It Doesn’t Get Any Fresher!

Sometimes I forget just how lucky I am to be connected to the Farmer’s Fresh Market. Not many (although the numbers are growing) people get their produce the day after it’s picked. Think about it… the produce sitting on the shelves of your local grocery store probably traveled better than 1000 miles to get there. It was picked long before its peak. It languished in a distribution center somewhere. It rode on gas guzzling trucks for who knows how many miles!

Every day I am thankful that I sat down one Wednesday morning with the local paper and read the article on the Farmer’s Fresh Market. I am glad I drove from one side of town to the other to check out the produce that came in the Urban Box. I remember cooking up the contents of the first box… corn and leeks that tasted like the epitome of summer. A tomato sandwich that made me weak in the knees. It’s the highlighted picture on my blog… I still dream about that sandwich!

There’s something really special about having a connection to the land where your food comes from and to the farmers whose lives are dedicated to growing and tending it.

Today, I only shop the produce aisle at the Harris Teeter for those few things I need to fill the snack bag, grapes and bananas usually. And I even feel guilty for that! I’ve come to depend upon what’s local AND in season to nourish my family, and we are all the better for it!

To learn more about the Farmer’s Fresh Market, please (PLEASE) watch the video below!

Highlight Reel

Roasted tomatoes

 

Ricotta meatballs – thanks Dena for pointing me in the direction of this recipe… they came out awesome! You can find the recipe here!

Here they are getting nice and brown… notice the change in pan. I need to remember to make meatballs in the non-stick skillet. While I love my le cruset… meatballs get stuck there a little too much!

Simmering away in the sauce. I came across a great way to make marinara that is so quick and easy, but tastes like' it’s been cooking forever. Smash about 6 garlic cloves and put them in the pot with about 1/4 cup of olive oil. When they start to get nice and toasty brown (but NOT burned!) add two cans of crushed tomatoes and a 1/2 teaspoon of oregano. Let simmer for a bit then add a few basil leaves to the pot and taste for salt and pepper.

My lovely Daikon radishes. Sliced into matchsticks along with some carrot to make a quick salad to go with the Vietnamese sticky chicken below.

Fried rice as a side, one of Josh’s favorite meals!

This is the recipe I've used for years!

Sticky chicken getting sticky!

Served lettuce-wrap style with a little Siracha to make it spicy!!

 

Chocolate-Guinness cupcakes with vanilla butter cream frosting! My sister in law Kim gets props for the beautiful frosting effort. I can’t frost a cupcake to save my life!

 

Ebie gets the left over frosting!

 

One of my favorite potato dishes. 3 ingredients: potatoes (I used the awesome Kennebec potatoes from my produce box), butter, salt. Slice potatoes about 1/4 inch thick – using a mandoline makes this SUPER fast. Then melt some butter in the bottom of a cast iron skillet and start layering your potatoes/butter/salt. Get a good sizzle going and then pop it in a 450* oven and cook for about 45 minutes. It comes out golden brown like this.

Then flip it out onto a dish and you have these beautiful golden/crunchy potatoes on the top, and soft, buttery potatoes on the inside. I served it with a ribeye steak and some creamed spinach. TO DIE FOR.

Overwhelmed!

I have a LOT of produce. My refrigerator is overflowing with fresh vegetables. For some reason, I just have not cooked my way through the goodies as quickly as I have in the past. So, as I was taking inventory of my refrigerators (yes, there are 2) I realized I needed to do some menu planning. And I am REALLY excited about using some of these goodies… especially the radishes.

So, here’s what’s on tap for the next few days… I’ll post pictures and other ideas as I start cooking.

First of all – I have a ton of eggs and I’ve been dying to using those broccoli sprouts from a couple of weeks ago. I saw a lovely picture of an egg salad sandwich with some sprouts on it a few days ago, so I think that will be our lunch tomorrow and maybe Saturday.

And back to those radishes, first I have a bag full of daikon radishes, which I’ve never used before. I scoured and scoured the internet for some ideas, and have decided to give this one a try – seems pretty straightforward, and we all love Asian food so it should hopefully be a success!

Vietnamese Sticky Chicken with Daikon and Carrot Pickle

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vietnamese-Sticky-Chicken-with-Daikon-and-Carrot-Pickle-231644

I’ll post a picture upon successful completion!

