Local Box Cooking Class at Thai Fresh

Yesterday we traveled up to Austin to attend a Greenling local box cooking class at Thai Fresh. The premise was simple: we would learn how to use the ingredients in our local box to prepare a few recipes. I had never cooked Thai food before (scratch that — I made a terrible Pad Krapao Mu a few months ago), so I was excited for the opportunity to learn a few new techniques and meet some great people!

Ever the good host, Mason started off by offering us a choice of the Parducci Zinfandel or Pinot Grigio. Parducci is located in Mendocino, California and is the first carbon-neutral winery in the US.

Cory and I both particularly enjoyed the Zinfandel. It wasn’t as tannic as other Zins I’ve had, which really let the fruitiness come through.

Mason then showed us what was in this week’s local box. Can’t wait for those beautiful portobellos!

Here’s a fun fact: whereas typical grocery stores waste 30% of their produce, Greenling only wastes 3%! And that just ends up in the compost pile.

Next — onto the cooking!

You can tell how excited Jam, one of the owners and chef at Thai Fresh, is to be cooking and eating locally. She shared lots of great tips about traditional Thai ingredients and substitutions, and about cooking in general.

We started with her recipe for Som Tum, or shredded papaya salad. Instead of papaya, however, Jam used the peaches, blueberries and figs that came in this week’s Local Box. It’s basically a fruit salad that’s dressed in a spicy savory vinaigrette. This was a really versatile recipe that can be used with any firm, not-too-juicy fruit or vegetable. Jam suggested spaghetti squash, and she’s also made it with carrots and rhubarb. I really liked the juxtaposition of the oh-so-sweet figs with the spicy chilies. Jam uses dried shrimp and fish sauce in the recipe, which I questioned at first, but it really makes the salad much more complex. Jam said during the lesson, “If you think something’s missing, it’s probably fish sauce!” It just adds a certain something. Jam also uses palm sugar in this recipe. It apparently has a lower glycemic index than agave nectar.

Did I mention that this was a hands-on cooking class? She put us to work!

Next we started the yellow curry. Much like Indian yellow curry, Thai yellow curry is traditionally made with onions and potatoes, but instead of the dry spices used in Indian curries, Thai curries always use fresh herbs and spices. Instead of the dried tumeric and curry powder used in traditional Indian curry, Jam used a container of paste that was made up of different herbs and spices. She brought out her huge mortar and pestle and regaled us of stories of making curry paste by hand when she was little.

The curry starts by frying the curry paste in the coconut milk:

Then the chicken is simmered in the liquid for about 30 minutes, and midway through the cooking time, the potatoes and onions are also added. We used bone-in chicken last night, but boneless chicken would be much quicker.

While the chicken was cooking, we whipped up a double-batch of tofu pad thai. Anyone who knows me know that tofu and I don’t get along well, but Jam told us of a place in Austin (next to the MT supermarket, for locals) that makes fresh tofu. It’s apparently much better than the packaged stuff and it’s all she uses at Thai Fresh now. And let me tell you, it wasn’t too bad!

I always thought that pad thai was one of those dishes that is insanely hard to make, so much so that you should only order it from a truck (those from Carnegie Mellon know what I’m talking about!) or from a restaurant. I was *so* wrong. It’s so quick and easy!

Jam had already soaked the noodles for us, so we started by sauteeing some shallot and scrambling 4 eggs with it:

Tell me that’s not the biggest pot you’ve ever seen!

Then gradually added the fried tofu and some chili flakes, then the noodles, and douse them in the pad thai sauce. When the noodles are coated, add the bean sprouts and baby leeks and you’re done! Good thing too, because the curry was just about ready also.

Time to eat!

We left with full bellies and new appreciation for both Thai cuisine and our weekly Local Box. If you’re in Austin and get a chance, I highly recommend you check out Thai Fresh!

