about a year ago, i read this book titled “the art of eating in” by Cathy Erway.  the author challenged herself to learn to cook and eat IN while living in New York City for a year…if i remember correctly.  one of her main reasons for doing so involved being on a tight budget and needing to avoid spending her entire paycheck on eating out.  seems like a very valid reason to me.  however, there are other reasons to shift towards cooking and eating IN versus daily eating OUT.  i never understood choosing to eat in all the time when there were so many restaurants to patronize!  for me, the custom of cooking and eating in began out of a need to avoid certain foods, stay within the grocery budget, relieve stress during college, and to ensure we were eating locally and seasonally.  thanks to the team at abundant harvest organics, the million food bloggers around the world, a little kitchen, and a little of time…i think i now prefer eating IN versus eating OUT…for most of the time anyways:)  

here are a few of the seasonal recipes we’ve created and enjoyed lately!

Lemon-Mustard Vinegarette – a super simple salad dressing to use on the endless heads of red leaf lettuce we keep receiving in our csa box!  i used it on a simple salad with artichoke hearts and pomegrante seeds.  you’ll find the recipe here. 

Homemade Green Apple Applesauce – i love apples…they might be my overall favorite fruit.  jake, my husband, hates fresh apples…my point being that when we have a lot of fresh apples chilling at our place, i can’t quite keep up with them on my own.  this recipe was SO easy and we both were able to enjoy.  the perfect fall snack.  you’ll find the recipe here.  

Roasted Acorn Squash – my favorite of this past week!  simply the plain, roasted flesh of the squash tasted so much better than any acorn squash i have ever had.  just a warning…you may not have the same experience if you use a non-organic, non-local, non-seasonal squash.  i used olive oil in place of butter.  try this recipe here.

Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potatoes – sweet potatoes and dark chocolate are my two favorite foods.  this is one of those slow-cooker recipes that is simple and many ingredients are not too difficult to find.  i have used crushed tomatoes versus diced both times, making it and it makes for more of a tomato bean sauce but still delicious.  nothing better than coming home to the smell of dinner and not having to do any prep on a cold day!  found the recipe from real simple here.  

Double Chocolate Cakies – i’ll make this the last one for today.  my mom had this awesome recipe for banana chocolate chip muffins.  we’d make them with semi-sweet chocolate chips… they were so moist and a perfect combo of chocolate and banana.  i even used the recipe for my fat replacement project in college.  being gluten-free and doing my best to avoid processed sugar…i have finally found an excellent subsitute in this recipe!!!  fresh out of the oven or warmed up enough for the chips to melt is the best.  i leave out the cinnamon.  you will not believe there’s no added sugar in these things.  you’ll find the recipe here. 

i need to get better with the food pictures, but none that i have correlate with the recipes above!

it doesn’t really feel like fall in southern california…yet.  knowing that all my friends and family in michigan are enjoying the views of leaves changing color makes me miss fall all the more.  even my body knew to start craving apples a couple weeks ago.  just yesterday, at europane, we started serving our seasonal pumpkin bars.  that made it official.  i’ve been baking gluten-free pumpkin muffins and enjoying them with warm spiced apple cider.  i buy mine from trader joe’s since i haven’t yet found an apple orchard with fresh apple cider nearby.  i love it.  

pumpkin muffins

(gluten free and from the specific carbohydrate diet) 

i skip the walnuts and raisins and bake only for 25 minutes.  

Ingredients

2 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup honey

4 Tbsp melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground ginger

2 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325.

2. Line a muffin pan with paper liners (12 muffins).

3. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric beater to thoroughly combine all ingredients EXCEPT almond flour, walnuts, and raisins.

4. Stir in almond flour until well combined.

5. Stir in walnuts and raisins.

6. Spoon batter into muffin cups, using wet fingers to press down any bumps on the tops before baking.

7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

a few more recipes to make delicious use of the abundant harvest vegetables from this week: 

Moroccan-Spiced Spaghetti Squash
Adapted from Gourmet

Cooking spaghetti squash in your microwave is super-quick, but roasting it isn’t much more work — I’ve made it both ways and it works equally well. This works great as a side, but I tried something different this time and bulked it up with canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed. We had it with couscous but if I had thought of it sooner, it would also be great with some sautéed greens.

