Local Box Meal Plan: August 17-21

It’s that time of week again! We’ll be getting our Greenling Local Box on Thursday and I’ve got to plan for it.

This week, we’re getting chives (or mint) from Pure Luck, squash blossoms from Montesino, blueberries from Berry Best, pea shoots from Bluebonnet Hydroponics or Bella Verde, a pepper mix from Lundgren, okra or eggplant from Tecalote, squash from Naegelin, peaches from Cooper Orchards, lettuce from Bluebonnet, shallots and elephant garlic from Lundgren, and a Canary melon from Tecalote.

So I’m making:

Breakfast:

• Melon halves with cottage cheese (don’t knock it until you try it! Cottage cheese is a great source of protein in the early morning and it’s great when paired with a sweet melon like this.)

Side dishes:

• Grilled Caesar salad with garlic-rubbed grilled croutons
• Pea shoot stir-fry
• Fried squash blossoms stuffed with a chive-goat cheese mixture (if we get chives)
• Corn saute with jalapeno, okra, squash and tomatoes
• Peach-blueberry galette

And if we get mint instead of chives, I’ll be using that in one of the cocktails I’ll be serving at my friend’s lingerie shower this weekend. Champagne, lychee and bruised mint — yummy!

Have you come up with some creative ways to use your lettuce in recipes? I find myself eating it raw most of the time.

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 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!

Local Box Meal Plan: July 27-31

Greenling, you’re throwing me a curveball this week. Eggplant, okra AND figs? Lots of my favorite textures there. =/ Luckily, I’ve got a plan!

This week, we’re getting figs, blueberries from Berry Best, watermelon from Acadian, peaches from Cooper Orchards, baby leeks from Animal Farm, crimini mushrooms from Kitchen Pride, eggplant from Tecalote, okra from Acadian, sweet Italian peppers from Lundgren, cucumbers from Acadian, lettuce from Bluebonnet Hydroponics, and herbs from Tecalote. So here’s what I’m making:

Breakfast:

• Fig waffles
• Omelette with cheddar, leeks and mushrooms

Lunches:

• Baba ganoush (making it just like I make hummus, as David Lebovitz’s didn’t really do it for me) with pita chips
• Green salad with cucumbers and herbs

Side dish:

• Baked popcorn okra

Dinners:

• Goat stew with italian peppers and okra
• Bison steaks with a blueberry sauce

Dessert:

• Grilled peaches with French vanilla ice cream

Do you have any “problem” veggies that come in your CSA box?

Local Box Meal Plan for July 20-24

Sorry for the brief hiatus in weekly Local Box meal plans, folks. Between our vacation last week and it being a lazy summer, we haven’t needed a meal plan for the last few weeks. But I’m back with a few new ideas!

This week, we’re getting figs, red potatoes from Naegelin, jalapenos from Lundgren, blueberries from Berry Best, Middle Eastern cucumbers from Acadian, mixed onions, purple hull peas from Animal Farm, peaches from Cooper Orchards, mixed peppers from Lundgren, tomatoes, basil from My Father’s Farm or Tecalote, and hydroponic lettuce from Bella Verde.

So I’m making:

Breakfast:

• Eggs with garlicky skillet potatoes and onions (my husband’s actually making this one, as he made up this recipe himself!)

Lunch:

• Chopped grilled chicken on a salad of lettuce, chopped basil, cucumber, tomatoes, and peppers

Side Dishes:

• Purple hull peas (made how Branny makes her lentils) with pepper-spiked cornbread
• Stuffed jalapenos (you know, the ones with the cream cheese and bacon? We’ll take these over to a friend’s BBQ this weekend.)

Dessert:

• Fig ice cream
• Grilled peach and blueberry cobbler (yep, a cobbler made in foil right on the grill!)

Figs are a bit hard for me because I don’t care for them too much (blasphemy — I know! It’s the seeds. Too many seeds.), so I have to make them as palatable as possible. I’m thinking ice cream is the best way to do this.

How are you using your Greenling box this week?

Grilled Peaches with Blue Cheese and Honey

I saw this combo of blue cheese and honey on grilled peaches on Pinch My Salt, and I had to try it. You know how I feel about grilled fruit, and the fact that it had cheese only made it better.

Brush a pitted peach half with olive oil and grill for 5 minutes (skin side up). Immediately sprinkle blue cheese in the center so that it melts and drizzle honey over top before enjoying!

The robust flavor of the blue cheese was a great match for the sweetness of the peach and honey, which could have been quite overbearing if not tempered. Wonderful presentation and such a quick, flavorful (and light, even with the cheese!) dessert.

Peach-Oat Muffins

Muffins can be pretty unhealthy, but like most quick breads, they’re easy to lighten up. Most of my friends lighten up most of their baked goods with applesauce in place of oil, and I’ve started doing that as well. I also usually replace some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour to get eliminate some of the empty calories of AP flour.

I keep these in the freezer and toast them to defrost.

Adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. whole-wheat flour
• 1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 c. applesauce (the no-sugar added kind)
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 c. white sugar
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2 c. peaches, pitted and chopped (I didn’t bother peeling them.)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with baking cups. (You could spray the pan with Pam, but muffin liners cut down on the fat used in the recipe.)
• Combine the flours, oats, spices, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, combine the applesauce, oil, eggs, and sugars.
• Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir to combine. Fold in the peaches.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan (fill ~3/4 of the way to optimize the proportion of muffin body to muffin top — everyone knows the muffin top is the best part!). Bake for ~25 minutes. Cool in the pan for ~10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. If freezing the muffins, freeze individually for 30 minutes before storing them in a Ziploc freezer bag.

Verdict:

These remind me so much of a peach crisp, as it borrows many of the same flavors. The oats and whole-wheat flour lend an interesting difference in texture to the muffin, while the applesauce worked perfectly in place of oil. I didn’t use enough peaches for this; I only used the 2 that came in our Greenling box. While the peach flavor permeated the muffin, the peach chunks only appear in a few bites of each muffin. I’d use 4 large peaches next time.

Local Box Meal Plan for June 22-26

I’ve been in a cooking slump this week (I think it’s because of the move), which means that I neither got around to the green smoothie nor the grilled peaches this week. What can I say; peach pancakes won out over the smoothie!

At any rate, we’re getting peaches and blueberries in our Local Box again this week, so I have another shot. In addition, we’re also getting: pickling cucumbers from Acadian, blueberries from Berry Best, Juliette tomatoes from Acadian, summer squash from Walnut Creek, Beefsteak tomatoes from Urban Youth, lemon basil from My Father’s Farm or Acadian, onions from Acadian or Naegelin, LaSoda potatoes from Guinea Hill, peaches from Caskey, and sweet corn from Acadian or Richardson.

We’re getting 2 types of tomatoes this week, and I LOVE warm tomatoes. They’re my weakness. So you bet they’ll be finding their way to the grill!

So this week, we’re eating:

Breakfast:

• Banana-Blueberry-Oat Muffins
• A green smoothie

Sides:

• Beefsteak tomatoes stuffed with grilled corn salsa
• Potato salad (recipe to come in the Local Box)
• Pickles

Dinners:

• Grilled pizza with fresh mozzerella, lemon basil, Juliette tomatoes, and summer squash (if you’ve never grilled your pizzas, you have to try it. It’s my favorite way to make pizza!)
• My version of Good Stuff Eatery’s Obama burger with roquefort, bacon, and onion relish

Doesn’t that look SO good?! Believe me, it was.

With those grilled peaches from last week (hopefully) in there, too. They sounded awesome!

Local Box Meal Plan for June 15-19

Great news — we’ve successfully moved! And I now have 2 very important things: a much bigger kitchen and a grill. You’ll see that our meal plan this week reflects my excitement over the grill!

This week, we’re getting: blueberries (Berry Best), cucumber (Buena Tierra), green bell pepper (Buena Tierra), green beans (Animal Farm), yellow squash (Naegelin), leeks (Acadian), sweet corn (Acadian), red potatoes (Guinea Hill), peaches (Caskey), shallots (Lundgren Farms), and chard or kale (Naegelin).

So:

Breakfast:

• “Green” smoothie with bananas, blueberries, and chard or kale (google “green smoothie” for an explanation of what it is. I’ve never had one before, but it sounds great!)

Dinner:

• Whole-wheat penne with leek pesto and a crispy leek garnish
• Calabasita with sweet corn and yellow squash

Sides:

• Grilled green beans tossed with sauteed shallots
• Grilled red potato coins
• Cucumber-green pepper salsa

Dessert:

• Grilled peaches with blue cheese and honey

Anyone tried a green smoothie before? What do you think?

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?