What's For Lunch: "What's in the Fridge?" Salad


Since I've been in a bit of a lunchtime rut, I decided to break away from my standard pb&j sandwich and take a stab at using up some of the leftovers in the fridge. I originally was just going to mix together some leftover couscous with some black and refried beans and call it a day, but remembered we still had quite a few veggies left over from last week's CSA box. So instead I threw together a random salad with a base of crumbled tortilla chips, followed by a layer of torn red butterhead lettuce leaves and chopped cucumber, all topped with some couscous, black beans, a dollop of refried beans, and a "dressing" of salsa. Pretty random, I know. But it worked -- and I have a feeling this well-loaded salad will keep me full until dinnertime!
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What's Baking: Coconutty Chocolate Chip Cookies


D's mom is in town for a few days for a visit, so before her arrival on Monday I whipped up a quick batch of cookies. I used my favorite recipe but opted to add in some finely chopped coconut flakes to the mix. The result -- perhaps the best cookies I have ever baked? They were beyond good -- and now, three days later, only a few remain. I typically make small batches of cookies since I can't be trusted when they (or the dough) is in the house -- but this recipe could easily be doubled, or tripled, or ... you get the picture!

Coconutty Chocolate Chip Cookies (printer-friendly version)
makes 16 cookies (probably would make more if someone, er, fine, I, didn't eat so much of the dough)

1/2 cup unsalted organic butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 whole farmers' market egg
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups oatmeal
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, chopped finely
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together the butter and sugars.
3. Stir in the egg and egg white until completely combined.
4. Stir in the vanilla extract.
5. In a separate bowl, stir together the oatmeal and flours.
6. Stir in the salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
7. In several batches, stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
8. Stir in the chopped coconut flakes and chocolate chunks.
9. Place the dough in the fridge and let chill for at least 20 minutes.
10. Place generous spoonfuls on a non-stick baking sheet.
11. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
12. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

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What's For Dinner: Double Mustard Roasted Salmon


D requested salmon for dinner last night, which he had bought frozen a few weeks ago. My default salmon dish involves topping the fillets with a mustard sauce, so I stuck with what I know, and just made a few adjustments here and there. The resulting fish was flaky and flavorful, and the mustard sauce added just the right amount of sweetness and spiciness to take it up a notch. And can I just say that I love my digital meat thermometer? Though I don't cook meat all that often, it is such a lifesaver when determining whether the meat I'm cooking is truly done or not. Anything that takes the guesswork out of cooking is good in my book!

Double Mustard Roasted Salmon (printer-friendly version)
makes two servings

2 6-oz salmon fillets, preferably Alaskan wild-caught
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely-chopped yellow onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons organic red wine vinegar
1/8 cup organic dijon mustard
1/8 cup organic German mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
freshly ground black pepper
kosher salt

1. Place an oven rack in the uppermost slot in your oven. Set the oven to broil.
2. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.
3. Add the olive oil to a medium-sized saucepot. Heat over medium-high heat.
4. Add the chopped onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent and softened.
5. Stir in the garlic and saute for an additional minute, stirring constantly.
6. Add in the red wine vinegar and cook until it has nearly all evaporated.
7. Stir in the mustards and brown sugar. Continue cooking for about one minute more, then remove from the heat.
8. Place the salmon fillets on the prepared baking sheet. Season generously with salt and pepper.
9. Spoon the mustard sauce onto both fillets. Spread it evenly over each fillet, covering each completely.
10. Broil in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fish registers 145 degrees.
11. Carefully remove each fillet from the baking sheet, leaving the skin on the foil. Serve over a bed of quinoa, couscous, or rice.
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What's Baking: Zucchini-Yellow Squash Bread


At last week's Headhouse farmers' market, I picked up a zucchini and yellow squash from Blooming Glen. Though I had big plans for sauteing or roasting the veggies for a vegetable sandwich, the week came and went and the two were still languishing in the fridge. So I chose to follow my no-fail back-up plan -- use 'em both up in a bread recipe. Typical zucchini bread recipes are full of sugar and oil; for the following recipe, I reduced the sugar content and replaced the oil with applesauce. In addition, to ensure moistness (apologies to those who cringe at that word!), I added in some nonfat Greek yogurt. The end result? Delicious. And full of veggie goodness!

