the restaurant, so it seemed like the perfect option.

the effort was worth it. the butternut squash shone in this dish. it was sweet and rich. the apples contributed a great deal. i used granny smith ones and would suggest doing the same as the tartness was welcome with the rest of the sweet root vegetables. i made a few more substitutions (tofutti cream cheese instead of crème fraîche) as is usually the case when i'm making something that calls for lots of dairy. i also took some liberties with the amounts of veggies (seriously, i need to separately cook 1/4 cup of potatoes?!)

also to note: celery root is extremely underrated. read: smells like CANDY when you cook it in milk.

root vegetable shepherd's pie

serves: 8-10

from the latimes (adapted from rustic canyon wine bar & seasonal kitchen)

• 1 large butternut squash
• salt
• 7 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided (i used half butter and half olive oil)
• sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup fingerling potatoes, diced (i used 1/2 cup)
  
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 sprig thyme plus 2 tablespoons chopped thyme, divided
• 1 sprig rosemary plus 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, divided
• 1 celery root, peeled and diced
• 2 cups heavy cream (i used low fat milk)
• 2 tablespoons chopped sage
• 4 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 parsnips, peeled and diced
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 apples, cored and diced (peels left on) - i suggest granny smith
• 1 kohlrabi, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 cup sliced leeks
• 3 small turnips, peeled and diced
• 1 cup chopped shallots
• 1/4 pound spinach
• 1 cup diced fresh brioche or challah (i just used some spelt bread that i had)
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche (i used tofutti cream cheese)
  
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (i used packaged gluten-free ones)
  

• heat the oven to 400 degrees.
• halve the squash lengthwise, then scoop out and discard the seeds and fibers. place the halves on a baking sheet, cut side up, and season each half with one-fourth teaspoon salt. place one-half tablespoon butter in the hollow of each half, then cover the sheet with foil and bake until the squash are tender, about 1 hour. set aside to cool slightly, then scoop the flesh out of each half and discard the outer shell.
• brown the butter: place 2 tablespoons butter (or 1 butter, 1 olive oil) in a large, heavy-bottom sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat until the butter browns and has a nutty aroma, about 3 minutes. be careful not to burn. stir in the squash and sprinkle over the nutmeg. reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to break the softened squash into a purée. watch carefully so the squash does not burn on the bottom of the pan. remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• while the squash cools, cook the potatoes. bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. stir in the potatoes, garlic and 1 sprig each of thyme and rosemary. cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes. drain the potatoes, discarding the garlic and herbs and set aside in a large bowl.
• in the same saucepan, combine the celery root with the cream and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the celery root is tender, about 10 minutes. strain out the celery root and place in the large bowl with the potatoes. reserve 1/4 cup of the cream in a separate container.
• place 1 tablespoon butter in a large sauté pan and brown over medium-high heat. stir in the sage, carrots and parsnips and season with one-fourth teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. remove the vegetables to the large bowl and set aside.
• clean the sauté pan and brown 3 tablespoons butter (or half butter, half olive oil) over medium-high heat. stir in the chopped thyme, apples, kohlrabi, leeks and turnips. season with one-half teaspoon salt and a pinch each sugar and pepper. increase the heat to high and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. remove the vegetables to the large bowl.
• clean the sauté pan and melt the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. stir in the shallots and brown slightly. stir in the spinach and cook just until wilted. season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. remove from heat and add to the large bowl.
• add the diced brioche (spelt bread), chopped rosemary, reserved cream and crème fraîche (tofutti) to the vegetables and stir gently but thoroughly to combine. taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
• place the mixture in a baking dish so the filling reaches approximately one-half inch from the top of the dish. using a rubber spatula, spread the butternut squash purée evenly over the top. sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
• place the baking dish on a baking pan (to catch any drippings) and bake until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. remove from heat and serve hot.

the incredible edible egg (polenta and eggs)

subtitle: when i fell in love with the nytimes dining section

i still have the nytimes clipping of the article shoved into a binder with recipe tear outs. these days, i generally browse the nytimes online but there was a time when i had a job where the best part was the nytimes daily delivery. this was my first formal, regular introduction to the wednesday dining section.

you may have heard of such books as alone in the kitchen with an eggplant or what we eat when we eat alone, where the entire concept rests on some secretive meal that we each have to make when we're on our own. now, i have made this particular meal for others but i'm just not sure if it's appreciated as well in a group versus curling up alone in a couch corner after an exhausting day.

