Tag Archives: CSA

Spicy Eggplant Pasta

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The beginning of this week was much colder than I was mentally prepared for. It’s that awkward time of year where I’m not sure how to dress myself and am in complete denial that Summer is over. I’ve also avoided turning my heat on, as that means I am accepting Winter is on its way and that my bills are about to get higher. Well this week despite the cold weather, I refused to give in! I wrapped myself in a big blanket and made this spicy eggplant pasta to warm up. This recipe was also great because it took all of 15 minutes to make and was super delicious. A perfect weekday meal!

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1/2 box thin spaghetti
1 small eggplant, cubed
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 small shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, for serving

Saute the garlic and shallot in some olive oil until softened. Add the bell pepper, eggplant, and a touch more olive oil. Cook for about 5 minutes. Pour in the diced tomatoes, followed by the pepper flakes, paprika, and sherry vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste, then cook for another 5 minutes over medium heat. In the meantime boil your pasta per the box instructions. When the pasta is ready, strain and add to the tomato mixture, coating all the pasta with the sauce. Plate and serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese!

Leek & Arugula Risotto With Pancetta

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I’ve never made risotto before, mainly because I thought it always sounded so time consuming to make. But I am happy to report that it doesn’t take that long and is totally worth the end result. The pancetta with the runny egg reminded me a little carbonara, which I love. I think my favorite thing about this recipe was that I tossed in some lemon juice and zest which ended up giving it really nice flavor.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
3 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 oz pancetta, chopped
1 large garlic clove
1 cup sliced leeks
3/4 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup water
Juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3/4 cup chopped arugula
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 eggs

Start by bringing the chicken broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Keep on low.

In a heavy saucepan, cook the pancetta in a little olive oil. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Next, saute the garlic and leeks in the leftover pancetta drippings until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and and stir for another 1-2 minutes. Next add the the water, lemon juice and zest, and cook until liquid is absorbed. Add in 1/2 cup of the hot chicken broth and cook until liquid is absorbed, then repeat until all broth is used. You want to be stirring constantly. The rice will be soft but will still have a little firmness to it when finished. Toss in the pancetta and arugula.

To poach the eggs, boil some water in a medium sized pot. Add about a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (helps make them fluffy) and swirl the water with a spoon to get a little whirlpool going before pouring the eggs in one at a time. Cook for about :30-:45 seconds before removing them with a slotted spoon. I usually lift them slightly out of the pot and gently poke the centers until it feels a little firm but runny in the center.

Plate the risotto and top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and your poached egg!

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Homemade Sweet Potato Ravioli With Watercress Pesto

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Making your own pasta isn’t as hard as it sounds! I’d like to experiment more with different flours and techniques when I have some extra time, but these quick raviolis were a nice start. The sweet potato with the peppery watercress were nice together. I’m looking forward to my leftovers tonight!

Pasta Dough:
1 1/5 cups all purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
Ice cold water (as needed)
1 egg, beaten

Filling:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 whole garlic cloves
1/2 small white onion, chopped into chunks

Pesto:
1/2 cup pecans (I used what nuts I happen to have, but pine nuts or walnuts work too!)
1 cup watercress
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 the juice of one lemon
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 garlic clove
Salt and pepper, to taste

Start by making the dough. On a clean surface, mix together the flour and salt, then make a little well in the center. Add the eggs and olive oil to the center and whisk with a fork. Start scooping bits of the surrounding flour into the whisked eggs. Once all the flour is mixed in, start shaping it with your hands, adding small amounts of cold water as needed. Continue kneading for about 5 minutes. After a while you’ll notice that it pretty firm and no longer sticky. Wrap in saran wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

**Alternatively, you can place all the dough ingredients into a food processor! If the dough seems dry at all, add a little cold water until you achieve the right texture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle the sweet potato, garlic, and onion with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until fork tender. Place in a food processor with a splash of olive oil and blend until smooth. Cover and set aside.

For the pesto, place everything in a food processor and blend until smooth, adding more olive oil as needed. Salt and pepper to taste.

Once the pasta dough is ready, cut it into quarters. One chunk at a time (while the others stay covered as to not dry out) pass each portion through the pasta machine until 1/16 inch thick. Dust with flour and continue with the other pieces. Next, brush two pieces of your rolled dough with the egg wash. Scoop teaspoons of the sweet potato mixture onto one side of the dough, keeping each dollop about 1 inch apart. Top with the second piece of dough, and use your fingers to press down around each mold of filling. Using a knife or pastry cutter, cut between each piece to make the individual raviolis. Dust with a little flour and set aside.

Get a large pot of salted water boiling, and add about 10 raviolis at a time. I like to add a tiny bit of olive oil to my water to prevent the pasta from sticking together while cooking. Plate and top with pesto, a drizzle of olive oil, and some fresh Parmesan cheese!

Roasted Corn & Poblano Chowder

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There’s been so much sweet corn at the farmers markets the past few weeks, and it’s been making me want corn chowder. So I finally made some! I didn’t want it to be super creamy and heavy, so I only used a bit of cream and kept it thinner. Overall it was a chowder success!

