In the crate:
1 cantaloupe
pint of blueberries
small peaches
Swiss chard
2 bell peppers
tomatoes
cucumbers
zucchini
yellow squash
onions
green beans (more…)

While picking up my CSA crate at Whole Foods – I noticed that they had a new product at the cheese counter – Burrata cheese. Burrata is a fantastic variation of fresh mozzarella that is stuffed with cream, making it much softer. I knew that I must have some so I snatched it up.

I also found a lovely assortment of cherry tomatoes, which I cut in half and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.

Then I topped them with sea salt and fresh basil.

I purchased some fresh bread which I sliced, brushed with olive oil, and toasted in the oven.

I topped the cheese and bread with the tomato salad, and drizzled everything with balsamic vinegar. Spreading the soft cheese onto the bread was sort of luxurious; and the tart pop of the tomatoes, sweet tang of the vinegar, and freshness of the basil were the perfect accompaniments.

I still had some of the tomato salad left over after the bread and cheese were gone. So I threw it into the blender with some garlic to make a fresh pasta sauce.

It’s gonna be a short post this week because right after I picked up my basket I left town for a week! But I am doing a post anyway to show you what I got from the CSA and give you tips on storing produce.

In the crate:
lots of onions
red potatoes
beets
Swiss chard
cucumbers
zucchini
blueberries
white cherries! I had never seen these before! They are lovely and very sweet.

Storing Produce

– Heartier vegetables like the squash will be fine in the refrigerator for a week.

– Cucumbers will not last as long as the squash, nor will they freeze well – UNLESS you make freezer pickles. Mix white vinegar and sugar together (adding flavorings like celery seed and dill if you like); pour over sliced cucumbers and onions; chill in the refrigerator for a couple of days, stirring occasionally; freeze in containers and enjoy whenever – best when not completely thawed.

– Beets will keep for several weeks, but the greens wont – so cut those off and use them or get rid of them.

– Store potatoes in a dark, cool place – like your pantry.

– Chard and kale are pretty sturdy, they might last as long as a week depending on the freshness.

– Berries do not last long at all – freeze them if you are not going to use them quickly (pit cherries first, hull strawberries)

– Finely dice extra onion and carrot and freeze. Use for the base of stews, soups, and braises. The green tops of onions, spring onions, scallions, can also be cut up and frozen (to be used in cooked, not raw preparations).

– Unfortunately celery does not freeze well or I would add it to the above for mirepoix. The ice crystals destroy the cellular structure and turn it to mush. The same goes for lettuce and cabbage. You can however attempt to rescue these vegetables (and others) by soaking them in cold water if they are wilted. Usually, they will absorb the water and become refreshed.

I hope that was helpful!

You may be wondering what happened to week 5 – unfortunately I was unable to pick up my share that weekend. Not to worry – when this happens the food is donated, not thrown out.

In the crate:
2 bunches of beets, one large, one small
spring onions
large onions
kale
tomatoes
cherries
blueberries
yellow zucchini
zucchini
globe zucchini
yellow squash
cucumbers (more…)

I LOVE banana bread. I always buy too many bananas so that I will have extra to make banana bread. My husband really loves it in muffin form (as opposed to loaf form) and especially with chocolate chips. This recipe makes moist muffins, loaded with lots of banana, and with a wonderful chewy top. I think they are best hot out of the oven, Jasper likes them at room temperature.

I start by getting all my ingredients ready. Dry: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Wet: eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla. And four ripe, mashed bananas.

After beating the wet ingredients together and slowly adding the dry, then mixing in the bananas and chocolate chips, you will have your batter.

Use an ice cream scooper to get the batter into the muffin tin – it makes it easier and ensures that your muffins are equal in size. For this recipe, I do recommend using muffin papers.

If you have extra overripe bananas, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and freeze them. They make great smoothies!

Bake for 25 minutes – and enjoy your muffins! Extras can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and frozen.

The Best Banana Bread Muffins
Adapted from Food Network
makes 24 muffins or 2 loaves

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 lg eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (or 350 for loaves).

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl to blend. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the banana. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips, if using.

Divide the batter among 2 muffin tins lined with paper cups. Bake the muffins on the middle rack until the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly.

(If making loaves, divide batter between 2 loaf pans. Bake until the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about an hour and 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.)

This is one of my absolute favorite things to make. It’s tasty and filling and good for you! Muesli is a breakfast cereal invented by a Swiss doctor to feed to his patients; it is made from rolled oats, nuts, and fruits. It is full of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, and the oats help lower cholesterol! While it is possible to buy dry mixes, I HIGHLY recommend making it fresh – it is worth the effort. I have compiled my recipe from a number of sources and I guarantee that you will love it.

The first step involves soaking several ingredients overnight- raisins and orange juice together; oats, cream, and vanilla; and the base mix (involving nuts, coconut, wheat germ, wheat bran, and flax seeds) with yogurt.

In the morning – mix all of the soaked ingredients together.

Then, grate an apple into the mix. Granny Smiths will be less sweet than other types, it’s up to you and your taste preference. I like it sweet 😀 (more…)

In the basket this week:
pint of English peas
kale
spring onions
beets
1 huge cucumber
2 little zucchini
4 yellow squash (more…)

In the basket this week:
pint of strawberries
pint of English peas (much smaller this week)
bunch of kale
bunch of rainbow chard
bag of spinach
green onions
cucumbers
tomatoes (more…)

This is seriously one of our favorite dishes. It is easy to make and it is SO GOOD.
The most important part is the sauce:

Combine peanut butter, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and lime juice.

Whisk until smooth and creamy – this takes a little bit of work, actually, the peanut butter is stubborn.

It is very important to get the right chicken. This is my absolute favorite (from Bell & Evans), which is available at Whole Foods Market.

It cooks up super crispy on the outside and super juicy on the inside – perfect!

I like to cut it up Ton Katsu style and serve it with coconut rice and, of course, a big dollop of the peanut sauce.

Chicken with Peanut Sauce
adapted from Real Simple
Serves 2

2 servings frozen breaded chicken breasts
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

Cook the chicken according to the package directions.
In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, and ginger until smooth. Slice the chicken and serve with coconut rice* and peanut sauce.

*replace up to 1/2 water with coconut milk when cooking rice.

For our 2nd week of the CSA (click here for week 1) we received the following:

1 head of butter lettuce
1 head of Romaine
a big bag of spinach (10-15 oz)
a bunch of asparagus
4 green/spring onions
a pint of hothouse strawberries
5 tomatoes on the vine
a bunch of large radishes
2 hothouse cucumbers (more…)