Thursday, October 30, 2008

Coconut Lime Sherbet

In food processor, blend 1 tbsp lime zest, 1 c sugar, and 1/8 tsp salt. While going, add 2/3 c lime juice and 1 1/2 c water and process until sugar dissolves. Cover; chill in freezer 40-60 min (don't freeze). In mixing bowl, whip 2/3 c cream til soft, then add chilled juice. Add 1 can coconut milk. Process in an ice cream freezer according to manufacturer's directions.

Fresh Mozzarella and Tomatoes

Slice 2-3 large tomatoes; lay flat on a plate or serving tray. Top with 1/4 inch slices of fresh mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with 4-5 chopped basil leaves, salt, & pepper. Pour on a couple tablespoons each of balsamic vinegar and olive oil, or prepared balsamic vinegraitte salad dressing.

Pasta Salad

8 oz cooked pasta
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 cup cubed mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp vinegar
1/4 c olive oil
4-5 basil leaves, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients. Add more vinegar or oil to taste. Chill 1-2 hours before serving.

Pesto

2 cups fresh basil
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1/2 c olive oil
3 tbsp walnuts
3 tbsp garlic
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor; blend until smooth. Stores for a few days in the fridge, or freeze it in an ice cube tray. When the cubes are frozen, put them in a ziploc bag in the freezer to pull out as needed. You can combine a cube of this with a cube of butter for pesto garlic bread; combine 1 cube per 8oz of cooked pasta, 1 tbsp butter, and 1/4 c parmesan cheese for easy pesto pasta; add a cube to marinara sauce for more flavor.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

October 30 Order

Here is what we'll be getting in our order this week:
Cameo apples
avocados
bananas
cauliflower
red grapes
fresh basil
kiwi
lemons
romaine lettuce
limes
honeydew melon
mushrooms
pears
snow peas
grape tomatoes

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Fruit Salad

(From Amy Weiland)

Combine the following fruits, cut up:

Apples
Bananas
Pineapples

Mix in mini marshmallows.

Fold in whipped cream.

Yummy!

Zucchini Bread by Paula Dean

(from Amy Weiland)
Ingredients

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Garden Vegetable Soup

(from Amy Weiland)

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped leeks, white part only (from approximately 3 medium leeks)
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
Kosher salt
2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds (approximately 2 medium)
2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
2 cups zucchini, chopped
2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
4 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
2 ears corn, kernels removed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup packed, chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 to 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions

Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the leeks, garlic, and a pinch of salt and sweat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, and green beans and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tomatoes, corn kernels, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add the parsley and lemon juice. Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Serve immediately.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Gormet Grapefruit

(from Paige Beal)
"my kids will ALL eat grapefruit prepared this way!"

Cut grapefruit in half directly between the 2 navels. Using a steak knife or other small knife, cut gently between the sections and around the outside of the grapefruit (you don't need to do this step if you have serrated grapefruit spoons!). Sprinkle each grapefruit with 1 tbsp brown sugar, then 1 tbsp shredded coconut. Place on a baking dish, and place the dish 4-6 inches below the broiler for 1-2 minutes, or just until the coconut starts to brown. Eat immediately. YUM!

Baked Squash

(from Paige Beal)

Cut open squash, remove seeds and scrape out strings. Cut squash into 3-4 inch pieces. Place in a baking dish facing up, and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 for about an hour, or until soft. Remove from oven, spread 1 tsp butter on each pieces, then sprinkle with 1 tbsp brown sugar. Serve warm.

Parmesan Zucchini

(from Paige Beal)

2-3 zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese

In deep skillet, melt butter. Add zucchini and onion, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the zucchini cooks, it will let off liquid which will allow it to steam if covered, so keep it covered except to stir. When vegetables are slightly translucent and tender, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, salt & pepper. Remove from heat, and cover for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve warm. Serves 4-6.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Pumpkin Soup

(from Paige Beal)

Pumpkin Soup, French style ( I know this sounds weird, but I had it frequently in France and it really is good!)
Cut and clean out pumpkin as if you are going to carve it. Cut it into large pieces, then cut off the outer shell, and cube the meat. Put it in a pot, and add enough water just to cover. Add 2-3 stalks of chopped leeks and 2-3 cubes of chicken boullion. Simmer until pumpkin is tender. Transfer in batches to a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. If desired, add some milk or cream. Serve warm, topped with a dollop of sour cream (or creme fraiche if you're picky and know where to get it!), grated parmesan cheese, and a handful of croutons.

