Companion Planting: Tomatoes Love Basil

Illustration by the Girl

There are few things that go together as well as tomatoes and basil in cooking. Caprese salad, Margherita pizza, and tomato basil soup are some of the best dishes that come to mind for these two ingredients. But did you know that they compliment each other when growing as well as on the plate in a finished dish?

There are a lot of vegetables, herbs, and even flowers that help each other grow when planted near each other. Throughout this summer I will be posting a series of "companion planting" updates (complete with a hand drawn illustration by the girl).

Planting basil as a border to where you are growing tomatoes will help the tomatoes resist disease and will help to make the tomatoes taste better. The tomatoes will grow better because basil attracts bees which results in increased pollination. Basil will also repel flies and mosquitoes. I've even heard of people planting basil by the back door for the mosquito repellent effect!

Next year when you are planning your vegetable garden, be sure to put some basil with your tomatoes, you won't be sorry!

Beet Hummus

Photos courtesy of the girl

Two things the girl and I love: beets, and hummus. What could be better than putting them together?! Making your own hummus is pretty simple, and this recipe just uses beets instead of the normal chickpeas.

We used this recipe as a base for our beet hummus and made a few tweaks. Instead of regular black pepper, we used a pinch of smoked pepper for another flavor dimension. (It basically makes anything taste like it's been grilled.) Also, since we didn't have enough lemons, we used the zest from one lime as well.

Cooking the beets is what takes the longest in this whole process, but it's totally worth it. Give this recipe a shot the next time you are having a get-together - the color alone will have people talking about it!

It's Fall and My CSA Is Over

Photo Courtesy of TreeLink.org

My CSA from Farmer Dave's has finished for the year and I am a little sad! I really liked the concept of the CSA from the beginning. It is a great way to help out the farm when they need it the most, and then I get a steady supply of fresh veggies each week - pretty much a win/win situation!

I got a lot of great produce this year. From the beautiful tomatoes, to a steady supply of green and cranberry beans, to the big butternut squash, I was overall pleased with my shares each week. I got a lot of certain items which was nice as I was able to blanch and freeze items for the winter (I have TONS of sweet corn in my freezer) but there were some things I was quickly swapping out toward the end of the season as I'd simply had too much of them (bok choy and wax beans were often swapped for wonderful carrots and beets).

I would suggest anyone who loves produce and lives in an area where a CSA is available (which is pretty much everywhere these days) to give it a shot next year. You may not get all your favorite vegetables in the share each week but it will certainly help if you are getting bored with the same old veggies. Don't be intimidated if you look at a CSA flyer or website and it lists things you don't like or have never heard of - a quick google search will most likely yield a recipe that you'll end up liking. If not, a lot of CSAs have swap boxes where you can swap it out the next time!

I will be switching CSA's next year and I think its best to remember that this is not a multiple year commitment. If you go through the year and decide at the end that you didn't really like a lot of what you got, or that there wasn't as good a variety as you'd been hoping for, you can always switch next year! Many farms grow similar things but will have different ways of distributing between the shares. Also, it is sometimes a good idea to split a bigger share with someone in an effort to get a better variety (my plan for next year).

All in all, I loved my CSA and I can't wait for next summer to start getting a share of the crop each week again!

Southwestern Corn Salsa (CSA Week 7 & 8 Recipe)

Since the summer is now in full swing, I've started getting ears of corn in my CSA share for the past couple of weeks. I really love corn from farm stands; it tastes so much better and sweeter than the stuff you get in the grocery store! The first week I got corn, we went the simple route by just boiling it for a few minutes and putting butter, salt and pepper on it. It was delicious!

This week, I decided I wanted to try something else - something simple that would also have good flavor. What came to mind? Salsa. I love salsa, I really do. Corn salsa, mango salsa, peach salsa, just straight pico de gallo...I don't discriminate when it comes to salsa. Luckily, the share this week also contained onions, tomatoes, and cubanelle peppers. The perfect ingredients for salsa fell right into my lap! (By the way, I'm still getting squash of all shapes and sizes. I see lots more zucchini bread in my future...)

