2010 CSA Challenge

Sun Oven Soup

2010-09-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a while! Last time I blogged here, we were just in the beginning stages of getting our house listed. We've since sold and moved to Boulder and are happy as clams here. The space is narrower, but there is more of it, and we love it.

The CSA has been more forgiving this season and I'm not going too crazy keeping up with it. A new staple for us is Sun Oven Soup. Karla gave us our sun oven back and I've been using it whenever I can. Biscuits, muffins, Sam's bday cupcakes, beans and this soup, among others, have all turned out great! This soup is based on this recipe, tweaked by what I had on hand. I think the addition of fennel has added a lot to the flavor. I also like it with fresh tomatoes (thank you Dawn!) rather than canned. It's been overcast this week and I want to bring it to the Council dinner tomorrow, so I'm going to do it in the crock pot to be safe and bring along the perfect accompaniment, Zucchini Basil Cheesy Mini Muffins. There are out of this world. I hope the teachers enjoy the meal as much as we do!

Now that the weather is cooling down, I am returning to the kitchen, smaller this time around, with less counter space, but bright and cheery. I've made dinner every night this week and it's been a pleasure. While I love the lazy days of summer, there is something oh-so-comforting about fall and the beginnings of the new season. It's a time to draw ourselves inward, to focus on our families, to be at home ... all of those things come so naturally in the colder months. Happy Fall!

Dark Days Recap

2010-01-24T15:45:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a busy week! The house has been detail-cleaned and painting starts next week with carpet to follow the week after. We are on track for a Feb. 7 listing!

(photo by c'est la vegan)

We ate out on Monday night but ate (leftovers from Monday) at home on Tuesday since the cleaner was already finished. On Wednesday I defrosted the100% local (from my CSA) celery soup from before Xmas. We had it alongside Buttered Rosemary Rolls and roasted CSA root veggies. We enjoyed it on Thursday as well with Maple Glazed Apples & Turnips (all but the maple syrup from the CSA). On Friday I tried a recipe I'd tagged months ago for Inside-Out Ravioli. It was warm and comforting, but too much nutmeg kind of ruined it for me. I might try it again with ginger and cinnamon instead of nutmeg. We had that with a small bowl of Celery Soup that was still yummy a few days later.

On Saturday Mae helped me make up another dozen breakfast burritos and some rice pudding from the leftover rice. All in all, a comforting and yummy week. It is getting easier and easier to throw a meal together with what we already have. I even made my own dishwasher powder this week instead of running out to the store. I love it.

Dark Days Recap

2010-01-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

This was another delicious week, starring the copious pumpkin soup. It made a lot! It was super yummy with the crispy onion straws on top and comforting with buttered rosemary rolls. Between the soup and the rest of the leftovers in the fridge and freezer, it was a simple week of dinners that took little to no effort. I made a list of our simple go-to meals as well, since they star almost all CSA and/or local ingredients - thus they are free for us! All meals, minus cheese and fruit, are coming from the pantry, freezer or root cellar and it's looking like this will last us til spring. Hooray!

It's been a productive week. We are getting our house ready to list, so we will eat out (for the first time in ... I can't even remember) Monday and Tuesday nights. The kids have requested Chinese one night and Wahoo's for the other. Luckily, both are locally owned, so I feel good going there. It will be very strange to eat out.

Stay warm, everyone, and enjoy those squash! :-)

Cheap Eats

2010-01-16T16:37:00.000-08:00

We've been living out of the pantry, freezer and root cellar for a few months (my root cellar is a fancy word for my cold basement. Indulge me, ok? ;-)

I've put together a list of some of the truly amazing inexpensive meals we've had lately. What's funny is that these are some of our favorites. Perhaps simple and homemade really is the key. In any case, hope these are helpful!

Homemade bread. This recipe is cheap (it only requires flour, salt, yeast and water) and the batter (3 cups water - 6.5 cups flour - 1.5 TBSP salt - 1.5 TBSP yeast) can wait in the fridge til you're ready for it. I make dough for 4 loaves at a time and just grab a ball when I'm ready for a new loaf. It has a light white, sourdough-y flavor. Ted likes it with peanut butter, Sam prefers honey and Mae enjoys melted cheese. These are our go-to lunches these days. With apples and carrots and a glass of soy or almond milk, it's a good meal for a growing kiddo!

Homemade burritos. Tortillas are stuffed with rice, beans, cheese and salsa. I'm able to get everything but rice locally and they are super yummy and filling.

