Once Upon a Time in Verona

About 10 years ago, a couple of friends and I found ourselves in Verona. It wasn't well planned (okay, it wasn't planned at all), but when disaster struck, we treated ourselves to a delicious meal. Ten years later, all I remember about the meal was that it was the first time I ever had polenta - and it was absolutely delicious!!! Then a few weeks ago, I took a cooking class and we made polenta which inspired tonight's dinner...

Polenta with Zucchini, Onion & Tomatoes
Ingredients:
EVOO
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup diced canned tomatoes (try not to get much juice)
kosher salt & ground black pepper
4 1/2 cups water
1 1/3 cups coarse or medium cornmeal
grated Parmesan

--> In a medium saucepan, bring the water and ~1 tsp salt to a boil. Add the cornmeal slowly, whisking constantly. Also whisk in a few drizzles of EVOO (~2-3tbsp). Reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring frequently with a spoon until the polenta is thick, it takes ~20 minutes. Be careful with this, if the heat is too high, the polenta will pop and you do not want it to hit your skin. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese while the polenta is still in the pot and hot.

--> While the polenta is cooking, heat up a large stirfry pan over medium heat and drizzle with EVOO. When hot, add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Then add the zucchini, stir and continue to cook until the zucchini starts to brown. Add the tomatoes (fresh & canned) and then some salt and pepper. Simmer until thick, takes about 10 minutes.

--> When both the vegetables and polenta are done, spoon the polenta onto a plate and top with the veggie mixture and serve. YUM.

It's Chili Out

Sorry for the sort of cheesy post title, but it's early in the morning and my creative juices aren't quite flowing yet. But, the winter is quickly settling in here in New York, so it is time for me to throw together a big pot of turkey chili. Last year I made my turkey chili so spicy that my sister couldn't touch it, so I scaled back just a little this year...

Turkey Chili
Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 ancho chile (if you have any left), diced
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes in the juice
1 can (15.5oz) black beans - drained
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp each cumin, red cayenne pepper, oregano
kosher salt
ground black pepper
EVOO

--> Heat large stock pot over medium heat - add EVOO and once hot, add turkey. Salt & pepper the turkey once it is in the pot. I added the garlic cloves about halfway into the cooking of the turkey. When the turkey is almost done, add the onions, peppers, and chile. Stir occasionally to get the onions and peppers cooked until onions turn golden. Add the brown sugar - mix thoroughly, then add tomatoes with their juices, the beans and the water. Follow all of these ingredients with the spices. The spice amounts are rough estimates and to your liking (the red cayenne pepper will give a nice kick so be careful with this one). Add more salt & pepper to taste as well.

--> As the liquid mixture starts to boil, lower the heat to simmer and cover. Keep on the heat for at least another 30 minutes. Make sure to taste your chili during the cooking process and add more spice if necessary. The chili freezes well too, so don't feel like you need to eat it all in one sitting - it's a long winter!

Post-Thanksgiving Dinner

So as much as I was completely sick of turkey after last weekend, I ended the weekend with a dinner of roasted cornish hen. Now, I learned last year that making cornish hens is a bit of a process, but they always turn out so good that I am always tempted to make them. This week's was another success - I found this recipe on Food and Wine but I tweaked it a little...

Stuffed Cornish Hens
Ingredients:
1/4 cup slivered, toasted almonds
1/2 cup canned low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
Salt & pepper
1/2 cup rice
1/2 tbsp butter
2 1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Cornish hens (about 1.25-1.5 pounds each)

--> I bought my slivered almonds already toasted, so I didn't need to toast them myself. If yours aren't toasted, heat the oven to 350 F. Toast the nuts in the oven until golden brown, 5-10 minutes. Remove them and set aside. Raise the heat to 425 F (I have a Convection Roast feature on my oven, so I only raised the temp to 400 and the timing still worked).
--> In a small saucepan, cook the rice according to package directions using the broth and the apricots. When done, add the almonds, 1/4 tbsp butter, 1 1/2 tsp honey, cinnamon and dash salt & pepper.
--> Clean up the hens and then fill the cavities of the hens with the rice mixture. If you want, twist the wings of the hens behind their backs and tie the legs together (I didn't do this because I didn't have any string to tie them with, but it is what the recipe calls for). Put the hens, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Sprinkle them with salt & pepper and dot with the remaining butter.
--> Roast the hens for 25 minutes. Then baste them with any pan juices (if none, no biggie) an drizzle another 1 tsp honey over the hens. Continue roasting until just done, probably another 10-15 minutes longer. That's it - serve and enjoy.

