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

Happy Easter and Spring

Both Easter and Spring were welcomed warmly in our house. Something reminded me that I had received a bundt cake pan for Christmas two years ago, and had never used it! So, I took it out and found that it came with a recipe for Lady Bird Johnon's Lemon cake. The lemons seemed spring-y to me, perhaps it was the yellow, and I was soooo glad I made it. Correction, E and I made it. He is my baking partner; he was the one who cracked all ten (!) eggs, dividing the whites and the yolks- the recipe only called for yolks. The cake is so moist and delicious on it's own, it really doesn't need a topping, but I had a ton of blueberries in the freezer, so I made a blueberry sauce to top it with, which wasn't a bad idea at all. I immediately decided that I had found a new spring tradition. This combo will help us welcome in the new season, though I have a feeling we'll be seeing it again sooner rather than later.

I had intended to get a picture of the cake more complete, but it was almost gone before I knew it!

Easter was really low-key this year. We've continued the tradition I grew up with- J hid a bunch of chocolate eggs around the house for E to find, and the kids got Easter baskets, mostly filled with gifts and candy my mom, a-hem, the Easter Bunny, had sent them. I did see these glasses at the $1 section of Target, and couldn't resist. They are for Belalu, but E liked them, too.

We went out to a really delicious brunch, free mimosas included, and that was our Easter this year. I have lots of visions of decorations and crafts we could do, perhaps dye some eggs, search for plastic eggs outside on the lawn... but it was just too cold and spring still seemed too remote, and the kids are still so young. We were all happy with the day as it was, and we'll see what next year brings.

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.

Where we're at this week

Our little reading corner in the study

Everyone seems to be well on the road to recovery after last week's cold. It was a mean one, but I'd rather that than the flu.

The weather continues to be mid-winter-in-the-north: frigid (we're looking at a high of 3F in the coming days- gulp) or icy. Serious, take-no-prisoners icy. Our entire road is just a sheet of thick ice. I think the local schools actually cancelled today because of the ice conditions. To counteract the chill, I've taken to pouring over seed catalogs, pinning flowers and shrubs on Pinterest, and sketching out ambitious garden plans that may see full fruition when the kids go to college :)

At home, I'm thankful for my full pantry that allowed me to scavenge around and pull together a promising soup made from the rest of the beans I soaked this weekend for our Sunday supper of baked beans and brown bread. My bean pot didn't have room for them all, so they got thrown in with some tri-colored orzo, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, garlic, some seasonings and chicken stock. I also made a huge batch of popcorn for snacking and more oatmeal- I'm ready to hibernate this weekend! (Well, I will be after a trip to the grocery tomorrow- our fridge is almost bare.)

The kids are doing well. Less sniffles and sneezes. Belalu is so happy and sweet these days. I love seeing her sense of humor develop and she is into dancing to music and showing everyone her belly button. She is just so precious. I want her to be this happy and confident forever.

So that's us these days. I'm knitting, reading, audio-booking and Downton Abbeying my way through winter. Tomorrow the exercising will begin again after a week of daily headaches and turning in early. What we all really need is a walk in the fresh air, so here's hoping for a thaw soon.

Sick

The weekend was good. I didn't make any bread and kept forgetting to get the Earl Grey tea for the chai, but E, Belalu, and I made the blueberry cornmeal cake from The Smitten Kitchen and last night J and I had a delicious meal of chicken curry and mushrooms that tasted as yummy as anything we could get for takeout, if our town actually offered Indian takeout.

Unfortunately, I also saw it necessary to make a batch of the Influenza Rx sorbet from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, because the kids and I are sick. I'm hoping it's just a nasty cold and not the flu, but we just got the shot last week, so it could be either.

We had lovely weather Fri and Saturday, so even got out for a couple of walks. Now it's insanely frigid and I just want to hibernate until April. I'm really glad I got ahead on the meal planning this weekend. I hope weather where you are is warmer than here, and your week is going well. Stay healthy!

Christmas

As I downloaded my Christmas photos, I realized that all I took pictures of was what we ate. We had Skype on most of the day with various family members out east, so I just didn't take many pictures of the kids, and most of the ones I did take came out blurry.

 

We got home the afternoon of Christmas Eve, so I wasn't sure I would have the energy to undertake our now-traditional "Paella Navideña", or Christmas Paella, as we call it. But after putting Belalu to bed at 6, I rallied and did throw one together. I still have some tweaking to do (mastering the paella is a tricky skill to acquire, especially for a gringa who didn't grow up eating them), but it was my best one yet.

Christmas morning E and J slept in until almost 10 (!) due to travel fatigue, so I had time to make some blueberry muffins, a tradition my mom started when my sis and I were kids.

The rest of the day we just snacked on veggies and dip, muffins, and nuts. Then went to our neighbor's house for dinner- I brought cranberry sauce, cardamom bread, and a bottle of coquito, Puerto Rico's version of egg nog.

