8/19/09 Thin sliced Pork Stir Fry

Today I finally get myself to the grocery store.... such a love hate relationship! I love shopping and finding fun ingredients but unfortunately I don't love my local options. I try to work my schedule so I am able to hit up some of my favorite markets in the area but this week I was stuck with A&P. Since the fish didn't look very appetizing I went with some grass fed pork thin sliced pork chops and tried to use up some of the veggies I had sitting around. Again the lemon basil was the star! I love the fresh crisp taste of it

This easy stir fry only took a few minutes of prep which was a good thing as after visiting A&P, going on a run with Jeremy and hitting the Farmer's market (mmm more fresh peaches) it was a getting late. We also had a small fresh tomato salad (tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper) to start.

Pork Stir Fry (4 servings)
3- 4 thin sliced boneless pork chops - cut into 2" slices
1 carrot - in "fat" matchsticks
1/2 onion- sliced
green bell pepper - 1 " slices
yellow bell pepper - 1" slices
1 bunch asparagus - ends removed & cut into 2" sections
2 tsbp garlic greens - diced
2 tbsp lemon basil - chopped
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp fresh jalapeno - seeds & membrane removed and finely diced
1 tsp olive oil

1) heat oil over med heat - add pork - cook 2 min and flip
2) add veggies (except basil) and teriyaki sauce - cover 5 min
3) mix together so all veggies are cooked
4) remove from heat and stir in basil
5) serve (can also add noodles or rice)

8/16/09 Steak.... again

OK so I am definitely not complaining but since I bought the full fillet Mignon side we have had a LOT of steak. It freezes well and is easy to make with minimal prep and cooking (which is important when its 90+ and you live on the 3rd floor).
The only CSA veggie that made it onto tonight's plate was the cucumber in the mini-salad ... still hoping that we might get a tomato or two!

I can't really claim too much skill here... the steaks were done on the grill pan, the wild rice blend (trader joe's) in the rice cooker and the broccoli was steamed with a side of lime (no lemons in the house!) I also included a little tomato and cucumber with some salt, pepper and balsamic on the side.
Pretty easy and dinner was finished by the time True Blood came on!

8/13/09 Zucchini "Lasanga"

Unfortunately not ever dish is a winner (though I think it looks ok) and this one didn't really work out (too watery and a bit bland) but I do have some ideas to correct it for next time as I like the idea. I used my CSA fuzzy zucchini and a regular zucchini in this recipe but more squash would work. I also got a suggestion from a co-worker to try using eggplant instead which sounds interesting though I don't really love eggplant. I think this would also be great with a spicy twist as the zucchini alone don't have a ton of flavor. Any tried and true noodle-free veggie lasagnas? Another idea might be serving this on top of a pasta base?


Veggie Lasagna (noodle -free)
2 -3 zucchini (sliced thin on a mandolin/ slicer)
2 large carrots - grated
green bell pepper - 1" slices
yellow bell pepper - 1" slices
onion - 1" slices
1 clove garlic crushed
2 c marinara sauce (I cheated and used a jar of Bertoli tomato basil since all my sauces have meat in them - it tasted good)
2 c italian cheese blend

32 oz part skim ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 c grated cheese
salt & pepper

2 tbsp basil
pam spray

1) slice zucchini thin on mandolin - salt both sides and set on paper towels to dry **see note below**
2) combine eggs, ricotta, grated cheese, salt & pepper
3) combine grated carrot, peppers, onions, garlic and basil **see note**
3) in a lasagna pan sprayed with pam layer sauce, zucchini, ricotta mix, italian cheese blend and veggie blend - repeat ending with a layer of sauce then cheese (I put a few left over slices of zucchini on top)
4) cover with tin foil and place in 350 F oven for 25 min
5) remove foil and cook for 10 min uncovered
6) remove from oven and allow to set at least 10-15 min
7) cut into slices and serve w grated cheese

**note** next time I make this I would roast all the zucchini slices and veggies mix before hand - coat with oil and spices and place in 350 over for 15 min

8/12/09 - Seafood (Steamed Little Necks and Grilled Shrimp &Swordfish) and Potato & Green Bean Salad

With so much red meat on the menu lately I couldn't wait for tonight's seafood dinner. I was originally planning on just Shrimp and some Little Neck Clams steamed up but in the end the I decided to add a little Swordfish for a full on seafood feast. With all my CSA treats I sometimes feel like the iron chef waiting on my secret ingredient to plan my meals for the week - any one have some good ideas for strange ingredients from the farm? (squash/ zucchini please! 5 in the fridge at least)


The marinade for the fish and the shrimp was very similar but not exactly the same. However both were based on the delicious lemon basil that we got in the CSA this week. It looks just like normal basil but has an amazing lemony smell - it was absolutely perfect with seafood and in an asian influenced marinade. The swordfish and shrimp were done on the grill pan while the clams (not pictures) were steamed in some beer and garlic greens.

Swordfish Marinade
2 tbsp lemon basil - chiffonade
2 tbsp red sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
1 tbsp sliced pickled ginger
salt & pepper

Shrimp Marinade
3 tbsp garlic greens - finely diced
2 tbsp lemon basil - chiffonade
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
salt & pepper

Potato & Green Bean Salad w Balsamic Dijon Dressing
2 lbs white and blue baby potatoes - cleaned and cut into 1" chunks
1 lb green beans - ends snapped and cut into 2" pieces
1 shallot - finely diced
1 small green bell pepper - 1" thin strips
1 small yellow bell pepper - 1" thin strips
2 tbsp mustard w/ seeds
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil

1) boil potatoes
2) add green beans to water for last 3-5 min
3) strain (rinse if you want to serve cold) and add rest of ingredients
4) mix well

8/11/09 - Chicken Sausage and lot of CSA greens

After a few weeks of traveling the veggies are starting to take over the fridge so this week I have a plan to start working on some of them. We had a great salad for lunch (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, guacamole, tuna, feta cheese, and corn) so that was a good start.


