Pantry Staple: Boxed Wine

When a recipe calls for a half-cup of wine, opening a whole bottle doesn’t always make sense – especially if you don’t have company to help finish it! I found the perfect solution in these small boxed wine cubes from Target. They come in a variety of styles both red and white. Each cube contains 4 individual smaller boxes (250ml per box or approximately 1 cup each) and they cost $7.99. Not only are they the perfect pantry staple to have on hand, but they’re great to take on picnics, stash in a backpack for the end of a long day of hiking or if you’re dining alone and want just one glass of wine. Cheers!

Smitten for Bitten

At the beginning of February, Mark Bittman – author of the New York Times Minimalist food column and authority on “How to Cook Everything” – launched a new blog called Bitten. It has quickly become one of my favorite blogs to read on a daily basis. Bittman’s style of cooking, evident by the name of his NYT column, is approachable and appeals to the home cook who is looking for simple, casual, no-fuss recipes.

Case in point – Quick Whole Wheat & Molasses Bread. Seven ingredients, minimal preparation and most of the cooking time is spent in the oven. The results were hearty, slightly sweet, and delicious – especially when topped with homemade honey butter*. I am now equally addicted to both Bitten and this bread.

Click here to download and print a pdf of this recipe:
* honey butter recipe included in J.Noelle’s pdf

Quick Whole Wheat & Molasses Bread

Veggie Burgers with Curry Mayonnaise

My husband and I played “tourists in our own city” this weekend – we stayed downtown, went to museums, strolled Michigan Avenue, woke up to an up-close and personal view of the skyline and, of course, ate. We ate a lot.

Last night we dined at a classic American steakhouse and indulged in typical steakhouse fare: shrimp cocktail, 14-ounce sirloin steaks with a side of mashed potatoes, lobster mac ’n cheese, and cheesecake with strawberry sauce. Luckily (and surprisingly), we didn’t have heart attacks on the way back to the hotel. After a night of such gluttony, I decided tonight’s dinner had to head in the opposite direction – meatless and low fat. But, that doesn’t mean we had to sacrifice taste or big flavor. If you find yourself craving a healthy, vegetarian meal to counteract a night of self-indulgence, try these Veggie Burgers with Curry Mayonnaise – you won’t miss the fat or the meat.

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

Veggie Burgers with Curry Mayonnaise

Baked Chicken Fingers with Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce

If you’re looking for an easy, quick and healthy weeknight meal, this recipe fits the bill. Baked Chicken Fingers with Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce is so simple that you can even enlist kids to help with the preparation. Save time in the evening by marinating the chicken in the morning before heading off to work. Then, while the chicken is baking, you can make the sweet & sour dipping sauce.

These chicken fingers pair well with a Winter Chopped Salad (pictured above) – both dishes have a tangy dijon flavor that complement each other nicely.

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

Baked Chicken Fingers with Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce

Cream Cheese Muffins

If you’re anything like me, you have a big pile (or file folder or drawer or box) of recipes that you’ve collected from newspapers, magazines, blogs, websites, tv shows, etc. I actually have two 12-tab box-like filing systems in place, and once I put a recipe in, I usually forget all about it until I’m looking for something else. This weekend, I was trying to organize (and weed out) the recipe files. I came across a recipe I had printed out and saved that Jennifer McHenry from Just Baking posted for Cream Cheese Muffins. She, like myself, loves all things cream cheese and her husband created this delicious, decadent muffin recipe just for her. It’s a dense, moist muffin with a creamy, cream cheese center and a crunchy, nutty crumble top. I’ve changed a few things here and there and beefed up the directions a bit, but for the most part, this is based on Jennifer’s original recipe and it’s worth treating yourself. Now if only I could get my husband to create some recipes for me...

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

Cream Cheese Muffins

Winter Chopped Salad

After the indulgence of the holiday season, too many sweets and filling meals make us crave fruits and veggies. But, healthy doesn’t have to mean boring or dull. This winter chopped salad is full of crisp, fresh lettuce, healthy nuts, cranberries and goat cheese with a tangy and sweet dressing. The recipe is from Diane Rossen Worthington’s Seriously Simple Holidays – a wonderful book not just for the holidays; it’s filled with simple, easy and delicious recipes for fall and winter.

And I have to call attention to the “bear claw” salad tossers in the photo. I first saw them at our friend Diana’s home a couple years ago and have never been able to get them out of my head. And while Christmas shopping, I found them at the Chopping Block and had to have them. So, yes, I bought myself another Christmas present while I should have been shopping for everyone else. But aren’t they cute!

