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.

Gol-bang-ee Salad

Last year my friend, MiYoung, shared this salad with me. It makes me think of summer and it is really refreshing. Gol-bang-ee is the Korean word for sea snails and the @ symbol.

If you cannot find sea snails, the salad is good without them, or you could try octopus or squid.


Gol-bang-ee Salad

1 can sea snails, rinsed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 English cucumber, sliced thinly
1 carrot, thinly sliced
3 green onions, cut in 3" pieces and cut in half
1 lb of kuk su noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed with cold water
3 c romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
3 - 4 shiso (perilla) leaves, cut into pieces (shiso can be hard to find; I used a handful of arugula instead)

Combine the above ingredients and toss with the sauce. Serve immediately.

Sauce
Mix:
3 T red pepper paste
1 T red pepper flakes
1 T soy sauce
3 T rice vinegar
3 T sugar
1 T sesame oil
1 T sesame seeds
1-2 cloves of minced garlic

CSA Season Is Here Again

Today is the first day of our summer CSA. I'm so excited to get fresh, locally-grown produce all summer. This summer our family will be sharing a large "Veggie Lover's" share with another family. We will alternate weeks for pick up and consumption. Next week is our pick-up week, so be ready for  more photos and recipes!

Crustless Ham and Spinach Quiche

Crustless Ham and Spinach Quiche

2 c diced ham
2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 onion, minced
1 10 oz bag of fresh spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
7 eggs, beaten
cooking spray
salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
a few sprinkles of red pepper flakes or TJs South African Smoke Seasoning, optional

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray saute pan with cooking spray. Saute onion and garlic until translucent. Add spinach and cook until wilted. In the meantime, put mix the beaten eggs, cheese, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. I like to add some red pepper flakes. Mix in the onion mixture.

Spoon into muffin tins (spray with cooking spray first). Bake for 25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Makes 14 regular-sized muffins.

A few photos of veg

I got behind in posting about my CSAs. Here are the photos that I didn't get up.