Cajun Grill-less Corn Recipe

Our post this week comes from The Farm Table member, and guest blogger, Laura Miller, who blogs over at Beyond the Cuke. When we asked her to come up with a post for us featuring Farm Table produce, we were flattered to get this post in return. First, she had us at Game of Thrones, and while we don’t expect to be adding “milk of the poppy” to our add-on list anytime soon, we were delighted to hear she thinks so highly of us. Thanks for a great post, and recipe, Laura!

3 Reasons Why The Farm Table is the Best of All of the CSAs

Let me just put it this way–If this was Game of Thrones, House Baratheon, House Lannister, House Stark and House Greyjoy would see no reason to wage war because The Farm Table obviously rules the realm. Here’s why:

1. No vegetable ninjas here. I’ve tried my share of vegetable delivery services and I’ve never come across one with such friendly neighborhood coordinators! In fact, not only did these other services not have Angela, my friendly neighborhood coordinator who chats with me about running and blogging, but they might not have had NCs at all for all I know. After all, I’d just leave a box out and sometime by the end of the day–varying times, meaning that my veggies might sit out for a bit since I wasn’t sure when to expect them–it’d be replaced by another box of veggies.

Okay, okay. I’m sure there are neighborhood coordinators for all CSAs but I’m just going to assume they were vegetable ninjas until you provide evidence that proves otherwise.

2. The “S” in “CSA” could stand for “Social.” It doesn’t, but it could. With everything from farm volunteer days like this one in May to local food tastings like the one that I had the pleasure of attending last night at The Savory Grain, your weekly veggie boxes basically come with berries, potatoes and a new set of like-minded friends.

3. Piles and piles of produce. Here’s a visual:

So maybe we don’t get corn every week but we get the week’s version of corn. No more eating out of season food that has traveled all of the way from South America or the West Coast. In July, you’re going to eat peaches. In September, you’re going to have some apples. And you’re going to enjoy them because they’re delicious, in-season and local.

Since this week’s corn is, well, corn, here’s something to make with the Farm Table box bounty:

Cajun Grill-less Corn, otherwise known as “Targaryen Corn”

What You’ll Need:

4 medium ears of corn
2 tablespoons vegan butter substitute
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup vegetable broth

What You’ll Do With It (before eating it, of course):

1. In a large pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. While the water’s boiling, peel your corn.
2. Add the corn to the water. Return to a boil and cook for 3-5 minutes until tender. Keep an eye on it–you don’t want mushy corn but you don’t want hard corn either!
3. While boiling the corn, melt your vegan butter substitute in a small saucepan. Stir in the chili powder, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne and stir for 1 minute.
4. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and broth. Once combined, whisk into the butter mixture. Bring to a boil and cook and stir until slightly thickened, which should take about 1-2 minutes.
5. Drain the corn and then get your Van Gogh on and paint the corn with the seasoned butter.
6. Sit back and enjoy compliments from your fam, after enjoying at least two ears yourself, of course.

Veganized recipe from Taste of Home

Laura Miller blogs about each week’s kitchen triumphs–and kitchen “learning experiences”–featuring The Farm Table produce at Beyond the Cuke. Follow @beyondthecuke on Twitter and Instagram.

Meal Planning Template: Free Printable

With all of the wonderful Farm Table food delivered to your door each week comes the need for a little meal planning to make the most of your produce.

To that end, we thought a meal planning template might be useful for you. Just print and plan your menu out for the week.

You’re welcome!

Bok Choy Stir Fry with Broccoli

Pizza Night

Yucatecan Chicken Tacos

Spring Squash in a Creamy Garlic Sauce

Pad Thai Salad with Green Cabbage

Grilled Garlic Scapes with Herb Roasted Potatoes

Sweet Potato Fries

Spring Squash in a Creamy Garlic Sauce with Parsley

It is flashback Friday on the blog today, and we are featuring a recipe in our May newsletter from the 2011 Farm Table season. With yellow spring squash appearing in our boxes, this dish is the perfect compliment to any dinner as a side, or serve over penne pasta as your main course. 

Easy and delicious – this is a quick, no-brainer recipe that will continue to make an appearance in your meal rotation once you’ve tried it.

Enjoy!

