Fettuccine with Spinach Sauce

Since picking up this fresh fettuccine yesterday in my share I have been craving to use it!  I knew I wanted a simple sauce for the pasta but also wanted to use up my spinach.  Thanks to a quick google search I found Giada De Laurentiis‘ recipe for Penne with Spinach Sauce which I modified to Fettuccine with Spinach Sauce.  Instead of using cream cheese I used it’s french cousin, chevre, and I added some Kalamata olives to the finished dish.  Mmmm! Delicious!

Pick-up: Sept 27th

In The Share

• Squash – Lancaster County, PA
• Plum Tomatoes – Lancaster County, PA
• Eggplant – Lancaster County, PA
• Jonathan Apples – Three Springs Fruit Farm, Aspers, PA
• Potatoes – Three Springs Fruit Farm, Aspers, PA
• Seeded Baguette –  D’Ambrosio’s, Philadelphia, PA
• Cheese – Mozzarella, Cherry Grove Farm,  Lawrenceville, NJ
• Dairy Option: 1 dozen Free-Range Eggs
• Fresh Pasta – Superior Pasta, Philadelphia, PA
  

A La Carte

• Spinach
• Ray’s Seitan
• 2 Red Peppers
• 2 Heirloom Tomatoes
• Assorted Hot Peppers
• 2 Delicata Squash
• Concord Grapes
• Italian Sausage
• Uncured Bacon

This weekend we had our friends Kelly and her fiance, R,  visiting and so we have been eating like kings!  Last night I made some “Friday Night Pizzas” from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and broiled some corn.  This morning I made Nigella Lawson’s Pancakes and Kelly Gerow’s Bacon! After a long day walking around the spectacular Longwood Gardens we had an awesome dinner at Honey’s Sit n’ Eat.

*Photos by Kelly Gerow!

Farmland Vegetable Pie

I stumbled upon this recipe in the August issue of Gourmet and have been wanting to give a pie crust another go since my last attempt was so miserable.  I just stuck to the recipe, no whole wheat flour this time, and it came out beautifully! Look how beauteous it is!  It almost broke my heart to break into it…but not really.

Since today was officially the last day of summer I thought it was fitting to use up all these last bits of summer veggies I had left over in the fridge.  Perfect little goodbye package to summer!

Farmland Vegetable Pie (from Gourmet)

For filling

• 1 1/2 lb yellow squash, cut into 1-inch pieces (I also threw in a zucchini)
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped, keeping greens separate (I didn’t have any scallions so I used an onion)
  
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 lb okra, trimmed and sliced (Don’t like em, used green beans instead)
  
• 1 lb yellow tomatoes, seeded and chopped (no yellow tomatoes, just regular red ones)
  
• 1/2 cup corn kernels (from 1 ear)
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Havarti or Muenster cheese (4 1/2 oz)
• 1 cup chopped basil
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal (not stone-ground) (Can someone tell me where you find cornmeal that is not stone-ground?)
  
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

For crust

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 cup whole milk plus additional for brushing

Make filling:

• Place a heavy baking sheet on middle rack of oven, then preheat oven to 400°F.

• Toss squash with 1 tsp salt, then drain in a colander 30 minutes. Pat squash dry.

• Cook scallions (except greens) and garlic in oil with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Add squash and okra and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes.

• Transfer to a large bowl, then toss with corn, cheese, basil, cornmeal, and scallion greens. Season with salt and pepper.

Make crust and bake pie:

• Pulse dry ingredients with butter in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Transfer to a bowl and stir in milk until mixture just forms a dough.

• Gather dough into a ball and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, 5 minutes.

• Halve dough and roll out 1 piece on a well-floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round. Transfer to a 9-inch glass pie plate, leaving overhang.

• Spread eggs evenly in crust and season with 1/4 tsp salt. Add vegetable filling, mounding slightly in middle.

• Roll out remaining dough in same manner and place over filling. Trim, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press edges of crust together. Fold overhang under and crimp edge all around.

• Brush crust with additional milk, then cut 3 steam vents.

• Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Root Vegetables and Chicken Breast

Shorter days are here again and that is one of the downsides of fall and winter.  Not that I mind shorter days, I love hibernating, but the photography just won’t be as pretty for the next few months since I will be working under fluorescent lights.

This is a pretty standard recipe but a delicious, healthy way to showcase the fall bounty!

Preheat oven to 400º.  Cut up some white sweet potatoes, turnips and one delicata squash (or any root vegetables: butternut squash, parsnips, etc) and toss with olive oil, rosemary and S&P.  If an omnivore, lay the chicken breast (also rubbed with olive oil, rosemary and S&P) across the top of the veggies and cover with foil (the juices from the chicken will flavor the veggies nicely).  Bake covered for 45 minutes and then uncover and brown for about 15-20 minutes.  Delicious!

This was my first time cooking with delicata squash and it was so amazing! It has a creamy, buttery texture that pairs really nicely with the earthy bite of turnips.

Pick-up: Sept 20th

IN THE SHARE

• Concord Grapes – Maybe I should make some Schiacciata con L’uva again this year!
• Swiss Chard – Flaim Farms, Vineland, NJ
• Apples – Lancaster County
• Sweet Potatoes – Lancaster County
• Chives – Flaim Farms, Vineland, NJ
• Bell Peppers – Lancaster County, PA
• Cabbage – Lancaster County, PA
• Onions – Lancaster County, PA
• Fudge –  Betty’s Tasty Buttons, Philadelphia, PA – I love this stuff!
• Cheese – Smoked Cheddar, Hillacres Pride,
• Dairy Option: 1 dozen Free-Range Eggs

A LA CARTE

• Rosemary Baguette – Already tore into this one!
• Arugula
• Delicata Squash
• Potatoes
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Chevre
• Italian Sausage
• Chicken Breast
• Pot of Mums!!! It’s Fall!

Our friends, Kelly and Richard, are coming to visit us next weekend and I want to make them some treats! Especially since Monday is Kelly’s birthday! Happy Birthday Kelly! Any ideas?  Maybe something that includes pears and or apples and or concord grapes??

PS – The “Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy” Letterpress Card in the photo I got from Yee-Haw Industries Etsy shop!

Chimichurri Flank Steak and Fries

I wish there was a smell tool/function for the Internet, like Smell-O-Vision, so that you could really appreciate the garlic odors/oils emitting from the pores on my fingertips!  Oh, do I have some stinky breath after tonight’s dinner (but OH! how it was all worth it!).

I have been a bad, bad blogger this week and I’m sorry for not posting more often.  I got sucked into the vortex of Fall TV Premieres and so HULU has been my only companion in this downward spiral.  But tonight, I finally made a dinner a bit more complicated than the toast I’ve been having every night.  We had a bunch of parsley in our fridge from the share pick-up two weeks ago (Here’s how to store parsley properly so that it will last you 2 weeks!) and I have been wanting to try my hand at Chimichurri for a while now.  Chimichurri is the Argentinean version of pesto with parsley (or I guess you could use cilantro too, but that herb is not welcomed in our house.) On a side note, I will be traveling to Argentina with a few friends in February and am super stoked!  I expect to be drunk on Malbec and stuffed with steak the whole time I’m there.

Traditional Chimichurri Recipe (from Food & Wine)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced (2 1/2 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons oregano leaves
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine the parsley, vinegar, garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper. Process until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and pour the olive oil over the mixture. Let stand for at least 20 minutes.

MAKE AHEAD The chimichurri can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

*I served the chimichurri in condiment dipping bowls next to the sliced strips of steak and fries.