Zucchini-Yellow Squash Bread (printer-friendly version)
makes one large (9"x 5") loaf

1 C whole wheat flour
1 C unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 C sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 C grated zucchini (tightly packed)
1 C grated yellow squash (tightly packed)
1/4 C unsweetened applesauce
1 farmers' market egg, lightly beaten
1 egg white
1 t vanilla
1/4 C plain Greek non-fat yogurt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a large (9" x 5") loaf pan with butter or cooking spray. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
4. In a separate bowl, stir together the grated zucchini and yellow squash, applesauce, egg, egg white, vanilla, and Greek yogurt.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared bread pan.
7. Bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
8. Remove from the oven and set the pan onto a wire rack. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and let cool completely on the wire rack.
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Ingredient Spotlight: CSA Box #7


This week's box from Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative included:

1 Head Baby Romanesco Cauliflower - Rolling Ridge Farm
1 Bunch Fresh Yellow Onions - Sunrise Ridge Organics
1 Bunch Red Kale - Windy Hollow Organics
1 Head Green or Red Butterhead Lettuce - Echo Valley Organics
1 Slicing Cucumber - Elm Tree Organics
1 Bunch Cilantro - Noble Herbs

Joining the CSA has been a great way to introduce myself to new vegetables -- this week's newbie-to-me is the baby romanesco cauliflower. It definitely doesn't look like the cauliflower that I'm used to! Apparently the taste of the baby romanesco is like a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. Good thing, given that I much prefer the taste of broccoli over cauliflower.
Here are a few recipes I've got my eye on to try out this week:


Yup, clearly I've got a thing for curried cauliflower. It's one of my favorite things to get at the cold food bar at Whole Foods.
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Made From Scratch: Lemonade


Last week we finally made it to the local Costco (in King of Prussia), but sadly I didn't find the two things I was hoping to purchase (a ginormous box of Kashi GoLean Crunch! and a 24-pack of lemon/orange Pellegrino, sigh!). However, I did manage to pick up a large bag of fresh lemons, which I planned to turn into fresh lemonade. Unfortunately, within two days a number of the lemons had succumbed to a mold invasion while sitting on our kitchen countertop. So, on Saturday, I salvaged what was left and made a small pitcher full of lemonade from scratch. Though the supply was small, the lemonade was delicious while it lasted.

Lemonade (printer-friendly version)
makes about 5 cups of lemonade

1 3/4 cups fresh lemon juice (12 lemons)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 cups filtered water

1. Squeeze the lemon juice into a large bowl. (I used one like this (albeit mine's plastic and more likely from Target); I wish I had one of these.)
2. Use a fine-mesh sieve to strain the lemon juice into a pitcher.
3. Add the granulated sugar and stir thoroughly until sugar dissolves in the lemon juice.
4. Add the filtered water and stir to combine all the ingredients.
5. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice (or wedge) before serving.

(adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe)
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What's On the Side: Fresh From the Garden Green Beans with Shallow-Lemon Butter Sauce


Over the weekend we harvested our first crop of string beans from our container garden. Since only a handful of beans were ready to be picked, I whipped up a simple shallot-lemon butter sauce to serve over the fresh beans. As to the rest of our garden, things are progressing. Our herbs are still growing like crazy -- I really need to start making some basil pesto -- and it looks like we may have some tomatoes on the way. I peeked at the roma tomato plant today and one tomato is just beginning to blush a light red. I'm quite excited to try some tomatoes freshly grown in our own backyard!



String Beans with Shallot-Lemon Butter Sauce (printer-friendly version)
makes 1 serving

1 cup fresh string beans
kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon garlic pepper

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the string beans and blanch in the boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain the water.
2. While blanching the beans, melt the butter in a medium saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped shallots and saute until softened, about three minutes. Stir in fresh lemon juice and garlic pepper. Continue to cook for an additional minute or so, then reduce heat to low.
3. Add the cooked string beans to the butter sauce and stir until the beans are all evenly coated. 4. Serve immediately.
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What's On The Side: Fava-Garlic Scape White Bean Dip


At last week's Headhouse farmers' market, I picked up a small bag of fava beans (I'd never eaten them before and I was intrigued enough to purchase a few to give 'em a try). Cooking fava beans is not a simple task. First they are shelled, then boiled for several minutes before being popped into an ice water bath after which their outer skins are removed. When cooked, they have a buttery, nutty taste. Since I only had about a quarter cup of fava beans (after all that work!), I mixed them into a dip made with garlic scapes and cannellini beans. The result was a zesty, fresh-tasting dip perfect for dunking carrot sticks or spreading onto savory crackers.

