Today, we went to Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden for the Orchid Festival.
Let’s see how long this orchid lasts.
New art @ the garden: Sheep herd 1
What To Do With A Box Of Vegetables: CSA Box #5
2011 CSA Box 5
7 fair trade bananas
6 oz. blueberries
1 lb. local Florida strawberries
2 heads broccoli
4 carrots
1 bunch rainbow chard (swapped in place of the green leaf lettuce listed for a half share)
1 bunch local Florida dino lactino kale
1/2 lb. sugar snap peas
1 pint sweet colorful mini peppers
1 1/2 lbs. purple potatoes
1.1 lb. roma tomatoes on the vine
How I Used My Share
I used the broccoli in a riff on Rice with Roasted Cauliflower from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc At Home.
I used the kale in a ragout with roasted tomatoes served over Chris’ Bomb Ass Grits.
The grits were so good, we decided to make them again for company; this time using the chard, sweet peppers and some of the 17 tons of onions we have accumulated over the past month or so.
I also made a killer butternut squash, spinach and sausage concoction this week using ingredients from previous boxes.
I made a simple stir-fry to clean up the rest of the veggies using carrots, sugar snap peas, and onions.
Unfortunately the tomatoes rotted before I figured out what to do with them and I’m on berry overload. Since I haven’t even looked at the strawberries, I can guarantee they have rotted in the crisper. I should really do something about that.
My DH recently started running again, so he has been the best kind of banana disposal. Which is great, because I’m a little burnt out on fruit in general.
My Favorite Recipe From This Box
Has to be the grits.
1 Year Ago
8 oz. local Florida strawberries
6 oz. blueberries
5 fair trade bananas
1 golden sweet pineapple
1 head cauliflower
1 bunch lactino kale
4 roma tomatoes
1 head local Florida cabbage
1 bunch local Florida celery
3 large carrots
5 yellow onions
8 russet potatoes
1 bunch green chard
2 sweet potatoes
What I Made: Pommes Chef Anne, green curry, pasta pepperonata, veggie biryani with cashews, lentils with cabbage, kale and sweet potato stir-fry.
March 11, 2011
Devita’s, a little Argentinian pizza, salad & sandwich cafe up the street. I love the local art on the walls, laid-back vibe and window lighting only during lunch.
The Best Damn Grits I’ve Ever Tasted
These grits are good. Like jump-up-and-smack-yo-momma good. Better than the stone ground fancified grits at my favorite restaurant good. And the best part? I can have them any time I please. This is another comfort dish my DH has taken and made his own. Love it when he does that.
Chris’ Bomb-Ass Grits
2 cups milk (we use 2% Horizon Farms Organic)
2 cups water
1 cup yellow grits (we used Arrowhead Farms organic yellow corn grits)
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. grated parmesan
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Pour the milk and water into a saucepan on medium-high. Cover & wait for the milk to boil. When it does, add the grits & salt and kick the heat down to medium. Stir constantly (yes, constantly means what you think it does) until the grits look like a thick soup, approximately 8 mins.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring only every 2-3 minutes until the grits thicken and fall nicely from the spoon, 7-8 minutes. You’re not looking for crazy thick here, just a nice thick but not concrete consistency.
When the grits reach that golden consistency, start stirring constantly for a little longer until they become creamy, fluffy & soft. Turn off the heat.
Add the parmesan, butter, pepper & red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Taste for salt and add if needed.
Serve with anything. We’ve had them with a great slow cooked ragout of mini bell peppers, onion and swiss chard and a plain topping of fire roasted tomatoes with kale.
To make the pepper & onion ragout: slice 1 pint mini bell peppers into 1/4 inch thick rings, 2 cloves garlic and 2 small white onions into thin slices. Sautee, stirring frequently to avoid burning, over medium heat with 1 Tbsp. olive oil 20 mins. or until caramelized. Add 1 bunch chopped rainbow chard and 1/4 c. water and cook until chard wilts and water evaporates. Add 1 tsp. chipotle Tabasco sauce and sriracha (Chicken Sauce) to taste (for me, that’s a turn of the pan and a half). Salt & pepper to taste.
