CSA 2013, Weeks Two and Three

My parents were visiting last week and then my computer crashed, so I was unable to report on weeks two and three of the CSA until now.

Week Two
For week two's box we got: Lovelock Head Lettuce, Spinach, Pea Vines, Radishes, Garlic Scapes, and Rainbow Swiss Chard. The lettuce, pea shoots, and radishes were used in salads with MB's* Asian salad dressing. This dressing is so good, I actually crave it! It made a nice complement to the sweet potato soup I made, also from MB* that also had some Asian food undertones (coconut milk, ginger, mint, cilantro). The potatoes came from the farmer's market, not the CSA.

The spinach went in a Spinach, feta and walnut lasagna, again, from MB*. I made this lasagna together with a more traditional pork/red sauce lasagna, thinking that I'd be the only one eating the veggie one. However, everyone had a little of both and really liked how they complemented each other.

The garlic scapes went together with last week's portion to make a pesto. MB* once again provided the recipe, where you combine scapes with almonds, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, and pepper. It is amazing. We've been spreading it on bread and also put it on some grilled chicken.

The chard I sauteed with garlic, cranberries, and sunflower seeds (yes, from MB*) like the week before, and my mom, who'd never had chard before, said she liked the combination of bitter, sweet, and crunchy.

Week Three
In week three's box we got: Garlic Scapes, Green Towers Romaine Lettuce, Lovelock Lettuce, Red Russian Kale, Pea Shoots

I immediately made another batch of the scape pesto to freeze. This stuff is soooooo good!

The lettuces and shoots went into salads. Honestly, the kale is still waiting to be used, but will be consumed tonight in the same Smitten Kitchen recipe as Week 1.

I kind of went crazy at the farmer's market last Saturday. There was finally tons of produce to be had (the season is so late this year). I bought tomatoes and basil to mix with mozzarella for Caprese salads; two baskets of snap peas, because Belalu and I ate one basket before even leaving the market; green beans; mint and cilantro; and 2 pounds of shelling peas. From the two kinds of peas and the mint I made a yummy cold mint pea soup. The basic inspiration was from MB* but I made some substitutions with ingredients I already had on hand. I had no lemons, but did have limes, so used lime juice instead and I had some coconut milk in the fridge from the other soup and used that instead of cream. It came out great, and is super refreshing for these scorching days we're in.

*Minnesota's Bounty: The Farmer's Market Cookbook by Beth Dooley

In My Kitchen this Winter

 

I swear the only way I've gotten through winter is chai tea (recipe from the Indian cookbook I got for Christmas) and cardamom bread with Trader Joe's fig spread. It's been my weekend treat.

Lots and lots of veggie soups. An old favorite: potato leek

 

A new obsession: roasted garlic and cauliflower with cheddar accompanied by sweet potato fries. 

My other obsession this winter: popcorn. I cannot get enough. I've been enjoying these two recipes a few times a week:

 Soulemama's cheesy herb popcorn and Rosemary Parmesan popcorn.

 

As part of my Year of the House project, I've been working on keeping the kitchen more in order. Since the kids were born, I've been good at keeping the house picked up and vacuumed, but there are things that often get overlooked or I just have a hard time finding space in the day to do. I'm working on incorporating these things back into my regular cleaning maintenance. It's been working so far; we'll see if I can keep it up! I've been feeling good since my spring cleaning. When my house is in order, life just seems to flow better. It can't hurt that B is finally sleeping the whole night through, which means I am, too. Oh, and the snow is finally melting outside. 

April so far is promising to be much better than March.

A Full Pantry

With all the traveling we did this past month, my pantry was starting to get a bit too bare for my liking. I prefer to have lots of things on hand to be able to whip up a batch of cookies or a yummy soup when the mood strikes and I'm blessed by the baby nap gods. So, this week I got to work re-stocking my pantry. Nigella Lawson, whose classic, How to Eat, has been my breakfast companion this past week or so, talks about her "domestic goddess" moments. You know, when you've spent the evening or weekend puttering around the kitchen filling the fridge with delicious, nutritious meals for your family.

Yesterday was my "domestic goddess" moment. Belalu took an hour and a half nap, and I took advantage of the freedom to cook up a few days' worth of oatmeal (I like the steel cut oats, but they have a long cooking time for a busy week day morning); roasted beets and made a shallot maple dressing for dinner's salad (from Tyler Florence's Family Meal); and made a cuban black bean soup (from Nigella's book). The house was full of warm, delicious smells, and even though I didn't get home for dinner until 6:30, I had a yummy home-cooked meal ready for me. Juan cooked up the pork for him and the kids earlier in the evening.

I have lots more domestic goddess moments planned for my kitchen over the weekend. Breads, an Indian meal from a new Christmas cookbook, a supply of chai tea, and breakfast/snack cake. We'll see if time and the kiddos cooperate. That last one is likely to involve their help, like we did last week.

And as a "Year of the House" update, I've posted my cookbook cabinet. I got a few new books for Christmas and my cabinet was already bursting at the seams. I moved a bunch of books I didn't use at all in the past year or so down to the basement and if I don't miss them this winter, I'll donate them during spring cleaning. I've already found myself "rediscovering" some books, like Nigella's, which I'm reading like a book- she has lots of great text in there beyond the recipes.