CSA Shares – Page 3 – Gastography

Charred Corn & Leek Salad with Carrot Top Pesto

September 14, 2014September 14, 2014CSA Shares, RecipesLeave a Comment

Mmmmmm….. summer CSA corn. It’s not paleo, but damn is it ever good. And we’ve been swimming in it at our house – the best ears we’ve had in years, too. North Carolina Silver Queen, eat your heart out.

This salad is nutty and sweet from the toasting the corn gets and savory from the leeks – with a nice hit of smokiness from bacon and a side of carrot top pesto (waste not, want not) to round out the herbaceous notes.

Gluten-free

Charred Corn & Leek Salad with Carrot Top Pesto

2 ears corn
3 leeks
Coconut oil
2 Tbsp. carrot top pesto (see recipe below)
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground chipotle powder
2 slices thick bacon

First, char your veggies. Set your broiler to High, cover a cookie sheet with tinfoil and prep your veg. Shuck the corn and halve the leeks lengthwise (don’t forget to rinse). Brush with coconut oil and broil until charred on all sides – the leeks will be done first.

While the veggies are caramelizing, chop the bacon and fry. Drain and move to a large bowl. Add the vinegar, cumin, and chipotle. When the leeks and corn are browned to your liking, remove from the broiler and let cool a bit. Chop the leeks and add to the bowl. Remove the corn kernels (I shave off one side, flip onto the flat side and chop down the side of the ear as close to the cob as possible) and add to the bowl. Toss. Add the pesto, toss and taste for seasoning.

Serves 2 as a side dish if you use smallish corn and leeks.

Carrot Top Pesto

1 small bunch carrot tops (about 1/2 c.)
Olive oil
3 Tablespoons parmesan (optional)
1.5 tsp. citrus juice (I used lime)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper

Add the carrot tops, parmesan, red pepper flakes and a generous pinch salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Process until broken down. Add olive oil in a stream while the machine is running until you get the consistency you want. Add the lime juice and give another couple whizzes. Taste for seasoning and add more if necessary.

Makes enough to double the salad recipe.

What To Do With A Box Of Vegetables: Paisley Farm Box 14

September 10, 2014CSA SharesLeave a Comment

This year’s CSA is from Paisley Farm, a 25-acre operation located in Tivoli, NY. Paisley Farm grows organically and plants with the chef in mind. The 22-week CSA runs from June – October and I purchased the standard vegetable share. This share includes 8-9 vegetables and herbs per week (8-12 pounds) – enough to provide a family of three with 3-4 dinners’ worth of veg. The price equals out to $25 per week, the cost of which will be accounted for in my weekly Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking posts.

Paisley Farm 2014 CSA Box 14

6 bell peppers

6 ears corn

1 bunch collards

A bunch of Japanese eggplant

5 heirloom tomatoes

1 pint sungold cherry tomatoes

1 head lettuce

3 yellow cucumbers

2 slicing cucumbers

6 bonus peaches

Leftover From Previous Weeks

Japanese Eggplants
Bell Peppers
Heirloom Tomatoes
Corn
Romaine Lettuce
Kale
Carrots
Zucchini

How I Used My Share

I roasted the eggplant for use here and there tucked into recipes where I want a little body and can hide the texture from the hubbs.

I roasted most of the tomatoes so they wouldn’t spoil. If I don’t use them in dinners, I’ll end up snacking on them.

I froze a crapton of peppers for use later.

I used the leftover zucchini in lunch one day to beef it up, along with half the collards.

I used a pepper, some broiled eggplant and some of the carrot in an asian-inspired ground turkey bowl.

I made a charred corn and leek salad with carrot top pesto, which I served with broiled pork belly.

I made “burrito” wraps out of the rest of the collards and stuffed them with slow cooker beef, bell pepper and carrots.

I made another salady thing with raw corn and roasted peppers to serve with slow cooker beef for dinner.

And I served corn on the cob with burgers and a tomato butter another night.

I also ate peaches and sungold tomatoes out of hand for snacks.

Waste: 1 head lettuce, 1 tomato.

My Favorite Dish From This Box

Hmmm… either the collard wraps or the charred corn and leek salad. Both were delicious.

Next Week

Going into next week, I have: a couple small carrots, some peaches, 1 ancient bunch kale, 2 ears of corn, roasted tomatoes, roasted eggplant, 1 fresh bell pepper, bunches of frozen bell pepper, 2 big slicing cucumbers, and 3 yellow cucumbers.

