weeknight dinner: quinoa sweet potato salad a la bittman (csa week 11)

the only reason i doubted my tried and true idol was that this recipe seemed to have the potential to be quite bland. sadly, this is what i tend to think of late fall vegetables in general. this is certainly not one of the most flavorful dishes but instead let's the ingredients shine through. the quinoa's nutty texture and the creaminess of the sweet potatoes blend quite nicely and the flavor was surprisingly rich. good olive oil will go far here. i added a bit of lemon juice at the end for some zing.

bittman's sweet potato and quinoa salad

• 2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa or other small-kernel grain or 1 cup raw
• 1 large or 2 medium (about 1 pound) sweet potatoes
• salt
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
• 1/4 cup minced red onion or shallot
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic, sherry, or red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup minced fresh chives or parsley leaves

• if you haven’t already, cook the quinoa or other grain. drain in a strainer and rinse.
  
• meanwhile, peel the sweet potato and dice it into 1/2-inch or smaller pieces. cook it in boiling salted water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes; drain well.
• toss together the potato, quinoa, bell pepper, and onion; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  
• whisk the oil and vinegar together and toss the salad with about half of this mixture; add all or some of the rest to taste.
  
• taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with the chives and serve.

weeknight dinner: sausage, lentil and rapini stew (csa week 11)

those who know me and my food tastes know that i'm not so much of a stew person. so when a csa recipe popped up on my google reader that looked delicious and just happened to be a stew, i decided that i had to go for it. it also seemed like the perfect use for my giant bunch of broccoli rabe from csa.

my first instinct was that the recipe didn't have quite enough garlic, shallots and/or other flavor kickers. i almost wish i had supplemented but after a couple of days the stew developed more of its own flavor (as stews often do, i'm told). so here's to my first ever stew! next time, i still would sautee the greens with garlic before adding them...and might use chicken stock instead of the veggie stock.

greenpoint-williamsburg csa's sausage, lentil and rapini stew

• 1 lb. sausage, sliced into quarter inch rounds (i used turkey sausage)
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 cup lentils
• 2-4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe (rapini), chopped, stems and leaves separate
• salt and pepper

• cook sausage in a large pot until browned, then remove sausage with a slotted spoon, leaving fat in pot, and set sausage aside.
• cook onion in the sausage fat until translucent. add sliced carrots and broccoli rabe stems, and cook briefly, about 2 minutes.
  
• add lentils and 2 cups vegetable broth, cover and lower heat.
  
• simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until lentils and carrots are tender (add more vegetable broth if needed), then add sausage and the broccoli rabe leaves.
  
• cover and simmer about 5 minutes, or until leaves are wilted.
  
• season with salt and pepper to taste.

csa week 11

1. the bounty

• 1 bunch broccoli rabe
• 1/3 lb mesclun
• 1 bunch collards
• 2 heads broccoli
• 1/2 lb bok choi
• 1 bulb garlic
• 4 lbs potatoes
• 2 lbs sweet potatoes
• 10 apples (2 kinds; 5 of each)
  

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

veggies:

• 1 bunch broccoli rabe: $3 (organic not available)
• 1/3 lb mesclun: $4 (organic)
• 1 bunch collards: $3 (organic)
• 2 heads broccoli: $8 (organic)
• 1/2 lb bok choi: $1 (organic)
• 1 bulb garlic: $.80 (organic)
• 4 lbs potato: $8 (organic)
• 2 lbs sweet potato: $4 (organic)

= $31.80
actual csa cost per week = $22

fruit:

• 10 apples: $10 (organic)

=$10
actual csa cost per week = $11.67

okay, seriously, i'm going to need some potato help, everyone. too much starch. and collards...

