Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Spinach Taco Packets

Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Spinach Taco Packets

These were so delicious. Our family cooked these packets on our campfire on our last camping trip, but you could easily do it on a grill as well. Five packets easily fed four adults, six kids, and one dog.

Contents for one packet (each packet makes approx 4 tacos):

1/2 lb ground beef, turkey or chicken
2 T taco seasoning
1/2 sweet potato cut into 1/2 " chunks
1 c fresh spinach
1/2 c seasoned black beans, drained


taco toppings:
Cojita cheese, crumbled
salsa


Make a large double-layer of foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the sweet potato chunks. Crumble the uncooked meat over the top of the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with taco seasoning. Add black beans and spinach. Crimp the foil over the top and seal the packets allowing some space for air inside. Cook over hot coals or on the grill for 15 minutes. Be cautious opening the packets so you don't get burned by the steam. Serve with taco toppings and corn or flour soft shell tortillas, hard taco shells, or tortilla chips.

CSA - Week 4

Lots of green this week!

Our take:
Purple head lettuce, mustard greens, sage, bunched greens, spinach, salad mix, braising mix, swiss chard, kolhrabi, nappa cabbage, broccoli

Roast Pork Loin with Lemony Potatoes and Greens

Roast Pork Loin with Lemony Potatoes and Greens

Here is a good way to use fresh herbs and alliums from your CSA in addition to the greens.

1 3- to 4-pound boneless pork loin, tied

Kosher salt and coarse black pepper, spice rub (recipe follows)

Olive oil, about 4 tablespoons

8 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small bunch scallions or 2 to 3 spring onions, whites and greens finely chopped

6 to 8 sprigs rosemary, stripped

4 tablespoons thyme leaves

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

5 cloves garlic, unpeeled

1 pound small Yukon Gold potatoes, halved if larger

1 bunch Tuscan kale, stems and tough ribs removed, cut into 1-inch strips

3 ounces baby spinach (3 cups)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Score fat side of pork loin. Season roast with salt and pepper, and coat in oil. Pat a few T of spice rub evenly over the roast, including ends. Finely chop together the garlic, scallions or onions, rosemary, thyme and lemon zest, a sprinkle of lemon juice and salt then slather evenly over the rub including the ends. Wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight (I’ve also done this without waiting and it was still delicious).

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place pork on a rimmed baking sheet, along with unpeeled garlic. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145 degrees, 40-50 minutes. Remove from oven and cover loosely with foil; let rest 10 minutes before thinly slicing. (I've also done this pork loin on the grill with indirect heat; simply sear on all sides on high heat, then turn off half of the burners and move pork to that side).

3. In a medium pot, cover potatoes with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 13 minutes. Add kale and cook until kale is wilted and potatoes are tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Add spinach, lemon juice, and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves into potato mixture. Serve with pork.

Spice Rub from Cook’s Illustrated

I make this up and keep it in a sealable container in my spice cabinet.

¼ c sweet paprika

2 T chili powder

2 T ground cumin

2 T dark brown sugar

2  T salt

1 T dried oregano

1T granulated sugar

1 T ground black pepper

1 T ground white pepper

1-2 t ground cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Store unused portion in airtight container.

Lentils and Greens

Just a few shakes of Tabasco sauce over this and it is perfect!

Greens and Lentils

1 pkg ea. ham shanks and pork hocks

1 lg onion

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

5 c mixed greens, chopped

1 c red split lentils

2 qts chicken broth

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

a few twists of Trader Joe’s South African Smoked Pepper and Everyday Seasoning

Sauté the hocks, onion, and garlic in a little oil.  Add chicken broth and greens. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes. Add lentils, thyme, bay leaves, and seasonings and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove shanks and/or hocks and debone. Add meat back to the pot and serve.

Serve over rice or with crusty bread.

Gumbo Z'Herbes

This is another favorite to use CSA greens from the Food Network's Emeril Lagasse.

Gumbo Z’Herbes

Ingredients
3 tablespoons rendered bacon fat
1 ham hock, about 2 pounds, with several 1/2-inch slits cut into it
2 cups chopped onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 assorted bunches of greens, such as spinach, collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, watercress, chicory, beet tops, carrot tops, or radish tops, washed, rinsed and chopped
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 small green cabbage, chopped
2 quarts chicken broth or 2 quarts water
Salt and pepper
File powder
Cooked white rice for serving with gumbo

Directions
In a stockpot or large saucepan, heat the bacon fat. Add the ham hock and onions and cook for 10 minutes, until onions are softened and slits in ham hock have begun to open up. Add garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and cayenne pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped greens, parsley, green onions and cabbage and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted. Add broth or water and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, skim surface, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 2 1/2 hours, until greens are very tender. Season with salt and pepper and add file, to taste, just before serving in large bowls over hot white rice. (Do not allow gumbo to boil after adding the file.)

Berry Mint Rhubarb Cobbler

A friend gave me some rhubarb that I have been making into crisps, crumbles and now this cobbler. I thought it was a good way to use the mint from the CSA.

Berry Mint Rhubarb Cobbler

5 C rhubarb, chopped

1 ½ C sliced strawberries

1 C blueberries

1 ½ C sugar

3 T corn starch

2 T butter

Biscuits

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Combine the fruits, sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Toss until well combined. Put in a 9x13 pan and dot with butter. Cook for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Take out and stir with a spatula.

Make biscuits while the fruit cooks.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together. Add butter and blend by hand until the butter is roughly the size of peas. Using a spatula, add buttermilk until the dough comes together.

Scoop evenly sized mounds of the dough over the filling, spacing them about ¼ inch apart. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown on top and the fruit is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

CSA - Week 2

It is Week 2 for our CSA and our family gets to enjoy the bounty this week. I was so excited to get our first harvest that I had an amazing surge of energy as I drove out of the parking lot dreaming about what I could make.

Our take:
kale, green onions, lettuce mix, mint, head lettuce, mustard greens, spinach, radishes, purple kohlrabi, broccoli, and spring garlic

So far I have made some old favorites, including Quiche O'Greens and Italian-Inspired Greens, Tomatoes, and White Beans to which I added some canned salmon.

I added some onion to the green onions and spring garlic from the CSA that I used instead of leeks to try Eating Well's Provencal Summer Vegetables.