Steak with Creamed Swiss Chard and Baked Zucchini

Tonight's supper used one of the zucchini's from this weeks CSA, along with the bunch of swiss chard and two onions.

The zucchini was really easy. I cut it in half length wise, then into thirds. Then I salted and peppered the tops, drizzled olive oil on them, added a little garlic powder, and finally, coated the top with parmesean cheese. I baked them at 350 for about 30 -40 minutes. These were delicious and so so easy. I will make this dish a staple side dish:

Next, I used the onions and swiss chard to make creamed swiss chard from a Martha Stewart Recipe. This was delicious. It took awhile to chop all the chard, but other than that it was a straight forward recipe:

The grill is still out of commission, so I broiled two steaks and we had a complete meal:

Zucchini Chips

I made  baked zucchini chips from this recipe I found on Pinterest. They came out great for the most part. The only mistake I made was that I sliced them too thin in the mandolin slicer so some of them stuck to the foil. Next time I will just slice them one step thicker and they will be great. These really do have a great flavor.
I served them with stuffed (non-CSA) tomatoes (stuffed with garlic salt, shredded cheese, and bacon bits), and (totally processed and bad for you) boxed pasta. Here was the meal:

CSA Week 3

This week brought some new additions to the CSA box! Here is what we got:

strawberries (will be eaten by my child in one sitting)
squash- will steam for child to eat
2 zucchini- made zucchini chips from one and baked zucchini with the other
potatoes- making pot roast in crock pot
onions- also for the pot roast
Swiss chard- making creamed Swiss chard
collards- no plan as of yet

Stay tuned for a re-cap of some delicious new dishes!

Chicken Satay, Turnip Gratin, and Kale

This meal utilized Kale, Turnips, and Onions from the CSA.

The chicken satay was super easy. I took 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut them into 1 inch strips. Then I put a wooden skewer through them. I salted and peppered each side. Then I slathered them with Trader Joe's Peanut Satay Sauce. The original plan was to grill them, but my grill is broken. Ever the flexible cook, I baked them on a broiler pan for 10 minutes on each side at 375. Here is how they looked when finished:

These were delicious and an easy way to dress up chicken. I will definitely do this again.

For the Turnip Gratin I used this recipe from my blog is 2010.

Finally, I de-stemmed the kale, washed it, boiled it for 10 minutes then seasoned it with salt, pepper, and toasted sesame oil. Here is the meal:

Hamburgers and Grilled Cabbage

Confession time: I hate cabbage. I have never had cabbage in a way that I enjoyed it. I have occasionally eaten cole slaw, but would never order it or make it. So, this farm sends whole heads of cabbage in the CSA.....what to do. Then, along came this fantastic site called Pinterest. While browsing on Pinterest, I found a recipe for grilled cabbage. I tried it this week, and it was fantastic. My husband said it best: "I can't believe we are eating cabbage, this is delicious." My husband and I both went back for seconds and total we ate a half a head of cabbage in one sitting. So what is this magical cabbage recipe? It is so stinkin simple it is embarrasing.

First, you cut a head of cabbage into eight wedges. Then salt and pepper each wedge. Then smear butter over the outside of the wedge. Finally drape a slice of raw bacon over the top of the wedge. Put the wedge into a foil pouch and grill over medium to low heat for 35-40 minutes. Here is the finished product:

It is soft and savory and full of flavor. I served it with a hamburger on a multigrain bun. Yes, the bacon adds some fat, but it has got to be healthier than having fries on the side.

CSA Week 2

In this weeks CSA:

Strawberries

Snap peas

Turnips

Onions

Kale

Lettuce

Cabbage

I am writing this after the fact, so let me tell you what I did with this beautiful produce:

Strawberries: devoured by my child.

Snap peas: steamed, then devoured by my child

Lettuce: some for Burgers, some for lunch salads

Turnips and one onion: Turnip Gratin

Kale: Served in same meal with Turnip Gratin

Cabbage: Grilled and served with burgers

Details to come!

Bacon, Peas, and Ricotta Cheese Pasta

I am a bit behind, but the next few posts should bring me up to date.

With the Week 1 CSA peas, I made this beautiful dish. I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but it is my Step-Mom's creation. It is delicious and children love it.

Here are the ingredients:

1 box Farfalle (bow tie pasta)
1 package bacon
1 package ricotta cheese
peas (I used fresh peas, frozen peas work fine)

First, put the whole container of ricotta in the bowl you intend to serve the dish in while you cook the rest of the meal so it can get to room temperature.

Then, put on the water for the pasta and cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.

Meanwhile, cut the bacon into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces. It is easiest to do this when the bacon is mostly frozen or very cold...it is less slippery that way:

Then cook the bacon in a non-stick pan. You do not want to fry this bacon in its own grease, so keep the temperature at medium or a little lower. You just want to get it nice and brown, but not crispy. If it is really cracklin and poppin, turn the temperature down. Cook it so it is 3/4 of the way done:

DO NOT DRAIN THE BACON!! Next add the peas:

Turn the temperature down to simmer and cover the pan. Occasionally stir around the peas and bacon until the peas are cooked through (about 10 minutes).

When the pasta is finished cooking, add to the ricotta and stir well. The heat of the pasta will finish melting the ricotta:

Finally, toss in the peas, bacon, and bacon grease to the pasta and ricotta:

Delicious weeknight meal. My child loved it as well.

To finish up week 1 of the CSA, I made Pork Chops with roasted sweet potatoes and collards. I am funny about collards, I do not like to cook the heck out of them. I think they get bitter and do not care for them that way. I also do not like to add much to them. I simply cut the stems off and cut them into one inch strips like so:

Then I put them in salted boiling water for 10-15 minutes. When I drain the water, I add salt and oil (grape seed or olive). Here is the complete meal:

The sweet potatoes I already had on hand. I just chopped them, added salt and olive oil and roasted them for 30 minutes at 350.

That wraps up CSA week one!