A Summer Feast

It's been a while since I've written a food post, but this week's haul from the farmers market and a desire to try a little bit of everything, has me inspired and I thought I'd share my recipes.

The first thing I made was what I thought would be a pasta sauce, but what I'm now calling Chunky Tomato and Summer Squash Sauce with Beans. I served it over couscous, but it would be great over pasta or any whole grain, or on its own with a hunk of crusty bread. Keep in mind that it's just as good at room temperature as it was warmed up, so it's a great option for a summer picnic or a quick dinner.

Next was Raw Kale Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing. I cut a large bunch of what I thought was kale, but once I got home realized was probably collard greens, into thin strips. I rinsed and drained it well, then put it in a large bowl. I made a batch of the dressing and drizzled about half of it over the greens, tossing it all together. The result was a tangy, nutty, raw salad. I only wished I'd had some sesame seeds to sprinkle over it. To use up the remaining dressing, I sliced three kohlrabi heads and tossed them with the dressing, making a bowl of crunchy kohlrabi matchsticks that I'll probably add to the Kale Salad at some point.

I also cooked up some red potatoes, green beans and a couple of hard boiled eggs to make my favorite potato salad. And I bought some tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and a bunch of basil for the sole purpose of having a Caprese salad.

With all that to choose from, I couldn't possibly pick just one dish to have for dinner. So I served myself a small portion of each and made a little feast. The flavors all went well together, and I didn't have to overeat to enjoy a variety of dishes.

In case you're interested in giving some of these recipes a try, the tomato sauce and kale salad recipes are below, and you can link to my previously posted recipe for Potato and Green Bean Salad.

Raw Kale Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing

Ingredients:

1 large bunch kale, stalks removed, cut into thin strips
3 TBSP tahini
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
5 TBSP lemon juice
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 TBSP soy sauce
sea salt to taste (a dash is all that's necessary)

Instructions:

Place the kale strips into a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients for the dressing. Drizzle about half the dressing over the kale and toss to coat well. Add more dressing to taste. Store the remaining dressing in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.


Tomato and Summer Squash Sauce with Beans

Ingredients:

1 TBSP olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped

1 medium zucchini, halved and thinly sliced
1 medium yellow squash, halved and thinly chopped
4 or 5 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (15 oz) can Cannellini or Kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar


Instructions:

Heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmery. Add onion and garlic, and cook until garlic is fragrant and onions are beginning to turn translucent, stirring often. Add the zucchini and squash, sprinkling with pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper, and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally to make sure they don't stick. Add the tomatoes, beans and vinegar and stir to mix completely. Cook just a few minutes more, until the tomatoes and beans are heated through.

Serve warm over pasta, couscous, rice, or any other grain. Can also be eaten as a room temperature salad, over a grain or on its own with a hunk of crusty bread.

On Judgment and Defensiveness

When I decided to give up meat, it was a temporary plan. I never would have imagined at the time that almost a year later I'd still be living a meatless life. It didn't take long, though, for me to realize that as a vegetarian my food choices would come under scrutiny. I would be answering questions like "Why don't you eat meat?" and "Isn't it hard to get enough protein?" over and over again. I took these questions and other comments about my vegetarianism with a grain of salt. People are naturally curious, I thought. Yet I found myself getting tired of answering the same questions and defending my choices all the time. Why, I wondered, did I always felt like my choices needed to be defended?

At least in part, I suppose it's a societal issue. Eating meat (or drinking caffeine, or being thin, for that matter) is the baseline, the status quo. Any choice outside that acceptable social norm makes others uncomfortable and therefore defensive of their own choice. (This probably has some roots as a survival instinct, though I haven't checked out the research.) And it doesn't help that corporations behind these products are always trying to convince us that we want, even NEED, to eat their meat, drink their beverage (Got Milk anyone?) or use their product. We accept that the norm is what it is and we rarely ask why or if it's the best option.

I recently ate lunch at a table with several others and the topic of vegetarianism came up. A fellow writer told us a story about a teacher she once had who, upon being asked why he was a vegetarian, turned the question around on the student and wondered why vegetarians always had to answer that question but no one ever asked omnivores why they chose to eat meat. I mentioned how I often feel that my choice to not eat meat seems to make some people uncomfortable. It seems like my choice puts them on the defensive. As humans (and maybe particularly as Americans) we don't like to be told that our choice is "wrong", and if I'm not eating meat for any logical reason, then it seems I'm essentially telling them I'm right and they're wrong. The problem is, I don't feel that way at all. My choice is my choice. I'll respect yours if you respect mine.

