Om Pot Pie

This recipe is such a treat, a hearty meal on a cool Autumn night. My version is a curried version, but I have also done it with Western spices such as oregano and basil. I use the store-bought piecrusts to cut down on prep time, and the leftover scraps of dough to make the pretty OM on top of the pie. The ingredients are measured loosely and generously, with produce picked based on what is in season. I use a can of cream soup, cream of mushroom this time.

I used the CSA butternut squash for this pie. It was the first time using this vegetable. I've seen so many others using squash in such creative ways, that I thought I'd give it shot here in the pot pie. I also used CSA potatoes and carrots. I have lots of these vegetables in the house.

Pies, whether they are fruit pies or pot pies, always taste better when made with love.

Om Pot Pie
(this recipe is just a approximation of what I do. I use whatever is on hand and smell my way through the spices)

Steam potatoes, carrots, and squash.

Heat 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil in large saute pan.
Throw in 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds.
Once the seeds start start popping add 1/2 tsp of each (ground) spice; smell after adding each spice and add more if your nose says so:
cumin, garam masala, turmeric, hing (asafoetida), cinnamon.
Add minced onion and garlic, cook until soft.
Add cooked chicken (optional; this pie can be done vegetarian).
Add steamed vegetables.
Add i can of cream soup. Or make a roux.
Bring to a simmer.

Fill pie crust and top with second crust.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 50 minutes, or until puffed up and bubbly looking.

Butternut Bisque

I've got lots of squash. My mother has gone away for a month so I have the CSA all to myself for the next month. And oh, man, oh man, the squash is piling up.



I found this recipe for butternut bisque a few years ago and it was appealing to me because there were directions for freezing the leftovers. Unfortunately, I never got around to eating the leftovers because they went into hiding in the very back corner of my (surprisingly small) freezer. Anyway, so this year the plan is to share with my neighbor and it's kind of payback because he brought me a whole sack of honeycrisp apples from the orchard/pumpkin patch he went to a few weeks ago.



I went into a sort of a cooking frenzy on Sunday. The Big D was working on the second coat of paint for our dining room and I was feeling the need to stay away from this one. I spent most of the afternoon in the kitchen making the bisque, some cornbread and later, roasting a chicken. The paint, by the way, is fabulous! It was a $5 Oops paint and I swear I never would have picked a color like this on my own, but it was such a good deal I couldn't pass it up. And, it turned out so incredibly wonderful. It even makes the kitchen paint debacle look a bit better. Man, never again will I paint during a Mercury retrograde!



The bisque is such a lovely shade of orange. I kept thinking Baby is going to love this cuz of the color and the creaminess. I got to pull out my immersion blender to mash all the cooked squash.




The cornbread. My first attempt at it from scratch. I've always done mixes, ones recommended by others who swear by them, but have never liked them as much I wanted to. This one turned out wonderful and I even whipped up some honey butter for spread.




I had to show the image again because I think the color is so beautiful!

Butternut Bisque (adapted from Everyday Foods)

3 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2-4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more for garnish (optional)
course salt
1 large butternut squash (about 4 lbs.), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 can (14.5 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
1 cup half-and-half
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
sour cream, for serving

1. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onion, garlic, thyme, cinnamon, and cayenne. Season with salt, cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

2. Add squash, broth, half-and-half, and 3 cups of water. Bring to boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Blend in blender (in batches) or use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt. Serve bisque with sour cream, garnished with cayenne, if desired.

Swiss Chard

I'd never eaten Swiss Chard until I started with the CSA. I think it is one of the most beautiful of all the greens. I had no idea that there were so many vitamins and nutrients in chard. This site calls Swiss Chard the "valedictorian" of greens because it's so packed full of good stuff.

Swiss chard is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E and dietary fiber. It is a very good source of copper, calcium, vitamin B2, vitamin B6 and protein. In addition, Swiss chard is a good source of phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, folate, biotin, niacin and pantothenic acid.

There are so many health benefits and the site where the quote is from gives a detailed list. Swiss Chard was originally grown in the Mediterranean region and has been eaten as early as the fourth century B.C. I have heard the Greek Isles have the largest number of centenarians and that is largely due to the greens being a main part of their diet. I can see why now that I know more about all that is in chard.

I tried a Swiss Chard Gratin recipe thinking I would use most of the chard. But I only used half and now that I know of all the health benefits I am excited to have another serving of this super food. I doubled the recipe and so, we ended up with lots and lots of leftovers. I'm not a big fan of gratins, but this one I liked so I'm glad to have the leftovers.