Serves 4

1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) spaghetti squash (honestly, I just used the one and didn’t weigh it!)

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces (i used half butter, half oil) 

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, if you’re cilantro-averse

To cook the squash in a microwave: Pierce squash (about an inch deep) all over with a small sharp knife to prevent bursting. Cook in an 800-watt microwave oven on high power (100 percent) for 6 to 7 minutes. Turn squash over and microwave until squash feels slightly soft when pressed, 8 to 10 minutes more. Cool squash for 5 minutes.

To roast the squash, two methods: If you’d like to roast the squash whole, pierce it all over with a small sharp knife to prevent bursting and bake it in a 375°F oven for one hour. If you are good with a big, sharp kinfe, you can save some time by cutting the squash in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds and roasting the halves face-down in an oiled baking pan for about 40 minutes in a 375°F oven.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it is barely golden. Stir in spices and salt and remove from heat.

If you have microwaved or roasted your squash whole, carefully halve it lengthwise (it will give off a lot of steam) and remove the seeds.

Carefully halve squash lengthwise (it will give off steam) and remove and discard seeds. Working over a bowl, scrape squash flesh with a fork, loosening and separating strands as you remove it from skin. Toss with the spiced butter and cilantro.

* Thanks again to Smitten Kitchen for such a great recipe suggestion!  It really is quite amazing how the insides of the squash perfectly scoop out ready to eat just like spaghetti!  

 

so the moroccan-spiced spaghetti squash was dinner sunday (and lunch monday)… for monday night it was homemade pesto from one of my favorite blogs, My New Roots.  

Basil Pesto
Ingredients:
2 oz. basil (about 5 lightly packed cups) 
8 cloves of garlic
1 cup Parmesan (or better yet, hard sheep’s milk cheese such as Pecorino Romano)
2/3 cup pine nuts, toasted 
3/4 cup organic, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste

Directions:
1. In a food processor fitted with an S-blade mince garlic, cheese, nuts and salt. 
2. Add clean, dry basil leaves and pulse until chopped. 
3. With the machine running, add oil until it has reached the desired texture. 

Tips: – The basil must be dry before you process it.
– Freeze pesto in ice cube trays. When frozen, transfer cubes to a freezer bag. 
– You can also use a mortar and pestle for a more rustic-style pesto (pictured).
We enjoyed this pesto (the best recipe that i have found yet) on no-noodles for me and brown rice pasta for jake.  Not only does this recipe provide an outlet for this week’s basil, but the cherry tomatoes on top make the dish.  

that was monday night’s dinner (and tuesday’s lunch) and tuesday’s dinner consisted of another two vegeatables from the box.  for tuesday evening, i made spicy roasted eggplant with tomatoes and cilantro courtesy of epicurious.com.  i was mostly attracted to this recipe due to having most of the ingredients on hand.  it was a bit spicy for my taste.  i served it over brown rice and that seemed to help.  

ingredients:

• 2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds 6 ounces total), halved lengthwise

 

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger
• 1 pound tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

directions: 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil rimmed baking sheet; place eggplant halves, cut side down, on sheet. Roast eggplant until flesh is soft, about 1 hour. Cool slightly. Using spoon, scoop pulp from eggplant halves into medium bowl; mash. Discard skins.