Pre-Thanksgiving Feast

Last week marked the end of another CSA season. The past few weeks have been incredibly busy for me so I haven't cooked as much as I would have liked to, but most of the veggies we've been getting stay for a while - potatoes, beets, winter squash, garlic, etc - so we have some time to use them. Anyway, to celebrate the end of the season we cooked up a most delicious dinner that centered around our autumn vegetables. In our house, no delicious meal is complete without brussel sprouts and we generally make them the same way, yum! Here's our full menu. (all recipes serve 3-4 people)

--> Squeeze the lemon over the fish and then sprinkle the pecan and shallot topping over fish and serve. YUM.

Sauteed Halibut with Pecan Shallot Topping (from epicurious):
Ingredients:
1 1/4 pounds halibut fillet
salt & pepper
EVOO
1/2 cup chopped shallot
1/2 cup chopped pecans
juice of 1 lemon

--> Rinse halibut and pat dry before seasoning with salt & pepper. Heat ~2tbsp EVOO in a large heavy pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add fish. Saute fish until golden, turn once, should take 5-7 min total. Transfer to plates and keep warm, loosely covered with aluminum foil.

--> Add 1 tbsp EVOO to the same skillet and cook shallot over medium heat, stirring occassionally. Cook ~3-4 minutes until they are golden in color. Add pecans and saute over slightly higher heat, stirring, until they are a shade darker, should take another 3 minutes.

On the 2 side dishes - I'll be honest, I don't really have recipes here, but you can't really screw up either of these - so this is basically what I threw together!

Brussel Sprouts
Ingredients:
1.5 cups brussel sprouts (cut them in 1/2s if they are big sprouts)
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 clove garlic, minced
EVOO
salt & pepper
1/2 cup mushrooms, halved
vegetable broth (or chicken broth works if you have that on hand)

--> Heat a small saucepan over medium high heat. Sprinkle with EVOO and add shallots and garlic - saute 3-4 minutes until golden. Add brussel sprouts, sprinkle with salt & pepper and continue to saute for another 3-4 minutes. Then add enough vegetable broth to mostly cover the brussel sprouts in the pot. Reduce the heat and cover. After ~4 minutes, add the mushrooms and stir. Cover again and leave the pot over heat until the broth is mostly or completely absorbed, probably another 3-4 minutes. Serve.

Roasted Butternut Squash
Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash
a few sprigs rosemary
salt & pepper
EVOO

--> Preheat oven to 400 F (yes I actually turned my oven up for this dish). Peel the butternut squash and cut up into 1/2 inch cubes and put into a baking dish or even on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Drizzle with EVOO, salt & pepper, and rosemary. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour - test with a fork to when they are soft but not mushy. Yes, it is really that easy.

New recipe for the fall

Fall has settled in and the CSA season is in wind down mode. As sad as that is, some of the best vegetables start to arrive at this time of year - winter squash (I've already made the risotto twice!), potatoes, carrots and beets. Well, this past week we had a surprise - ancho peppers. In my 3 years as a CSA member, this is the first time we've had anchos. So - dinner tonight was my take on Chile Relleno (vegetarian style).

Baked Vegetarian Chile Relleno
5 medium ancho peppers
1 medium zucchini
1 jalapeno pepper
1 shallot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 can beans - your choice, I used pintos
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp ground cumin, divided
salt & pepper

--> Preheat broiler. Put the peppers on aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and broil a few inches from the heat for 8-10 minutes or until blackened and charred - turn them after 5 minutes. When you take them out of the oven, transfer to a zip-loc bag and seal. Let them stand and sweat for 15 minutes. Peel and discard skins - cut a lengthwise slit in each to discard seeds.

