Tag Archives: Garlic

October 24, 2013

Farm Fresh Challenge: Sweet Potato and Leeks

By ritalovestowrite

Our weekly bounty from Calverts Gift Farm is coming to a close. My pick up yesterday was the penultimate box. Soon I shall have to re-acquaint myself with the produce aisle at the grocery store and Chopped Parkton will be a thing of the past. But today is not that day. Today I make Sweet Potato and Leeks!

INGREDIENTS:

From the Box:

  • Three cups of chopped Sweet Potatoes (about a half-inch )
  • One Leek (diced fine)
  • 2 cloves of Garlic (diced fine)
  • 2 Mushrooms (diced fine) (from previous box)
Leak (top) waits to be diced on a plate with prepared mushrooms.

Leak (top) waits to be diced on a plate with prepared mushrooms.

From the Pantry:

  • 2 tablespoons of Butter
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Water to boil the Sweet Potatoes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put the Sweet Potatoes in a large pot and cover with 2″ of water. Bring to a steady boil. Continue to cook until Sweet Potatoes are soft. Drain in a colander and set aside.

2. In the same pot add the Butter and put back on the stove. Once Butter is melted added the diced Leek and Garlic. Saute until the Leak is translucent.

3. Add the Mushrooms and cook until they are soft. Add the Sweet Potatoes back into the pot and toss. Season to taste.

Sweet Potato Leak side dish. Ready to eat.

Sweet Potato Leak side dish. Ready to eat.

If you think Sweet Potatoes should be whipped up and served with mini marshmallows just move along,  this isn’t the dish you’re looking for.

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3 Comments   |  tags: , , | posted in Thought of the Day

September 18, 2013

Farm Fresh Challenge: Turnip, Potato, Tomato Stew

By ritalovestowrite

After a couple of steamy weeks the weather has cooled considerable here since Sunday. This resulted in my getting a nasty cold ( which meant I didn’t post yesterday! GASP! — I do have note from the doctor, but still!) However the vegetables from the CSA are still going strong.

Here’s what was in the box for week 18 of the Calverts Gift CSA (after I made my substitutions)…

escarole Tomatoes cherry tomatoes garlic turnips Napa cabbage Bok Choi Jalepenos

Escarole, Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic, Turnips, Napa Cabbage, Bok Choi and Jalepenos. (I swapped the Bok Choi and Jalepenos out for more Turnips.)

I knew I wanted to make something Turnip inspired and decided on a simple Turnip stew.

INGREDIENTS:

From the Box:

2 bunches of Turnips (cut into 1/2″ chunks) [I’ve got smaller snowball and larger red turnips here]

2 Cloves of Garlic (diced)

2 Tomatoes (cut into 1/2″ chunks)

1 cup Fingerling Potatoes (cut into 1/2″ chunks) [From previous box]

IMG_6110

From the Pantry:

2 Tbls Olive OIl

1 Onion (diced)

Salt, Pepper and dry Cilantro  to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a Dutch Over or heavy skillet place the Olive oil and Turnips  cover and cook at a medium heat. Stir every few minutes.

2. Add the Garlic at about the 5  minute mark. Stir.

3. Add the Onions and Fingerling Potatoes at the 10 minute mark. Stir.

4. Check the stew. If the Potatoes and Turnips are soft enough to pierce with a fork add the Salt, Pepper, Cilantro and Tomatoes.  Stir.

Don't let the tomatoes cook down too much.

Don’t let the tomatoes cook down too much.

5. Heat the Tomatoes through and remove from heat.

6. Serve hot in a bowl and enjoy.

Ready to eat.

Ready to eat.

I like the way the sweetness of the tomatoes plays off the slightly bitter flavor of the turnip.

This can be eaten hot or cool. (But on a day like today it is perfect steaming hot with a chunk of fresh baked bread.)

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1 Comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Chopped Parkton, postaday, Thought of the Day, Turnip Potato Tomato Stew

August 21, 2013

Farm Fresh Challenge: Tomato & Turkey Sauce with Ziti

By ritalovestowrite
This week's CSA box from Calverts Gift included: Green beans, tomatoes, french fingerling potatoes, sweet peppers, escarole, head lettuce, cherry tomatoes, rapini. I also picked up some purple sage from the extras box

This week’s CSA box from Calverts Gift included: Green beans, tomatoes, french fingerling potatoes, escarole, head lettuce, cherry tomatoes, rapini. I traded out the sweet peppers for extra potatoes.  I also picked up some purple basil from the extras box

Goin’ old school with the Farm Fresh Challenge today and keeping it simple with my recipe for Tomato Sauce.

INGREDIENTS from the  BOX:

  • 4 Tomatoes
  • 12 Cherry Tomatoes
  • 1 bunch Purple Basil
  • Rapini

INGREDIENTS from previous BOX:

  • 1 head of Garlic

INGREDIENTS from the PANTRY:

  • 1 Tbls butter
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
  • 1 pound lean Ground Turkey
  • 1/2 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
  • 1 pound Ziti
  • shredded Italian Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Peel the Garlic. Mince the cloves.

2. Heat the butter in a large pot on the stove. When the butter is melted add the Garlic and brown.

3. Add the Purple Sage and cook for 1 minute.

4.  Peel the large Tomatoes, chop into 1/2″ chunks and add to the Garlic. Cut the Cherry Tomatoes in half and add to the pot.

5. Stirring occasionally so the Tomato Sauce doesn’t stick to the pot cook until the Tomatoes are very soft. About 15 minutes.