Fava-Garlic Scape White Bean Dip (printer-friendly version)
makes about 1 cup

1/4 cup fava beans (see preparation notes below)
1/3 cup garlic scapes, chopped
juice of one small lime
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

To prepare the fava beans:
1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Shell the fava beans. Add the shelled beans to the boiling water. Cook for five minutes.
3. Prepare a small bowl of ice water. After five minutes have passed, drain the shelled beans and add the beans to the ice water bath.
4. Gently remove the outer skin from each bean. Place the prepped beans in a small bowl and set aside until ready to use.

To make the dip:
1. Add the fava beans, garlic scapes, cannellini beans, and lime juice to the bowl of a food processor. Process until roughly pureed.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Process for an additional 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides if necessary.
3. Slowly stream in the olive oil while processing.
4. Spoon the dip into a serving bowl and serve with chopped veggies, such as carrots, or savory crackers.
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Weekend Shenanigans: Cocktails, a Trip to Trader Joe's, and a Plateful of Fresh Produce

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On Friday evening, D and I met up at 10 Arts Lounge in The Ritz Carlton Hotel to take advantage of their Happy Hour, which offers a select set of glasses of wine for $5, along with other specials. I enjoyed a glass of shiraz while D had a beer, and we both snacked on a complimentary bowl of marinated olives. The setting is fantastic; the lounge is located in a grand room beneath a high dome. The restaurant is run by famed French chef Eric Ripert, and the Chef de Cuisine is Jennifer Carroll of Top Chef fame. I took a look at the dessert menu; I think we'll be returning at some point for dessert if not dinner, too.


As a treat on Saturday afternoon, I threw together a fruit smoothie for D and myself. The smoothie consisted of a handful each of frozen mango chunks, frozen pineapple tidbits, frozen berry mix, and ice cubes, plus about two cups of water. It was super-refreshing on a hot day!


On Saturday night I convinced D to make up a batch of spring rolls for dinner. After spending the latter part of the afternoon working at a cafe, we walked over to Trader Joe's to pick up a few needed ingredients, including some low-fat (vegan) mayonnaise and chili pepper sauce. [As an aside: geez, I love Trader Joe's -- it's slightly unfortunate that it's located far from our neighborhood. That place can definitely be dangerous; I really wanted to add a number of other items to my shopping basket (such good deals!), but given we had to schlep everything back a zillion blocks, I managed to hold back.] Back at home, while D put together the rolls, I whipped up a simple peanut sauce as a dip for the spring rolls which consisted of peanut butter, tamari sauce, fresh lime juice, and brown sugar.


As per usual, on Sunday morning after eating a breakfast of pancakes and scrambled eggs, we leashed up Leroy and headed down to the Headhouse farmers' market. This week we picked up another dozen eggs from Mountain View Poultry Farm; a zucchini, yellow squash, and cucumber from Blooming Glen in Bucks County, and two ears of corn from A. T. Buzby Farm in New Jersey.


Sunday evening dinner consisted of burgers (veggie burger for me, turkey burger for D). Along with a side of sweet potato fries, our dinners also used up a some of the fresh produce from our CSA box and farmers' market purchases, including red butterhead lettuce and yellow onion on the burger and a side salad made of romaine lettuce and sliced cucumber. We're finally making headway with our produce -- hooray!
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Ingredient Spotlight: CSA Box #6


This week's box from Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative included:

1 Package Pea Tendrils - Eastbrook Produce
1 Head Red Butterhead Lettuce - Echo Valley Organics
1 Bunch Chioggia (Candy Stripe) Beets - Green Valley Organics
1 Bunch Collard Greens - Sunrise Ridge Organics
1 Bunch Fresh Yellow Onions - Friends Road Organics
1 Bunch Green Kale - Life Enhancing Acres

Beets are the new ingredient for me this week -- I've never cooked them myself, and have never (willingly) eaten them before, either.

