Memories, Traditions, Nostalgia

Lately I've become enamored of the Cake Duchess , and not just because she has some yummilicious sweets - she also married an Italian, has Italian in laws, is Italian, and loves to cook Italian.  And I love all things Italian (Perhaps I lived in Italy in a past life).  Montepulciano is on my bucket list, as well as Florence and Venice.  Rome, I could care less about.  One of her last posts spoke about how she and her mother in law love to bake.  She also mentioned they were going to make Easter Bread.  That triggered memories for me.

My mother's side of the family is Estonian.  If you don't know where Estonia is, you are most likely in a majority, since it's been taken over numerous times by numerous countries (including Denmark, Sweden and twice by Russia) yet they still maintain their fierce sense of independence and language.   I've never been there, but I would like to see Tallinn the capital city, that's where my grandmother was born.  My nana (as I called her) was a beautiful woman - even in her 80s she barely had a wrinkle on her face.  When she was younger, she was gorgeous with a head of auburn hair.  My grandfather was blonde and blue eyed.  I never met him - he died when my mom was in college.  Here is a passport photo of them - pretty cool!

(*note* "Lapsed" is Estonian for "Children" - it's pronounced "lap-sehd")  My nana was 23 when she came here, my grandfather was 37.  They came over on the RMS "Homeric" which sailed out of Southhampton, England, and landed in NYC.  If you want to know what you got as a meal - here you go:

And here is a picture of the happy couple taken in Estonia.

What this is all leading to is my nana's "mamu saia" (mahmoo SIGH yah) (Estonian for "raisin loaf").  This was the only bread she had in her house.  We ate it for breakfast, lunch, dinner...sometimes it had raisins, sometimes it didn't.  I remember she kept it wrapped in a piece of foil, and would slice off whatever she needed - whether it was toast at breakfast, a big slab with butter and cinnamon sugar to take to the beach,  or a piece to eat with some stew at dinner.  I loved that bread, and  I always associate it with my nana.  At Christmas it would be shaped in a wreath and sprinkled with sugar and ground almonds; at Easter it would get the same transformation - sometimes even some hard boiled eggs would decorate the top.

When I take a bite of that bread,  I'm 4 years old again sitting at Nana's kitchen table eating mamu saia while Nana and my mom chatter in Estonian.  Do you have any food that triggers memories for you?

I want to share the recipe with you.  It's not difficult to make, especially with the rapid rise yeast.  The proportions on the flour are not EXACT - however, you can't really muck it up :)  The main thing to remember with bread is...do NOT make the water too warm, or the bread won't rise.  Err on the side of tepid really.  70 degrees is not that warm.

So here you go - make some for Easter!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and I hope it will start bringing YOU some happy memories as well.  Printable recipe is HERE

Nana's Mamu Saia (Estonian raisin bread)

Scald: 1 1/2 cups of milk.  Let it COOL down (This is one part where you can mess it up.  If the milk is too hot when you add it to the yeast, the yeast will NOT rise.)
Add: 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cardamom seed crushed, 1 pkg of yeast you dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water (again, this should be lukewarm, not anywhere near the temperature of say...water you wash your hands or dishes with)
Add:  Enough flour to make a pancake-like batter. (about 2 cups) Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place until bubbles form, about an hour.

Meanwhile...
Cream butter (about 3/4 cup) to which the grated rind of 1 lemon has been added.  Beat in 1 egg and about 6 tbs. of sugar.










Your yeast batter should now look like this:

bubbles! yeast is working! :)

Kneading dough

Stir the yeast batter down, add the butter/egg mixture, then sufficient flour to make a pliable dough.  For me it was about 3 cups.  Don't worry if the dough sticks to your hands - just flour them, or add flour by the handful to the dough until the dough no longer sticks to your hands.  Now knead it!  You can't over knead the bread - get out your aggressions, slam it on the table - BAM!!!! that's for whoever left all those dirty dishes in the sink - BAM!!!! that's for the jerk that cut me off on I-95 - fold the dough, punch it down, and the more you do it, the more you will notice it getting not so sticky, and smooth and elastic.

At this point, you could knead in some raisins if you want.  1/2 - 3/4 of a cup, depending on how much you love raisins.  My son Ben, stated he didn't "like" raisins, so I omitted them.  I made 1 HUGE loaf, but you could make two normal size loaves.  I divided the dough into 3 pieces, rolled them out, and braided them.