What To Do With A Box Of Vegetables: Paisley Farm Box 13

September 3, 2014CSA SharesLeave a Comment

Paisley Farm 2014 CSA Box 13

6 green bell peppers

5 ears corn

1 bunch kale

2 globe eggplant

10 heirloom tomatoes

1 quart sungold cherry tomatoes

1 head lettuce

Leftover From Last Week

Carrots
Spring garlic
1 bunch leeks
2 zucchini
Japanese eggplant
4 peaches

How I Used My Share

I ate peaches and tomatoes for lunch (with variations) for lunch pretty much every day.

I made a big batch of my favorite Ketchup for Grownups with the rest of the tomatoes.

I snacked on bowls and bowls of Sungold Sweet tomatoes.

I served 2 ears of corn with steaks and a tomato/shallot/basil salad.

I perfected my zucchini fry recipe with most of a zucchini.

I had a raw bell pepper / leftover eggplant dip snack.

Wasted: 1 head lettuce, 1 zucchini

My Favorite Dish From This Box

I’m still stuck on the pulled pork + daikon kimchi tacos I had most nights last week. This week, I mixed it up by adding lots of sliced peaches and sriracha. Delicious. The (decidedly non-paleo) corn on the cob was a welcome weeknight side dish, and I’m thrilled to have finally not screwed up baked zucchini fries (recipe coming soon!).

Next Week

Going into next week, I have: carrots + carrot greens, a couple of peaches, 4 green peppers, a mess of broiled Japanese eggplant, 1 bunch kale, 1 bunch leeks, 3 ears corn, and part of a zucchini.

What To Do With A Box Of Vegetables: Paisley Farm Box 12

August 27, 2014CSA SharesLeave a Comment

Paisley Farm 2014 CSA Box 12

3 green bell peppers

4 cucumbers

2 bunches swiss chard

Japanese eggplant

6 heirloom tomatoes

1 pint sungold cherry tomatoes

1 small bunch carrots with tops

5 peaches

1 head lettuce

Leftover From Last Week

Carrots (non-CSA)
1 green pepper
Spring garlic
2 bunches leeks
1 zucchini
6 globe cucumbers

How I Used My Share

I cooked 1 bunch leeks with some lemon and chicken thighs and served with a simple salad of carrots and green pepper.

I used 1 cucumber + 1 tomato in a Korean inspired salsa for game night.

I cut up another cucumber + some carrots and 1 pepper to use as dip vessels for game night.

I used some of the eggplant I broiled last week to make a silky, luxurious dip for game night.

I ate the rest of the tomatoes with peaches for lunches.

I chucked the rest of the cucumbers because they were getting a little soft. And I was tired of looking at them.

I completely wasted the two bunches of chard, since I haven’t really been cooking this week – we have had pulled pork tacos with leftovers from game night 2 nights in a row now. This is not helping use any veggies.

And I wasted a head of lettuce.

My Favorite Dish From This Box

Well, since I really haven’t made anything using CSA veggies for dinner yet this week, I’d have to say last Thursday’s vaguely Asian chicken/leek combo with shredded carrot & pepper salad. The chicken was actually really delicious and I should try to re-create it for the blog.

Next Week

Going into next week, I have less ancient carrots, 4 peaches, 2 green peppers, 1 bunch leeks, a bunch of Japanese eggplant, and 2 zucchini.

I plan to broil up the eggplant so I have a bunch on hand to toss into recipes that need a little creaminess and I hope to finally perfect my zucchini fry recipe to share with you guys. I also want to find something to do with those carrot tops. The peaches will most likely be eaten with lunch. And I really need to make myself make something other than pork tacos for dinner tonight – possibly involving the green peppers and a sweet potato.

What To Do With A Box Of Vegetables: Paisley Farm Box 11

August 20, 2014CSA SharesLeave a Comment

Paisley Farm 2014 CSA Box 11

6 green bell peppers

Cucumbers

2 zucchini

Japanese eggplant

1 bunch Swiss chard

2 heads red leaf lettuce

Leeks

6 Heirloom tomatoes

Leftover From Last Week

Carrots (non-CSA)
1 heads lettuce (wasted)
1 bunch dandelion greens (wasted)
2 bunches leeks
Scallion heads
Spring garlic
1 zucchini
3 round cucumbers
5 skinny cucumbers

How I Used My Share

I used most of the tomatoes in lunch salads with peaches and leftover meat.

I used a zucchini trying to perfect my zucchini fries – which I served with sauteed peppers & pork chops.

I used 3 peppers and the chard in stuffed peppers.

And in true 11th hour form, I finally made pickles with 2 of the cucumbers and roasted off all the eggplant to be used later in the week.

I wasted 2 heads of lettuce by not making dinner on Monday (I had actually planned on making a salad for dinner, which will now be made with next week’s lettuce).

I wasted 5 cucumbers by not jumping on pickles sooner.

I finally pitched the scallion tops.

And I pitched the shriveled beets in the crisper.

