Pickup #5

I aspire to own a bit of farmland and cultivate organic produce so hardy and gorgeous, and most of all, absolutely tasty on its own.

Pickup #4

Fruit:
Plums
Seckel Pears
Nectarines

Veg:
bell peppers
cherry tomatoes
large green tomato
string beans
baby potatoes
green leaf lettuce
chinese cabbage
arugula
purple basil

Eggs

Flowers: African Marigolds and Red Zinnias, more of that Purple pom-pom filler, flowering lemony basil


I spent a Saturday cooking up a storm. Chris was out in the backyard sanding and priming a roommate's antique vanity, and I wanted to feed him something new and vibrant. The stone fruits were once again so juicy and sweet that the best way to deal with them was simply slice in half, twist apart, and devour. The juice literally dribbled down my chin. That's what fruit is all about. Allure, attraction. Can't forget the vitamins, bioflavonoids, antioxidants!! Nature is so good to us.

Dishes:

Roasted Red Pepper and Purple Basil Bruschetta with Pumpkin Seeds

Pesto: Arugula, Basil, Pistachio

I used this delicious, easy-on-the-garlic pesto to fix a craving I was having for the Tuna Pesto Feta sandwiches from Murry's restaurant in Columbia, Mo. I got an ahi tuna steak from Whole Foods (set me back quite a bit of money, but it was worth it), slice up one of the brightly acidic green tomatoes from the pickup, bought a couple of pillowy kaiser rolls. Grilled the tuna in my mini Weber, toasted the rolls, crumbled feta into the pesto, and slapped everything together. As Chris would say, "Delish, man, delish. Nice sambo."

Poached Plum Tart in a pressed nut crust (not photo worthy, but apparently looks do not equal taste)

A housemate and friend of this housemate ate the whole tart while I was away one day. I was wondering if it was any good, since this was a new combination I tried, and the empty pan gave me my answer.

Okra Curry with String Beans


The okra came from the Union Square greenmarket, but the string beans were from the pickup. I have a fondness for this basic curry because it is light, flavorful and okra fulfills my quota for consuming a variety of vegetables. The combination of garlic, ginger, onions and tomatoes with curry is always satisfying.

Pickup #3

BOUNTY!!


I was impressed by the quantity of stone fruit and their candy-sweet ripeness....

Fruit:
Peaches - 3 lbs
Prune Plums - 1.5 lbs
Green Zebra Tomatoes - 4
Large Heirloom Tomato- 2
Cherry Tomatoes - 1 pint


Vegetable:
Mesclun Greens - 1 qt
Arugula - 1 qt
Bok Choy - 1
Chioggia Beet with tops - 1
Green Beans - 1 qt
Bell peppers- 2
Purple basil

Eggs

Flowers: sunflowers, zinnias



Dishes:

-Cherry tomato and green bean salad with purple basil vinaigrette

-Peach Crisp

-Burgers with peppers, tomatoes, mesclun

Pickup #2

Summer produce starts taking over the spring greens. I'm battling the war that is the avoidance of the stove/oven in your un-airconditioned NYC kitchen vs. taking advantage of gorgeous colorful produce. Good thing I love having dinners of big salads with the fixin's; heat not required.

Fruit:
blueberries - 1 pint
apricots - 1.5 pounds

Veg:
summer squash - 2 pounds
loose salad greens - 1 quart
arugula - 1 head
young napa cabbage - 1 head
green lettuce - 1 head
swiss chard, red - 1 bunch
corn - 3 ears
basil - 2 sprigs

flowers: white, coral, purple mix



Meals:
1.Tibet Cafe's spiced chickpea appetizer over sauteed summer squash and salad greens


2. Swiss Chard, Bean, Squash Soup


3.Fresh napa cabbage kimchi (gut-juhl-ee)


4. Apricot, chevre, almond salad on arugula


5. blueberry and lemon curd phyllo tartlets

6. corn and scallion custard pudding


7. sauteed chard with beans over lamb ragu



Best of Summer has yet to arrive....