Local Box Meal Plan: August 10-14

This week, we’re getting portabellos from Kitchen Pride, blueberries from Berry Best, limes from G&S Groves, a peach from Cooper Orchards, red bell pepper from Tecalote, basil and lettuce from Bluebonnet Hydroponics, okra from Naegelin, red or yellow potatoes from Tecalote, baby leeks from Animal Farm, eggplant from Tecalote, and figs from Purple Goose Farm.

So we’re having:

Breakfast:

• Granola with peaches and figs (if you have a dehydrator, you can dry the peaches and figs and throw them into the granola)

Lunch:

• Grilled balsamic-marinated portabello, red pepper and eggplant sandwiches

Dinner:

• Thai lettuce wraps with basil and baby leeks
• Quick chicken and okra stew

Dessert:

• Blueberry-lime frozen yogurt

I’m excited for the first limes of the season! What are you doing with yours? (Quartering them for Dos XX doesn’t count!)

Vegetarian Baked Egg Rolls with Duck Sauce

[Printable Recipe]

In our house, salads are very much an afterthought. If I actually want people to eat them, I serve them as a first course, and we rarely eat multi-course meals. When we had friends over last weekend for dinner, Cory suggested that in lieu of salad, perhaps I could incorporate veggies elsewhere. “Like egg rolls?” he asked. I kind of rolled my eyes at first (only he would suggest replacing salad with fried food), but given that I found what looked like a fantastic recipe for baked egg rolls, I thought I would give it a try.

I made the filling in the morning and let it cool completely, then assembled the egg rolls in the afternoon. Since they only took a few minutes to bake up and are really best when eaten immediately, I baked them up right before dinner. If you’re waiting a while (more than a half hour or so) between assembling the egg rolls and serving them, cover the assembled egg rolls with a damp kitchen towel and keep them in the fridge (the wonton wrappers will dry out fairly quickly).

Adapted from Imperrfections

Ingredients:
For the egg rolls:

• 1/2 Napa cabbage, shredded (I used the food processor for both the cabbage and the carrots.)
• 3 large carrots, shredded
• 8 large crimini mushrooms, minced (I used both the caps and stems.)
• 3 green onions, chopped (green and white parts)
• 1 tsp. canola oil, plus a bit more for brushing on top of the egg rolls
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 1/3 c. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 package (16) wonton wrappers

For the duck sauce:

• 1/2 c. water
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. mango jam
• 1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

• Combine the cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and green onions in a bowl.
• Heat the canola oil in a pan and saute the garlic and ginger in the hot oil. Add the vegetable mixture, soy sauce and sesame oil and saute for ~4 minutes until the moisture in the veggies is cooked out.
• Remove the veggies from the pan and let cool.
• Combine the ingredients for the duck sauce in a small saucepan and simmer for 5-10 minutes until it’s thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool (you want this to be at room temperature when it’s served, not hot).
• When the veggie mixture has cooled, assemble the egg rolls and set them aside on a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat:

Put about 1 Tbsp. of the veggie mixture in the bottom corner of the square wonton wrapper.

Roll up the wonton wrapper, pinching it tightly as it’s rolled, until the wrapper is in the shape of a triangle.

Fold the right and left sides of the triangle in so that it looks like an envelope.

Wet the edges, then roll up the wonton wrapper the rest of the way. The outer edge of the triangle should be face-down. Continue rolling the rest of the egg rolls until you’ve exhausted your supply of either wonton wrappers or filling (for me, the wonton wrappers went first).

• Brush the tops of the egg rolls with canola oil, then bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes. (Mine weren’t quite brown enough after 12 minutes, so I broiled them for an additional 2 minutes.)
• Serve immediately with the cooled duck sauce.

Verdict:
I’ll be honest — I never expected these to be as crunchy as traditional fried egg rolls, but was I wrong! We all really liked the combination of textures. The criminis (beautiful ones from Greenling!) added a heartier flavor and consistency to the filling, and the saltiness of the soy sauce and sweetness of the carrot played off each other nicely. Traditionally made with apricot, the duck sauce made with the mango jam was a nice change. It had the same sour-sweet flavor as the stuff that comes in plastic packets, but tasted so much fresher and brighter.

