Potato-Leek Casserole

Having never cooked leeks before, and it being too hot for the many soup recipes I found online, I thought I would try this casserole, which turned out eatable for everyone...

2 Leeks, sliced lengthwise in half and then crosswise

2 medium potatoes, sliced

1 tablespoon butter, plus some for the pan

3 teaspoons salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, smashed

2 sprigs fresh thyme

6 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

2 cups cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven 325 degrees F. Butter an 8-by-8-inch square glass casserole dish. After cutting the leeks, put them the basket of a salad spinner and fill with water. Swish the leeks around to flush out any grit.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs and half-and-half, then stir in the leeks, salt and pepper, garlic, thyme and nutmeg.

In the casserole dish, place a layer the potato on the bottom, spoon the leek mixture on top, then sprinkle with the grated cheese, repeat, ending up with the cheese on top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake for 20-25 minutes more, until the top is golden brown. 

Enjoy!!!

Week 6

With the weather finally turning warm and sunny, it is time to say goodbye to the Spring share season. This last week brings familiar items to my kitchen and a wonderful surprise:

Just look at these tomatoes, are they gorgeous or what? Grown up in Bethlehem, CT by March Farms, I can't wait to try these, perhaps sliced with some fresh sliced mozzarella and basil.

Again, my mother is looking down on me thinking, "you couldn't get excited about tomatoes while I was still around, huh?". She was a big fan, having grown up in southern New Jersey, and used to eat tomatoes like you would an apple. When I was growing up,  it disturbed her that I wouldn't touch them. But then again, what was available were those sickly looking things in the cellophane that looked mushy and tasted like, well, like my daughter often says, "yucky".  Later on, when we would go to a restaurant and the salad came, I would gently lift the strangely red semi-circles over to her plate and she would say the same thing, "I can't believe you're my daughter and don't like tomatoes".  "Well mom, if they tasted like this, I would have!"

Ok then, off to the cheese store...

We Have A Winner

Spaghetti with Shrimp, Bok Choy, Radish and Pea Shoots

I say spaghetti, because that is what I had in the house, but you can use anything from rice to any kind of noodle. Cook whatever you choose as usual.

for the sauce:

1 1/2 cups chicken stock
5 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

for the dish:

12 shrimp (you could also use chicken)
bunch baby bok choy
3 or 4 radish
handful of pea shoots
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese rice wine)
splash of soy sauce
1 tablespoon chopped Cilantro


Mix the sauce until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok. When hot, cook shrimp for about a minute, just until they loose their translucent color. Set aside. Add the rest of the oil, cook the garlic for about 20 seconds, add the vegetables, cook about 20 seconds, then add mirin and soy sauce. Cook until boy choy leaves wilt. Add shrimp and sauce. Sprinkle cilantro.

Serve over either the spaghetti or rice. You can keep any unused sauce in fridge.

Oh boy, Bok Choy!!

I am very excited about the boy choy this week. We do lots of wok cooking in my house and this is a perfect ingredient for so many dishes. Paired with the cilantro, I already have some ideas on what to do with it. This week, I made my first switch - we are allowed to change a designated item for something else in the stand. Since the asparagus was such a hit last week, I choose another bunch, which will again be grilling tonight (if the weather holds out - the expression "rain, rain, go away", never seemed so appropriate here in Connecticut!!)

Since I had some time, I took a look at the vegetable plants for sale. I think I counted 13 different kinds of tomato, with names like "Early Girl" and "Sweet and Neet" and colorful descriptions that made me think of the signs that greet you as you puruse the eisles of your neighborhood wine store. 

Since I am leaving the vegetable growing to the experts this summer, I left the tomato plants to those better suited to growing them without killing them, but did pick up a lemongrass plant. Not just good for cooking, lemongrass is a natural mosquito repellant so I like to have a few plants around the deck. And, I found a new use for the cup holder in my car....

When I got home, I realize I had some variety of my own. With all of the rain, the mushrooms were out in force in our front yard. There were 2 or 3 varieties, and even though I don't know much about mushrooms, except to know I will not be eating them, I am disappointed I don't know enough to put up my own little signs...

Apple-Carrot Muffins

This recipe came from the Washington Apple commission. I must apologize to them for not using their apples, preferring to stay local - the very Crispins I received from The Garden of Ideas..

Mix the following in a bowl:

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

In a separate large bowl, mix:

2/3 cup yogurt (available at the GOI)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup maple syrup (available at the GOI)
6 egg whites (available at the GOI)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons dried orange peel
4 apples, shredded (available at the GOI)
1 pound carrots, shredded (available at the GOI)

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Fill paper-lined muffin tins. I spray the paper cups with a little vegetable spray to keep from sticking. Bake in a 375 degree oven about 25 minutes.

The best part of this recipe is making it with my daughter. She likes to help in the kitchen and this recipe has many measuring and mixing opportunities. She also enjoys the food processor and made short work of both the apples and carrots.

Unfortunately, she is not quite as fond of cleaning up.

