Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Red Quinoa Zucchini Burgers


Vegetarian Times Red Quinoa Zucchini Burgers
The great thing about veggie burgers is that there are so many varieties.  No two are alike.  I have made many and I have my favorites, but am always looking for something new and different.  Vegetarian Times magazine had an article on the ultimate veggie burgers in their most recent issue (July/August 2014).  I took note of this particular veggie burger when I saw that it had zucchini in it.  Perfect timing for this week's box!  If you still have your zucchini use it here.  You only need about half of the zucchini to make 1 cup grated.  If not, you can substitute the yellow squash if you still have that.  I still had both so I used the zucchini and then roasted the yellow squash (with olive oil, salt, and pepper at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes).  I rounded out the meal with some CRO potatoes, cut up, tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, roasted at 425 for 25 minutes and then, when cool, I mixed them with a couple of tablespoons each of chopped dill, yellow onion, celery and vegan mayonnaise.    Here is a link to the recipe Vegetarian Times Red Quinoa Zucchini Burgers


Notes on making these burgers:
-prep all of your other ingredients while the quinoa and potatoes are cooking.
-use a standing mixer if you have it to mash the chick peas first (at very low speed  - this may take several minutes).  Then add all the other burger ingredients. 
-the burgers will hold together more easily if you chill the mixture for at least an hour first.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Sunday Brunch

One of my favorite things to do with greens is a simple sauté that takes about 15 minutes to make and is a complete meal.  Since I still had most of the bunch of collards from last week's delivery I decided to do one of these meals for brunch after church today.  I've done these types of greens and beans dishes before (see Spicy Black Beans and Kale), but the great thing about this particular sauté is that anything goes.  Don't have white beans?  Use any canned beans you have.  Don't have or like vegan sausage?  Use whatever "meat" source you prefer - regular sausage, cooked chicken, even a second type of bean.  Don't have shallots?  Use any onion you have.  Any type of greens will work just fine too - kale, spinach, swiss chard.  Even the vegetable broth is not a must have - you can even just use water.  To serve more than two just increase the amounts of all the ingredients.  Use your imagination with this one.  Really no ingredient is out of the question.  Experiment with it and add what you like.  That's part of the fun - it can be different every time! 

Beans and Greens Brunch
Serves 2

1 small shallot, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 bunch CRO collard greens, rinsed and center stalk removed
1 can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 vegan sausages, cut up into half moons
3 small CRO potatoes
Salt, Pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil.  Simmer potatoes about 15 minutes until fork tender.  While the potatoes cook, chop the shallots, garlic and collard greens (into bite sized pieces).  When potatoes are done, remove from the water with a slotted spoon to a cutting board.  When cool enough to handle, slice potatoes into half moons.  

Heat the vegetable broth in a large frying pan.  Add the shallots and garlic and sauté 1 minutes.  Add the greens to the pan and stir.  Cook until greens begin to wilt then add the sausage, beans, and potatoes.  Cover, lower heat to medium low, and cook about 5 minutes more until the greens are tender and everything is heated through.  Serve at once.  

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Not your Mother's Hoagie

"The CRO" hoagie
I think you have to be from this region to know the term "hoagie".  When I used this word with my Philadelphia friends when I was in college (long ago!) they didn't know what I was talking about.  A "hoagie" (in case you don't know) is any sandwich on a long roll.  It's what people in other geographic areas call a "submarine sandwich" or simply a "sub" and is sometimes also called a "hero".  There is a national fast food chain called "Subway" so I'm pretty sure that "sub" must be the actual name of this type of sandwich that most people are familiar with.  Otherwise, they would have called their restaurant "Hoagieway".  

Anyway, the inspiration for this hoagie recipe came from a salad recipe I recently saw in Vegetarian Times magazine.  This is not the hoagie that I used to eat forty years ago when my family ordered takeout from the local pizza shop.  That hoagie was called "The Italian" and had some sort of mystery meat, tasteless tomatoes, mushy cheese, and soggy, shredded head lettuce.  I'll call this hoagie "The CRO" since I have totally remade the whole concept of a hoagie using many of the recent vegetables in our boxes.  Really only the roll is the same.   Enjoy!

