1000 pizza doughs

New York City - A Weekend of (Completely Non-Glamorous) Firsts

It was once my dream to live in New York City.  I would be fashionable and glamorous, with a sweet job at a PR firm or magazine.  In all fairness, I could have made it happen, but I chose another path.  One that led me to Florida and a non-profit job after college instead (after realizing that the non-profit job I was offered actually paid more than I was offered to work in NYC -- the PR firm handed me brochures for women's shelters where their entry-level employees often lived.  I wish I was making this up.). 

I would never change that decision, because any other way I don't think I would have met my husband, or had my lovely daughter.  This weekend, the three of us went to NYC.  Before we went, I pictured us eating in chic restaurants, shopping in cozy boutiques and maybe even catching a glimpse of a famous chef or two.

There were several firsts for me on this trip. (After seeing the list, perhaps you'll see why I am hoping some of these are "onlys" too.) 

Before the "firsts" here's one that is an all-too-regular occurrence.  Stuck in traffic going to train station. From back seat hear ominous wretching.  Every single trip... it's like the exorcist back there.  Couldn't stop though, so got to train station and stripped the wee one in the parking garage.  Hosed her off as best we could with a few baby wipes, then sprinted for the train.  No one wanted to sit next to us...

The first first: a pigeon pooped on my head as we were walking on the Upper West Side.  Completely ruined my daydream that I will live there one day.  If you've never had this experience, it is indeed as disgusting as it sounds.  We were on our way to the Children's Museum of Manahattan, which is a nice place, albeit full of hyperactive children and their weary parents.  Or nannies.  We did see a disconcerting number of what could only be nannies pushing $800 strollers in that neighborhood.  Sort of felt like an alternate universe.  One where you don't have to clean up your own kid's vomit if you're rich enough.

So lunch that day was at a popular diner near Times Square, and our hotel.  The only one who really liked the food was the kid... PB&J and chocolate milk, which is pretty much the only thing she eats. Ever.  Dinner was at a coal-fired pizza joint.  Pizza was awesome.  Beer was pricey.

The next day, we walked down to Chelsea.  The highlight of the trip for me was finding an awesome little shop called Three Tarts, where I bought some homemade marshmallows and this fabulous apron (I think I was born in the wrong half of the 1900s.) Then we went over to the Chelsea Market, where I was really hoping to stalk Tyler Florence see some Food TV excitement.  The closest I got was a copy of the new Food Network Magazine, which is like Glamour for foodies.  (I am so getting a subscription.)  The market is really cool though, with shops like the Fat Witch Bakery and Eleni's, where the baked goods are more art than pastry.  Couldn't browse too much though because both husband and daughter become like zombies around cupcakes... must... have... frosting...

We then went farther south to Greenwich Village (another first for me, but a good one) to find the Peanut Butter & Co. shop.  After seeing it on television, we wanted to try it.  (Also, see earlier note about only foods child will eat.)  It is about the size of a large closet, and was practically bursting at the seams with people, so we got a couple sandwiches to go.  Took the train back, where I got shut in the doors as they were closing (yep, a first).  These subway doors... they're not like the elevator where if you get stuck they open again.  Had to fight my way into the train... not pretty.  That night we ate at a brewery near Times Square.  The beer was great (still expensive though), and I tried a bison burger (another first).  It was a little gamey, but not bad.  I'd eat it again.

Saturday we saw a matinee of The Lion King -- first Broadway show for both my daughter and me.  We loved it.  Unfortunately, had another first shortly thereafter.  Fell down a (sadly, non-moving) escalator in the biggest toy store I've ever seen.  Twisted, or maybe sprained my ankle.  Then we walked over to Carmine's, hoping to get some authentic Italian food. The wait was about two hours (bad timing... right after matinee and before late theater shows).  I am not proud to admit this, but my ankle really hurt, I was starving and just wanted to sit down... so we ate dinner at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. (I have even been there before, so I knew what a tourist travesty it was.)

We did a lot of touristy things.  Build-a-Bear where my daughter created a dog named Princess Candy, complete with a skirt, pink purse and pink patent shoes, Macy's where I bought clothes I don't need (but I can wear them to work... acceptable rationalizing?) and a sidewalk artist, who sketched an eerily good likeness of the wee one in charcoal.  One of the best meals we actually had was a "brunch" of bagels at Penn Station on our way home.

So I didn't get glamorous photos of chefs or boutiques, but it was a trip of many firsts... not all good, but one to remember.  If I ever finish this Everest of laundry, that is.

One photo I did manage... Princess Candy, in all her glory:

Ratatouille: If a Rat Can Do It...

Big purple eggplant. Ripe red tomatoes. Green peppers, onions and zucchini galore.  Sounds like a great ratatouille. At least from what I recall seeing in that cartoon...

I've never made ratatouille before, but of course, that didn't stop me.  I kept thinking of Remy from the Ratatouille movie.  (You know, the one that's a rodent.)

OK, here is where I usually get the heebie jeebies. The train of thought goes something like this: Rodent. Infestation. Plague. Black Death. Doom.  So, generally speaking, dinner inspiration comes from many places.  But rodentia? This is a first.

Got my trusty cookbook (which I wish included photos, but then it would weigh 40 pounds).  Oven-baked ratatouille called for a casserole dish.  Here is where I have to admit, once again, to being a bad Southerner.  I don't really like casseroles.  But, I did find a dish that I guessed might work. (And, as a side note, the Casserole Queens are my new heroes.)

I sliced all those lovely veggies, stacked em up, and threw in some fresh thyme and garlic to keep away vampires (myth dispelled?) for good measure.  Then, of course, I drizzled (OK, doused) it with olive oil.  Baked for about an hour and here's the result.  It's missing a few tomatoes that were originally there because, as I was following the recipe's advice to press the vegetables down with a spatula every so often (it only took once), half the top tomato layer got stuck to said spatula and are now residing in the crack at the bottom of my oven door. 

What I was most delighted with was the leftovers.  Piled high on a hoagie roll, topped with mozzarella and oregano, and toasted to melty goodness, leftover ratatouille makes one heck of an awesome sandwich.

Yes, I did eat the whole thing. And the chips too (they were my husband's contribution -- he panicked just a bit when I mentioned were were having vegetable sandwiches for dinner... the horror!).  And some zucchini cake. For the record: this is why I run.

A Week in Farmer Rick's Shoes

Each week, I write the Summer Creek Farm CSA newsletter for Farmer Rick.  I do this because I thoroughly enjoy receiving my CSA box each week, for a lot of reasons.  [The Grown in Frederick blog posts most of the CSA newsletters on their blog each week, as part of a round-up of local food and farming in and around Frederick.] 

Like many modern workers, I sit at a desk all day.  I stare at a computer screen for my livelihood.  I even stare at the computer during my lunch break, while eating at my desk (note to boss: I was so inspired by Farmer Rick's message, I felt compelled to write about it over lunch, just this once).

Farmer Rick shared a typical week of his life in this week's newsletter.  It made me appreciate my CSA box even more.  Farmers were blending work and personal time long before the BlackBerry; they live at work.  It's easy to lose sight of how demanding a job it is to feed the rest of us.

From Farmer Rick:

We are at the time of year when our college help is returning to school. This month we will lose 3 of our workers and one more will go to part time. I am glad that our farm, with your CSA participation, has provided jobs for this many people in this economy. We have been working very hard this month since it will be our busiest month of the year. By this time of year we are certainly tiring. Our week goes like this:

Monday - Pack Monday Farm CSA, call and get our orders for wholesale and restaurant sales. We then start picking for our wholesale accounts.

Tuesday - Start by picking and then we go on delivery. I leave the farm for two deliveries in Frederick, one in Clarksville and then to Annapolis and back to the farm.

Wednesday - We pick for Frederick CSA, Urbana CSA and restaurant deliveries.  Once the CSA boxes are picked I leave the farm for Frederick CSA delivery, four restaurants and one store delivery, then to Urbana CSA.

Thursday - On our only true farm day, we weed, plant and fix all the issues (well as many as we can get to!).

Friday - We pick for one wholesale customer and our weekend markets. We ship Friday evening to one customer and pack our trailer for Frederick Farmers Market.

Saturday - We are off to Frederick for Farmers market. We set up, sell and then pack it all back up to be home by 3:00 p.m. Saturday evening I pick more for Sunday market and Sunday morning we are off to  Clarksburg for Farmers market.

Sunday - When I get home around 3:00 p.m., I rest. I do some farm work, but not much. I need the rest to start on Monday all over. I do this schedule from May to November. It is no wonder why I love December!

I hope you are enjoying your produce, as you can see a lot goes into keeping a farm running to get it to you. Thanks for your support.

-Farmer Rick

Thank you Farmer Rick, and all of the small family farmers who still work literally every day to feed us. 

 

Summer Creek CSA - Week 11 bounty

Church Ladies: The Original Fusion Cooks?

As I type this, I have a “Quick – Easy – Delicious Cobbler” in the oven.  This recipe is by O’Dene Suggs (the punctuation is hers too).  I’ve never met Ms. Suggs, but she is part of my heritage. 

While cleaning out the garage, I found what at first glance appears to be an unremarkable cookbook: “Our Cherished Recipes” published in 1993 by the Union Grove United Church of Christ.  It has bunnies on the section dividers (but, alas, no hasenpfeffer recipes).

This cookbook was a high school graduation gift from an aunt.  (I want to say Aunt Carolyn, but as my mother has eight sisters, one cannot be entirely sure.)  Flipping through the pages immediately transported me to 1983.  I was running around the church yard with my sisters at a pig pickin’—a whole hog smoking on the enormous grill.  We would grab a bottle of grape soda from the big metal bathtub, and ask a grown-up to open the cap.  We’d eat a token amount of deviled eggs and pulled pork (with Carolina-style sauce, of course), and then get a second, larger plate and fill it sky high with desserts.  In the pages of this cookbook, I can see that laden table:

Annie Ruth’s Chocolate Pies

Chocolate Chess Pies (three separate varieties)

Coconut – Pineapple Pie

Fried Pies

Pecan Pie

And it goes on.

But before the pie section comes “Main Dishes.”  It is obvious that the women who contributed to this section know how to cook.  One of the most common ingredients is “a whole chicken, cooked and deboned” with no further explanation.  (There are at least 13 variations on chicken pie.)  But, strangely, most recipes also call for at least one can of something; cream of mushroom is a clear favorite.  Casseroles are in great abundance.  “Cabbage Casserole” anyone?  Um, anyone?  There are also a suspiciously large number of “salads” containing Jello and/or marshmallows.  And fancy chefs… not the first to coat chicken with breakfast cereal: “Rice Krispie Chicken,” page 35.

I just noticed another recipe from Ms. Suggs, who I am betting had a garden. Fried Squash Patties.  But that’s for another day.  If you’ll excuse me, I’m off to enjoy some Quick – Easy – Delicious Cobbler.

(Addendum: It’s not fancy and won’t win any beauty contests, but Ms. Suggs, marketing genius and church lady extraordinaire, your cobbler was indeed as advertised.)

Corn Chowder - A Joy of Late Summer

Corn chowder is a labor of love.  Especially this one, from Jannequin Bennet's "Very Vegetarian."  (Here's the recipe, courtesy of Google Books.)  Lots of chopping and dish-washing is required, but the result is an awesome soup.  Perfect with some crusty bread, or a nice gooey grilled cheese sandwich (I like a mix of Jarlsberg and Fontina - try it with a little pesto!).

The author notes:

This colorful soup highlights the bounty of late summer, when corn is plentiful, peppers are fully rip, the potato harvest is beginning, and the nights have begun to have a little chill to them.

It is indeed colorful, and a life-saver to those of us struggling to find ways to cook all those CSA vegetables.  I used these vegetables gleaned from CSA and farmer's market:

• Yukon gold potatoes - Recipe calls for red skin potatoes, but either works fine.  Do cook them separately though.
• Garlic
• Onion
• Bell peppers - Generally, I use all green peppers, since the colorful ones are hard to find locally grown
• Fresh white corn, about 4 ears, removed from cob - Fresh corn is a must for this soup. Frozen is OK in the dead of winter, but do not use canned corn for this.
• Tomatoes, diced (optional garnish)

Other items used:

• Carrots
• Celery
• Fresh cilantro
• Oil - recipes calls for vegan margarine, but I am just not a fan of margarine of any type (butter or nothing, baby!)
• Spices: cumin, dark chili powder, cayenne - Tip: use twice the cayenne for a little more heat.  This is a pretty bland soup otherwise.
• Flour
• Vegetable stock - Store-bought is fine, or chicken stock, if you aren't concerned about keeping it vegetarian (vegan, really).
• Salt
• White pepper (or black, if you don't mind the specks)

