CSA 6/28/12

Another week of glorious CSA goods.

• Kale – the 6 yo eats kale in the form of chips, I will make kale chips (again)
• Spinach – Roasted in the oven with just a bit of garam masala sprinkled on top
• Cilantro – combined with the tomatoes below for some salsa
• Tomatoes – Roasted and made into salsa (see Cilantro)
• Potatoes – I think I’ll use these in this month’s secret Recipe Club recipe, so I can’t tell you yet (it’s a secret)
• Cucumbers – These delights have already become a batch of the Homesick Texan‘s Mustard pickles

• Snap peas – these guys are for snack time

Also pictured above: two ice skating ducks (not for consumption)

 

 

CSA 6/14/12

I’m completely, totally enamored with produce.

Lillian and red leaf

Logan and green onions

Judy and garlic scapes

Lillian and kale

Logan and spinach

Howard and Bok Choy

So much so that my family was barely surprised when I asked them to pose for a few produce portraits.

Here’s how I’m using my CSA this week:

• Red leaf lettuce – lots of salads with homemade ranch dressing
• Green onions – for adding to salads, especially ranch bacon potato salad
• Garlic scapes – chop them up and use them just like garlic
• Kale – Sauteed as a side, and as kale chips
• Spinach – more salads with more ranch dressing
• Bok choy – Stir fried with hamburger, served over rice, just like my Aunt Susie used to make

 

Healthy Spinach Dip

I seem to be in some sort of dip phase right now. For breakfast and lunch all I want is some kind of smooth creamy dip, like black bean, white bean, hummus… Yesterday, I was craving that baked spinach and artichoke dip, so I decided to try to make a healthy version so I could use it to actually get some quality protein. The result was delicious.

Spinach Dip

• 1 10oz package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water
• 8 0z (half a 16oz container) low fat cottage cheese
• 8 oz low fat ricotta
• 1 heaping T mayo
• 1/4 C shredded romano
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• Salt and crushed red pepper to taste
• 1/4 C mozarella, shredded

Place all ingredients but mozarella into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Scrape into a shallow baking dish, top with just enough cheese to cover (you need less than you think), and bake at 375 until bubbly (about 15-20 minutes). Serve with toasted whole wheat pita wedges for dipping.

I didn’t put any artichokes in this because I didn’t have any, but they would be a fabulous addition. For breakfast this morning, I reheated the leftovers and ate them spread on two slices of toast. Yum.

Reetika’s Palak Paneer

I love love LOVE Flavors of India at the North Market in Columbus. My favorite thing to get there is the two vegetable plate with Palak Paneer and Dal. I’m not sure how you’re really supposed to eat it, but I use both these items as a dip for naan.

I have zero experience cooking anything Indian, so when I wanted to try Palak Paneer at home, I turned to Twitter for a recipe. Luckily, my friend Reetika came through and sent me this recipe in 2 DMs – that’s only 280 characters! I altered it just a bit based on what I had on hand and it turned out perfectly. Amounts are not really exact, but no worries – we’re not baking here.

Palak Paneer

• 10 oz Frozen Spinach, Thawed
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/2 a thumb sized piece of ginger
• Paneer, cubed – I couldn’t find this at my local grocery, so I used something called Yanni’s Grilling Cheese with Mint – worked great
• 1/2 an onion, chopped
• 2 green chilis, chopped
• 2 heaping tablespoons plain yogurt
• Madras curry, about 1/2 t
• Garam Masala, about 1 t
• Salt to taste

Heat spinach, ginger and garlic with a little water (like 1/4 cup) over medium heat ’til spinach is thawed and starts to cook. Puree in food processor. Brown paneer cubes in a little olive oil, then remove. Add onion, ginger & green chiles. Saute till brown. Add yogurt and spices with spinach puree. Cover cook low 10 mins. Add paneer and cook for 10 more.

I like to eat it as a dip for a whole wheat pita. It’s also good for breakfast.