As I was cleaning and chopping the chard, I was struck by the vivid and varied colors of the stems. I cooked this up Friday night and for the rest of the weekend, I spotted these colors all over the region. Even though chard is available throughout most of the summer, this batch has imprinted this green in my mind as a Autumn treat because of the Autumn colors in the stems.

Yummy and beautiful! What a great combination!

Love and the Slow Cooker

My mother did not have a slow cooker when I was growing up. I grew up with certain fantasies about "American" food. Bacon, stews, mac-n-cheese, sandwiches: these were not things that were prepared in my mother's kitchen. Along with fantasies about "American" food, I also had fantasies about "American" cooking. I imagined an easy domestic lifestyle full of microwaves and slow cookers. By the time I got a microwave and slow cooker, I had no idea what to do with them. I mostly use the timer on my microwave. I never understood how people could actually cook with a microwave.

But, the slow cooker was different. I never knew, until recently, that slow cookers have a bad reputation amongst certain crowds. A bad reputation that comes with an association with canned goods and cheap cuts of meat, bland overcooked tastes and lazy cooking habits. I never knew because immediately after I got my slow cooker I purchased Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook which includes a number of recipes that start with fresh ingredients. The title of the cookbook cracks me up because, like I said, my mother never had a slow cooker. She has one now. I think it's still in the box sitting on the shelf in her basement pantry area.

Well, here it is. My slow cooker. [Please ignore the shiny wall that makes my new paint job look like crap. Blame it on the flash and the Mercury Retrograde.]



We met and fell in love somewhere back at the turn of the century. Things really got heated up when I was working full time. We rekindled the flame last summer when I realized that she came in handy for summer recipes. It took me a while but I caught on. Slow cookers are not only great for Fall and Winter meals, but also absolutely perfect for preparing meals on hot summer days.

Not all recipes work out great in a slow cooker no matter what the cookbooks try to tell you. There are some things that better left for cooking on the stove. But there are a surprising number of really good things that can cooked up the in the slow cooker. That negative association with cheap cuts of meat? Well, that's a bunch of snobbery, if you ask me. Although my mother did cook some meat when I was growing up, she didn't cook a lot of different cuts of meat. As a result, I'm a little timid about meat, but the slow cooker helps me get over my issues.

OK, so this post isn't about a cheap cut of meat, it's actually about sausages, but I'd thought I would throw that bit in here anyway. Seems appropriate, doesn't it? When talking about slow cookers there is a general sense that anything can be thrown in. Onward to the recipe!

Sausages with Beans and Peppers. Some people would turn tail and run the other direction with from a recipe like that. But, I'm not going to think about those people because I have a lot of CSA peppers, it's cold outside, and we need something warm and yummy for a Sunday evening.



I got some chicken sausages with apple. I try a different kind each time I do this recipe. Sometimes I'll use some leftover ones from our trips to the trailer.



Halfway through cooking the sausages I realized I was looking at the wrong recipe. The one I wanted had beans and tomatoes in it. The one I was preparing didn't. This seems to happen to a lot to me lately. I blame it on the pregnancy.



I cut up the sausages and sent the Big D to the store to get me one more can of beans. Usually I'll cook up a pot of beans ahead of time, but for obvious reasons, we had to go with canned beans. The reason: I messed up and wasn't looking at the right recipe.



I then pulled the chopped up peppers from the slow cooker and threw them in to soften on the stove. See these recipes don't call for just throwing things in the slow cooker. There is prep required.

Here is a shot of the final results. If it looks like I've eaten out of the bowl, it's because I did start eating before I remembered to take a picture. Whee! What a dizzy girl I've become while pregnant. Nonetheless, it was yummy and perfect with some french bread!



So, a recap of the recipe adapted from the above mentioned cookbook. I say adapted because I had to wing it halfway through.

Sausages with Beans and Peppers
Brown 1-2 pounds of sausages. Sliced up.
Chop 3-4 peppers, 3 cloves of garlic and 1 large onion. Saute in pan until softened.
Add peppers to slow cooker. Top with sausages, 2 cans of beans (any beans- today I used black beans and kidney beans), 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz) and 1/4 cup red wine.
Cook in slow cooker 6-8 hours.
Serve with crusty french bread or maybe some rice. Or maybe, just maybe I'll make some maple hoecakes again.