Breakfast burritos. Mae's brainchild, these tortillas are stuffed with a small amount of rice, egg and cheese. I found some Morningstar (fake) bacon hiding in the back of the freezer and put some of that in this week, but we haven't tried them yet. This is a filling and nutritious breakfast.

Rice pudding. We always seem to have leftover rice and Paul churns out soymilk daily. I skip the egg and bake up a delicious and creamy pudding that serves as a yummy dessert or a filling breakfast.

Crockpot Oatmeal is another chilly morning staple, especially when the homemade GF pancakes have all been eaten by the little ones. This is fool-proof, even if you don't use the water bath method.

Baked squash. This is really a side dish, but I've had it for lunch before. You can brush the cut squash with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar for a sweet squash, or brush with olive oil and sprinkle with curry or garam masala for a savory dish. This is a standard side at dinner time on leftover nights, when the soup or stew doesn't quite make enough for a meal on its own. Yummy!

Caramelized Apples and Turnips. Oh how I love this recipe. I don't even like turnips! This is out of this world, company worthy, and quick enough to whip up as a side dish.

Roasted Root Vegetables. You just can't go wrong here. Any combination will work, and they are all amazing. I use potatoes, turnips, beets and garlic, but any others would work. I would add carrot except my family demolishes them raw, so we leave them in the crisper for that purpose. This is so delicious and makes a fantastic side dish or snack.

Squash Soup. There are so many variations here that it's pointless to link to just one. Soups with squash are a mainstay around here, more often than not accompanied by beans. Our CSA was generous this year with squash and beans, but even if you're buying at the grocery store, dried beans are pennies and squash is dirt cheap. Filling and nutritious, these soups are the perfect antidote to these chilly evenings.

I think those are our standards. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Happy eating!

Made up Pumpkin Soup Recipe

2010-01-14T17:37:00.000-08:00

Creating new recipes is something that has always intrigued but scared me. Considering some recipes that I follow to a T are still terrible, making one up seems risky. However! I think I've learned the secret: start with a tried and true recipe and then tinker away. I wanted to cook a pumpkin soup Monday night, because I had defrosted a pie pumpkin a few days ago and hadn't attended to it. But I didn't want to make Black Bean & Pumpkin Soup, which, though a favorite, uses precious CSA Hopi beans and we only have 2 cups left in the freezer (the recipe uses 4 cups.) So, I found a recipe that had all rave reviews, plus some suggestions in the comments, and tinkered away. Here is my version of a homemade, all local, delicious yet simple Pumpkin Soup. All ingredients but spices from my CSA.

1 sugar pie pumpkin (yields about 4 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups veggie broth
2 TBSP peanut butter
2 TBSP ginger
1 TBSP nutmeg & thyme
salt and pepper

Bring all ingredients to a boil and simmer 30 minutes. Puree then add 1/2 cup milk (we used homemade almond milk). Stir to combine.

I served our soup garnished with crispy onion straws and freezer coleslaw on the side. Later in the week (this makes a lot of soup!) we had it alongside Rosemary Butter Rolls and baked squash. I probably roast a squash every other day; I either brush it with butter and sprinkle on brown sugar or brush it with olive oil and sprinkle on some curry. Either way, it's a ridiculously easy, fool-proof and versatile way to use up the squash.

Dark Days Recap

2010-01-11T07:32:00.000-08:00

Good eats this week!

On Tuesday we had chili. With all local ingredients, except the Fritos, it was delectable! Mmm!

On Wednesday we took the freezer coleslaw out - just as crunchy as fresh! - and had it with roasted delicata squash and leftover chili. Warming and filling, this was a simple and flavor-packed meal.

On Thursday I cooked some Honey Lentils to go with Maple Glazed Apples & Turnips (our favorite way to eat those never-ending CSA turnips!). We had drop biscuits on the side (not local) and I think we'll eat this exact meal once a week from now on all winter. It was that good, and super fast and easy.

