Green Bean Salad with Walnuts, Fennel and Goat Cheese

This salad used two items from the share box - green beans and fresh fennel. I love this combo with the crunchy toasted walnuts (heart healthy!) and the creamy contrast of the goat cheese.



Green Bean Salad with Walnuts, Fennel and Goat Cheese from Real Simple Magazine

Chioggia Beets with Raspberry Vinaigrette

I love Chioggia beets, which have a distinctive ringed pattern when sliced. The contrast between red and white is more pronounced when raw, but still visible even after cooking the beets.

Fellow personal chef Mary Beth Brinkerhoff, from Rochester, New York, shared this recipe, which I have adapted based on the what was on hand. The original recipe came from The Restaurant at Elderberry Pond, Auburn, New York.


Chioggia Beets With Raspberry Mint Vinaigrette
Gourmet | July 2005

Makes 4 first-course servings.
Adapted from The Restaurant at Elderberry Pond, Auburn, NY

1 lb beets (4 to 6; preferably Chioggia*), 1 inch of stems left intact
3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions ( I used a minced shallot)
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh orange zest (from 2 oranges) ( I used about 3/4 of the zest from one orange and it was plenty)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Cover beets with water by 1 inch in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and simmer until tender when pierced in center with a fork, about 30 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Let stand until cool enough to handle, then slip off and discard skins. Cut beets into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

While beets are cooking, stir together scallions, 2 tablespoons vinegar, lemon juice to taste, mint, zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined. Add warm beets and toss with vinaigrette and vinegar and salt to taste. Serve warm or slightly chilled.

*Sometimes called candy-cane beets, chioggias become more aggressive in flavor as they age, so search out relatively young beets, with a diameter of 1 1/2 to 2 inches.

Fresh Tomato Sauce with Bacon

I love this time of year! Tomatoes everywhere. That actually taste like tomatoes.

I am making some slow roasted sauce today for the freezer, plus a batch of my favorite summer sauce, Fresh Tomato Sauce with Bacon from Jim Fobel's Big Flavors, an old cookbook that I love for it's range of recipes that live up to the title.




Fresh Tomato Sauce with Bacon from Jim Fobel's Big Flavors

Makes about 5 cups - enough for 2# of pasta

6-8 slices lean, hickory smoked bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 t dried basil, crumbled
1/2 t dried oregano, crumbled
3 # ripe summer tomatoes (10-12 med, or 6 lg beefsteak) peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped, reserve juices
1/4 c tomato paste
1/2 c dry white wine
2 t sugar
1 t salt
1/8 t black pepper
1 bay leaf

In nonreactive large saucepan over moderate heat, cook the bacon til crisp. Spoon off and discard all but 1 T of the fat.

Add onion to skillet and saute til softened. Add garlic, basil and oregano and cook a minute. Add tomatoes and juices, paste, wine, sugar, S&P and bay. Bring to boil over moderate heat. Reduce to low and simmer til slightly thickened and the flavors are blended, about 30 min. Taste for seasoning. Remove bat, Set aside to cool to room temp. Cover and chill for a week.

I usually eat about half of the bacon, and throw the rest back in the sauce. Your call.

Fresh Corn Cake with Raspberries and a Perfect Pairing

I made this recipe from Cooking Light several times last season, and recently I made 5 for a dinner party. The fresh pureed corn adds an interesting flavor to this not overly sweet dessert.


Tossing the raspberries with a small amount of flour prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.

My tip for removing the corn from the cob without making a giant mess: Rest the cob in the center of a Bundt pan when slicing - less strays on the counter.


Fresh Corn Cake with Raspberries

Cooking spray
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°.

Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray; line bottom of pan with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray.

Combine corn and next 5 ingredients (corn through eggs) in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.

Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add corn mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.

Toss raspberries with 2 tablespoons flour; fold into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan and carefully peel off wax paper. Cool completely on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.


Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

CALORIES 291 (26% from fat); FAT 8.3g (sat 4.7g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.6g); IRON 1.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 61mg; CALCIUM 67mg; CARBOHYDRATE 52.1g; SODIUM 481mg; PROTEIN 4.6g; FIBER 2.8g

Cooking Light, JULY 2002

A perfect beverage pairing, surprisingly enough isn't a wine, it's Lindemann's Raspberry Lambic, a Belgian beer that actually drinks like a sparkling wine. Mustard Seed carries it in both large and small bottles. It has a bottle cap and a cork. Serve in a champagne flute.

Need raspberries? Mine are ripening faster than I can pick them. CSA members are welcome to stop by and pick their own. Call or e-mail for directions.

Cheers! ---Tami

Chicken with Poblano Sauce

I love poblano peppers (chile rellenos - which I can not pronounce to save my life) and was happy to see some in the share box.