everyone's heard of putting a fried egg on top of almost anything as an added bonus to a dish. however, when i read this article, i never had. it sounded so good that i decided to go home and make it that very night. with that, i concocted my own comfort food. by that i mean that this is not something my parents ever made for me when i was younger (i have some of those too but that's a different story). this is something i independently discovered, and have made my own. granted, i did have to be of age enough so that i could appreciate an over easy egg and how the runny yolk seamlessly combines with just about any other flavor and adds a comforting richness to it. once i discovered this, there really was no stopping the endless combinations and possibilities. and each one tastes just as good as the last.

the recipe below is the first one i saw using this concept (polenta, eggs and dark leafy green) but now i put eggs over almost anything: various grains (rice, quinoa, pasta) and any vegetable (don't stop with dark leafy greens). it's the ultimate meal: quick, easy, affordable, tasty and comforting.


polenta, greens and eggs for 1 (adapted from melissa clark, nytimes)

• 1-2 eggs (depending on how hungry you are. sometimes i make 2 eggs just so that i can have the two yolks)
• polenta
• lots of grated parmesean cheese
• dark greens (my favorite is spinach but above you might be able to see that i used csa bok choy)
• garlic
• red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper
• chicken stock
• butter

• i usually make the greens first since they can sit for a little bit without any trouble. heat olive oil in a pan, add lots of minced garlic and greens. cook over high heat until wilted. stir in red pepper flakes.
  
• make the polenta: contrary to nytimes advice, i use quick cooking polenta (not quite instant but not the slow cook kind). bring 3 cups of chicken stock to a boil, reduce heat and add polenta, start whisking. once the polenta has started to thicken, stir in salt and pepper, parmesean cheese, and some butter. keep whisking until the polenta starts to pull away from the pot. cover to keep warm.
• fry eggs in some olive oil. the olive oil helps the whites get all crispy. the runny yolks are downright necessary, so sunny side up or over-easy are best.
• spoon polenta into a shallow bowl, top with greens and eggs. top with additional parmesean cheese.
  

winter csa: january

1. the bounty

• 1 head savoy cabbage
• 1 lb broccoli shoots
  
• 1 bunch kale
• 7 pounds potatoes
• 2 daikon radish
• 1 large butternut squash
• 2 lbs carrots
• 1 bulb garlic
• 2 dozen eggs

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect except where otherwise indicated):

veggies:

• savoy cabbage: $4 (csa estimate)
• broccoli shoots: $4 (organic head of broccoli)
  
• kale: $3 (organic)
• potatoes: $14 (organic)
• daikon: $3 (organic not available)
• butternut squash: $4.50 (organic not available; csa estimate)
• carrots: $4 (organic)
  
• garlic: $2 (csa estimate)
• eggs: $10 (farm price)

= $48.50
actual csa cost per week = $45

i'm about to surrender to the potatoes.

baked eggs with kale (december csa)

i had promised my csa pickup partner (you try carrying 15-20 pounds of goods by yourself in the freezing cold, it ain't fun) brunch as a thanks for helping out. as i was searching for a dish that would celebrate the fresh bounty, i came across baked eggs.

one of my favorite csa items that i get are eggs. although the eggs from my farm aren't not currently certified organic, they are pastured and from free-range chickens that are grass-fed without hormones or antibiotics. once you try them, you won't go back to your standard supermarket fare, i promise. however, if you are trying to buy a better quality egg at the store instead of a local farmer's market, there are a variety of label factors and some really don't quite matter. i could go on and on about this as it really gets rather complicated but this article sums up some key differences nicely. and if anyone has some information to shed here, please, fire away.

we sauteed some kale with olive oil and garlic until it got soft, then placed it in the bottom of a ramekin, topped it with an egg, parmesean cheese, salt and pepper and baked in the oven at 375 degrees until white of the egg set. the part that got me was making sure the whites of the eggs were cooked without overcooking the yolks. with these amazing farm fresh guys, the last thing you want is rubbery, overcooked eggs. you can really throw anything in here with the guarantee that it will be delicious!

butternut squash with frozen yogurt (december csa)

i had a butternut squash i had promised to cook. it was one of those situations where i just needed to get it done to have the thing on hand and ready to eat. however, given that the baking time for these things is about an hour, i wasn't planning on consuming the thing for dinner right after i finished cooking it. after getting home from work and having a somewhat unsatisfying makeshift dinner while the squash was in the oven (i have no clue what it was), i decided it would be a shame not to enjoy some of my freshly baked treat. i was also feeling eager since it was the first time i had ever actually cooked a butternut squash but since i had already technically eaten, my thoughts were on dessert. 9 times out of 10 this means frozen yogurt. why not? so i finished off some of the baking time by topping the squash off with brown sugar. then i sliced some of it over plain frozen yogurt and drizzled with some maple syrup. and it sure worked. think of a more mild, less sweet version of a pumpkin based dessert. it really isn't all that unusual. i'm not sure how using a sweet frozen yogurt would work here, the tartness of the plain one i used really let the sweetness of the squash and maple syrup come through.


