Local Box Meal Plan: Dec. 7-11

Now that I’m back, I can’t wait to start getting Greenling boxes again! I’ve supplemented with veggies from the Pearl Farmer’s Market, but there’s something to be said for local produce on your doorstep.

What I like about local, seasonal produce is how it seems like what you’re “supposed” to eat is what’s available. The first night of Hanukkah is on Friday, and this week we’re getting potatoes and onions (the key ingredients in latkes) and apples (for applesauce). Maybe it’s a coincidence, but I’d like to think otherwise.

This week, we’re getting red potatoes and yellow onions from Naegelin, sweet Italian peppers from Lundgren, apples from Top of Texas, beets and icicle radish from My Father’s Farm, cucumbers from Home Sweet Farm, Bibb lettuce from Bella Verdi, Louisiana scallions from Acadian Family Farm, rainbow baby carrots from Animal Farm, and Hachiya persimmons from Indian Hill.

For Hanukkah dinner on Friday, I’m making:

• Brisket with baby carrots
• Latkes with red potatoes and yellow onions (I’ve been sworn to secrecy so I can’t share my family’s recipe, but I’m sure googling will produce lots of recipes for you to try!)
• Applesauce
• Bibb lettuce salad with cucumbers, scallions and radishes

For the rest of the week, I’m making:

• Arugula salad with roasted beets and goat cheese
• Stuffed pepper casserole
• Persimmon bread (if the persimmons aren’t ripe enough, I’ll store them in a paper bag on the counter for a few days. They need to be quite ripe for baking.)

If anyone saw Top Chef last week, Kevin made what looked like a very cool puree from the carrot tops, so I’m going to try my hand at something like that under a panseared fish. Don’t want to waste good produce!

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

[Printable Recipe]

I first made pot roast last year, when my husband introduced me to his mom’s recipe and my slow cooker. =) It’s one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made, and always turns out really well. Since Greenling sent us turnips and red potatoes last week, I thought it was a great way to use them on one of the cooler days we had.

I sometimes serve this with mashed potatoes (as I did this time), but I also have chopped them and cooked them with the meat in the slow cooker. Keep in mind that if you cook the potatoes in the crock pot, the gravy tends to be thicker since the potatoes are so starchy.

I also usually sear the meat before putting it in the crock pot, but after doing some research online, I decided to skip the extra step this time.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lb. beef for slow roasting (I use chuck most of the time)
• 2 medium or 1 large onion(s)
• 1 small bag of baby carrots or 3 large, peeled carrots
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 c. beef stock
• 1 lb. turnips
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Directions:

• Optional: sear meat in olive oil in a pan over high heat. It takes about 3 minutes per side to get a nice brown texture.
• Roughly chop the veggies. Put all of the veggies and the garlic in the bottom of the crock pot.
• If you’re searing the beef, after it has finished browning, put it on top of the veggies in the stock pot. If not, put the meat on top of the veggies in the stock pot, making sure that the fattier side is facing up (so that the fat drips over the meat and veggies while it cooks. Yay for self-basting!).

• Mix the cornstarch and stock together and pour over the beef and veggies. Usually I make this with beef stock, but since I was making a dish with chicken stock later in the week and I knew I would have extra left over, I used chicken stock this time. The end result is the same.
• Cook on low for 8 hours. After 8 hours have elapsed, shred the meat with 2 forks. It’s easiest to do this directly in the slow cooker. It should be really tender and shred easily. Let it stand in the juices for about 30 more minutes before serving.

• Let stand in the juices for about 30 minutes more. I chose to serve this with mashed potatoes (cut the potatoes into chunks, boiled them until tender, drained them, mixed in the KitchenAid with warm milk and butter).

Verdict:
Always a winner! From now on, I’m going to skip the searing. It’s a messy extra step that I can really live without in the mornings before work.

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.

Carrot-Ginger Soup

Soup in June? Oh, yes. I’m usually freezing in the summer when it’s 100 degrees outside. My office cranks the A/C way up, so I’m often craving soups come lunchtime. There’s a cute little deli near my office that makes fantastic carrot-ginger soup, so I thought I would re-create theirs at home.

The carrots I used in this soup came from our Local box and they were HUGE! Each one had to be at least 18 inches long.

From A Full Belly

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1/2 c. minced onion
• 1/4 c. minced peeled fresh ginger
• 3 c. chicken stock
• 4 c. peeled and sliced carrots (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1/2 c. orange juice
• 1/2 c. half-and-half
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg (I used more like 1/4 tsp.)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and ginger with some salt and pepper and sweat them for ~5 minutes, or until the onions become translucent.
• Add the chicken stock and carrots and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for ~30 minutes.
• Remove the soup from the heat and puree with an immersion blender or food mill.
• Put back on the burner and add the half-and-half (so pretty when you swirl it into the soup!), orange juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Bring back to a simmer before serving. This can be made a day in advance and refrigerated.

Verdict:
That picture totally does not do it justice. This soup is beautifully light orange in color and is flecked with spices in the same way that you know vanilla bean ice cream is good because it has vanilla beans running through it. =) It’s such a warm soup, not only because of the temperature but because of the ginger and cinnamon. It’s truly comfort food, but doesn’t have the same heaviness that most comfort foods do. It also freezes well, so save some for a cold, rainy day!

Slow Cooker Goat “Bourguignon”

A few weeks ago, I picked up some goat meat on a whim at the Pearl Brewery farmer’s market in San Antonio. I had been reading a lot about it, but found it in local grocery stores. I’m so glad I tried it; I am now a total convert and preach the marvels of goat to anyone who will listen.

It was frozen (for food safety reasons, most of the meat sold at the farmer’s market is frozen), so using the slow-cooker was a great solution. If it wasn’t frozen, I would have browned the goat in some bacon fat before putting in the slow-cooker. This by no means is a traditional “bourguignon,” but it uses many of the same flavors. I kind of just dumped whatever reminded me of traditional boeuf bourguignon in the slow-cooker.

This is the kind of dish into which you can add whatever comes in your Local Box that week. Last time I made this with green garlic and red spring onions; this time I had a ton of carrots and used the pattypan squash. If you have mushrooms, those would be fabulous too. I’ve included the basic recipe, but the intent is that you improvise with whatever’s in season/on hand.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of carrots, peeled and chopped into medium-sized chunks
• 1 large onion or a few spring onions (either red or yellow, though I used red) chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/2 bottle red wine (I used a French burgundy.)
• 1-14 oz. can low-sodium beef stock
• 1-6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1 lb. goat stew meat
• 1/2 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper

Directions:

• Put the chopped vegetables and the herbs in the bottom of the slow-cooker, then add the tomato paste and liquids and stir well.
• Add the goat so that all of the pieces are covered in the liquid, then add the salt and pepper.
• Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, then on low for 2 hours (alternatively, low for 8 hours — 9 if it’s frozen — would be okay also).

Verdict:
This was PHENOMENAL. I’ve made boeuf bourguignon in the slow-cooker before using a similar recipe, but the goat was much more moist and flavorful. The goat was more flavorful than beef, but not game-y at all. I served this with garlic mashed potatoes (saute ~3 cloves of garlic in butter, then add milk or buttermilk to the skillet to heat through, then add to the boiled potatoes and whisk everything in a stand mixer until smooth), so it was nice to have so much sauce with it, but if you want a thicker gravy, stir about 1 tsp. cornstarch into the beef stock before adding to the slow-cooker.

Local Box Meal Plan for June 8-12

We’re moving on Saturday, and we’ve been packing up my kitchen little by little. I’ve been trying to keep as many things out as possible, but it’s hard to convince my husband that I’ll need the tagine or the immersion blender in the next few days. As such, I’ve been keeping our meals as simple as possible, not only because there isn’t much to cook with, but also because with all the packing we’ve been doing, I’m exhausted!

So I’m keeping the meal plan really straightforward. Greenling is sending us sorrel from Tecalote, blueberries from Cary’s Berry Best, cucumber from Buena Tierra or My Father’s Farm, green beans from Animal Farm, patty pan squash from Naegelin, mango from G&S groves, basil from My Father’s Farm, peaches from Caskey, sweet corn from Acadian, and French carrots from Tecalote.

Check out what I’m making — rather, “preparing:”

Sunday Brunch (that’s if my nonstick pan makes it out of a box):

• Sorrel omelette (you can use sorrel in place of spinach in many recipes, and my favorite omelettes have spinach, mushrooms, and lots of good cheese)

Lunch:

• Green salad with sorrel, basil (I love putting herbs in my salads!), carrots, cucumbers, sweet corn and patty pan squash

Dinner:

• Cashew chicken stir-fry with green beans
• Pasta with basil pesto (basil pesto freezes really well, so if we don’t get around to eating it, it’s not a big deal)
• Goat “bourguignon” with French carrots

Snacks (I’ve enticed those helping us move with pizza and beer, but just in case they want something a bit healthier):

• Blueberries
• Mango
• Peaches

Are you making anything fun with your sorrel this week?

Local Box Meal Plan for June 2-6

Just got word of this week’s Local Box contents! We’ve got green tomatoes (Ringger Farm), sweet corn (Acadian), italian cucumber (Buena Tierra), green beans (Animal Farm), patty pan squash (Naegelin), carrots (Tecolote), mangoes (G&S Groves), peaches (Caskey), beets (Tecolote), and blackberries (Naegelin). So this week, I’m making:

Snacks (sometimes it’s best just to eat these as is!):

• Mangoes
• Peaches

Lunch:

• Carrot-ginger soup (I’m one of those people who’s freezing no matter how hot it is outside.)

Sides:

• Grilled corn salsa
• Pickled beets
• Oven-fried green tomatoes (recipe to come in the Local Box)
• Spicy Asian cucumber salad

Dinner:

• Pasta with zucchini and toasted almonds (instead of zucchini, I’ll use patty pan squash and green beans)

Dessert:

• Blackberry ice cream

As a Yank, I’m pretty excited about the green tomatoes! How do you make green tomatoes? Got any family recipes to share?

Local Box Meal Plan for May 25-29

I’m late! I’m sorry. Having holidays on Mondays totally mess up my internal clock, leaving me to think that Tuesdays are really Mondays and so on. I realized this afternoon that today was actually Wednesday and I needed to get my Greenling meal plan going!

In this week’s box: blackberries (Naegelin Farm), cucumber (Buena Tierra), carrots (Tecolote), green beans (Acadian), summer squash (Naegelin), elephant garlic (Montesino), leeks (Acadian), mangoes (G&S Groves), peaches (Caskey), and garlic chives (Tecolote).

So for the next few days, we’re having:

Weekend brunch:

• Crepes with blackberries and fresh whipped cream (that’s if my husband doesn’t eat all of the blackberries before I can take them out of the green box — come on, I know you’re guilty of doing this, too!)
• Buttermilk biscuits with goat cheese and chives

Condiments:

• Tzatziki with cucumber and Greek yogurt (to be eaten with turkey meatball kebobs)
• Peach-mango jam

Dinner:

• Gnocchi primavera with garlic, green beans, carrots, and summer squash

Side dish:

• Polenta or mashed potatoes with leeks

What are you making this week?

Local Box Meal Plan for May 18-22

Hi all! Woman With a Whisk here. I’ve been a huge supporter of Greenling and their Local Boxes for a few months now, and I’ve been blogging how I’ve cooked out of my Local Boxes since then. Hopefully, I can share some interesting ways to use the produce that comes to us each week, and I expect to learn new things from you also!

Each week, I’ve been making a meal plan to figure out how best to use the Local Box contents. I find that without planning, it’s hard to use some of the more esoteric items before they spoil. Besides, I get a huge kick trying to use as many local ingredients/Local Box produce as possible in one meal. Don’t we all?

So without further ado, this week’s meal plan. In the current Local Box: blackberries, golden zucchini, green beans, dandelion greens, carrots, red spring onion, mangoes, beets, and red potatoes. Where I’m using recipes, I’ll link to them. Otherwise, the recipes are either in my head (waiting to be blogged!) or are common enough that you may have your own.

This week, I’m planning on making:

Breakfast:

• Blackberry pancakes (though this verrine would make a wonderful dessert for a special occasion or dinner party)

Sides:

• Zucchini cakes
• Sauteed green beans tossed with soy sauce and sesame oil
• Roasted red potatoes with rosemary

Lunches:

• Dandelion greens salad with roasted beets, goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette (I’ll roast the beets and potatoes in the same pan the night before, then peel and cut up the beets when they’re cool for lunch the following day)

Dinners:

• Slow-cooker goat stew (made just like a basic beef stew) with carrots and red onions
• Ginger chicken stir-fry with mango chutney and red onion tops

If my husband would go anywhere near it (he hates mussels), I would make mussels with dandelion greens and linguini for dinner. Mmmmm. This recipe uses beer instead of white wine, which is an interesting twist on the usual.

Edited on 5/19: The Local Box video for this week is on Facebook here (you don’t need to be a Facebook member to check it out!). Turns out that we’re not getting red potatoes, but we are getting broccoli and swiss chard or red leaf lettuce. I’ll still roast the broccoli with the beets, and maybe wilt the swiss chard or use the lettuce to make lettuce wraps (since I’d also like to make dumplings this week!). Have fun!

Local Box Lookout, week of 04.20.2009

Here’s what to expect in this week’s Local Box:

• Swiss chard
• cabbage
• herbs
• mushrooms
• spring onion
• garlic scapes
• carrots
• zucchini
• turnips
• berries