Calzones with Grape Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzerella, and Basil Pesto

I love a good calzone. My favorite ones are loaded with fresh veggies, and when we got a huge bunch of basil and a pint of sweet grape tomatoes in our Local Box last week, I knew exactly what I was going to make.

A calzone loaded with fresh mozzerella, sliced grape tomatoes, and fresh basil pesto. I’ve already shared my pizza recipe with you here, so I’m sharing my basil pesto recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch of basil (~2 c. of leaves), stems removed
• 1/4 c. pine nuts
• 1/8 c. parmesan cheese
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• Heavy pinch of salt and pepper
• 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

• Process all ingredients except for the olive oil in the food processor. While the food processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto comes together in a paste.
• Scrape down the bowl and taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Process again to ensure all ingredients are well-combined.

Verdict:
Homemade pesto is infinitely better than storebought pesto, so I really encourage you to try it. It’s so easy, and you can control the oil and salt content all you want. And it tastes fresher, too! When eaten with fresh mozzerella and grape tomatoes, it’s hard to go wrong.

Local Box Meal Plan: Oct. 3-7

Fall is finally here — apples have started to make an appearance in our Local Boxes. I’m so excited.

This week, we’re getting Gala apples; pears from Lightsey Farms; persimmon; Bibb lettuce from Bella Verdi; cucumbers, Thai eggplant and dragon tongue beans from Animal Farm, yellow onions, red potatoes and either patty pan squash or zucchini from Naegelin; basil from Montesino, grape tomatoes, peppers from Tecalote, and radish.

So I’m making:

Lunch:

• Chicken salad with apples and pecans
• Bibb lettuce salad with cucumber, tomatoes and radish

Appetizer:

• Balsamic-glazed pear and goat cheese crostini

Side Dishes:

• Steamed dragon tongue beans tossed with sauteed garlic and basil
• Herb-roasted potatoes

Dinners:

• Roasted patty pan squash and eggplant with herbed chick peas
• Ale-braised sausage with peppers and onions (for our Oktoberfest party!)

Dessert:

• Persimmon ice cream

I’ve been hearing folks say they’re not sure how else to use persimmons. You can use them in salads, in baking, or as a topping for a savory meat dish. Do you have any persimmon recipes you love?

Panzanella Salad

[Printable Recipe]

I had the best panzanella salad at Redd in Napa and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about panzanella since then! It’s a perfect summer salad that uses tomatoes and cucumbers at the height of ripeness.

If you’re planning on making this in the morning and taking it for lunch, don’t toss the bread with the rest of the salad. It’ll become soggy and laden with dressing, which isn’t quite what you’re going for!

Some people toast the bread, others rub it with garlic, there are so many variations. I just like it plain, but it’s great to play around.

These quantities are for a large, entree-sized portion for 1 person. Feel free to scale it up or down as necessary.

From Epicurious

Ingredients:

• 1/3 loaf day-old Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 large tomato, trimmed and each cut into wedges
• 1 sliced unwaxed cucumber
• 1/2 cup sliced red onion (I didn’t have red onion so I subbed a white one. Red is so much better.)
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. red-wine vinegar
• 10 fresh basil leaves, shredded
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• In a mixing bowl, gently toss the ingredients together. Taste and adjust the ingredient levels as necessary.

Verdict:
So many wonderful flavors and textures in one dish! The bite of the red wine vinegar is a perfect match for the sweetness of the ripe tomatoes. Though the ingredients are so simple, it packs a huge flavor punch. It’s also a good base recipe, so if you want to throw other things in there (e.g., artichoke hearts, garlic) or substitute anything (e.g., shallots for red onions), it’s really forgiving.

Corn with Basil Compound Butter

[Printable Recipe]

It’s still raining, which ruined my plans to grill dinner last night. Grilling corn is so easy and imparts a nice charred flavor. I chose to use the second-best option: the broiler. It’s basically a grill, just inverted so the heat comes from the bottom instead of the top. Oh, and that fire business.