Yellow Spring Squash in a Creamy Garlic sauce with Parsley

Ingredients

• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 3-4 small or medium yellow squash
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 + 2 Tbs of butter
• 1/3 cup cream or whole milk
• salt, to taste
• 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
• finely ground pper, to taste

Directions

• Remove ends from squash, cut lengthwise, then dice into 1/4 inch thick chunks
• Remove  garlic from husks, chop into large chunks
• Melt 2 Tbs of butter into pan over medium heat 
• Add garlic and cook for about 60 seconds, careful not to burn or brown
• Add the squash and cook until soft, about 5 minutes
• While waiting, in another pan, melt 2 Tbs butter. Add diced onion and cook until it just starts to brown.
• Once the squash as softened, remove 1/2 and place in bowl. Smash remaining squash in pan with a fork or potato masher until it resembles a course relish.
• Slowly pour the cream into the pan of mashed squash and mix thoroughly. 
• Add the onion, kosher salt to taste, and remaining squash that was set aside.
• Serve with chopped parsley sprinkled over the top. A small amount of grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled along with the parsley goes well with this dish.

Might we also suggest a recipe published on our blog last summer, care of Tim Vidra, local Richmond blogger over at E.A.T. He shared a delicious Summer Squash Tart using yellow squash, zuchinni, and dill (you can use up any leftover from your box last week).

Delicious indeed! 

Tomato-Cheese Pie, 3 Ways

While searching for new recipes to share with my children, I stumbled upon this sweet little cookbook with great recipes to get children involved in the cooking process. I am ashamed to say, however, that the first recipe I found interesting enough to make, I tailored for my husband and I.

I know, I know, mother of the year award right here!

While I do plan to find something in the cookbook that I can coax my children into trying, sustaining myself in the process has proven to be delicious.

I love the basic ingredients, and that you can change the ingredients up to fit the season, or more importantly, your mood. The original recipe called for stale bread, your choice of cheese,  and 1/4 tsp sweet basil leaves.

I recommend using a loaf of cubed Flour Garden rustic bread, which Farm Table members can order as an add-on in their weekly box.

This recipe is great as a brunch item, or pair it with a salad and chilled white wine for a fabulous, easy, and light dinner.

If you have kids, I’m sure they would love it with some apple juice, and sliced fruit.

Tomato-Cheese Pie, Recipe inspired by Peter Rabbit’s Natural Food’s Cookbook by Arnold Dobrin

Ingredients: Print full recipe HERE

• Small loaf rustic bread, cubed (might we suggest Farm Table bread from The Flour Garden?)
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 2 cups crimini or button mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1-1 1/4 cup of Swiss cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• Salt & Pepper

Directions:

• Prepare mushrooms (clean with dry cloth).
• Heat 1-2 Tbs of olive oil in a skillet. When the oil begins to soak, fry mushrooms for a few minutes.
• Add onions and allow to caramelize. Set aside.
• Place bread cubes in the bottom of a greased pie dish.
• Place sliced tomatoes over the top of cubed bread, and season with Kosher salt.
• Cover the tomatoes evenly with the mushroom and onion mixture.
• Sprinkle Swiss cheese over the top.
• Mix together milk, eggs, and ground pepper. Pour over the top of the pie.
• Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Variations

Replace mushrooms, onions, and Swiss cheese with:

1. Fresh basil and mozzarella, or
2. Chop up spring cutting celery or celery leaves (about 1-2 Tbs), and add swiss or cheddar cheese

 

Yucatecan Chicken Tacos with Sweet Potatoes and Onions

When I finished college, I quickly loaded up my books, hauled them to our nearest used bookstore, and traded them in for this gem of a cookbook, determined to learn a few key recipes that we could share with others. My husband and I found several recipes that we loved, but learned quickly that not everyone enjoyed spicy food as much as us — namely our children.

I recently mastered a garlic-spice marinade that we have grilled with, and love it for marinating shredded chicken for our tacos.  Experimenting one night, I decided to try it with onions and sweet potatoes, hoping to add a little more filling to our chicken tacos. I know it sounds odd, but the combination of flavors has soon become a family favorite, and one that my children eat happily. The inclusion of apple cider vinegar, paired with garlic, cinnamon, cloves, and the sweetness of the potatoes, is the perfect combination of flavors.

I have been working on this recipe for the 2013 Farm Table season, and was thrilled to see the addition of sweet potatoes in our first box! Please try this kid-friendly, healthy alternative that you can use to fill tacos, burritos, or to top a tostada with. 

You can click HERE for the full recipe to print off. Recipe inspired from Chef Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday. Serves 4-6 people.

Preparing the marinade:

You will need 1 head of garlic, broken into individual cloves (10-12 cloves). Cut a slit into each side of the clove, place in a microwave safe bowl covered with plastic wrap, and microwave for a good 30 seconds.

While the garlic cloves cool, measure out 1/3 cup olive oil, 6 Tbs apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/4-1/2 tsp sugar, a dash of ground cloves, and salt to taste. After you’ve slipped the cloves out of their paper husk, throw everything into your food processor and blend until smooth.