Recipes I've got my eye on include:


This week has been a bit hectic work-wise, so I've kind of skipped making elaborate meals for dinner. Which means that our stockpile of greens is just as large as ever. I attempted to use up all of last week's left over kale in a green monster smoothie recipe -- let's just say the results were less than stellar. My problems included: (1) I'm pretty sure I put in too much kale, (2) I didn't blend it long enough, and (3) The berries, try as they might, could not mask the bitter taste of the greens. Luckily I've got another large bunch of greens to try, try again sometime in the upcoming week. I think I may be a little more heavy handed with the fruit (and maybe add in some peanut butter or cocoa powder, too) and use quite a bit less kale in my next go-around.
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What's For Dinner: Luscious Lentil Soup


We are still drowning in greens over here. I'm going to have to start making green smoothies immediately! When thinking of recipes I could make that could help decrease our greens stockpile, I remembered this lentil soup recipe from 101 Cookbooks that I've made a few times before. Three cups of kale down, only several bunches left to go! (And I'm pretty sure we're getting another round of collard greens and kale in today's CSA box, too -- it never ends!) I served my bowl of soup along with a slice of toasted bread slathered with a rosemary-ricotta cheese spread. I went for a second helping of toast, and on the second slice I also slathered on a generous amount of mashed avocado. I highly recommend adding the avocado -- it makes me hungry again just thinking about it.

Lentil Soup (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 ginormous servings

6 cups water
2 cups green lentils, rinsed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/4 cup chopped garlic scapes
1/2 cup chopped white mushrooms
1 28-ounce can organic fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 cup low-sodium organic vegetable broth
3 cups loosely packed torn kale leaves (I just tore the leaves from the stalks into bite-sized pieces)

1. Bring a medium-size pot of water to a boil. Add in the lentils and cook until softened, about 20-25 minutes.
2. While the lentils are cooking, heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the bottom of the pot and saute the onions with the salt until softened. Add in the chopped garlic scapes and mushrooms and saute for several more minutes.
3. Stir in the fire-roasted tomatoes, water, and veggie broth. Decrease the heat and allow the mixture to simmer.
4. Add in the cooked lentils and simmer for a few more minutes.
5. Stir in the kale and cook for one to two minutes more.
6. Spoon each serving into a bowl. Top with a drizzle of olive oil or small dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream.

(adapted from this 101 Cookbooks recipe)

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What's Baking: Chocolate Banana Bread


Bananas and chocolate? Surely a match made in heaven. I'd highly recommend adding in a generous handful (or two) of chocolate chips to the batter -- that addition would surely take this sweet loaf of bread to a whole new level of choco-banana goodness.

Chocolate Banana Bread (printer-friendly version)
makes one large loaf

1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup raw sugar
2 farmers' market eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 uber-ripe bananas, mashed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease (use cooking spray or rub with butter) one large loaf pan.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.
4. Sift together the dry ingredients (I just put them all in a bowl together and mix with a fork; sifting is overrated!)
5. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and mashed banana to the butter-sugar-egg-vanilla mixture.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
7. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the bread center comes out clean.
8. Remove the bread from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
9. After 10 minutes, remove the loaf of bread from the pan and allow to cool completely on the wire rack.
10. Enjoy on its own, or if you're feeling particularly decadent, serve with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce.


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What's For Dessert: Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler



As I mentioned yesterday, at the Headhouse farmers' market this past Sunday I spied a pile of ruby-red rhubarb for sale by Culton Organics, and I just couldn't resist buying a half-pound of the stuff. Since I have used most of the rhubarb I've had on hand this spring in bread recipes (see here, here, and here), I decided this time around I'd head back to dessert territory. I wasn't in the mood to fuss with a crust, so pies and tarts were out. I already posted a crumble recipe on the blog, and crisps aren't that much different, so I opted to try my hand at a cobbler recipe. I scoured the web for a recipe to use, and ended up cobbling (ha ha!) together the following recipe using this strawberry-rhubarb crumble recipe I posted last year and this "best berry cobbler" recipe from Martha Stewart, along with a few additional tweaks here and there.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler (printer-friendly version)
makes 9 servings

For the filling:
6 stalks rhubarb, rinsed and cut into 1/2" slices
2 C organic strawberries, rinsed, hulled, halved, and quartered
2 T cornstarch
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t lavender vanilla bean sugar [optional]
1/2 C sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 t lemon zest

1. Combine the sliced rhubarb and strawberries in a large bowl. Stir in the cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, and salt.
2. Let the fruit mixture sit for at least 15 minutes before putting together the whole dish.