I understand their reaction, though. In fact, I find myself doing the same thing in different situations. It's like when someone says, "I'm trying to give up caffeine," and I automatically answer with, "I've thought about it, but I don't really drink that much caffeine anyway." It's as though I feel the need to defend my choice to drink caffeine despite the fact that the person I was speaking with didn't say anything to overtly imply that she was making a judgment on me. In fact, it's more likely that she was just making conversation. So why do I feel that the mere act of her giving up caffeine is a judgment on my choice to keep drinking it? And why do others feel that my meatless life is a judgment on their omnivore-ism? Is it because we feel, deep down inside, that our choice might not be the best choice after all?

Recipe: A Chipotle Twist on Chili

A little more than a month ago, I ordered Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker to expand my vegetarian dish repertoire and make better use of my slow cooker.

The first recipe I decided to make was Chipotle-Kissed Red Bean and Sweet Potato Chili. It's the only recipe I've tried so far, and I've made it twice--it's THAT good. I could eat this chili everyday for the entire comfort-food season and be totally happy.

I made a few adjustments, because the first time I made it I found it to be more like soup than like chili. I like my chili chunky and thick. Here's the version I created.

Ingredients

1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 TBSP chili powder
1 1/2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
2 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 15-oz can dark red kidney beans
1 15-oz can white kidney (cannellini) beans (or other favorite bean)
1 1/2 cups water
salt to taste
1 canned chipole chili in adobo sauce (or to taste), finely chopped

Instructions

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and cook for about a minute. Add the sweet potatoes and stir to coat with spices. (I did this step the night before and then put the "starters" in the refrigerator over night. In the morning I continued with the following step.)

Transfer to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, peas, beans and water. Season with salt, cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Before serving, stir in the chipotle pepper and taste to adjust seasoning. Serve with crackers or corn bread.

Recipe: Bean and Chard Stuffed Acorn Squash

I've been subscribing to Eating Well magazine for almost a year now and I've found at least one awesome recipe in each issue. This one came to my attention at the perfect time: I had a bunch of chard and three acorn squash that needed to be used as soon as possible.

While I loved the flavor of the dish, I cooked it one night and ate it as leftovers for the rest of the week. I have to admit that it would probably have been better immediately out of the oven, because they seemed a little dry the next day. You might want to keep that in mind and make adjustments accordingly.

Ingredients

2 medium acorn squash, halved, seeds removed
1 tsp plus 2 TBSP olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp pepper, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP water
1 TBSP tomato paste
8 cups chopped chard leaves
1 15-oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
1/3 cup coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Lay squash halves in a 9x13 microwave-safe baking dish, cut sides up. (If they stand on their own, you can slice a thin piece off the bottom so that they do.) Brush the insides of with 1 tsp oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on High until the squash is fork tender, about 12 minutes.

In the meantime, heat 1 TBSP oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook stirring for another minute. Add water and tomato paste, along with the remaining salt and pepper. Stir in chard, cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the white beans and olives and stir, cooking until heated through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the broiler (I used the oven, 350 degrees).

Mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and 1 TBSP oil in a small bowl. Fill each squash half with about a cup of the chard mix. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture and broil (or bake) until the breadcrumbs are browned. Grate a little Parmesan on top of each squash and serve.

CSA Shares - Weeks 10, 11 and 12

For the record -

Week 10

• 2 heads of lettuce
• 2 yellow squash
• 1 zucchini
• 1 cucumber
• small bunch of chard
• 1 tomato
• large bunch of scallions

Week 11

• 2 yellow squash
• 4 small apples
• 2 tomatoes
• possibly something else I'm forgetting, but this week was a pretty small share

Week 12

• 2 yellow squash
• 4 lbs tomatoes
• 2 apples
• 1 bunch chard
• 1 pint yellow pear tomatoes (like cherry tomatoes only yellow and pear shaped)
• 1 pint raspberries
  

CSA Report - Week 9

We got our first heirloom tomatoes this week! Unfortunately, you won't see it in that picture below because I promptly sliced it and ate it before remembering to take the photo. I got another good-sized share this week:

• 2 lbs potatoes
• .25 lb chard
• 1 head of lettuce
• 1 large tomato (not pictured)
  
• 1 yellow squash
  

I finally cooked up those mustard greens from last week with a little red onion, some garlic and olive oil, cooking them down until they were really well-done. They were a little bitter, but that might have had more due to the fact that I waited so long to cook them. I could definitely taste the mustard flavor in them, which I found really interesting.