Mae helped me cook up homemade burritos for Paul's lunches and rice,egg & cheese burritos for Mae's breakfasts. I am very excited about these since getting her to eat breakfast is a huge challenge. She never wants the homemade GF pancakes, our go-to breakfast during the week, and it's always a big tear-fest in the morning. She was so excited to eat her burrito this morning. I had one too and they were yummy. The tortillas are La Favorita, a local place, and they were stuffed with local eggs & cheese and (not local but bulk) rice. Hooray!

simple yet fast

2010-01-07T17:23:00.001-08:00

Tonight's dinner was quick - from fridge/pantry to table in under an hour. That's the way a-huh a-huh I like it. We had Honeybaked Lentils with Carmelized Apples & Turnips and GF drop biscuits (1 cup GF flour (we use Pamela's) ... Cut in 4 TBSP butter ... Mix with 1/3 + 1 TBSP milk - (we used homemade almond milk) ... Bake at 375 for 12 minutes.) Simple and fast and warming and yummy. Happy coldest day of the year from Boulder, Colorado! High of 14 and low of -1 were seen by my van today. Oy! The lentil recipe was pure pantry (i.e. free!) and the apples & turnips were all CSA. I wonder if I'll get through all the squash and turnips this winter - ah, the joy and burden of abundance!

Mmm

2010-01-06T21:14:00.000-08:00

This is just a yummy week. I took down a large tub of coleslaw we froze last month - it was even sweeter and crunchier than the fresh version. A side of leftover roasted root veggies and local Bahkti chai with homemade soymilk rounded out my most delicious lunch. Mmm.

Dinner was reheated chili from last night, more delicious coleslaw and roasted delicata squash with ghee and brown sugar. I discovered (when I realized I was out of local butter and reached for the jarred ghee) that the ghee is local, from down the road in Sedalia, Colorado. Woot!

I am slowly working through my local jams and jellies on my homemade toast each morning. The apple butter and peach jam are gone and I'm into the peach jelly my friend Denise gifted me as a thanks for sharing the bounty of my CSA share when it overwhelmed me. I have more apple butter in the pantry and need to remember to stock up on applesauce - that goes so quickly in the winter with my kiddos! Stay warm, everyone!

99% local chili

2010-01-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

This chili made me very happy. And with my goal of canning tomatoes next summer, this meal will be a frequent one next winter as well! Plus, isn't that the funniest picture? It looks so old fashioned, like it belongs in an old crusty diner that serves really good food. Anyway!

Ellen's CSA Chili in the Crockpot (all ingredients (but spices) from CSA share)

1 large yellow onion (CSA)
2 cups chopped tomatoes (local, frozen last summer)
2 cups Hopi beans (or any dark bean) CSA
2 cups Indian woman beans (or any white bean) CSA
2 cups corn (local, frozen last summer)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup vegetable broth (homemade from CSA veggies)
1 cup shredded cheese, optional (Local)

Put all in crockpot and put on Low for 8 hours or High for 4.

Credit for this recipe goes to Stephanie - without her, my love for my crockpot would never have been realized.

I meant to serve it with skillet cornbread and local honey on the side, but we had a bag of (gluten free - always!) Fritos in the cupboard so we tossed those on top. YUM! I guess that makes this meal more like 95% local rather than 99% - aw, let's just count the chili! It was hearty, warming and delicious. Hooray for chili! (I love dinners that make me look forward to lunch the next day!)

Dark Days Update

2010-01-03T16:05:00.000-08:00

This week was another week of leftovers, which was relaxing. New yummies include lots of homemade bread with local Colorado flour (thank you, King's!), crustless pumpkin pie, buckets of homemade GF pancakes and roasted CSA vegetables. The one meal I'm going to report on (since it really felt like all leftovers, all the time) is tonight's dinner.

We had Obama's chili using CSA Hopi beans, CSA onions, local tomatoes I had frozen in the summer (!!! - so glad I cleaned out the deep freeze!) and CSA garlic. On the side, roasted CSA root veggies (beets, turnips, potatoes & garlic) and crustless pumpkin pie for dessert (CSA pumpkin, local eggs and homemade soymilk.) The pumpkin pie is our family recipe and is sooo yummy. Local Boulder Beer would have made the meal complete, but I had leftover wine-in-a-box, so we made due with that. Mmm!

Successful homemade burritos!

2009-12-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

Paul and Mae love the frozen bean and cheese burritos. At $4 for 12, they are a good deal. But I decided to try and make them at home, and they are yummy! Less salty for sure, but just as yummy. I used this recipe. The black beans are the Hopi black beans from our CSA. While preparing them, I was struck by how purple they were - beautiful! The onions are also from the CSA and the rice leftover from Xmas' Chinese take out. The salsa is from a jar - another tomato thing to try to can next summer! Shredded cheddar cheese from Colorado and some cumin are also in there. I used to make our own corn tortillas but in my decluttering excitement I gave away the tortilla press. *sigh* The tortillas are from a local vendor, and they are so good I could eat them alone! All in all, a successful creation. Hooray!