I finally have a few nights to actually cook for myself instead of other people, and one of my fellow personal chefs posted this recipe (originally from Gourmet magazine), that had gotten rave reviews.

Plus it's quick and easy. Especially if you remember to preheat the oven. Which I did not. So I put my sauced chicken back in the skillet, turned down the flame as low at it would go, and slapped a lid on while the oven heated. No harm, no foul - pun intended.

Chicken with Poblano Sauce

Serving Size : 4

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------- -----------------
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large poblano chiles -- seeded and sliced into ¼-inch strips
1 medium onion -- sliced ¼ inch thick
4 6 oz. skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese -- grated (about 2 2/3 cups)

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet. Add the poblanos and onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large, heavy skillet. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and add them skinned side down to the skillet. Cook over moderately high heat until browned, and 3 minutes per side. Arrange the chicken breasts in a baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer.

3. Transfer the cooked poblano mixture to a blender with the sour cream and milk; puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the chicken is cooked through.




It was flavorful, but not really overly hot or spicy. Just right. Delicious! Had it with some heat and eat Uncle Ben's Santa Fe Rice and a package of frozen veggies.

Bonus: Leftover fresh figs and Gorgonzola Dolce from my last catering event. I hate it when that happens.

Romaine and Cilantro

Romaine Lettuce

I have to admit. Romaine lettuce is my favorite vegetable. People always think of it as boring, but for me it simply adds texture and nutrients to things that aren't always the most healthy meals - like nachos and hamburgers ;). Plus, its really easily to throw on whatever you are eating and when juicing, it makes the other ingredients go a long way.

Romaine lettuce is definitely the most nutritious of the lettuces, but really the nutritional value is almost equal between the other darker green varieties. All lettuces have a high water content, but they are still nutritious, low in calories, and a green veggie - which we can all use more of. I always pack on the romaine when I eat a sandwich, putting at least 2 -3 full leaves on there, but you could also use it in place of a taco shell, in your salads, in a smoothie, or even as a pizza topping. Yes, I am serious! Try a salad pizza. Just add your salad after the pizza has baked.

2 cups of romaine have over 143% of the daily recommended value of Vitamin K, which I talked about a few weeks ago. It also has a powerful combo of Vitamin C and beta carotene which work together prevent cholesterol build up. Since it is a leafy green it has all of the benefits that they bring to the table including improved circulation, blood purification, cancer prevention, less mucus and clearer congestion just to name a few. And since leafy greens are the most missing item in Americans diets, I suggest you add it in whenever you can!

If you are going to eat lettuce from the grocery store or anywhere else other than from your White House Gardens CSA supply, make sure to clean it really, really well. Lettuce is #9 on the list of top fruits and veggies containing the highest amount of pesticides.


Cilantro

Cilantro juice is nowhere near as good as parsley juice BUT it is fabulous to eat and your body will thank you for adding it in whenever you can. It is a strong detoxifier and blood and brain cleanser. So toxins, even heavy metals, bind to it and are washed out. This was discovered when Dr. Yoshiaki Omura accidentally found that patients that had just eaten Vietnamese soup that contained a lot of cilantro had high mercury levels in their urine. So try the Spicy Mexican Tuna roll next time you get sushi or make a cilantro pesto to eat with your grilled tuna.

Eliminating heavy metals and toxins from your body will free it up to perform much more efficiently and even cure infections that may have been present, whether known or not, for years. Some people who have reported better cardiovascular health, lower cholesterol, lower blood sugar levels and improved digestion. The most logical explanation for these improvements is that the body is more efficient because it is not fighting metals and toxins.

To see results try adding 2 -3 teaspoons per day into salads, sauces, sushi, as a garnish, and OK even into your juice for 3 weeks. I can't wait to test this theory when I do my next cleanse.

Here is a recipe for Vegan Cilantro Pesto

Ingredients

2 cups loosely packed cilantro leaves (stems removed)

2 tablespoons slivered almonds2 tablespoons Parma (or homemade vegan parmesan)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

2-4 teaspoons water (depending on desired consistency)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Blend all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Use more or less water to get the thickness you desire.

Serves 4-6 people.