Ingredients:

• 4 ears of corn, still in the husks but trimmed of excess leaves and silk coming out of the top of the husk
• 2 Tbsp. butter, softened (If you forget to soften your butter ahead of time, you can microwave it on 30% power in 15 second increments. Just be sure it doesn’t melt on you.)
• 1 Tbsp. chopped herbs (I used basil, since that’s what came in our Greenling box. But chives, green garlic, or parsley might be nice too.)
• Few pinches of salt and grinds of pepper

Directions:

• Place the trimmed corn on a broiler pan or a rack on top of a baking sheet. Broil for 15-18 minutes, flipping the corn halfway through baking.
• While the corn is broiling, combine the butter, herbs and salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
• When the corn is finished (I test to make sure it’s done by peeling the husk and tasting a kernel), remove the husks and silk and spread with the herbed butter while still warm.

Verdict:
Herb compound butter is so easy to make and a great way to give a flavor boost not only to corn, but to biscuits, fish, chops, anything where you would use a finishing butter, really. The ingredients are endless, too. Adding red pepper flakes or minced garlic will give it a nice kick, while adding cumin or chili powder will impart a smoky flavor. Get as creative as you like!

Local Box Meal Plan: Sept. 14-18

I’m back! I’ve got loads to share about my trip, but in the meantime, I’ll tide you over with my plan for our Greenling Local Box this week.

This week, we’re getting pickling cucumbers, yellow squash and yellow onion from Naegelin, green Meyer lemons from G&S Groves, green peppers, portabello caps from Kitchen Pride, sweet corn, okra from Bradshaw Farm, herb/basil from Pure Luck, Bibb lettuce from Bella Verdi, tomatoes from McCall Creek Farm, and Texas pears from Lightsey.

I’m making:

Breakfast:

• Omelette with sauteed green peppers and portabellos

Side dishes:

• Grilled sweet corn with herb compound butter

Dinner:

• Creole okra with yellow onion and yellow squash (recipe to come in the Greenling box)
• Grilled sirloin and blue cheese Bibb lettuce salad with cucumbers
• Cold sesame noodle chicken salad with cucumbers

Dessert:

• Meyer lemon granitas with a candied Meyer lemon peel garnish
• Pear and almond tart

Meyer lemons are sweeter than normal lemons, so they’re great to use in desserts. How are you using yours?

Meat Sauce with Herbs

[Printable Recipe]

Adapted from Simply Recipes

This recipe takes a bit longer than my quick and dirty meat sauce recipe and I make it a day in advance, but it’s much more flavorful.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 1 lb. ground beef (we use 96% lean)
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 28-oz. can of tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• Handful of fresh basil, chopped, or 1 tsp. dried basil
• Handful of fresh oregano, chopped, or 1 tsp. dried oregano
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and a pinch of salt and saute for ~4 minutes.
• Turn the heat up a bit and add the beef, breaking it up into smaller pieces. You want it to brown, not steam, so don’t go mushing it around in the pan the whole time. Let it hang out.
• Once the beef is mostly (but not fully browned), break it up into really small pieces and add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute.
• Add the remainder of the ingredients and turn the heat to low. Adjust the seasonings for your taste. Cover the pan and simmer for about 1 hour, but it can go for longer. If the sauce reduces too much, add water; if the sauce needs to be thickened, add a bit more tomato paste.

Before it reduces.

• After the sauce has reduced, remove from the heat and let cool. Serve the following day over pasta with plenty of parmesan (I guess you could serve it the same day, but the flavors won’t be as complex).

Verdict:
I love meals like this that take about 10 minutes of actual hands-on cooking time, yet yield such flavorful results. This is also a great meal for when you don’t feel like going shopping — I keep all of these ingredients in my pantry and freezer.

Local Box Meal Plan: Sept. 7-11

We’re actually going to be in Napa and Sonoma this weekend, so we won’t be getting a Local Box from Greenling this week. But I still have a few ideas for ways to use this week’s box contents, so I thought I would share them anyway.

This week, we’re getting cucumber melon and lettuce from Bluebonnet Hydroponics; eggplant and long beans from Animal Farm; canary melon, edamame and a variety of peppers from Tecalote; Texan pears and black-eyed peas from Lightsey Farms; basil or herbs from Pure Luck; shallots from Lundgren; and okra from Naegelin.

Here’s what I would have made:

Lunch:

• Chicken salad with herbs and lettuce

Side Dish:

• Quinoa salad with edamame and black-eyed peas
• Sauteed okra with pancetta and shallots

Dessert:

• Pear and melon skewers with honey-cinnamon yogurt dip

Dinner:

• Minced pork with eggplant, peppers and long beans

I’m bummed we won’t be getting a box, but I can’t say that we won’t be eating and drinking well!

