Weekend of Carrot

My mom was here to visit last weekend and helped me consume the many pounds of carrots that had been piling up from the CSA. We intended to make carrot dill soup, carrot cake (Lots of pecans. No raisins.), and carrot-zucchini bread. We made the first two, which were excellent. Then we ran out of carrots. I didn't think that was possible. But it was a big cake.

Here is a review of last week's harvest, which I didn't post last week due to the flurry of house-cleaning:
-Carrots: many.
-New potatoes: I quartered and roasted them with olive oil, salt, and pepper at a high temperature until they were crispy on the outside but still buttery on the inside. They turned out really well.
-Fennel: Another two large bulbs, in addition to the one leftover from the previous week. I like fennel raw or sauteed, but this time I tossed them with parmesan cheese and roasted the lot alongside the potatoes. They were good, but I were softer in texture than I would have liked. I think that the oven temp wasn't high enough for them to get to the desired brownness.
-Garlic: has disappeared into multiple projects, most notably a batch of guacamole.
-Cabbage: I got a huge head of green cabbage, very crunchy and fresh. I stir-fried half of it with garlic, olive oil, tamari, and rice wine vinegar. Next time I will add red pepper flake and a drizzle of honey to the mix. I still have the other half left, which may be destined for soup.
-Zucchini: a large one. I am making zucchini bread today.
-Cucumber: I had intended to make refrigerator pickles, but this cucumber was exceptionally crisp and tasty, so I ate it all raw.
-Salad Mix: the last bag for a few weeks. I miss it.

Now, this week's harvest that I picked up today:
-New potatoes: another bag of them. I am tempted to roast them all again, but I'll keep my mind open to new options.
-Beets: Finally! I have really been looking forward to these. Roasting is mandatory. Too bad that there are no more carrots. They would make a nice roasting companion.
-Onions: Everything I make has garlic and onions, so I'll find a use somewhere.
-Zucchini: I love zucchini. I have vague ideas of layered cheesy zucchini casserole.
-Green beans: Trixie is so pleased.
-Cabbage: another one! I envision more stir-fries and soup.
-Cucumber: I got two this time. I may make those refrigerator pickles after all.

Broccoli Brainstorms

For the past two weeks, Trixie and I have been munching broccoli nearly every day. The first week I made a broccoli cheddar soup. The second week, I steamed it and enhanced with lemon juice. Last Thursday I was surprised to receive a capacious sack of more broccoli from the CSA, about as much as the previous two weeks' combined. This selection had slightly purplish tops, which I am sure is an indicator of superior nutrient content.

So tonight I made something unusual for me, a casserole. No cans of cream-of-whatever soup were permitted. I made a creamy (and low fat) cheese sauce from scratch, with garlic and fresh thyme from my garden. I poured this over cooked and cubed chicken, mushrooms browned with more garlic and thyme and doused with white wine, brown rice, and lightly steamed broccoli, then I baked it until bubbly and browned on top. It was such a comfort on a Monday evening.

But I still have a mountain of broccoli left. I steamed the lot of it, cramming it into my largest pot. Thankfully, it can be frozen for later. But I won't be delaying too long. I want to make something that will truly showcase the flavors of broccoli, rather than trying to hide it amongst stronger ingredients. I have an experiment in mind--a broccoli pesto. I am plotting to puree the following in the food processor: lightly steamed broccoli, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, toasted pecans, garlic, fresh thyme, and olive oil. I shall thin it out a bit with chicken stock and toss it with whole-grain rotini, then top with shrimp or salmon. I'll let you know how it goes.

Other items from last Thursday:

-Notably, no salad mix.

-Lettuce head: this one had purple leaves and a slightly sweet crunch. It's eaten already, the last of it gone today. I feel kind of lost. I'm trying to remember what else I used to pack for lunches in the pre-salad era.

-Fennel bulb: I am really pleased with this. I buy fennel often at the grocery store, but it's always expensive and the cashiers generally need educating on identifying it. I plan to eat it raw with lemon juice and olive oil, but maybe I'll roast it.

-Carrots: Lots and lots of carrots. I'm glad they have a long refrigerator life, because I have no definite plans for them. I could roast them along with the fennel. Trixie is a big fan of carrots.

-Swiss Chard: I still would like to put this in a lasagna. But two casseroles in one week may be asking too much. Sauteeing is a strong possibility.