--> Separately, heat a saucepan over medium-high heat (spray with Pam), add zucchini, garlic and shallot - cook ~4 minutes. Stir in 1/2 tsp cumin, jalapeno peppers and tomatoes -bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove and discard jalapeno peppers.

--> In another bowl, mix together the beans, cheese, other 1/2 tsp cumin, salt and pepper. Place the peppers in a baking dish and put a heaping spoonful of the bean and cheese mixture into each pepper. Pour the tomato mixture on top of the peppers, cover and bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. My peppers were pretty spicy, so you might want to consider serving with white rice. Either way, it's a delicious, healthy do-it-yourself Mexican dish! Enjoy-

Show Me Your Mussels

I can't believe it is the end of September and we are still getting tomatoes! What a treat after last summer's blight. Today we got another 2 pounds of tomatoes so we decided to make Mussels in a White Wine and Tomato sauce.

Mussels with Tomato and White Wine Sauce
Ingredients:
3 pounds mussels
EVOO
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium onions, minced
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup white wine
1 tbsp butter or margarine
salt and pepper to taste

--> Put all the mussels in a large bowl with enough cold water to cover them. Let them soak for about 20 minutes to remove any dirt or sand. After the time has passed, it is time to clean the mussels by debearding them. Here is a great step-by-step tutorial on debearding.

--> Heat up some EVOO in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, and saute for about 1 minute, stirring continuously to avoid burning. Then add the onions and tomatoes, and cook until they are almost tender. Pour in the white wine, and then stir in the butter. Bring the mixture to a boil, and allow it to continue to boil until the liquid has reduced by half, takes about 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

--> Add the mussels to the pot, cover and cook until the shells are opened, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mussels and sauce to a large serving bowl, discarding any unopened shells. Serve with fresh linguine and enjoy!!

Jillian Would Be So Proud...

Whenever I think about eating something I know I shouldn't, I feel a little Jillian Michaels on my shoulder telling me how bad this or that food is for me. One of the foods that is always associated with the voice is potato chips. Well, tonight I think I have found another option in kale chips. Okay I know some people won't necessarily agree with me, but you have to at least try them out! Plus these are super easy and require just a few ingredients.

Kale Chips
Ingredients:
Bunch of kale
EVOO
sea salt
grated Parmesan cheese

--> Preheat oven to 300 F. Wash the kale leaves and pat dry. Lay them out on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil. Brush the leaves with EVOO, then sprinkle with sea salt and then Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the leaves are dried out. Enjoy for a healthy and nutritious snack!

Finally a Tomatillo Success!

The first year when the tomatillo arrived in the share, I think I tried to eat one without cooking it. That's a mistake you don't make twice! It's a weird vegetable, and it's really not like a tomato except in looks. When you peel off the husk (yes there is a husk around a tomatillo), it feels like there is a sticky residue left behind, which could be a turn-off to some. But, move beyond looks and you can make some really delicious dishes with tomatillos. I have been experimenting with different tomatillo recipes over the past few CSA seasons and this year I found one that I really loved so wanted to share.



Grilled Cumin Chicken with Fresh Tomatillo Sauce
Ingredients:
2 tsp EVOO
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6 oz) chicken breasts
1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded & chopped
Pam

--> Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine EVOO, cumin, pepper, and garlic in a ziploc bag. Add chicken, seal, and let stand 15 minutes.

--> Discard husks and stems from tomatillos. Combine with chicken broth in small saucepan over medium-high heat, cover and cook 8 minutes. Drain and cool slightly. Combine tomatillos, cilantro, green onions, lime juice, sugar, salt, garlic cloves and jalapenos in a food processor - process until smooth.