CSA 2008

Some friends have mentioned that I'd be a good candidate for starting a food blog. Another food-related blog in the world-wide universe of the foodie-blogging trend. At first I thought, 'No, I'll just stick to reading what other foodies have to say, there's enough information to go around as it is.' In New York City, there are many food experts, gourmands, and frequent fine diners putting in their 2 cents; in result many blogs copycatting one another. How not to add to the clutter? But after starting my first year as a CSA member, I actually want to journal my experience with it, mostly for the purpose of making use of my in-the-closet, food-photography hobby, but also to continue to write and make my passions tangible through the nature of a blog.

So here it begins.

CSA= Community Supported (or Sustained) Agriculture. An alternative (and better) way of getting your food. I won't wax poetic about the virtues and personal satisfaction being part of a CSA can bring, but click here for a definition and also, the organic farm in Long Island that provides the goods. The 2008 season runs from June through November, and I paid for a half share combo, which means I get a mix of veg, fruit, flowers and eggs every other Saturday, or as my confused Irish-born boyfriend corrected me, "you mean, every fortnight?" As if 'fortnight' is any clearer than 'every other'. Americans please back me up.

June 21st, Saturday, 2008 -- 1st pickup

Vegetable:

Cilantro - 1 bunch

Spinach - 1 bunch

Pea Shoots - 1 quart

Sugar Snap Peas - 1 pint

Mixed Greens (baby kale mostly) - 1 quart

Red oak leaf lettuce- 1 head
Fruit:

Rhubarb - 2 stalks

Strawberries- 2 pints

Flowers/Eggs:
1 bunch wildflowers (cosmos, snapdragons, queen anne's lace, mini sunflower, rye)
Half dozen eggs*

*A note about the eggs. There is a huge difference in quality of eggs straight from a small farm compared to those of a mass-produced kind. Once you see these orange-yolked beauties, you would hesitate to go back to the thin-shelled, pale yellow norm you pick up at the local store. Happy chickens=happy eggs=good eats!

I have the advantage of vegetarian-focused culinary training, so not knowing in advance what I'm going to get works just fine. As long as my pantry is stocked with versatile staples, coming up with dinner on the fly is no problem.

Meals

1. Spinach and Pea Shoot Salad with Bacon and Shiitake, Mustard Vinaigrette
Got inspiration for this from a recipe on epicurious.com. Definitely a keeper. Delish!


2. Sugar Snap Pea Salad
Blanched sugar snap peas, green, herby olives, slivers of Romano cheese, on a bed of torn red-leaf lettuce dressed with a simple lemon vinaigrette.
Just a quick lunch before going out for dinner. This light salad was great for off-setting the rich meal-to-come.

3. Pea Shoot and Tofu Stir Fry
A solo Monday dinner. Usually when I eat alone I crave Asian flavors and an abundance of fresh vegetables. It must be because I cook/eat grandiose full-fat meals when I'm with the boyfriend. I stir-fried this meal with a saucy mixture of tamari, sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil, a splash of mirin, and Korean chili flakes. Ginger matchsticks, chopped garlic scapes and cilantro were added in the beginning for the flavor-boosting aromatics that are key to a good stir fry.

*No solo meal of mine is complete without a side of kimchi. It's my ultimate comfort food. It might be the answer to that question "what would your last meal be?" (Which is worthy of its own post, as I've read that most death-row inmates end up choosing foods that are cheap, simple, and bring them back to good childhood memories. Things like certain cereals, and meals their moms cooked for dinner.)

4. Frittata.
Dinner with the boyfriend. He and I just returned from post-work workouts, so we needed a quick re-feuling, as it was late in the evening. I whipped together a frittata of spinach, bacon and sweet onion. My new enameled cast-iron pan was the perfect two-person serving size. This is a great way to use up sparse bits and pieces of veg, meat, cheese sitting in your fridge. I like dishes that clear out the leftovers. Fried rice is another one of these quick, fridge-clearing meals.

The eggs were just as I had imagined and expected- orange orbs sitting thick and high in the bowl- I whisked them into a gorgeous sunny yellow. Chris echoed his approval, I doubt he had seen such deeply colored yolks before, sign of a healthy flavorful egg. That alone is the easiest way to convert a free-range skeptic to farm-fresh eggs. No words necessary.