Winter CSA Casserole

From EatLocal365 by Lindsay Neu

January 16, 2013

This year we wound up accidentally stockpiling certain root vegetables from our winter CSA. Rutabagas. Parsnips. Turnips. The good news is that they last a long time. The bad news is, that takes away any imperative to use them up. The next thing you know, you crisper or root cellar (or wherever you keep them) is about to burst. We found this recipe in an attempt to use them up in volume to take care of the issue.

This recipe can be used with any winter root vegetables that you might have. Don’t limit it to the ones listed above. As you can see, I accidentally included some radishes that I though were turnips until I chopped them (watermelon radishes are green on the outside and they’re huge – tricksters!). As long as you get to three total cups, it works with any mix or ratio. However, I would suggest keeping it at least 75% “mild” ones (i.e., not radishes).

For the recipe, click here: http://eatlocal365.com/2013/01/15/how-to-use-your-rutabagas-parsnips-turnips-and-make-a-great-winter-vegetable-casserole/

How to Make Sauerkraut

From EatLocal365 by Lindsay Neu

December 10, 2012

We have complained about / celebrated our CSA many times on this blog. I hate / love it. I LOVE the actual farm. The produce is almost always top notch, the eggs are amazing, and it’s fun to support people living their dream. However, when our refrigerator overflows with turnips or zucchini, I want to bail and just get take out. Half of me gets irritated at the other half that wants to throw out the last radish; but that other half gets annoyed with the first half for being unreasonably anti-waste. Then Erik intervenes in my internal monologue and stops the crazy.

This time of year, we are overflowing with cabbage. (Lindsay #1) It keeps forever, so let’s go out to dinner. (Lindsay #2) Why waste money on a restaurant when we have all this food at home? (1) + (2) = (3) Sauerkraut.

For the recipe, click here: http://eatlocal365.com/2012/12/10/how-to-make-sauerkraut/

Corn and Zucchini Stir-Fry with Cashews

From EatLocal365 by Lindsay Neu

August 19, 2012

More zucchini!! This is a recipe I first made while babysitting for my niece, who was not yet two at the time. She sat at the counter jabbering away, while I chopped and cooked, close enough to catch her and far enough away to keep her hands a safe distance from the stove. That night we made up an awesome call-and-response scatting game. She would blab something that obviously made sense to her, but sounded like nonsense to me, so I’d sing it back to her like Ella Fitzgerald. Pretty soon, we were taking turns making up silly little songs and giggling like crazy people. Then, in a flash, dinner was ready. Bipidy do da wah!

For more and the recipe, click here: http://eatlocal365.com/2012/08/18/corn-and-zucchini-stir-fry-with-cashews/

Awesome Spicy-Sweet Cantaloupe Slaw

From EatLocal365 by Lindsay Neu

August 5, 2012

Cantaloupe is another CSA adventure for us. Both of us kind of like it, but not nearly as much as the other fruit that tempts us at the farmer’s market – peaches, blueberries, raspberries… Yum! When it showed up in our share last week, I ate two slices then cut up the rest and froze it. Granted, we just got an awesome chest freezer, so I’m a little freezer-happy at the moment, but still. It’s kind of embarassing. I was determined not to do that again, so I hunted and hunted for a recipe to blow me away. There are a million (seriously, a million) recipes for the melon, cured meat, soft cheese, and viniagrette combo, but I’m on a very strict diet to help control my migraines and can’t have cured meat, cheese, or vinegar. Gah! Of course, all those recipes looked delicious and made me hungry. So then I took a lunch break.

For more, click here: http://eatlocal365.com/2012/08/05/awesome-spicy-sweet-cantaloupe-slaw/

Homemade Corn Dogs

From EatLocal365 by Lindsay Neu

August 5, 2012

Fried foods on a stick are popular summer treats, especially in Minnesota, where I will be attending my second state fair this August (and Lindsay her… well it’s been many). We tried tackling one standby at home, as natural and from-scratch as we could get it (we skipped making our own hot dogs). The results were great! And it wasn’t even very hard. Make these on July 4th and be confident in what you’re feeding your family (foods on a stick from carnie vendors… generally a total crapshoot!).

For more, click here: http://eatlocal365.com/2012/06/26/a-homemade-fourth-of-july-treat-how-to-make-corn-dogs/

Thoughts from a Virgin Shareholder

From EatLocal365 by Lindsay Neu

August 5, 2012

Our friend shares his experiences as a first-time CSA member.

