Zucchini, summer squash, dill

Very short entry this time, for a recipe that's really delicious (and not mine).  It comes from the New York Times "Recipes for Health" series. I've made it several times (and it's got to be good to be worthy of repeating, with all the wonderful possibilities in the world of cooking good food!). It uses zucchini and dill, both of which we have an abundant supply this week.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/health/nutrition/25recipehealth.html

Note:

• I've made this dish with phyllo, and I've also made it with regular pie crust.  Both are good.  It is essentially similar to spanakopita, but made with zucchini (and/or summer squash).
• It is important to squeeze all of the water out of the shredded squash before making the filling.  I usually save this water and add onions, carrots, etc. to make a soup stock, which gets tucked away in my freezer.

Green beans, basil

Yesterday's share had basil, and last week's had green beans which I hadn't used yet.  An excellent pairing.  Here's what I cooked:

First, I dropped the green beans into a pot of boiling water, cooked them just until tender, and rinsed them in cold water to keep them a bright green color.  At the same time I cooked up about ½ cup (dried) orzo pasta. While the beans and pasta were boiling, I sautéed three cloves of chopped garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil.  I added three chopped tomatoes to the pan, and then added the cooked green beans, cooked pasta, and a handful of chopped basil leaves;  I heated the whole thing, and added about 2 T. grated parmesan and 1/4 cup of toasted almonds.  Voilà: a veggie-rich side dish (or tomorrow's lunch).

Note:

• The CSA supplies my basil for the year, and I do look forward to it.  Pesto is my favorite way of basil preservation, but sometimes the basil arrives and I don't happen to have pine nuts on hand.  So I wash the basil, get out the food processor, and chop it with enough oil to make it into a paste.  Then I drop it by the spoonful onto a cookie sheet and freeze it; later, I use a spatula to remove the basil "patties" and store them all in a container in the freezer.  That way I can take out as many as I need and make the actual pesto later (or just use them to season a pasta sauce, soup, potatoes, etc.).

Eggplant, zucchini

In this entry I'm breaking out a secret weapon:  my husband's Greek grandmother's recipe for moussaka, which I learned by watching her years ago.  It may seem like a lot of work (see note below), so make a big batch (which this recipe yields) and freeze some. You'll be so glad you did.

Moussaka is a casserole.  Nobody likes baking a casserole when it's in the nineties outside, so wait until the temperatures are reasonable.  There are hundreds of recipes available, and each one is slightly different, but they all have three main components:  layers of eggplant (and zucchini) alternating with layers of ground meat cooked with tomato and onions, topped with a white sauce (bechamel) enhanced by eggs and cheese.  The version below is one that I've made using lentils instead of ground beef or ground lamb.  Nothing can take the place of ground meat, in my opinion, but the lentil option still makes for a delicious dish.  I'll include instructions for using meat also, since that's the way Yaya always made it.

You'll need a large casserole pan (mine was 10" x 14") and:

Layer 1:
2 medium eggplants  (essential)
2 medium zucchini (not essential--you can use more eggplant instead)
2 T. olive oil

Layer 2:
3 medium onions
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 cups of tomato puree OR 1 small can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups dried lentils OR 2 pounds ground beef, ground lamb, or combination of the two

Topping:
4 T. butter
5 T. flour
2 c. milk
4 eggs
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese


Layer 1:
Slice the eggplants and zucchini into 1/4" rounds.  I don't peel the vegetables--one of the benefits of going organic.  Put them into a bowl and sprinkle them with a little salt; this gets some of the water out of them and makes them easier to fry and sometimes less bitter also.  Set aside while you do the next step.

Layer 2:
Chop the onions and herbs (I find it easiest to use the food processor), sauté in about 1 T. olive oil until onions become translucent, then add the lentils (or meat), tomato puree (or paste mixed with a can of water), and salt to taste. Simmer until lentils are soft (or until meat is just cooked).  The mixture should be thick, with no visible broth, so keep simmering until the water from the tomato is evaporated; you'll need to stir frequently so things won't stick.