baked butternut squash

• cut squash in half, place in baking dish flesh side down with a small amount of water and cook for about 60 minutes, or until soft. if you like, you can flip the squash when you have 15 minutes left and season as desired (in my case this was olive oil, salt and pepper on half and brown sugar on the other).
  

kogi inspired tacos (december csa)

what's a person to do with an entire savoy cabbage? make a spicy cabbage slaw, i say! but before we get ahead of ourselves here, let me back up a few steps.

i finally made it to the famed kogi taco truck on a recent la visit. and it was good. but you'll notice that it didn't quite make it on the blog. it's not because i didn't deem it blog-worthy, it's just that i was much more motivated by the kogi inspired recipe from serious eats. i had filed it away after first reading it, with plans to attempt it when the time was right. yes, you guessed it. december csa, 1 cabbage, and 1 serious eats recipe calling for said cabbage. so i made it. and it was deeeelicious. and even more delicious because i made it myself and EVEN MORE delicious because i got to enjoy leftovers for lunch all week long. i cook in big batches, ok?


kogi-inpsired almost bulgogi tacos with spicy slaw
adapted from serious eats (originally publishes by lillian cho, chile pepper magazine july 2009)

for the meat or meat-substitute

• 2 tblspns soy sauce
• 2 tspns sesame oil
• 2 tspns crushed garlic
• 1 tblspn brown sugar
• 1 tblspn mirin
• 1/2 tspn black pepper
• 1 pound meat of choice (original recipe calls for ground beef, i used chicken breast cutlets instead but imagine this would also be delicious with tofu or portobello mushrooms)
• 1 thinly sliced onion
• 2 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces

for the slaw

• 1 pound chinese, red or napa cabbage, thinly sliced (i used my savoy cabbage)
• 1 tblspn salt
• 2 tblspns fish sauce
• 2 tblspns white vinegar
• 1 1/2 tspns korean chile flakes or hot red pepper flakes (i used way less and it still came out significantly spicy)
• 1 tspn crushed garlic
• 1/2 tspn crushed ginger
• 1 tspn sugar
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1 tspn sesame seeds
• tortillas, for serving

• sprinkle the salt on the cabbage and toss. let stand for 20 minutes.
• in a large mixing bowl, add the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, brown sugar, mirin and black pepper, and whisk. add the meat (or meat-substitute), onions and scallions then mix gently until the sauce is incorporated into the meat.
• for the slaw, mix the fish sauce, vinegar, chili flakes, garlic, ginger, sugar, scallions and sesame seeds in a bowl.
• bring a pan to medium-high heat, and cook the meat until done and most of the liquid has evaporated.
• rinse the cabbage under cold water, then squeeze the excess water out. in a bowl, toss the cabbage with the fish sauce mixture until well-coated.
• to assemble, spoon the meat down the center of each tortilla, and top with slaw.
  

winter csa: december

winter csa, everyone! once a month pickups of veggies and eggs. the first pickup (january) consisted of the following:

1. the bounty

• 1 bunch bok choy
• 1 bunch arugula
• 1 head savoy cabbage
• 1 head broccoli
  
• 1 bunch kale
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 7 pounds potatoes
• 1 daikon radish
• 1 lb broccoli shoots
• 1 bulb garlic
• 1 dozen eggs
• 1 large butternut squash
  

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect except where otherwise indicated):

veggies:

• bok choy: $2.50 (csa estimate)
• arugula: $2.50 (csa estimate)
• savoy cabbage: $4 (organic)
• broccoli: $4 (organic)
  
• kale: $3 (organic)
• cilantro: $2.50 (organic)
• potatoes: $14 (organic)
• daikon: $2.50 (organic not available)
• broccoli shoots: $3 (csa estimate)
• garlic: $2 (csa estimate)
• eggs: $5 (farm price)
• butternut squash: $7 (organic)

= $52.00
actual csa cost per week = $45

with 7 pounds of potatoes, how could i not come out ahead? (and they were all made into latkes, in case you were wondering)

apple crisp topping (csa week 12)

subtitle: why can't potatoes do this?
also known as: the reason i have no trouble getting through 5 lbs of apples in one week.

