Green Tomato Curry with Potatoes and Garlic / Gruber Farm CSA Week 4

Do you want to know one of the best feelings in the world?

Okay, maybe not in the world, but at least in the kitchen.

Looking at a recipe and realizing you have all of the ingredients. Every single one. Thanks to being subscribed to a CSA, I have this feeling more often than I used to. While I’d skip over recipes if they called for an ingredient I didn’t typically buy, my CSA has encouraged me to try new fruit and vegetables that aren’t part of my regular diet. Green tomatoes are just one of the examples.

I’m 1/3 of the way through the Fall CSA with Gruber Farm and still getting Summery produce. Can anyone explain this to me? I guess I’m just disappointed because it’s October. But hey, the weather was pretty warm until yesterday, right?

In the box:

• watermelon
• eggplant
• spaghetti squash
• green peppers
• yellow squash
• green beans
• sweet potatoes
• heirloom tomatoes

Goodness grief, those tomatoes were not attractive. But let me tell you, with a dash of salt and pepper, they were divine. Moments after being disappointed in getting a box half full of Summer veggies, I was slapping myself. I ate a whole tomato in about 2 minutes and started daydreaming about warmer weather. Can we rewind to May please? And not just because I was still 27.

Back to the green tomatoes. My immediate reaction was to make fried green tomatoes, or, considering this is Hungry Meets Healthy, baked green tomatoes. I just wasn’t excited about the idea. And then came the Serious Eats recipe for Green Tomato Curry with Potatoes and Garlic.

I had everything it called for. I was working at home that day. It was a no brainer.

Green Tomato Curry with Potatoes and Garlic, adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 lbs. green tomatoes, cores removed, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 tsp. garam masala
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric

1. Pour the oil into a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until it is reddish brown, about a minute or so. Stir often, making sure it doesn’t burn.
2. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, garam masala, salt, and turmeric. Turn heat down to medium. Stir occasionally, and cook for about 10 minutes.

3. Pour in a cup of water. Scrap the pan with a wooden spoon, dislodging any browned bits. When the mixture comes to a boil, cover the skillet, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and tomatoes are tender. Stir every few minutes or so.

4. You want the final sauce to be kind of thick, so mash up a few of the potatoes and tomatoes with the wooden spoon. Turn off the heat and serve.

The only change I made to this recipe was omitting the cilantro. I like cilantro, but it just didn’t seem right for this dish to me. That’s the beauty of cooking– you can cater recipes to your palate’s desires.

The final result of this dish? Awesomeness. Seriously. Boding and I ate it for lunch and were so pleased with it. It was really hard to put enough away for Tuesday’s lunch. Every time I opened the fridge, it was like “Hey Christina, you know you want me…”

Kind of like that bag of pretzel M&Ms in my pantry. So rude!

Now if you’re unlike me and don’t have the above ingredients in your house, I suggest your get your cute behind to the store and buy them. It’s worth it. I never thought I’d use the garam masala I bought for my Spicy Chickpea & Lentil Stew, but now I want to put it on everything.

Which spice/herb did you shy away from before and now love?

Eggplant and Red Pepper Salad/ Gruber Farm CSA Week 2

Hi friends!

I have a funny story for you. On Sunday when I went to Rosh Hashanah at Sean’s house, I made a funny oopsies. One of the guests and I were discussing our love of local produce and the CSAs we were signed up with. I was telling her how much I loved Gruber Farm and blurted out, “I love picking up my box each week. It’s like Christmas every Tuesday!”

I made a Christmas reference at a Jewish event. Derrrrrrrrrr.

As soon as I said it I thought “REALLY? Of all the cool things to compare something to you chose that? Tonight?” The woman probably thought nothing of it, but I laughed in my head thinking how typical that was for me.

Thank heavens my teddy bear challah came out well or else I would have just had to excuse myself from the festivities. After telling the story to another Jewish friend later, he remarked “You should have said it was like Hanukah every week.” Oh, really? Thanks for the tip.

CSA Week 2:

• cantaloupe
• zucchini
• eggplant
• beets (!!)
• red potatoes
• Muscadine grapes
• green beans
• red pepper
• cucumbers
• onion

That cantaloupe was the largest I’ve ever seen. Annabel, who is also signed up with Gruber Farm, asked me, “Do you have a size DDDDD cantaloupe in yours too?” Yep. I did.

Back to business. Before ultimately deciding on the pumpkin challah for Rosh Hashanah, I borrowed a Jewish cookbook from the library called The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook.

This book has so many recipes I’d love to make that I might actually buy it. I’m not kidding, there are recipes for pumpkin bread, asparagus avocado salad, white bean hummus, muhammara, greens and orzo soup, grated beets with toasted hazelnuts, and more. Get excited for lots of these being featured on the blog. The first recipe I made was…

Eggplant and Red Pepper Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 medium eggplants
• 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 scallion, sliced
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Turn stovetop gas burner to high and place eggplants, one at a time, directly over burner grate, turning occasionally with tongs until all sides are charred and eggplant is soft, about 5 minutes per side. Remove to a baking sheet and let cool completely. Drain juices, remove skin, and place eggplant pulp in the bowl of a food processor. *If you do not have a gas burner at home, you can broil the eggplants (turning them just as you would on the flame) until their skin is blistered and the inside is creamy and soft.
2. Pulse eggplant 10-15 times until well chopped but with a few remaining chunks. Add red pepper, garlic, scallion, oil, tahini, lemon juice, cayenne and salt, pulsing to incorporate all ingredients. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until serving.