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add ginger and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes and next 4 ingredients; sauté 5 minutes to blend flavors. Add eggplant and stir until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before serving.)

one more note… Kind Kreme is a wonderful vegan spot on arroyo in pasadena that serves great raw vegan ice cream.  just went there tonight and got the superfood ice cream.  it’s intense chocolate-y and cruelty-free.  kind to you, kind to the planet.  also, the mexican chocolate gf cookies were quite the addition to my night’s dessert!

up until a couple of weeks ago, i had never even seen or heard of chinese okra.  at first i was intimidated and must admit that i am guilty of not using both week’s worth of the vegetable.  after searching online for quite a while, i finally found a recipe that not only used up my entire pound of chinese okra but the two tomatoes from my box as well!  the following recipe was found here.  

sauteed chinese okra

Chinese okra is also known as Silk Squash, Angles or Angled Luffa.  This is actually a type of immature luffa gourd- Luffa acutangula.  It is low in calories, high in vitamin C and fiber.  Some people prefer to peel it before cooking, but I like the firmness of the rind when cooked. 

Ingredients

• 1 lb Chinese Okra, cut into into ½” cubes. 
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced finely
• 1 red onion, cut into slices and separated into rings (you can also use shallots)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat up the olive oil in a skillet.  Sauté the garlic until translucent.
2. Add the onions and cook until translucent.
3. Add the tomatoes and okra.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes.  The rind of the okra will retain some of its texture, which is good for the fiber content. 

and as for the pears…

i just finished baking a great dish for tomorrow’s breakfast called baked pear oatmeal a la so good.  i’m always so happy to find a recipe that uses the fruit from my csa box AND provides me with an option for breakfast that something different than resorting to raw almonds and/or fresh fruit.  in place of the hazelnuts, i used pistachios (because i love them and had them on hand), and when made with gluten free oats, this recipe is gluten and dairy free.  oh, and i used honey in place of maple syrup because maple syrup makes me shaky.    

Baked Oatmeal with Pears
Serves 4-6

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds), toasted
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
pinch of fine sea salt
1 egg
2 cups almond milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ripe pears, diced
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing pan

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Grease the bottom of a 10×8-inch baking dish with the coconut oil, set aside.
Place the rolled oats, nuts, baking powder, spices, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl beat the egg. Add to it the almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla, stir well to combine.
Spread the chopped pears into an even layer in the baking dish. Pour the oat mixture to cover the pears, then slowly pour the wet ingredients over the oats so everything is evenly soaked. Drizzle the melted coconut oil over the top and bake for 30-35 minutes. When it’s done the oatmeal should be set and lightly browned on top and your kitchen smells like cinnamon. Let cool slightly before serving

one of my favorite ways to use fresh tomatoes during the summer… fresh bruschetta! thanks friend, for requesting that i post this recipe:) not only is this great on baguette…try it on pasta, eggs, on top of a salad, or simply mixed into seasonal roasted vegetables.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Serves: 8-10 as appetizer (24 small slices)
*Awesome recipe found on Simply Recipes website. I really enjoy the flavor with substituting yellow tomatoes and/or apple cider vinegar. To keep the tomatoes fresh and avoid extra work, just cut the tomatoes and discard the seeds and juice!

6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 ½ lbs)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
¼ cup olive oil

1.) Prepare tomatoes first. Parboil the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner. Drain. Using a sharp small knife, remove the skins of the tomatoes. (If the tomatoes are too hot, you can protect your finger tips by rubbing them with an ice cube between tomatoes.) Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers. Also cut out and discard the stem area. Why use plum tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes? The skins are much thicker and there are fewer seeds and less juice.
2.) Make sure there is a top rack in place in your oven. Turn on the oven to 450 degrees F to preheat.
3.) While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, garlic, 1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4.) Slice the baguette on a diagonal about ½ inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven, so you may need to do these in batches depending on the size of your oven. Once the oven has reached 450 degrees F, place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.
NOTE: alternatively, you can toast the bread without coating it in olive oil first. Toast on a griddle for 1 minute on each side. Take a sharp knife and score each slice 3 times. Rub some garlic in the slices and drizzle ½ tsp olive oil in each slice. This is the more traditional method of making bruschetta.