Local Box Meal Plan: August 3-7

This week we’re getting anaheim and serrano peppers from Lundgren, blueberries from Berry Best, pea shoots, baby leeks from Animal Farm, a peach from Cooper Orchards, eggplant from Tecalote, lettuce from Bluebonnet Hydroponics, watermelon from Acadian, figs from Purple Goose Farm, basil from My Father’s Farm, and squash from Texas Natural.

So I’m making:

Lunch:

• Grilled squash and eggplant sandwich with a basil-chevre spread
• BLT on a pizza dough roll

Happy hour:

• Baked brie with figs and blueberries
• Watermelon and feta skewers

Dinner:

• Grilled chicken for Cory/salmon for me marinated in lemongrass and ginger, served with a pea shoot salad dressed in sesame oil, soy sauce, and toasted sesame seeds
• Chile verde (made with peppers and leeks)

Keep in mind that like figs, pea shoots are quite perishable and need to be used ASAP!

Fig Waffles

[Printable Recipe]

I’m going to let you in on a secret: waffles are the same as pancakes, just in a different shape. So when I found my go-to pancake recipe, I also found my go-to waffle recipe. Wahoo!

I decreased the original recipe by half and had enough batter to make 2 and a half waffles. Because Cory isn’t so fond of figs, I made his waffle, then stirred the figs into the batter and made mine.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. white whole-wheat flour (I used 1/2 c. AP flour and 1/2 c. whole wheat flour)
• 1/2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 2-1/2 Tbsp. natural granulated sugar (I used turbinado sugar.)
• 1/4 tsp. fine-grain sea salt
• 1 c. + 2 Tbsp. buttermilk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 10 figs (I actually used 5, since I only stirred them into half of the batter.)
• Pam spray

Directions:

• Preheat the waffle iron. Mine has settings from 1-7; I set it between 5 and 6.
• Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt) in a bowl.
• Mix the wet ingredients (buttermilk, eggs and butter) together in a separate bowl, then whisk into the dry ingredients (be sure not to overmix; lumps are okay). Scoop out the insides of the figs, then add it to the batter.
• Wait about 3 minutes for the bubbles to emerge from the batter, then spray the waffle iron with a bit of Pam on both sides and add the batter to the waffle iron. Mine uses ~3/4 c. of batter for a full waffle.
• Wait for the waffle iron to scream that the waffle is ready (anyone else’s dogs freak out at that noise?), then top with some fresh whipped cream and Greenling blueberries.

Verdict:
Adding fruit is a great way to invent the ordinary waffle. The figs add a wonderfully subtle sweetness to the waffle without being overbearing. I really enjoyed the flavor of figs without getting the gelatinous texture or plethora of seeds (my beef with figs!).

Grilled Flank Steak with Basil Chimichurri

[Printable Recipe]

You know those nights where you don’t really feel like cooking and want to use up as much of what’s in your fridge as possible? That’s what this dinner started as. Luckily for us, it turned out so much better than we could’ve hoped.

The beef came from a trip to the Pearl Farmer’s Market a few weeks ago (I froze it, don’t worry) and the basil came from our Greenling box. Everything else were things I already had in the pantry or fridge.

Ingredients:
For the flank steak:

• 1 lb. flank steak
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Few grinds of pepper
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

For the chimichurri:

• 1 bunch basil, finely minced (~1/2 c. after chopping)
• 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely minced (~1/2 c. after chopping)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• For the flank steak marinade, whisk to combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper in a 9×13″ baking pan. Flip the steak in the pan after about 30 minutes of marinating.
• Combine the ingredients for the chimichurri in a bowl and set aside.
• After 45 minutes of marinating, add the lemon juice to both sides of the steak and let marinate for an additional 15 minutes (so the steak will marinate for a total of 1 hour).
• After the steak has finished marinating, over high heat, grill the steak for ~4 minutes per side for rare.
• After grilling, let the steak rest for 3 minutes, then top with the chimichurri and serve.