when i heard the chatty csa members discussing the types of apples this week at pick up, i almost wished i hadn't. rome apples. i had been lucky to be getting apples that were downright fuji like. large, crisp, sweet. not a mealy one in sight. it had actually been rather remarkable, or so i thought as i crunched daily at my desk. so when this week's apple yielded a less than perfect snacking option, i knew i was going to have to stew the suckers. then i wouldn't know the difference.

i had already done oatmeal with apples and a number of crisps. i decided it was time for a fall frozen dessert topping: apples with a crispy oat topping, over frozen yogurt. kinda like a deconstructed apple crisp. the goal was to make it as quick as possible (so that i could eat it, obviously). lots of contrast in flavors and textures here: i used tart frozen yogurt which went perfectly with the sweet apples and the crispy topping went nicely with the soft apples.

stewed apples with crispy oat topping

cut up apples, put them in a small saucepan, add some fat (i admit, i used earth balance and not butter), some brown sugar, cinnamon, and a little bit of water. a little bit of lemon juice is good too, if you have it. cook over low heat until the apples reach desired level of softness and the liquid reduces and becomes syrupy.

for the topping, mush together oats with some more fat and brown sugar. i cooked mine in the toaster oven and obviously didn't watch them as carefully as i should have as per the visual below...

put on top of ice cream, frozen yogurt, regular yogurt, oatmeal, should I keep going?

sweet potato curry with kale and broccoli (csa week 12)

the plan was simple: a lovely day full of cooking and baking at friend number two's house. it was also an excuse for me to get someone to help use the abundance of csa veggie's i was not so excited about. i.e., kale, broccoli, and lots of potatoes. our brainstorm yielded a curry. my immediate curry thoughts went to thai, friend number two's went to indian. we ended up with what i think is fair to call a hybrid of the two. another consideration was the ingredients that we already had. neither of us were dying to invest in a kitchen full of curry staples.

after some internet research, we decided to wing it. things were going great until a blood curdling scream came from friend number 2 as she peeled the sweet potatoes. okay, it wasn't blood curdling but there was definite panic involved. "what's wrong with these?!" i looked over my shoulder. the inside of the potato was almost white. "they're not sweet potatoes..." i said. "are they all like this?!" friend number two gasped as she grabbed a second potato and flung the peeler across its flesh. "they're yams," i answered. "who knows the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?!" friend number two demanded.


so for those of you who care to be enlightened, there is a difference between the two. for those of you who do not care, skip down to the next paragraph. a sweet potato is that yummy orange thing that you probably call a yam. a yam is a bit drier and starchier and is known to have slightly lower nutritional benefits. the important thing to note here is not to freak out if you accidentally buy one instead of the other, although i do prefer the texture of the orange sweet potato. who knows, it might just be the color.

sweet potato curry with kale and broccoli

• 2 large sweet potatoes or yams, diced
  
• 1 large onion, diced
  
• 1 head broccoli, chopped
  
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
  
• 1 apple, diced
  
• red curry paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1-2 chilies, minced
  
• chicken stock
• pepper
• salt
• cilantro, chopped

• brown the sweet potatoes in the bottom of a large pot. since they will take the longest time to cook, start seasoning as they begin to soften.
• add the curry paste, garlic, chili, salt and pepper. allow to cook for a few minutes and reseason to taste.
• after the sweet potates are almost cooked, add the onions and apples. cook for a few minutes, taste again. adjust seasoning if necessary.
• add broccoli, kale and chicken stock. you will need enough chicken stock to rise part way up all of the veggies. stir and allow to simmer for at least 10 minutes.
  

csa week 12

1. the bounty

• 1/3 lb mesclun
• 1 head celery
• 2 bok choy
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 bunch white radish
• 1 bunch toscano kale
• 4 lbs potatoes
• 1 head broccoli
• 9 apples (5 lbs)
  

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect):

veggies:

• 1/3 lb mesclun: $4 (organic)
  
• 1 head celery: $3 (organic)
  
• 2 bok choy: $5 (csa estimate)
  
• 1 bunch parsley: $2 (organic)
  
• 1 bunch white radish: $1.50 (cas estimate)
  
• 1 bunch toscano kale: $3 (organic)
  
• 4 lbs potatoes: $8 (organic)
  
• 1 head broccoli: $3 (csa estimate)
  

= $29.50
actual csa cost per week = $22

fruit:

• apples: $10 (organic)
  

=$10
actual csa cost per week = $11.67


last pick up!

in a panic of not knowing what i would do with my life (or all of that free time) without csa, i have it marked on my calendar to sign up for WINTER SHARES! because if i don't think i have enough potatoes already, i want to welcome over a few more. currently, 8 pounds of those spuds are residing in my kitchen.