I paired the chicken sausage (done on the grill pan of course) with some cole slaw and some white beans and swiss chard. Usually I make a stew -type dish with chicken sausage and swiss chard but since it was 93 F today I thought that it was a bit hot for something so warm.

I wish that I had some apple to add to the slaw but the one I swore I had in the fruit bowl when I went to the store today somehow mysteriously dissappeared :) hmmmm

Cole Slaw
1 head green cabbage -shredded
1 large carrot - shredded
1/2 c raisins - rought chopped
1/4 c sliced almonds
2 tbsp mayo
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper

1)mix all ingredients together and keep chilled

This slaw was a nice mix of sweet and tangy with the balsamic and raisins.

Swiss Chard and White Beans
1 bunch Chard - washed and in 1" ribbons
1 can canellini beans - rinsed and drained
2 tbsp garlic greens- diced
1 shallot - diced
1 tbsp olive oil

1) heat oil in pan and add garlic and shallots - brown
2) add beans
3) add swiss chard
4) keep pan covered so chard cooks down

Homemade Pickles

Its no secret that our house loves a good pickle. We go through at least 1 pint of half sours a week - probably more if I would buy them. So when I saw kirby cucumbers at Fairway last week I decided that I would try my hand at pickle making.

I used an online recipe for this first adventure. Unfortunately I didn't have any real canning jars at since it was late at night when I decided to finally work on this I had to improvise a bit. Luckily the recipe that I decided on didn't require it.

My Pickles
6 kirby cucumbers - cleaned and ends removed - sliced in half (make sure they are very firm - no soft spots)

2 c white vinegar
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c kosher salt
1/2 c fresh dill
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic diced
1 tsp celery seed

1) heat the vinegar mixture until it comes to a boil - make sure to use either a coated pan or a non-metal pan as metal will react with the metal.
2) place the cucumbers in the jars and fill with the vinegar solution
3) let sit until cool (about 1 hour)
4) place in the refrigerator for at least 1 day but up to 2 weeks

8/3/09 - Steak Again! with fresh corn

Since we have a freezer full of beautiful steaks I couldn't resist another night. I was at the farmer's market earlier and got some delicious long neck clams from the LBI fisherman (sorry no pic as they were too good to save!) His scallops were so fresh and beautiful last time that I was tempted to save the steaks for another night but we had a plane (Cincinnati for work and then Indiana for a wedding) to catch so steak it was.


I served the steak with some fresh corn that I also got at the farmer's market and my favorite Harvest Grain Blend from Trader Joe's that needs nothing but a splash of oil in the water to give it a little slip.

7/31/09 - Surf & Turf Dinner

Finally I was able to get some more delicious steaks! Fairway Market in Paramus has a whole Fillet Mignon for $6.99/lb which was $1 more than I wanted to pay but since I haven't been able to find any other steaks that I like I figured it was worth it. The butcher at the counter was able to trim and cut the full Fillet into some nice steaks for us to grill up at home. No steak sauce needed for these beauties!



I served the steak with Zucchini and Squash ribbons sauteed with some garlic greens and an onion. I also grilled up a few jumbo shrimp with a dash of Old Bay Seasoning to give a little spice to the dish.


Since I had all the making of a Caprese salad I also made this mini version with some garlic toasts that were made from a sliced brioche loaf with some olive oil, finely diced garlic and a small pat of butter to top it before placing it in the oven at 350 for about 10 min. The crunchy bread and the soft mozzarella was a perfect combo!

7/30 & 31/09 - Summer Salads

With the CSA in full swing the fridge is full of some delicious veggies...my only problem is finding the time to use them all! My only complaint is that we still haven't gotten any tomatoes! Apparently there is some issue with crop this year (a tomato blight) but my farm hasn't mentioned that - just complaints about the wet weather.



This first salad was a mix of CSA lettuce, cucumbers, carrots topped with some delicious blue cheese from Artisanal Cheese and some balsamic vinegrette.

This next salad is a Caprese Salad, delicious Jersey Tomatoes from Stony Hill Farm and some fresh Mozzarella from Hoboken Farms both who are fixtures at the local farmer's market along with some fresh basil from the CSA and some nice olive oil, balsamic and salt & pepper....simple and delicious!

Friday 7/10/09 - Shell Steak and Fava Beans

Wow.... its been a while - I have been on the road a bit and haven't been posting however I do have a lot of pictures to put up! July was a very busy month with festivals on 3 weekends in a row (camp bisco, gathering of the vibes and all points west). Add in a family wedding and you have a blogging disaster.
This dinner was pretty simple with some nicely grilled boneless Shell Steaks with a side of steamed broccoli (thanks to my new Ikea steamer) and and some left over Tabbouleh. I topped the steaks with some Peter Luger steak sauce as they weren't as tasty as I had hoped.


Later in the evening I made up some Fava beans spiced up with some seasonings as a late night snack. Fave beans have a bit of an intensive prep as you must remove them from the pod, then blanch them and remove the outer shell. I then tossed these in a hot pan with some oil, salt and pepper to give them a but of a bite.