Verdict:
Since I used mostly the same flavors in both, the chimichurri complemented the steak quite well. The steak was juicy and tender, and the bright flavors of the marinade and the chimichurri worked well in lightening it up so that it wasn’t such a heavy, filling meal. It’s a great date night meal, though I would caution that one should only enjoy this with a serious significant other (lots of garlic + big chance of herbs in one’s teeth). =)

Grilled Peach and Blueberry Cobbler

[Printable Recipe]

Bobby Flay has this show on the Food Network that I really like. It’s called “Grill It!” and he brings on another grilling connoisseur to make another rendition of the protein or focus of that show. I don’t know whether it’s the fact that he continually shows how versatile grilling is, or the fact that he seems so much more humble than on Throwdown or Iron Chef, or the fact that the food always seems so good, but I really like it. At any rate, back to point 1: the show has really opened my eyes to how the grill can be used in so many different ways, including as a stovetop and an oven (which is how I’ve used it in this recipe).

When you’re cooking the cobbler, if you have a grill with a temperature gauge, that’s a great way to monitor the heat. However, if you don’t, crank up one of the burners to high and close the top to trap the heat. Set the cobbler on the burner that’s turned off (so it’s not directly over the flame) and close the grill lid.

Adapted from Everyday with Rachel Ray

Ingredients:

• Pam spray
• 2 large peaches, chopped
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 c. plus 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. brown sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. buttermilk at room temperature
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

• Spray an 8×8″ baking pan with Pam and set aside.
• Combine the peaches and blueberries in a large bowl. Toss the fruit with 1 Tbsp. flour and 2 Tbsp. brown sugar and pour into the prepared baking pan.
• In the same bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 c. flour, 1/4 c. brown sugar, and 2 tsp. baking powder. Combine the melted butter and buttermilk, then whisk into to the dry ingredients.
• Drop the cobbler batter in spoonfuls onto the fruit.
• Bake over indirect heat on the grill (~350 degrees) for ~25 minutes.

Thanks for the photo, Brian!

Verdict:
I subbed brown sugar for white sugar in the original recipe, and I’m so glad I did; it gave the cobbler a much richer flavor. The cobbler itself was fluffy and the fruit was hot and gooey, despite the fact that my peaches weren’t at their peak ripeness yet. Next time I make this, I’ll probably add a bit of nutmeg or cinnamon into the cobbler batter to play off the richness of the brown sugar even more.

Grilled Stuffed Jalapenos

[Printable Recipe]

We got so many jalapenos in our Greenling box last week, and one of my favorite barbecue munchies is stuffed jalapenos. I first experienced these at a barbecue a few months ago and thought the guy making them was crazy. Eating a jalapeno just raw like that? A whole mouthful of cream cheese? But I was completely off. Because really, when you’re stuffing with cream cheese and wrapping with bacon, it’s hard to go wrong.

The thing about Greenling is that because the produce is fresher, these jalapenos were much spicier than the ones at the supermarket; even after I removed the seeds and membranes, it still had a bit of a bite after grilling. So if you’re very spice-averse, keep them around for a few days before using them. The flavor will be much more sedate. Personally, I prefer the not-sedate version.

This recipe yields 16 bite-size appetizers, so it was fine for a barbecue with 5 people. Adjust the amounts as you need to though.

Ingredients:

• 8 jalapenos
• 3 oz. cream cheese
• 8 strips of bacon

Directions:

• Halve each jalapeno and remove the seeds and membranes. I also cut off the stem so that people could just pop the whole thing in their mouth and not worry about where to put it after they’ve eaten the rest of the jalapeno (the reason why I don’t eat olives at parties).
• Spoon cream cheese into the empty half of each jalapeno, then wrap the bacon around the cream-cheese stuffed jalapeno and secure with a toothpick.
• Grill over high heat until the bacon is crispy.

Photos not by me, but by the fantastic Brian! Thanks, bud!