Pour the marinade over already cooked/cooled, shredded chicken (2-3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts), and either set aside, or allow it to marinade in a zip-top bag overnight in the fridge.

Preparing the taco filling:

While the marinade works its magic on the shredded chicken, grab 2 sweet potatoes, slice lengthwise, and dice into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Slice 1 small onion (white or yellow) lengthwise, into strips. Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a skillet on medium-high, add the sweet potatoes, onions, and 1 tsp oregano, stirring to make sure they are evenly coated with the olive oil. Add more if you need to, but be sure not to add too much — you don’t want a greasy mess. Allow the sweet potatoes to caramelize  and cover the skillet to help soften the potatoes (about 10-12 minutes), stirring often to prevent from burning.

Once the sweet potatoes have softened and have browned, add the marinated chicken to the skillet. I suggest adding a little water to deglaze the pan, about 1/8-1/4 cup. The water should burn off. Once the chicken has heated through, place in a serving dish and offer it with an assortment of soft or hard tacos, tortillas for burritos, or to place over a tostada with black beans. Add your favorite toppings — avocados/guacamole, diced radishes, Monteray jack cheese, and hot sauce are among our favorites.

I highly recommend serving the chicken and sweet potatoes with this Tomatillo Salsa (you can omit the jalapeño if you are not a fan of heat. Do yourself a favor by doubling the recipe!). To cut down on your time in the kitchen you can purchase store-bought tomatillo salsa, but it is really easy to make the night before. If you do make it at home, be sure to roast your tomatillos.

Cut them in half, line a skillet with aluminum foil and place tomatillos cut side down on med-high heat. After a few minutes, flip them over and cook until they are blotchy, turning black, and starting to soften. Use your own recipe, or follow this simple and delicious recipe HERE, although I skip adding the water, preferring a chunkier salsa to go with this meal.

Trust me, you want to eat this!

 

Spring Forward

You set your clocks one hour ahead.

You’ve changed the battery in your fire alarm.

With the sun shining this weekend, you realize all that stuff you thought was clean, isn’t.

Time to plan a little kitchen spring cleaning, and to prepare for the 2013 Farm Table season.

We’ve made it easy on you with these handy checklists you can print off.

The Farm Table Harvest Preparation Checklist

The Farm Table Spring Clean Your Kitchen Checklist

Pick a day, before our (tentatively) scheduled begin date, April 4th, and get yourself ready for a season of delicious, healthy, and local food.

Stay tuned for more details on our Farm Table membership event on March 21st.

Red Wine-Braised Leeks and Mushrooms

As promised, I tried out one of Terry Hope Romero’s recipes from Vegan Eats World as part of The Farm Table’s cook book review and blog give away. This dish was a wonderful addition to our Thanksgiving meal last week, and topped our mashed potatoes, which we usually don with butter or gravy. What a fancy  and welcome upgrade!

Red Wine-Braised Leeks and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 1 pound leeks, preferably thinner leeks no wider than 2 inches in diameter
• 10 oz cremini mushrooms, brushed clean and tough ends of stems sliced off
• 3 Tbs of olive oil
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus additional for sprinkling
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 Tbs non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
• A few twists of freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Trim away most of the green stalks on the leeks, leaving about an inch near the white part. Slice away the tip of root end, and slice each leek in half lengthwise.  Firmly hold the leek so that it doesn’t fall apart, and rinse under cool running water to remove any grit or dirt. Place leeks on a cutting board and slice each piece into sections about 2 1/2 inches long — hold the pieces together to prevent the leaves from separating too much. If the leeks fall apart while cooking, don’t worry, but for the prettiest presentation try to keep them together.

Slice the mushrooms into quarters. Over medium-high heat, sear the mushrooms in 1 Tbs of olive oil. Fry the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until both sides are browned and mushrooms look juicy  (about 4 minutes). Remove from the pan and transfer to an over-proof dish. Sprinkle the mushrooms with a pinch of sea salt, cover with foil, and put in an oven set at 250 degrees to keep warm.

Heat the remaining olive oil and place the leeks cut side down in the oil. Brown the leeks for 2 to 3 minutes, carefully lifting them up to check and see if the undersides are seared and the edges of the leaves are browned. Pour the wine, sprinkle with marjoram and salt, and tuck the thyme sprigs into the wine. Increase the heat and bring the wine to an active simmer and cover the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

If serving on top of white bean puree, potatoes, or pasta, mound the individual servings (about 1 cup) of hot puree in serving dishes. Divide the mushrooms on top of the servings of puree. Uncover the pan and using tongs, carefully lift the leeks and arrange on top of mushrooms. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the juices in the pan to a rapid simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and swirl the margarine into the juices. Use a wire whisk to continuously stir the sauce until smooth and lightly thickened. Drizzle a little bit of the sauce over each serving of leeks and mushrooms and serve immediately.