And those beautiful turnips. I’ve never cooked turnips before, and am excited to give them a try. So I plan on doing a cider-glazed pork roast for Sunday dinner, and serving this on the side (from FineCooking.com):

Cider Glazed Turnips with Apples and Bacon

And for that beautiful bunch of mixed radishes that came in the box yesterday – I cannot wait to put those to use. I found a most unusual sounding recipe and I can’t wait to try it (we’ll see what the family thinks). It will also help to use up some zucchini and put my basil (that’s still thriving in the garden) to good use.

Radish Sandwiches on Zucchini Basil Muffins

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Radish-Sandwiches-on-Zucchini-Basil-Muffins-10550

And on a non-vegetable note, I found a recipe for chocolate Guinness cupcakes with vanilla butter cream frosting. YUM!

This is also looks really good… can’t wait for some kale to arrive in my box!

http://www.phoo-d.com/2009/11/braised-kale-with-white-beans-and.html

Arugula, Tomatoes, and Chicken… OH MY!

What to do with a bowl full of tomatoes, fresh arugula, and a pasture raised chicken? I found a pasta dish on epicurious.com that I thought sounded really tasty, but improvised just a little bit.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Penne-with-Chicken-Arugula-Roasted-Tomatoes-and-Feta-107865

I cored and halved the tomatoes, tossed them with some sea salt, a bit of sugar, and some olive oil, and roasted them at 500* for about 40 minutes. Then after they cooled, I peeled and chopped them (but left them in all their yummy juiciness). I broke down my little chicken into 4 piece and sprinkled those with some sea salt, pepper, and olive oil and roasted those at 375* for about 40 minutes (leaving the skin on/bone in results in really  juicy chicken!).

To make the sauce I sauteed few cloves of chopped garlic with some red pepper flakes in a bit of olive oil, then added the chopped tomatoes and their juice. Added all the chopped up chicken, a splash of chicken stock, and ended up with a delicious (and light) sauce. In a big bowl I tossed the arugula, chicken/tomato sauce, feta and pasta together. What a delicious dinner! Even the kids loved it (minus the arugula… but I’m working on that!) Sorry, no picture, I need to charge my camera!

And because I still have a big bowl of tomatoes left, I’m going to roast some more today, and use as a base for this recipe… which I plan on serving as tacos, instead of an appetizer.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Shredded-Pork-with-Roasted-Tomatoes-and-Chipotle-Chiles-353000

One Pot Wonder

After the day I had today, the last thing I wanted to do was stand in the kitchen cooking and cleaning all evening. I knew I had some delicious potatoes and apples on hand… and that reminded me of a great recipe I’ve made before. It’s quick. It’s tasty. And it comes together in one pan. Perfect for a day like today! Here’s the recipe:

Sausage, Potato & Apple Sauté

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into medium dice (about 2 cups)
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage (bulk sausage or links with casings removed)
1-1/2 lb. russet potatoes
1 large apple
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. tomato ketchup
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

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Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil over medium-high heat in an 11- to 12-inch nonstick skillet. When the oil is hot, add the onion and sausage and cook, stirring and breaking up the sausage with the side of a wooden spoon, until the sausage is golden brown and broken into small (1/2-inch) pieces, 8 to 10  minutes. While the sausage and onion cook, peel and cut the potatoes and apple into 1/2-inch dice. Scrape the cooked sausage and onions into a colander to drain briefly before transferring to a medium bowl. Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil and then the potatoes and apple to the skillet; season with 1 tsp. salt and several grinds pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the potatoes and apple are golden brown and the potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the ketchup, mustard, thyme, parsley, and 2 Tbs. water in a small bowl. Return the sausage and onions to the skillet and stir in the ketchup mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the hash has browned nicely, about another 5 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper before serving.

The Most Beautiful Place on Earth

Is practically right in my own backyard! This past Friday, I loaded up the kids and my mom for a road trip to Rutherfordton County, NC to pick up my Thanksgiving Turkey. You know this turkey must be special to warrant an hour and a half drive with the kids in tow!

Through my friend Kirk @ the Farmers Fresh Market, I was introduced to Genna, his neighbor, who had a few turkeys available. These special turkeys were pasture raised, and were probably some of the happiest birds around… until they had their ONE bad day! But you know, that saying stuck with me as I spent the day at Genna and Kirk’s farms. Chickens out pecking around in the yard, turkeys and chicken having access to green grass, fresh air and clean water. Not quite the same as chickens raised for Perdue or Tyson, that’s for sure!

