csa box: week 2!

We went through our first box quickly - I'm excited to see beets in this box, and while I normally buy as many extra beets as are available each week so I can make my favorite pickled beets, this weekend we have visitors, so I'm trying to keep my workload on the food front down. I have a bunch of fresh herbs and I plan to dry about half of them as well as make a batch of pickled daikon. Yum.

In our box this week:: beets, new garlic, kohlrabi, dill, snap peas, snow peas, broccoli, kale, romaine, leaf lettuce, daikon


My extras this week are:: mix of mushrooms, marjoram, lavender, sage, parsley, bag of basil

We are drying another bunch of lavender to make more goodies -- this week we made lavender bath salts & lavender sugar, and plan to make more of the bath salts as well as lavender honey this week. I think scones are in my future!

CSA Box - August 20

I've been seriously behind on posting my CSA boxes this month...as well as recipes. I have been working hard in the kitchen - preserving, freezing, canning, drying. Whew! It is a lot of work to try to preserve enough food to last through the winter, but I know it will be well worth it in the end. I do appreciate that there is this much work with modern conveniences - I can only imagine a century ago how gardening, food prep and preserving consumed so much of the year!

The week of August 20 we have a lot of goodies in our CSA box: cucumbers, several types of tomatoes and peppers, summer squash, onion, basil, sweet corn, beets, lettuce, and kohlrabi.


I also picked up some extras - cherry tomatotes, onions, beets, and dill. There has been a lot of pickling going on, so I have been going through a lot of dill and onion!

CSA Box This Week

This week in our CSA box: parsley, basil, pepper, onions, eggplant, beets, chard, beans and 2 types of lettuce!

We picked up a few extras again this week:


mushrooms, more beets & beans!

CSA Box This Week

Today was CSA day! In our box this week: beets, peas, beans, daikon radishes, broccoli, onions. basil, pepper, kale, 2 types of lettuce.


We also picked up a few extras. Summer squash, mushrooms and more kohlrabi.


This time of year means a lot of greens, and so that also means I've been busy blanching and freezing. More on that soon!

CSA Box This Week.

CSA Box Today:: snow peas, snap peas, purple beans, kohlrabi, spring onions, kale, 2 types of lettuce, chinese cabbage, garlic scapes, oregano, beets.


I also picked up a few extras at the CSA farm - mushrooms, more beets and some broccoli. Planning on making some beet kvass with the extra beets. Can't wait to see how it turns out!

CSA Box This Week - Week 2

In our CSA box this week: kohlrabi, swiss chard, red & green head lettuce, fresh garlic, fennel, kale, peas, garlic scapes, dill.

We have so many greens between our garden and CSA, but I think it is a good thing to have enough to share! The heat has been like a furnace all week, so the greens will be slowing down just as the rest of the garden is kicking into high gear. Can't wait!

::molasses-spice cookies::

We have been looking for a good dark cookie that the boys like but that isn't overly sweet or too spicy. Today we had success with these Molasses-Spice cookies. These are not the traditional molasses heavy cookies (my boys will not eat them!). These cookies are a little chewy in the middle, crisp on the edges, slightly sweet with a gingerbread richness. I love that they all cooked so perfectly and evenly - which is great for cookie exchanges or gift bags!

This recipe is slightly adapted from the recipe in this book. Rather than using all purpose flour we used an organic whole wheat pastry flour - which keeps the rich nuttiness of a whole wheat flour, while still being light and tasty. We also used a rich organic dark brown sugar, and organic turbanado for the granulated sugar.


::molasses-spice cookies::

ingredients:
2 1/4 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
Some extra turbinado sugar for rolling (the larger crystals are great)

directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375º F.
Stir the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices together in a bowl.
In your mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup turbinado sugar until light and fluffy - a few minutes on medium speed.
Scrape the sides of the bowl.
Add the egg, vanilla extract, and molasses. Beat until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
Slowly add in the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
Put some turbinado sugar in a bowl.
Roll dough into 1-2 Tbsp balls.
Rolls the balls in the sugar and put on ungreased baking sheets - space a few inches apart.
Bake for about 7 minutes and then rotate the cookie sheet and bake for an additional 4-6 minutes. For soft chewy cookies pull out when they still look soft - longer time means more crispy!
When you remove them from the oven let them cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet before removing to a cooling rack via spatula.



ingredient tip:
I always feel that if we are going to take the time to bake something sweet, then we should use the good stuff! We try to avoid using refined sugars. But with cookies, you need sugar! By using organic less refined sugars, you are retaining more of the natural vitamins and minerals present in the sugar cane, and not getting any chemical by-products of the refining process. Or, what she said:

"I was on the lookout for sweeteners produced from crops that had been farmed without chemicals and pesticides. I was looking for sweeteners that didn’t contain additives and preservatives, and were as close to their original source ingredient in form and flavor as possible. I want to spend my money supporting sustainably minded producers, working in concert with the environment and giving a fair shake to their workers in fields and factories to produce great tasting products and ingredients."

what we do for good food.