Freezing All Types of Greens

Here are instructions from shareholder Pat Brannon on freezing greens for later use in soups and stews. They are very clear instructions and such a great idea. It's great to be able to use something from the garden in middle of a long winter. Thanks, Pat

Freezing all kind of greens…
Debbie asked me to share with you a simple method for freezing greens. This week we have mustard greens in our box, but you can freeze any type of greens, even those tops from turnips, kohlrabi and beets. These make a pleasing addition to winter stews and soups, especially those minestrones.
If you are freezing the greens from beets or other roots vegetables, cut the greens from the root while they are crisp and fresh. Young tenders greens yield the best results, so start with the freshest possible.
Fill your sink or a bowl with cold water and give the greens a good rinse.
Remove the toughest portion of the stems. You can freeze the stems, but chop them first and set aside.
Fill a 4 quart pot about 2/3 full with water and bring to a boil. If you are saving the stems, throw them into the pot first and wait about 1 minute before adding the greens. Add the greens and cover the pot. Now watch the clock! For all except collard greens, blanch for blanch for an additional 2 minutes. For collard greens, blanch 3 minutes.
If you have lots of the same type of greens you can use the same blanching water several times, adding more hot water from the tap from time to time to maintain the water level.
While the greens are blanching prepare a large bowl with ice and cold water.
Using a slotted spoon or strainer with a handle, quickly remove the greens from the pot and transfer to the ice bath for about 2 minutes.
Drain well. You can gently squeeze the excess water from the greens, but be gentle, as to not crush those tender greens.I use quart size, freezer zip loc bags, removing as much air from the bag as possible before zipping. Be sure to label the bag so you remember what kind of greens you have blanched. Once they are frozen, all they will all look the same!

Fresh Tomato Tart and Roasted Green Beans w/Lemon and Pine Nuts

Oh my I wish you could smell this blog post. Garlic, basil, cheese, tomatoes. Smells like summer!

I have been very busy cooking for other people the last few weeks. My CSA goodies and my own garden harvests have been sadly neglected. Plus I also accumulate leftover ingredients from parties. Tonight was my first night off in awhile, so I foraged the fridge and counters and immediately thought: Tomato Pie!

Tomato Pie is a Midwest summer classic - fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh garlic and basil, with a little mayo and garlic thrown into a pie crust and baked til melted and yummy,

I used this recipe from Midwest Living, but you can certainly make it up depending on what's hanging around. For some reason (probably testing of some recipe), I had one half of a package of Pillsbury Pie Crust in the fridge. Definitely tomatoes, including some nice yellow ones, which got lost under the cheese. The only thing I'd say about the recipe: Use a mini food processor, no need to drag out the big mama for garlic and basil.

I'm thinking leftovers for breakfast.

Next up - a nice container of tipped and tailed green beans ready to cook. My last couple of dinner parties have gotten steamed green beans with sun-dried tomatoes and toasted almonds. Plus I found my few green bean plants happily producing despite being dwarfed by the squash planted too close to them.

Roasted green beans are not the prettiest dish, but they sure are delicious. And easy. Toss them on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil (lemon flavored if you have it). Zest a lemon with a microplane over them. Season with salt and pepper - I used roasted garlic sea salt and a little of Penzey's Trinidad seasoning. Then throw in some pine nuts. I had a handful leftover from friday's dinner. Roast in a hot oven - 425 at least. Toss after about 8 minutes. Then keep an eye (and nose) on them, You want them slightly blackened, but don't burn the pine nuts. Toss with some parmesan cheese as soon as you take them out of the oven.

These are good hot or cold.





Then I found some sliced zucchini and red onion from a kebab party last week. Roasted those with a little olive oil and I decided to try the Penzey's prime rib seasoning on them. Interesting with a bit of celery seed in there.





Ok that's only the inside fridge. Tomorrow I am tackling the garage fridge....

Bread Painting Blog

Ok, I am not a baker, but this blog makes me want to create some edible art.

What is everyone making with their shares? I'm thinking grilled ratatouille tonight....

Grilled Pizza

Got veggies? Got some pizza dough? Need to clean out the fridge? Grill some pizza!

First I fired up the grill. Then I cut up some veggies, spritzed 'em with olive oil and seasoned them with salt, pepper and good sprinkle of Penzey's Tuscan Seasoning. Grilled 'til they were tender and charred.

I buy par-baked crusts from Frickaccio's Pizza Stand at The West Side Market. I love them! They also sell whole wheat and gluten free dough for the do-it-yourself crowd.

I spritzed both sides of my dough with a little olive oil. Then I cleaned out the fridge: A few spoonfuls of pesto, a half container of ricotta cheese formed a nice base. Then layered with grilled veggies and topped with some leftover prosciutto and fennel salami. A few Kalamata olives, some tomato slices in olive oil from the market. A few torn basil leaves from the share box.

A sprinkle of parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Time for the grill.

You turn one burner off and leave the other at med-low. Put it on the med-low side and close to get the crust cooking and the toppings melting. Then switch to the burner off side for a few minutees until done.

Smoky and delicious! With leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

CSA Bounty: Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

My favorite time of the year - the CSA box is hitting it's peak. This week's share: carrots, radishes, basil, lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes of many sizes and colors - heirlooms, hot peppers and some green peppers.

