Local produce blog
A cooking and eating blog by Lena & Simon
- As firm believers in traditional and natural farming methods, we enthusiastically jumped at the opportunity of receiving a weekly basket of locally grown produce hand-picked the same day it is delivered to us. After all, who wouldn’t want to receive fresh fruits and vegetables that have been harvested when ripe and only travelled 40km or so, as opposed to thousands of kilometers across the continent or even overseas? Don’t get us wrong, we do love tropical fruits and vegetables, but feel that we can take full advantage of the robust variety of produce that grows in Caledon for at least half of the year. This not only creates delicious and healthy foods for our families and ourselves but it allows us to practice more sustainable practices by reducing our carbon footprint. So, to satisfy the ‘tree-hugging hippies’ within and to fulfill our passion for cooking, we decided to divide a large share from Whole Village Farm CSA in Caledon for the 2010 season. We will be preparing daily meals with local ‘suprise’ ingredients that may or may not be part of our cooking repertoire so check out our blog every week to see what we’ve been up to and share tips of your own!
PS. We are not professional chefs. We are just two colleagues that love to cook and more importantly love to eat good wholesome food (the kind that grows in soil and not on a production line). We also happen to have a love for photography! So happy cookin’!
- NOTE: Since our Bolton pick-up is on Tuesdays we will be posting articles with weeks commencing on Tuesday. The most recent articles will be posted first while the first week will be posted at the bottom of the page.
WEEK 11 (Aug 31-Sept 7)
Half of large share-week 11. Photo by Lena.
...and we also received this basil tree with roots and all. It will decorate my kitchen window sill until I figure out what to do with it. Photo by Lena.
LENA SAYS:
Being on vacation for a couple of weeks made me miss home-cooked meals. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some amazing dishes while away in Italy and Paris but at the end of my vacation I was glad to come home to fresh veggies. My skin definitely thanked me! So I tried to make the first meal a little more special. With the newly acquired fingerling potatoes I made Crispy fingerling potatoes and heirloom carrots with a side of Tilapia in a lime mustard sauce with dill and capers and a Tomato and cucumber salad with dill dressing. For the potatoes, I placed an oiled roasting pan in the oven first to warm the oil slightly. In the meantime, I washed and scrubbed the potatoes and carrots, making sure they were more or less the same size. In a bowl I combined the potatoes, carrots, a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs, savory, paprika, Herbes de Provence, chili pepper flakes, salt and black pepper. I placed them in the warmed roasting pan and baked at 425F until the potatoes got crispy. For the fish, I combined a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, the juice of 1/2 a lime and about a teaspoon of fish sauce*. I poured it over the tilapia and sprinkled quite a bit of ground black pepper. I popped that in the oven as well. When both dishes were ready, I sprinkled chopped dill over the potatoes and chopped leeks, dill and capers over the tilapia. To finish it off I cut up some tomatoes and cucumbers and dressed them with olive oil, lime juice, fresh dill, salt, black pepper and feta cheese. I must say that it was an awesome first meal!
*Fish sauce is mostly oyster extract and can be found in the soy sauce aisle of the grocery store. The brand I like is Thai Kitchen. Although I used it mainly in Asian dishes, I thought I would mix it up a little by incorporating it in a French mustard sauce. It actually worked!
Crispy fingerling potatoes and heirloom carrots (the dark purple things) with a side of Tilapia in a lime mustard sauce and a Tomato and cucumber salad with a dill dressing. Photo by Lena.
SIMON SAYS:
This week we received a load of fingerling potatoes and more carrots, so first off I decided to go traditional and splashed out on a piece of beef tenderloin, to make grilled tenderloin and corn, with potatoes roasted in olive oil and rosemary, and carrots. I par-boiled the potatoes and then threw them in the oven for 45 minutes to go nice and roasty. I boiled the carrots and corn cob, and grilled the tenderloin on an oven-top grill pan. When everything was about ready, I put the corn in the grill pan to get it a little brown and infuse some of the beef juices. The tenderloin was topped off with a little gravy made from Bisto instant mix I got in the UK a few years back – the best gravy in the world.
Fingerling potatoes with carrots, corn and beef tenderloin with gravy. Photo by Simon.
WEEK 10 (Aug 24-31)
LENA SAYS:
As you may have noticed I have not posted anything in the last couple of weeks. I was actually eating and cooking in Italy and Paris (my favourite city)! Check out the travel section in the next week or so to read all about my travel adventures at the markets, cafes and my cooking class in a Tuscan kitchen! I am now back in Caledon and ready for my week 11 basket. Check back in the next few days to see what we receive.
Me enjoying a chocolat chaud in a cafe in Paris.
SIMON SAYS:
It’s been a few weeks since my last post. I’ve been away on photo shoots, and generally quite busy. The other dilemma I have had, in terms of posting a new dish on a regular basis, is everything I have been making is the same recently. I am chopping up all the great veggies we get each week and throwing them into a pot of water/broth, often with red wine, and simmering into a thick tasty veggie stew. Even though the ingredients change slightly, as do the herbs and spices, the finished product looks identical each time, and it would get boring to show you the same kind of photo every week.
OK, here’s something different today. I grabbed some heirloom carrots and tomatoes from my basket, plus an onion left over from last week. I dropped a chicken breast into a heated pan with a little olive oil, then threw in the chopped tomatoes and onion. After a minute or two on high heat, I stirred in a couple of spoonfuls of natural yogurt and a splash of rum, and let simmer until all the juices started to reduce. While this was happening, I boiled the carrots. When I drained the water, it was blue, and the purple carrots had become a little more orange. Interesting.
