Potato Salad - the tasty switch

The items in this week's share was the perfect opportunity to switch out the usual ingredients of my usual potato salad for ones I had on hand. I like my potatoes with the skin on, so the Rose Gold New Potatoes, young ones with very thin skin are the perfect choice for potato salad and a good change from the larger Yukon gold. A gentle scrub is all they need. Bravely, I lite the stove (and turned the air conditioner on!) and boiled the potatoes until just soft.


I cut them up, added some fennel (instead of celery) and basil (instead of parsley) and one Cippolini onion (instead of the usual yellow). While I usually add mayo to the recipe, I didn't have any, so I used Marie's Blue Cheese Dressing instead. Add the usual salt and pepper and I was done.

Reviews were very positive and I had to rely on them since personally, I don't like potato salad. I know, it's crazy, but there is just something about cold potatoes that turns me off. I did taste this when the potatoes were still slightly warm and I really liked the fresh delicate taste.

Today's dish will be some salsa for a party I am going to.....stay tuned....

Summer Share Week 7

This had to be one of the more fragrant selections - the fennel's enticing scent hitting as soon as I opened the fridge. I never made fennel before, so I'm not quite sure what I will do with it. Perhaps I'll follow the Garden of Idea's suggestion and roast it, but with the temperature over 100, not sure I want to turn on my oven!!

Another newbie is fresh apricots - I have always eaten the dried ones, but for some unknown reason have stayed away from the fresh. I'm thinkin' salsa and a tart - though that would require that pesky oven again.

Onions and potatoes will make a nice potato salad - oh wait, need to boil the potatoes...perhaps not.

The juice is the perfect antidote to the heat - a combination of apple and lemon - outrageously good!! Alone or mixed with sparkling water (or a little champagne), Joe's Summer Blend make these really hot days a little more bearable.

Stay cool everyone!! Drink lots of water...or Joe's Summer Blend!!

Note to Self

Kale chips - a deliciously, guilt free snack. So easy to make - rip Kale into little pieces, removing stem. Toss with a little oil and salt and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 - 20 minutes, or as long as it takes to get them crispy.

I first heard of kale chips while I was on a plane and watching some talk show with Gwyneth Paltrow pushing her cook book. Cook book???? since when did she cook? Not sure where I have been, but apparently she has a whole website now, extolling the virtues of vegetarian cooking.

I am always very suspicious of actors coming out with books telling us how to cook (or diet or exercise or get over depression, eating disorders, addictions, etc., etc., etc.). Frankly, I would much rather read what their personal chef, dietitian, trainer, doctor, (again, etc., etc., etc.) has to say, as they are the real experts. But they are also boring, or so the media would have us think, so they parade a bunch of famous people, who by virtue of the fact they are gorgeous, will sell the program better. It seems I am in the minority here, as billions of dollars each year go to these people and the companies that are behind them.

But, back to the kale chips. They were really good, so I set the out along with the cheese for some company. Nibbling a bit before my guests arrived, I checked myself in the mirror a few minutes before they were set to arrive. Yikes!!! tiny little green pieces everywhere!! Gargle, gargle, gargle.........

But I'm sure Gwyneth never has that problem, right???

Summer Share Week 6 - Berries!!!

 Raspberries, blueberries, not to mention peaches and cherries are all over. This is my favorite part of the year, when I munch away at the wonderful fruit in season. Of course, it started weeks ago with the strawberries, but now we have moved on.

My out of town guests are no strangers to picking fruit here in the U.S. During their last visit, I took them apple picking. This time, it was blueberries - 11 pounds worth!! A drive out to Jones Family Farm was a treat for all of us. The "berry ferry" took us out to the fields where we stayed for about an hour. The bushes were full of berries in all stages of ripeness. Following instructions to pick only the very dark blue ones, we filled container after container, dumping them into the large basket again and again.
Of course, we had to taste as we went along, though not so much that our fingers were blue.

 Once home, I found a recipe that could make a dent in the mounds of blueberries:

Found a nice one in the August issue of Food and Wine. With the berries the first of the season, they were a little tart, so we all found the recipe lacking a little sugar to compensate for that. Note to self: taste fruit and amend recipe accordingly.

I am making another dessert tonight, an Italian Blueberry "pizza", one of my favorite recipes. You can make this with any fruit.



1 1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup whipping cream
8 oz. mascarpone cheese (you can also use cream cheese)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon peel
4 cups fruit

Crust:

Combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture looks like course crumbs. Press into 11-13" pizza pan. I used a large pie pan for this as I don't have a pizza pan. Bake in 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until crust is light brown. Cool completely.

Before serving, whip cream in mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Add cheese, sugar and lemon peel. Beat until fluffy.

Spread mixture on cool crust. Top with fruit of choice. For an added treat, shave chocolate on the top.

While you can make this ahead, it must be kept cold.

 Next up: Kale chips, Take 2.

The Visitors

The challenge when having house guests is making food that everyone will eat. Last night was a surprising success in that department. The goal was to use as much of my share as possible. I started with the Swiss chard. Never having made it before, I checked on line and in some cookbooks I have. In what is turning out to be a treasure trove of excellent recipes, I found a simple, yet interesting one in Olive Trees and Honey, a collection of vegetarian recipes from Jewish communities around the world. It is called Tunisian Braised Chard. As I was cooking for children, I left out the hot pepper.

2 pounds chard
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 to 2 cloves garlic - I used the cloves from the fresh head I got last week.
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped. Again, I used the tomatoes from the share.
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Separate chard leaves from the stems. Cut the stems into 1/2 inch pieces and the leaves into 1 inch strips.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, then the garlic and saute for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the card stems, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes.

Add the leaves, red pepper if using and tomatoes and saute for 1 minute. Cover and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and salt.

With that done, I started on the pasta. I was planning on using the garlic scape pesto again and it didn't disappoint. Just excellent.

Finally, the fish. I made sole, using a basic onion, garlic, white wine base. Once done, I again tried the sorrel sauce. The sauce turned out more of a pesto consistency, but tasted good.

Everyone enjoyed.

Today our guests saw the Garden of Ideas for themselves. We spent a relaxing couple of hours there, first walking around and then just relaxing on a bench while the kids played in the sandbox, creating an entire ice cream factory out of sand. We went into the gallery there where we ran into Joe. After I told him about the sorrel, he suggested just sauteing it with oil and putting over pasta. Sounds good to me........

Summer Share Week 5

Sorrel, Swiss chard - luckily my friend Celine is arriving on Sunday and I will surely get a lesson in simple, delicious french cooking.

And, speaking of garlic - my garlic scape pesto came out so good, we are having it again tonight with some left over chicken.

The first time, we sauted shrimp and it was delicious and so simple. Just replace the usual basil with the garlic scapes and enjoy!!!

4th of July Fixings

This time of year, there were lots of 4th of July parties - a whole weekend full of them for us. There is always the dilemma of what dish to bring - something not too complicated that people will eat. While most people have a "party dish", something they make all the time that has been practiced many times, I did what I usually do - make something I have never made before and keep my fingers crossed. 

For two of the parties that were scheduled for the same day, I brought a watermelon salad - using the garlic scapes and scallions in place of the typical onions. I also added some mint, picked fresh from the beach. 

About a half of a seedless watermelon

garlic scapes

scallions

olive oil - a few tablespoons

mint

salt

pepper

feta cheese - 8 oz.

Mix. Yes, I know there are few quantities listed here, but really, most of it is to taste. This is a great dish for parties - easy and quick to make - really tasty in the hot summer. I divided the salad into two containers and I was ready to go.

For the last party, I thought I would try using the rhubarb we got last week (and I still had) in a dessert. I initially planned on making a chocolate cake, but changed to chocolate brownies, as I got turned off by the "sour milk" the cake recipe required. I found this recipe on the Food Network site, courtesy of Guy Fieri.

Mexican Rhubarb Chocolate Chunk brownies

For the rhubarb compote:

• 1 cup rhubarb, strings removed, cut in 1/2-inch slices
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the brownie batter:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon New Mexico chile powder (not chili powder)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon dark rum
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• Shortening spray, for baking dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the rhubarb compote: In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring rhubarb, water and sugar to a boil. When sugar is dissolved, lower heat to a simmer and cook until rhubarb is soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Puree in a blender until smooth, if necessary. The rhubarb should break down to a smooth compote.

To make the brownie batter: In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, Chile powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In a clean microwavable glass bowl, melt bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate together in the microwave at 50 percent power or in a double boiler. Set aside. In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, combining well. Add in the vanilla and rum. Stir the rhubarb into the chocolate mixture, then add to the batter. Mix until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and gently fold in the semisweet chocolate and walnuts. Do not over mix. Spray an 8 by 8 by 2-inch clear glass baking dish with shortening spray. Line bottom with parchment paper, then spray parchment. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth out top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Cut into squares and serve.

The only changes I made were to omit the chile powder (didn't have any) and walnuts (was bringing to a dinner party and was not sure about allergies). And, I used Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum instead of dark. The brownies came out very moist and smooth - not at all chunky as the name implies. The taste was a bit of a surprise - with the rhubarb, rum and cinnamon combination. Not sure kids would like them (they had cookies) - the adults sure did, served with a little vanilla ice cream.  Next time I make these, I will try using the chile powder.

Next up - garlic scape pesto!!!!!

Summer Share Week 4 - On the Road

One of the challenges with a CSA is having the time to use up all the produce you get. This week, it was a quick stop to pick up the week's take and then off to Newport to visit friends. Luckily, it was the perfect selection for travel - fresh strawberries and cherries, garlic scapes, arugula microgreens, tomatoes and juice.

The berries barely made it past the first day - heck, they barely made the trip up. Luckily, they were in the back seat, safe from my wanting little fingers. There is nothing like fresh strawberries!! We had the tomatoes with mozzarella and basil, with a little olive oil drizzled on top as part of a light lunch. The garlic scapes went in the potato salad along with a little of the arugula. They were also grilled all by themselves - yummy. The juice - a lovely mixture of apple and lemon was mixed with sparkling water for a perfect summer drink.

My project tomorrow will be to finally make the chocolate rhubarb cake for a 4th of July party - fingers crossed!