Italian Comfort Food

Lately I have been craving the food I grew up on- pasta, rich cheeses, broccoli rabe, sausage, meatballs, zucchini, Italian bread, olives, fried peppers, sopressata...the list goes on. Clearly, one cannot eat some of these foods on a daily basis (damn!). Here is a recipe that is inspired by food I ate growing up. It uses cubanelles which are a smaller and sweeter pepper that is a light green/ yellow in color. I have lightened it up slightly without sacrificing any of that comfort food feel. Don't get me wrong. This is not health food. But it's fresh and delicious. So, just get over it and eat some. I am bringing some to a co-worker of mine tomorrow because this is his favorite. (In return I get tostones. Definitely a fair deal in my book.)

Sausage, Peppers and Potatoes
This meal gets creamy and thick when you cook it down. Mmmm. You could use chicken sausage or pork sausage for this recipe. You can swap beef or veggie broth for the chicken broth. Or, use bullion with water. You could use white potatoes or red potatoes. I wouldn't really swap out the cubanelles because not only do they a lovely, sweet flavor they are also typically much cheaper than red or green bell peppers. I consider this a one pot meal, which I love! You could serve this with a crisp, simply dressed salad, fresh, and crusty bread, and a glass of white wine.

2 lbs sausage
8-10 cubanelle peppers, thinly sliced
1.5-2 lbs of potatoes, peeled and diced
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 small can chicken broth
olive oil
garlic powder, 1t
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet light coated with cooking spray or olive oil, brown sausage on all sides.
While sausage is cooking, add peppers and onions to a second fry pan that is coated with a little olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan). Add a pinch of salt to onion and pepper mixture and cook until onions begin to look opaque and peppers have cooked down but still have a little bite. When onions and peppers are done, set them aside. Add a little bit more olive oil to the same fry pan (if needed) and lightly brown potatoes. After sausage has been browned on all sides slice them into bite size pieces. Drain any sausage grease from the pan. Return to same skillet. Add potatoes to the skillet with the sausage and cover with chicken broth. Turn heat up to a boil. Immediately turn down the heat to a slow simmer. Add garlic powder. Cook for about 25 minutes (stirring occasionally)until most of the liquid is cooked out, potatoes are tender, and sausage has cooked through. Add the peppers and onions to the skillet and combine with sausage and potatoes. Ciao!

XO- Jenn

heatwave veggie soup

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend! I know I did. I went to several parties and spent time with friends and family. I did not have to do any cooking all weekend which offered a nice break. But reality hit me on Tuesday night when I noticed I still had a fridge full of veggies from my CSA this week. Yikes! I replenish my veggies on Fridays and I certainly don't want to waste these. What to do? Make a soup! Sure, there is a heatwave in the Northeast right now. But c'mon, soup always offers a lovely, comforting meal. And it's a great way to use up what you have in your fridge. So if you can't beat the heat, make some soup!

Heatwave Veggie Soup

This soup is more about a method than anything. You can add almost any veggie you want, fresh or frozen. Don't have potatoes? Add pastina or tortellini towards the end of cooking. Don't have spinach? Add kale. Want to make it a bit more hearty? Add a can or two of your favorite beans. You really can't go wrong. Feel free to add a chopped onion when you add the garlic to the pot. It got two thumbs up from my coworkers! This is so easy to make vegetarian. Swap out the water and bullion for veggie stock for equally delicious results. Also, don't be scared of kohlrabi if you have never used it before. The taste and texture is just like broccoli stems. You will just need to get rid of the tough ends and peel it before use. I have a photo at the top of this post of what kohlrabi looks like. I just became familiar with it this summer and I'm glad I did! By the way, this makes a ton!!

2 T olive or canola oil (just enough to cover the bottom of your pan)

5 cloves of garlic, pressed

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 medium carrots, peeled and diced

10 cups of hot water

4 chicken bullion cubes

half a head of cabbage, chopped

2 kohlrabi, peeled and chopped

2 yellow squash, chopped

2 large hand fulls of baby spinach

1 15 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes, diced

2 sprigs thyme

1/4 cup fresh oregano (or 1 T dried)

salt and pepper to taste

Add oil to a large, heavy bottom pot. Add garlic, potatoes and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, stiring frequently being sure not to burn the garlic. Add the hot water and bullion and bring to a boil. Add cabbage and turn down to a high simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add kohlrabi and cook for two minutes. Add squash and cook for another two minutes. Add tomatoes, herbs, seasonings and spinach and cook until spinach wilts down.

collard and cabbage goodness

This past week I received collard greens and cabbage in my CSA box. I enjoy cabbage and have cooked with it previously but collards were a mystery to me. Well, I found out that cabbage and collards are two great tastes that taste great together! And the fairy dust that made it happen? Bacon! Clearly this recipe is not vegetarian but you could leave out the bacon and swap the beef broth with vegetable broth. OR try veggie bacon strips because I think that bacony flavor is a real winner in this dish.

Collard Greens and Cabbage
Make sure to cut the thick stems out of the collards and wash and dry the leaves well. If you don't usually cook with cabbage, make sure you cut out the core and wash the first few leaves well, too. I found and freed a ladybug trapped in my recent head of cabbage. I suppose I have good luck now!