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

Winter Chopped Salad

Book Review | Cheese & Wine

When I’m out shopping for Christmas presents, I have a bad habit of always ending up with something for myself, too. Yesterday I stopped in one of my favorite stores, Porte Rouge, to pick out some gifts and on display next to all of the gorgeous French dishes and tableware was a beautiful book about cheese and wine pairing. Of course it came home with me (along with presents for other people) and I read the first half in one sitting last night before bed.

Cheese & Wine is an excellent book that profiles 70 different cheeses outlining the origins, makers, and characteristics as well as complementary wines. Sprinkled throughout are suggestions for creative and interesting cheese platters that are perfect for holiday entertaining. The style is informative, approachable and friendly.

This book would make a wonderful gift for a cheese enthusiast or someone who is just starting to explore wine and cheese pairing. And, if you’re thinking “wow, that would make a great present for me!” go ahead and buy it for yourself – I won’t tell anyone.

Cheese & Wine by Janet Fletcher is available at Amazon.com for $19.56 (retail price $24.95).

Skillet Lasagna Bolognese

This recipe is going to take a leap of faith – you’ll have to take my word on it until you’ve tried it for yourself. I know what you’re thinking...

Is it any good? Yes.
Does it really taste like actual lasagna? Yes.
Is it as good as my Italian grandmother’s? Probably not.

But it’s a pretty close second when you factor in how much easier and faster it is to make than traditional baked lasagna. Try it and see for yourself!

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

Skillet Lasagna Bolognese

Chicken & Dumplings

When I was younger, my family would go to Cracker Barrel for family dinners. We would all decide on which entree we were getting and choose our two side dishes – green beans, mac ’n cheese, mashed potatoes, hashbrowns... Every single time, without fail, my brother would order “Chicken and Dumplings and Dumplings and Dumplings”.

Everyone seems to like the dumpling part of Chicken & Dumplings the best. But the rest of the recipe is important too – a creamy stew of tender chicken, herb-scented sauce and perfectly cooked vegetables.

This recipe, from Cook’s Illustrated, delivers on both components of the dish – the chicken and the dumplings. It’s one of my favorite recipes that I turn to on a snowy, cold night. The smell of this dish simmering in the kitchen is intoxicating – smelling of comfort and home. And when it’s finally ready, it’s everything you were hoping for.

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

Chicken & Dumplings

2007 Season: Recipe Wrap-up

All of the recipes from this year’s 24 box season in one convenient spot. If you would like to view the original post, enter the recipe name in the search box located at the top left corner in the gray bar.

Click on a recipe name to download and print a pdf:

Asian Steak Wrap
Baked Acorn Squash with Granola and Apples
Baked Pasta with Chard
Broccoli Pasta with Peanut Sauce
Broiled Salmon with Crisp Herbed Crust
Caramel Popcorn with Macadamia Nuts
Cauliflower & Apple Puree
Chickpea and Basil Puree
Double-Stuffed Bacon Buns
Eggplant Caviar
Feta & Mint Dip with Crudités
German Potato Salad
Homemade Basil Mayonnaise
Lasagna with Chard, Ricotta & Walnuts
Leek and Potato Frittata
Mexican Grilled Corn
One-Skillet Pasta with Chicken & Broccoli
Oven-Roasted Turkey Rueben Sandwiches
Pickled Scallions
Potato & Leek Flatbread with Roasted Garlic
Potato Gratin
Prepared Greens
Quick ’n Easy Tomato Soup
Roasted Squash and Black Bean Quesadillas
Roasted Squash Soup with Cayenne Pepper
Roasted Tomato Salsa
Salami & Arugula Sandwich with Cream Cheese
Stuffed Tomatoes with Chilled Corn and Crab Salad
Stuffed Tomatoes with Goat Cheese, Olives and Oregano
Summer Sweet Corn Soup
Tzatziki Sauce
White Bean, Kale & Chorizo Soup
Zucchini Bread

box no. 24 | contents

• Cabbage
• Broccoli Florettes
• Brussels Sprouts
• Kohrabi
• Cabbage Buds
• Butternut Squash
• Popcorn
• Beets
• Potatoes
  
• Parsnips
  
• Spinach
• Red Russian Kale
• Winterbor Kale
• Redbor Kale
• Garlic
  

The 2007 season comes to an end...

