CSA Week 10 / Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Stacks

Yesterday was the first official day of Summer! It was also Summer solstice – the longest day of the year. Despite these facts, I’m nearing the end of my Summer CSA. Only 2 more weeks left. Thank goodness for the Fall subscription!

Week 10:

• butternut squash (I could have sworn this was a Fall veggie)
• eggplant
• watermelon (the cutest!)
• cantaloupe
• turnips
• tomatoes
• green peppers
• jalapenos

Remember the mini watermelon from last week’s box? I chopped that up and soaked it in vodka for a boat ride. It made for a deliciously good time. I may or may not be using this week’s melon for the same thing.

I also made the Sweet & Spicy Salsa again. I’ve been putting it on my grilled chicken and even my eggs for breakfast. It’s quite versatile.

So, confession time. I’ve never actually cooked with eggplant…until tonight. Eggplant is surprisingly easy to work with. Here’s a little snack/appetizer I made before dinner.

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Stacks

Ingredients:

• 1 small eggplant, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• olive oil, for drizzling
• goat cheese, for topping
• balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400*. Place eggplant and tomato slices on a plan lined with a Silpat or foil. Drizzle with olive oil.
2. Roast for 20 minutes, turning once.
3. Place sliced vegetables on a plate, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and top with crumbled goat cheese. Serve warm.

Voila! It’s too easy not to make. If you crumble the goat cheese atop the stacks right away, it melts just a little and becomes so creamy. Enjoy!

While you’re cooking, listen to this song:

Favorite roasted vegetable?

Did you love the song?

CSA Week 7 / Broiled Peaches with Goat Cheese & Honey

The further we get into the Spring season, the better the assortment of produce I receive from Gruber Farm. When I opened last week’s box, I thought “Woah, best week EVER.” Ehhh wrong! This week is even better. I’ve been really happy with Gruber Farm thus far because you get a good assortment of many different types of produce versus a few different things.

Week 7:

• red potatoes
• yellow corn
• onions
• patty pan squash
• a pumpkin? some sort of squash…
• string beans
• peaches (!!)
• turnips

I always dig into the fruit first. It’s the most appealing to me and easiest to cook…or not cook at all. This time I cooked!

Broiled Peaches with Goat Cheese & Honey

This “recipe” doesn’t require drawn out steps; it’s easy as pie. But not a peach pie.

All you do is turn your broiler on low, slice or halve the peaches however you prefer, and pop them in the oven. Watch them!! Let them brown a little, but be careful – they will burn and you will end up with crunch. Not fun.

When they’re browned to your liking, remove them from the oven, drizzle them with honey, and top them with goat cheese crumbles and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Eat them while they’re warm!

Top them with ice cream. But don’t tell me about it. I’ve given up desserts.

This doesn’t count as dessert right?

What’s your favorite fruit-based dessert?

Why is there a phrase “easy as pie”? PIE IS NOT EASY TO MAKE.

Spicy Kale & White Bean Soup / CSA Week 2

It’s Christmas again! Err, Week 2 of my CSA with Gruber Farm I mean. Same thing, right?

Included in the box from Week 2:

• strawberries
• kale
• turnips
• snow peas
• lettuce
• a GIANT head of cabbage the size of my head
• sweet onions

Just like last week, as soon I picked up the box, I immediately washed and ate most of the strawberries. I can’t help myself.

I don’t know what happened to our “Summer” weather, so I had no problem using the massive amount of kale to make another soup.

Spicy White Bean & Kale Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound kale, stems and veins removed and leaves washed
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2  (14.5 oz.) cans white northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 cups water
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

Preparation:

1. Cut the kale into small strips, about 1/2 inch thick. In a medium saucepan, heat 1olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook until softened, or about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
2. Add the beans, stock, water, and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Stir in kale, salt, and both peppers. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until kale is tender and dark green.
3. Serve immediately and top with freshly grated parmesan, if desired.

Nutritional perks of kale! According to The World's Healthiest Foods, kale is an excellent source of Vitamins K, A, and C, and manganese. It is a very good source of fiber, copper, calcium, vitamin B6, and potassium. It is a good source of iron, magnesium, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, protein, and many others. Check out the full profile here.

For just a few ingredients and very little seasoning, this soup has a lot of flavor. It’s not too spicy – just a bit of kick! Kale makes me feel like the healthiest person on the block. It’s just so….green.

You should also check out these kale chips I made last year.

When I walked into work on Wednesday morning, I found that my coworker Dane had brought me 3 different cupcakes: Vanilla, Lemon Blueberry, and Red Velvet. What a sweet guy! After dinner, I had no problem devouring some (most?) of the Red Velvet.

HUNGRY MEETS HEALTHY MEETS  SUGAR. REPEAT.

I must also note that I completed my “20 Pure Barre Classes in April” that night. More on that later ;)

What’s your favorite kale recipe? Next week, I’ll have a kale salad for you. It contains many of the ingredients found in a mojito! No, not the liquor. Sorry guys.

When you have a clean, healthy dinner, are you more apt to indulge in dessert?

Lemon Dill Salmon with Tzatziki Sauce

A couple weeks ago, I made one of the easiest healthy recipes. This fish requires such little work that it’s a great weekday meal. All I did was take a couple of pieces of salmon and drizzle them with olive oil and fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and sprinkle them with salt & pepper. In a baking dish, along with sliced zucchini, I added a bunch of fresh dill. I then roasted them for 10-12 minutes at 400*. The salmon came out so moist!

I love salmon because it’s full of health benefits. It’s chock full of vitamin D, omega 3 fatty acids, selenium, protein, vitamin B3, and vitamin B12. And because it’s full of flavor, you don’t have to baby it too much – a bit of fresh herbs will do the trick!

If you’re a saucy person (duh, I am), you may want something more. Tzatziki sauce is your best bet because it is so refreshing!

Tzatziki Sauce

• 1 small container plain Greek yogurt (<3 Fage!!)
• 1/2 of a small cucumber, grated
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. fresh dill
• s&p to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Allow it to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours for the flavors to blend. It tastes even better if you let it sit overnight! Another really great recipe that I’ve made using tzatziki is Greek chicken and potatoes.

And if you’re wondering what the white mushy stuff on the plate is, well, those would be turnips. I took the turnips I got in my first CSA box, boiled them, and mashed them with a tiny bit of butter, skim milk, goat cheese, and salt & pepper. They were just like mashed potatoes!

What is your favorite fish? How do you like it prepared? As of Monday night, my favorite fish is now sheepshead! I also really love mahi mahi and swordfish.

Are you a saucy person or more of  a plain-eater? I tend to douse my food in sauces – whatever the food goes well with, I want more of it. Ketchup is one of my weakness. I use an outrageous amount of ketchup packets (or tubs!) on anything I can. Except steak. That’s just nasty. :)