Massaman Curry

It is the perfect recipe for ingredients from the CSA produce this week: new potatoes, onions, Thai basil. I recommend getting the curry paste in the tubs (photo below). You can buy it in small cans, but these are extremely spicy. Massaman curry is less spicy than red curry. It has all the traditional ingredients in the paste such as red chilis, lemongrass, galangal, garlic and shrimp paste, but adds the flavors of coriander seed, cumin, cardamom, mace, and cinnamon.

Massaman Curry
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 lb potatoes, 1/2" cubes
1 lg onion, 1/2" pieces
4 lg carrots, 1/2" pieces
1 can thick coconut milk
1 can light coconut milk
1/4 -1/3 c massaman curry paste
3 T sugar (palm, if you have it; brown is also nice)
1 T tamarind paste (optional)
2 T fish sauce
1 c peanuts (reserve a few for garnish)
thai basil (optional)


Add 4 T of coconut cream to a large wok over medium high heat. Add the curry paste and cook until fragrant. Add more of the thick part of the coconut milk and the chicken. Stir fry a few minutes. Add the remainder of the can, the can of light coconut milk, and the veggies. Stir to coat and bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer until potatoes are done, about 5 minutes. Stir in peanuts, sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind paste and cook a few minutes more. Sprinkle basil over the top and a few reserved peanuts.

Serve with rice.

Serves 10 (extra curry freezes well)

CSA Week 8 -- July 25

This week's veggies include: new potatoes, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, cabbage, yellow squash, turnips, Asian basil, onions, and heirloom tomatoes

Reverting to old favorites: Broccoli and Cilantro Soup and Kale, Tomatoes, and White Beans

This week I had to delay making recipes from my CSA veggies because I went on vacation for a week. I put them in the fridge and hoped they would survive for the week. They did! Now I need to cook up many things at once so I'm going to rely on some old favorites such as Broccoli and Cilantro Soup and Kale, Tomatoes, and White Beans.  The house smells so good. I added some cauliflower to the soup, instead of roasted corn, and I think I will serve the kale over polenta to mix things up.

CSA Veggies - July 11

This week's veggies included: cilantro, beets, carrots, kale, onions, tarragon, basil, green beans, zucchini, cabbage, broccoli.

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.