Looking forward to using up this week's share...

OLS Week 9 - Balsamic Eggplant and Tomato Stacks

Last year I made Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Stacks. They were a big hit and I wanted to make them again, this time with local chevre. I did NOT, however, want to turn on the oven to roast the eggplant, what with the 90 degree weather this weekend.

Instead, I decided to grill the eggplant slices. I marinated them in balsamic vinegar and olive oil and tossed them on the old George Foreman until they were tender. Then I stacked the slices with chevre, basil, and tomato slices. I drizzled them with balsamic vinegar and savored every bite. As Rachel Ray would say, Yum-O!

(Local Low-Down: eggplant, tomatoes and chevre from the farmers market and basil from my back yard. Vinegar and olive oil not local.)

I also made a few mostly local dishes throughout the week. There was the Spinach and Goat Cheese Pasta (all local but the pasta, salt and pepper and oil). This dinner was delicious and the leftovers were just as good. I ate them several nights in a row.

For lunch during the week, I made a local Caprese Salad (all the ingredients were local except the balsamic vinegar and olive oil) with a piece of local baguette to sop up the extra balsamic vinegar.

It's been a great week for local eating!

CSA Report - Week 8

Oh, the joy of fresh vegetables straight from the farm! I can't tell you enough how much I love knowing exactly where and how my vegetables are grown.

This week I brought home:

• 2 lbs potatoes
• 1/2 lb chard
• 1/2 lb mustard greens (what to do with these?)
• 1 head of lettuce
• 1 bunch scallions

It's really starting to get good. Blackberries are around the corner. Tomatoes are starting to ripen. Cucumbers and zucchini are on the way. I'm already preparing to freeze and maybe even can some of the extras because if the rest of the summer is anything like last year I'm going to have a hard time using up my share.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Pasta Recipe

I just finished cooking and immediately eating the best dinner I've had in ages. This recipe, inspired by one I saw on Giada, had three of my favorite ingredients: pasta, spinach, and my new love chevre. The resulting pasta dish was creamy, rich and full of flavor. Trust me, you want to try this one!

Spinach and Goat Cheese Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb rigatoni
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 small onion, sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
6 cups packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large)
6 oz soft goat cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add pasta. Cook and then drain, reserving at least 1 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, cooking until the onion is soft and beginning to caramelize. Toss in the spinach and tomatoes, heating until the spinach is just wilted and still bright green. Remove from heat.

Add the pasta to the skillet and crumble the goat cheese over it. Stir or toss with tongs until the cheese is melted, adding enough of the reserved pasta water to create a sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

OLS Week 8 - Potatoes and Green Beans Go Hand-in-Hand

This week's featured local meal consisted of a large helping of my newest salad obsession: Potato and Green Bean Salad. I really wish I'd taken a picture, because it's pretty to look at, too.

I brought home a great haul from the farmer's market today and I'm looking forward to getting creative for my local meal this week. I've got eggs, fresh spinach, onions, an eggplant, green peppers, a cucumber, mozzarella cheese, white peaches, Summer Rambo apples, and apricots (probably the last of the season). That will be supplemented with what I'm expecting to be a pretty good share from the CSA this week that will probably include chard, scallions, potatoes and lettuce among other things. I'm also planning to pick up some local goat cheese.

Any ideas for local meals using these ingredients? Feel free to share suggestions. I'm feeling adventurous!

CSA Report - Week 7

Last weekend we had a potluck on the farm and I met some fellow CSA members. We took a tour of the farm and learned why things have been a little slow to produce and what to expect in the near future. We're talking floods of tomatoes, beans, chard and more!

This week's share included:

• 2 lbs red potatoes
• 1 head of garlic
• a large bunch of chard

I'm so excited to have more potatoes because I made the most flavorful potato salad I've ever had and I can't wait to make more! Give it a try and see why I'm so excited about it.

Potato and Green Bean Salad

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 lbs red potatoes, scrubbed and diced
3 cups green beans, rinsed, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces (I used yellow beans)
3 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Add the potatoes to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until almost fork tender. Add beans and cook another 4 to 5 minutes, until beans are bright green and potatoes are cooked through. (You can also steam beans separately while potatoes cook, which is what I did.) Drain potatoes and beans and set aside to cool.

To make the dressing, whisk mustard, honey and vinegar in a large bowl with a cover. When potatoes and beans are room temperature, add to the dressing along with the parsley and egg. Tightly cover and toss until everything is coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*I actually served the salad at room temperature, but it would probably be great after a few hours in the refrigerator, too.