Love and the Slow Cooker

My mother did not have a slow cooker when I was growing up. I grew up with certain fantasies about "American" food. Bacon, stews, mac-n-cheese, sandwiches: these were not things that were prepared in my mother's kitchen. Along with fantasies about "American" food, I also had fantasies about "American" cooking. I imagined an easy domestic lifestyle full of microwaves and slow cookers. By the time I got a microwave and slow cooker, I had no idea what to do with them. I mostly use the timer on my microwave. I never understood how people could actually cook with a microwave.

But, the slow cooker was different. I never knew, until recently, that slow cookers have a bad reputation amongst certain crowds. A bad reputation that comes with an association with canned goods and cheap cuts of meat, bland overcooked tastes and lazy cooking habits. I never knew because immediately after I got my slow cooker I purchased Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook which includes a number of recipes that start with fresh ingredients. The title of the cookbook cracks me up because, like I said, my mother never had a slow cooker. She has one now. I think it's still in the box sitting on the shelf in her basement pantry area.

Well, here it is. My slow cooker. [Please ignore the shiny wall that makes my new paint job look like crap. Blame it on the flash and the Mercury Retrograde.]



We met and fell in love somewhere back at the turn of the century. Things really got heated up when I was working full time. We rekindled the flame last summer when I realized that she came in handy for summer recipes. It took me a while but I caught on. Slow cookers are not only great for Fall and Winter meals, but also absolutely perfect for preparing meals on hot summer days.

Not all recipes work out great in a slow cooker no matter what the cookbooks try to tell you. There are some things that better left for cooking on the stove. But there are a surprising number of really good things that can cooked up the in the slow cooker. That negative association with cheap cuts of meat? Well, that's a bunch of snobbery, if you ask me. Although my mother did cook some meat when I was growing up, she didn't cook a lot of different cuts of meat. As a result, I'm a little timid about meat, but the slow cooker helps me get over my issues.

OK, so this post isn't about a cheap cut of meat, it's actually about sausages, but I'd thought I would throw that bit in here anyway. Seems appropriate, doesn't it? When talking about slow cookers there is a general sense that anything can be thrown in. Onward to the recipe!

Sausages with Beans and Peppers. Some people would turn tail and run the other direction with from a recipe like that. But, I'm not going to think about those people because I have a lot of CSA peppers, it's cold outside, and we need something warm and yummy for a Sunday evening.



I got some chicken sausages with apple. I try a different kind each time I do this recipe. Sometimes I'll use some leftover ones from our trips to the trailer.



Halfway through cooking the sausages I realized I was looking at the wrong recipe. The one I wanted had beans and tomatoes in it. The one I was preparing didn't. This seems to happen to a lot to me lately. I blame it on the pregnancy.



I cut up the sausages and sent the Big D to the store to get me one more can of beans. Usually I'll cook up a pot of beans ahead of time, but for obvious reasons, we had to go with canned beans. The reason: I messed up and wasn't looking at the right recipe.



I then pulled the chopped up peppers from the slow cooker and threw them in to soften on the stove. See these recipes don't call for just throwing things in the slow cooker. There is prep required.

Here is a shot of the final results. If it looks like I've eaten out of the bowl, it's because I did start eating before I remembered to take a picture. Whee! What a dizzy girl I've become while pregnant. Nonetheless, it was yummy and perfect with some french bread!



So, a recap of the recipe adapted from the above mentioned cookbook. I say adapted because I had to wing it halfway through.

Sausages with Beans and Peppers
Brown 1-2 pounds of sausages. Sliced up.
Chop 3-4 peppers, 3 cloves of garlic and 1 large onion. Saute in pan until softened.
Add peppers to slow cooker. Top with sausages, 2 cans of beans (any beans- today I used black beans and kidney beans), 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz) and 1/4 cup red wine.
Cook in slow cooker 6-8 hours.
Serve with crusty french bread or maybe some rice. Or maybe, just maybe I'll make some maple hoecakes again.

It's October!

Where did my summer go? Oh, yah, I got pregnant. I guess I got my first big lesson, the one that all pregnant women talk about: surrender. I had big plans for this summer, for this blog, for my camera, for my CSA. Indeed, I surrendered all my plans because none of those plans came through. Or rather, I should say - I could not follow through with any of those plans. And now it is October.

October! Part of my favorite season - Autumn!

I love the cooler air temps, the chilly rain, the warm sweaters, the fingerless gloves, the hats, the stews, the soups, the squash.