Once the chicken and tomato was ready, I plated it and added a little mature cheddar, quickly sliding under the grill to melt. Finally, the carrots joined the plate, and it proved a tasty meal. I can confirm with confidence, yogurt and rum are good friends.
An assortment of ingredients grabbed from this week's box that will go towards making a dinner for one.
I browned the chicken then added the chopped tomatoes, a dash of rum, and a large spoonful of natural yoghurt, and let simmer and reduce.
A tasty and nutritious meal
We received a fruit this week. Ground Cherries. I hadn’t heard of them before, and was amazed that they are grown locally, they look so exotic and asian. Behind the delicate papery lantern shaped husk is a small round fruit that has a very unique taste—a cross between a very sweet cherry tomato and a pineapple. The idea of making a tart came to mind, but once I started eating a few from the box, by the time I had looked at some ideas, there were none left to bake with! A great healthy snack to have between meals. I imagine kids would love peeling and eating these—a good thing for the school lunch box maybe?
Ground Cherries—a fun healthy snack for kids of all ages
As the week draws to an end, I discover I have some beets, tomatoes and garlic left, so my last dinner this week is beet and tomato gnocchi. I chopped up the beets into small cubes and dropped into a pot of boiling water along with the gnocchi. In a pan I heated a drizzle of olive oil and threw in a few cloves of finely chopped garlic, then added a couple of chopped tomatoes. I had first boiled the tomatoes for a few minutes so I could easily remove the skins. Once the gnocchi and beets are done—five or six minutes—I drained the water and added into pan, mixing everything together and seasoned before plating. This was a really quick meal to make, tasty, and extremely healthy.
Beet and tomato gnocchi. Photo by Simon.
WEEK 8 (Aug 10-17)
Half of large share-week 8. Photo by Lena.
LENA SAYS:
Yey more beets this week, on top of the ones I still had in my fridge from last week! There’s definitely a little bit of sarcasm in that comment. However, since beets are the #1 vegetables to consume according to some experts I thought I would be nice to them. When I usually don’t know what to do with a vegetable I tend to leave it last in my fridge corner. Beets usually end up being that vegetable. Since I still had some from last week I decided to cook them right away and not prolong it anymore! I looked up funky beet recipes and found that Martha Stewart roasts them. Of course! I roast every other veggie, so why not beets? If you feel inspired to roast beets I suggest cooking them on an evening when you have lots of time, as they do take an hour or so to cook. The good news is that they come out pretty tasty. I just washed and scrubbed them, actually Joe washed and scrubbed them just before I arrived home from work! I tossed them with some oil, salt & pepper and threw them in the oven at 425F for an hour.
I also found some potatoes in my pantry that needed a good home so I roasted them as well! I cut them up with some of the rainbow carrots we received in the share and threw them in a roasting pan. To make them extra special (and to use the newly acquired tomatoes and onions) I sauteed the onions in a little oil, threw in the tomatoes and some minced garlic. I cooked that for a few minutes with some aged balsamic vinegar (only the good kind of course) and poured it all over the potatoes and carrots. I sprinkled some oregano and salt, and into the oven it went! While that was all roasting I had to figure out a protein. I forgot to take something out of the freezer and I ran out of eggs (my best emergency protein) so my last resort was the canned salmon I had bought a year ago precisely for this moment. Canned salmon isn’t exactly “snobby food” in my books so I had to spruce it up somehow. I mixed teriyaki sauce, Frank’s hot sauce, honey and lemon juice, and poured it over the salmon pieces (rinsed and drained). I chopped some green onions and sprinkled them on top. Overall, the meal was pretty tasty. I left the beets plain after roasting them because of its distinct flavour. The potatoes were a little similar to Spanish-style Patatas Bravas (always a favourite) but with a new twist and the improv snobby-wannabe-salmon was pretty good too!
A bunch of roasted veggies! The snobby-wannabe-salmon was camera shy. Photo by Lena.
WEEK 7 (Aug 3-10)
Half of large share-week 7. Photo by Lena.
LENA SAYS:
I arrived home this past Tuesday and decided to organize my fridge because it was getting a bit chaotic. I cleaned out the drawers and divided the produce into 2 categories: the “eat asap” drawer and the “can wait just a bit longer” drawer. So the spinach, the purple thing, the carrots and basil (all from last week) had to be consumed. Naturally, I made a salad. Not just any salad…a Colourful salad with feta, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries with a lemon and oil vinaigrette.
The newly acquired broccoli and red pepper looked so tempting I had to throw them in an omelette…a Broccoli, onion & pepper frittata to be exact! So I sauteed small pieces of broccoli first in my cast iron pan in a little oil and then added a little organic chicken broth (to steam them). Once tender, I set them aside and in the same pan (less dishes to clean) I sauteed lots of white onion, red pepper, and chili flakes. After a few minutes I threw in minced garlic (we received lots this week) and sauteed for another few minutes. I threw in the cooked broccoli back and poured the beaten eggs and milk into the pan. I cooked the frittata on low-medium heat for a few minutes and placed it under the broiler. I sprinkled parmesan and black pepper and voila!