OLS Week 7 - Mmmm...Tomatoes

This week I found myself scrambling yet again to make my One Local Summer meal. It was Saturday already before I realized, while I'd been eating a lot of local dishes, I hadn't planned and prepared a fully local meal. So I sliced up a sweet and juicy local tomato, pulled some local lettuce leaves from the refrigerator and placed them both on a local sandwich roll. I made up some chipotle mayonnaise (not local except for the cilantro I added to it) and slathered it on the roll. On the side I had sauteed zucchini, yellow squash and onions topped with local chevre and some corn on the cob. A quick and easy local feast!

A few of the other local dishes I whipped up included:

• Potato and green bean salad with honey mustard dressing
• Tomato and scallion salad with balsamic dressing
• Egg salad
• Cucumbers with dill yogurt dressing

It's amazing how creative you can get when your refrigerator is overflowing with vegetables and you're just not sure what to do with them before they go bad.

As for my CSA shares, week 7 was a little sparse again: a quart container of red potatoes and a head of new garlic. The good news is we had a potluck at the farm today and found out things are about to get a bit overwhelming. Because the planting schedule was pushed back a couple of weeks, we're looking at an upcoming onslaught of green beans, tomatoes, peppers, squash and zucchini, eggplant and more starting the first of August or so. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the summer brings! The greenhouses are overflowing, the fields are getting greener, the blackberries are ripening...and because of the delay in planting it looks like we'll be getting vegetables well into November and maybe even December. I'm already dreaming of fresh, local holidays!

OLS Week 6 - Versatile Green Beans

While I managed to squeeze in a local lunch last week consisting of grape tomatoes, mozzarella and basil drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, I didn't get time to write a post about it or take any pictures. This week almost went by without a post, too, but I remember this morning and made up a delicious local lunch to share for week 6 of One Local Summer.

A trip to the farmer's market this morning gave me great ideas for local meals in the coming week. I brought home ingredients galore. For today's local meal, I started with green beans and got creative.

First, I steamed some green beans while I sauteed onion and garlic in some olive oil. When the beans were done (about 5 minutes) I tossed them in with the onion, one diced tomato, a little salt and pepper and a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. I cooked it down for a few minutes, tossed in some fresh basil and then dished it up. I topped all that with a tablespoon or so of crumbled chevre.

For a little added oomph, I sliced up a baguette and topped a couple slices with a dollop of smoked hummus from Neopol Savory Smokery, which I only recently discovered although I've been walking past their stand for two years. The smokey hummus flavor is something I never would have considered if I hadn't tried a sample the last time I was at the market. I'd been thinking about it ever since and went prepared with a few extra dollars this week so that I could treat myself. It was well worth it, and I'm already thinking about trying their smoked salmon next time.

The local low-down: All ingredients were local except olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

CSA Report - Weeks 5 & 6

I'm doing a quick CSA post to document my shares for the last two weeks--without pictures because I forgot to take them before I started eating the food--so that I can keep track of what I've been getting. I'm particularly interested in seeing how different my shares are this year from last year due to the rainy weather we've been having.

Here's what I got in my week 5 share:

• 2 beets with greens
• 1 head of lettuce
• 1 bulb of new garlic

And what I got in my week 6 share:

• 2 beets with greens
• 1 small bunch chard
• 1 head lettuce
• 1 bulb of new garlic

It's not much, but along with my farmers market finds, I'm eating well!

CSA Report - Week 4

Here's what I got this week:

• 3 small heads of leaf lettuce (includes one head from the free choice table)
• 1.5 lbs sugar snap peas (includes additional full share)
• .75 lbs snow peas (includes additional full share)

It doesn't seem like much, but I made good use of it. There was a flavorful salad made from another grilled portobello and more of that chevre I've discovered. And I made some hummus to dip those sugar snap peas into for lunch a couple of days this week. I blanched and froze the snow peas to use in stir-fries later in the year. There was no way I could eat all those peas this week. Can't wait to see what next week's share brings!

OLS Week 4 - Chevre Steals My Heart

When I went to the farmer's market on Sunday and saw portobello caps on sale for a Father's Day special I had to have them. I tried a stuffed portobello recipe last summer that I absolutely loved. I was hoping to make them as my One Local Summer meal this week. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any local ricotta cheese for the filling.

