Breezy Willow CSA Week #4

This week will need to be a quick turn around on our CSA pick up, because next week's pick up would have been on 4th of July and has been rescheduled for Monday -- as in 3 days from now.

Serious produce eating in our future!

We received:
2 cartons of blueberries
1 eggplant
2 cucumbers
Bag of green beans
Bag of kale
Head of lettuce
Head of broccoli
Loaf of rosemary lavender focaccia bread
Jar of Happy Mouth BBQ Sauce
Basil
Sage

What's left from Week #3:
12 eggs
1 cucumber
4 spring onions
1/4 loaf of honey whole wheat bread

What's left from Week #2:
10 eggs
1 patty pan squash

Roasted Turnip & Candy Beet Galette

I found this recipe on Pinterest after searching around for what to do with the turnips and beets we had gotten from our CSA.
I had never heard of a galette, and Google told me that it was a type of crusty cake. The picture from the website told me it was like a pizza. I figured it would be worth a shot. I accidentally grabbed Phyllo sheets instead of puff pastry dough but decided to go with it and I actually enjoyed the crispness of the Phyllo.
I was actually really impressed with how delicious it was. It was simple and it didn't have the earthy taste that the beet pesto did. It was delicious!

yield:  9 large slices of galette

ingredients
5 candy beets
2 white turnips
2 tbs olive oil
5 sheets of phyllo pastry (14"x18"), thawed overnight
1/2C shredded smoked mozzarella
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp paprika

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Trim beets and turnips, and lay them on a baking sheet.
3. Drizzle with 1 tbs olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of sea salt.
4. Roast for 20-30 minutes, until fork tender (my beets were smaller and took 20 minutes while the turnips took 30).
5. On another baking sheet, lay out phyllo sheets (keeping them stacked on top of one another) folding up slightly around the edges to make a crust.
6. Spread shredded cheese evenly over the phyllo sheet.
7. When the beets and turnips have cooled slightly, slice them thinly (it is up to you whether or not you want to take the skin off, I did where it was easy to remove and just left it where it wasn't coming off).
8. Layer slices of beets and turnips over the cheese. (I alternated turnip/beet in rows but that is up to you).
9. Drizzle 1 tbs of olive oil over the galette.
10. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of sea salt over the galette.
11. Sprinkle paprika over the galette.
12. Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges are starting to turn golden brown.
13. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.
14. Enjoy!

Chocolate Patty Pan Squash Bread

In our second CSA pickup, we received a whole bunch of patty pan squash.
We grilled some, but coming up on week 4 we still had 4 hanging out in the fridge.
I found this recipe on Pinterest, and knowing how we love sweets decided to give it a go.
It was very rich, decadent, and delicious-- perfect for dessert or for breakfast -- and had barely a hint of being full of squash!

yield: 1 loaf of bread

ingredients
2.5C patty pan squash, shredded (this was 3 patty pan squash for me, 2 on the smaller side and one bigger one)
1C vegetable oil
3 eggs, room temperature
3/4C sugar
1/2C brown sugar
1.5C flour
1/2C cocoa powder
1/4C plain Greek yogurt
2 tbs baking powder
1C chocolate chips

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan.
3. Mix oil, eggs, and sugars in a large mixing bowl (I used my KitchenAid Stand Mixer) until well combined.
4. Add in flour, cocoa powder, yogurt, and baking powder until well combined.
5. Fold in squash and chocolate chips, mixing until well combined.
6. Bake for 70-80 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Enjoy!

Caramelized Garlic Mushrooms & Bean Sprouts

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and with this week's mushrooms and bean sprouts hanging out in my fridge I thought it would be the perfect recipe to modify and use as a side dish!
It was really, really delicious -- even my husband who doesn't particularly care for mushrooms ate it all!

yield:2 large side servings

ingredients
2C sliced mushrooms
1C bean sprouts
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs soy sauce

directions

1. Add butter and oil to a saute pan and heat over medium high heat.
2. Once butter is melted, add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Toss mushrooms and bean sprouts in soy sauce.
4. Add the mushrooms to the pan and, stirring only occasionally, cook for 5 minutes.
5. Enjoy!

Garlic Scape Pesto Pizza

After making grilled cheese, we had about 3/4C garlic scape pesto left.
We decided that pizza was the way to go, and boy was it delicious!

ingredients
3/4C garlic scape pesto
1 batch pizza dough
1 ball buffalo mozzarella, sliced

directions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. On a floured surface (I used my Pampered Chef Pizza Stone), spread out dough by pushing with fingertips -- don't pull/stretch the dough because you will get holes!
3. Once the dough is evenly distributed over the cooking surface, spread pesto evenly over dough, leaving about 1"-2" of crust showing.
4. Place slices of buffalo mozzarella on top of the pesto.
5. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.
6. Enjoy!

Pizza Dough

While in Italy for our honeymoon, my husband and I took a pizza making class in Sorrento.
What we learned was that pizza dough is a lot simpler than we thought, and that it is much more delicious this way!