Today we drove out in this. Willingly. What for? To pick up meat, vegetables, eggs and more. No, not at the store. We continue to buy direct from farmers as much as we can - even throughout the winter.

So what did we get today? We had two stops to pick up peppers, sunchokes, parsnips, eggs, meat, and more (the photo below is our portion, we also picked up for a few other families too).


Even in December, we still buy meat, dairy, cheese, eggs, vegetables, wheat, honey - the list goes on - from farmers. People we know. I tell you - in the middle of a snowstorm a giant bag of vibrant colored and amazing smelling peppers is an awesome sight.

No, we don't put a lot of miles on doing it this way either. When we buy things I try to buy as much as I can at a time, try to include other families to get as much as possible in one trip, pickup from more than just one place per run, and set regular pickups for more regular things and do big quarterly pickups for the rest. There is so much that is close to home!


The boys are used to it all - they love the rides in the country, seeing friends at the door with coolers as we trade pickup days, visiting farms, and chatting with some of their favorite people along the way. And they love unloading the car when we get back - egg pickup day means maybe we can bake cookies! And G must ooh and ahh over the egg colors each time and sort and re-sort by color and size until he gets it just right.

And speaking of eggs - my friend and egg/chicken/duck lady extraordinaire loaned me her shop vac and all is well in the oven again (thank you!!!). I have been working on some recipes for baked goods using all whole wheat flour - I have a lot of catching up to do!

The final CSA Box!

Today was it! The final CSA pickup of the season. We usually also do a late November storage share, but did not this year and are instead relying on our garden and a few local farmers for our final stocking up and some regular pickups throughout the winter!

In our box this week: sorrel, brusselini, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, celeriac, squash, onions, turnips (purple top & hakuri).

In our box this week last year.

CSA Box This Week

Today in our CSA box...we haven't gotten much squash at all this year in our boxes. Winter squash is one of my favorite things, and I always look forward to it. Today we got only 1 small acorn squash and a mini butternut squash - not a good year for squash, it seems. I traded the mini butternut squash in our box for more brussel sprouts. The wonder of our garden is that we fill in the gaps of our CSA, can get quantity of our favorite items, and so even growing only 1 vine we already have a decent number of butternut squash stored away for this fall and winter!

In our box this week:: lettuce mix, arugula, beauty heart radish, leek, carrots, brussel sprouts, green cabbage, acorn squash, cilantro.

In our box this week last year.

CSA Box This Week

It is almost the end of our CSA season. Only one more week left - growing season does seem to fly in Wisconsin!

In our box this week: hakuri turnips, carrots, onions, potatoes, leek, parsley, romanesco, lettuce, and a head of garlic.


In our box this week last year.

CSA Box This Week

I sprained my ankle yesterday, so after a few trips hauling a sleepy 3 year old and our CSA cooler up the steps into the house I was a big shaky - I took 5 or so photos of the produce today, and all were slightly blurry. So, sorry about the blur - here is our box this week!

CSA Box: Lettuce salad mix, swiss chard, broccoli, hakuri turnips, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, thai basil. We also had arugula and mizuna greens, but I traded those for additional potatoes...we have so many greens this week already!



In our box this week last year.

CSA Box This Week

In our CSA box this week: romanesco broccoli, broccoli, 4 types of greens/lettuce, beans, cilantro, tomatillos, tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, cilantro.


In our box this week last year.

CSA Box This Week

My camera (or my 3 year old) magically ate the CSA photos this week and they *poof* are gone. So no pic! Ahhh well.

Here is what is in our CSA box this week: lettuce, brussel sprouts, turnips, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, radishes, napa cabbage, carrots.


In our box this week last year.

CSA Box This Week

One of my favorite things about Thursday is stopping at farm stands on the way to and from the CSA pickup. Each week we expectantly look on whatever table is set out front to see what is ripe and then stop to pick out some extras to supplement our weekly box or get goodies in season to preserve. Today we visited 3 farms.



We first stopped for our CSA box. Just down the road we stopped to buy some apples and pears. Our last stop was for mushrooms, onions and carrots! I like visiting each week to discover what is fresh and ready - I like not knowing in advance exactly what we will have, and then seeing what we can make with our haul!


In our CSA Box this week: lettuce, tomatoes, romano beans, napa cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, radishes, beets, carrots.


