storing summer herbs to savor in later seasons...

Just wanted to start a post on how everyone stores herbs.

The only herb I am very familiar with storing is basil, as I am italian and therefore I cook with basil a lot! I usually make a quick simple pesto with only basil, garlic, and olive oil. (easier to cook with, sometimes you might not want the cheese or nuts) Then you can freeze in ice cube trays, or what I like to do is put it into a ziplock bag, and lay it out flat to freeze, that way it makes a sheet that might be about 1/4 inch thick or so. Then it doesn't get any freezer burn, and you can just break off pieces of whatever size you desire. Plus, it sores flat on the bottom of an overcrowded freezer!

I froze last weeks dill into ice cube trays... I had read that if you use hot water, it helps the herbs retain their nice green color. I have yet to use it, but it still looks vibrant at least!

Now I am thinking of today's oregano that I know I may not get around to using for months... The sheet says to dry it, but I was wondering if anyone has frozen oregano like I did with the dill? Or maybe I should make an oregano-pesto to freeze? It would be nice to retain that fresh quality to use all winter... I already have plenty of dried oregano!

Deenuh Time!

1. Brown Rice

2. Sauteed Swiss Chard* (margarine, salt, red wine vinegar)

3. Roasted Purple Top Turnips (peanut oil, salt, sugar)

4. Black and Red Bean Salad (patty pan squash*, tomato, purplette onion*, sage*)

any clue what this is?

Quiche

Since we got a dozen eggs yesterday at Callister Farm in addition to the chicken, we had tons in our house.  Two dozen eggs at once either means Red Velvet Angel Food Cake or quiche.  Quiche was easier and could use up some kale in addition to the eggs.

I made up 2, each with a variation of this recipe. 


The first one had kale*, onions*, & garlic all sauteed together, then some fresh baby tomatoes*, swiss cheese, and the egg custard.  The second had the same kale, onion, and garlic mix, with a red bell pepper thrown in, cheese, and egg custard.

The egg custard I used was (per pie):

• 4 eggs
• ~1 C half & half
• dash of nutmeg
• ~1 1/2 T flour

The mushrooms at the corner store looked disappointing so I didn't use them, like we normally do.  

And I just realized why I couldn't find our pie pans!  I wasn't looking for glass, I was looking for metal.  So instead I used cake pans.  I'm sure they'll still turn out delish. 

* from the garden or the CSA

Green Things

Dinner, and dinner guest:

Slaw Recipe Repost

I discovered last night that when you search the blog, it doesn't search comments.  Which made it hard to find this recipe from Casey... that we used last night.

We put it on coleslaw and also used it as a stir-fry sauce on our veggies.  It was killer.

3 clove garlic
2 tbs ginger
1/2 c sesame/canola oil mixed
1/3 c soy sauce
3 tbs honey
1/3 c lime

Roughly chop garlic and ginger, then toss everything in the blender and you're done! (the honey needs to be warm to mix properly, and measurements are estimates)

Purple Top Turnips

Has anyone tried the caramelized turnip recipe from the CSA handout? I only noticed it after I had already cooked mine!

I have this new theory that every vegetable is delicious when slathered in toasted sesame oil, heavily salted, and roasted in the oven. With moderate success with beets and cauliflower I put it to the test on turnips.



Since Casey's baby arrived I'm been cooking veggie sides more than one-pot meals to bring her. Then she can combine them in different ways with different meals, sometimes adding on top of a salad, throwing into soup, etc. I wasn't watching the clock while I baked these, but I'm guessing it was at least 45 minutes.



Don't they look a lot like red potatoes? Well, they tasted just like... turnips. But they were good! The caramelizing recipe interests me because the sugar might tackle some of that bitterness. I'm happy that I did this though, because Shawn and I learned that we like turnips roasted as well as raw. And I got them out of the house before my mother arrives tonight who is steadfastly anti-turnip. Casey and Ardeshir have yet to weigh in...

Kingfield Farmers Market - Tiny Planet Produce

The write-up is from last year but its interesting to read some of the details behind the Certified Naturally Grown network.

Kingfield Farmers Market - Tiny Planet Produce

The standard is as rigorous as USDA Organic, governing input requirements, land use practices, soil fertility and crop nutrient management, seed and planting stock, crop rotation practices, and pest and disease standards. It does not allow for synthetic pesticides and fertilizers nor does it allow the planting of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In fact, it goes beyond the USDA Organic standards because it randomly conducts pesticide residue tests on farmers’ products, which the USDA does not do.

Num Num Num

1. Lemonade

2. Snap Peas*

3. White Rice

4. Umeboshi Plums <3

5. Salad (garden lettuce, spinach*, salad turnips*, sesame seeds, dressing=miso, mustard, mirin)

6. Stir Fry (kohlrabi*, cabbage*, scallions*, roasted peanuts, sesame and chili oil, mirin, soy sauce)

Craziness!

Choosing healthy foods now called a mental disorder

Herbs in Da Teeth

Lane went and picked up some pork chops for dinner tonight.  Sorry, no pictures, but we had herb-rubbed pork chops on the grill with sauteed chard, kale, spring onions, and garlic scapes.  The sage and thyme came from the CSA, the rosemary came from the garden.  They made a good mix with some sea salt for the meat. 

I also was going to make mojitos with some of our spearmint out back since its going gangbusters, but I decided to go for something a bit more healthy.  I made some iced tea with spearmint.  Figured, it can't be a bad combination.  However, I stupidly chopped the mint and put it in the pitcher.  Now I'm busy drinking strained tea tonight so I can start over and use whole mint leaves instead... much smarter! 

That, and both of us had to floss our teeth after dinner with the mint pieces, herbs, and greens! 

The Heart of Darkness

I have a vegan friend who is trying to lose weight... she's gorgeous and doesn't need to, but I digress. She's on the food combining diet, which I hadn't heard of before. I also haven't been grocery shopping since returning from the East Coast so I was armed tonight only with the CSA veggies... it was an interesting challenge! We had:

1. Salad - a mix of jericho and spinach with scallions and salad turnips (sliced plums and an agave-mustard dressing for the non-food-combiners, she had hers plain)

2. Carrots, Cauliflower, and Garlic Scapes - sauteed with a small amount of olive oil and salt

3. Brown Rice - with some wild rice mixed in

I used up the last of my wild rice tonight, and I've decided that the big bin I keep it in will henceforth be occupied by quinoa. The quinoa bin was small to the point that I felt if I prepared a large meal using it, it would be nearly empty. And then I'd have to get more quinoa! Hmm... better use rice instead.

I've decided against such prohibitive strategies and in favor of more quinoa as a regular part of our diet, which should make Casey happy. Go... complete protein!

This is only my second week with the CSA box, so the magic is still very much alive for me. I love having people over for dinner when my fridge is exploding with possibilities! Some folks have mentioned rotting veggie guilt... If you go to my grandmother's farm you will see BINS of rotting vegetables, with flies buzzing all around. Her attitude was always that rot is just a necessary side effect of bounty. It's good to make an effort to share with others, preserve, not let things go to waste, etc... but inevitably you're going to end up with some compost. And it's better to have a little more veggies in your fridge than you can use than not to have enough.

That's my take on it anyway. Plus it's not like we're buying all this stuff individually at grocery store prices! I think we should have a potluck once the night shades start coming in. It's going to be fabulous!!!