Sunday, October 15, 2017

Farm Box Delivery - October 4, 2017

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Here’s what I received from Farm Fresh to You (FFTY) on 10/4/2017:
  1. Rainbow carrots
  2. Shishito peppers
  3. Yellow finn potatoes
  4. Orange sweet potatoes
  5. Celery
  6. Baby broccoli
  7. Jalapeno peppers
  8. Lacinto kale (Joe’s theory is holding up)
  9. Red beets
  10. Romaine lettuce
  11. Roma tomatoes
  12. Flat leaf parsley


And here’s how that translated into a menu plan, including tweaks I made along the way (based on the methods mentioned in this post).

  1. Pasta e Broccoli alla Romana from the book Hip Pressure Cooking
    1. Uses all of the broccoli
    2. Will probably serve with grilled chicken
    3. Because I had this on the menu last week, but ended up using that broccoli raw in my daily lunch salads (with farro, smoked salmon and goat cheese)
  2. Creamed kale from Food52 A New Way to Dinner
    1. Because I had it on the menu last week, but ended up making kale, onion, and cheddar M’semen from Hot Bread Kitchen (which were delicious and fun to make!)
    2. I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it shouldn't feel like homework to Joe
    1. Because they are delicious. That is all.
    2. This recipe needs a simple green side as a foil to the rich, spicy enchiladas. I ended up doing sauteed beet greens.
  3. Stuffed tomatoes with rice and cheese from How to Cook Everything (HTCE; my favorite all-purpose cookbook), using the vegetarian variation
    1. We have always eaten vegetarian meals regularly, but I am now making an effort to do so even more often, since CAFOs suck and I haven’t gotten around to buying a local half a pig yet (or the chest freezer I will need to store it)
    2. HTCE is definitely one of my staple cookbooks. If I have an ingredient I need to use up or a vague menu idea in mind, this is usually my first stop for inspiration. I love that each recipe has multiple options and variations and the basics are solid. Many of my go-to, “the one!” recipes are in this book, including cornbread, pasta puttanesca, risotto, roast leg of lamb, potato leek soup, and clafouti.
    3. We ended up really liking these. A great use for less than perfectly ripe tomatoes and cooked rice I happened to have on hand. I added a lot of parsley.
  4. Caesar salad
    1. A no-brainer when romaine arrives in the box
    2. Will make a nice side with #4 & #6
  5. Crisp and easy potatoes from My Kitchen Year
    1. This ended up being served alongside “Michael's grilled London broil with red onions” from the same book
    2. This is a recipe that starts with parboiling the potatoes in well-salted water before roasting in the oven. I used to always ignore recipes like that since it seemed like a waste of time and dirty dishes. But I have to admit that it really does result in a better flavored and textured roasted potato. As I have learned from reading Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, salty cooking water actually does season the potatoes from within without making them taste salty.
    3. Joe did the shishitos on the BBQ after grilling the London broil. Sprinkled with lemon juice and smoked Maldon salt, they were so good and easy to eat all of them in one meal.
  6. Beet and feta samosas from Made in India
    1. Joe and I both love beets, but they do show up in the farm box often, so I am always looking for new ways to use them. I liked the look of these samosas because I enjoy kitchen projects that produce a lot of value for time spent and they are freezable
    2. These ended up being delicious, fairly easy and fun to make. Will definitely make again!
    3. I learned I shouldn’t just pile them all in a container for storage because they stick together. Next time, I will separate with waxed or parchment paper. Leftover samosas crisped up nicely in the toaster oven. And softer ones actually made a nice commuter breakfast (since the the phyllo didn’t shatter if I didn’t reheat them first).

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing your creativity! I am so intrigued by the beet and feta samosas, I'll give them a whirl--thanks for the inspiration and tips!

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    1. The samosas were wonderful. A definite repeater. I found a version online: https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/beetroot-and-feta-samosas

      For the mix of spices, I ended up using Penzey's Berber blend, which is quite spicy, and it worked very well. I cooked the beets in my InstantPot. I liked the instructions to taste the filling and make sure it's well seasoned, since it gets dulled a bit after being wrapped in filo.

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  2. I am also intrigued by the beet and feta samosas--good to hear they are worth repeating! And I just recently have fallen in love with Penzey's Berber Blend! I've used it along with the Turkish seasoning in my lentil soups, so good! As always, I've enjoyed reading what you are up to in the kitchen--inspires me to get busy myself!

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    1. Oh my, the samosas were so good. Try them soon! :)

      I love Penzey's Turkish seasoning, too, especially on popcorn.

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