 

yield: dough for 1 large pizza

ingredients
2C "00" Flour (we found this in the Italian/pasta aisle of Wegmans. If all else fails, use all-purpose flour)
1C warm water
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tbs olive oil

directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, olive oil, and yeast mixture.
3. Knead mixture for about 10 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic and comes away easily from the work surface.
4. Shape the dough into a ball.
5. Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough ball in the bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel.  
6. Place bowl in a warm, dry area for at least 2 hours to let the the dough rise.
7. After at least 2 hours have passed, punch the dough down to remove any bubbles. 
8. Place dough ball on a flat, floured surface.
9. Cover and let rise for at least another hour.
10. Flour your hands and place the ball on a floured work surface (I used my Pampered Chef Pizza Stone).
11. Start to spread the dough from the center, pressing down and pushing the dough out. DO NOT PULL OR STRETCH (this was the most important thing we learned in our class).
12. If you're brave enough, pick up the disc of dough and flip it between your hands.
13. Flip the dough so that the alternate side is facing up and continue spreading the dough until the crust is evenly thinned out and a little bit thicker at the edges.
14. Top with your favorite toppings. 
15. Cook at 500 degrees for about 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
16. Enjoy!

Dr. Pepper Boneless Wings

I love me some boneless wings, so when I found this recipe on Pinterest I knew I had to give it a go.
I served the wings with some cucumber salad and it was a nice mix of sticky and sweet with light and refreshing.

yield: 16-20 boneless wings

ingredients
1 pkg of chicken breast tenders (I got a 1.3lb package)
3/4C flour
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 can Dr. Pepper
1/2C brown sugar
1/4C ketchup
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbs butter
oil for frying (fill pan about 1-2" deep)

directions

1. Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
2. Cut chicken tenders in half (or in thirds if you want smaller pieces, or not at all if you want larger pieces).
3. Toss the chicken in the flour mixture, coating completely.  
4. Put the coated chicken in the fridge for at least 1 hour. 
5. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the can of Dr. Pepper to a boil, reduce heat and simmer briskly for 10 minutes.
6. Add the brown sugar, ketchup, Tabasco and butter and simmer until a nice thick sauce - about 10-12 minutes. Set aside in a large bowl.
7. Heat oil in a deep pan to 350 degrees. (I heated the oil on the stove top in my LeCreuset French Oven).
8. Remove the chicken from the fridge and fry in the oil until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through.
9. Place chicken on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
10. Toss chicken in bowl of sauce until all pieces are coated.
11. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

I found this recipe on Pinterest and was tasked with making something for Sunday Brunch, and with our CSA blueberries hanging out in the fridge this seemed like a good idea!

yield: 9 servings

ingredients
1/2C (1 stick) butter, room temperature
zest from 1 large lemon
7/8C (3/4C + 2 tbs) sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1/2C buttermilk
2C fresh blueberries
1/4C flour (for coating blueberries)
1 tbs sugar (for sprinkling on top)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. 
4. Toss the blueberries with 1/4 cup of flour.
5. Whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt. 
6. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk.
7. Fold in the blueberries.
8. Grease an 8" square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray.
9. Spread batter into pan.
10. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar.
11. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
12. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
13. Enjoy!

Kohlrabi & Turnip Slaw

Having never heard of kohlrabi until we received it in our CSA pickup, and having never eaten a turnip until we ended up with 5 in this week's pickup, I went on a mission to find some delicious sounding recipes to experiment with both vegetables.
I found this recipe on Pinterest and served it with hotdogs and baked beans.

yield: 4 sides

ingredients
1 kohlrabi
1 turnip, peeled & quartered
3 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs peanut oil
2 tbs honey
1 tsp sesame oil
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

directions

1. Separate stems from kohlrabi bulb, trim, and discard tough bottoms of stems.
2. Half leaves lengthwise then thinly shred crosswise.
3. Trim root end from bulb and peel away tough outer layer; halve lengthwise.
4. Using a grater (I used the grater/slicer attachment on my KitchenAid), shred turnip and kohlrabi bulb.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, peanut oil, honey, and sesame oil; season with salt and pepper.
6. Add scallions, kohlrabi leaves and bulb, and turnip to bowl; toss to coat.
7. Cover and chill for at least 15 minutes before serving.
8. Enjoy!

Cucumber Salad

This week we received 3 giant cucumbers and this recipe on Pinterest seemed like the perfect, refreshing thing to pair with a summer meal.
We paired it with Dr. Pepper sauced boneless wings -- it was delicious!
I also used the slicer/shredder attachment for my KitchenAid mixer for the first time (using the thin slice cone) and it provided paper thin slices of cucumber.

yield: 6 hearty sides

ingredients
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 large spring onion, thinly sliced
2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs fresh dill, chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 tbs vinegar (I used blood orange vinegar)

directions

1.  Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Toss/mix until well mixed.
3. Cover and chill, at least 15 minutes, until ready to serve.
4. Enjoy!