I ate most of the radishes and handful of carrots straight from the box.

Then I made a big batch of Stuffed Green Pepper Soup with my friend and fellow personal chef, Laura Whalen's recipe: It looks, and tastes, like stuffed peppers, in soup form. I doubled the recipe and used a 2.5# package of lean ground turkey. You could use ground beef, if you prefer.

Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

Yield: 5 quart

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
26 ounces tomato basil tomato sauce -- Newman's works well.
1 C rice cooked (I buy the Uncle Ben's Ready Rice -- Brown)

1 C onions chopped
2/3 C green pepper, chopped
2/3 C red bell pepper chopped
2/3 C yellow bell pepper, chopped
2/3 C Celery, chopped
1/2 C carrot chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced

1 T oregano
1 1/2 T chili powder, adjust as needed
1/8 C soy sauce
1/4 C dark brown sugar, add as needed for taste
2 quarts beef stock
16 ounces Italian style tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper as needed
1 T olive oil

Directions:
1 Cook rice according to directions and set aside.
2 Heat oil in large saucepan till very hot. Add ground beef and brown, stirring once in awhile till well browned.
3 Drain beef and remove from pan, saving 1 T of oil then add chopped vegetables and garlic and sautéed till vegetables are starting to soften.

4 Add ground beef back to pot with vegetables. Add oregano and chili powder, cook 2 minutes stirring once.
5 Add stock, tomatoes, tomato sauce and brown sugar; bring pot to a boil. When boiling, turn down to a simmer. Simmer 1 hour, and then adjust seasonings according to taste. Adjust herbs, salt, pepper and brown sugar as needed.
6 When ready to serve, stir rice into pot. Serve in warmed soup bowls.
7 If desired, you may add chopped green onions and cheese to top when serving.

Week #8 Healthy Facts

Today I think that we will look at two of Italy's favorite crops: tomatoes and basil.

Tomatoes

Ah, it is tomato season, isn't it! Well, lycopene makes them red and lycopene is a what? An antioxidant! And antioxidants do what? Did someone say fight cancer and other diseases, including heart disease? YES! And that great tomato sauce that you put on your whole wheat pasta is going to help your body even more because cooking concentrates the lycopene and makes it easier for your body to break down. Lycopene is absorbed better with fats, so be sure to top off your pasta with a little olive oil.

Vegetables and fruits have complex biodynamic structures that contain so many minerals, nutrients and vitamins that work harmoniously together and many times we don't even know why their benefits are so great. That is why it is so important to eat a diet of whole foods and not just take supplements. Tomatoes and broccoli are a good example of this. Studies have shown that when eaten together daily, tomatoes and broccoli can shrink prostate tumors by up to 52%. This is higher than any prescription drug by far! Both tomatoes and broccoli eaten alone were also helpful, but not as much. Green tea and tomatoes together also had a similar effect in other studies.

Tomatoes are often thought of as a highly acidic food, when in reality they're pH level is higher (less acidic) than most fruits, which tomatoes are technically considered. In Macrobiotics tomatoes are considered non-acid forming foods and even used to lower highly acidic blood levels. The riper the tomato the less acidic it will be and the more Vitamin C it will contain.

Tomato juice can help with morning sickness (add a little salt and pepper), diarrhea, eczema, anemia (when mixed with apple juice...ewww), and even sores in your mouth if you gargle with it. The pulp can help alleviate a variety of skin ailments including wounds, sun burn, acne scars, even dark eye circles. It's the Vitamin A and C and the antioxidants that rejuvenate dead skin cells.


Basil

Basil gets it's name from the Greek word basileus, which means king and in summer, basil is definitely king! The health benefits come from the volatile oils and flavenoids it contains. The volatile oils have a strong antibacterial effect. Several studies have shown that the volatile oils found in basil work together to suppress the growth of some very common bacteria that has become resistant to antibiotics. Basil acts ike aspirin by blocking enzymes that cause inflammation and therfore reducing inflammation, which is often the root cause of most illnesses. The flavenoids protect your body's cells.


Basil doesn't stay fresh too long. But, that does not mean it should go to waste. Here are some suggestions for other uses.

• Ease mouth aches - swish mouth with basil tea or apply a basil leaf directly to a sore in the mouth
• Burn leaves to repel mosquitoes and flies
• Ease skin issues like eczema, rashes and ringworm - put a handful of leaves in a hot bath and relax
• Aromatherapy - Use as potpourri for stress relief
• Digestion - Add to freshly squeezed juice for improved digestion
• Improve the memory - grind a handful of basil leaves with almond, honey and pepper YUM ;)
• Sleep aid - make into a tea and drink before bed