1 small head of cabbage cleaned, cored and chopped
1 bunch collard greens, approximately 5, stems removed and leaves cleaned
one half of a large onion, chopped
one half pound of bacon, chopped
one cup beef broth
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/2 t celery seed
1 t garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Put bacon in a large skillet and cook until fat starts to render. Add onions and cook until it is translucent and bacon is starting to crisp. Add collards and cook for about 5 minutes. Add cabbage into the mix and the seasoning and stir to combine. Add beef broth and cover the skillet and cook on medium/ high for 8-10 minutes. Uncover and cook until broth is cooked down and the vegetables are tender enough for your liking.

Opposite of devil (not really) cake

My mom's birthday was this week and she requested an angel food cake. I decided to make my first angel food cake from scratch! Now as you will soon learn, I am not much of a baker. I mean, I can follow a recipe but I have no real finesse as a true baker or pastry chef. But I like a challenge. Plus, I'm stubborn. But I digress.

In regards to baking I am smart enough to realize one thing... that I really need to follow exact measurements for the items that make the cake do it's thang like...rise and be moist and stuff. But that's about it. So I will pass this recipe along because if I can do it I am certain, fair reader, that you can do it to. And you might want to bake with love for someone like I did for my mom. And in that case you need a cake recipe in your back pocket that can do the trick.

Angel Food Cake

I found this recipe courtesy of http://www.allrecipes.com. Heavenly Angel Food Cake. I must admit that sifting the dry ingredients three times was so not my idea of fun but it is necessary. I made a few changes to the original recipe as you will see. I served this with whipped cream, blueberries, sliced strawberries and fresh sliced peaches in sort of an angel food cake buffet. It comes out of the oven looking to fresh and rustic. Enjoy!

1 small carton of just egg whites, measuring to equal egg whites from 12 eggs (about 1 and 1/2 cups)

1 and 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

2 t cream of tartar

1 and 1/2 t good vanilla extract

1/2 t almond extract (optional)

1/4 t salt

1 cup sugar

Set egg whites out at room temp for about a half hour. Meantime sift confectioner's sugar and flour together three. whole. times. Cuss if you must, but keep sifting. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites and beat on high speed. Add the regular sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. (Note: Before this step, get a glass of wine because you may be here a while while waiting for those peaks.) Eventually, fold in your fine flour mixture a little at a time. Cut through batter with a knife. Gently and lovingly drop by spoon into a bunt pan (ungreased). Bake for about 45 minutes until golden. Eat!

XO

-Jenn

Garlic Scape Presto Pesto

I had never heard of a garlic scape before my CSA. They are interesting looking little guys that create visions of Medusa. See for yourself!
They have a lovely, gentle garlic flavor. You could use them as you would garlic in any dish. I chose to make a pesto and used lots of fresh veggies including fresh basil from my CSA. This dish is so very yummy!





Garlic Scape Pesto

When working with garlic scapes, be sure to trim the ends. Be sure to taste as you go when making the pesto. Feel free to add extra cheese or reduce the oil according to your tastes. Some people find pesto bitter. If you find this is an issue, add 1/8th of a teaspoon of sugar- no more! The sauce is very forgiving.
There are so many variations to this dish. Try walnuts instead of pine nuts. Add in some sun dried tomatoes to the pesto. Feel free to vary the veggies that you add to the pasta at the end. I served this to company with kale soup as a starter, a green salad and homemade french baguette. The warm bread is great for soaking up the delicious sauce off your plate. You be the judge!

2 T fresh squeezed lemon
1/3 cup plus 1 T of pine nuts
1/2 cup Stella sharp Italian table cheese (can substitute fresh parm)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes
1and 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 to 1 cup of reserved pasta cooking water
1 box of thin spaghetti or spinach linguine
1 container of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 package of fresh baby spinach

Cook pasta according to package directions. In meantime, pulse garlic scapes, cheese and pine nuts in food processor. Add lemon, basil, salt and pepper and while combining in food processor, stream in olive oil. Taste!
In a large skillet, add the pesto and pasta water a little at a time and whisk or stir together until you have reached desired consistency. Add pasta to skillet and stir to combine. (not: depending on how much sauce you like on your pasta, you may or may not use the entire box of pasta). Mix in spinach and tomatoes until spinach starts to wilt and tomatoes are warm. Serve with a little extra grated cheese on top or perhaps some additional toasted pine nuts. MMM!!!

XO
-Jenn

On the usefullness of radishes

Hello, my name is Jenn and I hate radishes. I haven't found a way to enjoy them just yet, no matter what type of salad I attempt to hide them in. They have made an appearance each week in my CSA basket, so I persevere. My recent radish-related salad attempts end up on my co-workers plates. I even went as far as to trade my farm-fresh radishes for some of my neighbor's corn on the cob! (Hey, at least I'm creative!) Their pretty, fiery red color make me want to be able to enjoy them. Until that happens I have a terrific way to use the greens. If you are pro-radish, I hope you love the idea of using the entire vegetable. Or, if you are like me, just chop off the greens before upgrading the radishes for corn and enjoy the puzzled look on your neighbor's face. Either way, I really think you will just love this soup! Plus you get to whip out your submersion blender!!! YAY!

