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!

Thanksgiving special

Sadly, the 2009 CSA came to an end last week. Our last share included some great fall vegetables including one of my faves - brussel sprouts! We sauteed those up pretty quickly and ate them as a snack, so not going to post any fun recipe there. This is a Thanksgiving post, so I've got 2 recipes for you all - my first stuffing as well as my first pumpkin bread. This stuffing features onions, shallots, and pears - all from the CSA! It is from the NY Times recipes, but I healthified it a little without compromising on the taste (really just reduced salt and butter)...

Mushroom & Pear Stuffing
Ingredients:
1 large loaf firm sourdough bread
1 pound mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped thickly
1/3 pound turkey bacon, diced small
2 tablespoons butter
1 large chopped onion
2 minced shallots
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup white wine
3 1/2 cups diced pears (~4 large ones)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup minced chives
1/3 cup chopped parsley
2 cups turkey (or chicken) stock.

--> First thing first, you need to dry out your bread. You can leave it overnight in a bowl with paper towels on top or if you don't have the bread ahead of time, put it in the oven on low heat for ~20 min (keep an eye on it so as not to burn). Set aside to cool when it's done.
--> Cook turkey bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove to a large bowl.
--> Add 1/2 tbsp butter to fat in pan and turn heat up to medium high. Add in the chopped onions and shallots, season with a little salt and pepper and cook until just soft. Remove to bowl with the bacon.
--> Add 1/2 tbsp butter to pan. Saute the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and remove to the bowl when they are starting to brown.
--> Add the wine to the pan and deglaze over med-hi heat, cook until the wine reduces by about half. Pour what's left in the pan over the mushroom/onion/bacon mixture. Clean out the pan, and add the pears and sugar. Saute over med-hi heat until they begin to brown. Then remove to the bowl.
--> Tear up the bread into small pieces and put in the bottom of your roasting pan. Then add your sauteed ingredients to the bread as well as your herbs and mix around to combine. Slowly pour one cup stock over the mixture and mix around. Continue to add more broth to make a very moist stuffing. Taste and adjust for salt & pepper.
--> With oven at 375 degrees, bake the stuffing for about 20-30 min until a golden crust starts to form.

Enjoy! I have to be honest - while this recipe is super easy, it's helpful to have another set of hands to help with the cooking!

What is Celeriac???

For all those first-time CSAers, in the last few weeks of the season, you're bound to get Celeriac (or celery root) in your share. You probably haven't heard of this vegetable before and if your local grocery store even carries it, you would have passed it right by because it's the ugliest vegetable I think I've ever come across. It resembles Cousin It - hairy and mis-shapen, but don't be fooled, it produces delicious flavors when you cook it right! Last year I made a celeriac mash with apples or something, but this year I decided to make a soup with it. I haven't tasted the soup yet because it's still cooking up on my stove, but my apartment smells sweet and delicious.

Celeriac Vegetable Soup
Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp butter
1 celery root
1 leek (white part only)
1 small-medium potato, thinly sliced
1-2 carrots
1 celery rib
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
sea salt & pepper for tasting
2 cups veg stock
drizzle of milk or half and half

--> Melt the butter in your soup pot. Add the vegetables, bay leaf, thyme and some salt. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes to get the veggies cooking. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, simmer and cover for 20 minutes or so. Add your milk and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper - and voila!

The beauty of this soup is that you can really use any vegetables that you have in your fridge at the time. I used all my carrots up in the carrot bread last week, but they are generally a staple in my soups, so throw them in if you have them. Same goes for the potatoes and celery. You could use shallots if you have them in your fridge also. Anything goes! A nice finishing touch to the soup is a scoop of rice mixed in or on top also.

Carrot Bread

The common theme with our CSA deliveries lately seems to be "overflowing" - first we were overflowing with greens, then peppers, then carrots, potatoes, apples and now carrots again. We haven't been able to keep up with the carrot deliveries of late, so with today's arrival of another pound of carrots, I decided it was time to bake something carrot-based. Typical of my baking, I decided to try to make a carrot bread. I had all the ingredients (or thought I did - I was actually out of flour and had to run to the supermarket mid-baking to get more!) and was ready to go... carrot bread it is!

Carrot Bread
Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup oil
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg and/or ground cloves
2 eggs
pinch of salt
1.5 cups grated carrots
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans - optional

--> Oven to 350 F. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with Pam.

--> Beat sugars and oil in a big bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg/cloves, salt. Sift these dry ingredients into the sugar/oil mixture. Beat the eggs together and then stir into the rest of the batter. Then add carrots, combine and follow with vanilla. Pour batter into loaf pan.

