Our CSA box: Week 3

Our CSA officially began 3 weeks ago, and I always get so excited to see all the beautiful produce inside.  I know some people are unsure if they can use all their produce in the box, or unsure of what to do with produce they are unfamiliar with, but to me that's the fun of the CSA...it forces me to think OUTSIDE THE BOX!!!!

Here's what was in the box this week:
arugula
red mustard
mild mixed greens
turnips
lettuce
garlic scapes
zucchini

Recipes for this week's box:

• Pasta with wilted arugula, red mustard, almonds, & goat cheese (adapted from The Kinfolk Table)
• Turnips & carrots with green tahini sauce (adapted from Eating Well march/april 2015)
• Zucchini bruschetta (from Martha Stewart Living July/August 2015)
• Fresh basil salad (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens June 2015)

Over the next 3 days I will share the recipes and stories associated with the meals we made out of this week's box.

Let's start with the Fresh Basil Salad that I made for a 4th of July part with friends.  I was asked to bring a salad and when I saw this in the June issue of Better Homes and Gardens I knew instantly that it was the ONE!!!  Especially considering I had two beautiful head of lettuce to use up before it wilted in my fridge and figured it would feed a crowd and be different enough to look like I put a lot of effort into it.

Fresh Basil Salad
(adapted from Better Homes and Gardens June 2015)

For Salad:
1 bunch of Basil (roughly chopped)
2 heads of Lettuce (roughly chopped or torn)
2 containers of Raspberries
3 small Red Onions (sliced thinly)
4 oz of Goat Cheese (crumbled)

For Dressing:
1/3 cup EVOO
1/3 cup Champagne Vinegar
1 Tbsp Honey

Mix all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl (or alternately layer the ingredients for a pretty presentation : lettuce on the bottom, then red onions, basil, raspberries, and on top the goat cheese)

Put all the dressing ingredients in a small mason jar, put the lid on, and shake until combined

Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving.


The salad was a huge hit at our little gathering of friends of friends, former neighbors, and soon to be former neighbors.  Everyone asked about what the dressing was.  I think champagne vinegar in dressing is the secret to a tangy and tasty dressing that almost everyone loves, and the honey sweetens and thickens it just enough.

We had a blast celebrating the 4th of July with friends!!!!  The kiddos swam in the kiddie pool, ran around spraying each other (and us) with water guns, the dogs chased each other around the yard, and I enjoyed sipping my Rose while chatting with friends and watch my son beam from ear to ear all night long.

And what would the 4th of July in Minnesota be, without some super lame safe fireworks/sparklers for the kids.  It was my son's first experience with sparklers and he LOVED it!!!  The next morning he asked if we could do fireworks again today.  Maybe we will have to hit the clearance section next time we are at Target.


I feel so blessed to have such wonderful neighbors, former neighbors, and soon the be former neighbors.  Our neighborhood has changed over the last 9 years we have been here, but we are glad that we have made such great friends and that we still get together, even though now we have to drive to each others houses (no more carefully walking home after a long fun night).

Rhubarb Love

Oh, sweet, sweet Rhubarb!!

Our rhubarb plant has never done so well.  I guess this wet and cool weather is good for something at least.

So what do you do when you have rhubarb coming out of your ears?  You make this:

Rhubarb Bread
(recipe adapted from Amy Sippl's "Grandma Sippl's Rhubarb Bread" over at http://www.mnlocavore.com/ )

1 1/2 C. Brown Sugar
2/3 C. Butter softened
1 Egg, beaten
1 C. Whole Milk
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 C. All Purpose Flour
1 C. Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 C. Chopped Walnuts
2 C. Chopped Rhubarb
Sprinkle of Brown sugar for topping

1. Heat oven to 325 and prepare 2 loaf pans (spray with cooking spray and line with parchment, leaving some parchment hanging over the side so you can just pull your loaf from the pan)

2. In a mixer on low mix brown sugar and butter until creamy, meanwhile add 1 T of apple cider vinegar to 1 C of whole milk (this is a quick way to substitute for buttermilk).

3. Add milk mixture, egg, and vanilla to the mixer and continue mixing.  Slowly ass the flour, baking soda, & salt until batter is smooth.

4. Fold in rhubarb and nuts and pour into your prepped loaf pans, sprinkle top of loafs with brown sugar

5. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and the top is browned.

Bring this bread to your next picnic or gathering and watch as every last crumb is devoured.  It is that good!! But, don't take my word for it, make a few loafs and see for yourself if this a recipe worth hanging onto.   

Quick and Easy Recipe Wednesday

Last night we were in charge of bringing the snack to our birthing class and the focus of our snack was whole grains.  I knew that I wanted to make a quinoa salad with cranberries and walnuts, so I searched the internet for a recipe that looked tasty and easy and here is what I ended up making.