Since the salad and the frittata wouldn’t be enough to fill both Joe and I for dinner plus our lunches I made a super quick Spanish inspired mixed bean and tomato salad. I used canned pinto and romano beans. I rinsed and drained them, threw in chopped fresh tomatoes* (from this week), chopped green onions (from last week) and chopped basil (also from last week) and seasoned it with black pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. And served it all with some fresh rosemary focaccia bread Joe got at a bakery near our place. The meal was delicious and super fresh! Local produce really does make a difference.
*I think I learned this trick from Jamie Oliver’s tomato salad recipe. He cuts his tomatoes and places them in a colander, sprinkles them with salt and lets the water drain out for a few minutes. They come out absolutely delicious!
Broccoli, onion & pepper frittata with a side of a Colourful salad and a Spanish inspired mixed bean and tomato salad. Photo by Lena.
WEEK 6 (July 27-Aug 3)
Half of large share-week 6. Photo by Lena.
LENA SAYS:
This week we received a much larger share (probably due to optimal weather) but unfortunately I’m still trying to finish the onions (green and white), basil, and snow peas from last week in addition to leftover cooked spaghetti and a chicken breast (donated by mother-in-law). So to start the week with a clean slate I had to cook whatever leftovers took up the most room (and my large bowls) in my little fridge.
Since we received some more basil (plus some from last week) I needed to make pesto once again! Until I figure out a way to use up a large amount of basil I will keep serving pesto on everything! I might freeze the leaves (as suggested by Katie, the publisher of Caledon Living) or chopping them and putting them in ice cubes. For now, pesto it is!
So I made “sambumbia” which in Cuban terminology means a mixture of whatever is available or whatever you can find in your fridge. I should probably come up with a better name…such as Leftover chicken and onion pasta topped with cheating basil pesto. Cheating pesto is the kind that doesn’t go through all the steps of a traditional pesto. Instead, it is chopped with some garlic, pumpkin seeds (the closest thing to walnuts in my pantry) and drizzled with olive oil, after all who has the time to deal with a non-cheating pesto on a week night?*
Now I needed to make the actual meal (I can’t exactly trick Joe into thinking he’s full after a spoonful of cheating pesto). So I sauteed a whole onion bulb (including the green leafy part) with a little oil in a wok. After a few minutes I added fresh garlic and of course some chili pepper flakes. I tore small pieces from the chicken breast and threw that into the wok with some lemon juice and a little white wine to get a nice “jus” or “salsita”. After a few minutes I threw in the leftover spaghetti and cooked it all for another few minutes. To serve, I topped the chicken and spaghetti with my cheating pesto and freshly ground black pepper, all with a side of mixed greens tossed with feta, olive oil, vinegar and black pepper. A quick, one wok dinner was served. As for the new share of veggies, they now have a home in my newly cleaned out fridge!
*Apparently I did have time to make non-cheating pesto on a week night. See post from last week below. Same bowl even, but a slightly different spin on the dish.
Leftover chicken and onion pasta topped with cheating basil pesto. Photo by Lena.
Once again Summer outings have come in the way of me catching up with last week’s veggies, and this weeks’ share has already arrived! To try and clear out my fridge again I had to combine multiple veggies in 1 dish. So last night I made Cauliflower and green beans in a creamy white sauce, inspired by a British recipe I found. Although I’m not a fan of creamy sauces over veggies I thought I would give this one a try, after all, cauliflower isn’t a vegetable I’m accustomed to so I needed ideas on how to cook it. I boiled the green beans and cauliflower pieces in a pot just for a few minutes. In the meantime I melted some butter, threw in some Dijon mustard, a little flour and then added 1% milk. Once the veggies were tender I added some of the leftover water into the creamy sauce. I whisked the sauce in my stainless steel pan until it reached a thick, smooth consistency and sprinkled it with Parmesan cheese, black pepper and freshly ground Himalayan salt*. I drained the veggies and placed them in a roasting pan, poured the creamy sauce over them, sprinkled them with some more Parmesan, bread crumbs, black pepper and broiled them for a few minutes until some of the veggies turned a little golden. I took them out of the oven and sprinkled some chopped green onions (I still have quite a bit left over). Since the sauce was a little heavy and the veggies were pretty substantial I omitted any carbs and instead served it all with a side of very tender & juicy lamb chops* in a white wine and garlic reduction. The lamb was purchased from a local producer in the Caledon farmer’s market last week.
In conclusion, the questionable cauliflower with sauce became a great new way to cook this “foreign” veggie. The sauce did become a little too thick for next day’s lunch but was fine again once reheated (Joe’s co-workers might have gotten a little scared by it while passing by his desk).
NOTES
*Last week while shopping for salt at the grocery store I was overwhelmed by the different types of salt out there! Last time I bought salt was probably a year ago so it’s not something that I come across on a regular basis. For someone who reads all the listed ingredients on everything, not out of paranoia but to be a more conscious consumer, I was surprised to find that even salt tends to have more than “salt” in the list of ingredients. One of the brands had “sugar” among 4 other unknown additives in the list. Since when does salt need extra flavouring? The only salt that was pure tended to be the coarse kind which could become a little unpleasant when trying to grind it with your teeth while masticating a salad! So my only solution was to purchase a somewhat expensive Himalayan salt that came with its own grinder. These salmon-coloured salt crystals have now become my new favourite staple in the pantry!
*I’ve never cooked or even purchased lamb because I do not cook meat on a regular basis for various reasons. Once in a while when I do eat meat I try to purchase local meat that has been produced more naturally and more humanely (and of course Canadian!). Lucky for me I found a family-owned farm outside of Orangeville that produces very fresh and tasty lamb!