"The CRO"
Serves 4

4 "hoagie" rolls (or whatever name you use for sandwich rolls)
1 small avocado, pit and outer skin removed
2 Tbs tarragon leaves (strip from the stalk)
1/4 cup chopped (easier to snip with scissors) chives, plus 2 Tbs for garnish
juice of a large lemon
1 tsp agave nectar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic
2 collard green leaves, center stalk removed and leaves chopped into small pieces
4 small CRO potatoes
12 stalks CRO asparagus
4 CRO radishes

First make the avocado "mayonnaise".  Since there is no egg in this, it is not technically a mayonnaise, but that is what I call it since it has the consistency of mayonnaise and is to be used as a sandwich spread.  Place the avocado, 1/4 cup chives, tarragon leaves, lemon juice, agave nectar, and garlic in a blender or food processor.  How much you chop these up first really depends on how powerful your machine is.  Since I have a Vitamix (just saying), I don't really have to chop anything at all except maybe to cut the chive stalks up  a little.  If your machine is not particularly powerful you will want to chop up the ingredients a bit first.  Process/blend until smooth.  With the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow steady stream and process/blend until emulsified.  Remove from blender/processor into a dish, stir in salt and pepper, cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and carefully drop in potatoes so as not to splatter the boiling water.  Boil approximately 10 minutes.  While potatoes are boiling fill a large bowl with ice water (you'll see why).  When potatoes are just fork tender remove them with a slotted spoon and place in the ice water (don't skip this step - it does make a difference - you don't want to end up with mushy potatoes that can't be sliced).  Drop asparagus in the boiling water and boil 1 minute.  Remove the asparagus with tongs to the ice water (again - do not skip this step - it's worth it to have bright green crisp tender asparagus).  

When potatoes and asparagus have cooled, slice them - the potatoes into thin rounds and the asparagus into 1-inch pieces.  

Now assemble your hoagies (see photos below):  Slice open each roll and spread about 2 tbs of the avocado mayo on each.  Next top the bread with some of the chopped collards.  Layer the potato slices and asparagus pieces over this.  Finally, top with radish slices, some additional chopped chives, and salt and pepper.  Close the sandwich and voila!  You have an updated take on an old fashioned sandwich - it's "The CRO" hoagie!


Spread 2 tbs avocado mayo on the bread.

Top with chopped collard greens.

Layer with potato slices and asparagus.

Garnish with radish slices, chives, salt, and pepper.


Close up the bread and voila!  "The CRO"

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Scones with Strawberry Sauce and Macadamia Creme

Now what do you do with five quarts of strawberries that you brought home from the Clarion River Organics Strawberry Picking Festival on Saturday?  Believe it or not, at our house quart #1 and quart #2 were eaten by Sunday lunch by yours truly and the other two "farm hands" I took with me on Saturday - my husband, Bryan, and son, James.    We devoured them pure and unadulterated. Quart #3 went home Saturday with James' friend, Jennifer, and  Quart #4 went into making a delicious dessert for Father's Day on Sunday.  You can make the scones, sauce, and macadamia creme at different times over a day or two so it doesn't seem like there are so many steps and then it is a cinch to put together when you want to eat.  It looks impressive, tastes impressive and is so simple.  Rich and delicious!  

Scones with Strawberry Sauce and Macadamia Creme
Serves 4

For the scones:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbs baking powder
1/4 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling tops
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup rice, soy, or almond milk

For the strawberry sauce:
3 1/2 cups sliced CRO strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 Tbs maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla

For the Macadamia Creme
1/2 cup unsalted, roasted macadamia nuts
1/4 cup soy or rice milk
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup canola oil

Make the macadamia creme as it needs to chill awhile.  Place the macadamia nuts into a blender or food processor and blend/process until you have fine crumbs.  Add the milk and blend again until somewhat smooth.  Add the sugar and vanilla and blend again.  Add the oil in a steady stream while motor is running.  Blend/process until you have a smooth kind- of-thick liquid.  Cover and chill until ready to use, preferably for several hours.  