My Favorite Dish From This Box

I didn’t really end up cooking dinner on Monday, so I’d say my favorite of the week was the stuffed peppers.

Next Week

Going into next week, I have ancient carrots, 2 green peppers, spring garlic, 3 bunches of leeks, 3 zucchini and 6 globe cucumbers.

Unstuffed Indian-Spiced Eggplant

August 16, 2014December 29, 2014CSA Shares, RecipesLeave a Comment

This past week, I was ~~plagued~~ blessed with a ginormous eggplant. How ginormous? Bigger than my freaking head. I happen to like eggplant, but my DH? Not so much. The last time I made him eggplant that wasn’t blended to obliteration or diced and fried, the poor guy put a bite into his mouth and it tumbled out toddler-style. The texture of any type of summer squash is tricky for him – eggplants quadruply so. But, we love CSAs. So I have to get tricky. This dish circumvents the eggplant sponginess by first baking it (like you would if you were making baba ganoush) and mixing it into the finished dish until it is almost indistinguishable from the rest of the ingredients. Win!

This is not a quick meal. If you are looking for a quick dinner, make the eggplant a day ahead. Bonus: if you have a bunch of eggplant, cook up a whole tray – eggplant “guts” can be used in a bunch of different dishes – like, say, this pasta sauce or Strange Flavor Eggplant dip).

Gluten-free, Paleo, and Whole30-compliant

Unstuffed Indian-Spiced Eggplant

1 Italian eggplant (the blackish purple kind)
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 an onion (about 1/2 a cup chopped)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
Salt & black pepper
1/2 cup cashews
1 bunch kale
1/2 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
Citrus

Cut the eggplant in half length-wise and salt. Let hang out in a colander 1 hour to release a bit of juice and kill the bitterness. Preheat your oven to 350 and prep a baking sheet with tinfoil.

Bake, face up, until soft and slumpy (about 20 mins – 1 hour, depending upon how large your eggplant is).

While your eggplant is working, tackle the stuffing. In a large pan, heat the coconut oil. Add the onions and sautee, stirring, 1-2 minutes or until they just start to go translucent. Add the beef and cook, breaking up into smaller and smaller bits, until mostly broken up. Add the spices, along with a few cracks black pepper and generous pinches salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned.

While the beef is going, crunch your cashews up and slice your kale into ribbons.

Now would be a great time for your eggplant to be done. When it is slumpy and soft, scoop the “guts” out.

Add the eggplant guts, cashews and kale to the pan with the beef and stir to combine until the kale starts to wilt and everything fits into the pan without spilling all over the stove.

Add the coconut milk, stir to combine and taste. Add more salt/spice if needed. Cook 5-7 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Finish with a sprinkle of citrus (I used the juice of 1/2 a lime). Serve.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch.

What To Do With A Box Of Vegetables: Paisley Farm Box 10

August 13, 2014CSA SharesLeave a Comment

Paisley Farm 2014 CSA Box 10

2 bunches leeks

1 bunch swiss chard

1 bunch dandelion greens

2 zucchini (huge zukes)

1 huge eggplant

4 lemon cucumbers

1 head green leaf lettuce

Heirloom tomatoes + a green tomato

Leftover From Last Week

Carrots (non-CSA)
1.5 heads lettuce (wasted)
0.5 bunch dandelion greens (some was wasted)
2 heads kale
1 spring onion
Spring garlic
1 bunch leeks
2 pattypan squash
1 zucchini
4 cucumbers
4 beets

How I Used My Share

I used 1 head of kale + some zucchini in a harissa pasta with chicken.

I used tomatoes in lunch pretty much every day, along with some watermelon and peaches I bought. Sometimes I included a cucumber.

I made fries out of 2 zucchini.

I used the chard and 1 bunch of leeks in a hash with fingerling potatoes.

I stuffed the eggplant with ground beef and kale.

I made fried green tomatoes + pattypan squash for lunch one day.

My Favorite Dish From This Box

My zucchini fries weren’t as big a hit this week, so I’m still tweaking the recipe. That chicken/kale/zucchini harissa pasta I made was pretty successful.

Next Week

Going into next week, I have ancient carrots, 1 pathetic looking head of lettuce, 1 sad bunch of dandelion greens, a few shriveling beets, 2 bunches of leeks, spring garlic, scallion heads, 2 zucchini, 5 round cucumbers, and 5 skinny cucumbers.

Oh goody, more cukes & zukes. I really need to get on making some pickles this weekend or I won’t have any to foist off on my game night guests.

Chicken & Kale Zucchini Skillet with Harissa

August 9, 2014December 29, 2014CSA Shares, RecipesLeave a Comment

Yay for recipes that use up a chunk of my weekly CSA haul + contain protein. This recipe came about from a Google search for zucchini + kale. I stumbled upon this great looking zoodle/chickpea/harissa/egg combo and altered it to fit my non-chickpea-eating, protein-desiring dinner needs.