I decided that I wanted to roast the corn in the oven (rather than just boiling it), so I soaked it in its husks in water for about 25 minutes while the oven was preheating to 350 degrees. Then I put it directly onto the oven rack, husk and all, for 25 minutes. Next, I roasted the cubanelle by putting the broiler on high and leaving the pepper under it until the skin started to blister. Then I flipped it over and did the same thing for the other side. (Make sure you pay attention, as it can burn really quickly!) Then I pulled off the skin, took the seeds out, and removed the stem. Everything was ready to make the salsa!

I think one of the reasons I love salsa is that it is so simple. There really aren't any rules, you can make it however you like it, and it's one of the easiest things to make. It's also really versatile in terms of what you can pair it with. Below is the recipe I created for my corn salsa, but it's just a base. Change it up however you would like! I would love to hear about which salsas you've made in the past, so feel free to shoot me an email (bostonfound at gmail dot com)!

Southwestern Corn Salsa

Ingredients:
2 Ears of corn (in husk)
1 Cubanelle pepper
1 Small onion; minced
1 Large tomato; diced (seeded if you prefer)
1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
Juice from 1 lime
Salt & Pepper to taste
Red Flake
Cilantro; chopped (optional)

Directions:

1) Soak the corn in water in the husks for 25 minutes; Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) Roast the corn in the preheated oven for 25 minutes; Remove from oven and let cool.
3) Place cubanelle pepper under broiler until the skins starts to blister. Flip and cook other side until the skin blisters; Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove the skin and seeds from the cubanelle.
4) Cut corn kernels off the cob and place in a large bowl.
5) Dice the cubanelle to size similar to the corn kernels and add to the bowl.
6) Add the tomato, onions, juice of lime, olive oil and spices to the bowl.
7) Mix all ingredients together and test the seasoning.
8) Add in the cilantro if using and let sit for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Enjoy this salsa with tacos, or as a nice side for a piece of grilled chicken or steak!

Roasted Veggie & Hummus Wrap (CSA Week 3 & 4 Recipe)

Photo Courtesy of Unversity of Minnesota

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind - I really don’t know where this month has gone! The girl and I went on a short vacation, which was really nice, but now it’s back to the grind.

I’m still getting my CSA each week (thanks to my parents, who picked it up while we were gone), and it's provided a steady supply of greens and yellow, zucchini, and kousa squashes. We are also just starting to get cucumbers.

I have to say, I’m a bit overloaded with squash. Since I've never really eaten much of it, I'm struggling to find a way to use it all. This week I decided to just roast all of it (along with red onion and red pepper), and eat it in wraps for lunches. I used Mediterranean and Greek-inspired flavors for the veggies, which really brought out the flavor of the squash.

Roasted Veggie & Hummus Wrap

What you need:

roasted veggies (recipe below)
hummus (I like the original hummus tahini but use a flavored hummus if you’d like)
flatbread or tortilla wrap
feta

What you do:

Spread hummus on the wrap. Top with roasted veggies. Sprinkle crumbled feta on the top. Wrap and eat!

Roasted Veggies:

yellow squash
zucchini
kousa squash
red peppers
red onion
olive oil
lemon juice
salt
pepper
oregano (I used fresh "Spicy Oregano" from the back porch)

Chop the veggies into bite-sized pieces. Toss the veggies with olive oil, salt, pepper, and chopped oregano. Lay out in a single layer in a Pyrex baking dish or roasting pan and squeeze lemon juice over the top. Put the veggies in the oven at 375 for about 25 minutes (or until soft). Remove from oven and let cool.

Vegetable Photos Courtesy of Farmer Dave's

Braised Bok Choy & Chicken Lettuce Wraps (CSA Week 1 Recipe)

Photo courtesy of Farmer Dave's

Summer is finally in full swing around here, and that means fresh vegetables are on the way. A couple of weeks ago, I picked up my first CSA. The selection featured heads of lettuce (curly and Boston), bok choy, kousa squash, zucchini, beets, radishes, cilantro, and garlic scapes.