Verdict:
Like I said before, hard to go wrong here. The bacon is crispy and salty, the jalapeno is crunchy and has a hint of spice (the grill and cream cheese tone down the spice factor, so it’s not like you’re eating a raw jalapeno), and the cream cheese is melty and cooling. It’s a perfect bite-size munchie to nosh on while your main meal is grilling.

Grilled Candied Beets

[Printable Recipe]

I know beets didn’t come in our boxes last week (and haven’t for a while), but I always hear of people looking for good recipes for beets, so I thought I’d share this one.

I was lucky enough to get to the farmer’s market when we were at my parents’ beachhouse. It’s still pretty cool up there, so they have lots of veggies that we got in our Greenling box earlier in the year, like beets and spring onions. I have trouble figuring out what to do with beets during the summer, as they’re great roasted but it’s way to hot for that now. Instead, grilling them in indirect heat gives the same flavors you get from roasting. If you want to slice them and stick them on the grill directly, that would be great too (albeit a much different flavor).

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch beets (I used chioggia, or candy-cane striped, beets for this. They’re a bit smaller and milder than red beets.)
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Pam spray

Directions:

• Preheat the grill to ~350 degrees (medium heat).
• Wash and peel the skin off of the beets, then cut them into quarters. This dish doesn’t use the greens, so reserve them for something else.
• Spray a piece of foil with Pam, then put the quartered beets, sugar, and salt in the foil.
• Fold it up in a package and place on the grill in indirect heat.
• Grill for ~30 minutes until the beets can be pierced easily with a fork (though not mushy!) and there is a syrup at the bottom of the foil package. Serve immediately, or let cool and eat at room temperature.

Verdict:
You know how beets can taste a bit earthy? There’s really no earthiness in these beets. Instead, they’re subtly salty and not-so-subtly sweet; I ate mine while scooping up the sweet syrup from the bottom of the foil packet.

Based on my experience with these, I’m going to start experimenting with beets in other sweet incarnations. Anyone have any ideas? I’m thinking a cobbler. Sorbet or ice cream may be a bit much.

Blueberry Crumb Cake

[Printable Recipe]

My parents came to visit us here in Texas a few months ago, and one of the things that my dad absolutely can’t resist is a good breakfast cake. He’ll sit there and slowly pick off the crumb topping (yes, he’s that guy!) until someone will call him out on it and make him cut off a piece for himself. This is a great way to use the influx of blueberries that we’ve been getting in our Local Boxes recently.

Keep in mind that in order to prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake, you’ll need to toss them in flour before folding them into the wet ingredients.

This cake fits a 9″ springform pan.

From Ina Garten, via Smells like Home

Ingredients:
For the crumb topping:

• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1/3 c. light brown sugar, lightly packed (I used dark brown sugar)
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1-1/3 c. all-purpose flour

For the cake:

• 6 Tbsp. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 c. granulated sugar (I accidentally used closer to 1 c. Pesky 1/3 cup measuring scoop!)
• 2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest (I used clementine zest, as I didn’t have any lemon in the house — the horror, I know.)
• 2/3 c. sour cream
• 1-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling (Completely forgot this step.)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter and flour a 9-inch round springform pan. Set aside.

For the crumb topping:

• Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl.
• Add the melted butter, then the flour. Stir well and set aside.

For the cake:

• Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time until combined, then add the vanilla, zest, and sour cream. Mix to combine.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Toss the blueberries in the flour until they are all coated (this will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake), then gradually add to the wet ingredients.
• Pour the batter into the springform pan. Crumble the crumb topping with your fingers over the batter.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes (mine took closer to 55 minutes) until a knife or toothpick poked in the center is clean when removed.
• Let cool, then sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve.

As you can see, I didn’t toss the blueberries in flour and they all sunk!

Verdict:
We all really liked this cake. I made it on Friday morning to serve on Saturday morning and again on Tuesday morning, and it was so moist even days later. Since I didn’t toss the blueberries in the flour when I originally made it, the blueberries sunk to the bottom, so the presentation isn’t as nice as it could be in the picture above, but the taste is spot on. It’s not too heavy and the perfect accompaniment to a morning latte.