The recipe I made filled the three bottles. We've kept the other two in the fridge and have a bit in the evenings- it's coconut-y, creamy, and cinnamon-y with a wallop of rum that can put me right to sleep. It's definitely a new tradition I'll keep up. To have it in the fridge just feels festive. We had some friends stop by unexpectedly last night, and it was great to be able to offer them a glass as we chatted.

Santa brought Belalu a Radio Flyer Tiny Trike. Her PT had suggested we get her a riding toy, and E never had one, so we hoped this would be small enough for her legs, and she can indeed push herself along on her tip toes. I already thought she was mobile enough- now on wheels, there's no stopping this girl (well, until she gets to a wall and needs help backing up ;)

Fall Holidays

Since I got behind this month, I'll combine Halloween and Thanksgiving into one. Before we know it, it'll be the winter holiday season!

Belalu had two costumes. My mom bought her a honeybee costume, but it was a bit big on her, so for an indoor party, she was a cowgirl instead. Then, the night of trick or treating she wore the honeybee costume, though she lasted a block and a half before she was ready for bed, so E went on with our friends, I put her to bed (J was home handing out candy), and then met back up with everyone.

The Queen Honeybee in her carriage

 Essie was a fireman. He's obsessed with Fireman Sam and rescuing, helping, and saving the day.

There happened to be a rocking horse at the party- too perfect!

This year was the first time I have ever carved a pumpkin- I'm not kidding! I usually leave that job to others, but this year J was dragging his feet and one night I just decided it needed to be done. E helped, of course.

Thanksgiving was low key. We spent the day at home cooking and then went to our friends' house for dinner.

Back in the Kitchen

Last week classes started and it felt like we dove into the middle of the semester. We ate either take-out or throw-it-on-the-grill stuff all week. I took advantage of the long weekend to re-set and get back into the kitchen. I love to make my food from scratch. If I had the time, I’d make everything from scratch. I think I was a pioneer girl in another life. Some of the things coming out the kitchen in the past few days: lots of bread- baguettes and little sandwich loaves, watermelon and lemonade sorbet, sweet corn ice cream with raspberry sauce, flapjacks (the British kind- sweet, syrupy oat bars). We went to the farmers’ market on Saturday morning and stocked up on yummy veggies and fruits, so we’ve been eating lots of those, too. The other night we had a whole dinner from the market or our garden: salad and leek and shitake mushroom frittata with roasted garlic to spread on the baguettes fresh out of the oven. I’m going to miss the market this winter.

I’ve spent this rainy Labor Day tending to domestic matters. The house is clean, the laundry’s done, lunches and dinners are prepped and/or planned for the week. I got behind my sewing machine this morning while Belalu napped and converted a dress whose top part I never loved into a skirt that I will now wear all the time. My latest knitting project, a warm wool pullover for me, has gotten some attention, too.

Last week took me by surprise, but this week I’m ready for it! I hope you also had a wonderful holiday weekend.

Left-over bread w/ Nutella and coffee the next morning: Essie couldn't wait :)

 

An Afternoon by the Pool and Dinner under a Magnolia Tree

Helado

Summer is the perfect excuse to consume lots and lots of ice cream.

Yummy Breakfast

Each morning we take turns going to get a coffee. JC reads the paper, I read a book in preparation for a new course I'm teaching in the fall on Puerto Rican culture and history. We both get a little time to ourselves before the day gets fully underway. Today I just had to order one of my favorite Spanish breakfasts: a grilled croissant. I love it with jam, which I haven't added yet in the pic. It is so decadent and heavenly. Another thing I love about breakfasts here is that when you order an orange juice, it's always freshly squeezed. At this place, one of my favorite bar/cafés in the neighborhood, they always give you a little glass of OJ with your coffee.

Maine Seafood Dinner

One of the things I miss most about not living in Maine anymore is all the fresh yummy lobster.  Growing up, I have lots of memories of my grandfather stopping by the house to drop off a bunch of lobsters he had caught that morning. So I always make sure to get in some lobster rolls when there. One night we had the most amazing summer meal on my parent's patio. Seafood chowder, lobster rolls (toasted, with lettuce and a hint of mayo), corn on the cob, and strawberry shortcakes for dessert. We were in heaven.

Juju took charge of assembling and "designing" the strawberry shortcakes. He came up with adding a bit of chocolate to each. Of course, I don't know much that doesn't get a bit better with a little chocolate ;)

I Made This: Swedish Cardamom Coffee Bread

I love this bread. It is so fragrant and crunchy and soft. It's best right out of the oven, and since the recipe makes two loaves (or two and a little one done by a 3-year-old helper), I always keep one and give away the other, which makes it extra fun to bake. It's best accompanied by a mug of good coffee, though a nice Earl Grey is good, too. One of these loaves was dropped off to some friends who just had a little baby boy.