After searching high and low (OK, just at the farmer's market and Whole Foods) I found some local goat cheese that I thought might work. I've never had chevre, so I wasn't sure what I was getting or what to do with it other than use it like I would feta--sprinkled over or tossed into a salad. It was the right consistency, though, so I thought I'd give it a try. After doing a quick internet search, I decided I wasn't going to stuff the caps and would do something different. Here's what I came up with, combining and modifying several recipes I came across.

Open-faced Portobello Stacks with Chevre Spread

Ingredients:

2 hard rolls (I used french rolls, but you could use any small to medium sized, hard crust rolls)
1/4 cup chevre
2 TBSP + 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, divided
2 tsp + 1 tsp olive oil, divided
1/4 sweet onion, sliced thinly
4 thick slices tomato
2 portobello caps, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add sliced onion and cook until caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.

In the meantime, heat the grill. Spray or brush cut sides of each portobello slices with 2 tsp olive oil. Then brush with each portobello slice with 1 TBSP olive oil. Place on the grill, sliced side down and grill about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from grill.

In a small bowl, mix chevre with 1 tsp balsamic vinegar and stir until smooth.

Slice your rolls and grill sliced side down just until grill marks appear. Remove from grill and spread each side of the rolls with 1 TBSP of the chevre. Top each with one slice tomato, 1/4 caramelized onions and 1/4 the portobello slices. Drizzle with remaining 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 open-faced stacks (two servings).



They were a little messy, but they were scrumptious and I'll definitely be making them again!

The Local Low-Down: All ingredients except salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil were local. I paired the sandwich with a glass of local wine for a perfect, light and satisfying dinner.

OLS Week 3 and a CSA Report

I didn't get a picture of this week's CSA share, but it was a good one. There wasn't a lot to it, but I'm making good use of it.

• 0.5 lb sugar snap peas
• 0.25 lb snow peas
• 1 head lettuce

As for this week's One Local Summer meal, I fell back on those fresh eggs again. I'm doing a bit of a "vegetarian experiment" and finding local protein sources other than eggs has been a bit of a challenge. I don't mind too much, though.

This week I made a frittata, which has become one of my favorite egg dishes since I discovered them last year. A few eggs, some sauteed garlic, scallions, asparagus, and green and yellow zucchini and I'm a happy, local-eating girl. I added a side of new potato homefries and I was satisfied.

OLS Week 2 - A Childhood Stand-by

I didn't plan well for this week's local meal, so my farmer's market trip this morning was focused on finding something quick and easy I could make for a local lunch today. When I saw the new potatoes, I immediately had an idea. One of may favorite meals as a child was one that my mother would make when there wasn't much in the refrigerator or she didn't have the time and energy for a more elaborate meal: a fried egg over fried sliced potatoes (usually from a can).

To mimic this meal with local ingredients, I thinly sliced a couple new potatoes and fried them in a bit of (non-local) olive oil with a chopped scallion and a chopped garlic scape. Then I fried a fresh egg and placed it over the bed of potatoes. When the yoke breaks, the potatoes soak it up. Easy and delicious.

CSA Report - Vegetables Make Me Happy

My first CSA report for the season covers weeks one and two since: 1) I was too busy last week to get a post up; and 2) the shares have been pretty small so far. I decided to purchase a half-share again for this year, and I'm so excited for another great harvest.

The season got off to a late start, which I'm assuming is because of all the rain we've been getting lately. The first pick-up was strawberries-only, but I wasn't around for that one. Last week's share included:

• herbs
• garlic scapes
• 1 pint strawberries

This week's share was:

• 2 heads of leaf lettuce (including an additional half-share)
• a couple handfuls of loose lettuce
• garlic scapes
• 1 bunch of scallions
• a handful of snow peas
• a few sprigs of mint
  

Looking forward to what next week brings!

OLS 2009: Week 1 - Getting Things Started

It's that time again. Come on, you know what time...One Local Summer time! For my first week, I did as all busy, uncreative local eaters will do. I pulled out the eggs and made an omelet. In fact, if you're a regular reader here, you may recognize this recipe because I posted about a very similar meal during last year's OLS Challenge.

I started with fresh ingredients from the farmers' market: eggs, asparagus, spring onions, and garlic.







I chopped everything up and sauteed the asparagus, garlic and onions (reserving most of the greens).







While that was cooking I whipped the eggs with a dollop of milk, a handful of the onion greens and a little salt and pepper. Then I poured it into a small heated skillet and cooked until firm.





I served the omelet "stuffed" with the asparagus saute and sprinkled with a bit more chopped onion greens.

I hope you're all enjoying the harvests of your local farms, too!