--> Remove chicken from bag, discard marinade. Sprinkle evenly with ¼ tsp salt. Bake in oven, 15-20 minutes, or until done. Serve with sauce and rice if you want. Enjoy!!

Seriously - more peaches?!

This summer I didn't feel overwhelmed by the zucchinis or peppers in my deliveries like I did last summer. But, the pounds of peaches every week were so hard to keep up with - it seemed like I ate a peach every day and still had leftover. So, with the end of the summer, it seemed like the perfect time for a peach crisp. And with this recipe, you can add any leftover berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) that you have laying around or in your freezer.

Berry Peach Crisp
4 cups peaches, peeled and sliced
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 cups oats
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup butter
4 cups berries
1 3/4 cups flour
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 tsp nutmeg

--> Preheat your oven to 350 F. Put the peaches in a 13x9 pan and then layer in the berries. Sprinkle with the lemon and 1/4 cup flour. Combine the rest of the flour, oats, sugar and spices. Cut the butter into this mixture and then sprinkle this on top of the fruit as a topping. Bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes. YUM!

Perfect Summer Fish Dish

I recently was out to dinner with some friends and had the most delicious fish dish which inspired me to create tonight's dinner. The fish was baked in parchment paper over Israeli-style couscous and served straight out of the oven. It was so moist and flavorful I was skeptical that I could create the same amazing taste. Alas, I underestimate myself! I adapted my recipe from a bunch of similar ones I found on the foodnetwork's website so that I could use ingredients I already had in my kitchen. While I don't think I got the couscous part exactly right, the fish was absolutely delicious. Just like all of the recipes I've been posting, I found this one to be pretty easy. One other item to note - different fish will work in this one, you might just have to adjust the baking time depending on the thickness of your filet. I used tilapia, but halibut, red snapper, trout, etc would all work with this recipe.

Fish Baked in Parchment Paper
1 cup Israeli couscous
1 pound Tilapia (or halibut, red snapper, etc)
1 tsp salt for fish plus a pinch or 2 for the couscous
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
small bunch fresh oregano
1 whole lemon, thinly sliced
1 medium green onion, sliced
1/2 garlic scape, sliced
a bunch of grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup white wine
parchment paper

--> Oven to 400 F.
--> Rinse couscous in a mesh strainer under cold water, lay out on parchment paper, sprinkle with salt and set aside.
-->Take a large sheet of parchment paper (~15x48 inches), fold in half and lay on baking sheet. Unfold and lay the fish diagonally on the pan on top of 1 layer of parchment paper. Salt and pepper the fish on both sides. Place oregano on top of the fish with lemon slices, garlic, and onion sprinkled over the top. Arrange the couscous next to the fish on all sides, then lay the tomatoes around the outside of the couscous (almost forming a wall). Pour the wine over the fish and then close up the parchment paper. You want to seal the packet almost air tight - I folded over the edges and then actually used a stapler to keep them together.
--> Bake for 20-30 min depending on the thickness of your fish. Halibut steaks will take closer to 30 min while my tilapia was ready in 20. Enjoy!

Easy Caprese Salad

Yum - the tomatoes this week are delicious. We also got more fresh basil in this week's delivery setting up a perfect match. Not to mention what a pretty colorful appetizer this salad makes! I don't think you really need a recipe here - just slice up the tomatoes, layer with basil and sliced fresh mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Homemade Pesto

I think it is peak basil season in New England since we got a really big bunch last week and I hear we are getting more in this week's delivery. So, pesto time it is... Most people find this weird but I'm not the biggest fan of pine nuts, so I often use almonds as a substitute because I am a big fan of those. I also don't love when foods are too garlicky which I think is why I enjoy using the milder scapes when they are in season. That said, I LOVE pesto, especially when it's homemade. Below is the recipe that I use and I find it to be just delicious.