Next make the strawberry sauce so it has time to soften while you make the scones.  Place all the sauce ingredients in a bowl, stir, cover and chill for at least an hour.  That's it for the sauce!

Next make the scones.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or grease the baking sheets).  Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Add the oil and milk and stir until just moistened.  It will be lumpy and not sticky.  Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to measure out the amount for each scone.  Drop onto the parchment and press down slightly.  Sprinkle tops with a little sugar.  Bake 12 minutes.  Scones should be light brown on the bottom.   Cook on a rack.  Makes 12 scones.  

For each serving, slice off the top of two scones.  Place about 2 heaping tablespoons of the strawberry sauce on each bottom half of the scones.  Place scone top over the strawberries.  Drop a dollop of macadamia creme over each and top with a fresh strawberry if desired.  Serve at once.  You will have some extra scones which you can freeze or use as late night leftovers!

Monday, June 16, 2014

Farm Day!

The able horses, Bert and Bud.
Rippling Brook Farm.  The place is as serene and pretty as the name suggests.  It is the bucolic farm of Aaron and Priscilla Schwartz and their ten(?) children.  On Saturday morning,  my husband, Bryan, son, James, his friend Jennifer and I piled into our car at 10:20am to make the nearly two hour drive to Sligo, PA to join the others in this CSA for the annual Clarion River Organics Strawberry Picking Festival.  About an hour outside of Pittsburgh, one begins to leave behind the Walmarts, Burger Kings, and Home Depots and enters the pastoral Clarion County with its Clarion River winding through it.  Eventually one comes to the tiny town of Sligo (population 720) and to Shady Lane (also aptly named with its thick crop of trees lining the narrow lane).  Turn off onto Shady Lane where a charming hand painted wooden map tacked to a tree displays the locations of the homes of Aaron Schwartz and two of his sons, slowly drive through the trees, past the little white schoolhouse and a flock of sheep, until you emerge among fields of grass, hear the sounds of roosters, and find the big white farmhouse at the end of the fence.  We parked along the road next to rows and rows of growing kale - curly, red, and lacinato - and walked towards the house where the tables were set up for lunch.  This was a pot luck with all of the CSA families in attendance bringing a dish to share, but our Amish hosts had made some wonderful mashed potatoes with chicken gravy, a big pot of noodles (spelt pasta?) with pesto, and a couple of other casseroles. We sat at lunch with another family who had made the same drive we did - from Mt. Lebanon to Sligo.  This was their first year in the CSA and they seemed quite pleased thus far with the boxes. 
James with his "perfect" strawberry



After lunch, Zeb (co-founder of CRO) led a group of us to the farm of John (sorry, didn't get his last name) and his family to pick strawberries.  I have the feeling that we city-dwellers pick much slower than the veteran pickers.  It took our family about 45 minutes to pick five quarts.   Every moment was enjoyable though.  With the sound of the mooing cows from the not too distant barn, we felt like real farmers. Given our speed, I don't think they will want to hire us anytime soon though!  After our little group had all the strawberries we desired, John and and his wife offered us glazed donuts (yes I had one - delicious!) and coffee.  We offered to pay for the donuts and coffee but they would not take any money.  The Amish are very hospitable and make you feel so welcome - not at all like we are intruding - which I am sure we were!


The rippling brook
Zeb then led took us back to the Schwartz's farm and explained that the farm gets its name from a little "rippling brook" just down the hill behind the farmhouse.   So on a little hike down to that brook we went.  This is where it got interesting.  Initially, we were just walking on a nice level path through the beautiful woods at the rear of the house, but all at once the group stopped and watched Zeb make his way down a very, very steep incline by holding onto a rope and kind of sliding and rappelling down the hill (okay, that is a slight exaggeration, but it was steep!).  And he was holding his toddler son no less!  Obviously he had done this before.  I watched Bryan, James, and Jennifer stumble down no problem so I decided I had nothing to lose, and since I knew I may never get another chance, down I went too.  While I can't say I went as quickly as the others did, I made it without incident.


