Well Done Burgers Done Well

There’s a hard core group of burger purists out there that are probably horrified at the title of this post. Well Done Burgers! Never. Burgers are to be medium (at most) if they are to be enjoyed and appreciated at all, they say. Here’s the deal: I like a medium/medium-well burger as much as the next person – if I’m at a restaurant where someone who’s experienced is doing the grilling. Too often, I’ve started off grilling with the best of intentions, only to find that the burger is either (a) undercooked and I have to throw it back on the grill or (b) overcooked and dried out. So, when I tried this recipe, I hit the jackpot.

I can’t claim that I had anything to do with this recipe – not even the catchy name. This is a Cook’s Illustrated recipe that was put to the test, tried, retried and refined until they got it right. And they did. These burgers stay moist and flavorful even when grilled to well done. And they’re so forgiving, that if you leave them on for a minute or two extra, here and there, they don’t suffer. These are my go-to entertaining burgers when I want to hang out with my guests instead of manning the grill and being overly concerned about “who gets the medium-rare burger?”...

You might be wondering, what does a burger have to do with a vegetable share box. That’s where the toppings come in. I piled this one with caramelized fennel and onions (from this week’s box) along with avocado and brie. Decadent and delicious.

Click here to download and print a pdf of this recipe:

Well Done Burgers Done Well

Veggie Cold Cut Deli Style Sandwiches

The adjustable mandoline slicer is one of my most favorite and heavily used tools in the summer kitchen. In this recipe, it makes short work of turning garden vegetables into thin ribbons and slices. I piled on these “cold cuts” along with a garlic and herb cheese spread. In no time at all, I had a spectacular Veggie Cold Cut Deli Style Sandwich stacked with zucchini, squash, red bell pepper, carrots and radish.


Click here to download and print a pdf of this recipe:

Veggie Cold Cut Deli Style Sandwiches

2008 | box no. 06 | contents

Click on an ingredient and link to a past 24 Boxes post using that vegetable.

cooking greens
Dinosaur Kale
root crops
Young Turnips, Carrots
salad greens
Lettuce, Mizuna
brassicas
Cauliflower, Broccoli
alliums
Sweet Onions
fruiting crops
Zucchini & Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Green Peppers
herbs
Thyme
stems
Fennel

Week 06 newsletter

Zucchini-Carrot Muffins with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

These muffins give you a double dose of your veggies – carrots and zucchini – combined with hearty healthy whole wheat flour, wheat germ and pecans. In place of butter or oil, we’re using low-fat yogurt. To give them lightness and lift, the egg white are beaten to stiff peaks and added ever-so-gently at the very end. These muffins have a lot going for them, especially after you add the lemon cream cheese icing.

Now as for the shape, I used a bar cookie pan rather than the standard muffin tin. I love this pan and I use it for everything from perfectly portioned brownies to cute individual size cornbreads.

Click here to download and print a pdf of this recipe:

Zucchini-Carrot Muffins with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

Zucchini Pancakes

The key to great zucchini pancakes is the thickness – too thick, and the outside is nicely browned, while the inside is still gummy and undercooked. But spread thin, the pancakes cook up nice and crisp on the outside and cooked through on the inside. I especially liked the addition of the grated onion in this recipe – it made them more potato-pancake like, especially when you serve them with sour cream and chives. Another winning recipe from Barefoot Contessa at Home.

Click here to download and print a pdf of this recipe:

Zucchini Pancakes

2008 | box no. 05 | contents

Click on an ingredient and link to a past 24 Boxes post using that vegetable.

cooking greens
Swiss Chard
root crops
Young Turnips, Carrots
salad greens
Lettuce
brassicas
Cauliflower, Broccoli
alliums
Scallions, Sweet Onions
fruiting crops
Zucchini & Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Green Peppers
herbs
Lemon Balm
stems
Fennel

Week 05 newsletter

Top 3 Summer Kitchen Tools

As the seasons change and different foods are available and plentiful, I find myself using different kitchen gadgets and appliances to suit my varying tastes. In the winter, I use my immersion blender and Le Crueset dutch oven to create satisfying and warm soups on a cold day. In summer, when I have fresh produce and warm air, there are three kitchen essentials that I turn to:

The adjustable mandoline slicer
I actually own one of those fancier stainless steel French versions, but I reach for this one instead. It’s lightweight, quick and easy to clean – and it’s affordable. There are four different thickness settings and it makes short work of anything from thinly slicing radishes to slicing potatoes for gratin. This is by far one of the most useful tools in the kitchen – especially in the summer when fresh produce is abundant.