From the book Vegan Eats World by Terry Hope Romero.  Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright (c) 2012.www.dacapopresscookbooks.com

This dish was easy to make, delicious, and we were able to used left-over wine that was just a tad past its prime — perfect for this recipe. I encourage you to consider making it for your next holiday meal, or even better, add it to your meal plan this week. With Country Fresh Cremini Mushrooms coming in your Farm Table Garden Box this week, there is no reason not to.

I have been very pleased with the recipes I’ve tried from Vegan Eats World and Viva Vegan! over the past few weeks, and would like to thank Terry Hope Romero and Da Capo Press for allowing me to give vegan cuisine a try. I will definitely add recipes from both books to our meal rotation.

If you want to try out vegan cooking yourself, you have until 9:00pm EST tonight (11/28/12) to enter our blog give away. Details are HERE.

Friday Night Is Pizza Night

The Farm Table would like to introduce to you to one of its members, Jennifer Burns, a mother of three: Asher (2nd grade), Grace (1st grade), and Calvin (16-month old). While she is a new member this year, the fresh and local food movement has long been  a commitment  of her’s, a commitment built on a concern for her family’s health and environmental sustainability . What draws us to Jenn are the established food traditions in her family, and the somewhat laborious tasks she takes on in the kitchen (i.e. grinding her own wheat!), both of which we have great respect for.

Allow us to introduce you to this self-proclaimed ‘army brat’ who met her husband while they both attended Georgia Southern University:

After Ryan and I moved to Richmond and had our first two children, I fell down the rabbit hole of whole foods and “natural” living, and developed roots in this city without realizing it. After an almost 3 year stint away from RVA — Redemption Hill offered Ryan a position as Director of Operations — we jumped at the chance to move back to Richmond, a place we officially call “home” now. A few months after moving back to Richmond we discovered baby Calvin would be making an appearance the next summer (Virginia is for lovers, right?). Some time during all those travels I decided that being a Christian, stay-at-home health nut mom that grinds her own wheat and makes her own deodorant and lip balm wasn’t weird enough, so we home school too. 

When we decided I would stay home after our first child was born, I began reading and learning about nutrition and natural living (he was a very mellow baby — I had time to read that year). At first  I was pretty hardcore (making deodorant? Really? Yes.). However, over the years, with the addition of children and homeschooling, I’ve had to cut back on many extracurricular “natural living” type projects in order to maintain a somewhat orderly household AND my sanity. “Different people can handle different things” has been my mantra! I was so intense about food preparation, and making as much as possible from scratch to save money so that I could use high quality food, that it’s hard for me to think of the way I cook now as being labor intensive. I admit I do still grind my own wheat berries for flour, but that’s mostly for pizza dough these days. I have been buying bread (gasp!), and I make most of our pancakes and muffins with almond meal or coconut flour. I do like to make sauces and baked goods from scratch, not just for my vampire (garlic intolerant) child, but I like having control over all the little ingredients and sneaking in veggies, like beets and kale, when I get the chance.

The biggest food tradition we have (which never occurred to me as a “food tradition” before) is Pizza Night, a tradition carried on from my childhood. Nearly every Friday we make pizza and watch a movie. When other things come up and Pizza Night cannot be bumped to Saturday, my kids tend to have a hard time. It is THAT big of a deal. I’d like to say it’s because my pizza is amazing, but it’s more likely the fact that we get to eat and watch a movie…Ok, mostly the movie. They’re rarely excited about the leftover pizza for lunch on Sunday as it is not served with television. 

Pizza dough recipe found here

I decided to give The Farm Table a go this year because it sounded like what I needed. In an ideal world we would eat primarily local, organic fruits and vegetables, and pastured animal products. Unfortunately I don’t live in that world, so we do what we can, which varies day-to-day. I like the idea of farmers markets, but I get tense and flustered in crowds. Trying to make menu, budget, and grocery decisions in that sort of environment, oh! Last year we joined a traditional CSA, which I thought was my solution. I did enjoy the idea (again with the ideas) of supporting “A Farm,” thus a specific connection to “A Food” source, but unfortunately the downside of one source is that it wasn’t feasible to supply the variety that my family would be more likely to eat with a good attitude. Also, sad though it may be, running out to the pickup location with three children very close to dinner time, wasn’t exactly roses (maybe the stems…). Enter The Farm Table. I’m told what to expect the week before (so I can plan), there’s a nice variety each week, and (drumroll please) I never have to leave my house. I would say it’s been all I hoped for, but that sounds like something my overly dramatic daughter would say (but really, it has been!). There has been much less gnashing of teeth from the vegetable-challenged members of my peanut gallery than last year. 