I can't wait to make a butternut bisque with the gigantic butternut squash I got yesterday in the CSA delivery. I'll share the recipe next week. The CSA was such a big box this week. I hadn't expected that. That's the great thing about signing up with Harmony Valley CSA; it keeps on coming until December. Of course November and December only have two delivery weeks, but for a girl who spent her summer in a pregnancy-nausea induced fog, the fact that the CSA is still going strong is a such a treat. I've found that we pay a bit more for this particular CSA as compared to others in the area, but HV's delivery season is much longer and much more varied. I admit I despaired this summer, but now I feel more certain than ever that we will sign up again next year. I get so excited thinking about mashing up CSA veggies for baby food! I've heard this leads to less picky eaters and that's one thing I will really struggle with if we have a picky-eating baby. The Big D has a niece who claims to be vegetarian but as she was growing up all she would consume was milk, butter and noodles. Oh! The thought of that just breaks my heart.

Vegetables not only taste great, but they also look beautiful!



The peppers, the lettuce and the baby bok choy were such beautiful colors I just had to shoot the three together. Last night I had planned to do a braised bok choy but had none of the sesame oil needed for the recipe. Instead, I stir-fried the bok choy (white parts first), then added the peppers, then garlic and scallions, finally finishing with soy sauce and the bok choy leaves. It was such a wonderful side dish to the chicken I baked!

These were the pepper I used in the stir fry side. Such sweet, little bell peppers.



So precious I could barely keep the kitty away to take a photo.



Ok, so, I'm sure anybody that's anyone who isn't a vegetarian has had a chance to look at the faux fried chicken recipe at A Good Appetite. Last night I tried it and it turned out to be absolutely fantastic! Probably the best baked chicken to come out of my oven. It was great incentive to try the powered buttermilk that I've been hearing so much about lately. The flavors were numerous, yet blended so well together: garlic, lemon, parmesan, thyme.

And the hoecakes? Oh. My. God. So simple to make, so incredibly delicious. Acquiring the ingredients made me more familiar with the bulk bins at the Eastside Co-op. Sure I've gotten stuff there before, but for some reason, yesterday's experience was an eye opener for me. A chance to see how I can more easily fit organic into our budget without feeling like I gotta forfeit a new pair of shoes for baby every time I buy an untested, supposedly staple ingredient that may or may not get used up.

The food was so good that I couldn't be with bothered with getting the exact shot that I wanted for this blog. The first shot I couldn't quite get into focus and made me think maybe I'm getting a little too old to rely on manual focus. Spent the day looking for an used auto focus 55mm lens.



Then, I resorted to the ultimate shooting sin. I popped up my flash. The result was an icky photo that not even photoshop could rescue. But what the heck, I got a clearer photo.



My apologies to the folk at A Good Appetite if my photo makes the meal unappetizing. I loved it. And so did the Big D. But best of all, I think I'm getting my cooking mojo back. And there's still a month or more of CSA left to consume!

It's October!

Where did my summer go? Oh, yah, I got pregnant. I guess I got my first big lesson, the one that all pregnant women talk about: surrender. I had big plans for this summer, for this blog, for my camera, for my CSA. Indeed, I surrendered all my plans because none of those plans came through. Or rather, I should say - I could not follow through with any of those plans. And now it is October.

October! Part of my favorite season - Autumn!

I love the cooler air temps, the chilly rain, the warm sweaters, the fingerless gloves, the hats, the stews, the soups, the squash.

I can't wait to make a butternut bisque with the gigantic butternut squash I got yesterday in the CSA delivery. I'll share the recipe next week. The CSA was such a big box this week. I hadn't expected that. That's the great thing about signing up with Harmony Valley CSA; it keeps on coming until December. Of course November and December only have two delivery weeks, but for a girl who spent her summer in a pregnancy-nausea induced fog, the fact that the CSA is still going strong is a such a treat. I've found that we pay a bit more for this particular CSA as compared to others in the area, but HV's delivery season is much longer and much more varied. I admit I despaired this summer, but now I feel more certain than ever that we will sign up again next year. I get so excited thinking about mashing up CSA veggies for baby food! I've heard this leads to less picky eaters and that's one thing I will really struggle with if we have a picky-eating baby. The Big D has a niece who claims to be vegetarian but as she was growing up all she would consume was milk, butter and noodles. Oh! The thought of that just breaks my heart.

Vegetables not only taste great, but they also look beautiful!



The peppers, the lettuce and the baby bok choy were such beautiful colors I just had to shoot the three together. Last night I had planned to do a braised bok choy but had none of the sesame oil needed for the recipe. Instead, I stir-fried the bok choy (white parts first), then added the peppers, then garlic and scallions, finally finishing with soy sauce and the bok choy leaves. It was such a wonderful side dish to the chicken I baked!

