Leek, Chilipin, and Potato Soup

In my CSA last week, I was introduced to chilipin. It tastes somewhat like spinach and is a great addition to this soup if you can find some. We all voted this recipe a keeper.

3 pieces of bacon
1 T olive oil
3-4 leeks, chopped (remove & discard tough green ends)
1 onion, sliced
2 celery ribs, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch chilipin (optional)
2 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 small cabbage, chopped
salt and pepper
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, sliced
10 C chicken broth/stock
2 C half and half (1 C cream & 1 C milk; if you're feeling decadent 2 C cream)
3 green onions, chopped

Cook bacon over medium low heat in a large Dutch oven. Remove bacon and set aside. Leave approximately 1 T of bacon grease in pot and add olive oil. Add leeks, onion, celery, and garlic and cook until onions are translucent and golden. Add chilipin, cabbage, and jalapeno and cook for about 1 minute. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to simmer for at least an hour. Stir in dairy and chopped green onions. Sprinkle with reserved bacon.

Enjoy with some crusty bread.

CSA Week 10, Aug 8, 2013

Veggies include: cucumbers, potatoes, nappa cabbage, onions, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, dill, Sicilian celery, sweet corn, and okra.

CSA Veggies - Week 12 Aug 22, 2013

Week 12 Veggies include: tomatoes, peppers, green beans, bunching greens, cucumbers, hot peppers, eggplant, edamame, braising mix, fennel fronds, and beets.

CSA Veggies - Week 14 Sept 5, 2013

This week included: tomatillos, green onions, eggplant, tomatoes, collard greens, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, arugula, chipilin, lemon basil, little cabbages, and leeks

Lamb Shanks/Chops in the Crock Pot

I just made some Majorcan Eggplant and the recipe suggested that it would be tasty with lamb. I had two lamb shanks in the freezer, so I put them in the crock pot thinking that I could go to the store and get some more to add to it, but there were no lamb shanks anywhere! Apparently they are strictly a fall item.  I added some lamb chops to the crock pot instead. My house smells so good. mmmm.

4 lamb shanks (or 2 lamb shanks and 3 lamb chops; or two lamb shanks and a 2.5 lb boneless leg roast)
2 lg onions cut into rings
10 cloves of garlic
1 lb sliced mushrooms
1-2 tsp or a couple of glugs of Worcestershire sauce
salt
Trader Joe's South African Smoked Pepper
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
4-5 smallish tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c double-strength beef broth
1/2 c red wine
1 T Herbes de Provence
1 bay leaf

Place the sliced onions on the bottom of the crock pot. Salt and pepper the lamb generously and place on top of the onions. Add the garlic, mushrooms and bay leaf. Sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce.

Mix the tomatoes, beef broth, wine, herbs, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Add to the crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve with Majorcan Eggplant and rice.

Note: You can convert the leftovers into an easy cassoulet. I shredded the remaining meat in the sauce and put it in a casserole dish. I added some broth, white beans and sprinkled the top with bread crumbs. and baked in a 350 oven until everything was nice and bubbly. It was amazing.

Beets and Green Beans with Skordalia

As I looked through my cookbook for a recipe to take to cooking club on Greek Night, I came across this recipe that was perfect for my CSA veggies this week: potatoes, green beans, and beets!

Beets and Green Beans with Skordalia (adapted from The Foods of the Greek Islands by Aglaia Kremezi)
3 lg potatoes, halved

Garlic Sauce:
3 slices of whole wheat bread with crusts removed
1/2 c sliced blanched almonds, soaked in water for 2-3 hours or more, and drained
3-5 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic
Salt
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
5 beets, cooked in boiling salted water until tender, peeled and sliced
1 lb green beans, cooked in boiling salted water until just tender, and drained
2-3 T red wine vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced

In a large saucepan of boiling water, cook the potatoes until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and mash the potatoes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, make the garlic sauce: Place the bread, almonds, 1-2 T of lemon juice, garlic, and salt to taste in a food processor and process into a smooth paste.

In a medium bowl, combine the garlic sauce, potatoes, oil, the remaining 1-2 T of lemon juice and pepper to taste. Taste and adjust seasonings.

To assemble: Mound the garlic potatoes in the middle of a serving platter and arrange the beet slices around one side and the green beans on the other. Sprinkle the vegetables with vinegar and drizzle olive oil over the potato mixture. Sprinkle with scallions and serve.

Breakfast Beets That Are Good Enough for Dinner

Breakfast Beets That Are Good Enough for Dinner

1 lb beets
1 T butter (I like how it browns the beets, but you could also use olive oil)
handful of arugula
2 T pepitas
2 eggs, beaten
3 T feta cheese
salt and pepper
splash of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice

1. Slice the greens off of your beets, leaving about the last inch attached to the beet (use the greens in another dish). Add them to a pot and cover with water. Add t of salt and boil them until you can insert a knife. Cool. Peel the outer skin and top and slice into 1/4" rounds. (I usually do this step as soon as I bring my beets home from my CSA or grocery store. I can keep them with their peels on in the fridge for a few days and throw them into salads, etc.)

2. Melt butter in a lg skillet over medium-high heat. Add beet slices and cook until they start to turn a little brown on the edges. Add arugula and cook until wilted. Add pepitas and toss mixture around. Season with salt and pepper.Scramble egg until cooked then mix with other ingredients. Top with 2 T of feta and cook until melted.

3. Put on a serving plate and add remaining T of feta. Splash with balsamic vinegar or lemon juice to brighten flavors and serve with some crusty bread. This would also be tasty rolled up in a wrap.