So far the only thing I couldn’t tackle this season was the daikon radish. There’s a good bit of food that only I enjoy (cabbage, most greens….) and I deal with that by serving it once as a dinner side that week and eating the rest for my lunches. The enormous radish just didn’t work out that way. Even I, the human garbage disposal, can only eat so much radish!

As we approach the holidays, is there a family food tradition that has been passed down in your family, a sneaky way you feed veggies to your children, or another inspiring story you have to tell?  Do you have a recipe you would like to share with The Farm Table community? We want to know?  Contact us at support@thefarmtable.org with your recipes, tips, and traditions.

Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing  your food and family life with us! 

Dinner Time Woes? 14 Free Printables For Your Kids

You’ve received your weekly Farm Table box.

You’ve written your weekly meal plan.

You’ve washed, sorted, and properly stored your produce . 

Now it’s time to actually prepare dinner and you find that adults and kids alike are running on empty. Everyone is a tad cranky, the kids are bouncing off of the walls, and you are gritting your teeth trying to get something that resembles a meal on the table for your family to enjoy and not lose your mind.

We think getting children involved in the meal and table preparation is a great way to teach them new skills, foster independence and confidence, and create lasting memories for everyone. We also know that sometimes that task is unrealistic, especially with more complicated meals, and those nights when you are short on patience and time.

Check out these 14 fun printables that you can print now, prep, and pull out when you need the extra help — that’s 2 weeks worth of extra help! They are fun, seasonal, and educational. You’re welcome!

We still think they should help set the table though!

• Fall Food (KBTeachers)
• From Plant To Food (Montessori for Everyone)
• Fall Leaves color by numbers (Live.Create.Learn)
• Learning about Nutrition (Nourish Interactive)
• Annie’s Corn Cakes coloring page recipe (Jan Brett)
• Halloween Toys & Crafts (Made By Joel)
• Life cycle of a pumpkin activity and printable (A to Z Teacher Stuff)
• Scarecrow Maze (Busy Bee Kids)
• Where Things Come From  (Montessori for Everyone)
• 10 Fall Halloween Songs (Katie Yeh)
• Plant Life Cycle (Exploring Nature)
• Acorn Connect-the-dots (Busy Bee Kids)
• Mr. Gallon Man (The Teacher Website)
• Fall Reading Challenge Chart (Homeschool Creations)

You can make an appetizer plate to stave off hunger with sliced fruit, veggies, and dip. Don’t worry about it spoiling dinner. Who cares as long as you are eating fruits and vegetables!

What dinner time tricks do you have up your sleeve?

A Northwest Chowder

Let me first say that I’m sorry.

I don’t have any appetizing photos of farm fresh produce, or photos of a just prepared meal to share with you in this post. Nothing visual to make your mouth water, or inspire you to get in the kitchen.

You see, we’ve been taking care of a brand new human being around here. 

Now, I do have a picture of him:

Do you forgive me now?

What I have to share in the way of food is a hearty chowder recipe that my husband and I learned to make from The Northwest Best Places Cook Book when we lived in our home state of Oregon. The addition of Tillamook Cheese is what makes this a truly Northwestern Chowder, but you can pick out a local cheese of your liking to make this chowder as “local” as possible.  Just make sure it is a sharp cheddar cheese. It goes really well with The Flour Garden Bakery Rustic Bread.

A cozy meal for a cozy night at home — especially while holding a cozy newborn baby.

Enjoy!

Northwest Chowder

Ingredients:

• 4 cups peeled potatoes, diced
• 4 cups water
•  1-2 tsp cumin seed
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 large onions, chopped 
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups corn kernels
• 8 to 10 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

• Combine potatoes, water, and cumin in a large pot. Bring the water to boil. 
• Lower the heat to a decent simmer until the potatoes are just tender (about 15 minutes).
• While the potatoes are cooking, heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until transparent. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and continue cooking for a few minutes until well mixed.
• Add the onions to the potatoes and water, then add the milk, corn, salt and pepper to taste. 
• Simmer the chowder for about 20 minutes, until it thickens, stirring occasionally.
• Sprinkle some cheese in the bottom of individual soup bowls, then ladle the chowder over the top. Serve with remaining cheese over the top of each bowl, allowing each person to stir their own cheese into the chowder.
• Serve with a nice loaf of bread.

What is your favorite soup to make? Share it with us in the comment section of this post, or on Facebook.