Use up all your Abundant Harvest Organic vegetables in one dish!  I’ve spoken with many of you… friends, fellow CSA-members, and neighbors who have not been able to use up your full box of fresh produce within a week.  While I don’t understand how this could be, and while I love the donations of extra squash… I’d like to provide you with a recipe that may help in your dilemma.  I am sharing this in a hurry so sorry there are no pictures at this time.  

Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 2 cups stew, about 1 TBSP basil puree, and about 1 tsp cheese)

*A great healthy vegetable recipe to get away from anything bland… the garlic flavor is intense. Feel free to mix and match onion, potatoes, squash etc.  It’s a very forgiving combination.  This recipe is originally adapted from Cooking Light.

BASIL PUREE:

1 cup basil leaves

1 garlic clove

3 TBSP water

2 TBSP olive oil

1/8 tsp salt

VEGETABLES:

1 TBSP olive oil

2 bay leaves

1 onion, cut into ¼-inch thick wedges

6 garlic cloves, halved

2 thyme sprigs *or a few pinches of dried thyme

1 ½ cups (2-inch thick) sliced carrot

1 lb small red potatoes, halved   (I sub zucchini and like it better!)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

3 cups (1-inch) cubed yellow squash (about ¾ lb)

1 cup yellow bell pepper strips

½ lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces

2 tomatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 TBSP (1/2 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1.) To prepare basil puree, combine basil and 1 garlic clove in a blender; process until smooth.  Add water, 2 TBSP oil, and 1/8 tsp salt; process until blended.  Set aside.

2.) To prepare vegetables, heat 1 TBSP oil in a large Dutch oven (also known as pot) over low heat.  Add bay leaves; cook 1 minute.  Add onion, 6 garlic cloves, and thyme; cover and cook 10 minutes.  Add carrot, potatoes, ½ tsp salt, and black pepper; cover and cook 20 minutes.  Add squash, bell pepper, and beans; cover and cook 15 minutes.  Add the tomatoes; cover and cook 10 minutes.  Discard bay leaves and thyme.  Spoon stew into individual bowls; drizzle with the basil puree, and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Each serving: 240 calories (36% from fat), 9.7 g fat (1.7g sat), 6.8 g protein, 35.4 g carbohydrate, 7.5 g fiber, 2 mg cholesterol, 3.3 mg iron, 373 mg sodium, 123 mg calcium

thanks again smitten kitchen for another great recipe!  this one is being moved from my “to try” bookmark to “try again and again” recipe book.  the following recipe for cantaloupe salsa has restored my hope that cantaloupe can be delicious and that salsa can be enjoyed without wheat/gluten and corn-laden chips.  it was seriously so good that i ate it with a spoon and drank the melon-infused spicy lime juice that remained after our meal was finished.  for those of you abundant harvest organics members… i think we’re getting more melons this weekend too.  

CANTALOUPE SALSA

Adapted from Gourmet

Makes about 2 cups of salsa

Instead of the chile, I sprinkled in some ground red cayenne pepper

2 cups diced (1/4 inch) cantaloupe (from a 2 1/4-lb piece)
1/4 cup diced (1/4 inch) sweet onion (such as Vidalia) or red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or cilantro
1 (2-inch-long) fresh hot red or green chile (skip the seeds if you want to dim the heat), minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix everything and eat immediately.

to complete the meal… i’d suggest: 

BEST BLACK BEANS

1 (16 oz) can black beans

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

salt to taste

In a medium saucepan, combine beans, onion, and garlic, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Season with cilantro, cayenne, and salt.  Simmer for 5 minutes, and serve.

If you ask me this week what we’ll be having for dinner, the answer will most likely involve peaches.  This week’s Abundant Harvest Organics delivery provided us with at least a week’s worth of meals in peaches.  It is a shame to have such beautiful produce and get tired or bored with the limited selection.  Allow me to offer a few ideas as to how to incorporate this fruit into your menu planning!

Grilled Peaches over Arugula w/ Goat Cheese & Proscuitto

*For a bit of crunch, sauté the prosciutto in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until crisp…or simply go without!

 ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 TBSP honey

3 peaches, pitted and each cut into 6 wedges

cooking spray

1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

dash of kosher salt

10 cups trimmed arugula (about 10 oz)

2 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into ¼-inch strips

2 TBSP crumbled goat cheese

1.) Bring vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat, and simmer until vinegar is reduced to 2 TBSP (about 2 minutes).  Remove from heat; stir in honey.  Cool to room temperature.

i’m hoping this entry is early enough in the week to allow all “abundant harvest organic members” to utilize one of these asparagus recipes.  first of all, i’d just like to mention that asparagus is possibly my favorite green vegetable.  its right up there with broccoli and brussel sprouts.  its also probably the vegetable that jake enjoys almost as much as i do.  most of my memories of eating asparagus growing up is when it was roasted in the oven with some shredded parmesan thrown on top for the last few minutes.  it would get just crispy enough and we’d eat it like it was candy.  i know… everyone hates when i describe vegetables in that manner but to me, its true!

 

fresh asparagus salad

wonderful!  even though i missed reading the part about marinating…what a great recipe for using FRESH asparagus.  this recipe is courtesy of art smith from his cookbook, back to the family.

2 lbs asparagus, sliced on the bias (i consider about 1 bunch to equal 1 lb)

1 shallot, minced

2 cups shaved parmesan cheese (i used grated because that’s what i had and just used less)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp sherry vinegar (i loved it with apple cider vinegar)

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

directions:

1. in a bowl, combine the asparagus, shallot, parmesan cheese, olive oil, and vinegar.  season with salt and pepper.

2. cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.  bring to room temperature before serving.

and now for those of you who have leftover tarragon still…

broiled asparagus with lemon tarragon dressing

another very simple recipe that not only makes use of asparagus, but also the lemons and tarragon!  i found this recipe on allrecipes.com.

1 bunch asparagus spears, trimmed

4 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 shallot, minced

1 tsp dried tarragon (triple amount when using fresh)

1/4 tsp Dijon mustard (i used spicy brown mustard due to preference)

1 tsp olive oil

directions:

1. Preheat the oven’s broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source.

2. Toss the asparagus with 4 teaspoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread out onto the prepared baking sheet, and broil in the preheated oven until the asparagus spears are just tender and begin to turn lightly brown, about 8 minutes. Turn the spears over halfway through cooking.

3. While the spears are cooking, prepare the dressing by whisking together the lemon juice, shallot, tarragon, mustard, and olive oil in a small bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper. Once the asparagus is done, place it onto a serving platter and pour the dressing overtop.

good morning, and what a glorious saturday in california!

there are too many recipes i wish to share at the moment, so today i am forced to randomly choose one… i’ll share more later.  before i start in about food though, i’d just like to say that i feel like an official california resident now due to experiencing my first ever earthquake aftershock this morning.  i was sitting on our couch reading and out of nowhere the window and couch shook for a few seconds. very strange.

a while ago, my mom shared a recipe for cauliflower crust pizza with me.  i was intrigued with the concept because i have many loved ones who struggle with blood sugar balance and/or diabetes.  to be honest, i’m not sure whom deserves credit for this recipe but it seems as though it was adapted from Your Lighter Side.  i would not suggest making this dish if you are concerned about fat content or have high cholesterol.  however, if you are avoiding gluten and/or simple carbohydrates this might be a great option!  the recipe is quite easy and as long as you are excited about creatively sneaking a serving of vegetables into your meal and don’t expect it to taste exactly like traditional pizza… you’ll be very satisfied.

cauliflower crust pizza 

happy weekend to everyone!  before this week is over, and the beautiful beets from last saturday’s delivery go unappreciated, i have to share the following recipe.

roasted beets with cumin and mint  

this recipe was found online and is from the may 2007 issue of gourmet.

ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and lightly crushed (may also use ground cumin straight from jar)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 medium beets (1 1/4 pound total without greens), trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached
• 1/3 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped