Tomato-Mushroom Tart

[Printable Recipe]

We’ve been so busy lately, so I’ve been looking for quick meals that can be prepped ahead of time or made in Rachel Ray-style speed.

Greenling had passed along a recipe for a savory veggie tart a few weeks ago, and I thought a tart would be perfect for one of those hectic nights. It would come together quickly and allow us to use more than 1 veggie from our Greenling box (which is always a plus, as it’s hard to make it through the huge box with just 2 of us!).

Adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

• 1 pie crust, either storebought or homemade (here is my pate brisee recipe)
• 5 roma tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes, sliced thinly
• 1/2 lb. criminis, sliced thinly
• 1-1/2 c. mozzerella cheese
• 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Press the pie dough into a tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake the tart shell for 7 minutes.
• Remove the tart from the oven when it’s lightly browned and sprinkle 1 c. of the mozzerella cheese in the bottom.
• Toss the tomatoes and mushrooms with the olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper, then add the tomato-mushroom mixture to the tart on top of the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 c. of mozzerella cheese on top, then bake the tart for an additional 15 minutes until the cheese is bubble and the tart shell is golden brown.
• Cut the tart into wedges and serve warm.

I served this alongside a green salad with candied pecans and blue cheese. It felt very much like we were eating at a French bistro!

To candy pecans, just toss the pecans in corn syrup and brown sugar (~1 Tbsp. corn syrup and 1 tsp. brown sugar for a 1/2 c. of pecans) and a pinch of salt. They can be baked at whatever temperature your oven is at, but they do best at 350 for 8-10 minutes. I baked these with the tart at 400 for 5-6 minutes.

Verdict:
Gooey and bubbly from the cheese, juicy and sweet from the tomatoes: this tart was quite reminiscent of pizza, which is never a bad thing. I really liked the thyme with the mushrooms. While the original recipe called for basil, I thought the earthiness of the thyme and mushrooms would go really well together, and I wasn’t let down.

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.

Local Box Meal Plan: Sept. 28-Oct. 2

This week, we’re getting okra from Bradshaw Farms, summer squash, onions and red potatoes from Naegelin, bell peppers from My Father’s Farm, elephant garlic, portabello mushrooms from Kitchen Pride, tomatoes from McCall Creek Farm, herb from Pure Luck, pears from Lightsey, lettuce from Bluebonnet Hydroponics and green Meyer lemons from G&S Groves.

So I’m making:

Side Dishes:

• Grilled Portobello and tomato tart with herbs
• Summer squash and potato gratin

Condiments (no idea what else I would call this?):

• Pickled okra — I had the best pickled okra at the Pearl Farmer’s Market this weekend and I was inspired to make my own.

Desserts:

• Pear-ginger sorbet
• Lemon chiffon cake

I’ll use the lettuce and bell peppers to put on my wraps for lunch, and the garlic and onion while making dinner.

Local Box Meal Plan: Sept. 21-25

It’s cold and rainy outside, so this meal plan reflects the weather! Lots of soups, stews and stick-to-your ribs food. You know as soon as I get my Local Box on Thursday we’ll be in the 90s again. Oh well.

This week, we’re getting sweet corn, summer squash from Naegelin, southern peas from Animal Farm or Lightsey, purple eggplant, herb from Pure Luck, tomatoes from McCall Creek Farm, lettuce from Bluebonnet Hydroponics, pears from Lightsey, a variety of citrus from G&S Groves, green chiles and serranos from Lundgren, and pickling cucumbers or radish from My Father’s Farm.

So I’m making:

Appetizers:

• Panzanella with cucumbers, tomatoes and herbs (crossing fingers for cucumbers and basil!)
• Eggplant and squash caponata on bruschetta
• Green salad with pears, blue cheese and candied pecans

Dinner:

• White chicken chili with hot peppers and southern peas
• Corn chowder

I use citrus in so many of my dishes that I can’t think of anything I won’t use it in!

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?

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.

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 Pizzas

Grilled pizzas are the closest you’re going to get to a wood stove at home, so it’s surprising that more people don’t grill their pizzas. Bobby Flay recently did an entire episode on grilled pizzas, and it’s no wonder — there are so many different combinations of things to put on there.

My husband likes to stay conservative with his, whereas I like to pile on the veggies. When the tomatoes are really ripe, we’ll forgo sauce and just use tomato slices. It turns out a bit more like flatbread than a normal pizza this way.

For the dough, I use the same recipe I blogged here. It’s quick and has a good texture for grilling (gets a bit crispier, rather than chewy). When you roll it out, brush canola oil on one side and put the pizza oiled-side down on a medium-hot grill. While it’s cooking, brush canola oil on the other side and flip the pizza after ~5 minutes of cooking. Add your toppings to the cooked side (which is now facing up) and cook for ~3 minutes on that side.

As you can see, I pile mine up with whatever veggies I can get. I used tomatoes and peppers from our Greenling delivery, plus criminis and red onions from the Pearl farmers market and mozzerella, olives and cilantro from the grocery store.

My husband went a bit simpler with his: sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, a few red onions here and there, and mozzerella.

What do you put on your pizza? Are you more like me and throw on everything you can, or are more like my husband and use more discretion in your topping selections?

Barbecue Side Dishes

We had some friends over for a barbecue this weekend, and these 2 salads rounded out the meal. Both can be outside for extended periods of time (the potato salad isn’t mayo-based), so it’s perfect for your 4th of July barbecue this weekend.

Potato Salad with Dijon, Red Onion, and Herbs
I love potato salad, but the ones that are mayo-based are always so heavy. This one packs so much flavor from the dijon and white wine vinegar, so the heavy dressing isn’t necessary.

I used the lemon basil from our Greenling box this weekend, but I’ve also used flat-leaf parsley when I’ve made this before.

Adapted from NY Times

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. dijon mustard
• 2 finely minced garlic cloves
• Pinch of salt
• 2/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 large red potatoes
• 1/3. c. finely minced red onion
• 4 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley or basil
• 4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:

• Remove the potatoes’ skin, if you like (I don’t). Cut the potatoes into small chunks. Boil for 10-12 minutes. Set aside.
• Whisk together the white wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Gradually add the extra-virgin olive oil. Set aside.
• Blend the flat-leaf parsley and red onion. Set aside.
• Thirty minutes before serving, pour the dressing over the potatoes and add the red onion/parsley mixture. Let the flavors marinate together, then top with goat cheese right before serving.

Verdict:
The salad is light, but very flavorful. The white wine vinegar and dijon give it a nice bite, and the goat cheese gives it a creamy mouthfeel. The parsley really brightens up the whole dish.

Macaroni Salad
This recipe is a remnant of my childhood when one of my favorite meals was pasta with italian dressing. Same concept, plus veggies.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. cooked short pasta
• ~1/2 c. Italian dressing
• Variety of veggies. I used a cucumber, a patty pan squash, a summer squash, and a pint of Juliette tomatoes, all of which came from our Greenling box this week. You could grill or roast them if you like, but raw is fine also.

Directions:

• Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat. Serve at room-temperature.

Verdict:
A completely different direction from the potato salad, this is a much simpler dish that really highlights the freshness of the veggies. It’s so quick to prepare and can be made a few hours in advance if you’re strapped for 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!