Cauliflower and green beans in a creamy white sauce. Photo by Lena.
WEEK 5 (July 20-27)
Half of large share-week5. Photo by Lena.
LENA SAYS:
This week we got lots of zucchini, and coincidentally my in-laws gave us some as well. I will admit zucchini is not on my list of top 5 vegetables, but I decided to make the most of it! When life gives you zucchini, make Roasted summer zucchini over pasta topped with grilled chicken, roasted garlic & basil pesto and goat cheese!
As soon as I stepped into the kitchen I marinated the chicken breast cutlets (they’re thinner so they cook faster). I minced some fresh garlic, squeezed half a lemon and left the chicken to marinate while I prepared the veggies.
I cut up both the yellow and green zucchinis, chopped some garlic scapes (the last batch from previous weeks), fresh oregano (given this week) and tossed everything with good quality olive oil, salt, pepper and some chopped green chili pepper (also from the in-laws). To make things interesting I threw in a couple of garlic heads (from the farm) into the roasting pan as well. I roasted the veggies for about 30 minutes (just an estimate, I rarely use a timer) at 425F. In the meantime I cooked the spaghetti and grilled the chicken breast on medium-high heat in my cast iron pan (the one with the grooves) until the chicken got golden but still tender.
Once the veggies were done, I squeezed the roasted garlic out from their skins and threw them into a food processor with some fresh basil (we got more this week), oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
To serve, I filled the bowl with fresh spaghetti, the roasted zucchini and topped it with sliced grilled chicken breast, spooned some garlic and basil pesto and of course sprinkled it all with some goat cheese (ah chevre!) and freshly ground pepper! Not bad at all for a “reject” vegetable!
Roasted summer zucchini over pasta topped with grilled chicken, roasted garlic & basil pesto and goat cheese. Photo by Lena.
As a side note: Once again Simon and I end up cooking very similar dishes without even discussing it!
At the end of the week I happened to find a little lonesome purple carrot in the corner of my fridge (from the previous week) and many other veggies that needed to be eaten asap. I find that in the summer it’s always harder to cook regularly and finish all the fresh produce in the fridge because Joe and I always seem to have something extracurricular going on. However, since I’m a firm believer in not wasting food (especially fresh veggies from the farm) I’m really trying to use up everything, even little carrots that fall into hidden corners! Surprisingly it still maintained its freshness!
So for a light Friday night dinner I made a Mighty salad topped with grilled chicken breast and semi-homemade garlic croutons. I washed and cut up the cucumbers, the little purple carrot, the lettuce the other bag of mixed greens. I topped the salad with sliced grilled chicken that I had leftover from the zucchini & chicken pasta dish and an improv of croutons to balance it all.
When I entertain I love making little finger foods and pretty little appetizers that almost always leave me with leftover bags of crackers and flat breads. This time it was PC Swedish crisp toasts*. I rubbed some garlic on them and put them in my toaster oven until lightly brown and crispy. I broke them into pieces and threw them in the salad to take the role of croutons (but way healthier and tastier than standard croutons)!
For the dressing, I mixed together some good quality olive oil, lemon juice, leftover roasted garlic (from the previous meal, see above), fresh oregano, fresh basil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. I poured the dressing over the salad and threw some feta cheese and pumpkin seeds. The improv croutons absorbed some of the dressing and became the highlight of the salad! Who knew?
*The PC Swedish crisp toasts look like mini baguettes cut lengthwise and come already toasted. They are very versatile especially as snacks, appetizers and apparently improv croutons. The best part is that they’re all natural.
Mighty salad topped with grilled chicken breast and semi-homemade garlic croutons. Photo by Lena.
On Saturday, after an all-day outing and a greasy, salty pizza for lunch there was nothing better than going home and making a nice light salad with some newly discovered croutons! This time I changed it up a bit. I called it my Even mightier salad topped with smoked salmon and newly discovered croutons.
Since I still needed to use up many veggies, I threw in some steamed peas and kale* (cooled down of course) into the green mix and instead of grilled chicken, I topped the salad with smoked salmon. I still used the feta but in the dressing I omitted the roasted garlic and instead put in some Dijon mustard (a cook’s best friend). I mixed it all with some freshly ground pepper and of course my new favourite croutons (see Friday’s salad above) and a healthy dinner was served.
Both Joe and I inhaled the salad. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so excited about a salad before. As you might notice I didn’t even get the chance to take a photo of it!
*Kale is a super-food which contains anti-cancer properties and is very high in many nutrients. Read more about kale>
SIMON SAYS:
This week we received peas, basil, beets, Swiss chard, onions, zucchini, garlic, lettuce and cabbage.
My first dinner (and following day lunch) was chicken breast stuffed with basil, garlic, sun-dried tomato and asiago cheese – wrapped tight and coated with breadcrumbs. It sounds complicated, but it only took a few minutes to slice the chicken breast and flatten out on a plate, place the ingredients, and roll it up. Dipping in a beaten egg and a coating of breadcrumbs helped hold it together. 40 minutes in the oven at 380F, and it was ready, and extremely moist and tasty. Some whole wheat pasta in a freshly made basil pesto, grilled zucchini, and peas heated in a pan with a little butter and chopped rosemary made the perfect accompaniment.
Asiago cheese, basil, garlic and sun-dried tomato stuffed chicken breast with fresh peas in butter and rosemary, grilled zucchini and basil pesto whole wheat pasta. Photo by Simon.