Pick-up: Sept 13th

IN THE SHARE

• Broccoli – Lancaster County
• Corn – Linvilla Orchards, Media, PA
• Green Beans – Lancaster County
• Pears – Linvilla Orchards, Media, PA (I want to make either this or this!)
• Escarole – Flaim Farms, Vineland, NJ
• Yellow Watermelon – Lancaster County
• Yellow Squash – Linvilla Orchards, PA
• Turnips – Lancaster County
• Cheese – Havarti, Hope Springs Farm, East Earl, PA
• Dairy Option: 1/2 Gallon Milk

A LA CARTE

• various peppers & hot peppers
• sweet potatoes
• onions
• butternut squash
• eggplant
• jalapeno cheddar
• uncured bacon
• ground beef
• whole wheat bread

Μακαρονάδα (Spaghetti with Meat Sauce)

Tonight heralded the start of fall…I had to wear my hoodie outside! yay! Fall is my most favorite season!  and one of the many reasons why is because I start to crave hearty meals like this one.  To be honest, I have not craved this meal in a long time since this was a weekly standby my Mom made for us growing up.  But last week, when I saw the Greek Gourmand’s Post on the subject, I knew it was time.  This is COMFORT food.  Why?  Because it is so easy, so filling and so simple! (I left out one very important characteristic of comfort food: it’s probably bad for you…bad in a good way )

…And don’t we all need a lil’ comfort, especially today?  I remember where I was 7 years ago, in a darkroom at the Forensics Lab processing film (back in the ol’ days before adopting digital technology), when I heard the news on the radio.  I wish I could send all my warm & hearty meals out to the world…at least here’s a recipe.  Eat more, fight less.

My mom’s recipe is just a bit different than Sam’s, but to me it’s the only one (sorry Sam!).

Μακαρονάδα (Spaghetti with Meat Sauce)

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp nutmeg (or to taste)

• 1 package spaghetti (or any pasta, my made it with egg noodles a bunch)
• Grated Mizithra (or if you don’t have any around like me, Locatelli Pecorino Romano is a good substitute)
• 1 tbsp butter

Brown the beef in pan with oil, add onions and saute until transparent.  Add tomato sauce, nutmeg and S&P.  Simmer until water evaporates out (reduced).  While you are making the sauce, cook the pasta.  Drain pasta and toss with butter and some of the grated cheese.  Serve pasta with meat sauce and sprinkle a little bit more cheese on top (more cheese never hurts ).

Quickie Dinner: Prosciutto, Goat Cheese and Fig Tartine

Adapted from “The Last Touch: Tartines” in September’s issue of Gourmet.  Instead of using Manchego (Ham, Manchego and Fig Tartines) I substituted goat cheese since I had bought some to make one of the other tartines in the article originally, Beet and Goat-Cheese Tartine (that will be for tomorrow, wink wink).  Also, I got to use my friend Sue’s Fig Jam! that she sent me last month! yay!

This was so delicious and felt really fancy!  (Much fancier than drive through does I think it had to do with the decadent drizzle of olive oil on top…mmmmmmm.

Pick-up: Sept 6th

*not all pictured!

IN THE SHARE

• Italian Parsley – Flaim Farms, Vineland, NJ
• Cucumbers – Linvilla Orchards, Media, PA
• Beets – Flaim Farms, Vineland, NJ
• Gala Apples – Three Springs Fruit Farms, Adams County, PA
• Radishes – New Jersey
• Butternut Squash – New Jersey
• Potatoes – Chesley Vegetable Farm – Smithsburg, MD
• Cheese – Di Bruno’s Cheese Spread, Philadelphia, PA
• Dairy Option: 2 Pequea Valley Yogurts
• Tofu – Nature’s Soy, Philadelphia, PA

A LA CARTE

• Jalapeno Cheddar – LeRaysville Cheese Factory, LeRaysville, PA
• 2 yellow onions – Greensgrow
• 1 eggplant
• 4 heirloom tomatoes
• 1 head escarole
• 1 bag arugula
• 2 zucchini

I had to run on my lunch break from Podcamp Philly to pick-up my share today and it was rainy and miserable (Thank you Tropical Storm Hannah!). I still have a bunch of beets left from a few weeks ago, I need to plan how to use them up. I’m thinking maybe: beet ice cream, Feta & Roasted Beet Sandwich, maybe some more beet crisps, or maybe just an arugula-beet salad.

Here’s what I did with my left over ratatouille, (thank you Martha!):