-Kohlrabi: another one! I will eat it raw.

-Garlic head: I eat about a head of garlic per week, so using this should be no stretch. I used some tonight in the casserole and was amazed at the different texture of fresh garlic as compared to the dried-out ones I usually get. The cloves were crisp and juicy. Will be fine in the broccoli pesto.

Ten Words

I was given ten words yesterday and asked to write something that used all ten. I was amused by it. I hope that you are, too.

The ten words were: truth, anger, pain, high, weep, concert, ecstasy, boredom, run, swim.

"Tell me the truth," said Eric. "Is there mayonnaise in this casserole?"

"Honey, would I do that to you? Run and get the wine glasses, would you? They're too high for me to reach." Zelda uncorked the white zinfandel and sniffed appreciatively at the top. Eric returned with two glasses.

"White zinfandel, are you serious? Is this the 1980s? I weep with despair over your tastes in wine."

Zelda looked up in surprise. "You'll love this one! At ten dollars a bottle, how could you not?"

She handed him a filled glass. Eric took a small swallow and winced in pain. Zelda sipped hers with relish.

"I wish, if price were no object, to be able to swim in a Whirlpool filled with white zinfandel," she murmured, eyes bright with ecstasy.

"You sure know how to live, don't you," said Eric, shaking his head. "No moments of boredom around here."

They raised their glasses and clinked them in concert. Eric portioned casserole onto their plates.

"God, this looks fabulous. I'm starved." Eric crammed a generous forkful into his mouth. He closed his eyes and chewed, nodding thoughtfully. Suddenly he stopped chewing, his cheeks still bulging. He lunged for his wine glass and took a large gulp of pink syrupy wine. He choked and coughed, and bits of chicken sprayed across the table. Zelda bustled behind him and pounded on his back urgently.

"Keep coughing! Keeping coughing!"

Eric managed to clear his mouth and took several deep breaths. His face faded from fuschia to rose.

"Why do you hate me so much?" he said, his voice thick with anger. "Honestly. Mayonnaise?"

Peach Melba Cream Tart

The writing group retreat was yesterday. It was absolutely fabulous. I made progress at some crucial spots in the novel that had been holding me back. I also gained so many ideas for new writing projects, that now I am at a loss to figure out which one to do next. But the best parts of the retreat were the incredible house and extensive grounds where we worked, the excellent food that everyone pitched in, and spending the whole day with my friends and listening to them read their freshly-written work. Better bookmark this post, because this gathering of brilliant minds will be a known as a famous historical event someday.

I brought a peach melba cream tart, using this Paula Deen recipe. It turned out perfectly. Unlike many of Paula's desserts, this was not overly sweet. The custard was light, creamy, and not eggy (most of my custard experiments are eggy). Next time I make this (and there will be a next time), I will investigate ways to make the crust lower-calorie (ground almonds would be nice), but this one was so incredibly easy to make, even for people who are timid of pastry like me. I dumped all the ingredients in the food processor (forgetting to soften the butter). Two pulses and I still had loose flour. Four pulses and I had fine crumbs. Six pulses and I had coarse crumbs. Eight pulses and I had a ball of dough.

I took the above picture before I brushed on the glaze. I wanted to take a picture quickly before something terrible and unforeseen happened to the tart. So, imagine it looking shiny.

The only change I made from the original recipe was to scatter raspberries over the top to make it pretty. But I would recommend using frozen and slightly thawed peaches instead of the fresh, to avoid the hassle of blanching and peeling. I think that nearly any kind of fruit could be substituted. I served this with freshly whipped cream, but I think that vanilla bean ice cream would be just as complimentary.

Kohlrabi Discoveries

Last week, I learned that braised radishes are strange. They become kind of bitter, which is OK, but inferior to the raw state. If I get any more radishes from the CSA, I intend to make pickles.

Last week's broccoli cheddar soup with bacon was incredible! I did finally make the garlic scape pesto (with pecans and parmesan cheese) and was pleased with the results. I used it as sauce on a pizza and topped it with fontina cheese, ham, pearl onions, and mushrooms.

This week's CSA delivery:

Rainbow chard: I am a big fan of chard. This kind is an heirloom variety with more vivid stems than I usually see. I will saute it most likely, although a veggie lasagna would make a nice destination too.