Following our journey back up to the farmhouse, we climbed onto Aaron Schwartz's hay wagon and took a delightful tour of the farm. His very strong horses, Bert and Bud, pulled us through a track which took us by fields of greens, butternuts, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers and romanesco (think cross between broccoli and cauliflower).  What treats we have in store for us this season!  Aaron truly loves farming as was evident by his enthusiastic description and almost hallowed approach to enriching the soil naturally with various ground covers so that it produces abundantly.  He jumped down from the wagon at one point to scoop up a handful of the "sandy loam" soil to show us just how rich and "earthy smelling" it is.  


The Clarion River
On our way back we saw the ice house (cold!) and the room where the vegetables are washed and packed.  I asked one of Aaron's sons how many workers it takes to farm the 80 acres of the Schwartz property and he smiled and asked "How many does it take or how many do we have?"  I said "how many do you have" and he replied "ten".  Ten people to plow, plant, tend and harvest 80 acres!  Please appreciate what you are eating out there in CRO CSA land!


We had a delightful day with the Aaron and Priscilla Schwartz family along with the other Amish families and their non-Amish helpers, Katie and Zeb.  They could not have been more gracious hosts.  After being with the farmers and their non-Amish helpers, these produce boxes have special meaning for me.  It is not just vegetables.  I have seen the land where they were seeded and grown, I have met the people who work sun up until sun down to produce them for us, and I have seen the love and care that they put into making this CSA a very pleasant and worthwhile experience for all of us.   We have a real gem here folks.  Pray that the Lord will bless them and the work of their hands (Psalm 90:17).


Next post:  Scones with Strawberry Sauce and Macadamia Creme!

Sunday, June 8, 2014

I'm Back!

Yes!  Clarion River Organics is back which means my blog - Cooking With Clarion River Organics - is back too! 
First CRO pickup!

Thursday was a happy and sad day.  Happy that it was the first day of the Clarion River Organics produce delivery!  Sad that my dancing daughter left town and I won't see her for 8 weeks.  Happy that she is performing with a ministry group called "Shining Light" presenting the gospel message through musical theatre in prisons throughout the North East!  Sad that she won't be here to go to the strawberry picking festival with me that we so enjoyed last year.  Happy that I got all these luscious vegetables!  Sad she won't be here to help us eat them.

But that is way off topic.  So for a first meal with CRO's initial offering I decided to do a pesto. I liked the idea Katie Schwarz gave us in the newsletter for kale pesto, but what I really wanted to try was a mint pesto.  Mint is a strong and pungent herb and a little goes a long way.  I like it, but don't love it, so I can never use up even a tenth of what they give us or what I grow.  Then once upon a time I read an article about making all kinds of freaky pestos with different herbs and vegetables and I thought why not.  Pleasantly, I found that mint pesto, particularly with the inclusion of peas, has a much milder taste than the raw herb itself.    Now if you don't love mint, or you are just so tired of using it as an iced tea flavoring, you can easily use up your whole bunch of mint in a matter of minutes and have a delicious meal too.  Create a beautiful salad with the CRO salanova lettuce mix (love it!), radishes and chive blossoms and there you go.
1 heaping tbsp pesto per serving


Mint Pesto - Serves 4

1 lb pasta of choice (I like shells or rotini because there are nooks and crannies where the pesto can "hide")
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 bunch Clarion River Organics mint
1/2 cup walnuts (toasted or raw, your choice)
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (use parmesan cheese if you like)
juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp olive oil

Put a pot of water on to cook the pasta.  Meanwhile, rinse off all of your mint, pat dry, and remove all of the leaves from the thick stems.  When pasta water is boiling cook pasta according to package directions.  Add remaining ingredients to a blender or food processor in the order listed.  Blend/Process until somewhat smooth but still grainy.  Place one heaping tablespoon (and I do mean heaping -see photo) in a bowl.  Add pasta on top and stir to combine.  Serve at once.