Creamy French Vegetable Soup

(from Paige Beal)

In a large stockpot, combine chopped leeks, chopped carrots, peeled & chopped potatoes, zucchini chunks, and 2-3 chicken boullion cubes. Add enough water just to cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until all vegetables are tender. Add soup to a blender or food processor (in batches, if necessary), and process until smooth. If desired, add some milk or cream. Serve warm, topped with a dollop of sour cream (or creme fraiche if you're picky and know where to get it!), grated parmesan cheese, and a handful of croutons. Yummy and perfect for a cold day! You can add any additional vegetables you like, but keep in mind that many vegetables don't puree well (green beans, for example), and to keep the smooth texture to your soup, don't add anything that will have strings or seed in it. Onions can be substituted for leeks, but they don't puree as well.

Cafe Rio Recipes

(from Paige Beal)

Use all these Cafe Rio recipes (and Cynthia's pork recipe) to make a Cafe Rio style salad by layering a fresh cooked tortilla, beans, rice, and meat, then topping with lettuce, salsa, guacamole, tortilla chips, and Cilantro ranch dressing. I make the full portion of meat and rice, then freeze the leftovers in small bags, so I can defrost them and have a salad anytime!

Café Rio Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken
Juice of 1 lime
2 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbls. olive oil
½ bunch of cilantro finely chopped
¼ tsp. cumin
A good shot of chipotle sauce (optional)
¼ tsp.salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Juice for ½ a lime
Mix first 8 ingredients in a large Ziploc bag. Add the chicken breasts and let marinade 1 hour.
On an open grill over high heat, cook the chicken on the first side about 6-7 minutes. Turn chicken over, close grill and cook again for about 5 minutes. Check the chicken for rawness and continue to cook covered until nearly done. It is ok to pull the chicken off a little early as it will continue to cook after it is off the heat. Cut chicken across the grain and while hot, squeeze the juice from the ½ lime over the cut pieces.
OR– Marinate chicken in bottle italian dressing, 1 tbsp cumin, 3 cloves minced garlic.

Café Rio Black Beans
1 (16 oz.) can black beans or prepared dried black bean
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp. cumin
fresh ground pepper
salt to taste
juice from ½ lime
In a medium saucepan, combine beans, onion, garlic, and cumin and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. When beans are tender add pepper, salt, and lime juice. Simmer for 5 minutes more and serve.

Café Rio Cilantro Lime Rice (Freezes well--put in small bags with as much as your family will use in a meal)
2 tbls. olive oil
2 cups long grain rice
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
½ bunch cilantro chopped
4 cups chicken stock
¼ tsp. lime zest
juice from 1 lime
½ can (4 oz.) diced green chilies
salt & pepper to taste
In a medium-large saucepan cook rice and onion in the olive oil about 3 minutes or till rice is golden brown and onion is tender, stirring frequently so that each rice kernel is coated with oil. Add garlic and cilantro and cook just until cilantro is heated to release the fragrance. Stir in chicken stock, lime zest, lime juice, green chilies, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 – 25 minutes or just till rice is tender.

Café rio Cilantro Ranch Dressing
Your favorite dry ranch dressing mix (such as Hidden Valley) prepared as directed on package using a blender.
Add 1 bunch of cilantro and a dash of Tabasco sauce to taste.
You can also add some prepared Salsa Verde (tomatillo salsa) that you can find in any grocery store in the Mexican isle.
OR 1 pkg buttermilk ranch; 2 tomatillos, ½ bunch cilantro, 1 clove garlic, juice of 1 lime, few drops tobasco–in blender.

Cynthia’s Shredded Pork
Boil a boneless pork roast in water w/ carrots, onion, celery & garlic for 3 hours. Shred, add some cumin & garlic, then either fry, or toss w/ oil & bake in 1 inch of juices at 350 up to one hour. Freezes well. When freezing, do so before cooking in oil. When ready to serve, defrost, then fry or bake in oil.

Squash Soup

1 1/2 tsp oil
1/4 c chopped onion
1-2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ginger
2 12 oz pkgs frozen cooked squash, thawed
1 c chicken broth
1 c apple juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c plain yogurt or sour cream

Heat oil, add onion, curry, giner. Cook 2 min. Add squash, broth, juice, & salt. Heat through. Ladle into bowls. Top w/ sour cream. Makes 4 servings.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Butternut (or Banana) Squash Risotto--this freezes well; if you make a lot, you can freeze in portions big enough to reheat later.
6-8 cups chicken broth (use vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided into 4 Tbsp and 1 Tbsp
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cups butternut squash, peeled, and finely diced
2 cups
arborio rice (can substitute medium grained white rice, but arborio is preferred)
1 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)(you can substitute more broth for this)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp chopped chives or garlic chives
Salt

1 Heat broth in medium sized saucepan and keep warm over low heat. Melt 4 Tbsp of butter in a large saucepan; add onion and butternut squash. Cook over medium heat until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

2 Add rice to onion and squash. Cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine. Cook, stirring constantly until wine has been absorbed by the rice or evaporated. Add a few ladles of broth, just enough to barely cover rice. Cook over medium heat until broth has been absorbed. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 15 to 20 minutes.