 

To make life easier, here are a few tips if you try this:

• Use a large pot.  The one above is 8 quarts, I think.
• First, chop the potatoes, and start boiling them separately.
• Then, chop the onions, carrots, celery and garlic.  Get those on the heat.
• Next chop the peppers.
• Saute the peppers separately.  This takes about 10 minutes.  If the peppers and potatoes finish before they need to go in the soup, just set them aside. They'll warm up at the end.
• While cooking the peppers, remove corn from the cob and chop the cilantro.
• Stage the spices and flour next to the stove, so you don't forget to add them at the right time (I forgot to add the spices until the end this time, and the soup had less depth of flavor).

This soup freezes beautifully for a taste of summer well into fall.

I imagine every vegetarian has been asked, "What do you eat?  Don't you feel deprived?"  Thanks to meals like this one, nope, not a bit. 

Urbana Farmer's Market - Part 2

Or, if you prefer, Crazy Farmer's Market Lady - Part 2 (see Part 1 here)

First, some eye candy:

I'm not sure when I started considering beans eye candy, but these purple variegated Italian beans (on right above) from Blue Faerie Farm in Middletown, Md. inspired me.  (They were awesome sauteed with some olive oil and shallots from my CSA box.) I also got the peaches for Sunday's peach/blackberry tart from Jan and Ray, pictured below.

Next, I stopped by the Carrollton Manor Farm stand (below), which had some impressively large zucchini.  I bought various peppers and an onion here, for my corn chowder. (No Web site but they are on Facebook under Carrollton Manor Farm, and are located in Buckeystown, Md.)

Next stop: yellow tomatoes! I'm pretty sure these were from House in the Woods Farm in Adamstown, Md. (but I wouldn't swear to it, as I forgot my notebook).  Couldn't resist picking up one of these beauties.

 

I think my favorite stand might be the Caprikorn Farms goat cheese stand.  I tried a sample from these lovely ladies (love the aprons!) but was unable to buy any cheese since I had about a half hour walk home on a sweltering August afternoon.  Happily, they do sell this cheese made in Gapland, Md. at the Common Market; I recommend the jalapeno.

 

And this is the photo that made me into crazy farmer's market lady.  Promised the husband I wouldn't bring home any more squash, but I was really tempted by these pattypans from Legacy Manor Farm in Boonsboro, Md.

 

I also heard from Kelly, owner of Loveydoodle Cookie Emporium.  Her brother Jason is pictured in a previous post.  Kelly tells me she'll have chocolate chip and triple chocolate crinkles this Sunday. (No idea what crinkles are Kelly, but you had me at triple chocolate...)

More information on the Urbana Farmer's Market, including additional vendors, is available on the market's home page.  Market summer Sundays at Landon House (directly across from Cracked Claw at Rt. 355 and Fingerboard Rd./80) from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

I got all of this beautiful local produce, artisan bread, snickerdoodles, and even some flowers for a total of $19.75, and some thorns.

One Great Local Food Day

Alternate title: The Day I Became "Crazy Farmer's Market Lady"

I spent most of Sunday on my favorite pastimes: shopping for food, cooking and, of course, eating!

First, I awoke to "Mommy, I want to be awake now" at 6:40 a.m.  (Getting up early on weekend: NOT a favorite pastime, but had enough coffee to compensate, eventually.) 

Baked some whole wheat zucchini bread, in an attempt to curb the ever-growing mountain of summer squash (found the link/idea at Pink Stripes).  Not too sweet, but not savory either.  Just right, even though I forgot the raisins.

Had an awesome tomato sandwich with basil and mayo on leftover naan for lunch, with homemade lemonade. (Embarrassing fact: I had to look up how to make lemonade. Tried Paula Deen's with half the amount of sugar she recommended, and it was still too sweet for me.)

Later in the day walked to the farmer's market in Urbana (open Sundays 1-4).  I thought (alas,  incorrectly) that I would be able to keep myself from buying everything in sight if I had to carry it home.

On the way to the market, stopped to forage for some blackberries in the "wilderness" areas of the neighborhood.  Caught a few thorns, but managed to pick about a cup of little guys, which will have to do since none of the farmers had blackberries, and the fledgling bush in my backyard has yet to produce anything that looks remotely berry-like.