Ingredients: (serves 3-4)
3 ears of corn, cut off the cob, reserve cobs
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 leek, chopped
4 red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups reserved corn water (see in recipe)
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
3/4 cup half & half (or cream)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the corn and poblano peppers on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, or until the corn is slightly browned. In the meantime, get a pot of water boiling and add the potatoes and reserved cobs. Boil until the potatoes are fork tender, but careful not to overcook or they won’t hold up later when added to the soup in the end. Strain the potatoes and toss the cobs. Set the water aside for later use. Next, saute the garlic and onion and some olive oil for about 2-3 minutes, then add the leeks and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Lastly, toss in the roasted corn and peppers, followed by the thyme, chicken broth, 2 cups of the reserved water. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat down low add the cream, paprika, salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes more then serve!

Sausage & Kale Stuffed Acorn Squash

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There is a restaurant in NYC (Zero Otto Nove) who have this amazing appetizer that I could eat mounds of. It’s very simple – butternut squash, sweet sausage, and Gorgonzola cheese. When I got a big acorn squash in my CSA bag this week, I though I would try to recreate something similar. I roasted the squash and mixed half of it into the sausage mixture, then stuffed put it back into the squash shell and roasted it for a bit. It was delicious and totally reminiscent of my favorite little dish!

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1 small acorn squash, cut in half & seeds removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
2 cups kale, chopped
2 sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese, for serving
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle the acorn halves with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place face down on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until fork tender. Set aside to cool slightly. Next, in a large pan saute the garlic and onion in some olive oil until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Crumble in the sausage and cook until browned. Lastly, toss in the kale and cook until wilted. Remove half of the squash filling and add it into the sausage mixture. Combine well, then add the butter and Gorgonzola cheese. Fill both squash halves with the mixture and place back in the oven for about 10 minutes. You can also broil for a few minutes to crisp the top a little. Serve with some fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Okra & Tomato Pizza + Beet Sausage & Onion Pizza

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Last night I gathered all my items from this weeks CSA bag and headed to my friends house. We decided to make a few pizzas to have with our bottle bottles of wine. The first pizza had more of a southern style, with okra, shallots, and fresh heirloom tomatoes. The other pizza was made with these AMAZING beet and pork sausages that Meghan got from The Meat Hook. The sausage was so good we decided to just add some onions and cheese and let it shine on its own. Both came out amazing! To save us time, I bought the dough from a local pizza shop in the neighborhood for a few bucks. Thanks Meghan and Daniel for having me over for the 700th time this year!

Ingredients:

Okra Pizza:
1 small pizza dough
Tomato sauce
6 large okra, chopped 1/4 inch thick
2-3 small heirloom tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallot
1 large garlic clove, chopped
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh Parmesan cheese, for serving

Sausage Pizza:
1 large beet sausage (available here)
8 oz fresh ricotta
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
4-5 small fingerling potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh Parmesan cheese, for serving

Preheat the over to 425 degrees.

Start by rolling out the dough on a floured surface. I used one large ball of dough and split it in half, as I like my crust on the thinner side. Place on two lightly floured baking sheets and set aside.

To make the okra pizza, simply cover the bottom with about 1/4 cup tomato sauce, then layer with sliced mozzarella, fresh tomato, okra, garlic and shallots.

For the sausage pizza, start by cooking the onion and garlic together in a large pan until the onion is a bit translucent, then crumble in the sausage and cook thoroughly. Set mixture aside and cook the potatoes in the same pan until slightly golden on each side. Spread a good amount of ricotta cheese on the dough, followed by some fresh mozzarella. Top with the sausage mixture and sliced potatoes.

Cook both pizzas for about 15-20 minutes or until the dough begins to crisp and the top is bubbling (and your mouth is watering.) If you used a larger ball of dough for each, you may need to cook a few minutes longer. Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper, then slice and serve with some grated Parmesan cheese on the side. Bon appétit!

Zucchini “Pasta” With Garlic & Tomatoes

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I finally bought a spiralizer and have been making “pasta” out of any vegetable that enters my home. Well those that can be spiralized anyway. My favorite is the zucchini “zoodle” though. It’s amazing how it totally satisfies your pasta craving without eating the real thing. I also like how the vegetables soak up a lot of the sauce, making them very flavorful. If you don’t have a spiralizer yet, I would definitely recommend getting one!

Ingredients: (serves 1)
1 large zucchini, spiraled (with spiralizer, or julianned by hand)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped leeks
1/4 white onion, finely chopped
Olive oil
10 cherry tomatoes
good pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a good amount of olive oil in a large pan and add the garlic, onion, and leeks. Cook for about 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the tomatoes begin to burst, about 5 minutes. Toss in the zucchini and mix well. Continue to cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the zucchini is tender. Serve in a large bowl with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Eggplant Parmesan Hero

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Eggplant is one of my favorite things to eat. Cover it in tomato sauce and cheese and I’m even happier. So it was surprising to me that I had never made eggplant Parmesan before! And now that I have, I am fighting the urge to cook it every night for dinner. It was SO GOOD, and not as hard to make as I was anticipating. The coating and frying of the eggplant takes a little time, but it’s worth it. You can toss the leftovers over pasta or just eat it alone in a bowl. I was going to only eat half of the sandwich for dinner because it was so large, but I ate the entire thing. NO REGRETS!