I then shaped it into a large loaf, covered it once more with a dish towel, and let it rise again for about half an hour.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Pre-rising

After rising with egg wash

Once it rises (almost doubles size) brush the loaf with the yolk of an egg, and then (if you want) sprinkle some ground almonds and turbinado sugar on top - or just plain granulated sugar.  Now put that bad boy in the oven, and immediately turn the heat down to 350 degrees.  Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the bread is browned, and sounds a bit hollow when tapped.  It should look something like this:

You can remove to a rack to cool, or dig in and slather a piece with some butter and enjoy!  This bread keeps quite well simply wrapped in a piece of aluminum foil.

*Note on Cardamom*

If you want the most aromatic flavor, please buy the pods and grind the seeds yourself.  If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can do this easily with the back of a soup spoon on a piece of waxed paper.  The scent and flavor it gives to the bread is so much better than the stuff that's already ground.  It's a little pricey, but if you like to cook Scandinavian or Indian food, you'll use it up.  Here's what the seed pods look like :

Sweet potatoes done right....

 I realize most of you are hooked on those sweet potatoes aka yams you get every Thanksgiving - you know...the ones covered in marshmallows or brown sugar, or some other confectionary concoction that all but drowns out the real taste of sweet potatoes and gives you a sugar high that only copious amounts of Thanksgiving turkey ingested to the point of gluttony can bring you down into a comatose post-prandial lump on the couch.  OK...maybe I exaggerated JUST a little, but I never liked sweet potatoes, most likely for that very reason - if Mother Nature was kind enough to give us a sweet vegetable, WHY THE HECK DO YOU WANT TO PUT MORE SUGAR ON THEM??!! what is the point? No offense to those yam aficianados that really love marshmallow sweets, but HOW does that make them "better"?

Oh...and FYI - Sweet potatoes and yams = same thing - just depends on what side of the tracks you come from - North or South :-)

When I joined my local CSA, Breezy Willow Farm, I got a lot of sweet potatoes.  My daughter immediately pounced on them and pronounced them delish.  This is the same daughter mind you, that for about 18 years I couldn't get even the faintest bit of interest in cooking, other than to make a batch of boxed brownies.  Once she hit 19 though, the cooking gene must have kicked in, because she is turning into quite the accomplished cook.  It makes a mom proud :)  I was happy to give her my sweets, because I didn't "like" them (you see where this is going, don't you)  One day she sent me a recipe she had Stumbled Upon, "Crash Hot Sweet Potatoes" and they sounded like they would be really, really good.  They were savory - oh yeah, there was the obligatory brown sugar, but that was only to put a nice carmelized coating on them and to lull you into a false sense of security until you bit into them and an explosion of spice assailed your senses.  I had to try them.  I made them, popped them in the oven, and thus began my love for sweet potatoes.  However...as good as they were, I did have to peel, cut, parboil, smush, brush, sprinkle, turn, brush, sprinkle, etc...and sometimes that's just too much work.  So, I decided to do something different.  Easier.  Much easier.

I peeled the sweet potatoes and diced them up.

Put them on parchment paper (I am now addicted to using parchment paper - SO easy to clean up , and nothing sticks) drizzle with some olive oil - toss.

Now, mix all the brown sugar/spices the recipes tells you to mix up (I call it a 'rub') and take that spice rub and sprinkle liberally over the potatoes.  Here are the ingredients, but I urge you to visit Donalyn 's blog and look at the original recipe, plus all the other neat stuff she has!

1 & 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon New Mexico chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder (I didn't have any of this, so I just used 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic

 Roast in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, then toss them around a bit to turn, sprinkle a little more rub over them, cook them for about 15 minutes more and THIS is what you wind up with after about 20-25 minutes:

Absolutely amazing.  I had them for lunch three days in a row :-)  Much less time than the original, no extra pots to clean- I love the original don't get me wrong, but I love this version more :-)   I didn't have onion powder the recipe called for, so I used garlic powder instead.  Don't be afraid to experiment.  Buy the smoked paprika - it's a nice staple to have.  If it's pouring rain or the dead of winter and you want that smoky grill flavor, sprinkle some on the burgers you are frying in a pan.  Put some on some corn you just roasted on the BBQ, throw it in chili.  Same with the Chipotle chili powder.  You can find that in the spice aisle of your local supermarket, and I happen to *love* chipotle.  It's nothing more than a smoked jalapeno, but you get a sweet, smoky hotness that is smoother than the original.  Buy it.  You won't be disappointed.  You can use any chili powder you have if you don't have some from New Mexico.  I was lucky enough to have gone to Santa Fe in October and I brought back some mild green chili powder (which is probably normal here - in Santa Fe if you order anything that's "mild" - it has a kick - they KNOW hot peppers) Here is the link to El Potrero Trading Post.(aka Vigil Store)  You can get a half POUND of chili powder for only $4.50.  Email them for prices for shipping - they will ship in flat rate boxes.  Be warned though - the "mild" chipotle chili powder is HOT so I am sure the hot is nuclear.  I tried a bit on my pinky finger and I swear a few beads of sweat broke between my brows and my mouth burned for about five minutes.  That's just the way they roll in New Mexico :).

(This wonderful photo is from Kit's flikr page )
So...give these roasted sweet potatoes a try.  If you don't have all the ingredients don't be afraid to use what's in your spice cabinet.  Store the leftover "rub" in a baggie - it keeps well.  I made up double the recipe just so I could have enough to last me for a while.  Adjust the spices to the heat you want - if you want more heat, use a hotter chili pepper...more smokiness, up the chipotle (heat and smoke) or the smoked paprika.  I don't know what spices Meg has in her cabinet, but I can tell you, there isn't much LOL, yet these potatoes still came out yummy and savory.

Enjoy!

Ok yeah, so I took a break - I return bearing COOKIES! :)

Somehow life got busy, the CSA ended for the season, and I was forced to go to the grocery store to try and find SOMETHING that bears a resemblance to a tasty vegetable.  Even the organic wasn't the same.  My CSA has an "early bird" that goes from March - May, then we get only a week's break before the June - November one starts, so like Persephone, I have emerged from the Hades of GM seeds and CAFO meats, and come back into the light of organic and IPM...which has nothing to do with my blog post today, because it's all about cookies.  (must be my ADD kicking in)

YEARS ago "BK" (before kids) I lived in NJ in an apartment in Weehawken.  I was literally 2 minutes from the Lincoln Tunnel, which if driven through, will dump you downtown in NYC.  This was an easy escape route for us after the bars closed and a late night meal was warranted.  We'd head into Chinatown and hit up Wo Hop's, a  Chinatown icon.  Cheap food, surly waiters, family style dining (shared tables) downstairs.  Still the best and freshest chinese food I've ever had.  Afterwards we'd walk down Mott Street, where everything stays open to all hours of the night.

Sometimes we'd stop at one of the Chinese bakeries for dessert.  They had a whole bunch of stuff - moon cakes, bean cakes, and a couple of things I would usually alternate - a sort of rice krispie cake, but made with crispy noodles and honey and sesame...and a large golden, crumbly, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth cookie that I simply called a "dot" cookie.

For some reason a hankering for the said "dot" cookie reared its ugly head, so I decided to google a recipe - surely SOMEONE knows how to bake these gems?  Hrm...I did find something close in flavor and texture, but not color.  I guess I'll have to experiment a bit more and post my results *grins* difficult, I know, but someone has to do it.

These are pretty easy to make.  I took a recipe I found and altered it (since when have you known me to *ever* make a recipe exactly the way it's written?)  I used half shortening and half butter, because a) I couldn't stand the thought of all that Crisco going right to my butt which is ever expanding since I hit the big 5-0, and b) I wanted the butter flavor.  This was a wise decision :).  I also used equal parts of cake flour and whole wheat pastry flour, because I wanted the cookies to have that tender, melt in your mouth texture.  If you are wondering about the differences between all these flours (who knew there were so many?) here is a good LINK that will make you a more informed baker.