The kids had a ball, as you can imagine. They picked fresh eggs from the chicken house, met some donkeys and cows and saw some real live turkeys (unlike the dead ones I brought home!)

Now for the pictures!!

Josh and Erin gathering eggs with Genna.

 

Feeding the mule and donkeys!

Sweet little donkeys!

Erin checking out the cows!

Josh and Erin checking out the chicken houses. These contraptions are really cool – they are moved each day (with the chickens or turkeys inside) to fresh grass each day. And when you look where that chicken house has been you see only the most lush, green grass imaginable. Sustainable farming at it's best!

Erin checking out the pokeberry damage with Kirk!

Kirk showing her how to clean it off!

She was proud of her pink hands!

Josh gathering more eggs. Between Genna and Kirk, we game home with close to two dozen eggs. Which sadly, we’ve already gone through!

 

The title for this post is really in homage to Kirk’s farm. It’s set on the most beautiful piece of property I’ve ever seen, especially this time of the year! Beautiful rolling hills, mountains off in the distance, the trees blazing with color. It’s hard to see in the picture, but in the distance one of Kirk’s Golden Retriever’s is frolicking in the hill, chasing some kind of varmint I’m sure. It just made for such a beautiful picture – happy kids, happy dogs, beautiful setting! Can’t wait to go back!

After gathering eggs, the kids checked out the garden. Those palm tree-looking plants you see are Kale plants. I offered a dollar to which ever kid would eat a piece raw. Josh, of course, gobbled it down. Erin tried… but spit it out!

Kirk also put Josh to work, feeding the new chickens.

These two will be someone’s Thanksgiving dinner!

Josh’s very favorite part of the day… holding the baby chicken!

All told I came home with two turkeys, three chickens, four gallons of apple cider, a bag of fresh picked baby lettuces, a bag of sweet potatoes, some kale, and about a dozen and a half eggs. And as if the day weren’t perfect enough, we stopped for lunch at Cafe at the Mall in Rutherfordton (http://www.cafeatthemall.com/) and had some of the most delicious sandwiches ever – rivals anything I’ve had here in Charlotte. If you are ever in that part of North Carolina, you should definitely pick up some lunch… and some of the special baked goods available as well. I came home with a loaf of cinnamon raison brioche that was delicious as French toast (and regular toast too!) Liz Rose, owner and chef is also the genius behind the delicious breads we’ve been receiving in our weekly veggie box!

I think we all had an amazing day getting to know where our food comes from! And as you can imagine, I put all that delicious food to good use! I made an apple cider pound cake with some of those fresh eggs and apple cider, a quiche (more eggs!), and at Josh’s request, chicken and dumplings for dinner tonight, with the best damn chicken you’ll ever eat!

Good Enough to Eat!

And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing this past week! Last week’s box was special indeed:

• 1- 12 Oz. Fig Walnut Rye Bread
• 3 Lbs- Mountain Fresh Tomatoes
• 1 Pt- Yellow Pear Heirloom Tomatoes
• 1-  8 Oz. Arugula
• 3 Lbs- Sweet Potato Medley
• 5 Lbs- Apple Medley
• 3 Lbs- Butternut Squash
• 1 Doz.- Farm Fresh Eggs

Everything has been delicious, and we’ve just about eaten our way through everything already! On Wednesday, the eggs made their debut in ‘breakfast for dinner’ night. Scrambled with a touch of sour cream and some fresh tarragon from the garden… absolutely delicious. Years and years ago, I stayed at a bed and breakfast and was introduced to the scrambled egg and tarragon combination, and it is a good one indeed. If you  haven’t tried it, you really must. Absolutely delicious!

Tonight, I used up the arugula in one of my favorite recipes: Rice Salad with Arugula, Pine Nuts, and Olives. The arugula was magnificent. It smelled so wonderful coming out of the bag, I just stood there and enjoyed the wonderful aroma!

Here’s a link to the recipe and some pictures from tonight’s dinner! Served the rice salad with grilled chicken and some green beans sauteed with garlic (also farm fresh!) and lemon.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rice-Salad-with-Arugula-Pine-Nuts-and-Olives-2198

And for dessert, well, that was special! Who would have thought that butternut squash could elevate dessert to such dizzying heights? This cake was even better than I expected. I was a little wary at first about adding that much butternut squash… but the cake is just amazing!

Here’s a picture and the recipe (from FineCooking.com)!

