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!