I don't usually bake.  My mom loves to bake.  To me it's more of a chore than "fun".  I haven't yet learned all the nuances of baking, which is definitely more of an art form than simply cooking a meal.  Perhaps "art" isn't a good descriptive term - "scientific"  might be more appropriate.  If everything is not in the correct proportions, you could have disastrous results.  Feel like leaving out the egg in that cake batter? don't try it.  Want to omit baking powder and use baking soda instead? better not sub it out teaspoon for teaspoon or you may wind up with matzoh instead of sheet cake.  That being said, let me present my version of these yummy cookies...I didn't mess with the dangerous stuff :)

I had enough cake flour to use in this recipe, but I thought the Whole Wheat pastry flour would give an added texture (crumbly, tender) that I was looking for.  I think it did.  Please forgive the lack of pictures, but this recipe really is pretty straightforward.  The hard part is keeping them around.  I had to ration myself to one a day and put the container out of sight in the dining room.

So I give you the recipe, printable as always,  HERE:

Chinese Dot Cookies - Yields about 24
inspired by Vicki's recipe on allrecipes.com
 Ingredients:

3/4 cup Crisco (please do not omit this - needed for texture - I know the thought of putting pure lard in your cookies grosses you out, but sometimes it's a good thing - trust me)

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 cups of cake flour

1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup ground walnuts

can of fudge frosting (freeze the leftovers)

Directions:

1.  Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Don't be afraid to beat it a few minutes.  Add the egg and vanilla, beating again til' well combined and fluffy.

2.  Add the flours, baking soda, salt and stir into creamed mixture.  The dough will be a bit sticky, you can add a bit more flour, but not too much.  Best is to coat your hands, lift the dough out of the bowl, and gently form into a log about 15 inches long.  Put a piece of saran wrap on the counter the length of the log plus a few inches.  Sprinkle the walnuts on the wrap, and roll the log around until coated, then roll up in saran wrap and place in fridge for an hour. (or more if you have stuff to do)

3.  Preheat oven to 350 and lay some parchment paper down on your cookie sheets.

4.  Unwrap the dough, slice about 1/2" thick, place 1 1/2 inches apart on cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.  They should be slightly golden around the edges and appear dry, not wet.  Allow to cool for a minute or two before removing to cooling rack.

5.  When cool, place a dollop of icing in the center of each cookie.  I didn't melt the icing, but next time I think I will to see if I can get a smoother texture rather than the hand made swirls on mine.  Just be sure to allow them to dry.  Store covered at room temperature.

The original recipe stated serves 12, but these cookies are large, and I got two trays which is closed to 30+ cookies.

The cookies are absolutely yummy.  Crumbly, tender, yet with a chewy bite - hint of butter, not too sweet, and fudgy goodness in the center.  What more could you ask for? :)

Are you jellin?

OK.  I don't know what got into me.  Maybe it was the fact that with only 3 people in the house at the moment, and the main consumer of salsa away at college, my usual batch of salsa was destined to go bad (as evidenced by the yukky appearance before I threw the rest of it out)  I decided to make my normal recipe, and can the rest.  I haven't done any canning since the kids were little (and I mean LITTLE), but like a bicycle, once you do it, you never really lose it.  I went out to the store and bought some 8 oz. jelly jars and popped them in the dishwasher to sterilize.  The other thing that may have gotten me thinking about canning were these beautiful concord grapes I could not resist from the farmer's market on Saturday.  Thing is, my eyes didn't think the boxes were as big as they were, bought 2, and realized we would never eat all those grapes.  My husband then piped up "These would make good jelly".  Oooohhhh....jelly!!!!! YUM.

I found an EASY recipe for Concord grape jelly HERE and decided to try it.  That blog about canning is now bookmarked, cos that grape jelly was the best I've ever had.

If you decide to get adventurous, here's what you can get by with:

1.  1 super big pot (spaghetti, whatever)
2.  8 oz. jelly jars and lids
3.  Concord grapes
4.  Red wine (dry please)
5.  Fruit pectin (if you don't have any green ones)
6.  Sugar
7.  Cheesecloth or muslin
8.  Old clothes This is important - something purple, something dark - this stuff stains like "whoa", so in case you get messy - be prepared by wearing something you won't notice the spill on, or don't care.

OK - this is not "old" but...it's the same color as the jelly in case I make a mistake :-P

It's so ridiculously simple to make, and the result is amazing.  A rich, grape-y tasting jelly that is bursting with grape goodness you almost can't stand it.  I have a feeling the red wine may contribute to that.