Then on to market.  By this time I am drenched in sweat, with purple fingers.  I am also wearing a giant yellow sun hat.  (A younger friend's brush with melanoma changed my priority order between fashionable and cancer-preventing.) 

So now I think I might officially be "crazy farmer's market lady," as I was taking photos of pretty squash, having promised my husband I wouldn't actually bring home any more.  In response to the inquiring stares, I responded, "I'm writing about this for my blog." 

I am not sure anyone actually believed me, but oh well.  At some point I guess we all become our crazy Aunt Sally* (*name changed to protect, well, me, as "Sally" knows how to use a computer).

After the walk home (during which I swear each of my arms grew about an inch thanks to the overloaded bags), I got to work on some corn chowder.  As far as soup recipes go, this one is The Iliad, so that's for another post.  And a rustic peach/blackberry tart, mostly following this King Arthur recipe.  Yes I went a little heavy on the blackberry "garnish," but darn it, I earned those suckers.  (Shannon, here's another "recipe card" for you!)

I'll post more photos and notes about some of the awesome Urbana Farmer's Market vendors soon, since this is getting long.  For now, I'll leave you with this very nice guy whose sister runs Loveydoodle Cookie Emporium.  The full-sleeve tattoos were a little incongruous with the name, but he makes a mean snickerdoodle! (Loveydoodle contact: Kelly Branthover, 240-793-2780, LoveydoodleCookies@yahoo.com)

 

Win some, lose some (zucchini, that is)

Tonight was a big dinner #fail.

Well, maybe not totally.  The second batch of naan was pretty good (forgot to add yeast to the first, but luckily noticed before the rise so I had time to make another).  The raita was also pretty good (cucumbers, mint, lemon juice, salt and grated ginger with plain yogurt).  And the Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier my excellent husband picked up just because he knew I would love it?  Indeed, it rocks.

The main course? I was testing a new zucchini recipe I cut out of the Washington Post food section this week (yes, I still get the dead tree edition).  I was planning to include a link to said recipe in the CSA newsletter if it turned out well. 

It didn't.

I can't find the actual recipe online, but it was called Indian-Style Zucchini with Red Lentils.  It was pretty basic using an onion, zucchini and garam masala mixed with cooked red lentils.

Came out about the consistency of gruel, with the same appealing (appalling?) pallor.  To be fair, I thought it tasted good, and ate all of mine.  But it was a little too far into hippie health food territory for my husband, I'm afraid.  (Full disclosure: the author started the recipe by saying "This is not much to look at..." so I was prepared. He wasn't.)

Want to see a photo of the disaster?  (Are you SURE... it looks like gruel...)

Half-eaten gruel, to be precise.  Didn't take a "before" photo because, well, it just wasn't photogenic. 

Here's the naan.  If only I had a tandoori oven...

I am writing about tonight's dinner mostly because I think it makes an important point about cooking and eating healthy. 

Food rarely comes out looking like something from the pages of Gourmet magazine (unless of course you actually are a chef).  It's still healthy, still cooked with local produce, and still much, MUCH better for you than just about anything you can get at a restaurant. So win some, lose some, but don't stop trying. </end cheesy pep talk>

As for me, I am eyeing the rest of that zucchini for some bread, I think. Or maybe muffins. (I really should not have read this TIME article.  All it did was make me want a muffin!)

Vegetarian "Kitchen Sink" Chili

This chili is from an Emeril Lagasse recipe (who knew - the king of pork fat has some surprisingly good vegetarian recipes!).  It's relatively quick for chili: cooking time totals about 40 minutes, but you'll need to spend some time chopping before that.  The link above goes to the recipe, so I won't reprint it here.  I have made some notes on various ingredients and substitutions below.