These were the pepper I used in the stir fry side. Such sweet, little bell peppers.



So precious I could barely keep the kitty away to take a photo.



Ok, so, I'm sure anybody that's anyone who isn't a vegetarian has had a chance to look at the faux fried chicken recipe at A Good Appetite. Last night I tried it and it turned out to be absolutely fantastic! Probably the best baked chicken to come out of my oven. It was great incentive to try the powered buttermilk that I've been hearing so much about lately. The flavors were numerous, yet blended so well together: garlic, lemon, parmesan, thyme.

And the hoecakes? Oh. My. God. So simple to make, so incredibly delicious. Acquiring the ingredients made me more familiar with the bulk bins at the Eastside Co-op. Sure I've gotten stuff there before, but for some reason, yesterday's experience was an eye opener for me. A chance to see how I can more easily fit organic into our budget without feeling like I gotta forfeit a new pair of shoes for baby every time I buy an untested, supposedly staple ingredient that may or may not get used up.

The food was so good that I couldn't be with bothered with getting the exact shot that I wanted for this blog. The first shot I couldn't quite get into focus and made me think maybe I'm getting a little too old to rely on manual focus. Spent the day looking for an used auto focus 55mm lens.



Then, I resorted to the ultimate shooting sin. I popped up my flash. The result was an icky photo that not even photoshop could rescue. But what the heck, I got a clearer photo.



My apologies to the folk at A Good Appetite if my photo makes the meal unappetizing. I loved it. And so did the Big D. But best of all, I think I'm getting my cooking mojo back. And there's still a month or more of CSA left to consume!

Craving Nutritious Food Again!

What a relief! I want my CSA, I love my CSA and I am so glad I hung on to it!

What a sad, sad summer. Most of my CSA produce went into the compost pile. What a waste of such good vegetables! What a terrible blow on our budget!

So, here's a pregnancy fantasy: Before I got pregnant, I was quite arrogant about the CSA. I was going to eat healthy. I had invested in healthy, locally-grown, organic food. I was accused of being "preachy" about my "organics" when I didn't want to talk about botox. I stood in shock when I heard a mother openly wonder when her four year old child would start eating vegetables. I was tongue-tied when another women asked me if my husband was willing to eat such things. I was dumbfounded when my mother-in-law fretted over all the sugar in those organic fruits and vegetables that would undoubtedly do damage to my diabetic husband.

When July hit and baby came in with a bang, I started to see the crazed nature of my fantasy of nutritious food. I couldn't stomach it. Salads made me wretch. Greens seemed to me to only exist in order to wilt. Beans? Ugh. Preparing this stuff? Forget about it. Give me a burger. Order take-out. Oh, god I want a hotdog. I actually ate a Big Mac for first time in over 7 years! I broke my seven-year Big Mac fast when I got pregnant. I went to Taco Bell and ordered three different burrito items in order to scope out what I would get on my next visit. I ate tons of popsicles in which the main ingredients were a list of chemicals. Fruit bars? Nope? I couldn't stomach them. And, ok, here's the worst of it because I chided a woman for feeding this to her children on a daily basis: Kraft mac-n-cheese. But, in my defense, I didn't eat it every day. I ate it always with broccoli AND I bought the whole grain stuff, but that was mostly because I didn't want to eat the pasta shaped like Scooby Doo or Sponge Bob. But, still it was whole grain. And who the heck is Sponge Bob?

Admitting this is a frightening thing for me. But then, not many people read here, so, what do I got to be afraid of?

I was astonished with my stomach, with my body. I felt betrayed. I saw the heavy hit on our budget. I had to leave the house when the Big D cooked up bacon for a simple BLT sandwich. I couldn't bear the thought of blogging when all that seemed good locally were fast food chains. I am so glad that I haven't eaten much fast food in my life, because I felt like I ate a lifetime's worth in the month of August.

Thankfully, things started to change. Slowly. But steadily. It all began with corn.




Then came the melons.




I still haven't made my way back to cauliflower. But it looks so lovely, doesn't it?




And then came yesterday. Yesterday! Oh my, what a lovely day. I made some baba ganoush!!! I tried it for the first time and the results did turn out better than store-bought. AND, the smell of the eggplant roasting did not drive me out of the neighborhood!




What a divine day. Now I have something healthy to snack on. AND, I spent more than 5 minutes in my kitchen!




Heck! The experience was so great I moved onto roasting a chicken! I roasted a chicken. It wasn't a pretty process. I mopped the floor in case I had any Julia Child-like mishaps and pulled out a whole stick of butter to soften. It turned out great. The only problem is that I, apparently, don't know what side the breast is on because I ended up cooking it breast-side down.