The Black & Decker CJ525 CitrusMate Plus Citrus Juicer
In this case, my recommendation is specific to a particular make and model. I did a lot of looking around and reading reviews until I finally settled with this one and I’m quite happy with my decision. In the summer, I love to make fresh squeezed lemonade and the CitrusMate makes it a breeze. There are three features that make this number one in my book. First, it comes with two different size cones – one for smaller fruits like lemons and limes and a second one for larger fruits like oranges and grapefruits. Second, the reamer automatically reverses itself to get every last bit of juice out of the fruit. And third, there is a pulp control feature which allows you to control how much or how little pulp you want in your juice (I’m a pulp-free gal myself). Really, really handy for fresh squeezed citrus juice all summer long.

Cuisinart TOB-195 Convection Toaster Oven
Another recommendation that is specific to this make and model. But, that said, I’d recommend any toaster oven as an indispensable summer appliance. When it’s hot outside, the last thing you want to do is heat up your full-size oven. A toaster oven heats up quickly and uses far less energy than a conventional oven. It can be a large up-front investment, but – even though I don’t have any hard facts to back me up on this – I think I’ll make back some if not all of the cost in energy savings over the long run. I chose this model in particular based on reviews and features. I knew I wanted a convection oven and I was looking for a larger size interior that could accommodate a pretty decent portion of vegetables. Recently, I’ve roasted turnips, broccoli and cauliflower. I’ve toasted bread, reheated leftovers and roasted garlic. I would say that this little oven gets used almost daily and it’s one of the most important items in the kitchen.

2008 | box no. 04 | contents

Click on an ingredient and link to a past 24 Boxes post using that vegetable.

cooking greens
Swiss Chard, Kale
root crops
Young Turnips, Radishes
salad greens
Lettuce
brassicas
Cauliflower, Broccoli
alliums
Scallions, Sweet Onion
fruiting crops
Zucchini & Summer Squash, Cucumbers
herbs
Basil, Parsley

Week 04 newsletter

Simple Series :: Cucumbers

It’s taken almost two full seasons of boxes, but I think I’m finally getting the hang of it. One of the biggest hurdles that I had to get over was the pressure that I put on myself to use all of the vegetables in creative and elaborate ways. I would pour over cookbooks and search online for that perfect recipe to use turnips or spend half a day cooking a meal with kale. And then I hit that ‘‘ah-ha” moment when I realized that I really didn’t need to do much at all with the vegetables – I could let them do most of the work for me and allow their flavor and freshness to speak for themselves. So I calmed down a bit and started preparing more simple dishes. The Simple Series brings some of these preparations to you, focusing on one vegetable at a time. Each Simple Series includes three recipes: Simple, Simpler and Simplest and all three require only a few ingredients and minimal time in the kitchen.

Recipes, cookbooks and involved preparations still have a place in my kitchen, but it’s a more balanced (and sane) way of cooking now. The Simple Series fills in the gaps on a busy weeknight when the only thing I have time for is a quick cucumber salad.

Click here to download and print a pdf of this recipe:

Simple Series :: Cucumbers

Compound Herb Butter

Compound Herb Butter is a simple and quick way to dress up vegetables, fish, steak, chicken or to use as a spread for bread. You can make a variety of different flavor combinations and keep them handy in the freezer for fast, last minute seasoning. This week, I made an herb compound butter with the thyme from our box, but the variations are endless (see recipe pdf for a list of variations).

The technique is simple:


Click here to download and print a pdf of this recipe:

Compound Herb Butter

2008 | box no. 03 | contents

Click on an ingredient and link to a past 24 Boxes post using that vegetable.

cooking greens
Swiss Chard, Red Russian Kale
root crops
Beets, Kohrabi, Young Turnips, Radishes
salad greens
Lettuce (Crispino – an organic iceburg lettuce!)
brassicas
Cauliflower, Broccoli
alliums
Scallions (deep purple & white spear)
fruiting crops
Zucchini & Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Popcorn
herbs
Thyme

Week 03 newsletter

Basil Green Goddess Dressing

Another triple play! – a creamy green goddess dressing, made with basil rather than the traditional tarragon, flavored with garlic, scallions and lemon juice tops fresh, crisp lettuce. This versatile dressing is the perfect consistency for dipping fresh vegetables or using as a condiment on sandwiches. Whisk in a little water, and it’s the right consistency for an all-purpose salad dressing.

This recipe is from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa at Home. I am a huge fan of her books, her Food Network show and her recipes and I can’t recommend them enough. Her cooking is simple, delicious and approachable. Try this recipe and you’ll see for yourself. Enjoy!

Click here to download and print a pdf of this recipe:

Basil Green Goddess Dressing