I made half the recipe (because I had half the grapes) and I got 2.5 cups of jelly.  I processed the 2 full jars simple word that means "boil the hell out of 'em for 10 minutes"  and the half cup I just stuck in the fridge.

First, you take your grapes, wash them, remove the stems and pick out the wrinkled ones, then stick them in a "non reactive" pot - this means pretty much anything EXCEPT copper, cast iron, and unanodized aluminum pots - stainless steel works, enamel lined works, nonstick works, and anodized aluminum works - like Calphalon or their lookalikes.  If you use a reactive pot,  what may happen is you may get a metallic taste in the food you are cooking, OR the surface may get pits, or discolored.

Then, you add your red wine and smush :-)  I use a potato masher.  You want to break the skins to maximize the juice.  Cook this over low heat, mashing occasionally.  Then raise the temperature  and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  How easy is that???

Now, remove from the heat.  Take some cheesecloth, line a strainer or colander, and put a glass/plastic/stainless steel bowl underneath.  Pour the grape mash onto the cheesecloth.  Now walk away and do something else for about 8 hours I let mine drip for about 6.  Resist the urge to squeeeeze the grapes through the cheesecloth - it will make your jelly cloudy according to Nina the canning goddess.  I resisted, although it was hard.

This is something I jury-rigged with a couple cooling racks, my colander and the bowl.

Put the bowl in your fridge and let it sit overnight. You are now ready to make jelly! Here's the exciting part.

Strain the juice one more time through the cheesecloth to remove any remaining sediment.  Put it in a pot with some sugar - 3/4 cup of sugar for every 1 cup of juice.  Cook over low heat until the sugar is dissolved, then raise the heat and bring to a boil, stirring.

Boil for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly until it starts to thicken.   If you don't have any unripe grapes to throw in there, you may want to add some fruit pectin - I did.  Follow the directions on the box.  I bought liquid pectin and added about 1/3 of the packet for the grapes I had.  I figured I can't add too much - the worst that could happen is I pass the jelly off to my family as "knox blox", convincing them that is what I had intended to make all along.  It won't thicken a lot - my best description is, it gets sort of syrupy.

Now, fill your fresh-from-the-dishwasher hot jelly jars to about 1/8 inch from the top.  Place the top on, screw it on well, and pop into that huge pot of boiling water you started when you starting cooking the jelly.  Boil it for 10 minutes, then remove with tongs and let the jelly "set".  Mine took about 4 hours.  

The half cup I put in the fridge took less time because it cooled faster.  Open a jar and enjoy, and plan your next expedition to the farmer's market for more concord grapes because that jelly will NOT last long :)

You don't have to process the jelly if you plan on eating it within a couple of weeks.  Simply let it cool and pop it in the fridge.  However, if you are making more than I did, you definitely want to process them in a hot water bath.  My darling hubby found my old water bath canner somewhere, which is very deep and has a rack for easy jar dunking and removal.  The following week when I went back to the farmer's market, I bought 8 more quarts of grapes, and hopefully they have some more this week, because I plan on canning a boatload more :)

CSAs - huh?

I got a watermelon for my weekly CSA share, and was wondering what else we could do with it besides eat it, since the dang thing weighed about 20 pounds.

Warning: informative rant ahead.

"What is a CSA?" you ask.

Let me tell you.  CSA stands for "Community Supported Agriculture" and until late last year, I had NO idea they existed.  I feel like I was living in the Middle Ages and just entered the Renaissance.

Simply explained, let me quote the Federal Government, because for once they actually were able to form a cohesive paragraph that makes sense:

Community Supported Agriculture consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community's farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. Typically, members or "share-holders" of the farm or garden pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and farmer's salary. In return, they receive shares in the farm's bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production. Members also share in the risks of farming, including poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests. By direct sales to community members, who have provided the farmer with working capital in advance, growers receive better prices for their crops, gain some financial security, and are relieved of much of the burden of marketing.