If you've never tasted fresh peas, you've never tasted real peas. Frozen or canned peas are tasteless and mushy compared to freshly picked ones. Photo by Simon.
I like to make stews. They are quick and easy to make, and you don’t need a recipe. Just throw a bunch of things in a pot with enough liquid to cover everything, and let simmer for as many hours as you see fit. If you have meat in the stew, the longer you simmer, the softer it becomes. To make the stew thick, puree a few potatoes and throw in, or stir in some flour. That’s all there is to know about making stews!
So, I have a bunch of kale, some basil leaves, a large zucchini, a bunch of onions, and a few garlic bulbs to use up from this week’s CSA box. I bought a small pack of stewing steak and some Canadian potatoes, chopped them up and threw into a large pot along with a litre of PC organic vegetable broth. All of my local veggies were chopped and added, plus a generous amount of paprika, cumin, and a little chili powder – and a splash of red wine to top up the liquid level. As everything started to simmer and realized it was very liquidy, so I blended a couple of potatoes and added them, along with half a cup of flour. I placed a lid over the pot and left alone for three hours. It was a delicious dinner, and I had enough for a lunch and following day dinner too. What I like about stew is it tastes better the next day, I guess the meat continues to get softer and breaks apart more, and everything thickens up.
That’s enough red meat for me this week, I only eat it once or twice a month. Any more stews will be veggie only, or chicken. Mostly I use kidney or romano beans to replace meat, the stew is just as tasty, and much more healthy for you.
Veggie and beef stew. Photo by Simon.
WEEK 4 (July 13-20)
Half of large share-week4. Photo by Lena.
LENA SAYS:
We got all kinds of vegetables this week that might be a bit of a challenge to cook with (like the purple thing or the funky carrots). It almost feels like a school assignment that gets a bit tougher every week! However, since I do enjoy a challenge and I am open to try different foods I was more than happy to accept this week’s assignment!
For my first dinner, I made a Spanish-style turnip & garlic scape frittata topped with goat cheese. I first sauteed thin slices of the baby turnips for a few minutes in a little oil. I added the garlic scapes (leftover from last week) and left it for a few minutes on medium-high heat. When the turnips turned a little golden I added a little organic chicken broth, covered the pan and simmered for a few minutes (to soften the turnips and scapes). I threw in chopped green onions, egg mixture (eggs, 1% milk and a splash of organic chicken broth) and seasoned the frittata with salt, chili peppers and black pepper. I cooked on medium heat for a few minutes, threw in some goat cheese and placed the cast iron skillet* under a broiler for a few minutes until it turned golden on the top. I paired the frittata with a Greek-inspired salad made with lettuce, cucumbers, sliced carrots and topped with green onions, feta cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano and black pepper. I got a crusty French baguette and a European dinner was served!
*I love using my cast iron skillet especially when cooking omelettes because it allows me to pop it in the oven and get a nice golden top without flipping.
1st step in the frittata: baby turnips and garlic scapes in the pan. Photo by Lena.
Finished frittata! Note: you may chop up the scapes before cooking if you think they look funny whole. Photo by Lena.
Over the weekend I decided to try and finish as much of the veggies as I could. Once again, I had some veggies and garlic scapes leftover from the previous week and Tuesday’s pickups come too soon! Using up the scapes was my priority so I made Scallops in a wine and garlic scape reduction with a Creamy mashed potato and turnip medley and a side of Swiss chard, carrots and beets in a lemon mustard vinaigrette. For the scallops I melted a little butter in a pan. I threw in some chopped garlic scapes and sauteed for a few minutes. I added white wine and lowered the heat, covered the pan and let the garlic scapes soften a few minutes. I threw in thawed mini scallops, chili pepper flakes and cooked them a couple of minutes. I added some lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, a little more white wine, paprika, Herbes de provence* (rosemary, marjoram, thyme, savory, basil, lavender, sage) and cooked the scallops until soft. I removed the scallops from the heat but let the wine reduction evaporate some more until it got to be a nice thick consistency.
*I love using Herbes de Provence (by McCormick) because all the common herbs used in European cooking are already combined in 1 bottle and thus it allows me to save some time and shelf space (just in the French section of my spice rack of course!)…An inspiration from my mother-in-law’s cooking.
Note: Capers are also great to add once the scallops are cooked.
For the Creamy mashed potato and turnip medley I boiled some yellow potatoes (store-bought) and large turnips (from the farm) in salted water. Once cooked, I drained most of the water and threw in about 1tbsp of butter into the pot with a little milk and a little organic chicken broth. I used my hand blender to get a nice creamy consistency. I served it with scallops on the side, topped it all with wine reduction from the scallops, chopped green onions (from the farm) and freshly ground black pepper. As Joe says: “this is exciting mashed potatoes”.
Lastly, to balance my meal (and use up many of the veggies) I made some Swiss chard, carrots and beets in a lemon mustard vinaigrette. So, I boiled the swiss chard, purple carrots and beets in a pot. I removed the swiss chard and carrots after a few minutes but left the beets in the water a bit longer. In the meantime, in a small bowl I combined minced garlic, Dijon mustard, good quality olive oil, lemon juice and black pepper. Once the beets were soft I arranged the 3 veggies on a plate and poured the dressing over them. This super healthy side dish completely substituted the standard lettuce and tomato salad we usually have!
Scallops in a wine and garlic scape reduction with a Creamy mashed potato and turnip medley and a side of Swiss chard, carrots and beets in a lemon mustard vinaigrette. Photo by Lena.