Gluten-free, paleo, whole 30 (check your labels!), easily made ovo vegetarian (just omit the chicken)

Chicken & Kale Zucchini Skillet with Harissa

1 lb. chicken thighs
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
4 cloves garlic
1/4 c. red onion
1 (14 ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
3 Tbsp. harissa (I used spicy Mina brand, which is W30-compliant)
1 Tbsp. cumin
pinch saffron (optional)
1 bunch kale
Zucchini (I used 1 huge pattypan squash – about 4 c. shredded)
1 egg per person
Salt & pepper

Chop your chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season liberally with salt & pepper and sautee on medium-high heat in the coconut oil until browned and cooked through.

While the chicken is working, prep the veggies. Shred the zucchini (I used the shredding blade on my food processor, but zoodles would be great here), dice the garlic and onion, and chop the kale into thin ribbons.

When the chicken is done, remove with a spoon and set aside. Add the onion and garlic to the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and let sautee until just softened. Add the tomatoes, harissa, cumin, saffron, and a pinch of salt and pepper and let cook a few minutes.

Add the kale, stir, and let cook until the kale gets nice and wilted.

Add the zucchini and toss well to combine. Add the chicken back and let cook 3-5 minutes, or until the zucchini has softened a bit. Taste. Season with salt & pepper if needed.

Create little pockets for your eggs – 1 per person. Crack the eggs into the wells, cover the pan, and cook until the whites are just set (4-5 minutes).

Serve.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch (with 3 eggs).

Paleo Summer Squash & Almond Fritters

August 2, 2014December 29, 2014CSA Shares, RecipesLeave a Comment

Score! This recipe a: used up 2 big zucchini from my overabundant CSA squash stash, and b: was tolerated (possibly even enjoyed) by my poor, long-suffering zucchini-averse DH. I call that a success in my book. And, since it’s a relatively quick and delicate-tasting side that can be dressed a bunch of different ways, I’m calling this the LBD of zucchini dinners.

I think I’ll be making it a bunch throughout the rest of this squash season.

Gluten-free, paleo, whole30, ovo vegetarian

Paleo Summer Squash & Almond Fritters

2 large zucchini or other summer squash (I used overgrown pattypan squash)
Onion (I used 5 large red spring onions – bulbs and lower stalks only)
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup parsley (this week’s CSA held curly parsley)
1 tsp. + sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 Tbsp. coconut oil

Shred your squash and add to a colander to drain. Sprinkle with sea salt and let sit 20 minutes to draw some of the water out.

Shred the onion while you’re waiting and add to a large bowl. Chop the parsley. Add the almond flour, egg, parsley, 1 tsp. salt and black pepper to the bowl.

When your squash is done hanging out, squeeze all the water you can from it and add 2 cups to the bowl. Mix well to combine and shape into patties. For this amount, I got 6 large patties.

Heat the coconut oil your largest skillet over medium-high heat. Once the hot oil has reached the temperature that a drop of water sputters when it hits the pan, gently add the patties – leaving room between each so they don’t steam. Cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until nicely deeply browned.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch as a side

Roasted Beet & Chard Greens aka “CSA Cleanup”

July 26, 2014December 29, 2014CSA Shares, Recipes1 Comment

Did you get a mess of beets in your CSA box this week? Want to know what to do with all those random greens? Roast them! This recipe saves beautifully and leftovers can be re-worked a million different ways. Just think of them like spinach. Would spinach be good here? Like, say, tucked into an omelette or as a nice burger topper? Yes? Use a hand full of these greens instead!

Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Paleo, Whole30

Roasted Beet & Chard Greens aka “CSA Cleanup”

A boatload of greens – I used the tops of 1 large bunch of beets + 1 bunch of rainbow chard (8 cups or so total)
Garlic – I used 10 cloves
Fat – I used a drizzle of olive oil because that’s what I had. Bacon fat would be luurvely here.
Salt & pepper
Optional: citrus juice or preserved lemon

Set your oven to 375. Prep your largest baking sheet with a foil liner.

Wash your greens and slice into inch or so thick ribbons. Arrange on the prepped baking sheet as evenly as possible.

Chop your garlic roughly and sprinkle over the greens.

Drizzle with fat.

Salt and pepper liberally.

Roast 20-30 minutes, or until the greens are slumpy and the garlic is beginning to brown.

Serve. These greens are fantastic with a shot of citrus juice or some preserved lemon.

Makes 2 huge dinner servings if you’re using these greens as the “bulk” of your meal or a bunch of little additions for other meals.

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