This soup has gotten rave reviews from my two non-vegetarian coworkers. (It isn't a vegetarian recipe but it seems like it would be fairly easy to make it so. If you make it vegetarian, please let me know how it turns out!) I got this recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com and made some changes. I am including the link to the original recipe and I am posting my interpretation of the recipe below.

Radish Top Soup
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Radish-Top-Soup/Detail.aspx

You will want to wash the greens well as sand tends to get trapped in them. I have used the greens from one bunch of radishes and from two bunches and both times the soup was delicious no matter the amount of greens I added. The cream adds body and richness to this soup and a little goes a long way. If you are trying to be low cal, you could probably use a lower fat milk or eliminate it and still get good results. But honestly, there really isn't much cream in this recipe so I highly recommend going all the way with the cream.


3 T butter
1 large Vidalia onion, diced
2 large potatoes, large dice
2 bunches of raw radish greens, washed well
6 cups fat free, low sodium chicken broth
1 box of frozen chopped broccoli OR 1 fresh broccoli crown, chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
a tiny pinch of nutmeg (about 1/4 t)

Melt butter and saute onion until it starts to appear translucent. Stir in potatoes and greens. Pour in the broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes.



At this point remove your submersion blender from special jewel encrusted box, touch it lovingly (or transfer to a regular blender) and process until smooth. Add the broccoli and cook until you have reached desired tenderness, about 5-8 minutes. Mix in the heavy cream and salt, pepper, and nutmeg.



Feel free to skip the blending step and serve this soup chunky as shown in the photo above if you prefer that texture.


This makes a great light lunch or comforting supper paired with a toasted cheese sandwich with some good sharp cheddar and a tomato slice. MMMM! Delicious! Enjoy!





XO


-Jenn

For the love of chocolate

Today's drool moment comes courtesy of The Sugar Bakery http://www.thesugarbakery.com/ who have crafted this delicious "Double Trouble" treat. I ate half of it last night and it was super chocolaty goodness. Now, go wipe your chin!

XO

-Jenn

My new love affair with beets!

Yes, beets! Last night I roasted up some gorgeous deep red- purple colored beauties for the first time. Their color has inspired me to go on a nail polish hunt this weekend for the perfect beet hue. I received beet greens (yes, just the top green part) in my CSA box this week. I decided to go ahead and buy the actual beets to roast and then wilt the greens of both bunches. Divine! Here is what I did!

Roasted Beets
Scrub the beets well. If you want to peel them, do so after they have been cooked. It will be much easier. You can served them sliced and straight up or, you can dice them up like I did and incorporate them into the greens dish below.

-one bunch of beets, scrubbed clean
-about a tablespoon or less of olive oil
-salt and pepper
-butter (optional but delicious)
Preheat your oven to 375. Put beets in a small baking dish. Do you have any other root veggies to use up? Perhaps some potatoes or carrots? Throw them in, too. (I cut some large potatoes into eighths and thew them into the dish. Why not?) Cook for about one hour, checking at 45 minutes. They are done when a knife easily slides through the beet. When they come out, salt and pepper them to taste. I diced up my beets and finished them with a hefty tablespoon of butter. Heavenly!

Wilted Beet Greens
These guys wilt down like spinach so the more, the merrier. I used 2 bunches and it was enough for 2 people (one of which isn't a big greens eater). You will want to discard the tough stems.

-2 bunches of greens, washed and dried well, torn into smaller pieces
-a teaspoon or so of olive oil
-1 clove of garlic, minced
-one half teaspoon of red wine vinegar (optional)
-salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil and add garlic, cooking about 2 minutes until garlic becomes fragrant. Add greens to pan and wilt. Add the vinegar towards the end and let it cook out for a moment or two. It will add a nice tang!

Now if you like, throw the greens on a dish and serve the diced beets over the greens. YUM! Cheap and easy peasy. Unfortunately I was too focused on eating the experiment to remember to capture the moment on film but, it made a very pretty and rustic-looking presentation with the dark purple of the beets resting on top of the lovely, vibrant greens. I am looking forward to the leftovers today for lunch. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

XO -Jenn

Allow myself to introduce...myself

I love cooking for my friends and family. I was inspired to start this blog to chronicle my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) experiences. I have been teaching myself to cook for about the last 12 years but I am learing about so many things; beet greens (what, no beets attached?!), kohlrabi, dandelion greens to name a few. I hope to bring you some of my creations, dining experiences, and continue this blog beyond my CSA season. I can also guarantee you will be reading about the people I cook for regularly -my husband J, my coworkers, and loved ones. J is a meat-lover who occasionally ate salad or broccoli when we first met. Now, he is a broccoli rabe lover! Most of my coworkers are vegetarians. I am not a vegetarian. But, I do cook a lot of vegetarian meals and dabble in some vegan dishes as well. I aim to practice what I live by in my professional world of wellness coaching- everything in moderation! Enjoy!

XO-
Jenn