For the cobbler biscuit topping:
3/4 C whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 C cold organic half and half, plus more for brushing
turbinado sugar for sprinkling

1. Add the flours, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined.
2. Add in the small pieces of cold unsalted butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
3. Dump the contents of the food processor into a large bowl.
4. Pour in the cold half and half while stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring until the dough begins to come together.
5. Form the dough into a large ball. Make nine small dough balls out of the large dough ball. Set the dough balls aside.

To make the cobbler:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Pour the fruit mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 glass baking dish. Make sure to spoon in any juices remaining in the bowl.
3. Place the dough balls onto the fruit mixture, spacing them evenly.
4. Brush each dough ball with half and half. Then sprinkle each ball with turbinado sugar.
5. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. (In order to prevent a potential mess in your oven, place the baking dish on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil to catch any spillage.)
6. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before serving.
7. Serve with a small (or large!) scoop of homemade or high-quality vanilla ice cream.


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Weekend Shenanigans: A Look at What We Ate

As far as weekends go, this one was pretty laid back. Highlights included catching up on some reading (I'm still desperately behind with my New Yorkers, that's a never-ending battle); baking some bread; doing several loads of laundry (not sure if that really counts as a highlight); taking a Saturday afternoon trip to the gym at Penn (which I haven't visited in months, bad gym member!), where I ran a 10k on the treadmill in 56:14 (a good time for me); and visiting the farmers' market on Sunday morning.

Here's a look at some of the food we ate (and/or bought) over the weekend:

On Friday night, I turned this bowl of kale into kale chips. The jury's still out on these -- a lot of people love 'em, but I kind of think they taste gross. Perhaps I'm doing it wrong?


On Saturday afternoon, I baked a loaf of banana bread. (As usual, there were a few bananas sitting in the countertop fruit bowl that were becoming a bit too popular with the household fruit fly population.) I took it up a slight notch by adding in some cocoa powder. Unfortunately, our cupboards were bare of chocolate chips, or this loaf would've really rocked. As is, not so bad, but D isn't that much of a fan. (Which is good news for me, as it means the loaf will likely last all week with just me eating it!)


On Sunday morning, D, Leroy, and I walked down to the Headhouse farmers' market. On the way there, we took a quick detour to the dog park, where Leroy had a great time running off some excess energy by chasing (and being chased by) a few of the dogs also playing in the park. We had two purchases in mind when we arrived at the farmers' market -- eggs from Mountain View Poultry Farm and a loaf of 14-grain bread from Ric's Bread. However, I couldn't resist also getting a half-pound of rhubarb from Culton's Organics, fava beans from another vendor, and sweet cherries from Beechwood Orchards.


On Sunday evening, D cooked up burgers made from White Oak Pastures grass-fed beef (which I purchased from Whole Foods) for himself and a veggie burger for me. I dressed my burger with a slathering of goat cheese, some white onion slices, a big leaf of butterhead lettuce from our CSA box, and a slice of roma tomato. On the side was a giant spoonful of couscous. (After I took this photo, I also added a small romaine salad, given our surplus of greens in the fridge.)


For me, the highlight of the evening was strawberry-rhubarb cobbler, which was, dare I say it, out of this world. Look for the recipe later this week. The cobbler was served with a side of homemade vanilla bean ice cream. Something tells me I will be spending a few extra minutes in the gym on Monday to make up for the large portions I ate!
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Ingredient Spotlight: CSA Box #5


This week's box from Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative included:

1 Head Green Butterhead Lettuce - Echo Valley Organics
1 Bunch Garlic Scapes - Burkholders Organics
1 Bunch Dinosaur Kale - Life Enhancing Acres
1 Head Green Romaine Lettuce - Bellview Organics
1 Package White Mushrooms - Mother Earth Organics
1 Bunch Red Kale - Maple Lawn Organics

We've got a lot of kale to eat this week -- and oh, man, we are seriously behind in eating all of the greens we've been receiving each week! I've definitely got to get us on the salad train, stat.
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Tastemaker: Fig & Honey Newtons Fruit Thins


As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I recently received a package of Fig & Honey Newtons Fruit Thins to try. Though made by the company that produces Fig Newtons (it's not a cookie, it's fruit and cake!), these thins are quite different than their iconic cousins. Instead, as their name suggests, they are thin, crispy cookies with bits of real fruit and a sweet taste.