The free-range chicken cost me $9 and I figured we saved $20 in that meal alone because the last time I craved chicken we got take-out from Brasa. Tonight we will have big salads topped with chicken, and I might even have enough chicken left over for a pot pie. Three meals out of one chicken. I like that. My budget likes that!

Ahhh. It's good to be back to the land of living and good eating.

Today - a chicken broth with left over carcass. Did I really say that? Yes, ma'am, I said carcass and I don't even have to go puke!

Craving Nutritious Food Again!

What a relief! I want my CSA, I love my CSA and I am so glad I hung on to it!

What a sad, sad summer. Most of my CSA produce went into the compost pile. What a waste of such good vegetables! What a terrible blow on our budget!

So, here's a pregnancy fantasy: Before I got pregnant, I was quite arrogant about the CSA. I was going to eat healthy. I had invested in healthy, locally-grown, organic food. I was accused of being "preachy" about my "organics" when I didn't want to talk about botox. I stood in shock when I heard a mother openly wonder when her four year old child would start eating vegetables. I was tongue-tied when another women asked me if my husband was willing to eat such things. I was dumbfounded when my mother-in-law fretted over all the sugar in those organic fruits and vegetables that would undoubtedly do damage to my diabetic husband.

When July hit and baby came in with a bang, I started to see the crazed nature of my fantasy of nutritious food. I couldn't stomach it. Salads made me wretch. Greens seemed to me to only exist in order to wilt. Beans? Ugh. Preparing this stuff? Forget about it. Give me a burger. Order take-out. Oh, god I want a hotdog. I actually ate a Big Mac for first time in over 7 years! I broke my seven-year Big Mac fast when I got pregnant. I went to Taco Bell and ordered three different burrito items in order to scope out what I would get on my next visit. I ate tons of popsicles in which the main ingredients were a list of chemicals. Fruit bars? Nope? I couldn't stomach them. And, ok, here's the worst of it because I chided a woman for feeding this to her children on a daily basis: Kraft mac-n-cheese. But, in my defense, I didn't eat it every day. I ate it always with broccoli AND I bought the whole grain stuff, but that was mostly because I didn't want to eat the pasta shaped like Scooby Doo or Sponge Bob. But, still it was whole grain. And who the heck is Sponge Bob?

Admitting this is a frightening thing for me. But then, not many people read here, so, what do I got to be afraid of?

I was astonished with my stomach, with my body. I felt betrayed. I saw the heavy hit on our budget. I had to leave the house when the Big D cooked up bacon for a simple BLT sandwich. I couldn't bear the thought of blogging when all that seemed good locally were fast food chains. I am so glad that I haven't eaten much fast food in my life, because I felt like I ate a lifetime's worth in the month of August.

Thankfully, things started to change. Slowly. But steadily. It all began with corn.




Then came the melons.




I still haven't made my way back to cauliflower. But it looks so lovely, doesn't it?




And then came yesterday. Yesterday! Oh my, what a lovely day. I made some baba ganoush!!! I tried it for the first time and the results did turn out better than store-bought. AND, the smell of the eggplant roasting did not drive me out of the neighborhood!




What a divine day. Now I have something healthy to snack on. AND, I spent more than 5 minutes in my kitchen!




Heck! The experience was so great I moved onto roasting a chicken! I roasted a chicken. It wasn't a pretty process. I mopped the floor in case I had any Julia Child-like mishaps and pulled out a whole stick of butter to soften. It turned out great. The only problem is that I, apparently, don't know what side the breast is on because I ended up cooking it breast-side down.

The free-range chicken cost me $9 and I figured we saved $20 in that meal alone because the last time I craved chicken we got take-out from Brasa. Tonight we will have big salads topped with chicken, and I might even have enough chicken left over for a pot pie. Three meals out of one chicken. I like that. My budget likes that!

Ahhh. It's good to be back to the land of living and good eating.

Today - a chicken broth with left over carcass. Did I really say that? Yes, ma'am, I said carcass and I don't even have to go puke!

A Fusion of Sorts...

It's always tricky trying a new recipe. It can be a little scary, but taking the leap can also be very rewarding. I had planned to make a curry noodle recipe using a number of my CSA veggies along with a porcini mushroom fettuccine that I picked up from Annona Gourmet (the place where I bought that fabulous cherry balsamic vinegar). This I had planned for Sunday and so, I also picked up a baguette from the Eastside Coop. But Sunday ended up being filled by lots of gardening and hauling of mulch so I was too tired to get going in the kitchen.