How great is that?  You are supporting your community, AND getting stuff that was  picked within a day or two of your receiving it, that was probably grown with little/no pesticides.  Yes, you share the "risk" of poor harvests, but the farmers know what they are doing, and the risk is minimal compared to the benefits you get.  For about $35/week, I get an assortment of 8 types of fresh fruits and veggies (enough to feed 4), along with a loaf of bread AND farm fresh eggs - oh - and I know MY eggs aren't on the Federal Gov't recall list  :-P  My CSA is a "value added" CSA - they  partner with local meat/dairy/agricultural farms, so I can also buy fresh cheese, beef, chicken, pork, and sometimes lamb.  I am in nutritional heaven :) And I have a confession to make - when I go to the grocery store, I secretly feel smug walking past all those poor people in the produce aisle that don't know what they are missing.  I admit it!



local made products - jams, soaps, etc.

If you haven't heard of CSAs, I suggest going HERE  and HERE to find out more about them, and to get a list of CSAs in your area.  In fact at the last link, Localharvest.org, I found MY CSA, Breezy Willow Farm.

I hope I have you stoked about CSAs now...let me give you a few tips to help you make the right choice when choosing one.

1. Find out the cost. (this varies)
2. Find out how long the commitment is (also varies- mine is 24 weeks)
3. Find out what you get (that also varies) and the amount. Don't expect an exact amount or monthly list of fruits/veggies - but they should tell you the number of items you'll get each week, and how much your share will feed, for example - "8 different items, that will feed a family of 4."  Be sure to ask what an "item" is...There is a CSA (not mine) that counts herbs as an "item" :-P  Most CSAs will have some sort of list on their website so you can get a feel for what is offered.  Don't be put off by stuff you don't recognize - it may be delish.  I never had kale until I joined my CSA - now I am hooked on Kale Chips! (recipe will follow in the next blog post or two)
4. Find out if they partner with other farms in the area, or are a "value added" CSA.  If they are, you may have a wider variety of things being offered in addition to just veggies/fruits.
5. Find out if they have work shares, if you don't mind getting sweaty and sometimes dirty.  You may be able to work on the farm for a few hours/week in exchange for your weekly share.  The work can be anything from loading a truck for a remote site pick up, to weeding, planting, or boxing/bagging shares.  Again, it varies.  But please don't go expecting to keep your manicure and wear that brand new white shirt you just bought.  Get real - wear old clothes and sneakers, and expect to get dirty and/or sweaty.  If you can't deal with this, then don't volunteer :)  A work share is also a commitment.  Make sure you can stick it out to the end.  If you can't make it one week, get a replacement...Remember you are working each week for YOUR share.

 
Now, this is what you, as a CSA member should expect:

1. An assortment of fruits and veggies each week based upon what is ready to be harvested.  This means you have to go with the flow.  Sometimes you'll get a few weeks of one particular item if they have a bumper crop, but that just gets your creative juices flowing, and the freezer IS your friend!  They may not have those plums you ADORED for long, because they have a short growing season.  Ask questions - you'll find that farmers are intelligent, passionate, and willing to share their knowledge with you.

2. A healthier diet!
3. Produce that has minimal to no pesticides.
4. Produce that has been picked within a day or two of your receiving it, not sitting on a truck for two weeks.
5. A variety of fruits and veggies you will NOT find in your local supermarket.
6. You'll spend less at the grocery store, even if you pay for your share instead of working it off.

 This is a commitment.  The farmers plant and plan for the season based upon the number of shares they have.  Please don't leave them high and dry.  I have to admit, I was a little hesitant to step into my CSA waters, because of the 24 week obligation - that's almost half a year.  I am SO happy I did though!  Our family has never had healthier food in the house, I get to play with stuff I've never had before and I get varieties of things I never see in the supermarket.  I cajoled Ken and Jason to let me buy the last few dinosaur plums they had lying around because I was so in love with them.  I rarely bought plums in the supermarket because I did not care for them.  These are delicious.  Meg just called me from college complaining about the peaches she bought at the local supermarket.  She couldn't eat them.  The CSA has spoiled her rotten (in a good way!) luckily, there is a wonderful farm just 5 miles from campus that she can get her fresh picked fix :)

When you go to pick up your share, if there is something you like, ASK if you can buy extra -  you sometimes can, especially if they had a bumper crop.  If you like to can or freeze, ask if they have any seconds.  It never hurts to ask :)

My CSA donates extra produce to the local food bank.  How great is that? :)

If there are just two of you - consider splitting a share with another couple.  Take the CSA plunge!  You may find some new foods you like, you'll definitely be eating healthier, and you'll be supporting your neighbors :-)


Willow - you can see he sometimes like to help out on pick up days at the farm :)



Butternut whut?!