I just picked up my last box of the season – the infamous no. 24. It’s bittersweet. On one hand, I will miss the anticipation, planning our meals for the week based on the contents, figuring out what to do with some of the trickier ingredients. I will miss not having to go to the grocery store as much and I will certainly miss the taste and quality of fresh, organic produce straight from a local farm.

On the other hand, a full CSA share box for two people is a lot to contend with. It takes planning, discipline and a lot of cooking. Don’t misunderstand – we love being shareholders (we already signed up for 2008). But it’s hard work with great rewards: now I really know what “in season” means, I truly understand the connection between the weather and crops, I’ve broadened my cooking to include ingredients that I never would have on my own.

So what is the plan for 24 boxes “off-season”? I definitely plan on continuing to post. I will have more flexibility in terms of what I can post (not limited only to box ingredients!) and I will be posting more “Book ’n Cooks” as I work through my ever-expanding cookbook collection.

Thank you for reading and following 24 boxes and I hope that you will continue to read throughout the next six months until the next 24 boxes begin.

Click here to download a pdf of the Angelic Organics Farm News for box no. 24.

Quick ’n Easy Tomato Soup

Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, we didn’t receive a vegetable box this past weekend. And since next week is our last and final box of the season (no. 24!), I thought this would be a good opportunity to post a recipe with ingredients gathered from your pantry. This tomato soup has a creamy, velvety texture accomplished by creating a roux. Serve this with grilled cheese sandwiches for a satisfying and warming meal.

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

Quick ’n Easy Tomato Soup

Let’s Talk Turkey

A few fun facts about Thanksgiving turkey...

• 96% of Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving. This year, Americans will eat about 46 million turkeys – 345,000 tons of meat
• The turkey presented on the White House lawn for a ‘presidential pardon’ undergoes four months of training, including repeated hand-feeding, in anticipation of the Thanksgiving photo opportunity
• Wild turkeys can see 320 degrees without moving their heads

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Source: Gourmet Magazine, November 2007
Photo: copyright istockphoto.com

box no. 23 | contents

• Red Cabbage
• Brussels Sprouts
  
• Kohlrabi
• Potatoes
• Beets
• Spinach
• Winterbor Kale
  
• Red Russian Kale
• Chard
  
• Delicata Squash
• Butternut Squash
  
• Popcorn
  

Tomorrow my husband and I will be hosting a benefit brunch at our home for the Angelic Organics Learning Center (AOLC). The cooking is generously provided by the chefs from Sunday Dinner. I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Learning Center and familiarize you with their mission and the great work that they do for the community and our future food system. The AOLC is the nonprofit sister to the Angelic Organics Farm. Farmer Bob eloquently explained the difference between the two enterprises in this week’s newsletter:

The Farm – where we cultivate & harvest vegetables
The Learning Center – where we cultivate people through relationships & educational opportunities

The Angelic Organics Learning Center helps urban and rural people build local food systems. They offer opportunities to grow healthy food and a better quality of life, connect with farmers and the land, and learn agricultural and leadership skills. The Learning Center, a nonprofit organization, reaches more than 4,000 people each year through its programs at partner farms and urban growing sites in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. For more information or to get involved, please visit www.learngrowconnect.org or call 815.389.8455.

Click here to download a pdf of the Angelic Organics Farm News for box no. 23.

Feta & Mint Dip with Crudités

The upcoming holiday season is a good time to have a tasty and versatile dip in your repertoire. This tangy dip made with only a few ingredients is great for cocktail parties, a potluck gathering or even an afternoon snack. You can serve this dip with crudités (shown here with carrot and kohlrabi sticks), crackers or toasted bread rounds.

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

Feta & Mint Dip with Crudités

Baked Pasta with Chard

Recipes have a way of starting as one thing and morphing into another. I had been craving a good spinach lasagna with white sauce and with all of the bags of greens we’ve been getting in our Angelic Organic boxes, I thought it would be a great recipe to post on 24 boxes. And I started from a good place – a recipe from Cook’s Illustrated. You can’t go wrong, right? Well, there wasn’t anything wrong with the recipe OR the execution, but the results weren’t what I had hoped for. The lasagna was very heavy, very cheesy, really white and didn’t let much of the spinach flavor shine. But there were some aspects of it that I liked. So, after a few trials, here is an updated, revamped recipe that started out as a lasagna and ended up as a baked pasta.