Plans for that curry noodle dish was shifted to Monday. But, I had forgotten about that baguette, which was hard as a rock by dinner time on Monday. I had always wondered what a bread salad was all about, so I did it. The Big D was a little freaked out. Bread? In the salad? Somehow it all worked for me in my mind. I had planned to make a salad, and since the bread was hard, I just thought I would make a bread salad. Thoughts about how to use that bread to soak up the curry sauce with the noodles, I figured, would just work it's way out when it came time to eat.

Fusion number one: Italian bread salad with Asian Curry Noodles
Fusion number two: Curry Noodles.

The dish ultimately tasted to me like a Malaysian dish: a blend of Indian curry flavors with Thai-type noodles. I'd only had Malaysian food once - loved it! - and the memory of it was of all those great Indian flavors but none of that fried heavy taste. Why Thai? Well there was a lot of lime in this dish and a can of coconut milk, which I associate with the Thai curries I've cooked at home.

Here are the results:

Looks good, no? Tastes good? No. Hey, but it looks pretty!

The first bite was much better than the last. The Big D ate it all, but I disliked mine so much near the end that I decided not to share with my neighbor. The fusion of Italian and Asian didn't work either. All in all, it was not a good experiment. That's why I haven't shared the recipe. I know I added too much cumin, too much turmeric, too much of everything.

The only great satisfaction I got from this was using up a ton of my CSA veggies, but what good is that if we don't eat the left-overs. Arrgghhh....

A word on mulching before I go: Every year I buy a bag or four of mulch. I try to wait for the sales and by the time those roll around the weeds have gone nuts so there is alot of time pulling weeds before the mulch goes on. That's hard work, annoying, and rather expensive. Especially now when we are trying to rid ourselves of a lawn.

This year, I finally figured out why city parks have those big piles of mulch! Duh! Actually, I've known for a while, just never figured how to transport the large amount that I needed. Finally, I bought a big plastic tub for $5 and made several trips to a local park. This experience really makes me wonder why people by the dyed stuff. Especially since there is so much available for free. It looks "natural" in my yard. And that's because it was mulched from the trees that grow in my neighborhood. I was so happy about this experience that the food disaster could be easily forgotten!

A Fusion of Sorts...

It's always tricky trying a new recipe. It can be a little scary, but taking the leap can also be very rewarding. I had planned to make a curry noodle recipe using a number of my CSA veggies along with a porcini mushroom fettuccine that I picked up from Annona Gourmet (the place where I bought that fabulous cherry balsamic vinegar). This I had planned for Sunday and so, I also picked up a baguette from the Eastside Coop. But Sunday ended up being filled by lots of gardening and hauling of mulch so I was too tired to get going in the kitchen.

Plans for that curry noodle dish was shifted to Monday. But, I had forgotten about that baguette, which was hard as a rock by dinner time on Monday. I had always wondered what a bread salad was all about, so I did it. The Big D was a little freaked out. Bread? In the salad? Somehow it all worked for me in my mind. I had planned to make a salad, and since the bread was hard, I just thought I would make a bread salad. Thoughts about how to use that bread to soak up the curry sauce with the noodles, I figured, would just work it's way out when it came time to eat.

Fusion number one: Italian bread salad with Asian Curry Noodles
Fusion number two: Curry Noodles.

The dish ultimately tasted to me like a Malaysian dish: a blend of Indian curry flavors with Thai-type noodles. I'd only had Malaysian food once - loved it! - and the memory of it was of all those great Indian flavors but none of that fried heavy taste. Why Thai? Well there was a lot of lime in this dish and a can of coconut milk, which I associate with the Thai curries I've cooked at home.

Here are the results:

Looks good, no? Tastes good? No. Hey, but it looks pretty!

The first bite was much better than the last. The Big D ate it all, but I disliked mine so much near the end that I decided not to share with my neighbor. The fusion of Italian and Asian didn't work either. All in all, it was not a good experiment. That's why I haven't shared the recipe. I know I added too much cumin, too much turmeric, too much of everything.

The only great satisfaction I got from this was using up a ton of my CSA veggies, but what good is that if we don't eat the left-overs. Arrgghhh....

A word on mulching before I go: Every year I buy a bag or four of mulch. I try to wait for the sales and by the time those roll around the weeds have gone nuts so there is alot of time pulling weeds before the mulch goes on. That's hard work, annoying, and rather expensive. Especially now when we are trying to rid ourselves of a lawn.