Back to basics

2009-12-28T20:36:00.000-08:00

Before Ted was diagnosed with his gluten intolerance, I baked homemade sandwich bread. My friend Wendy had a decent bread machine recipe and it made 2 loaves, which lasted us a week or so. And I did that for quite a while, at least a year if not more. Then the gluten issue arose and I bought, baked, ordered and fiddled with dozens of GF bread recipes, all of which he rejected (and I don't really blame him.) About 6 months ago his doctor put him on a digestive enzyme to take with a meal that includes gluten or dairy (which he is also sensitive to, though we've known that since he was 4). While I don't fill his plate with wheat products, it's been a lifesaver, especially for sandwiches. Mr. Picky loves his nut butter sandwiches, and I love that he loads up on the peanut, almond or hazelnut butter, for the good fat and protein that his skinny 48 pound body needs. Just recently I began baking our own bread again. It's more of a white bread and as the days pass, each new batch is more like sourdough, which is interesting. It's from a 5 minutes a day recipe that I had written down a while ago. I mix up enough for 8 loaves and then put the dough in the fridge, covered. Every other day I bake a loaf in a loaf pan. It's surprisingly good. I'm going to try rolls and hamburger buns tomorrow and see how they are. I love discovering an easier way to do something I truly want to do. Fresh bread is up there on the list, right after the GF pancakes that I've finally mastered and churn out constantly. Now, about that raw milk share...

Week #4 Wrap Up (through 12/27)

2009-12-25T20:08:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure why my weeks are different from everyone else's. Our first week was Thanksgiving week, right? So this is Week 4. I'm confused. Anyway! This was a good week. The days were relaxed and mellow, and I did plenty of cooking and resting. Ahhh...

The Rustic Cabbage Soup I made up on Sunday lasted us all week as a quick lunch or dinner. I had rehearsal on Monday night and a late TKD class with Ted on Tuesday night, so it came in handy. We also finished up the leftover Chinese take-out from Paul's work's holiday party on Saturday. When all the entrees were gone, I transformed the leftover rice into the delicious rice pudding I made for Nancy when I visited. Mae and I were the only ones who ate it, and the entire 13x9 pan was gone in less than 2 days. Mmm.

On Thursday I fixed Annette's delicious Savory Squash Gratin to go with our traditional Xmas Oyster Stew that Paul grew up loving every year. The gratin was very rich but tasty. I used Gruyere cheese because that's what I had on hand, ready to make Saturday's crock pot French Onion Soup, using CSA onions, homemade veggie broth and locally made bread from Great Harvest Bread Company. While I was roasting the acorn squash for the gratin, I popped in my oldest sugar pie pumpkin too and froze the puree for soups later on. The resulting plethora of roasted seeds were perfect this time; I think the trick is roasting them at low heat for a longer time. I had them at 250 for a total of 45 minutes, stirring every 15.

I hope that those of you who celebrate Xmas had a lovely one!

Week #3 Wrap Up

2009-12-20T14:50:00.000-08:00

Wow this was a busy week! Ted was home sick, Ole the dog was recovering from TPLO surgery, all three kiddos' schools were busy with parties and everyone was celebrating Hanukkah! It was crazy! I was so grateful for the homemade goodness of our evening meals, reminding us to slow down, enjoy each other and be grateful for what we have.

On Monday, I fixed French Market soup, (CSA onion, Indian Woman beans, garlic & homemade stock) which fed us the next two nights as well. On Thursday I defrosted the Squash Pot Pie I had doubled and frozen on Thanksgiving. We feasted on the scrumptious pie the rest of the week. Of course, latkes with CSA potatoes and onions joined in on the side a few nights last week too - oh so yummy.

This weekend I cooked up a storm, prepping double batches of Rustic Cabbage Soup,(CSA cabbage, potatoes, onion, garlic, Hopi beans & homemade stock) Abbos's own Celery Curry Soup (CSA celery, onions, potatoes & stock) and lots of homemade veggie stock from the peelings and clippings. Paul also helped shred a ton of cabbage, and we made up 2 huge batches of our CSA's recipe for Freezer Coleslaw. A good week!