I love Asian food, especially Japanese food so I try to incorporate ginger and soy sauce into my cooking repertoire from time to time. Actually, both Joe and I love all types of dishes from every culture! So I tried to mix it up a little and made Asian-inspired tilapia with a side of Teriyaki veggie stir-fry and white rice.
For the Asian-inspired tilapia I placed the fish in a lightly oiled roasting pan. I combined ginger, garlic, lemon juice, teriyaki sauce*, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, cayenne, crushed coriander seeds, chili pepper flakes and a little sesame oil in a small bowl and poured over the fish. I sprinkled with green onions and baked it at 425F until the fish cooked (about 15-20 minutes, I think). In the meantime, I washed and chopped the broccoli, the round purple thing (sorry Amy I forgot the name!), orange carrots (from last week), purple carrots (this week) and garlic scapes. Heated a little canola oil and sesame oil and threw the veggies in. Cooked them a few minutes on high heat and threw in a little organic chicken broth and covered the wok with a lid for a few minutes (to steam the veggies). I then threw in chopped ginger, minced garlic, chili peppers and green onions. In a small bowl, I combined a little ketchup, teriyaki sauce*, balsamic vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and cayenne pepper. I poured the sauce over the veggies and stirred and the Teriyaki veggie stir-fry was ready to be served!
* I buy a Teriyaki sauce that’s already made (its ingredients consist of mostly soy sauce and spices) but due to its high level of sodium I tend to use only a tablespoon and mix it with other ingredients.
Asian-inspired tilapia with Teriyaki veggie stir-fry. Photo by Lena.
SIMON SAYS:
Great, more turnips this week. I had never really eaten them before this food share, and now I eat them on average twice a week! Peasants survived on them two hundred years ago, while the rich dined on wild game. Well, the rich can keep their high cholesterol fatty meats, these veggies are so much better for your health. Turnips are a starch vegetable, and make a good potato alternative, having only one third the amount of calories. They are also packed with many minerals and vitamins, including vitamin C, potassium, thiamine and magnesium. They are full of fiber and folic acid too.
The first thing I did was chop a bunch up into small squares, along with a few store-bought potatoes, and made a stew. I used a litre of organic vegetable broth, added my turnips and potatoes, along with a few other goodies in this week’s box of produce; purple carrots, cabbage, kale, garlic, onions. I also added tomato paste, a little olive oil, a dash of balsamic vinegar, and lots of paprika and cumin. It made a great dinner, and I had tonnes left over for lunch the next day, and dinner again. I also threw some into a pan the following morning with a couple of beaten eggs to make a tasty quick breakfast frittata. Lena and I don’t talk about what we are making, it was coincidence we both made a frittata this week!
Veggie stew. Photo by Simon.
Leftover veggie frittata. Photo by Simon.
There was an alien purple thing in the box this week, the size of a tennis ball. I’ve never seen one before, and discovered it’s called a kohlrabi. It can be eaten raw, and tastes like a radish without the hot aftertaste. I sliced some thin, along with purple carrot, and added it to some of the lettuce we received this week, to make a quick tasty salad. I ate the rest of the kohlrabi like an apple.
Tasty kohlrabi salad. Photo by Simon.
For another dinner (and lunch the next day) I decided to make a turnip, potato, garlic and onion pizza. I made the dough using the Caledon Living Pizza Recipe from the Spring 2009 issue (click here for recipe) and added slices of boiled potato and turnip, along with baby onions (including the green stems), LOTS of chopped garlic, a good drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkling of cheddar and Asiago cheeses. I left the dough thick, so the end result was more bread-like than the usual thinner pizza crust. This allowed me to dip slices into the stew to soak up the juices, yum. It makes a great snack any time of the day.
Pizza ready to go in the oven. Photo by Simon.
Turnip, potato, garlic & onion pizza. Photo by Simon.
WEEK 3 (July 6-12)
Half of large share-week3. Photo by Lena
LENA SAYS:
This week I almost traded the garlic scapes at the “trade table”. I had so many from previous weeks that I had to give some away to family. But after speaking with Amy from the CSA I decided I would keep my share of scapes and roast them like she suggested. I got home and did just that!
I happened to have leftover cream cheese from a few weeks back, PC smoked salmon with peppercorns in the freezer plus a great quantity of garlic scapes. So I made Fusilli with a smoked salmon and roasted garlic scape cream sauce (I’m still working on the name). First I roasted the garlic scapes with oil, salt and black pepper in a roasting pan. My mistake was trying to rush the scapes so after a while I put them on broil and left them there for too long. I did manage to still use most of them for my cream sauce, although some turned crispy. I should have also cut them into smaller pieces! In the meantime, I threw a little butter, almost 1 full package of light cream cheese and some milk (maybe 3/4 cups) into a pan and simmered on low-medium heat until the cream cheese melted. I also cooked the pasta and left the pack of salmon to thaw in cold water (it only took 15 minutes). When the sauce reached a nice creamy consistency I threw in some Parmesan cheese, a little salt, the roasted garlic scapes and the smoked salmon. Since the salmon already had peppercorns I didn’t season the sauce a great deal. I left it on very low heat just to keep it warm. I poured it over the fusilli and sprinkled grated Parmesan, fresh parsley (from CSA) and freshly ground pepper. It was delicious! I got the 2 thumbs up and the “mmmmm” from Joe.
