CSA Box Weeks 17 & 18

I have to admit, I've been busy with work, house stuff and marathon training that blogging has been neglected. But I also have been busy cooking, which is definitely a good thing. Can't let that wonderful food from my box go to waste. Here are pictures of my food friends for the last two weeks of the summer CSA session.

Week 17


Week 18 (Last week of the summer session!)


I didn't get a chance to post individual blogs featuring the dishes I cooked but I have referenced the sites I used to make my dishes -

Miso Glazed Bok Choy (used tat soi)
Sesame Noodles with Radish Salad
Corn and Clam Chowder (potatoes, celery, carrots, onions)
Pad Thai (carrots, broccoli)
Kale Chips
Green Bean Casserole
Basil Eggplant

CSA Box Week 16

This is my first CSA subscription and it's become a way of life for me. I still go to the supermarket at times, but only to supplement items I am in need of such as peanut butter, grains, beans, and the like. Farmers markets here are winding down as well, except for the Ballard and University District markets that are year round. Winter squash and pumpkins are now in season, and corn and tomatoes are near their end of their growing season. I will definitely miss the corn, peas, and tomatoes. Anyway, on a brighter note, I am glad I signed up for the winter CSA session. Though we will see how the winter season goes as meterologists are forecasting a bitter cold winter - a huge winter like that we experienced in 2008 with inches and inches of snow, and one that we haven't experienced in decades.

Here's my food box from this past week -


I am loving these sweet nectarines and pluots. You just can't find these as sweet and nutritious in traditional supermarkets.


Here are the dishes I made:

Corn and Tomato Pizza	Spicy Honey Roasted Potatoes
Baingan Bharta Eggplant Curry	Roasted Cauliflower
Butternut Squash soup	Kale Chips

Kale Chips

Kale chips are fun to make...they're not only tasty, easy to make, but healthy for you too! There's so many versions you can find online. I ordered one bunch of kale from my CSA box just to make kale chips. I like mine just a bit crunchy and lightly seasoned. The important part is to make sure you dry the leaves (I used a salad spinner) before seasoning them and putting them in the oven. I don't recall the proportions of ingredients I used, but I think the below sums it up pretty well.



1 large bunch of kale
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

1. Wash the kale.
2. Separate the kale leaves from the stems. You could probably use the stems in vegetable broth or throw them in the compost.
3. Tear the kale leaves in bite size pieces.
4. Dry the kale leaves in the salad spinner or paper towels.
5. Place the dry kale leaves in a coriander and drizzle with olive oil. With your hands or wooden utensil, make sure the kale leaves are thoroughly covered with olive oil.
6. Next, pour the balsamic vineger and mix until thoroughly coated. Season with a sprinkle of salt.
7. Place the kale leaves on a baking sheet on a single layer.
8. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until just crisp.

Corn and Tomato Pizza

I love great tasting homemade pizza and this one is no exception. For the pizza dough, I defrosted some frozen wheat pizza dough I had previously made following this recipe. Otherwise you can use pre-made pizza dough to save you time. As for the topping, I got the inspiration from this Vegetarian Times recipe, with a little bit of my own variation. For the base sauce, I made some basil and cashew pesto, and left out the cheese altogether. It still tasted great.



Corn and Tomato Pizza

makes 2 medium pizzas

Pesto:
3/4 cup of cashew nuts (or almonds)
1 cup of packed basil
1 garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup of olive oil
salt

In a food processor, grind the cashew nuts.
Add the basil, garlic, and lemon juice until pureed.
Next add in the olive oil until thoroughly mixed.
Season with some salt to taste.

Topping:
1 cup of chopped tomatoes
3 cups of sweet corn
3-4 tablespoons of fresh basil, torn
1 cup of spinach, cooked in boiled water for just a few minutes (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Shape the dough to approx 12 inches large.
3. Spread on the pesto sauce, then top with corn, tomatoes, and spinach. Place on a pizza stone or baking pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until crust is crispy. Approximately 1-2 minutes before the pizza is done, sprinkle on the basil and continue to bake until crust is just about done!

Baked Zucchini Chips

When you're overloaded with zucchini, what better way to use it up than to bake it and eat them like chips? This recipe is simple and delicious. The concept is simple but you need to spend a little time coating the zucchini slices one by one in the bread mixture. Once you've overcome that hurdle, let the oven do all the work for you. At the end, you'll have some great tasting crispy zucchini chips. Yum! These were eaten up in less than an hour!

Baked Zucchini Chips Recipe

The original recipe called for breadcrumbs, but I used panko crumbs instead since that was what I had on hand.

CSA Box Week 15

Just when it seemed like you were getting used to the summer days, fall sneaks up on you...and fast, especially in Seattle. In fact, I thought it was still spring all this time with the weather we were having here. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful summer - sunny and not to hot. I wish we had just a bit more summer here, but the falling autumn leaves are starting to line the streets and I need to let go. Autumn is my next favorite season, with summer topping my list. I love to see the abundant orange, yellow, and red leaves on the trees, littering the streets.

Now back to the purpose of this post...here is what's in my veggie box from this week:



And here are the dishes I made:

sauteed savoy cabbage	Zucchini Potato Frittata with Roasted Vegetables
broccoli and bell pepper noodles	egg noodle soup
pear and almond crumble muffin	Baked Zucchini Chips