We had our last CSA Keeper share pickup last Wednesday and the larder is full! The basement houses copious and various squash; plump beets and pale turnips are in the crisper in dark plastic bags, and huge fat carrots live in the other drawer - we love the carrots so much we tend to eat them up before I can fix our favorite Carrot Bisque recipe. My job this week is to roast and plan the squash. I foresee soups, stews and simple roasted squash appearing on our Dark Days menu next week.

Stay warm, everyone, and Happy Winter!

French Market Soup in the crockpot

2009-12-14T07:34:00.000-08:00

Last week we ate locally but didn't cook. How? Leftovers! It was lovely.

This Monday morning I tossed some ingredients into the slow cooker. A hearty simple soup will be ready tonight at 6pm, using almost all local ingredients. The recipe is here. It includes (all from the CSA) beans, onions, garlic and broth. Non-local ingredients are a can of tomatoes (grrr - hey! is anyone willing to barter? My peach jam for your canned tomatoes?), s&p, lemon juice and liquid smoke. Homemade rolls will round out the meal. Is it dinner time yet? mmm.....

Celery Curry Soup

2009-12-07T09:09:00.000-08:00

This recipe and directions are from "my farmer" at Abbo. We'll be having this soup this week! Sounds delicious, and a great way to use up all that celery!

Yummy Celery Curry
Ingredients:
1 super large Abbo onion (I prefer the yellow ones for this recipe) diced
4-6 Abbo potatoes peeled and sectioned
10-12 stalks of Abbo celery with leaves, chopped
2 Tbs Curry Powder
4 cups broth (I like Rapunzel bouillon when I do not have home made)

In sesame oil saute the onions. Once softened, add the broth, celery and potatoes. When a fork easily passes through the potatoes add 2 tablespoons curry powder, stir and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
Get out your blender! Blend to desired consistency (if you like chunky soup for example, only blend for a short time or only blend half, or blend all but your potatoes) and stir back together.

Wala! You're done. Add plain yogurt or sour cream to the top with a couple celery leaves for a beautiful presentation.

I've added carrot to this recipe, and I think squash would also be good. I have not tried freezing, but suspect it would work out just fine. If you find your soup a bit thick, you could certainly add coconut milk as a thinner instead of additional broth. This is a terrific variation! Enjoy!

Dark Days Update

2009-12-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

This week's update is in our new space! This was a local week, to be sure. Here are the meals we enjoyed this week with links to the recipes.

Monday is our crock pot day. We had a rich, nourishing stew of red beans, cabbage and roots. It needed a little more punch, but it was very warming. All ingredients but the rice, celery seed and enchilada sauce were from our CSA, Abbondanza. Tuesday we had the leftovers and they were delicious with a dash of tabasco!

On Wednesday I roasted some veggies for a Veggie Pie and made up a HUGE amount of homemade veggie broth in the process. The house smelled wonderful all day! The pie was a little too dry for my taste, so next time I'll make it a bit more liquidy. We nibbled on the extra roasted veggies all week. All ingredients but the pie crust were from our CSA. Leftovers on Thursday were yummy!

On Friday, I fixed one of our absolute favorite soups, Lentil Buttercup. Buttercup is such a delicious squash - so sweet and yummy. I added our very sad looking old bok choi to it and it was a good addition. CSA ingredients were the broth made from the veggie pie veggies, buttercup squash, onions, garlic and bok choi. The red lentils were from the pantry and I think bought a few years ago! They seemed to be ok. Mmm...

Saturday we had a party at night, so I brought Pumpkin Black Bean Soup, a favorite! It used all CSA ingredients (pumpkin, Hopi black beans, onion, garlic, veggie broth). Tomatoes were from a can:-( Next summer I vow to preserve tomatoes!! Tonight we are going to enjoy the fridge of leftovers! This was Week 2 of the Dark Days Challenge. So far, so good!

Yum

2009-12-04T19:40:00.000-08:00

There were some very old and sad-looking bok choi languishing away in my crisper. And our squash seems to be multiplying somehow. Tonight I wanted a warm, filling soup that would bring them together. Red lentils proved to be the perfect glue. Lentil Buttercup Soup was a favorite last winter and now I remember why. We didn't have any spinach, but the bok choi subbed in just fine. I roasted the seeds too and it made the perfect Shabbat dinner. This time I did roast the squash beforehand, which made it a simple and fast soup to prepare. We will enjoy this soup for lunch in the next few days, and I'll prepare it again on the 18th with the frozen roasted buttercup that is waiting in the freezer. Yup, batch preparing ingredients is the way to go, if you have freezer space. Why roast one squash when you can roast an entire oven full?

More info on meal planning soon, but I use Tsh's system whenever I can get organized. She is a wonderful source of organization inspiration!

Thanksgiving Lentil-Squash Pot Pie

2009-12-02T13:25:00.000-08:00

This recipe has been tweaked off and on for 15 years. It has its roots in my very first vegetarian cookbook, Sunset Complete Vegetarian Cookbook, that I purchased in 1994. The pictures are beautiful and I've nearly worn this copy out, trying and enjoying most all the recipes. This one is a stand-out though. Here it is with my revisions.

2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 TBSP ginger, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1.5 cups water
2 cups brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained
6 cups vegetable broth
about 3 pounds cubed squash - keep with one variety. (butternut, banana, Hubbard, delicata etc.)
Pastry for 2-crust 9-in pie
1 TBSP beaten egg

1. Crush 1st 3 spices in mortar and pestle. Add to large 5-6 qt pan with next 4 ingredients + 1/2 cup water.

2. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until veggies are a golden-brown. Add 1/4c water as needed to keep from sticking, up to 3/4 up a cup. This will take 10-15 minutes and is worth it!

3. Add lentils and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, covered.

4. Add squash and continue to simmer til lentils and squash are soft (about 20 minutes). I usually pre-bake my squash and just add it in when the lentils are soft, to make it easier.

5. Pour into a 3-4 qt casserole. (You can stop here and refrigerate til the next day.)

6. Roll out pastry. Lay over vegetables and over pan. Flute firmly against the rim. Brush with beaten egg. Slash top a few times. If you have extra pastry, cut it into shapes like leaves or hearts to decorate the top of the pie.

7. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. Makes 8-10 servings.

This has been our Thanksgiving meal for years. I hope it brings you as much joy as it does us!

Wednesday's Dinner: Veggie Pie

2009-12-02T09:22:00.001-08:00

On Wednesdays I have my morning free. Usually I ride my bike, take a spin class or do something in the late morning, before picking Sam up at noon. This morning we are having a blizzard, so Paul took the van with snow tires and I am at home today. This suits me well! A batch of veggie broth is simmering on the back burner (recipe follows - so easy) and root veggies are roasting in the oven. They will be turned into a veggie pie for dinner using the extra leftover pie crust not used for the Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. (Mmm ... pie. I have one more sugar pie pumpkin. Perhaps I'll roast and puree that up today for *just* one more pie...).
This pie recipe could be a pot pie, but we have a lentil squash one ready in the freezer, and I wanted this to be a bit different. Again, use whatever you have on hand. You cannot go wrong!

Veggie Broth
When chopping veggies, save the scraps in a large tupperware. When it's full, make some veggie broth and freeze in 2 cups portions in the freezer. If you don't have scraps, you can use carrots, potatoes and celery for a basic broth. I just add my scraps, a bay leaf, some Italian seasoning and fill the stock pot up with cold water. Let it cook for an hour, turning down the heat when it starts to boil. Simmer for an extra 20 minutes with some soy sauce for extra salt.

Veggie Pie
Chop up whatever veggies you have on hand. I had turnips, beets, celery, potatoes and red onions. Peel and chop and put in a roasting pan (or a cookie sheet lines with foil and sprayed with PAM if you're me and don't have a roasting pan). Sprinkle generously with olive oil and your choice of seasonings. I wanted this to be mellow, so I added rosemary and thyme. Add sea salt and pepper and use your hands to combine, so each piece is coated with the olive oil and has some seasoning. Roast at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes. It depends on how much you roast, so keep your nose nearby and start checking at about 40 minutes. Stir every 20-30 minutes too, to make sure it browns.
If you don't want to go to the trouble, Stephanie gives a very simple crock pot recipe for roasting veggies.

Bake your pie crust for about 5-7 minutes in a 350 oven, then add your roasted veggies, mashing them somewhat with your spoon to mix them up. Add a TBSP of butter to the top. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool and enjoy.

Monday's Dinner: Crockpot

2009-12-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

On Mondays, Paul takes the kiddos to school. I volunteer in Sam's class at 11, so I have approximately 3 hours to myself. Monday is also my rest day, so I don't run (or bike or swim) on Mondays. It is the perfect day to cook. I usually make up a large crockpot meal and a batch of GF pancakes on Mondays. This Monday, I fixed a new recipe for us, but one that used up a whole head of cabbage! It was mild and a little dull, but tasty and filling. I'll make this again, with perhaps a dash of tabasco to liven things up!