Two things to note: 1. I omitted the olive oil because I thought it was unnecessary. 2. I pulsed mine a bit more and it turned out like a spread. Regardless, it was very tasty and made for a great veggie burger topping. It would also be so good in a pita with veggies, black beans, and feta. Heck, it’d be good with chips too!

What’s your favorite dip or spread? Hummus? Olive tapenade? Roasted red pepper dip? Black bean dip? Baba ghanoush?

Do you find yourself sticking your foot in your mouth like I did? Shoot, sometimes it’s my whole leg.

Gruber Farm CSA Week 1 / Honey Balsamic Green Beans & Onions

It’s finally back! In the beginning of the Fall CSA, I expected to see the last bit of the Summer harvest. I was right!

Week 1:

• sweet potatoes
• cucumbers
• okra
• green onions
• corn
• apples
• green pepper
• zucchini
• yellow squash

Oh, the variety! On Tuesday, I immediately dug into the box and baked some sweet potato fries to have with dinner. Later I had an apple for dessert. It really is amazing to taste the difference in quality with local produce.

For dinner Wednesday evening, Amanda brought over homemade turkey meatloaf. To accompany it, I made a new green bean recipe.

Honey Balsamic Green Beans and Onions

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. fresh green beans
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. honey
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the beans and blanch them for 2 minutes. Immediately remove the beans from the water and add them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and green beans. Cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, then stir in the vinegar, honey, onion powder, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook to desired degree of doneness, about 5 minutes.

Don’t let the blanching step fool you; this recipe is pretty darn easy to make. After adding the balsamic and honey, the onions begin to caramelize which gives the dish an overall sweetness. We loved it and would definitely make it again.

What’s your favorite green vegetable?

Gruber Farm CSA Week 8 / Spicy Corn & Potato Chowder

Hello Summer vegetables! The Summer produce started so early this year. It seemed like so long ago that I was picking strawberries.

In the box:

• sweet corn – a ton of it!
• tomatoes
• eggplant
• onions
• banana peppers
• potatoes
• green beans

This week, I made a new favorite recipe using 3 different vegetables from the box. I love that. Eight weeks into having the CSA, I’m still reminded that it’s easy to make healthy, wholesome, vegetarian dishes. In fact, this one’s vegan. So, Court, this one’s for YOU!

Spicy Corn & Potato Chowder

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds white potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 4 cups of fresh corn (from 6 ears)
• 16 oz. non dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can of fat-free vegetable broth
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until softened.
2. Add the garlic, potatoes, and corn. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring a couple times.
3. Add the milk, broth, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

I’m sure I say this about most recipes I post, but I loved this. Boding can vouch for this as well; he came over and ate 2 huge bowls. It’s spicy, creamy, and hearty. It’s low in fat but very filling.

My original plan was to use coconut milk, but Publix was out of lite coconut milk. I took a chance with the almond milk in my fridge and am glad I did. It worked!

What’s your favorite soup/stew/chowder? Mine is avgolemono, a Greek egg-lemon soup with chicken and rice. Check out this post when I made it a couple years ago. PS: That post has a really hot Greek guy in it.

CSA Week 7 / Recipe Help From My Readers

Despite being a bit sad that I am more than halfway through my Spring CSA with Gruber Farm, I was delighted with this week’s box.

The variety and quality of Week 7 was impressive.

• carrots
• green beans
• zucchini
• pattypan squash
• cucumbers
• onions
• peaches
• pole beans
• red potatoes

At first, I wasn’t exactly sure what the beans in the bottom middle were. I couldn’t decide if they were snow peas or pole beans. After asking friends on twitter, I finally decided they must be pole beans. I hope I’m right. I’m open to being corrected…

As usual, I went straight for the fruit. Biting into the first peach reminded me that Summer is just around the corner. That evening, I cut the potatoes in bite-sized pieces and sauteed them with diced onion. All they  needed was a bit of oil and a dash of salt & pepper. Sometimes it’s the simple recipes that turn out the best.

The other vegetables left me wondering…

Should I eat the carrots as I always do, with my favorite hummus?

What on earth do I make with the patty pan squash? I won’t forgive myself if I chop them up. They’re too beautiful not to keep in their whole form. Perhaps stuffed is the way to go.

Pole beans? Who cooks with those?

Everyone thinks of peach cobbler, why not make something else?

Here are some recipes I bookmarked today:

• Patty pan Squash Stuffed with Corn
• Stuffed Zucchini Boats
• Rosemary Roasted Potatoes – basically what Courtney made this weekend!
• Carrot and Raisin Salad – a healthy version of Chick-fil-A’s!
• Sautéed Peaches

What would you make with this week’s vegetables? I want to know your favorites. Your tried and true recipes. Your family’s secrets.  Your own creations.