CSA (and other) veggies used in this chili:

• Yellow onions
• Green onions
• Green or red pepper
• Hot peppers, like jalapeno or serrano
• Yellow squash and zucchini (any combination of summer squash)
• Fresh white corn, removed from cob (frozen corn works fine too)
• Tomatoes (one 28 oz. can diced tomatoes works fine if you don't have fresh on hand, or don't want to bother with peeling and seeding)
• Cilantro
• Garlic
• Portabello mushrooms (Obviously not a vegetable, but a good way to use them. They add a nice "meaty" texture to this chili.)
• Avocado (optional, for garnish)
• Limes (optional, for garnish)

Pantry staples you will need:

• Canola oil
• Spices: chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt
• Cooked beans (drained and rinsed canned beans are fine - I like red kidney beans or black beans, or a combination)
• Tomato sauce, 15 oz. can
• Canned diced tomatoes, 28 oz. can (if not using fresh tomatoes)
• Vegetable stock (can use water instead, but this adds more of that simmered-all-day flavor)
• Brown rice, for serving (start the brown rice first since it takes an hour to cook, then start chopping and preparing the chili)

This chili is even better the next day, and makes an excellent lunch.  I had to answer a few inquiries from co-workers who could not fathom eating vegetarian (vegan, actually) chili without actually being a vegetarian.  They conceded that it did smell really good.

I normally wouldn't eat chili in the summer either, but it was rainy the day I made this, and I had all of the fresh vegetables on hand.  It's the "meatiest" vegetarian chili I have tried thanks to the portabellos (and I tried several during the vegetarian years).  My husband (the "baconator") also liked it.  He's gotten used to vegetarian dinners, especially during CSA season!

CSA Couscous

As the in-season vegetables change throughout the summer, I find myself repeatedly throwing whatever I have on hand into this easy and forgiving couscous. 

 

To make the basic couscous pilaf you'll need:

• 1 cup whole wheat couscous
• 1 to 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, or a combination
• 3 cups water, broth or stock (chicken stock or vegetable stock)
• Salt, to taste
• Large (at least 10-inch) skillet with a lid

This "Couscous by the Pilaf Method" recipe is from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, 1997 edition, page 563 (great source of ideas for cooking practically every vegetable you've ever heard of, and some you probably haven't).

Bring the water or stock to a boil.  Meanwhile, melt butter or heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the couscous to the butter/oil, stir to coat the grains, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pour in 2 cups of the boiling water. The couscous will instantly bubble up.  When it subsides, shake the pan to even the contents, cover and set aside for 7 minutes to steam.

Then fluff the grains with a fork, pour in the last cup of boiling water (add frozen peas at this point, if using - see additions below), cover and let stand another 5 minutes.

While the couscous is steaming, prepare the vegetables and dressing.

Dressing for CSA Couscous:

• Juice of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 lemon (optional - I only use the zest if I have organic lemons on hand to avoid the waxy coating)
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (use more if you don't want the tart, lemony flavor to be too pronounced)
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

Squeeze lemon juice into a small bowl.  Add salt, pepper and zest, if using.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil, and set aside. (This is a good basic dressing for salad greens as well.)

Vegetable additions for CSA Couscous:

I don't think I've ever made this the same way twice.  Here's what I added this time:

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small yellow squash, cubed
• Half a large zucchini, cubed
• Half a red onion, chopped
• Half a green pepper, chopped
• Fresh thyme leaves, stripped from the stems
• Fresh basil leaves, chopped
• Sliced almonds or toasted pine nuts, for garnish

I had the red onion and green pepper already chopped (leftover toppings from taco night).  The garlic, squash, zucchini and basil were from my CSA box this week, and the thyme was from my yard.  I also added some frozen peas.  If using frozen vegetables, try adding them to the couscous before it steams a second time, unless they require lots more cooking.

Saute the vegetables and garlic in a little olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until tender, over medium to medium-high heat while the couscous is steaming.  (If you add hard vegetables like carrots, give them more time to cook.) Add a little salt and pepper to the vegetables at the end.

When everything is finished cooking, add the lemon/olive oil dressing to the couscous and stir.  Then add the vegetables.  Finally, add the fresh herbs, taste for salt and serve warm, garnished with almonds or toasted pine nuts.  This is great as leftovers for lunch.

Here's the Summer Creek CSA haul from week 10 (minus the pint glass - I store my fresh herbs like basil, parsley and cilantro in water in the fridge, a tip from Chef Christine).

Roasted the green beans (idea courtesy of Flour Girl), boiled the potatoes (on request of my part-Norwegian husband - apparently cooking potatoes any other way in Scandinavia qualifies as heresy), and made a nice side dish with the cherry tomatoes, halved and dressed with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chopped basil, salt and pepper.  Tastes like summer.