In our box this week last year.

CSA Box This Week

In our box this week: garlic, beets, radishes, basil, tomato, onion, cauliflower, lettuce.



In our box this week last year.

creamy corn soup.

This is the sweet corn time of year here - where every farm stand and roadside truck is selling mountains of corn. We have been picking up a few dozen ears of corn each time we pass our favorite spots, and have blanched and frozen a bit, but we usually just tear through it before we preserve much. Today we had another dozen ears awaiting us, so we made soup. This soup combines everything that is in season and available right now - and was SO good. Rich and creamy, but not heavy. So good!


::creamy corn soup::

ingredients:
4 cups fresh corn (we cut corn off of 8 raw ears)
4-5 medium potatoes chopped (a not too starchy type, such as yukon gold)
1 red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups stock
1 sheet kombu
2 tsp sea salt
3 tsp cumin
ground pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
minced cilantro
1 Tbsp coconut oil

directions:
In a large pot, put the coconut oil, garlic and onion, and cook on med-high for a few minutes until they start to go a bit transparent. Add the fresh corn, stir and let sauté for a minute with the garlic and onions. Add the kombu, stock, salt, cumin, potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and add milk - stir in a bit of the cilantro and add pepper to taste (more salt if needed, depending on your stock...). Serve warm with a little sprinkle of the cilantro over the top.



ingredients tip::

Corn is a good source of many nutrients including thiamin (vitamin B1), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus and manganese. Corn is also heart healthy - corn's contribution to heart health lies not just in its fiber, but in the significant amounts of folate that corn supplies.

salsa fresca.

I love tomato season. There is something about the work. The constant barrage of ripening, one day at a time. We have had some tomatoes. Made into sauces, stewed, sliced, whole, cooked, raw, in eggs at breakfast, as a sandwich at lunch, and a salad at dinner.

Today was salsa day. We have been making tomato basil salsa for the past week in addition to the non-stop pots making sauce on the stove top. But today? Cilantro. Jalapeno. Tomatoes. Onions. Garlic. Limes. Salt. Good spicy fragrant salsa. Yum. I don't like the pureed don't know what is in it mosh of a salsa. I like the chunky brightly colored salsa fresca. It is great with chips, spooned over many dishes, or just by the spoonful.

::salsa fresca::

1 jalapeno, finely minced
1 red onion, finely chopped
3 small garlic cloves, finely minced
8 or so med/lg tomatoes, roughly chopped
bunch of cilantro, chopped (to taste)
juice of 1 lime
sea salt to taste
1/4 tsp agave (to cut acid)

Chop and mix, let sit...the longer the tastier it is. Store in fridge for up to a week or so. It won't last that long.

CSA Box This Week

In our box this week: 2 types of lettuce, peppers, fennel, eggplant, cabbage, tomatoes.



What was in our box this week last year.

homemade marshmallows.

We had family over last night and wanted to sit outside with a fire. The boys of course wanted to make s'mores, but I am not thrilled with regular marshmallows. So, we made our own! They are easy to make, this makes a big batch, and they have a really nice flavor. The boys helped with just about everything, and were so proud to share their creation with all of the kids on our block last night as they joined us to roast marshmallows over the fire!

::homemade marshmallows::

.75-oz unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups turbinado sugar
2/3 cups organic light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
organic confectioners' sugar

Line a 9" x 9" pan with plastic wrap and lightly brush it with oil (I used coconut oil).

In your mixer/kitchen aid with the whisk attachment, put the gelatin in the bowl and add 1/2 cup cold water - stir a bit, let soak for about 10 minutes.

In a small pan, combine the corn syrup, sugar and 1/4 cup water - bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute.

Pour the boiling mixture into your gelatin bowl and turn on the mixer to high. Add the salt and let it beat for 12 minutes on high. When the 12 minutes is up, add the vanilla and beat together. Add any color you would like too - we added some blue.


Using an oiled spatula, scoop the marshmallow into the pan (quickly!!) and smooth. Put another piece of oiled plastic wrap over the top and smooth out.

Let it sit for a few hours until set. We put ours in the fridge to speed it up a bit.

Once it is firm...put confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Take the marshmallow from the pan and remove plastic wrap. Cut into small blocks using a knife or scissors. Lightly roll each piece into the sugar (so it won't stick to everything). Store and eat!



This recipe is adapted from the Martha Stewart marshmallow recipe - we just used all organic ingredients, added color, and tweaked it a bit.



ingredients tip:
Look for a good quality gelatin, or try Agar-Agar, a plant based thickener similar to gelatin for cooking uses. If you use Agar, you will need to boil the water/agar mixture before using (while gelatin uses cold water soak).