As bloggers and foodies, we know how tiring searching for the perfect recipe can be, so why not share with one another? Send me what you’ve got – I’d love to make it at home and highlight it on my blog!

Winner gets a special prize.

CSA Week 5: Orzo with Chicken and Green Beans

I’m now on my 5th week of my CSA with Gruber Farm. I’m really enjoying the variety of each box and how fresh the vegetables are. Every box is a new surprise. Sometimes I don’t even wait until I leave my pickup location to look at what’s inside.

Week 5 contents:

• collards
• broccoli
• purple potatoes
• zucchini
• yellow squash
• strawberries
• string beans
• kale (not pictured – I donated it to one of the nice gym employees)

This face shows how excited I was about the purple potatoes.

In my right hand are some fancy beets that are known as both “Candy Cane Beets” and “Bullseye Beets” for the striped pattern inside.

The inside of the purple potatoes are pretty too. They are a purplish color because they contain anthocyanin – the same antioxidant found in blueberries.

I’ve shared plenty of beet recipes with you: Beets with Yogurt & Walnuts, Citrus Walnut Beet Dip,  Beet Chips, Glazed Beets, and my very favorite Beet Risotto with Goat Cheese.

I’ve even made mashed purple potatoes with goat cheese!

Time for something new. Check out this recipe from my hero, Martha Stewart. Did I choose to share this recipe with you because it contains Orzo? Yes.

Orzo with Chicken, Corn, and Green Beans

Ingredients

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 pound orzo
• 8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 whole roasted chicken, (3 pounds), skin discarded, shredded (about 3 1/2 cups)

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook orzo until al dente, according to package instructions; add green beans during last 6 minutes of cooking. Drain; rinse under cold water until cooled.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add corn and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Toss pasta and green beans with corn mixture and chicken. Season generously with salt and pepper.

(via)

You can make this in about 20 minutes! And when you pick up that box of orzo, I hope you think of me. ;)

I pretty much just asked for a slew of tweets of orzo pictures, didn’t I?

Tonight is the first meeting of the book club I organized last month. I’m so excited to have everyone over to discuss Fifty Shades of Grey. I  can just imagine the conversations we’ll have…

What’s your favorite green vegetable?

Are you in a book club? What are you reading right now?

A New Gym Class, Red Wine Green Beans and Beet Chips

Tuesday evening, Mariah and I decided to try a new class at East Shore: Abs, Core, and More. We had no idea what to expect and I was honestly afraid for my tummy until she told me it was only a 25-minute class. I got to the gym early and ran a mile (8:10), then walked a 1/2 mile. Then it was time for class.

We walked in and were told to grab a mat, a stability ball, a dumbbell, and a smaller ball. Right when class started, our teacher informed us that she loved this class because she could get away with saying “balls” over and over. Oh, okay. We warmed up, did a few crunches on the ball, and some planks. We also laid on the ball and did some side moves while holding the dumbbell. Later, we did plank pike-ups,  and ball passes. For more info, check out these stability ball exercises.

Then we did something really awkward. We straddled the ball and moved up and down on it by pushing the ground with our toes. I could not stop laughing and wondered why this woman would make us do this in public. Awkwardddddddd. After class, I ran an additional mile (8:03) then cooled down for 3 minutes. Then I peaced out because I was hungry.

When I got home, I realized I had so many veggies I needed to cook before I got my 9th CSA box  the next day. The first recipe was inspired by Paula Deen’s Honey Balsamic Green Beans. I was shocked to find that one of her recipes didn’t include butter! However, I still made changes. I nixed the balsamic and added wine. Why? Because I like to party. I also nixed the onion powder and used real onions. Why? Because I like onion breath. Duh.

Red Wine, You’re So Fine Green Beans

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. fresh green beans
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp. red wine
• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the beans and blanch them for 2 minutes. Immediately remove the beans from the water and rinse with cold water. Drain.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and green beans. Cover, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, then add the onions and stir again. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
3. Next at the wine, honey, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for 5 minutes..
4. Transfer the beans to a serving bowl and serve.

After I devoured about half of those delicious beans, I made beet chips! These were incredibly easy now want a mandolin slicer so I can make beet and sweet potato chips.

Beet Chips

Ingredients:

• 2 medium beets, sliced thin
• 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Arrange beet slices in a single layer on a cooking sheet. Lay fresh thyme on top.
2. Bake until slightly crispy, for about 20 minutes.
3. Remove pan from oven and flip beets. Cook an additional 10-20 minutes until you have reached desired crispness.

Which is your favorite vegetable to cook? You all know that beets are my latest obsession. I need to start making my own frickles! I’m also a huge fan of peas but those don’t need much babying. I’d eat those suckers straight out of the can.

Which vegetable do you despise? RED ONIONS! Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Uncooked onions in general make me shudder.

And be sure to check out my guest post on Lea’s blog!!!