Ingredients: (serves 4)
1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 tablespoon salt
3-4 eggs, beaten
All-purpose flour, for dredging
2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup olive oil
12 oz mozzarella, sliced 1/4 inch rounds
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh basil, julienned
Fresh rolls

Tomato Sauce: (or use store bought sauce if you like!)
28 oz crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Good pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place the sliced eggplant in one layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle both sides with some salt. This will remove some of the bitterness. After about 10 minutes, rinse well with water and pat dry.

While the eggplant is doing its thing, make the sauce. Simply place the crushed tomatoes in a saucepan with the garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon crush the tomatoes even more and cook for about 5 minutes. Set aside. **I like some tomato pieces in my sauce, but you can use pureed tomatoes if you prefer!

Have your eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs in three separate bowls. Heat 1/8 of an inch of oil in a frying pan until simmering. Have a wire rack ready with some paper towels underneath, or a baking sheet – just something to catch or absorb any drippings from the fried eggplant. First dip the eggplant in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs, and fry about 5 pieces in the pan at a time. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Make sure the heat isn’t too high or they’ll burn! Place each piece on the wire rack when finished, then repeat with the remaining eggplant.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rub a little olive oil inside a 10-inch baking pan to prevent sticking. Cover the bottom with a single layer of eggplant, overlapping them a bit. Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce over the eggplant, followed by some of the fresh basil, then top with mozzarella slices and a few tablespoons of the grated Parmesan cheese. Repeat until all eggplant is used. Cover with foil and place in oven for 40 minutes, then remove foil and cook for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and a little golden. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before assembling the sandwich. Slice the rolls and place them in the oven to crisp them a bit, about 3 minutes.

Stuff the rolls with the eggplant and EAT!

Tomato and Corn Galette with Goat Cheese

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A saw a gorgeous tomato galette the other day and decided that was what I wanted to make this week when I got a huge heirloom tomato in my CSA bag. I packed it full with corn, shallots, tomatoes, dandelion greens, and goat cheese. My sister gave me the great idea to add some cornmeal to the crust, which I ended up LOVING. One of the many perks of having a sister who went to culinary school!

Ingredients:

Galette Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup corn meal
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, chopped into cubes
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water
1 egg, for brushing

Filling:
1 ear of corn, cut off the cob
1 shallot, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 large heirloom tomato, sliced
1 cup dandelion greens, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
Good pinch red pepper flakes
4 oz goat cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Start by making the crust. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, corn meal, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or use your hands. If using your hands, you simply want to roll the butter chunks between your fingers with the flour until it resembles the texture of small peas. In a separate small bowl, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, and water. Add this to the flour/butter mixture and mix with your fingers until a dough forms. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for at least an hour.

When the dough has been in the fridge for about 40 minutes, start making the filling. Add some olive oil to a pan and cook the garlic and shallots for a minute or so, then add the corn and cook for about 4-5. Make sure not to overcook the corn as it will continue to cook in the oven. Next, toss the dandelion greens, basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes or so then turn off the heat and set aside to let cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about 12 inch circle and transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. It doesn’t need to be perfect, the best thing about a galette is the more rustic it looks the better! Crumble a good amount of goat cheese on the bottom, leaving a 2 inch boarder. Add the corn mixture, followed by the slices of tomato and a little more goat cheese crumbles on top. Fold in the sides of the dough, leaving the center open. Brush edges of dough with the egg wash, then place in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the tomatoes have cooked a bit. Top with a little fresh cracked pepper and enjoy!

Sweet and Tangy Bread & Butter Pickles

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I am a huge fan of anything you can pick out of a jar and eat. My fridge is filled with pickles, olives, marinated mushrooms, stuffed hot peppers… the list goes on. So when I got cucumbers this week in my CSA bag, I figured I may as well just go nuts and add some some bread & butter (sweet) pickles in there too! They’re very easy to make, and if you’re planning to keep them in the fridge to eat over the next few weeks, you get to skip the step of sterilizing the jars. On the other hand, if you’re planning to jar and store these to eat later down the road, you’ll definitely want to bake or boil the jars prior to adding your pickles. Here is a nice little lesson on how to do that from Food52.

Ingredients:
2 medium cucumbers, sliced (not too thin!)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 shallot, sliced
1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/8 teaspoon turmeric

Place the sliced cucumbers in a bowl and add the salt. Mix well so the salt is evenly distributed. Cover and place in the fridge for one hour. Remove and rinse well with water. Place the cucumbers and shallots in another large shallow bowl. Next, in a medium saucepan the white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, white sugar, brown sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric. Cook and stir over medium heat until the sugars have dissolved. Pour the liquid over the cucumber and onions and let sit for 1 hour until room temp. Transfer to your jar(s) and plop right in the fridge. Your pickles will be good to go within 24 hours!