3 During the last minutes of cooking, add remaining tablespoon of butter, 1/3 cup Parmesan, and chives. At this point the rice should have a creamy consistency. Add salt to taste. Serve with remaining grated Parmesan.

Pico De Gallo

Here's a recipe for Pico de Gallo that Carol Jensen's family really likes:

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white shoepeg corn, drained
6-8 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
4-8 oz. Zesty Italian dressing

Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and serve with tortilla chips.

October 16 Order

Here is what we will be getting this week
Gala apples
Bananas
Strawberries
Broccoli
Mini carrots
Celery
Cilantro
Grapefruit
Red Grapes
Leeks
Red Leaf Lettuce
Cantaloupes
Yellow Onions
Oranges
Pears
Pineapple
Pumpkin (I think 1 large pumpkin each; the website is confusing, and we'll see what we end up with!)
Banana Squash
Zucchini
Tomatoes

We have had quite a bit of turnover already, so our waiting list is getting small. Please continue to spread the word to friends & neighbors, and have them contact me if they'd like to be on the waiting list. If you have recipes you'd like to share, email them to Angie and she'll post them on the blog. I will give some ideas for the cilantro, squash, and leeks, if those are things you're not accustomed to! Also, feel free to give me feedback about what we get. Obviously, I can't cater to every individual's wants, but I would like to know what you think. I try to order some things frequently that seem like things most people probably buy most of the time (apples, bananas, lettuce, etc). Some things that store longer I won't order as often, assuming you can keep them for a few weeks (onions, potatoes, carrots). If there are things you know you will not use, click "reply to all" to my email, and ask if anyone would be willing to trade. I'm still trying to figure out how much of each item comes in each case I order (the website isn't real clear on that), so my quantities may be odd at times, but over time, I hope to get better at it.
Thanks for all your help--I couldn't do this without you!
Paige

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Shopping Tip

Here's another tip- not a recipe.

Check out this great website. myfoodstoragedeals.com

For a small subscription fee, this gal goes through the newspapers and sorts through the 5 major grocery stores bargains. She lists them and rates them by "Great, good and okay deals" and then tells you how much to buy for your food storage. A great way to shop by buying things at their rock bottom prices and building up your food storage. For an additional fee she will even send menu plans based on the deals of the week. I've tried other services and hers is definitely superior. I have been able to stock up on some essential items at the lowest prices I've seen. It can be a little time consuming to go to 3 grocery stores but not too bad if you are going in with a list and just picking up the loss leaders. Also- I haven't done this in awhile but does anyone know if the Wal-Mart in Lindon still price matches? I've had some trouble with the AF store but that would be a great time saver. Let's all pray that our new Wal-Mart will price match easily! Save money and gas!

Christine

Raspberry Cream Pie

Just thought I'd pass on this easy recipe. We made it for family night and it was so good and looked very "fancy" even though it was very easy! I know it's not hard to eat up the rasberries but it was worth saving one pint to make this.

Raspberry Cream Pie
1/4 cup rasberry jam
1 prepared pie crust (graham cracker or shortbread)
1/2 pint rasberries, divided
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 can evaporated milk
2 packages lemon instant pudding
grated peel of one lemon
1 8 oz container "Cool Whip"

Spread jam over bottom of crust, sprinkle 3/4 cup rasberries over jam

Beat cream cheese until creamy, gradually add evaporated milk, pudding mixes and lemon peel. beat for 2 minutes on medium until well blended. Gently stir in half of whipped topping. Spoon into crust, top with remaining whipped topping

Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Garnish with remaining rasberries and additional lemon zest if desired just before serving.

NOTES: I didn't have a lemon so I just used a squirt of lemon juice.I also used the whole pint of rasberries.
This was an easy recipe for me because I tend to keep most of these things on hand for food storage. Watch for graham cracker pie crusts to go on sale and buy a few for "dessert emergencies! same with a variety of pudding mixes and buy a few "whipped topping" to stash in the freezer if they go on sale. I also had homemade jam on hand from earlier in the summer. Evaporated milk is one of those storage essentials. I usually have at least 4 oz (1/2 cube) cream cheese in the fridge. Rasberries from the co-op and voila!

Christine

Friday, October 3, 2008

Panzanella

Green peppers could be substituted for the red and yellow ones in this recipe.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained
For the vinaigrette:

1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend