More Goodies

Mmmm, maple syrup. Thanks to Joe and Ilsa, I now know just how good this sticky stuff is for you. A good source of Zinc and Manganese, it's antioxidant properties make it an excellent addition to your cabinet or fridge. For those who want more info, I found a lot of good stuff here.

And, given the recent cold spell, complete with snow, a big plate of pancakes sound perfect just about now. Another favorite is roasted pecans coated in maple syrup. Just like Lays they are, "you can't eat just one" delicious.

Pears - Bosc, Yali and Seckel. The Yali, a Chinese variety, is new to me. Small and pretty - can't wait to try them.

The Red Bok Choy is also pretty - other than the color, there is nothing new about this. Stir fry it is.

Ground Cherries - neither "ground" or "cherries", these things are still very strange - even after 2 weeks of them.

Seriously, do these look like cherries to you? I'm going to have to work on this.....

This week's share is the perfect example of the variety of fruits and vegetables I have been exposed to. Two kinds of peppers, three of apples, onions and potatoes. What a bounty!!!

I cooked the potatoes on the stove, starting with sauteing some garlic and onion in olive oil, then adding the potatoes, which were thinly sliced and some salt and pepper.  Mixing the varieties give a more complex taste to what is normally a very simple dish.

"Oh Honey...."

A cross between Macoun and Honeygold (which itself is a cross between Golden Delicious and Haralson), the Honeycrisp is now my new favorite apple. How fortunate to stop at The Garden of Ideas yesterday for some staples (onions and garlic) and find them there. These beauties are grown by Red Jacket Orchards, the same people that bring you the amazing juices, which are available at the farm all the time. If you haven't yet tried this sweet and luscious variety, get yourself one (or a dozen, which is what you will grab after one bite).

Today is the first day of the Fall share. For the two week break, I was busy cooking up the bounty that remained in my fridge after three weekends away. The chili I made for the Apple Cider press turned out great! But then again, how bad can chili be when it contains cocoa and Guiness?

The celeriac and cauliflower soup I tried was also tasty, and I loved my new hand blender - so much easier than ladling mush into the blender - and neater too.

Like soup, the stir fry is an easy way to get your veggies in and with only a wok to clean - worth all the work of the chopping. Heat wok - throw in oil - throw in onion and garlic - throw in veggies, in order of hardness (i.e., carrots first, cabbage last) - stir - add some soy sauce, mirin, wine - easy peasy.

Now, off to the farm for this week's share!

googootz!!

Measuring more than 2 feet long, this summer squash - Cucuzza (really long squash in Italian), brought the expected hoots and howls when I brought it down to the beach one summer night for grilling. Memories of countless "hen's nights" came back to many of the women and the men were unapologetic in their comments, a few even making comparisons with their own..........ha!

I had never heard, nor seen this veggie before - though it brings back many memories for those of Italian decent. A friend fondly remembered his childhood, running in for fried "goo-gootz" and eggplant sandwiches. No matter what he and his friends were doing outside, once the call came from his mother, they dropped whatever it was they were doing and rushed to the kitchen.

Fried, sauteed, stewed or stuffed - this one can be done in many ways. Since we were down at the beach, we simply brushed it with olive oil and put it on the grill. The flavor was subtly sweet. I do wish we didn't cook the whole thing that night, because I would love to have tried some other dishes.

Aw, goo-gootz!!!

Say Goodbye to Summer

 The last week of the summer share brings yet another new vegetable I want to try - the red noodle bean:

Gorgeous scarlet in color, texturally it looks like a pole bean. Also known as yard long or asparagus beans. They come from Southern China and I plan on stir-frying them with the Bok Choy I picked up as my choice for the week.

The Cauliflower is not very popular in my house - I am the only one who likes it. With my new hand held blender, I will try a soup and see how that goes over. I found one I can use with the Celeriac, so it will really be an adventure.

Now, off to find a good chili recipe for the weekends' Apple Cider Press up in New Hampshire..

Nice Dinner

Last nights dinner was sole with shallots, garlic, peppers and tomatoes in white wine. Happened upon some really fresh fish and the combination was lovely. Sauteed string beans and as usual, they were terrific. Served with cous cous, it was a satisfying meal. I have gotten so spoiled eating the vast variety of just picked vegetables. I know I will miss it come winter.

Luckily I have several more weeks with the fall share starting up. I finally broke down and bought one of those hand held blenders for soup making. Tried it out with the tomato soup I made last week and it was brilliant. No more having to mess up a blender - just stick it in the pot and swirl away.

Will try making acorn squash soup today. A great light meal with a good loaf of bread and a salad. 

The squash are here!!  Last week was Butternut - this week Acorn  - the big question is do I do a simple roast in the oven, a soup or a more complicated dish. To the cookbooks I go!

Took another eggplant - I love the purple ones with the white marks - creamy, delicate taste. I added it to my vegetarian lasagna - usually made with just spinach, and it was a big hit. The recipe I use started with the one on the box of noodles. Over the years, I have changed it somewhat - different kinds of cheese, meat vs spinach, low fat vs full fat. It's one of those dishes that is hard to do badly. Now, I usually just up the herbs and use lots of cheese for a very dense lasagna. I always make a big one, so there is plenty of left overs and I NEVER serve it on the same day I make it. That one day of rest allows all the flavors to meld and once reheated, gives out the full flavor of the dish.

More tomatoes - the variety is thrilling - each kind I try is like a surprise in my mouth - sweet, rich, tart, light - I never know until that first bite. I have been putting them on my favorite Wave Hill Bread for an extra special treat....

This week's beans are multi-colored - green, white, purple - I just wished they kept their color when cooked. I think I'll try something raw this week........