Of course, substitute whatever you have on hand. The key for me was using up the cabbage!

All ingredients are from the CSA except the rice, celery seed & enchilada sauce.

1 cup red beans, dried, washed and soaked over night
1 onion, chopped
2 turnips, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cabbage, chopped
1 TBSP celery salt (or equal parts sea salt + celery seed)
2 cups water.
3 TBSP red sauce (tomato sauce, pasta sauce, taco sauce, enchilada sauce...)
1 tsp butter

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. We ate at 6:30pm and it was a bit overcooked.

Serve over rice or pasta or alongside garlic toast or rolls.

my own tag!

2009-11-27T20:26:00.001-08:00

I wanted to put a tag on my main blog so it would be easy to click over to. Way more work that it should have been, but it's there!

A Local Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T21:17:00.000-08:00

While our entire Thanksgiving menu was not local, most of the dishes were:

Lentil & Golden Squash Pot Pie (all but lentils from the CSA)
Glazed Turnips & Apples (all CSA)
Delicata Squash Soup (all CSA)
Hot Chai (Boulder Bhakti Chai, homemade soymilk)
Pumpkin Pie (all but the crust from CSA & local ingredients)
Beer (local Boulder Beer)

The Lentil & Golden Squash Pot Pie has been the Thanksgiving centerpiece for 11 years now. We also have an Oregon Tofurkey, which is a tradition, but it's the pot pie that gets the rave reviews. Happily, this year I divided the recipe into 2 pyrex pans, so we have an entire other meal to enjoy in a few weeks' time. Yum!

The Glazed Turnips & Apples are so fantastic - and without them I'm afraid my turnips wouldn't fare well. We eat this dish once or twice a week throughout the winter (alternating it with mashed turnips & potatoes) and manage to polish them off before they wilt (like they did our first year in the CSA before I understood how to store and properly use the excess beets, turnips and potatoes).

The Delicata Squash Soup recipe is actually one for an acorn squash, but I've found that any sweet squash will do. We had an abundance of delicata in the share and I was happy to use it - delicata doesn't last as long as the others. It was creamy and delicious with it's own roasted seeds sprinkled on top. Mmm...

The pumpkin pie is a family recipe (lots of ginger is the secret ingredient that makes this pie stand out!) The pumpkin was from the CSA but I chickened out of making my own crust. Next year!! I love Pumpkin Pie.

The Bhakti Chai and Boulder Beer rounded out the meal and there is plenty left over - always a treat.

I will share recipes for these dishes soon. They are delicious, easy, and quick to prepare. What else can you ask for? :-)

Beginngings

2009-11-24T19:48:00.001-08:00

This site was launched in an effort to make me plan and document our meals. We are in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and bought in last year to a 3 year commitment. Next year will be our last year in the contract and then we will buy in again for another 3 years. The CSA has changed our lives. And more importantly, changed the way we eat. It has certainly impacted my meal planning. In the past, I'd plan out a few meals for the week, assuming leftovers, go to the grocery store, and purchase those ingredients. Usually, the plan worked and little food was wasted. In a CSA, you receive (often more than you can store) the food and then plan the meals accordingly.
We are lucky here in Boulder to have access to locally grown dairy products and grains. We have eaten primarily from the CSA shares for a few years now.
But these days, times are tough. Money is tight. I don't work (although I do sub at my sons' school and have singing gigs on and off throughout the year.) With only one child left in preschool, we are close to lightening that load. But there is the mortgage. And the car payment. And the individual health insurance because my husband's company is small. And the dental bills for five, twice a year, that aren't covered under our insurance. And TaeKwonDo. Those are the regular expenses - the ones we can count on. We've got a good budget and stick to it religiously for eating out and groceries. But it's not enough. We're struggling.
So, my challenge to myself in 2010 (starting now, for practice) is to cook all of our dinners from our CSA share. This will be more of a challenge in the winter months, since we'll be relying on our Keeper Share. Yet the share is generous. Squash, onions, carrots, beets, turnips, dried beans and cabbage were in our share last week. The plan is to make use of them til they are gone. The market starts up in April, so the months from January through March will be tough. Once the CSA starts up again in earnest it will be easy. Can we do it? I think we can. Let's see.