--> Cook at 350 F for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for a bit before serving and enjoy!

My first tarte tatin

Along with all the apples that have been arriving, we've also been getting loads of pears. We've mostly gotten Bosc pears, but some Seckles arrived a few weeks ago also. So - with a dinner party in the planning, I decided that it was the perfect time to make a Pear Tarte Tatin - a delicious and very pretty dessert! It's super easy, especially if you buy a pre-made pie crust, and the rest of the ingredients are staples in any baker's kitchen...

Rustic Pear Tarte Tatin

Ingredients:

5 pears - peeled, cored and halved

1/8 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp butter

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 store bought pie crust

--> Use a little bit of butter to grease the bottom and sides of a pie dish (9 inch pie dish works well). Sprinkle the white sugar on the bottom and sides of the dish. Arrange the pears, cut side up, in a tightly packed ring around the dish. Sprinkle half the brown sugar over the pears, followed by the lemon juice. Then, cut up the 2 tbsp butter into small dabs and dot the tops of the pears with it. Mix the other 1/4 cup of brown sugar with the cinnamon and cloves and sprinkle that all over the pear arrangement.

--> Now, lay the pie crust over the pears and tuck the dough down the sides of the dish around the pear ring. The sides will encircle the ring of pears once the tarte is baked.

--> Bake at 375 F for a little over an hour, or until a golden syrup has formed on the bottom of the dish. Take out of the oven and let stand for 5 min. Run a knife around the sides of the tarte and then place a platter tightly over the pie dish and flip the tarte over. Serve and enjoy!

Collard Greens - Take 2

I'm sure there's some quote about second chances that I could have used for this post, but it's been a long week and it's not top of mind right now. Collard greens arrived in my share about a month ago and I really wasn't sure what to do with them. Years ago I had pretty amazing collard greens at Emeril's restaurant in Orlando, so I figured no matter what I did with the greens, I'd probably like them. I couldn't have been more wrong. Most collard greens recipes include some form of pork (ham hock or bacon) - which I don't eat. So, I was looking for a vegetarian collard greens recipe, which were few and far between. I finally found one, which I tried and it was gross. I was ready to give up on this green.

Until... my dad sent me a Giada recipe today. I'm not even sure he knew that I had a bunch of greens sitting in my kitchen. The recipe was for Swiss Chard or kale, but it worked great for my collards too. And, it's now official, I don't dislike collard greens, I just initially tried a bad recipe.

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis - Wilted Greens with Ricotta Salata

Ingredients:

2 bunches greens (swiss chard, kale, collard greens, spinach - whatever you have or prefer)

3 tbsp olive oil

1 large yellow onion or a few small shallots - sliced up

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

3 oz ricotta salata cheese (or feta if you prefer)

-->Wash your greens, but don't worry about drying them. Actually, I found that my collards kind of repelled water, so that wasn't really an issue. Trim off the stems and then chop the chard in big pieces. Remember, all these greens wilt very nicely, so they will shrink up to more bite size pieces.

--> Using a big pot on medium-high heat, warm up 3 tbsp olive oil and then add the onions. Saute for a few minutes, as they are cooking up (getting yellow and softening), add the garlic. Saute for a few more minutes before adding the greens, chicken broth, soy sauce and ground pepper. Stir a lot - not constantly but so that they get mixed around. Cook until the greens have wilted and become tender, about 7-10 minutes.

--> Transfer to a plate or bowl and crumble the cheese over the top. Enjoy!

Beets - it's what's for dinner

I am a huge fan of roasted beets. They're just basically delicious. I eat them plain, or with feta cheese, or in my salads. Doesn't really matter to me - I just love them. Before the CSA I had actually never made roasted beets myself. I had eaten them in restaurants and admittedly, out of a can too. But, last year when fresh beets started flowing in weekly, I was introduced to the beauty of fresh roasted beets. And, I even learned how to roast them without turning my fingers red!! There are lots of tips and tricks out there on the web that address the red finger issue, and I've tried a whole bunch. My favorite method is to put the beet inside an aluminum foil packet sealed up tight and roast in the oven at 375-400 F for an hour and a half to 2 hours (depending on the size of the beet). When you take the beet out of the oven, let it sit inside the packet for 15-20 min before attempting to peel. The skin of the beet should basically sweat off and will come right off with a knife. Because they cook for a long time, I usually make them when I have my oven already on while cooking something else. You can make a whole bunch at once and store them cooked & peeled in a tupperware in the fridge - which makes them all set for a perfect, healthy snack at any time!

For more readings on beets, check out this article from the NY Times - they're not only delicious, but super nutritious too!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/04/health/nutrition/04recipehealth.html