NOTE: By using light cream cheese and 2% milk (instead of cream) I drastically decreased the fat content of this cream sauce. Besides, a little cream sauce once in a while is the “joie de vivre”, as the French would say!
Fusilli with a smoked salmon and roasted garlic scape cream sauce. Photo by Lena.
As a side note, the other day I noticed a little pepper growing on my “Hot Portugal” pepper plant. I thought I would share this joy! I will keep you posted on the plant’s progress.
My first potted hot pepper! (Look closer). Photo by Lena.
Over the weekend I still had some bok choy, swiss chard, baby turnips and of course garlic scapes left over. I purchased some Ontario (free-run) chicken wings from Rowe Farms and made Honey mustard chicken wings and a roasted potato, turnip and garlic scape medley with a side of Bok choy and swiss chard. I cut up some potatoes with the turnips (from the farm) and tossed them with canola oil, salt and paprika. In a bowl I combined a couple of tablespoons each of Dijon mustard and dark honey, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, salt, a little oil and a bit of cayenne pepper (hot sauce is great too!). I poured the mixture over the chicken wings and placed them in the same roasting pan as the potatoes and turnips. I threw some garlic scapes in the pan* and baked it all for about 45 minutes at 425F (until the chicken was dark and potatoes were soft). In the meantime, I steamed the bok choy and swiss chard for a few minutes, placed them on a plate and drizzled them with olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
It was a very tasty and well-balanced meal!
*NOTE: once again I overcooked the garlic scapes! So instead of throwing them in the pan at the beginning like I did, I would suggest throwing them in the last 20-25 minutes. Or you can throw them in at the beginning and take them out half way through. Also, I would cut the scapes into smaller pieces before serving (we were just too hungry to wait)!
Honey mustard chicken wings and a roasted potato, turnip and garlic scape medley with a side of bok choy and swiss chard. Photo by Lena.
SIMON SAYS:
The amount of food in our weekly box is increasing. This week we each have a nice bunch of carrots, beets, and turnips. For my first meal I had some PC Free From chicken legs that I placed in a pan, drizzling with olive oil, honey and lots of chopped garlic. I added baby onions complete with stems and garlic scapes, and baked until chicken browned (40 mins at 400º). I boiled some of the baby carrots and bok choy, and added to the dish for a tasty Tuesday night dinner.
Chicken and scapes in the pan. Photo by Simon.
Chicken and scapes with a side of veggies on a plate. Photo by Simon.
For Thursday night dinner I again had baby onions, beets, and garlic scapes—with a new twist. I boiled some chopped potatoes with the beets (the potatoes turned orange!), then drained the water and added them to a wok of lightly sautéed baby onions, Swiss chard and garlic scapes. I threw in a few tablespoons of organic natural yoghurt, lots of paprika and cumin, and mixed it all up. It might not look great—it’s a little mushy—but tasted great, and I was left with enough for a large Friday lunch too. Cumin should be an essential part of a diet—it boosts the liver’s ability to detoxify, and aids digestion, among many other benefits.
Mixed veggies with an Indian twist. Photo by Simon.
By the weekend I had a bunch of baby turnips remaining from my weekly share, so I decided to treat them like potatoes. I boiled them, then fried them in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and seasoning, adding some freshly chopped rosemary towards the end of their cooking time. With some brown mushrooms, garlic scapes and pork tenderloin, it made another tasty meal.
Photo by SImon.
WEEK 2 (June 29-July 5)
Half of the large share for week 2. Photo by Lena.
LENA SAYS:
This week I did manage to fit in more time for cooking. I received more basil this week so I decided to make pesto (my favourite) again but this time I tucked some under the skin of some Rowe Farm chicken breasts to make Chicken breast stuffed with basil pesto. I sauteed some garlic scapes (we got more this week) and green onions (just the bulb part) in a little oil. I added the chicken and fried it until a little golden on both sides. Then I added some lemon juice, white wine, a little Worcestershire sauce, chili pepper, salt and some chicken stock. I locked the lid of my pressure cooker and cooked it on medium heat for about 15 minutes. I then opened the lid and let the juice evaporate slightly.
I have found that cooking chicken breast in the pressure cooker is the best and quickest way to get it really tender and juicy. Whoever says that chicken breast is dry has not discovered the pressure cooker yet!
Chicken breast stuffed with basil pesto. Photo by Lena.
The next day I happened to have a small piece of leftover chicken breast. Since it wasn’t enough for dinner for the two of us plus our lunches the next day I chopped it up into small pieces and made a Chicken and shrimp stir-fry. First I heated a little canola oil and sesame oil in my stainless steel wok (I don’t believe in anything coated…good old-fashion stainless steel, and cast iron are the way to go). I then threw in some garlic scapes (still had quite a bit left), green onion (both the white bulb and the green leaves), chopped ginger, a spoonful of Thai Kitchen red curry paste and some chili peppers (both Joe and I love spicy food so I try to incorporate spice whenever I can). I chopped some carrots and threw that in with the leftover chicken and some PC cooked shrimp*. I stirred all the ingredients and added soy sauce and a little organic chicken stock. In the meantime I boiled the noodles (which took a couple of minutes to cook) and threw that into the wok as well. Lastly I added the 2 kinds of bok choy, left them in the wok until they wilted ( a couple of minutes) and voila! Sometimes I’ll add a little ketchup with the soy sauce and whatever vegetables I happen to have in the fridge. Peppers and broccoli are always great options.
*When buying seafood I make sure I either buy fresh Canadian seafood or frozen seafood that comes from sustainable fisheries. Ideally it would be organic too but I guess you can’t have it all every time!