Back to Layer 1:
Fry the drained eggplant and zucchini in olive oil until they are quite tender.  If you are using zucchini, let it cook until it is dry, not watery. I do this while Layer 2 is simmering.

Topping:
Melt butter in small saucepan and add flour; cook about a minute or so (you are making a classic roux here).  Remove from heat and add 2 cups of milk, gradually, while stirring.  Add 1 t. salt (at this point Yaya also added 1 t. sugar; I leave it up to you).  Cook until slightly thickened (bring to boil).  Beat the four eggs and gradually add the hot milk mixture to them.  Cook a minute or two over low heat (don't let it boil or the eggs will curdle.  If they do, use it anyway--it's no big deal!).  Remove from heat and add 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese.

Assembling the casserole:
Here's the easy part!  Cover the bottom of the casserole dish with a layer of eggplant and zucchini.  On top of that put the onion/lentil/tomato mix.  If you have more eggplant and zucchini than will fit on the first layer, finish up with another layer of eggplant/zucchini.  The number of layers doesn't really matter.  Now, spread the topping over everything and bake for an hour at 350.  The topping will set and may brown slightly.  Enjoy!  This is a dish that is even better the next day, and it freezes well.

Notes:

• If you are short on time, you can make each of the three components independently, and combine them later.  Sometimes I've fried eggplant and frozen it for later use, and you can do the same with the lentil or meat layer.  That makes this dish very simple and quick to prepare. 
• When I made this dish most recently, I didn't have any parsley, but I had just weeded my garden and had a bunch of purslane (a very common weed in our area), and I used about 1 1/2 cups of that along with the onions, lentils, and tomato.  Not the same taste as parsley, but very good anyway.  You could add various chopped greens or herbs here to your own taste. 
• As an alternative to frying, you can bake the zucchini and eggplant on a cookie sheet that has been lightly brushed with olive oil. 

Leeks, eggplant, summer squash, zucchini

Summer just wouldn't be summer without grilled something or other.  I especially like to grill summer squashes, zucchini, eggplant, onions, and peppers.  There are many ways to prepare them for the grill, and many ways to season them, but here's one very easy way:  Cut squashes lengthwise in half, then cut each half into crosswise slices, about 1/2" thick.  Cut leeks lengthwise in half (this also makes it easy to find and wash away that sneaky sand lurking inside the leeks!) and cut the white part (and as much of the green as is tender) into 1/2" rounds as well.  Cut the eggplant into 1/4" rounds. Toss all into a bowl, and pour a little olive oil and salt on them, mixing until veggies are coated; add herbs to your taste.  I cook the vegetables in a wok made for grilling (with holes in it), but you could use a grill basket or screen as well.  Stir occasionally so they don't stick.

These veggies are good served with potatoes grilled at the same time:  cut up some small potatoes, coat with a bit of oil or melted butter and either wrap them in foil or put them in a foil-covered metal pie plate and set that on the grill also.

All of these vegetables take only about 15-30 minutes at a medium setting, with the grill cover closed.  I like them really tender, so I make sure to give them enough time--the eggplant especially needs to be meltingly soft.

Notes:

• A little grated cheese sprinkled on the potatoes is tasty.
• Grilled corn on the cob is also a nice addition to this meal.
• Adding peppers and onions to the grilled "stir-fry" works well, if you have them.  And cherry tomatoes would add nice color, although you'd have to add them a little later, because they are quicker to cook.
• If I want to add grilled tofu to this meal, I'll grill it separately, because (1) it falls apart and (2) it needs more seasoning than the vegetables do.
• Leftover grilled vegetables work well for a frittata or omelette for the next day's lunch.

Zucchini again

First post-share-pickup priority of the week:  deal with what's leftover from last week.  In this case it's salad greens of several types.  Since they are already washed, all that's necessary is to put them into boiling water for about a minute, drain them, and put them in containers (or baggies) in the freezer.  I find they are much easier to chop when they are partially frozen, so I slice and dice them later, for use in my winter soups. Now, on to the zucchini...