Cranberry Walnut Quinoa Salad

Serves 6 as a starter or side dish or 4 as a main course

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1 cup frozen green beans or peas, thawed

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup sliced green onion (optional)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 cloves of garlic (to taste) minced

freshly ground pepper

1. Rinse the quinoa in several changes of water. Combine the 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a

medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and continue

cooking until all water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, uncover, and allow

to cool for 15 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, dried cranberries, green beans or peas, walnuts,

and green onion (if using) until well mixed.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic until well blended. Pour over the

quinoa mixture. Toss until well blended.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before

serving.

I doubled the recipe and used frozen peas and orange flavored dried cranberries, and there was no need to add any salt or pepper. It was a huge hit!  I was hoping we would come home with some leftovers but it was devoured in no time.

Quick and Easy Recipe Wednesday

It is a gray and dreary day here, perfect for cozying up with a good book and a steaming cup of peppermint tea.  If you need some inspiration for a quick dinner tonight look no further.  Each and every Wednesday I plan on sharing a quick and easy recipe with you that you can make that night.


So what is today's dinner?

Sautéed Apple, Shallots, and Brie Sandwich (Makes enough for 4 sandwiches)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min


Ingredients:

• 3 medium apples (whatever you have on hand, I used Honeycrisp in mine) - sliced thin
• 2-3 shallots (or other sweet onion) - sliced thin
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lb Brie cheese - sliced for sandwiches
• 8 slices of bread (I used whole wheat, but use whatever you like or have on hand)
• Butter for the bread

Directions:

Slice apples and shallots.  Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat in large fry pan.  Add apples and shallots and cook for about 5 minutes until soft and slightly golden in color.  Pour cooked apples and shallots into a bowl or onto a plate.

Butter the outside of your bread.  To prepare you sandwich, place bread butter side down and top with a few slices of brie layer on apple/shallot mixture and top with a few more slices of brie, place other slice of bread butter side up on top. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.

Over medium heat in the fry pan that you cooked the apples and shallots in, place your sandwiches (2 will probably fit at a time) and cook for about 2 minutes on a side until golden brown.

Slice sandwiches and serves with a side salad or your favorite soup. Enjoy!

Hope you find peace in today and always!

I'm going to leave you with an inspirational quote that was shared in my prenatal yoga class today:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
 
----from A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson.

What does this quote mean to you?

Squash Curry, Tea, and Surprises!

Last night I made squash curry for dinner and today as promised I am sharing the recipe with you.  I found a similar recipe in the Sunset Magazine October issue and adapted it to fit our needs.  Below is my version of the recipe.

Squash Curry 

(adapted from Sunset Magazine Oct 2011)

Prep time: 30 min 

Cook time: 25 min

Ingredients 

• 1 red kuri squash (about 3 lbs) – Cubed 

• 1⁄2 tsp salt 

• 2 Tbsp olive oil 

• 2 yellow onions – halved and sliced 

• 1 anaheim pepper – minced 

• 1 tsp cumin 

• 1 tsp curry powder 

• 1⁄2 tsp ground coriander 

• 6 dried bay leaves 

• 1 cinnamon stick (2-3” long) 

• 1 can light coconut milk (14.5 oz) 

• 1 cup raw cashews 

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions: 

Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add cubed squash, sliced onions, and 1⁄2 tsp salt. Cook for 10-12 minutes.

Add minced pepper, cumin, curry, coriander, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Cook 2 minutes or until fragrant.

Add coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Stir in cashews and lemon juice. 

Serve over rice. 

© 2011 Under the Linden Tree

If you decide to try this recipe please leave a comment below letting me know how it turned out.  Also remember to start cooking the rice in your rice cooker or whatever other method you use to cook your rice as soon as you are done prepping the squash, onions, and pepper (otherwise the curry will be ready before your rice, and once you smell the delicious curry you aren't going to want to wait for your rice!).

Hope you all had an enjoyable Tuesday!

My day started out great with a long fall walk around our neighborhood with my husband and our dogs. I even picked up a giant Maple and Oak leaf from our walk.  I was going to share a photo of them with you, but our Border Collie Morgan got to them before I could.  So alas no photos, all I have are memories and shredded leaves!

I dropped Pete off at class and headed over to my favorite coffee shop while I waited for my late afternoon yoga session to start.  If you like Iced Tea and you live in the St.Paul area you have to check out Bread & Chocolate on Grand ave.  They have the best blackberry iced tea!!

When we arrived home there were a few surprises waiting for us on the front step!!

Haley Bonar's new limited edition LP Golder.  Look at the fun creative packaging from Graveface Records .  We not only got the album we ordered, but also a pixie stick, sticker, puzzle pieces, book page, and coloring sheet!!  We felt like little kids, and Pete even offered to share the pixie stick with me, but I politely declined.

The other surprise waiting were the invitations we had ordered from Minted for our upcoming baby shower that my mom, aunt, and mother-in-law are hosting for me.  Here's a sneak peak...

Tomorrow I will be sharing the first of my Wednesday Quick & Easy recipes.  If you are in a pinch to make a mid-week dinner I may just have your solution!