6. Add Salt and Pepper to taste.

7. Remove to a bowl.

8. Add the Olive Oil to the pot then add the Ground Turkey. Brown completely.

9. Add the Italian Bread Crumbs and cook a few minutes longer.

10. Put the Ground Turkey in with the Tomato Sauce and wipe out the pot.

11. Fill the pot with 4 to 6 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Add the Ziti and a dash of Olive Oil and cook for 14 minutes (or follow directions on package.) When Ziti is tender drain in a collider.

12. Combine the Ziti with the Tomato/Ground Turkey Sauce in the pot, cover and set aside.

RAPINI

Rapini is similar to Brocoli Rabe. Both the stems and leaves are edible. Today well eat the stems.

1. Trim the bottom 1/4″ from the Rapini stems and discard. Cut stems in 1/2″ pieces up to the leaves (which you can save for another meal.)

2. In a second, smaller pot heat 1/2″ of water to boiling. Add the Rapini stems when the water is ready and boil for 5 minutes.

3. Drain and plate with the Ziti.

Garnish with Shredded Italian Cheese.

Tomato Sauce

The great thing about Tomato Sauce is you can add a little of this or a little of that to suit your needs. Next week I’ll be in the kitchen with my nephew who started his own garden this year.  He’s got some Ground Venison in the freezer and I think we’ll try that instead of (or maybe in addition to) the Turkey. Or you could leave out the meat all together.  I also like Onion (but didn’t have any in the pantry. So I’d add that. Pepper is always a nice add in (if everybody can tolerate it. Mushrooms too.

What else to do you add to your Sauce?

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1 Comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Cooking, Farm Fresh Challenge, postaday, Thought of the Day

August 2, 2013

Farm Fresh Challenge: Summer Bounty Potato Salad

By ritalovestowrite

[Blogger’s note: I’m reloading this post since it was up briefly yesterday, but seems to have gone AWOL mysteriously today. OOOPS. ]

We are 11 weeks into our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) adventure with Calvert’s Gifts Farm.

It was our week for eggs (we get a half share -- so we pick up a dozen ever other week. The box also included: cucumbers tomatoes, Colorado rose potatoes, sweet peppers scallions, bok choi*, cherry tomatoes and garlic. (*I swapped out the bok choi for a second helping of potatoes.)

It was our week for eggs (we get a half share — so we pick up a dozen ever other week.)The box also included: cucumbers, tomatoes, Colorado rose potatoes, sweet peppers
scallions, bok choi*, cherry tomatoes and garlic. (*I swapped out the bok choi for a second helping of potatoes.)

I made some slow cooked pulled pork bbq for dinner and thought a nice potato salad would be just thing  for this week’s entry in…

[Not associated with the real Chopped, the Food Network or Ted Allen.]

[Not associated with the real Chopped, the Food Network or Ted Allen.]

INGREDIENTS:

In the box:

  • 6 medium Colorado Rose Potatoes
  • 1/2 medium Onion (from a previous box)
  • 1/2 garlic (3 cloves)
  • 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes
  • 2 sweet red peppers

From the Pantry:

  • 1 Peach
  • 2 slices of cooked Turkey Bacon
  • 1 TBLS Butter
  • 1 TBLS Olive Oil
  • 1/4 Mayonaise
  • Salt
  • Pepper
The onion and peach are the ringers here. They were in the fridge and I wanted to use them up. The rest is fresh from the box.

The onion and peach are the ringers here. They were in the fridge and I wanted to use them up. The rest is fresh from the box. Wait — don’t those pepper’s look like alien fingers from a bad sci-fi movie? Ewwww.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Peal and cube the potatoes. Boil them until a fork pierces a potato cube with ease. Colorado Rose Potatoes are on the tender side. It didn’t take long for them to cook.

2. Peal and chop the onion.  Peal and mince the garlic.

3. When the potatoes are ready… drain them and set aside.

4. Using the same pot add the butter and brown the onion and garlic.

Browning the Onion and Garlic.

Browning the Onion and Garlic.

5. Wash the Cherry Tomatoes and cut into equal sized pieces (1/2″ pieces.)

6. Wash, slice and de-seed the peppers. Grill on at hot grill (I used our Foreman Grill) for 5 minutes.  Remove, let cool, then finely dice into small piece.

7. Peal the peach and chop into 1/2″ pieces.

8. When the Onion and Garlic are browned add the Potatoes, Tomatoes and Peaches and the 1TLBS of Olive Oil.

The Cherry Toms and Peaches add a little color

The Cherry Toms and Peaches add a little color

9. Dice up you pre-cooked Turkey Bacon into bacon bits.

10. Add the diced Sweet Pepper and Bacon.

11. Carefully fold in the Mayonaise.

12. Salt and Pepper to tase.

The finished salad.

The finished salad.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serving suggestion: We had our Summer Bounty Potato Salad with pulled pork bbq sliders. Fresh brewed iced tea complimented the meal.

Serving suggestion: We had our Summer Bounty Potato Salad with pulled pork bbq sliders. Fresh brewed iced tea complimented the meal.

My family gave this recipe two thumbs up. Bill said it reminded him of his mother’s potato salad. High praise, indeed. Maggie, ever sarcastic, added that it reminded her of HER mother’s potato salad. So why not give it a try and see if it reminds you of YOUR mother’s potato salad.

Cheers, Rita (aka Maggie’s mom)

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2 Comments   |  tags: , , | posted in Thought of the Day

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