True confession:  I like dessert.  Can zucchini make a good dessert?  Emphatically yes, in the form of a mock apple pie, and you'll be hard-pressed to distinguish it from the real thing.  The good thing about using it in a pie is that you go through a meaningful amount of it.  This time of year, that is a blessing.  The best zucchini to use in a pie is a big one, though if the skin isn't really tender you might have to peel it first.

Here is a good recipe I found on-line:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/zucchini-apple-pie/detail.aspx

Notes:

• If you don't want the hassle of making (or buying) a pie crust, the same filling with an apple crisp topping sprinkled over it will work well also. Especially if there is whipped cream or vanilla ice cream involved.
• You can find many recipes on line for this idea, but make sure there is lemon juice involved in the preparation--that's what helps to simulate the apple taste, in my opinion.
• Hmm....I wonder how zucchini/rhubarb pie would taste?

Cabbage

I'm at a conference in upstate New York and not cooking at all.  But my husband will be picking up our share and conferring with me, and then cooking and preserving it--and maybe eating some of it, too.  I'll report on how that goes...

It's only Monday--a full day before I'll begin long distance food management.  Today is about the cabbage I have left from last week.  Here's the good news: cabbage is a great keeper.  It will wait in the refrigerator until I get back.

However, we already had a cabbage in our share before, and I made sauerkraut with it.  The first time I did this I couldn't believe how easy it was.  And it is a far cry from the canned stuff.  So if you like a good reuben sandwich or a delicious saute of kielbasa, potatoes, and sauerkraut (which I do), give it a try.  Here are two links that are excellent:
http://www.wildfermentation.com/resources.php?page=sauerkraut and http://germanfood.about.com/od/saladsandsides/r/Sauerkraut.htm

Notes:

• It is fascinating how fermentation changes the nutritional content of the cabbage, increasing the vitamin C content, for example.

• Many recipes call for various spices (juniper berries, caraway, etc.), but the only things necessary to make the fermentation work are cabbage, salt, and unchlorinated (or filtered) water and a non-reactive (glass, crockery) container.

Kale

Today we went to the beach and ate seafood on the way home, so no share cooking at all!  Life is tough...

However, here is one of my all-time favorite ways to eat kale, and we're going to have it tomorrow.  When I washed all the salad greens on Wednesday, I also washed the kale and blanched it for a few minutes in boiling water, so it's all ready to go for this "recipe."

Heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil in a skillet (don't skimp on the oil).  Peel and chop (coarsely) 6-10 cloves of garlic (don't skimp on this, either--unless you dislike garlic, in which case you shouldn't use this recipe).  Add about 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts and a bunch of chopped, blanched kale.  Heat until everything sizzles and the kale is really done.  Serve just as is, or on a bed of some kind of pasta.  Sometimes simple really is best!

Zucchini, summer squash, carrots

Today's vegetable dish featured the share's zucchini and summer squash and made use of some leftover rice as well.  I heated about a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and added the following chopped vegetables: one onion, a tomato, one zucchini and one summer squash. The key to a good result was to cook these vegetables long enough; squashes and tomatoes are watery, so I cooked them until they were soft and all the juiciness was gone, with the sugars just beginning to caramelize. Then I added cooked rice, some fresh oregano, some salt, and some left-over cooked black beans. Lastly I melted some cheese over the top (I happened to have goat mozzarella, but many others would also work well).

We also had a salad made from the share's carrots; I used a recipe adapted from a long-ago newspaper clipping from who knows where, but any carrot salad recipe would do. Here's one:

1 lb. carrots, shredded (I don't peel them, and the food processor makes short work of shredding)

1/4 c. red onion, chopped

3 T. capers

2 T. lemon juice

1 t. curry powder

1/2 t. toasted cumin seed

2-3 T. buttermilk or yogurt

1 t. Dijon mustard

3 T. oil

Make a salad dressing by mixing all of the ingredients except the carrots; pour over the carrots and mix well.