Local Box Meal Plan: Aug. 31-Sept. 4

I’m a little late with the meal planning post today — sorry!

In our Greenling boxes this week, we’re getting summer squash, yellow onion and red potatoes from Naegelin, basil and lettuce from Bluebonnet Hydroponics, crimini mushrooms from Kitchen Pride, microgreens from Bella Verdi, red long beans from Animal Farm, jalapenos and serranos from Lundgren, okra from Bradshaw or Arnold Farms, and black-eyed or purple hull peas and Texas pears from Lightsey Farms.

So I’m making:

Condiments:

• Hot pepper jelly (this is great on top of cream cheese at parties!)

Dinners:

• Stir-fry with mushrooms and long beans
• Black-eyed pea curry
• Grilled salmon in lettuce leaves with a sesame-dressed microgreens salad
• Potato and squash gratin with basil

Side Dish:

• Kutchi Bhindi (sweet and sour okra)

Dessert:

• Champagne-poached pears

I’ve never seen Chinese long beans before, let alone cooked with them. How are you using them?

Local Box Meal Plan: August 24-28

In our box this week, we’re getting blueberries from Berry Best, canary melon from Tecalote, basil from Montesino, herbs from Tecalote, limes from G&S Groves, lettuce from Bluebonnet Hydroponics, squash blossoms from Montesino, bell peppers from Tecalote or My Father’s Farm, eggplant from Tecalote, summer squash from Naegelin, baby leeks from Animal Farm, and garlic from Montesino.

We’re traveling to a wedding this weekend, so I’m trying to use up as many of the perishable items quickly.

For the morning before we travel, I’ll make a hearty fritatta with baby leeks, squash blossoms and herbs. I’ll also make grilled veggie sandwiches (made with grilled eggplant, summer squash, and bell peppers) spread with basil pesto to take on the plane.

When we get back, I’ll use the canary melon and limes to make agua fresca (probably add some ginger to cut through the sweetness) and a blueberry clafoutis.

In my neverending quest to cook lettuce, I found this recipe for lettuce soup. Seems a bit strange, but looks easy and tasty. Seems pretty healthy also!

Chicken Sausage Squash Boats

[Printable Recipe]

I have an unhealthy obsession with sausage (Exhibit A: here). It really is unhealthy, which is why I rarely have it, and when I do, I usually use chicken or turkey sausage. We’ve been getting plenty of summer squash in our Greenling boxes, and while slicing and grilling them or eating them on kabobs is great, this was a welcome change.

The recipe made a ton of filling, and even after I filled 8 zucchini boats, I still had plenty left over.

From Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

• 8 medium-sized summer squash
• 2 tsp. olive oil (I reduced the amount of oil from the original recipe.)
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c. chopped mushrooms (I used the other half of the portobello leftover from the chicken lettuce wraps)
• 1 lb. chicken sausage
• 2 Tbsp. dry white wine
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese (the original recipe called for 3/4 c., but it seemed like a bit much.)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ~1/2 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper (I also reduced the amount of salt and pepper since the original recipe called for ground turkey, not turkey sausage [which already has salt, pepper and spices added].)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the inside and reserve half of the squash innards. Set the squash halves in a baking pan with 1/4″ of water in the bottom (the water will help the squash cook more evenly).
• Over medium-high heat, saute the onion and garlic with ~1/4 salt in 1 tsp. olive oil for about 3 minutes, until they get soft.
• Add the reserved squash innards and mushrooms and saute for another 2 minutes.
• Remove the mushroom-onion mixture from the pan and add another 1 tsp. olive oil. Crumble the chicken sausage into the pan and saute until browned (~5 minutes). After it’s browned, add the mushroom-onion mixture back into the pan and toss together. Add the wine, tomatoes and basil, as well as the other ~1/4 salt and few grinds of pepper, and let cook for a minute or so more.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the egg and parmesan.
• Fill the squash halves with the sausage mixture and bake for ~40 minutes until browned.

Verdict:
This meal was unexpectedly light, even with the sausage, most likely due to all of the veggies and fresh herbs. The squash was tender but not mushy and the sausage was crunchy on the outside. The flavors were fresh and vibrant, even for a comfort food meal!

My tomatoes were pretty ripe and there was a bit more liquid in the pan than I expected, so I let it reduce for a few minutes before finishing with the egg and parmesan. Glad I reduced the amounts of salt and oil in this recipe — I didn’t miss either.