Salad mix: at first glance this was the same mix of purple and green leaves that I have received before, but on closer inspection, the purple leaves this time look different: thicker and sturdier. The taste is more vibrant too, reminiscent of beet greens. I bring salad mix in my lunch every day until the supply runs out.

Lettuce head: This one has dark red curly leaves. Chef salads have been the theme so far, with ham and cheddar cheese curds.

Pearl onions: I cooked some of these last week and determined that I prefer them raw. I am impressed with the greens of the onions; they are like ultra-potent scallions.

Sugar snap peas: Trixie is really pleased that we have another large bag. I am going to make tahini dip and peanut satay sauce to go along with them.

Broccoli: I have vague ideas of chicken divan in mind for this.

Kohlrabi: I had never tried kohlrabi, until yesterday. It is a roundish antennaed bulb belonging to the broccoli family. I have been eating slices of it raw. It tastes a little like a broccoli stem, but sweeter, and has the crunch and texture of a firm apple. I will finish it off on salads, but it would be great sliced on a sandwich, if I ate sandwiches.

Daisy

The first black-eyed susan has bloomed in my garden. This is from a plant that I bought at the farmers' market last month.

These are the black-eyed susan seedlings that I started from a packet. They're about 2 inches tall now. I'm not sure that they will have a chance to bloom before fall, but we'll see.

One of the basil plants has yielded enough for eating! I plan on making caprese burgers: garlic-studded burgers topped with fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil. Also note the thriving thyme plant behind the basil.

Trixie's New Favorite Food

Up until last night, Trixie's favorite food was butternut squash. But then I introduced her to sugar snap peas, and her life will never be the same again.

But these are no ordinary sugar snap peas. These are the crunchiest and sweetest ones I have ever had. I ate about half of the large bag that I got from the CSA, and that's not typical behavior for me. I munched them like potato chips. Trixie was curious, so I handed her half of one. She was wary at first, but then became overjoyed and ravenous. She usually maintains a polite and wistful distance from my food, but she was determined to bury her nose in the bowl of sugar snap peas. She ended up eating about six pods (a lot for someone her size), and she hopped impatiently like popcorn between each offering.

I'm trying to remember what I ate last week to provide a recap of the CSA project, but it's all sort of a blur. I ran out of lettuce by Monday! I didn't make garlic scape pesto after all, but instead I braised them with sauerkraut and bratwurst--very tasty. I ate all of the strawberries with chocolate ganache and whipped cream. I did make the blackened tilapia salad and it was fabulous--so good that I used all the romaine for it and had none left to make caesar salad. I ate all the radishes and their greens raw.

The head of escarole? Disappointment of the week. My crisper was overflowing, so I stowed it on the fridge shelf above. Escarole is a sturdy thing. I have stored other greens there with no problems, except the occasional early wilting. I took it out on Sunday afternoon to saute and discovered, to my horror, that it was frozen. The leaf tips were tinged with black. It was frozen all the way through the core. I tried to salvage it in a cold water bath, but it thawed into slimy seaweed. Bah.

Moving on. Here are the contents and tentative plans for this week's CSA delivery:

Salad mix: A small bag this time, enough for 2-3 entree-sized salads. I have gotten into the habit of serving myself a medium-sized side of it before dinner every day, dressed with tarragon vinegar, salt, pepper, olive oil, and feta cheese.

Lettuce head: A large one with green oak-leaf style leaves. I will eat this fast, just in case it might find the same fate as the escarole. I may try blackened red snapper or orange roughy piled on top, since I had excellent results with the tilapia.

Pearl Onions with their greens: I had the impression that pearl onions were usually bite-sized, but some of these are as big as a fist. I'm going to saute them in butter and white wine for topping steak.

Garlic scapes: Again! This time, I really will make the garlic scape pesto to use on pizza.

Radishes with their greens: I love these raw, but the time has come to stop wondering about it and make the braised radishes.

Broccoli: Lots of huge stalks! I'm surprised that it's come this early in the season. I think that I'll make broccoli cheddar soup.

Sugar snap peas: As mentioned above. I suspect that these will disappear before the weekend begins. But the good news is, there will be more with next week's delivery.

Strawberries: another large container, but this time, the berries are tiny (see photo below), thus there is little wasted air space in the carton. There are a lot of berries here, folks. I might have to freeze some. I am also thinking of trying my hand at making whole wheat scones, and piling strawberries and whipped cream on top.