For more, click here: http://eatlocal365.com/2012/07/19/thoughts-from-a-virgin-shareholder/

Mom’s Chocolate Zucchini Cake

From EatLocal365 by Lindsay Neu

August 5, 2012

On Saturday, one of my good friends had a BBQ, so I offered to bring dessert. Now, this is one of the most pulled together, awesome people I know, so it had to be something amazing. I also wanted something casual enough for a kid-friendly BBQ and easy to transport, since there was a good chance we were going to bike there. I also really really wanted it to be something that fit in my migraine diet, but eventually gave up on that one, and realized that I had to make my mom’s chocolate zucchini cake. It’s always a hit and travels really well, since it’s more of a snack cake than a fancy layer cake. Another bonus is that it’s ready to go right out of the oven, served out of the pan. I never seem to have enough time to cool and frost a cake without being late to the party. That’ll have to be a goal for 2013, I guess. Since I couldn’t eat it, I obscenely sniffed its spiced chocolaty goodness every chance I got. Sorry for behaving like a weirdo!

For more, click here: http://eatlocal365.com/2012/07/30/moms-chocolate-zucchini-cake/

Why Buy? D-I-Y! Chinese Takeout Edition

From EatLocal365 by Lindsay Neu

April 18, 2012

Sunday nights are for Game of Thrones in our household. I don’t know about you, but I always want to order dinner on special TV nights. Whatever your show is, there’s something ritualistic about waiting for the doorbell to ring and then curling up on the couch with a fork and a pile of delicious, but kind of bad for you, food. A gigantic salad just doesn’t do it for me while I’m watching intrigue unfurl.

To stay strong against the temptation of the stack of delivery menus this week, I searched through my recipe collection to find something new and tantalizing. Mission accomplished! I LOVE Chinese food, but have been avoiding it due to some migraine issues. I’m also a big fan of scallops – or fishy marshmallows, as Erik calls them. Chinese food + scallops + spicy + some greens (so you don’t feel too bad) = General Tso’s scallops! Delicious enough that I might have to make them again next Sunday. Unless our copy of A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook arrives by then.

For the recipe, click here: http://eatlocal365.com/2012/04/16/why-buy-d-i-y-chinese-takeout-edition/

Gilfeather Turnip Casserole

From EatLocal365 by Lindsay Neu

April 14, 2012

Here’s one more root vegetable recipe before we switch over to asparagus and salad greens. I clipped this out of a New York Magazine while we still lived in NYC, because we occasionally shopped at Windfall Farms. I also don’t really have any good rutabaga recipes, other than our standard roast-everything-in-a-pan method. “Hold on there, Lindsay”, you might say, “The title of this post says ‘turnip’ not ‘rutabaga’.” Yes, observant reader, it is actually a rutabaga, but Mr. John Gilfeather thought it was a turnip. Also, Jerusalem artichokes are neither Israeli nor artichokes. What can I say? Vegetable identity crisis.

The Gilfeather turnip is a Slow Food Ark of Taste product, which makes it worth seeking out. The Ark of Taste program finds and protects endangered flavors – those beloved by old-timers, but threatened by industrial agriculture.

For the recipe, click here: http://eatlocal365.com/2012/04/14/gilfeather-turnip-casserole/

Cooking for One: Egg-straordinary

From EatLocal365 by Lindsay Neu

March 22, 2012

Erik and I have been trading off business trips. I was in NYC last week; he’s there this week and the next. I really struggle with cooking when he’s gone. I forget to eat at regular times, so then I’m STARVING and the only thing that will satisfy my furious stomach is pad thai or some other delivery treat. One order of anything delivered is at least two servings and, yep, I do. I eat the whole darn thing. Because it’s DELICIOUS. But then I feel gross. And waste money. And throw out a bunch of garbage. So my goal this week is to come up with a few things to cook at home that are delicious, filling, and easy.

Attempt number one: the egg. Pros: (1) nice single serving package; (2) minimal clean up. Negatives: sort of…eh? On it’s own it doesn’t really compare to a gooey sandwich from the place on the corner.

Hmmmm…half empty (half full??) jar of Bloody Mary mix in the refrigerator. Part of a loaf of bread on the counter. Done! What it lacks in glamor, it makes up for in tastiness.

For the recipe, click here: http://eatlocal365.com/2012/03/20/cooking-for-one-egg/