Buttermilk Cake with Spiced Vanilla Icing

 

The secret to this moist, tender cake is grated butternut squash, which is folded into the batter just before baking. Use the large holes on a box grater to grate the squash.Serves 10 to 12.

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For the cake:
4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pan
13-1/2 oz. (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pan
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 Tbs. distilled white vinegar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. table salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup buttermilk
2-1/4 cups peeled and grated butternut squash (about 8 oz.)

For the icing and garnish:
9 oz. (2-1/4 cups) confectioners’ sugar
3 Tbs. buttermilk; more as needed
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. table salt
1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

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Make the cake

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan; tap out excess flour.
In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the oil and beat until combined, about 15 seconds. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well on low speed. Add the vinegar and vanilla and mix again until just combined. Add half of the flour and the baking soda, salt, ginger, and nutmeg, mixing on low speed until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk.
Stir the squash into the batter and transfer the batter to the prepared pan; smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes; then carefully invert the cake onto the rack and remove the pan. When the cake is completely cool, transfer it to a serving plate.

Make the icing

In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt until smooth. Add more buttermilk, a few drops at a time, as needed, until the icing is pourable but still quite thick. Pour the icing back and forth in thick ribbons over the cooled cake. Sprinkle the ginger on top. Let the icing set at room
temperature, about 45 minutes, before serving.

Sunday Dinner

I am married to a man who believes that certain foods should only be served on certain days. It’s taken me better than 12 years of marriage to figure out this system of what we can eat and when. For example, sloppy joes = Friday dinner.  Anything fancier does not qualify for a “Friday dinner”. Spaghetti and Meatballs??? Definitely a Sunday Dinner. Steak and Potatoes? Saturday? Yep! Tuesday? No way. You get the idea. So, I’m always trying to figure out the best thing to cook on any given day.

Recently, I was watching Giada DeLaurentis’ show on the Food Network when I saw her make braised short ribs with penne pasta. I immediately thought to myself, “Yes!! This is a Sunday Dinner”. So, once I had my vegetables for this week, I made my way up to What’s Your Beef in Waxhaw to pick up my meat! 4 lbs of (amazing) short ribs later, I had put together a Sunday dinner worthy of Scott’s discriminating palate… minus the zucchini served on the side. He managed to eat a few of those, mixed in with two helpings of his pasta!

The recipe calls for 1 cup of red wine, such as a cabernet sauvignon. I’m a firm believer in only cooking with what you’d drink, so I picked up some of this wine at the Teeter, and I would highly recommend. It went wonderfully with dinner!

Here’s Giada’s recipe, followed by pictures of the final product! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/penne-with-braised-short-ribs-recipe/index.html

The zucchini I just trimmed by halving, slicing lengthwise and trimming some of the seeds. The best way to ensure you do not end up with mush zucchini is to salt them about 10 minutes before you cook them up. I sauteed them quickly over high heat and finished them of with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. Both of the kids loved them, as did I!

   

So I managed to use up a all the tomatoes and a good bit of the zucchini from last week’s box. Next up, the collards!

Not for the Faint of Heart

Last night was date-night… at home. I picked up an awesome rib-eye steak from What’s Your Beef in Waxhaw. Spent some time pondering what to make for side dishes. I had a fridge full of corn and those awesome Kennebec potatoes. I went ALL OUT. Talk about a heart attack on a plate! I made the most decadent potato gratin I’ve ever had, and it was worth every cream-laden bite! I also used up the last of the corn in the Barefoot Contessa’s corn pudding. Yes, you saw the recipe correctly… it started with a stick of butter.

Barefoot Contessa’s Sagaponack Corn Pudding

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/sagaponack-corn-pudding-recipe/index.html

Fine Cooking: Classic Potato Gratin

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/classic_potato_gratin.aspx

To make up for all that richness, we’re having Sushi tonight…. and no, I’m not making it!

It’s all about the Collards!

This week’s produce box had a bunch of collard greens. Now, I like to think myself an accomplished cook, but I’ve never cooked collard greens before (though I do LOVE to eat them). So, I’ve been on the hunt for a recipe to use up the collards, and I have found what looks like a winner! Not only does it use up the collards, but will also use up some of the other veggies I have including red peppers and corn! Stay tuned to see how this turns out and what the family verdict is!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vegetable-and-Ricotta-Stuffed-Collard-Rolls-with-Tomato-Sauce-11642

I’m shooting for Sunday to make these!