Thus far I've enjoyed a couple of the crispy cookies with a cup of green tea as a mid-morning snack, as well as an additional mix-in to my bowl of Greek yogurt at breakfast time. Though I typically don't purchase packaged cookies from the grocery store, I could see myself buying these as a treat for a long road trip when I need something sweet (but relatively wholesome) to eat.


Ingredients:
Unbleached enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate (Vitamin B1), riboflavin (Vitamin B2), folic acid), sugar, whole grain wheat flour, soybean and/or palm oil, rolled oats, dried figs, raisins, honey, salt baking soda, rice flour, soy lecithin, natural flavor (contains cinnamon).

Nutrition information:
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In addition to fig and honey, Newtons Fruit Thins also come in cranberry citrus oat, blueberry brown sugar, and chocolate raspberry flavors.
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What's Baking: Strawberry-Rhubarb Bread (Again!)


Okay, I swear this will be my last post about rhubarb bread until next spring. This recipe for strawberry-rhubarb is just slightly different than the one I posted last week; but it's just as tasty. It was in baking this loaf of bread that I learned about the importance of lining the pan with parchment paper prior to baking -- I admit I made a bit of a mess trying to pop the loaf out of the pan, as about half of the bread opted to stay firmly attached to the bottom of the baking dish. Luckily I was able to salvage two slices for a photo op; I can't say the rest of the loaf looked quite as photogenic. At least it still tasted good, crumbles and all!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Bread (printer-friendly version)
makes one 9" loaf

1/2 cup organic skim milk
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup organic canola oil
1 farmers' market egg
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped organic rhubarb
1 cup chopped organic strawberries
turbinado sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Lightly butter a 9"x5" bread pan. Set aside. (As discussed above, I'd highly recommend lining the pan with parchment paper -lightly buttered - as well.)
3. In a small bowl, combine together the skim milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Let set for at least 10 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, oil, and egg.
6. Alternately add the flour mixture and milk mixture into the sugar mixture, stirring between each addition.
7. Fold in the chopped strawberries and rhubarb.
8. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan.
9. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the batter.
10. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean.
11. Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for five minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and let it cool completely on the wire rack.
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File This Under Random

I saw this Gemma Correll sketch on Cup of Jo this morning, and just had to share. I find it particularly funny as I am totally That Vegetarian, as I tend to be the one that always brings along the hummus (and pita chips).
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What's For Dinner: Pad Thai with Shiitake Mushrooms and Tofu


Whenever I have a ton of scallions I hand, I typically opt to use at least some of them in a pad thai dish. Though this pad thai recipe is vegetarian and lacks the fish sauce to make it a truly authentic pad thai dish, I still think it tastes great and it definitely hits the spot when I'm craving Thai food.

Vegetarian Pad Thai with Shiitake Mushrooms and Tofu (printer-friendly version)
makes 4 servings

8 oz wide rice noodles
1/2 pkg organic shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 bunch organic scallions, chopped into thin slices, green and white (and/or red) parts separated
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 lime)
3 tablespoons tamari (or soy) sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, rinsed and patted dry
1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
1 pkg firm tofu, cut into cubes and dry-fried

1. Cook the rice noodles according to the manufacturer's instructions. (Some require boiling in water, others just need to sit in hot water for a certain amount of time.)
2. Whisk together the lime juice, tamari sauce, and brown sugar. Set aside.
2. Add the vegetable oil to a skillet and heat to medium-high.
3. Add the chopped mushrooms and saute until softened and lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the chopped scallions (white and/or red parts only) and minced garlic cloves. Cook, stirring constantly, for an additional minute.
4. Add the lightly-beaten eggs to the skillet. Use a rubber spatula to agitate the eggs. Cook until just set, about 30-45 seconds.
5. Remove the egg mixture from the skillet and place on a plate.
6. Add the cooked noodles to the skillet. Pour the lime-tamari-brown sugar mixture over the noodles. Use tongs to evenly coat the noodles with the sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
7. Add the egg mixture to the noodles. Use tongs to break up the eggs and evenly distribute the ingredients. Cook for 1-2 minutes longer. Stir in the green parts from the scallions. Add in the dry-fried tofu and continue cooking until heated through.
8. Serve up the noodles on individual plates. Top each portion with cilantro leaves (which you'll notice I forgot to add to my entree pictured above, oops!) and chopped peanuts. Garnish with a lime wedge (or two).
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Made From Scratch: Caramel Sauce


During last week's heat wave (in which our air conditioning was not working, so awesome) we were on a bit of an ice cream kick, and we even made a round of homemade vanilla bean ice cream one night when our half-gallon of Breyer's ran out. Thought I typically don't mind eating my ice cream plain, for some reason caramel sauce just sounded like a really good idea. I took a look at the ingredient lists of the caramel sauces for sale at the grocery store, and I was not impressed.

