potato and onion frittata

Serve this for supper with a salad (or some crusty bread if you’re feeling the need for more carbs…no judging here).  Delicious, also, for brunch as an alternative to the usual home fries.

Possible add-ins?  Spinach, shredded cooked chicken, asparagus, cooked ground chorizo or chopped bacon, mushrooms.  Be your creative self.

potato and onion frittata

1 1/2 pounds potatoes, yukon gold or red skin (skins on), sliced to 1/4 inch thickness

one large yellow onion, chopped

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

pinch cayenne pepper

2 Tbsp fresh thyme

3 large eggs

8 egg whites or one cup 100% natural egg whites

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

in a large bowl, toss potatoes and onions with 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt.  Spread on two large rimmed baking sheets.  Roast in oven until tender and brown, tossing and flipping halfway through cooking, about 40-45 minutes.  Remove from oven.

whisk eggs and egg whites in a large bowl.  Add 1 tsp salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, thyme, and smoked paprika.  Fold in potato and onion mixture.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in 10-inch cast iron skillet or oven safe skillet on stovetop.  Remove from heat and pour in potato mixture.  Spread evenly in skillet.

Place skillet in oven and bake until egg is firm and puffy, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Cut into wedges to serve.

sauteed kale with walnuts and farro

What have I learned by working on a farm this year?

Sure…I can eyeball two pounds of zucchini and have developed an affinity for eating sweet corn straight off the cob (no cooking required!), but I have also grown to like kale.

Notice how I said like-definitely not love-for it’s a relationship still in the discovery phase.

A favorite way to enjoy the bounty each week has been to chop, then saute or roast everything in a pan with some olive oil, sea salt and garlic.  Sometimes I will add other seasonings in toward the end…perhaps a little fish sauce and miso. Other times Herbs de Provence and toasted pine nuts.  Sometimes a bit of leftover chicken or fish will be added to the mixture.

Each week’s layer of flavors varies depending on the offering.  One week it might be eggplant, various squash, onions, and green peppers.  The next week it could be zucchini, tomatoes, kale, and mushrooms.  The vegetable mix is then eaten over cooked brown rice, pasta or other grain.

If you have a favorite kale dish, I’d love for you to share it.  After all, one can only eat so many kale chips!

sauteed kale with walnuts and farro

1/2 bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves torn

1 cup cooked farro or other grain, such as rice

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

zest of one lemon

1/3 cup freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the sea salt and the kale.  Cook until kale starts to wilt, about 3-4 minutes.  Add garlic, walnuts, lemon juice and zest.  Toss the combine and continue to heat about another minute.  Remove from heat.  Serve over cooked farro and top with Parmesan Cheese.

whole wheat gnocchi with summer squash and herbs

I will begin by answering the question  on your minds:  No, the gnocchi is not homemade.  While the east coast endures yet another heat wave, my goal lately has been to turn on the stove or oven as little as possible.  Trader Joe’s sells a tasty whole wheat gnocchi.

My hope is that through simple recipes like this, everyone can feel more confident in creating flavorful dishes with just a few fresh ingredients (the squash was from this week’s CSA share).

grilled Maryland Rockfish with peach habanero salsa

This recipe is dedicated to a good friend of mine.  Her husband underwent an emergency triple bypass a few months back and their family has been attempting to modify their diet.  This means that she has been trying new, health-conscious recipes (yay!).

strawberry and yogurt biscuits

This year I decided to work for my weekly CSA share.  This means that instead of paying for my weekly share and then picking it up a at a designated drop-off location, I work for 5 hours each week at the farm and take my share home with me that same day.  My husband chuckled when I told him about my decision to do this.

beans! beans! they’re good for your heart…

We’re back from our second (that’s right, I said second) vacation this summer.

The first, our trip to the Pacific northwest, was an adult-only trip.

The second, kids included, was a trip down south to the land of our honeymoon, Kiawah island, South Carolina.  I admit that I was a little hesitant returning  with kids in tow,  but I guess the fact that I retained limited, specific memories of the first trip (thanks, old age!) probably worked in my favor.  The beach was every bit as beautiful as I remembered…the city of Charleston just as charming.  There was just a lot little more whining this time than I remembered.

I’ve been toying with the idea of creating another section of the blog containing photos and description of our travels; however that is going to require prolonged, undivided attention/creativity that I simply won’t have until school starts the next week. Until I get that going,  here is a little teaser…a photo of my husband in the Redwood National Forest.

Back to the recipe…

I apologize (sort of) for the crude post title.  Can I blame it on prolonged face time with my 11-year-old son during the past week of vacation?  Although he starts middle school next week, he still giggles at a flatulence reference in the way that boys do.

I hope you’ll give this recipe a try.  I don’t know about you, but I often go to barbecues in the summer and am overwhelmed by the creamy, mayonnaise-laden side dishes.  This is a filling, but light, alternative.

bean and romaine salad with honey balsamic dressing

8 ounces each:  cooked chickpeas, pinto beans, black beans (fresh or canned, drained and rinsed)

1 small head of romaine lettuce, shredded

1/3 cup sliced, toasted almonds

garnish with 10 springs fresh thyme

dressing

2 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp sea salt

grilled stuffed peppers

Have you been grilling much this summer?

