Indian Feast

We used at least half of this week's bag, plus some leftover beets and some local ground beef to make an Indian Feast. Check out these tasty recipes and photos.

Beet Chutney (from Alice Water's Vegetables)




Toss 4 whole red beets with a splash of olive oil and salt. Cover and roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes to 1 hour until cooked through. Let cool, peel and cut in 1/8" dice.
Combine beets with 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger, 2 tsp. finely chopped serrano peppers, 1 Tbs. vegetable oil, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. ground pepper, 1 Tbs. finely chopped cilantro, 1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar, 1 tsp. lime juice and 1/4 tsp. cayenne. Beet chutney is a tasty way to use beets and adds a nice punch of flavor to the other dishes.

Cucumber Raita (from 1000 Indian Recipes)


Mix together 2 cups plain yogurt, 2-4 cucumbers seeded and diced, 1 large tomato finely chopped, 1 fresh green chile minced, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 1/2 tsp. paprika, cilantro and mint.

Okra w/ potatoes and tomatoes

I am not a fan of okra. But, I found this recipe that makes it tasty. I think pre-baking the okra helps cut down on the slime factor.

1 1/2 pounds okra cut into 1/2 inch pieces tossed with vegetable oil and salt. Broil 3-5 minutes, then bake at 450 degrees 3-5 minutes. Set aside.

Peel and chop 2-3 yukon potatoes. Boil in salted water for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. In a mortar and pestle mash 1/2 tsp. garlic and 1/2 tsp ginger.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet. Add 1 small onion coarsely chopped. Cook 5 min. Add potato and cook 3 minutes. Add ginger garlic paste, 1-3 minced green chiles, 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro and okra. Cook 5 min.

Add 1 Tbs. ground coriander, 1 tsp. ground cumin, 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric, 1/2 tsp. salt and cook 5-7 mintes. Transfer to serving bowl.

Add 15-18 pear or grape tomatoes sliced in half to the hot pan to deglaze, about 2 minutes. Add them to the serving dish and tope with 1/4 tsp. garam masala.

Pan-Fried ground meat kebabs

In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat add 2 Tbs. chickpea flour and stir until golden. Transfer to a small bowl. Add 1 Tbs. coriander seeds to skillet and heat until fragrant and toasted. Add to bowl. Do the same with 3/4 tsp. cumin seeds and 1/4 tsp. whole black pepper. Add whole spices to mortar and pestle and pound until ground.

In a bowl add 1 pound ground beef and add ground spices, chick pea flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 firm roma tomato diced. Mix together.

Make 8 very thin 1/4" thick patties. Add oil to skillet and cook over medium high heat 1-2 minutes each side. Serve hot.

Open Sesame

Yes, we have been woefully neglectful of this blog but our CSA 2010 is in full swing - it is week 8 already which is totally crazy. Anyway, just wanted to share a very easy, very delicious recipe that originally is intended for spinach but we attempted with a mix of beet greens and chard with tasty results. So since we are getting a lot of greens, we think this recipe is a nice change of pace and could make even the most ardent green-hater or skeptic smile. It is from the book Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat by Naomi Moriyama which isn't exactly a cookbook but a great read with a lot of authentic japanese recipes.

One bunch of greens (book says spinach, but it is great with stronger greens)
2 1/2 tablespoons toasted and ground white sesame seeds (grind in a food processor, chopper or mortar and pestle til coursely chopped)
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 reduced-sodium soy sauce
Pinch of salt

clean greens. bring large saucepan of water to a boil and cook greens for about a minute, til they are slightly wilted and still green. drain and refresh under cold water. squeeze out excess water.

combine toasted and ground sesame seeds in a small bowl with the sugar, soy and a pinch of salt. stir until well-mixed.

cut the greens into 1-inch pieces, squeeze out excess water and place in a small bowl. pour the sesame mixture over the greens, toss well to combine.

makes a great side dish for any asian dish. we made miso sea bass and coconut rice and the greens matched beautifully. super yum.

Butternut Squash overload

Now that the Fall CSA deliveries have begun, we are starting the inundation of butternut squash and argula. Soon more squash will be bestowed upon us -acorn squash and pumpkins aplenty. Our first blog post was an arugula salad that is easy, delicious and the perfect way to use up the squash we are getting - sweet potatoes could work in this recipe, too.

Enjoy!

Blog Neglect, New Winery Opening

So sorry we have been neglecting the blog lately - we had a few weekends away and some random craziness. The summer share of the CSA is almost over and next week starts the Fall share. We've been pretty simple as of late with our cooking, just grilling up something and serving it with some sauteed greens and roasted potatoes. For a recent potluck party, we made a delicious recipe from Tyler Florence to use up the massive amounts of green beans (and their variations) that we've been getting. Definitely recommend if we get another batch this week. We also have a great recipe for lemongrass chicken that calls for green beans as well and will post that soon.

We are excited for the coming weeks of squash, arugula and other fall vegetables and will get back to posting recipes and other ideas to use them up deliciously.

In the meantime, just wanted to let everyone know about a new winery that is opening up in Amissville, Virginia - Narmada Winery. The grand opening is in November but every weekend until then, they are having tastings so if you get a chance to drive out to beautiful Rappahanock County, please stop by. The wines we have tried are very, very good and they match extremely well with spicier foods such as Indian or Thai.

Zucchini Tart

Our friend who is also doing the PVF CSA but at another location sent us this recipe for a zucchini tart. Can't tell what magazine it is from. She says it is super tasty and could also be adapted to use heirloom tomatoes. She is a great cook so we'll believe her - looks like a delicious weekend project.

Vegan corn chowder

This recipe comes from the Moosewood Daily Special cookbook.

Golden Summer Soup

1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 Tbs. canola oil
1 cup peeled and diced carrots
2 1/2 cups peeled and diced sweet potato
6 cups water
4 cups summer squash
2 cups corn kernels (about 4 ears)
1/2 tsp. turmeric
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp salt
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
freshly ground black pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsley or snipped fresh chives

Saute onion in oil for 2 min. Add carrots and 1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes, cook 2 min. Add 3 cups of water, cover, and bring to a boil, simmer 10 min, until potatoes are soft. Puree with immersion blender and set aside.

Bring the remaining 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the remaining sweet potatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Add summer squash, corn, turmeric, lemon juice, and salt, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in sage and reserved puree. Add pepper. top with parsley and chives.

We used potatoes instead of sweet potatoes. Delicious.

Yummy Corn Chowder

Yet another corn recipe, but want to take advantage of it while in season. Here is a tried and true recipe from the Hay Day Country Market Cookbook that we will definitely be making this weekend.

2 tbs unsalted butter
2 carrots, scrubbed and diced
3 scallions, white and light green parts finely chopped
1 1/2 cups diced red-skin potatoes (going to use the ones from CSA)
3/4 cup chicken stock
2 cups whole milk
2 cups grated sweet corn (about 8 large ears)
salt and pepper
chives for garnish (optional)

melt butter in heavy-bottomed soup pot. add carrots and scallions, and saute over medium-high heat until the scallions are tender (3-5 minutes). add potatoes and stock, bring to simmer, cover and cook gently until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes.

stir in milk and corn, return to a simmer, cook for 3 minutes. season to taste with salt and pepper.