We got a quart of strawberries this week and by coincidence a friend of mine had also given me some store-bought strawberries (from California) so I decided to have a little taste test with Joe after dinner one evening. The store-bought ones were twice the size, completely white inside and seemed too crunchy (as if they hadn’t ripened). The strawberries from our share however, were much smaller but very juicy and absolutely delicious! Another reason to stick to local, in-season produce.
Since I had a bit of the strawberries left I decided to make a ‘snobby’ dessert and call it Chocolate cake with a strawberry brandy drizzle. It seemed like the perfect dessert to take to a dinner get-together I was going to with my girlfriends the next evening. So I tested my ultra simple creation with the girls. I made the chocolate cake by following the Caledon Living recipe “Nut & chocolate chunk brownies”. I still baked it in a square pan but omitted the nuts. Instead of cutting the brownies in squares like you would normally do, I cut the cake into 1/2 inch slices. I created my ‘snobby’ strawberry drizzle by heating a little maple syrup in a pan, throwing some chopped strawberries in and then adding a couple of splashes of brandy. I cooked it over medium heat and let the sauce evaporate and thicken. All I have to say is that chocolate paired with strawberries in brandy was a huge hit with the girls! I could have garnished the plate with fresh sprigs of potted mint from my balcony…there’s always a next time!
SIMON SAYS:
More strawberries this week—delicious. These are real strawberries—small, round and full of incredible taste. I notice the US is flooding our stores with their unnaturally large chemically-laden strawberries at the moment, and price cutting to destroy the livelihoods of Ontario farmers. And the Canadian government let this happen—shame on them. They do that with every fruit during the summer months, sadly. I don’t buy US strawberries, they are tasteless, picked too early, and pumped full of poisonous gas to preserve them during shipping. You can’t beat locally grown fruit for taste.
I digress. Back to our produce, we also have a huge bag of basil this week, baby onions and beets, and bok choy. I throw three large handfuls of basil into a blender, add a few glugs of extra virgin olive oil, a 1.5 inch square of cheddar, pinch of salt, three large cloves of garlic, and blend into a pesto sauce. It takes just minutes to make!
Basil pesto. Photo by Simon.
For a mid-week dinner I decide to boil the parsnips and baby beets for a few minutes, then throw them into a pan and sauté in olive oil, along with some bok choy and baby onions. When ready, I turned off the heat and added a couple of tablespoons of organic natural yoghurt and stirred it in. While this was cooking, I had boiled a few potatoes and mashed, adding lashings of the freshly made pesto sauce for great colour and taste. There was enough left over to take to the office for lunch the next day. I added a few small pieces of proscuitto and grated some mature cheddar, and heated in the grill for an amazing lunch.
Parsnips and baby beets with bok choy. Photo by Simon
I was working late on thursday, so when I got home a needed something quick and light. I had some wonderful lettuce and spinach leaves in the box this week, so I ripped up the leaves and cut up an avocado. I drizzled some very fine olive oil and aged balsamic on top, and sprinkled raw sunflower seeds. It took minutes to make, and was amazing.
Yes, the avocado is imported from Mexico, but they are an essential part of my diet. They help fight cholesterol related heart disease and various cancers. They are also full of calcium, vitamin C and K, and folic acid. The sunflower seeds are full of fibre, vitamin E and phenolic acid. The spinach is rich in vitamin C and K, calcium, folic acid, cartenoids, bioflavanoids and lutein. Overall, this is one of the healthiest light meals one can eat—and exceptionally tasty.
Fresh salad topped with avocados and sunflower seeds. Photo by Simon.
WEEK 1 (June 22-28)
Complete large share-week1. Photo by Simon.
LENA SAYS:
Unfortunately I did not get to cook much this week as I had the Caledon Living Summer issue deadline. I did manage to prepare a salad of Mixed greens with a basil and dill pesto dressing. I happened to have a large bunch of dill so I chopped it with some basil, garlic scapes, parmesan cheese, almonds, a bit of lemon juice and some good quality olive oil. I tossed it over some beet greens, red russian kale, sliced carrots and sprinkled small pieces of blue cheese and pumpkin seeds. I could have tossed some grilled chicken breast and croutons to make it into a full meal but instead kept it as a light dinner after a heavy lunch. My other half Joe did not complain at all!
SIMON SAYS:
Our first box of produce of the season, how exciting! Carrots, baby beets, onions, garlic scapes, basil leaves, spinach, kale. And strawberries!
Strawberries—I love them, and there is enough to snack on for a couple of days, plus add to my morning porridge for three mornings in a row.
Strawberries from the share. Photo by Simon.
My first dinner of the week was carrots and spinach. Simple, filling and delicious. I boiled the carrots and then threw them into a pan with a dash of oil, some chopped garlic, a dash of red wine, and seasoning, and then threw in a huge buch of spinach leaves. Once the leaves were wilted this huge mound of veggies was plated and consumed.
I should point out I am not a chef, and I don’t usually reference recipes either. I do a lot of cooking, and tend to make things up as I go along. Most of the time my main focus is on healthy food, not taste, although I find if you use fresh quality ingredients, most concoctions taste great. Some of the things I make will likely make you wince, but I don’t apologise for that. I figure it’s better to eat something healthy and sometimes sacrifice taste (rarely happens!), than eat some processed crap that tastes wonderful (to the untrained palate, at least!), but is compromising your health.