Notes:

--When I cook rice, I try to make extra, so I'll have some on hand for other uses on other days. I do the same with pasta or potatoes. They all come in handy for quick meals, and it doesn't take any more time to cook up a double batch than a single. 

--These vegetables work just as well with pasta as with rice.  And with meat instead of beans--sausage, for example.

--Although we're not vegetarians, we don't eat that much meat--it's more a seasoning than a big part of the meal. We do eat many different kinds of beans to increase our protein ratio, and the easiest and cheapest way I've found to have them on hand is to soak about 1-2 cups of beans overnight and then pressure cook them the next day. In the pressure cooker even the hardest chickpea softens with 10 minutes of actual cooking time, black beans take only a couple of minutes, and lentils don't even need a pre-soak. The beans will keep for a week, and can also be frozen if you won't need them right away.

--Here's another great recipe for zucchini, from the NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/23/health/22recipehealth.html 

Kohlrabi, pak choi, summer squash

If you were to ask my children what I cooked for dinner back when they were growing up, they probably wouldn't remember a single everyday dish (except maybe packaged "Annie's Shells", served up when I was particularly frustrated by having a child whose tastebuds mystified me). The kids might remember a holiday feast or a Christmas cookie, but the meals we so regularly shared? Not a one.  I think it's because I cook the same way I quilt (I am a quilter by profession): I take a look around to see what materials I have available to me, and I try to come up with the best way to use them. It's never the same thing twice. 

That thought process lends itself to cooking with CSA share ingredients, and that's why I'm beginning this blog. I'm not the first, the only, or the best to put these ideas out there. Even so, if I write about what I make each week with the share of veggies we receive, it may inspire similar creations or save someone from similar disastrous experiments--either way, I hope it helps. Here goes:

Yesterday we picked up our box of vegetables. This morning I contemplated last week's wilting pak choi and decent-looking kohlrabi (I had already blanched and frozen the leaves, so only the bulbs remained). How can I make a meal out of this? Easy! How can I make a meal that I will find satisfying and tasty? Now we're getting down to the problem.

Here's where my solution began: I'm part Irish, and I never met a potato I didn't like. So...

Wash and cut into chunks four medium red potatoes. Then slice, peel, and cut into chunks two kohlrabi bulbs. Simmer both together in a large pot of salted water. Rinse and dry all of the share's arugula and bag it for use during the week--but save out a handful. Peel three cloves of garlic. Finally, put the handful of arugula, garlic, and the drained potatoes/kohlrabi into a food processor and pulse, pulse, pulse away until all is mashed. Salt and pepper to taste. (I saved the cooking water for making a stock later when the weather isn't so warm; for now, it's in the freezer.)

While the veggies simmer--and it only takes 15 minutes or so--chop the pak choi and one of this week's yellow summer squashes, steaming them together in the microwave.

Serving suggestion:
This was our supper: a bed of mashed potato/kohlrabi, with chopped summer squash/pak choi over it, with a lemon-butter sauce (or a "beurre blanc" or any other sauce that spruces up the blandness of the squash/pak choi) over that. You could also use bit of grated cheese. A chopped tomato salad with mint, feta, and the rest of last week's mizuna rounded out the meal.

Notes:

--The potato combination is a variation on the Irish dish called "colcannon", which is made with cabbage or kale and potatoes.

--If you have family members who dislike little green flecks in their food, leave out the arugula. It's still good, and the kohlrabi disappears into the mashed potato.

--My husband and I are not large people, so this meal was enough for us, but you can add meat, hard-boiled egg, beans, nuts, etc. to "beef up" the calories! Not to mention dessert...
--Leftover kohlrabi/potato mixture?  Freeze it, and later when the weather cools down, add chicken broth to it to make an excellent soup.