You can use any type of green here – spinach, chard, kale, etc. I happened to use baby chard. You can also substitute frozen, chopped spinach (make sure to defrost first and remove any excess moisture and/or water).

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

Baked Pasta with Chard

box no. 22 | contents

• Red Cabbage
• Broccoli Florettes
• Kohlrabi
• Lettuce
• Potatoes
• Beets
• Spinach
• Arugula
• Red Russian Kale
• Delicata Squash
• Butternut Squash
  
• Popcorn
  
• Garlic
  

Newsletter Excerpt

Bob writes... The weather has been mostly co-operative although at the moment it is windier than I like. We are now beginning season wind-up projects like putting straw mulch on top of next year’s garlic, removing the buried drip-tape irrigation lines, removing the overhead irrigation lines, winterizing tractors and trucks, and more. Primo and Juan just completed a temporary patch repair to the western side of our barn roof (with a silver tarp). Also, they will soon finish resurfacing our greenhouse floor. Each day we are usually completing a final harvest for a given crop or two. We have been particularly pleased with the broccoli florette/side shoot yields due to the warm late September and October.

Click here to download a pdf of the Angelic Organics Farm News for box no. 22.

Preparing Greens for Recipes

Fall weather brings in a mountain of greens – spinach, chard, kale, choi. This last box, we received four bags of greens! In the past few weeks, I’ve been preparing a number of recipes that call for chopped, frozen spinach (be on the lookout for a Spanakopita recipe and a recipe for Baked Pasta with Chard). But since I have a lot of fresh greens, I started blanching and chopping my own greens and using them interchangeably in recipes. You can use this technique to prepare fresh greens and immediately incorporate them into a recipe or you can freeze the already prepped greens for later use. Defrost and use just like chopped, frozen spinach.

The tool pictured above is great for pressing out excess moisture from greens. A potato ricer turns out these perfect disks of greens, ready for chopping or freezing.

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

Preparing Greens for Recipes

box no. 21 | contents

• Cabbage
• Broccoli Florettes
• Radishes
• Sage
  
• Spinach
• Choi
• Kale
• Chard
• Acorn Squash
• Delicata Squash
• Popcorn
  
• Garlic
  

Newsletter Excerpt

Diana writes... Welcome to the 2007 Winter Share. For those shareholders who have extended their shares you are in for a treat. Besides storage crops such as winter squash and potatoes, we have all our cold hardy crops that sweeten with a frost. As of this date we have had a few freezes at night, leaving an icy layer on the ground and even once coating the windows of my truck. From these cold nights, most people who buy their organic veggies from the supermarket only reap the benefit of throwing on an extra blanket and snuggling into bed. Often their food is coming from California where the temps never dip low enough to sweeten their brassicas and spinach.

We never know how accurate a weather forecast will be nor how low the temperature will dip. However, we have many years experience under our belt allowing us to know the limitations for our crops that are still growing at the end of the season. Bob recently rated our remaining crops from the hardiest to the most-cold sensitive. Here they are: parsnips, Brussels sprouts, sunchokes, collards, red Russian kale, spinach, cabbage, kohlrabi, cauliflower, broccoli, arugula, radishes, choi, chard, and lettuce. At this time of the year, we are pleasantly surprised at how well the chard has been taking the frosts as well as the arugula (a new addition to our fall line up). This is the first week we are harvesting red Russian kale, a super hardy plant that gets better with the cold. Our most sensitive crop at the moment is lettuce, but it keeps growing. If it pulls through you might be seeing it in a later box.

I planted a lot of these cold hardy vegetables at the end of August, when it finally began to dry up after our record rainfall. Before I got injured in Mid-September, many of these plants were just barely getting their first true leaves. I was concerned they would never live up to their full box potential. Since my injuries, I have not gotten back into fieldwork, but I have seen the full beds of spinach and the over flowing boxes. I like the feeling I get from knowing that all those plants are growing and surviving. I am always amazed at the amount of life contained inside a little seed.

Click here to download a pdf of the Angelic Organics Farm News for box no. 21.

Caramel Popcorn with Macadamia Nuts

In my mind, caramel popcorn and Halloween go hand-in-hand. I can remember making popcorn balls with my sister to pass out to trick-or-treaters – back when you could hand out homemade treats and not worry about tainted candy scandals! This version of caramel corn becomes a decadent grown-up treat with the addition of the macadamia nuts, but the core recipe is the same: five pantry ingredients + popcorn + nuts = delicious.

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

Caramel Popcorn with Macadamia Nuts