Serve over grits with thick batons of home made bacon.
If by some miracle you happen to have any leftovers, try this recipe inspired by Carla from Top Chef:
Fried Grit Fritters
Heat a medium pan on medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil.
Take roughly 1/4 cup of your now solidified grits and dump them on a plate. Carefully with either your hands or a spoon, smash and spread the grits out until they look like a free form pancake about 1/2 inch thick. It doesn’t matter if you have little cracks here and there; you’re looking for something that will more or less stay together in the pan.
Transfer carefully to the pan and fry until golden brown. Flip & repeat.
This treatment wakes the leftover grits up and gives them a pleasant, almost nutty taste.
March 10, 2011
Mmmmmm…… Hamachi Kama. Tonight we hit up CoCo Asian Bistro for a farewell dinner for a dear friend. He is moving away for awhile and although I know we will most likely always keep in touch, he will still be missed. And yes, I’m pouting about it, so there, J ;p Come back unless you find your dreams.
March 9, 2011
Counter seating at my favorite lunch sandwich spot: Yiya’s Bakery.
March 8, 2011
At the gym.
March 7, 2011
Stone pagoda at Tokyo Bowl, which has turned into our Monday night healthy restaurant go to spot.
March 6, 2011 – A Colaborative Dinner
We had one of our new friends we met through the Shoot Miami Meetup group over for a collaborative dinner.
The Spread
Apps
Home made duck prosciutto (more on that soon… I made it as part of Charcutepalooza and suffice it to say, it was a huge hit)
Bacon jam (made with my very own home made bacon, no less)
Goat cheese
Slow roasted tomato jam (also coming soon. I’m a bit behind) served with toasted flour tortilla chips.
Mains
Chris’s fantabulous grits with a slow-cooked ragout of mini sweet peppers, white onions and chipotle topped with batons of home made bacon
Kevin’s awesome lamb stuffed with herbs & garlic with a garlicky tzatziki sauce
Pitas & sundried tomato tortillas for wrap making
The meal was a complete success and I predict this is just the first of many future collaborations. 🙂
What To Do With A Box Of Vegetables: CSA Box #4
2011 CSA Box 4
6 oz. local Florida strawberries
6 oz. blueberries
5 Pink Lady apples
6 fair trade bananas
1 head cauliflower
2 lb. Red Bliss potatoes
2 red & 6 white onions
1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 small local Florida celery heart
5 oz. baby arugula
2 heads broccoli
1 bunch spinach
How I Used My Share
I was out of town during this two-week period, so we have gotten a bit behind.
I used half of the blueberries in the berry raviolis I made for Valentine’s Day. I also used half of the red bliss potatoes for that dinner in the smashed potatoes with bacon dust and the arugula was used up in my failed attempt at arugula spaghetti.
The spinach was used in the Pickle Me Pink Salad with the pickled beets from Box 3.
My DH used the broccoli, celery and a few of the onions up while I was gone inventing new spins on stir fry (isn’t he great?) and most of the rest we still have on hand.
The tomatoes unfortunately went to waste, as did one of the butternut squashes we had left over from I think Box 2.
My Favorite Recipe From This Box
I’ll have to say the beet salad.
1 Year Ago
8.8 oz. strawberries
6 oz. blueberries
2 Kent mangoes
8 Valencia oranges
1 bunch asparagus
1 zucchini
19 Crimini mushrooms
2 heads broccoli
1.5 lbs. fingerling potatoes
1 head Romaine lettuce
2 slicing tomatoes
What I Made: Lemon Smashed Potatoes, Mung Bean Mango Stir-fry with Cilantro Lime Coconut Sauce and Ten Minute Tasty Asparagus and Brown Rice.
Gastography 