Most people think of butternut squash as something in soup or that you serve all butter and sugared up at Thanksgiving dinner.  Having gotten a beautiful one as part of my C.S.A. share, I pondered its fate in our family kitchen.

I wanted to do something different - I do have a great recipe for a beef chili-like stew with butternut squash, but we hadn't had chicken in a while, so I decided to put my thinking cap on, and peruse FoodNetwork for possible ideas.

I found a recipe for a chicken with butternut squash and prunes.  First off, I don't care much for prunes - when I was younger I liked them, but now that I am getting closer to an age that is associated with prunes...ehh...notsomuch.  Prunes. Ugh...the name isn't even appetizing, and I would rather eat plums before they become a dried up whisper of what they once were on the tree.

 Besides, I prefer figs over prunes.  I love their flavor - it's not overpowering, and it pairs wonderfully with a naturally sweet veggie like butternut squash.

So I decided to make a variation of the recipe I found on the Food Network (original is HERE if you are interested)

If you like Mediterranean food or Indian food, you'll probably like this - it's aromatic, slightly sweet, and the chicken is moist.  The butternut squash pairs perfectly with the figs and the orange juice, but the shallots and garlic offset the sweetness.  It is SO EASY TO MAKE.  I am guessing you could probably even crockpot it - if you do, I would suggest browning the chicken first.  

Baked Chicken with Fall Veggies and Figs (printable recipe HERE)

Serves 4

4 Chicken breasts bone in skin on, cut in half and thin rib part removed (Don't be afraid to sub out thighs/legs for breasts)

1 small to medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cubed (If you don't want to peel and cut a butternut squash, they do sell them already cubed in the store - but honestly? fresh is best! :)

3 medium potatoes, cubed, or some small baby potatoes skin on. (Not necessary, but I like a nice contrast of colors when I cook)

1/2 cup frozen green beans, or fresh green beans sliced. (Again, not written in stone - sub out corn, peas, carrots, whatever you want/have in the house)

1/2 cup mission figs, halved

2 good size shallots, sliced thin (You can sub out 1 onion, halved and sliced thin)

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup orange juice

about 1 tsp of grated orange rind

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 - 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme (1/2 tsp. if you are using dried)

1/2 tsp oregano, dried (or 1 1/2 tsp. fresh)

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Add veggies, figs, spices, shallots and garlic to a dutch oven, or roasting pan.  Toss to mix.  Just toss the stuff into your roasting pan as you cube/slice/dice it.  Can't get much easier than that...Feel free to fool around with the veggies you put in as well - Don't have shallots? Use an onion halved and sliced thin.  Don't want potatoes? omit them.  Want parsnips? add them..turnips would probably work nicely here too.  Anything that pairs well with some sweetness, i.e. the orange juice and figs.

3.  Place chicken breasts on top of the veggie mix. Combine the broth and OJ, and pour the liquid over the top of the chicken, grate some fresh orange rind over the chicken, and season with salt and pepper.  I just grated the orange rind over the top of the chicken - I would guess it was about a teaspoon if you want particulars.  Salt and pepper the chicken before you pop it into the oven.

4.  Bake covered in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.  Uncover, then cook for about 40 more minutes, basting about every 15 minutes until chicken is nicely browned.  Basting is important - it will keep the chicken breast nice and moist.  If you don't have a turkey baster, use a soup spoon to ladle the juice over the chicken.

5.  Put some veggies on a plate, arrange 2 breast quarters and spoon some pan juices over all.

This will make your house smell GREAT as it's cooking, and the combination of flavors is out of the ordinary, yet delicious.  Plus again, it's one of those recipes with a HUGE margin for experimentation if you want to get adventurous.  I would say cook for 6-8 hours on high if you do it in the crockpot, and brown the chicken before you add it to the pot.

Summer bounty and what to do with it all.

For some reason, blogger is acting weird, and I can't comment on my own blog.  Then again, I don't know if anyone else can either.  They've implemented some new "anti spam" filter which I am guessing may be part of the problem, I don't know.  If they don't fix it in the next couple of weeks I may go back to Wordpress.  Just a heads up.