Here are the other goodies we received in this week’s box!

• 1- 12 Oz. Loaf Sourdough Bread
• 1- 1 Lb Bunch Collards
• 1- 8 Oz. Muscadine or Scuppernong Jelly
• 2 Lbs- Zucchini
• 2 Lbs- Carolina Ruby Sweet Potatoes
• 2 Lbs- Tomatoes
• 1 Pt- Heirloom Yellow Pear Tomatoes
• 2 Lbs- Cubanelle Peppers
• 1 Lb- Eggplant
• 5 Lbs- Kennebec Potatoes

I’m going to use those delicious Kennebec potatoes to make some mashed potatoes tonight to go with my turkey meatloaf and soy and honey glazed carrots.

Oh, the Anticipation!

After taking a look at what’s coming this week, I decided to put a little more thought into planning my menu for the week. So far, I plan on using the apples and cabbage in an apple/cabbage compote, served with some grilled sausages and roasted potatoes. I plan on using the green peppers (and a whole chicken that I have left) in some jambalaya later this week. And that’s as far as I’ve made it in the planning! I have a feeling though, that the butternut squash will make an appearance in some risotto, maybe with some roasted fish as an accompaniment. The zucchini will likely land in some bread. Stay tuned!

And in This Week’s Box…..

• 1- 12 Oz. Loaf of Whole Wheat Bread
• 1- Dozen Sweet Corn
• 1- Head of Cabbage
• 3 lbs- Gold Delicious Apples
• 2 lbs- Tomatoes
• 1 pt- Heirloom Yellow Pear Tomatoes
• 2 lbs- Zucchini
• 1 lb- Red Bell Peppers
• 2 lbs- Japanese Purple Skin Sweet Potatoes
• 1 lb- Butternut Squash
• 1 lb- Green Bell Peppers

That all sounds tasty, doesn’t it!! Can’t wait to make a BLT with some of that whole wheat bread! And in anticipation for all these goodies, it was once again time to clean out the fridge! Last night we made a corn/potato chowder to use up some of those delicious potatoes (see the last post) and corn. Here’s the recipe I used (from FineCooking.com) My son had two helpings of it last night, and asked specifically for me to load him up on the potatoes! Erin ate only the bacon. Figures!

Summer Corn Chowder with Scallions, Bacon & Potatoes

Serves six as a first course.Yields about 5-1/2 cups.

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5 ears fresh corn
7 oz. scallions (about 20 medium)
3 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 jalapeño, cored, seeded, and finely diced
1 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
3-1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 large Yukon Gold potato (8 to 9 oz.), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1-1/2 cups)
1-1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 Tbs. heavy cream

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Husk the corn and cut off the kernels. Reserve two of the corn cobs and discard the others. Trim and thinly slice the scallions, keeping the dark-green parts separate from the white and light-green parts.

Cook the bacon in a 3- or 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off and discard all but about 1 Tbs. of the bacon fat. Return the pan to medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the white and light-green scallions and the jalapeño, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the scallions are very soft, about 3 min.

Add the broth, corn, corn cobs, potatoes, and thyme and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes are completely tender, about 15 min. Discard the corn cobs.

Transfer 1 cup of the broth and vegetables to a blender and puree. Return the puree to the pot and stir in the cream and all but 1/3 cup of the scallion greens. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for a couple of minutes to wilt the scallions and blend the flavors. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve sprinkled with the bacon and reserved scallions.

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I also made a quick black bean salsa, using up some of the tomatoes, corn, and red peppers. Added a little avocado and red onion, and tossed with a quick chili-lime vinaigrette. Main course was BBQ chicken sandwich on Brioche rolls (from Nova bakery).

So That’s What a Potato Tastes Like!

Last week’s box contained 5lbs of Kennebec potatoes. They looked a little like russets. And hey, a potato is just a potato, right? NOT EVEN CLOSE!

On Sunday, I decided to make BBQ ribs. I wanted to use some of my potatoes, but didn’t want to put a whole lot of effort in, so I decided just to make some simple mashed potatoes. Served with some corn (also from last week’s box).