This year, I finally figured out why city parks have those big piles of mulch! Duh! Actually, I've known for a while, just never figured how to transport the large amount that I needed. Finally, I bought a big plastic tub for $5 and made several trips to a local park. This experience really makes me wonder why people by the dyed stuff. Especially since there is so much available for free. It looks "natural" in my yard. And that's because it was mulched from the trees that grow in my neighborhood. I was so happy about this experience that the food disaster could be easily forgotten!

stir-fry, sharing, and slow cookers

No picture of the bounty this week. It has been so dang hot here lately that all my usual activities seem very difficult, including just the simple act of taking a picture. The Big D and I usually like to walk to the house where we pick up our CSA, but the heat was too much yesterday. I'm surprised I cooked. But, I'm glad that I cooked because the effort was definitely worth it!

Here's a shot for my stir-fry! My mother calls it a "stir and fry." Lately, I've been finding my mother's quirky references very cute! I'm actually not sure it's a stir-fry. It's made more like a Thai curry, but it definitely has my own personal spin so I really don't know what to call it. None of that mattered when we dished up!



I loved the color that amaranth added to the meal!

The list of this week's harvest:

Spinach
Red Radish
Garlic Scapes
Scallions
Romaine or Red Boston Lettuce
Strawberries
Salad Mix or Arugula
Sugar Snap Peas
Napa or Sweetheart Cabbage
Amaranth
Green Top Beets
Choice-Basil

I sometimes struggle with the best way to split up the CSA box in order to share with my mother. Things like radishes and scallions can be split pretty easily. But what about that large head of lettuce or napa cabbage? Last night, I solved my problem with the cabbage. I chopped up the cabbage for the stir-fry, about half, then just placed the rest in the bag for mother's share. Easy! Ok, so this is not a big deal, but it sure made me happy to be sharing this with my mother, rather than trying to find a way to consume all the cabbage.

I get so excited about the variety that is available for the stir-fry that I always end up with too much. Another problem was solved this week. I've begun to share the left-overs of my meals with a neighbor across the street.

Like I mentioned earlier, it's hot around here! My kitchen is the hottest room in the house. When it's over 90 degrees out, the thought of turning on my oven or stove top is totally unbearable. I've turned to my slow cooker. I've always used the slow cooker for winter meals, but hadn't considered the use of it in the hot summer months. Now, i just have to find more recipes to use up all this CSA goodness.

stir-fry, sharing, and slow cookers

No picture of the bounty this week. It has been so dang hot here lately that all my usual activities seem very difficult, including just the simple act of taking a picture. The Big D and I usually like to walk to the house where we pick up our CSA, but the heat was too much yesterday. I'm surprised I cooked. But, I'm glad that I cooked because the effort was definitely worth it!

Here's a shot for my stir-fry! My mother calls it a "stir and fry." Lately, I've been finding my mother's quirky references very cute! I'm actually not sure it's a stir-fry. It's made more like a Thai curry, but it definitely has my own personal spin so I really don't know what to call it. None of that mattered when we dished up!



I loved the color that amaranth added to the meal!

The list of this week's harvest:

Spinach
Red Radish
Garlic Scapes
Scallions
Romaine or Red Boston Lettuce
Strawberries
Salad Mix or Arugula
Sugar Snap Peas
Napa or Sweetheart Cabbage
Amaranth
Green Top Beets
Choice-Basil

I sometimes struggle with the best way to split up the CSA box in order to share with my mother. Things like radishes and scallions can be split pretty easily. But what about that large head of lettuce or napa cabbage? Last night, I solved my problem with the cabbage. I chopped up the cabbage for the stir-fry, about half, then just placed the rest in the bag for mother's share. Easy! Ok, so this is not a big deal, but it sure made me happy to be sharing this with my mother, rather than trying to find a way to consume all the cabbage.

I get so excited about the variety that is available for the stir-fry that I always end up with too much. Another problem was solved this week. I've begun to share the left-overs of my meals with a neighbor across the street.

Like I mentioned earlier, it's hot around here! My kitchen is the hottest room in the house. When it's over 90 degrees out, the thought of turning on my oven or stove top is totally unbearable. I've turned to my slow cooker. I've always used the slow cooker for winter meals, but hadn't considered the use of it in the hot summer months. Now, i just have to find more recipes to use up all this CSA goodness.

CSA Box #7

It's getting to the point where I need to get more than one bag when I pick up my CSA box!!

Look at all the color!




The lettuce is huge!




And, the garlic scapes are curly!