macarons in geneva

i'm not sure why but i had never had a macaron before. i think it must have been a wheat phobia and although i had read about them, was never in a situation where i could get a straight ingredients answer. after further research, i deemed them edible but wasn't lusting to get my hands on any. big mistake. if only i knew. so, on the most recent work voyage, when i found myself in geneva once again, on an expense account, i picked up a couple for dessert. let me just say this, had i not been with a work colleague, i would have launched into a full out food-o-face. who am i kidding? i'm pretty sure it was apparent. i had one vanilla and one pistachio. vanilla won. the macarons were light, sweet and crisp and contrasted perfectly with the smooth frostingly center. forget your standard sandwich cookies, america, the rest of the world has got you BEAT! seriously, go forth and conquer, which is exactly what i plan to do. and please, report back.

csa week 10

just in time for this week 11 pickup...
thanks to b. crocker for the beauteous cornucopia pic and for actually picking all this stuff up while i was out of town (more about that in a future post). the photo probably gives an accurate idea of how much produce there is to lug home.

1. the bounty

• 5 small hot peppers
  
• 1 bunch collard greens
  
• 1/4 lb wild arugula
  
• 1 head romaine lettuce
  
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe
  
• 1/4 lb green beans
  
• 1/4 lb mesclun
  
• 1/3 lb sweet potatoes
  
• 1/3 lb potatoes
  
• 1 bunch red radishes
  
• 1/4 lb braising greens
• 2 pears
• 8 apples

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

veggies:

• 5 small hot peppers: $1 (guesstimate)
  
• 1 bunch collard greens: $3 (organic)
  
• 1/4 lb wild arugula: $3
  
• 1 head romaine lettuce: $3 (organic)
  
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe: $3 (organic not available)
  
• 1 qt green beans: $2.50 (organic not available)
  
• 1/4 lb mesclun: $3 (organic not available)
  
• 1/2 lb sweet potatoes: $4 (organic)
  
• 1/2 lb potatoes: $2 (organic)
  
• 1 bunch red radishes: $1 (organic not available)
  
• 1/4 lb braising greens: $3 (guesstimate)
  

= $28.50
actual csa cost per week = $22

fruit:

• 2 pears: $2 (organic)
  
• 8 apples: $9 (organic)

=$11
actual csa cost per week = $11.67

b. crocker, care to share any dish highlights with us? sorry, everyone, i didn't get my hands on the produce this time around. (since i'm sure all 4 loyal readers are dying to know what i cooked...)

spaghetti squash (csa week 9)

if you've never experienced the true magic of a spaghetti squash, i suggest you do so. seriously, go get one, roast that sh*t up and prepare yourself. truth be told, this was the first time i had ever made spaghetti squash. i know everyone raves about it but it was just one of those things i hadn't quite gotten around to making. enter csa week 9.

when i took my roasted squash out of the oven, my reaction was something like, "oh hell no, they told me this was a spaghetti squash and it just looks like a normal boring squash. so much for lunch." but then i stuck my fork in the thing and as per my internet instructions read, pulled the fork down through the thing. voila! magic, i swear. it's the simple things in life, clearly, as i spaghettified my squash with a giant grin plastered to my face.

roasted spaghetti squash
the amazing knowledge of the internet says to try and split these things before you put them in the oven. scrape out the seeds, put them on a pan face down and roast at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes, until they are tender. (i undercooked mine and then just finished them off in the microwave. you can also microwave from start to finish)
i topped mine with some marinara sauce and parmesan cheese.

csa week 9

1. the bounty

• 2 stalks edamame
  
• 1 bunch arugula
• 1 head romaine
• 1/2 lb bok choy
• 1 head cabbage
• 1 winter squash
• 1 bunch swiss chard
• 4 giant peaches
• 7 pears
  

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

veggies:

• 2 stalks edamame: $1 (random guess)
  
• 1 bunch arugula: $3 (organic not available)
  
• 1 head romaine: $3 (organic)
  
• 1/2 lb bok choy: $2 (organic)
  
• 1 head cabbage: $3.50 (organic)
  
• 1 winter squash: $6 (organic)
  
• 1 bunch swiss chard: $3 (organic)
  

= $21.50
actual csa cost per week = $22

fruit:

• 4 giant peaches: $6 (guesstimate)
  
• 7 pears: $9 (organic)

=$15
actual csa cost per week = $11.67

PEACHES IN OCTOBER!