Not one to be daunted, I decided to make some caramel sauce from scratch instead. A quick Internet search led me to the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for caramel sauce, and let me tell you, the final result is good. Like, really good. I followed the recipe to a T, though I found that it took about double the time indicated for the sugar to turn brown in color. Long story short, if you're in the mood to take your ice cream to a whole new level, I highly recommend making your own caramel sauce from scratch. It's just that ridiculously good.
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Weekend Shenanigans: NYC Edition

On Saturday morning I woke up early to catch the Megabus to New York City. My parents were in Manhattan for the weekend as my mom was headed to Astoria for a 60th anniversary celebration of the Saint Francis of Assisi School, which she attended as a child.

The two-hour bus ride went off without a hitch, and before I knew it we were arriving in Manhattan. Following are a few photos and thoughts from the weekend:


While my Mom headed out to Astoria, my Dad and I wandered over to Central Park. It's quite the oasis in such a bustling city.


By the time we wound our way into the park we were both ready for lunch, so after grabbing a $4 map, we headed straight toward the Boathouse for lunch.


We both had burgers (veggie for me, of course!), shared a bucket of fries, and we also each enjoyed a Stella Artois with our meal. (Quite refreshing!)


Following dinner at McCormick & Schmick's, my Dad and I wandered over to Times Square to take in the sights and sounds before heading back uptown (um, is that the right direction?) to Rockefeller Center.


We woke up the snoozing lady in the ticket booth outside the building and bought tickets to visit the Top of the Rock Observation Deck. A short wait for the elevator, and then a quick ride up 60+ flights to the top of the building.


The observation deck offered great views of the city. Unfortunately, there were no sightings of Brian Williams or Liz Lemon in the building. Sigh. Though the plan was to hit the city once more for a drink once my Mom arrived back from her festivities around 11p, we were too zonked from our multiple-miles of walking around the city all day long and opted to call it a night instead.

On Sunday I got up early for a run from the hotel to Central Park. I got in about six miles, which included a loop around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. After breakfast in the hotel, my Mom and I headed out on a quest to find some black & white cookies for me to bring home for Dustin. A google search for "best black and white cookies in midtown Manhattan" indicated that Zaro's Bakery, which has several outposts in Grand Central Station, was the place to go. We opted to hit up the store in the marketplace, but unfortunately the market was closed due to filming of Food Network's Next Iron Chef. Disappointing, but I'm pretty sure I spied Anne Burrell with the film crew inside the market -- and then I also spotted Alton Brown hanging out with the producers/crew in the hallway. I didn't take any photos, as I didn't want to be That Girl, but fun nonetheless.

{via}

After our Food Network celebrity-spotting, we headed back out, stopping at Crumbs Bake Shop on our way back to the hotel to pick up a couple more black and white cookies (you know, for comparison purposes) as well as a chocolate coconut cupcake. Their cupcakes (including some seriously jumbo cupcakes) all looked quite delicious, and um, rather calorific.

After a quick break back at the hotel, Mom, Dad, and I headed out with the intention of hitting up the Central Park Zoo. Unfortunately, our plans were thwarted by a massive Celebrate Israel Parade occurring across Fifth Avenue. The only cure? Retail therapy. Mom and I shopped through the sales racks at Barney's, while my Dad became increasingly bored; he opted to head back to the hotel while we headed for more shopping at Bloomingdale's and Zara.


{via}

Mom and I arrived back at the hotel around 3p. After freshening up, the three of us headed out for an early dinner at Teadoro Ristorante. We shared a fantastic meal. For my meal, I started with:


followed by:


and for dessert, my Mom and I shared (can you spot the menu typo?):


We also all shared a bottle of Barbera d'Asti and a bottle of Pellegrino -- perhaps not the brightest idea to drink so much before a two-hour bus ride!