Purple Haze....

No, not the song, though it does bring back memories. Purple Haze pencil top is the variety of carrots we received in this weeks' take and I do have to say they are a bit magical. We tried them the other night, roasting them with some olive oil and cumin. Because they were so thin, they came out of the oven a little crispy, like fries, but deliciously sweet.

We also tried the asparagus - grilling them outside, with a brushing of olive oil. After they came in, I splashed a little balsamic vinegar and we just couldn't stop munching on them. They barely made it to the table. One of the many things I like about the Garden of Ideas CSA is they are introducing me to other local farms. This asparagus came from Pedersen Farms, in New York State.

This week's juice, a mind blowing Apple-lemon juice, comes from Red Jacket Orchards in Geneva, NY, the same supplier of the Crispin apples we have been receiving. Actually, tomorrow I'll make some apple muffins with these very fine specimens - crispy - a little tart a little sweet. I'll be able to use some of the maple syrup we got (and still have) from week One, provided by Ambler Farm.

"Mommy, you make the weirdest food", said the 6 year old last night at dinner, commenting on a chicken, spinach and rice (great brown rice blend from Trader Joe's) stir-fry. Mind you, these are all things she has eaten before.....ahhhh, the mind of the picky eater.....

Week 4 - More Radishes, yay!!!!

First of all, I would like to thank Blogger for wiping out my last post. Apparently I am not the only one who this happened to, and I am sure everyone shares my peeviness at having had my efforts disappear into the lost blogisphere. Now, for today....

Who ever thought I would say that? Yay to radishes, of all things. My mother is probably looking down thinking, "I told you so". Ok, fine, I should have listened. My new favorite snack is cut-up radish on buttered bread. Luckily I get to indulge for another week with another lovely bunch in this week's take.

Asparagus is another favorite. I can't wait to try these beautiful stalks. Perhaps on the grill with a brushing of olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar..

The carrots are adorably gorgeous - small, an artistic mix of orange and red. I have to figure out a way to make these without loosing the glorious color - roasted perhaps?

More greens, apples and juice round out the week. Happy eating!!!

Man, Is that Red...

 Luckily I decided to use a food processor to grate it and didn't grate my usual way - by hand. Had I done that, my hands would still be the crimson of this beautiful beet. You may think that hand grating is a lot of work, but when you add up all the time you search around for all of the food processor parts, put it together, do your grating, clean it up and put it away, you might as well do it by hand. And, with the added bonus of working those arm muscles.

I found this Beet and Carrot recipe from Epicurious. A lot of ingredients, mostly for the dressing, but worth it.

Best of all, I got to use one of my favorite gadgets from Japan - a seed grater. Being a gadget freak, I just had to have this one. The Coriander seeds went in and came out properly smashed.

The whole thing was (and is) delish. The only downside is that I have enough for 12 people. So, I had in for lunch today. And will have more for dinner......

What to Eat While the Cat's Away

With Arny away for a few days, I thought I would work my way through the leftovers rather than do what I usually do, which is feed Ariana something semi-healthy and then sit down to my favorite dinner of all time - pretzels and ice cream. To be specific, Rold Gold or Snyders with mocha almond fudge. To be even more specific, the pretzels are the spoon and the ice cream is scooped up, resulting in that most mouth-happy combination of salty and sweet. As an added bonus, by eating the ice cream out of the container, there is absolutely nothing to clean up.

That was pretty much the way I ate before I met my husband. While I could cook, I rarely did. More often than not, I would through a bag of salad into a bowl, open a can of tuna and voila!! Once in awhile I would make pasta, but really, when you live in the city, there are so many things you can just "grab" from a store and by the time I would get home from work, the gym, cocktails with friends, the last thing I wanted to do was stand in front of a stove.

Meeting him was a revelation. First of all, he cooked. Real meals. Complete meals - meat, veggie, carb. kind of meals. All by himself, for himself. Meals that actually tasted good. Now, we usually cook together, him handling the meat and me the rest. It works well, most of the time.

Back to the left overs. I finished the quiche, promising myself to make it again - it was simple. I also made the chopped radish on bread with butter - yummy!!. The creamy butter and sharp radish was a great combination. And yes, a salad of greens with a simple vinaigrette. Tonight I am thinking another salad of shredded beet, carrot and celery - recipe thanks to Laura.

Roesti

Well, they were right. My husband loved the potato-beet roesti - it really was delicious! And easy to make too. Grated potato, beet - I used a yellow one (who knew they came in yellow!!), so as not to arouse any fear of actually eating a beet until it was eaten, a little flour, salt and pepper and butter. For my family of three, I used one Idaho potato and one large beet - it filled a 12" pan and we have some left over. I can see making this with other veggies too. It reminded me of a big potato pancake.

Curious about the origins, I did a little searching and see it it a Swiss creation, usually served for breakfast. Also spelled Rosti or Roschti (the Swiss German spelling). The potatoes can be raw or parboiled - I used raw potatoes and rather than rushing to avoid the potatoes turning that nasty color, I put the grated potato into cold water and when I was ready to cook, drained the water, using a salad spinner. It worked perfectly.
 
For those curious, here is a site with many variations.

Since today is Mother's Day, I will take the day off from cooking anything. A walk, a nap and dinner out awaits me on this warm and sunny day.....wishing all the mothers out there a wonder day..

Week Three

Radishes, beets, cress micro greens???? I went right home and got on the Internet to learn how to make something my family might not think tastes like "throw up" (see previous post). These are not things my family is used to and while I signed up for the CSA for the express purpose of expanding my vegetable palate, I did not bother asking the rest of my household if they wanted their palates expanded.

I remember radishes and beets from my childhood. My mother would slice radishes on the iceberg lettuce and I would sneer and eat around the scary looking white circles. Mind you, my mother's version of salad was iceberg lettuce with a canned pear or peach on it, swimming in the fruit syrup. Not to blame her, as that is the only way I would eat it.

Beets were shredded into borscht and I NEVER
WENT
NEAR
IT!!
The soup was served cold with a spoonful of sour cream on top. I would carefully watch my parents eating wondering why they didn't immediately fall on the floor retching at the taste of it.

But I'm grown now and only have that reaction watching someone eating anchovies..

One reason I love Garden of Ideas so much is that they provide recipes and this week's selection for the beets is encouragingly named "The Only Way I Can Get My Husband To Eat Beets". I hope it works on 6 year olds too.

With all the greens, this week I am going to work on my salad dressing making ability, which could definitely use some improving. Somehow I always end up with a dressing that tastes 'not quite there', even when I carefully measure each ingredient. Please feel free to post any of your favorite recipes - I'll try them out and let you know how it turned out.

Wish me luck...

Quiche

Ariana and I in the kitchen. I am taking out the ingredients to make a spinach and bacon quiche. She sees the pie shell and asks:

Ariana: what's that?

Me: I'm making quiche

Ariana: what's quiche?

Me: it's cheese....

Ariana: cheese? (excitedly)

Me: milk, eggs, spinach and bacon.....

Ariana: bacon?? (very excited).

Me: and it goes in the pie crust

Ariana: (looks suspiciously at the crust) I don't like quiche

Me: you like cheese..

Ariana: yeah

Me: and spinach and eggs,

Ariana: yeah

Me: so you'll like quiche

Ariana: no I won't

Me: Yes, you will

Ariana: No I won't

Me: But you like all the things that go into it

Ariana: I don't like it

Ahhh,  the palate of a 6 year old.




P.S She liked it........

A Little Fun

For Ariana's "screen-free" week at school, we made a list of things she wanted to do in lieu of watching TV or using the computer or IPhone. As yesterday was Tess's birthday, making her a cake and having a party was tops on the list. Not that the dog could eat it, but we could. Using the eggs left over, it didn't turn out half bad. While the decorating could have been better (that is actually a pug on the cake) we had a good time. Even if Tess didn't have a clue, she was happy to munch on the crumbs that fortunately dropped on the floor.

Today, I will attempt a quiche with the leftover greens in the fridge - tomorrow, a whole new supply!

After two weeks of participating in the CSA, I have been frustrated, surprised, amazed and humbled. I know now to keep it simple, remember my family's tastes and I better make a complete grocery list before I go to the store - or else I will be making more trips than I care to....

It Could Have Been Worse

(Ariana, after taking a bite of the barley - kale risotto. )

"It tastes like throw up"

 (Arny, after he stopped laughing, but while still chuckling)

"Well, I can understand how the combination of artichoke and Parmesan cheese can seem like throw up to an immature palette".

Thank you family. I am so glad my culinary adventures are a source of amusement to you.

Though I must admit, I was not a big fan of this recipe (Let's leave my cooking out of this for a moment). First of all, I would have preferred using Arborio rice for a more traditional risotto. And, I would loose the artichokes and just use the kale.

As far as my part goes, I have always had a problem with timing in the kitchen. The challenge of making sure everything is done at the same time is not easy for me and this was a perfect example. Arny was grilling the steak and he was finished when the risotto was still about 30 minutes away from being the creamy goop it is supposed to be. With a very hungry husband waiting, I pulled it off the stove with probably another ten minutes to go.

While the dish was a bit of a "dish"aster, the dinner experience itself was a rounding success. With our new room finished and the sound system hooked up, we had music playing as we ate. Halfway through dinner, "Soul Man" came on and Arny got up and started dancing. If you knew him, you would know this is a very strange occurance, especially during a meal. We all joined him and for about ten minutes the three of us were dancing and singing around the house. Perhaps it was a way for them to avoid eating the risotto, but I didn't care. The site of them singing and dancing and laughing more than made up for my culinary disappointment.

After dinner, while I did the dishes and disposed of the offending food, Arny took Ariana is his arms and danced to "The Sounds of Silence". My family was deeply satisfied....them by doing, me by watching - so what if it was the movement and not the food that did it......there is always tomorrow.