Pesto Sauce
Ingredients:
4 cups basil leaves, well packed
4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed and peeled (I used 2 garlic scapes tonight instead)
1 cup almonds (or pine nuts or walnuts or a combination of all)
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesano-Reggiano or Pecorino-Romano cheese (or combination)
1 1/2 cups EVOO
salt and pepper to taste

--> Place basil and garlic in food processor and process until leaves are finely chopped. Add nuts and process until nuts are finely chopped. Add cheese and process until combined. With machine running, add olive oil in a slow, steady stream. After oil is incorporated, turn off machine and add salt and pepper to taste.
* Note: If not using immediately, store in air-tight container with a thin coating of olive oil on top to keep sauce from turning dark. Pesto will keep well in fridge for a week or so, or you can freeze it. Recipe yields approx. 3.5-4 cups and can be halved.

Kitchen Sink Stir Fry with Pesto

Tonight we took all our vegetables that were piling up in the fridge as well as some chicken and made a huge stir fry. And - we threw in some fresh homemade pesto as well. Not that I make so many complicated dishes, but this one is super simple. Pesto recipe to follow also...

Midsummer Stir Fry with Pesto

Ingredients (as I made it tonight):
EVOO
1 medium eggplant, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
1 small lilac pepper, sliced
1 medium light green pepper, sliced
2 scallions, chopped
1 garlic scape, chopped
2 small zucchinis, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
1 package of chicken breast, sliced thinly
cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup pesto
salt and pepper

--> Spray a large grill pan with Pam and grill up the chicken.
--> At the same time, using a large stir-fry pan or wok drizzled with EVOO, throw in the eggplant and zucchini over medium high heat. Stir until crisp-tender (about 5-7 min) and then add peppers, scallions and garlic scapes. Continue to saute, adding more olive oil if necessary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Throw in a couple of tomatoes if you have any left at the end.
--> When all vegetables are cooked, ~15 min, and the chicken is cooked through, toss together with the pesto and serve.

Zucchini Flatbreads

It's the best part of summer - my weekly farm delivery has been overflowing with beautiful squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants - yum! I haven't been able to find such tasty produce at my local supermarket so the weekly deliveries are that much more precious. The zucchini has been beautiful and the tomatoes, while so tasty, unfortunately don't have the longest shelf life so I made this flatbread pizza last night to enjoy them both - it's so easy!

Summer Squash Pizza
Ingredients:
1 pre-baked pizza crust (12-inch)
2-3 medium tomatoes, sliced
2 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced
1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
some fresh basil leaves
EVOO

--> Heat oven to 450F.
--> Place pizza crust on baking sheet, arrange tomatoes over crust and brush with olive oil.
--> Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, add zucchini and cook for 4-5 min, stirring occasionally until zucchini are crisp-tender. Arrange zucchini over tomatoes and top with cheeses.
--> Bake 10-12 min or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with basil.

Squash Caponata

I know what you're thinking - isn't caponata an eggplant dish? Okay, so maybe you weren't thinking that, but I was... I clearly didn't read this week's farm delivery email well because I thought we were already getting some eggplants in. I was all tee'd up with my Eggplant Caponata recipe to go and then I get home to more summer squash. So, I thought - this might work, I'll make a squash caponata (if there can be such a thing). This makes a great side dish or appetizer on top of crackers. So here we go-

Squash Caponata
EVOO
3 medium summer squash
1 cup onion (again, you can use whatever kind you've recently received)
1 garlic scape
1 small can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup golden raisins
salt, pepper
1.5 tsp red wine vinegar
--> In a large pan with EVOO over medium-high heat, saute half of the squash in a single layer. Cook until golden brown and softened, stirring occasionally, ~10-12 min. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Add a little more EVOO and repeat with the rest of the squash.
--> Reduce heat to medium and add EVOO, along with onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until they soften. Add the tomatoes, stirring and crushing them as they cook. Stir the squash back in along with the almonds and raisins. Cook together for a couple minutes.
--> Remove from heat and stir in salt, pepper and vinegar. Serve warm or at room temperature. I think this will keep 3-4 days but I haven't tested that theory yet :)

Baked Ziti with Radicchio

Another CSA green that I've had my doubts about is radicchio. Similar to collard greens, my first experience with radicchio didn't leave my mouth watering for more. Well, this year, a new recipe came across my inbox from Chow and I thought it was worth a try. I'm still not the biggest radicchio fan, but in this recipe, the tastes come together so that the greens are a complement to the rest of the dish. It's basically a veggie baked ziti - so you can actually use more CSA veggies than just your radicchio and it's pretty simple.