I seriously felt like it was the first time I tasted a real potato, they were that good! I cannot WAIT to get some more of these little orbs of deliciousness. Here’s a link to some more info on Kennebec potatoes:  http://www.kennebecpotato.com/

Kusa Mahshi. Or in other words, Stuffed Zucchini

I’ve once again endeavored to try and replicate one of the recipes of my childhood: My mom’s famous Mahshi. What is seemingly a simple recipe – only a few ingredients – is actually quite time consuming and difficult to make. Though some might call it a labor of love! My dad sent me this description: In the Arab world, the stuffing of vegetables has its roots in the cookery of the early Islamic empire of the Abbasids in Baghdad, possibly learned from the Persians. Ottoman chefs perfected the stuffing of vegetables, and today nearly everything that can be stuffed is stuffed from artichokes to zucchini.

Making stuffed zucchini is a multi-step process, one I began this morning with my first cup of coffee, around 7:30am.

1. Remove the insides of the zucchini. Here was my starting point… one dozen perfect, locally grown zucchini:

Removing the insides of the zucchini: The tool below is a zucchini corer. It will be your friend and enemy during the coring process.

 

The trick is to slowly rotate the corer, slowly digging deeper into the zucchini until you pull out the insides of the zucchini in one big soggy log. Sounds easy, but rest assured, it’s not. It’s easier than you think to poke a hole in those little suckers… holes that will later ooze your stuffing. It’s also very important to remove as much of the insides of the zucchini as possible. In the last picture above, I’m thinking I did a damn good job of emptying that zucchini. But alas, once cooked, most of my zucchini still had too much inside left – which contributes to a rather watery/soggy result. Better luck next time!

2. Yes, after all that, we’re only on step 2. Make the stuffing. Depending on how many zucchini you are stuffing, the amounts below will vary. I used a pound of ground beef (90/10)  and 1 1/2 cups of rice. Leftovers are great cooked up, just like regular rice. Saute the beef over moderately high heat, add salt, garlic powder, pepper and allspice. Generously. When the beef is cooked (no pink left over) and all broken up, add about a 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom and the rice. Mix all together… it will look something like this:

 

3. Next you need to stuff your (cooled) stuffing into the zucchini. I like it… stuffing the stuffing. This, too, is a process that requires a delicate hand! My mom said the trick is to only put in enough stuffing so that you can stick your pinky in and reach the stuffing. Remember…. the rice will expand! You may need to shake the zucchini to get the stuffing to settle to the bottom.

4. Now it’s time to cook these little stuffers. Lay the zucchini in the bottom of a pot big enough to hold them in a single-ish layer.

Then blend a can (15 oz) of whole tomatoes and pour over your zucchini. Add about a cup of water to that, juice of half a lemon, and salt to taste. I had to use a little extra pureed tomato because I made such a large batch! Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes or so. You want the zucchini to be soft to the touch, but not falling apart. When the zucchini are done cooking, add one crushed (through a garlic press) clove of garlic.

5. Serve and enjoy!

  So, all told, it took the whole day to make my mahshi! I removed the insides of the zucchini at 7:30 in the morning. I made the stuffing after I picked up Erin from school 12:30. I stuffed and cooked them when we got home from picking up Josh at 3:00. Dinner was on the table by 5pm! What did I learn from this experience?

1)It will take a Herculean effort on my part to really remove enough of the stuffing so that my filling isn’t watery but without breaking through the skin of the zucchini. It’s damn hard!

2)My sauce could have used more salt.

3)I LOVE the way the house smells when the mahshi are cooking!

4) Nothing will ever taste exactly the same as when  your mother makes it!

Cleaning out the Fridge

I’ve been working hard trying to make room for this week’s box of fresh produce! Here’s what I’ll be getting this Tuesday:

• 1- 1 lb. Sweet Potato/Pecan Loaf
• 5 lbs- Kennebec potatoes (Fresh dug)
• 2 lbs- German Johnson tomatoes
• 2 lbs- Carolina Gold tomatoes
• 2 lbs- Zucchini
• 1 lb-  Red Bell pepper
• 1 lb-  Eggplant
• 1 doz- Bi-color corn
• 1- 3 Oz. Basil ( Varied types)

Does that sound good or what? I think I’m going to make some eggplant parmesan later this week with the eggplant. And I’m going to dip back into my Middle Eastern repertoire and stuff the big bunch of zucchini I picked up last week. I’m really looking forward to that challenge!

Last week I made stuffed peppers and a gi-normous BLT sandwich! I used some of the fresh basil from my garden to make a basil-mayo and spread that all over the sandwich. It was messy indeed! I used a recipe from Cooks Illustrated for the stuffed peppers.