I was really excited by all the fresh produce, and decided to use some of it right away for dinner. Below is a simple recipe (although it’s more of a starting point - no measurements needed here, just play with it according to your tastes!) for braised bok choy and chicken lettuce wraps. This is a really quick and easy way to use fresh veggies, as cooking them quickly and simply will help retain their flavor, color and nutrients. Enjoy!

(By the way, I'll be posting a weekly update of my CSA's contents. I'll also include a recipe or two throughout the week, featuring the produce from my share. So stay tuned!)

Braised Bok Choy & Chicken Lettuce Wraps

What you’ll need:

1 head of Bok Choy (chopped)

Red Bell Pepper (sliced into 1/4 in sticks)

Minced Garlic

Fresh ginger (minced or grated)

Minced Shallot

Olive Oil

¼ cup water (or chicken stock)

Teriyaki Sauce (optional)

Cilantro (chopped; optional)

Teriyaki Ginger Chicken Sausage (or chicken breast seasoned however you’d like)

Boston Lettuce cups for wraps (or Iceberg Lettuce if you’d like)

What you do:

1) Chop chicken sausage into bit size pieces and sauté in a hot pan until browned (these chicken sausages are fully cooked; If using chicken breast, cook through, about 7 minutes per side). Remove from pan.

2) In same pan, add oil, ginger and garlic (to taste) and heat until the garlic and ginger starts to sizzle.

3) Add the shallot and bell pepper and continue to cook until they start to soften.

4) Add the chopped Bok Choy and sauté with all other vegetables until the Bok Choy is a bright green color (only a couple minutes).

5) Add the water and lower the heat. Continue to cook on a simmer as the Bok Choy gets tender.

6) Toss the chicken into the pan along with some of your favorite teriyaki (or any Asian stir-fry sauce; I like a spicy teriyaki sauce for this). Cook until the Bok Choy is done to your desired tenderness (I personally like it still with a bit of crunch in the stalk)

7) Assemble the lettuce wraps using the Boston lettuce cups. Place a bit of the Bok Choy and chicken mixture into the lettuce cup. Top with a little more of the sauce of your choice and some chopped cilantro.

*You can switch this recipe up in any number of ways. Mix in any of your favorite veggies, leave out the chicken, or change up the sauce if you’d like. You can also use different toppings, maybe some chopped peanuts for some crunch. Also, you can stretch it a little further with some rice.

Garden Update - Catching Up

So it's been a couple of busy weeks. The weather has been beautiful in the city and with that comes a lot of outdoors activities! We have been preparing the soil in our vegetable garden and have put in some fingerling potatoes. I'll be sowing some peas and lettuce in the coming days. I've also started some Roma tomatoes from seed indoors as well as tomatillos. They've both been recently transplanted into larger pots as they've been growing pretty well. I'll be starting some eggplant from seed soon with hopes of a late season crop.

On another gardening note, we have just recently gotten a plot in the Fenway Victory Gardens! We are very excited about this plot. It is going to be a flower garden. All different sizes, and some for cutting as well. We've already put in some work (had to take out some leftover shrubs and daylilies...boy did we have daylilies) but will be getting some topsoil in a couple weeks and then will start the landscaping and planting.

I will be posting some photos in the coming days of some things we've done recently in the area as well as some more citrus photos that the girl took.

Fresh English Peas

English Peas are one of the earliest signs of Spring, and are also a really quick and easy side dish to any meal! I've never been a big fan of frozen peas, but when the girl and I saw fresh English Peas in the Whole Foods near my house, we had to grab some.

To prepare them, just shell the peas and then simply steam them for 5 minutes or so. Sprinkle with some salt and a little pepper and you have a great, simple side!

Make sure you buy a lot of peas, however - you'll be surprised how many pea pods it takes to get a serving. Trust me, you'll be sad if you don't have enough!