Following our delicious dinner, we returned to the hotel, where I grabbed my things, and we headed off via the subway to the Megabus departure stop. I arrived to find several people already in the queue for the 6:40p bus to Philly, though I was nearly an hour early. Mom, Dad, and I said our goodbyes and I took my place in line. The bus ended up being 20 minutes late in departure, but aside from a therefore-delayed arrival, the trip was uneventful. D and Leroy met me at the station, and we walked back home together. Once home, D and I shared one of the black and white cookies (because, even after such a big meal earlier today, how could I refuse a cookie?), and then we called it a night.

Whew -- all in all, quite a weekend! I had a great time in NYC, enjoyed hanging out with my Dad on Saturday, and had fun shopping with my Mom on Sunday. (If only I had more disposable income!!) I'm glad I opted to take the trip in to the city, and given how convenient it was, I think I may have to visit again soon.
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Ingredient Spotlight: CSA Box #4

This week's box from Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative included:

1 Head Green Romaine Lettuce - Riverview Organics
1 Bag Pea Tendrils - Eastbrook Produce
1 Pint Strawberries - Healthy Harvest Organics
1 Bunch Green Kale - Life Enhancing Acres
1 Bunch Garlic Scapes - Misty Meadow Acres
1 Bunch White Scallions - Outback Farm
1 Bunch Collard Greens - Sunrise Ridge Organics

I'm really excited to try the garlic scapes and pea tendrils -- both of which are new vegetables for me. Here are a few recipes I've got my eye on:


The strawberries were too beautiful to not try immediately. I opted to use up a few in a sweet and savory crostini recipe.


Sweet and Savory Crostini
makes two servings

1 T part-skim ricotta
1 T goat cheese
1 t fresh rosemary, chopped
freshly ground black pepper
fine sea salt
French baguette, cut into six slices
6 organic strawberries, sliced

1. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta and goat cheese.
2. Add in the fresh rosemary and stir to combine.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Spread a generous amount of the cheese mixture on each slice of bread.
5. Top with sliced strawberries and serve.
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What's For Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Scallions and Shiitake Mushrooms


Aren't these scrambled eggs just a gorgeous shade of yellow? Our new egg source is Mountain View Poultry Farm, a vendor at the Headhouse Farmers' Market, from whom each Sunday we pick up a carton of eggs that come from pasture-raised hens. These eggs don't come cheap -- $4.95 per dozen -- but I'm willing to pay a premium for eggs that come from a source I can trust.

For breakfast, I sauteed up some cremini mushrooms and white scallions from our CSA box, which D then added to the scrambled eggs he was making. Served on the side were some hashbrown potatoes. Eggs 'n' taters -- makes for quite the filling farmer's breakfast -- now I'm definitely ready to tackle the day!

Edited to add: You can also find me over at the Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative CSA Recipe Group blog today with a recipe for vegetarian pad thai.
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What's Baking: Strawberry-Rhubarb Bread


I've been a rhubarb-bread-makin' fool this spring. I'm pretty sure the following recipe for strawberry-rhubarb bread is my favorite. I also finally figured out the trick to ensuring the loaf of bread comes out of the pan without a hassle -- all you need to do is line the buttered pan with parchment paper (also lightly buttered). Doing so makes taking the loaf out of the pan much easier, and prevents the bread from sticking to the pan and falling apart, as happened with the last loaf of bread I baked.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Bread (printer-friendly version)
makes one 9" loaf

1/2 C plain nonfat Greek yogurt (I used Chobani o% Plain)
1 1/2 t lemon juice
zest of one lemon
1/2 t vanilla extract
3/4 C brown sugar
1/3 C organic canola oil
1 farmers' market egg
3/4 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 C organic rhubarb, chopped
1/2 C organic strawberries, chopped
turbinado sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Lightly butter a 9"x5" bread pan. Line the pan widthwise with parchment paper, leaving about 2-3" of excess paper on both sides to use as handles. Lightly butter the parchment paper. Set the pan aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine together the skim milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Let set for at least 10 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, oil, and egg.
6. Alternately add the flour mixture and milk mixture into the sugar mixture, stirring between each addition.
7. Fold in the chopped rhubarb and strawberries.
8. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the top evenly with turbinado sugar.
9. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean.
10. Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for five minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and let it cool completely on the wire rack.

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