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!

Zucchini Bread with Cranberries (CSA Week 5 & 6 Recipe)

The zucchini and squash are still appearing in the CSA baskets, as they have been for the past few weeks. I've made zucchini bread with the girl before, so I decided to use the squash that was the size of my forearm (no, really, it was that big!) to make it again.

This time, however, I added cranberries from one of last fall's farmers' market that I still had in my freezer. (Note: check safety guidelines for frozen foods first, and disregard the fact that I probably should have thrown these out by now.)

They really gave the bread a nice freshness and cut through the sweetness. You could also make these into muffins if you wanted, and add other fruits or nuts (depending on what's in season....or still in your freezer) . It's a good way to experiment!

Zucchini Bread, Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Yield: 2 loaves

3 eggs
1 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cranberries. Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.

Bake loaves for 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

The Kelleher Rose Garden

Below are pictures of the Kelleher Rose Garden in the Fens taken by the girl. If you've never visited it, you really should take the time to go over there. It's near the Fenway Victory Gardens, so you could make a nice afternoon trip out of visiting both.

There are still plenty of roses blooming in the garden, so go take a peek while the weather is still nice!

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

Garlic Scape & Arugula Pesto (CSA Week 2 Recipe)

Photo courtesy of Farmer Dave's

The second week of my CSA share brought another plentiful basket of lettuces and squash (zucchini, yellow squash and kousa). It also brought beautiful bunches of arugula and spinach, and more garlic scapes.

I decided to make a pesto with the garlic scapes and arugula, to highlight and retain their fresh flavors and beautiful colors. I picked up a wedge of Pecorino Romano from Polcari's Coffee in the North End. (Sidenote: if you've never been here, you really should check it out - they are the nicest guys and they've have a great selection of coffees, flours, legumes, Italian imports, and so much more.)

The sharpness and saltiness of the cheese really brings this pesto together, so make sure your pecorino is of good quality!

Garlic Scape & Arugula Pesto

What you need:
1 1/2 cups Garlic Scapes (trimmed just below the flower; chopped); About 10 scapes
1 cup packed Arugula
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano; grated
3 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
Salt/Pepper to taste (don't season until you've pulsed the cheese in or it could get too salty!)

What you do:
1) Add garlic scapes, arugula, Pecorino Romano, and red wine vinegar to a food processor and pulse until all is mixed and finely chopped.

2) Stream (or add in small amounts) the olive oil until the pesto is the consistency you want it to be.

3) Season with ground pepper and salt to taste.

It's that simple! I used my batch of pesto for a quick and easy pizza, using store bought dough. Just roll it out, spread on the pesto, and add sliced fresh mozzarella, halved grape tomatoes, fresh basil, and chicken sausage. (You can substitute any protein you like for the latter, or leave it out for a vegetarian pie.) Then bake until the crust is brown and the cheese is bubbling. Enjoy!

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.

Homemade Seed Strips

Photo courtesy of University of Warwick

If you haven't started planting yet, don't worry - seriously! Last year, the girl and I didn't get around to planting until the middle of June, and we still had a great harvest. So you have plenty of time to get your garden going!

The girl and I recently started working on our flower garden, aiming for late summer blooms. We started some seedlings in newspaper collars, and they are looking good, but we have more seeds that we want to grow. So, we decided to make seed strips to make the planting easier. They especially make evenly spacing small seeds, such as poppies and basil, a breeze. No more worrying about dropping too many in the same spot!

We found a step by step in Organic Gardening Magazine (posted below), and adapted it to our needs. Give it a shot if you still need to plant your veggies or flowers!

Paper Towel Seed Strips

What you need:
Paper Towels
Flour
Water
Ruler
Qtip or toothpick or spoon
Seeds (of your choice)

What to do:
1) Tear the paper towels into strips about 1 inch wide.
2) Mix flour and water together to make a thick gravy (we started with 1/2 cup flour and mixed in water as necessary until it was the right consistency).
3) Lay out seeds on the paper towels at the recommended spacing (per the seeds instructions).
4) Using a toothpick, spoon, or Qtip, place a small amount of the flour "glue" on top of the seeds
5) Allow to dry and then roll them up and place in a plastic bag until ready to be used

When planting, simply plant the seed strip in the soil at the required depth, cover, and wait for your seeds to sprout!