Even though we purchased a brand new gas grill this year, I have to admit that I have not. Sure, the usual stuff makes it on there during a cookout-burgers, a beautiful piece of salmon, the occasional hotdog; but even that happens more infrequent since I’ve joined the farm co-op.  I’m only just starting to venture into the world of grilling things other than meat.  This recipe combines the best of both worlds.  Beautiful green peppers, charred slightly tender and flavorful from the grill with a meat stuffing.

Both my sausage and my beef were from my local farmer.

grilled stuffed peppers

1/2 pound breakfast sausage, ground or links with casing removed

1/2 pound ground beef

1 cup cooked brown rice

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

1/2 cup minced onion

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3 green peppers

Combine the sausage, ground beef, rice, eggs, onion, parsley and spices together in a bowl.  Cut the peppers in half through the stem and remove seeds and membranes.  Fill each pepper with meat mixture.  Mound the meat no more than 1/2 inch over the top edge of each pepper.

If you own a gas grill, turn burner(s) on medium only on one side of the grill.  If you use charcoal, build a fire off to one side.  Cook pepper side down on the cooler side of the grill until the pepper is charred and soft, about 15 minutes.  Turn the stuffed peppers over and cook on the hotter side of the grill for about 5-10 minutes until browned and cooked through.

What do you do with Tomatoes and Nectarines?

You make these two recipes! When I got the tomatoes at this weeks CSA pick up the only thing I could think of to do with them was make pasta sauce or something. Then I remembered I had an amazing recipe that called for 28oz. diced tomatoes and voila! I made this for dinner!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tomato and Sausage Risotto
Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Serves 4

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 bunch flat-leaf spinach (10 to 14 ounces), washed well, tough stems removed, chopped (about 7 cups)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
2 tablespoons butter

1. In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add sausage and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add rice; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.
4. Add about 2 cups hot tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid).
5. Remove pan from heat. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired.

 

Now the next ingredient I was stumped on what to do with, was the nectarines. Thank goodness for Smitten Kitchen’s search bar. I just typed in Nectarine and got this beauty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nectarine Brown Butter Buckle

3/4 cup (6 ounces or 170 grams) unsalted butter, plus additional for greasing pan
1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces or 190 grams) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons (9 grams) baking powder
3/4 teaspoon (4 grams) salt
Pinch of allspice
1 cup (7 ounces or 200 grams) sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup whole milk or buttermilk
1 1/2 pounds nectarines, halved, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges (about 4 cups)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Streusel
Reserved butter from cake (above)
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces or 100 grams) sugar
1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces or 64 grams) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Brown your butter: Melt butter in a small/medium saucepan over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Keep your eyes on it; it burns very quickly after it browns. Set aside and let cool (the fridge will hasten this along).

Prepare you pan: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 10-inch round cake pan, springform or cast iron skillet with parchment paper and butter the paper and rest of the pan generously; set aside.

Make the cake: Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and allspice in medium bowl to blend. In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup cooled browned butter (set aside remaining 1/4 cup for topping), sugar and then eggs, one at a time. Stir in milk or buttermilk. Stir dry ingredients into this wet mixture; mix until just combined and spread batter in prepared pan. Toss nectarine wedges with lemon juice and arrange them in a single layer on top of the batter.

Make the streusel and bake the cake: Stir remaining brown butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt together until large crumbs form.Sprinkle the nectarine-topped batter with crumbs. Bake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack.

Blueberry Peach Ice Pops

       This weeks CSA bounty gave me more peaches. I’m not going to lie, I was a little worried I wouldn’t be able to make anything new or interesting with them besides some sort of cobbler. Fortunatly, Cooking Light provided me with the base recipe for these Blueberry Peach Ice Pops. I tweaked it a bit because there version didnt fill up my popsicle molds. I added vanilla yogurt to the bottom, and I used less sugar then their recipe called for. Hope you enjoy, I know my son did!

Blueberry Peach Ice Pops

5 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
3 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup peeled, pitted, and sliced peach (about 1 large peach)
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Combine 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and berries in a food processor, and process until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl, pressing to extract juices, and discard solids.
2. Place the remaining 1 tablespoon juice and peach in a food processor; process until smooth. Place cream in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Stir one quarter of whipped cream into peach mixture. Gently fold remaining cream into peach mixture; chill. Divide half of the blueberry mixture evenly among ice-pop molds. Top with lid. Freeze 25 minutes or until set. Uncover and top each serving with peach mixture; top with lid. Freeze for 25 minutes or until set. Uncover and top each serving with remaining blueberry mixture. Freeze 25 minutes and then fill to top with vanilla yogurt. Freeze for 4 hours or until thoroughly frozen

One Eggplant and an Impromptu Lunch

Before my Mom left for vacation she gave me some of her CSA veggies from last week and among those items was one small, lonely eggplant. I decided to make eggplant parmesan for lunch the other day and it was AMAZING! I gave my oldest the leftovers for lunch today and he practically licked the plate clean. I guess it’s a good thing there was another eggplant in todays bundle so I can make it again this week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eggplant Parmesan

adapted from Cooking Light (barely)

1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (1-pound) eggplants, each peeled and cut crosswise into 6 slices
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1 (25.5-ounce) jar fat-free marinara sauce
3 cups hot cooked angel hair pasta (about 6 ounces uncooked pasta)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish. Dredge eggplant slices in flour. Combine egg whites and egg. Dip eggplant slices in eggs; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Pour the sauce evenly over eggplant slices; sprinkle with more parmesan cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve over pasta.