I joined a local CSA, and each week I get a boatload of fresh produce, in addition to a loaf of bread and a dozen eggs.  I sort of have the egg thing under control - I've rediscovered hard boiled eggs, and I am baking more (which makes hubby and son happy).  The produce I sometimes get behind on - I had a yellow squash, an eggplant, and a plethora of tomatoes, in addition to a small heirloom pepper.  Not enough to *make* anything individually with, but combined they could contribute to a delish summer pasta sauce!

(Sorry for the paucity of pix - but veggies are veggies!)

So...I chopped up about 4 cloves of garlic and an onion, and diced the pepper and threw it in a pan with some olive oil.  I cooked it til it was transparent.  I cubed up the small eggplant, threw that in there along with the zucchini that I sliced in half lengthwise, then cut thinly.  I mixed all this up until the eggplant was turning golden.  I then threw in a few chopped tomatoes, some fresh basil, rosemary, and marjoram that I snipped from my herb garden, some S&P to taste, and a jar of my favorite marinara sauce (actually, it's a can, and you get it from Trader Joe's)

and a couple teaspoons of sugar to cut the acidity in the sauce.  I let that simmer a bit, then a few minutes before serving, I threw in half a cup of 1/2 and 1/2, and a handful or so of parmesean cheese.  YUM!

My point is - this sauce has endless possibilities.  This is where you get creative fits of genius - where your family looks at you and goes "wow...this is good!" and you really didn't follow a recipe at all.  Just to give you some ideas:

1. Omit the half and half.
2. Throw in half a cup of red wine instead.
3. Saute some italian sausage in the pan, remove, then add the onions, garlic, etc. to make it a meat sauce (can use ground pork or beef as well, or any other meat)
4. Add mushrooms.
5. Add peas.

Ok...you catching my drift?  Put anything you want in this "foundation" of onions, garlic, olive oil, and marinara sauce, and I guarantee you, it will taste good.  You don't have basil? Add oregano.  You don't like rosemary? don't put it in.  What's marjoram? you say? Then add thyme instead.  You LOVE basil? Just use that!  Don't be afraid to try something different, or let your imagination go wild.  You may be pleasantly surprised with the results.  It's kind of hard to mess up a red sauce!

Hopefully, your family loved it, now you are stuck with a potful of sauce and "leftovers" - I don't know about you, but getting my family to eat leftovers is like pulling teeth.  I recently discovered that I have to fool them into thinking that they are eating something new.  So...some ideas to makeover the leftovers :)

1. Layer with lasagna noodles, some ricotta (which you've added parm cheese and an egg and some parsley to) and mozzarella and make lasagna.
2. Make grilled cheese with it. omg this is nirvana with a slice of fresh mozzarella.  Seriously.
3. Add meatballs and make a "stew" serve with salad and crusty bread.
4. Add broth (chicken or beef, or vegetable, doesn't matter) thin to desired consistency and voila! SOUP! :)

 OK...I made a grilled cheese with the leftover sauce.  The sauce is thick and chunky, so it was easy to slather on a nice piece of bread again, no Wonder Bread crap please...you need something with substance that can support the veggies.  I then added a few slices of fresh mozzarella cheese (the kind you buy in a ball) then grilled it in a pan.  It was a huge hit.  My son who "hates eggplant" and "doesn't like fresh mozzarella" inhaled it.  When told it had two ingredients he "eschewed" (blog joke here, sorry LOL) - he was amazed.  Hubby loved it, daughter loved it, I loved it - it was unanaimous.  Yum OH!

It might be helpful here to insert the fact that I beat up an egg with a bit of milk, and dunked the outside of the sandwich in it before I put it in the pan...sort of like a Monte Cristo, but without soaking the bread.

I've always eaten fresh mozzarella in a Caprese salad - you know, with fresh tomatoes and a drizzle of vinaigrette.  I realized when you cook it, it gets chewy, stringy, and even yummier than the shredded stuff you buy in the bag.  I am now hooked, and I don't know if I will ever buy bagged mozzarella again. :)  Yeah, it looks a bit weird when it melts, but omg the taste!

So...when you cook this grilled cheese - do it at a slightly lower heat so that the veggies in the sauce get heated up, and the cheese gets melted.  It may take a bit longer, but it's worth the wait!