Vegetable Baked Ziti (with Radicchio)
Ingredients:
1 box of your fave pasta (I used bowties)
1 head radicchio
1 garlic scape
1 cup onion (can use leeks, red onions, green onions - whatever has arrived in your basket)
1 pepper
1-2 summer squash
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (depends how cheesy you like your baked ziti)
1/2 cup grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese
salt, pepper, EVOO

--> Cook pasta according to directions but for only ~1/2 the indicated time. Drain and layer into a baking dish. Set aside.
--> In a medium to large stir-fry pan (sprayed with Pam or EVOO), saute garlic and onion for ~3 min over medium heat until slightly browned. If you have peppers or squash that you want to add to your dish, this is the time to do that. Add them to your stir fry pan and saute until they start to soften, about 5 min. Also make sure to season with your stir fry with some salt and pepper at this stage. Then add in radicchio leaves and let wilt up, mixing occasionally - this takes about 5-10 minutes depending on how big your pan is. Remove from heat.
--> Add the veggie mixture to the baking dish with the pasta, mix well. Add in marinara sauce and then top with the cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until the top gets golden brown.

2010 Season Update

The 2010 season has been off to a great start. In the northeast, we have had a long streak of hot, dry weather which is a stark contrast to the 2009 season which was cold and rainy through all of June and into July. Unfortunately for me, I have been without a stove or oven for over a month now, which is why there hasn't been much posted. But - lucky for oven-less me and all of you, the first month of the CSA season is mostly greens which are great for salads. We have been making big hearty salads with lots of different lettuces - escarole, spinach, green solix lettuce, red tide lettuce, romaine, boston lettuce and cabbages. Two weeks ago one of my favorite items arrived which made the salads that much better - sugar snap peas! This week we got a good amount of summer squash and I am ready with many different squash recipes for the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned!

Also, fruit deliveries started last week - currants, blueberries, cherries, gooseberries (a new one!), and peaches... recipes to come!

Rat Tail what?!

One of the amazing things about being part of a CSA is that a couple of times a season you get a completely new vegetable or fruit - it'll be something you've never heard of before, but I can assure you that these weird things are staples in CSAs. Last week, we got this season's delivery of Rat Tail Radishes. These radishes are milder in flavor than traditional pink radishes, but they are still a great addition to a salad. For three years now I have scoured the internet for something different to do with these interesting veggies, but alas, nothing. So for now, I will keep adding Rat Tail Radishes to my fresh, organic salads straight from the farm.

Back in Action

It's the start of the 2010 CSA Season!!! So exciting. We are starting the summer off with lots of leafy greens - that means delicious salads and stir fries are in the works for the next couple of weeks. I am stocking up my refrigerator with the colorful veggies from the local supermarket that won't arrive in the share until later in the summer (peppers, shallots, carrots, mushrooms, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc). And, we'll also start the season off with a super simple, basic stir fry...

Leafy Green Stir Fry
Ingredients:
Bok Choy
Red Pepper
1 Shallot
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Cooked shrimp
Salt/pepper/marinade

--> Wash the leafy bok choy really well (all the leafy greens arrive from the farm with fresh local dirt :) ). Throw it all in a high-sided pan and let wilt up a little but make sure to add the rest of the veggies while the bok choy still has its bright green color. Throw in the chopped peppers and shallot and let cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes before adding the mushrooms and tomatoes. If your shrimp is already cooked but cold, add at the last minute and cook ~1 min or until the shrimp is warm. Sprinkle salt & pepper and if you want, add a couple of tablespoons of your favorite marinade. Serve hot and enjoy!!



More posts to come soon!