Tag Archives: vegan

Adventures in CSA (year 2 week 2): Tatsoi ahoy!

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I have to remember not to call this veggie Tetsuo. He was a character from “Akira”. Tatsoi looks a bit like a baby bok choi, although it’s supposed to be something akin to the love child of bok choi and spinach. THAT ALL WORKS FOR ME.

It’s week 2, and we’ve made it through much of what was in our week 1 box. What didn’t go into the stir-fry typically went as a side-dish for dinners, except for the strawberries – which disappeared in near-record time. This week’s box is a mostly green box, accentuated with some interesting splashes of orange, blue and yellow. Man, oh, man…do I ever love seeing all that luscious color splayed out on my counter like a splatter of Pantone chips.

At this point, I don’t yet have an opinion on the value of the box. It weighed more than last week’s box (good!), and it includes something obscure enough that I’m nearly 100% sure I’ll have to check Whole Foods to get a price for it. Some of the items, like green beans and carrots, are fairly cheap, so those always weigh down the value. Still, I’m not in this solely for the financial gain. With the deadline looming for the sign-up for the veggie box program through work, we need to figure out whether we want to stick with what we have now (through our local farm) or if we want to revert back to the prior deal. Decisions, decisions. Well, in the meantime…

Here’s what was in this week’s box:

  • Shell peas
  • Tatsoi
  • Green beans
  • Summer squash (both yellow and green)
  • Carrots
  • Blueberries
  • Spinach
  • Pickling cucumbers
Year 2 Week 2 box contents

Such lovely colors…

I’m scheming on something that may or may not involve the tatsoi, carrots, and summer squash. I’m still thinking on it. The tatsoi is too small to make decent Bok-os with (unless making them appetizer-sized), but that’s okay…it lets me branch out and forces me to be a bit more creative. I like that. Half of the fun of getting a new box every week is in the challenge: “What will I make with THIS stuff?” I prefer not to make the same thing over and over again, since repetition can breed boredom, but certainly I do like to repeat some dishes that have enjoyed good traction with the kids.

Never having pickled, but knowing several people who have, I figure we can come up with a decent solution for the cukes. The blueberries are likely to disappear in dh’s morning cereal, as well as straight from the hand into the bellies of at least several members of the household. And who doesn’t like peas? The peas and green beans are perfect for us, since those are staple veggies in our family. And the summer squash…well, I believe I have a friend they should meet. His name is Ka-Bob.

I can’t say for sure all of what I’ll make with this box, but I’m definitely looking forward to checking out this Tets…tatsoi and seeing just how tasty it can be. Preferably without the futuristic, post-apocalyptic Tokyo setting.

CSA Vegetable Chicken Stir-fry

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I’ll admit that I’m not the wok-master of the house. DH makes some great stir-fry, and when we got this week’s veggie box, I knew that he was going to have a fun assignment. The funny part was trying to convince him of what needed to go in the wok.Throw in the peas! And carrots! And OMG slice the kale thinly and it’ll be awesome! I’m such a backseat chef sometimes.

Needless to say, he made this fantastic stir-fry and the instant reaction was that it was a total winner. We used the sugar snap peas, carrots, green onions and kale from this week’s CSA box, and it was all just heavenly. Better still, after two adult portions (and small amounts siphoned off by the kiddos), we had two nice lunch portions.

And before anybody gets crabby about this being on white rice, I’ll have you know that dh made sushi rice in the Zojirushi, and OMG was that awesome, too. It was just one of those dinners where it all came together perfectly, and the only thing we were wishing we could do differently is not have eaten all day so we could just stuff completely. Another positive side-effect of loading up on the CSA veg is that it enabled us to be completely full from just under 4oz chicken each. That totally works, too. Not that I don’t love my poultry and all, but there was something insanely fun about just piling the veg high on the counter and watching dh go to town with the wok.

Note: if you don’t have a wok, I recommend that you try this type of recipe in a large, high-sided skillet. The wok is still the best starting place, but a large skillet that allows you to stir a serious quantity of food without spilling will work in a pinch.

Note, pt. 2: don’t feel compelled to make this with chicken. Make it vegan by ditching the chicken and either upping the veg or throwing some firm tofu in there. Just remember that the tofu shouldn’t need anywhere near the same cook time as the chicken. The point is that veg + wok = heaven.

Note, pt. 3: also, don’t feel compelled to use canned mushrooms. This was a nod to “it’s a weeknight and the kids are chafing at being in the grocery store when they’re hungry and I need to get them home so dinner can be made and BLARGHWHERETHE$*%&ISACANOFSHROOMSSOICANGOALREADY?!”

 

CSA Vegetable Chicken Stir-Fry

JUST. SO. GOOD.

 

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut in 3/4″ cubes)

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 Tb canola oil

2/3 lb snow peas, washed, stemmed and stringed

1/2 lb carrots, washed and cut into 1/4″ rounds

15 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained

8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

1/4 cup green onions, washed and chopped

4 oz kale, washed, stems removed, and cut into 1/4-1/2″ strips

1 Tb cornstarch

2 Tb water

 

Make it Happen

1. Heat the canola oil in a wok over high heat until the oil smokes.

2. Add the chicken and hoisin sauce; stir frequently until the chicken is cooked thoroughly.

3. Simultaneously, steam sugar snap peas and carrots. Steam for 3-5 minutes, until they just start to lose their crispness.

4. Once the chicken is cooked, add to the wok the mushrooms, water chestnuts, the steamed sugar snap peas and carrots, and teriyaki sauce. Stir to combine.

5. Cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes, then add green onions and kale; stir to combine.

6. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and water. Stir until the cornstarch is fully dissolved, then add this mixture to the wok and stir to combine thoroughly. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Wilted Mustard Greens

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If you want to get some concentrated nutrition really quickly – and inexpensively – wilted greens are just a fantastic solution. I’ve thrown together wilted spinach many times as a quick and easy green side for dinner parties, and you can’t beat the nice pop of color on your plate. Even better, it’s stupid-easy to make; there’s really nothing to it.

This recipe was made with the red mustard greens we got from our first CSA box from our local farm, and it can easily be scaled up to meet the needs of a larger crowd.

Follow along with me, if you will…

Wilted Mustard Greens

Nutritious and tasty – such a great combination!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2 (small side portions)

Ingredients

1 bunch mustard greens (approx 10oz weight, including stems)

1 small shallot

1 Tb olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Sliced or slivered almonds (optional)

Make it Happen

1. Peel and slice the shallot; set aside.

2. Cut or chop the stems from the bunch (easiest to do while it’s still held together by a rubber band), then wash the leaves and let them sit in a colander to dry somewhat.

3. Add the olive oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat over medium heat.

4. Add the shallots to the skillet and toss to coat with the olive oil. Heat the shallots in the pan for approximately 2 minutes, until the aroma of the shallots really starts to come out.

5. Add the mustard greens to the pan and, using tongs, combine them well with the oil and the shallots.

6. Use the tongs to continue this combination for approximately 2-3 minutes, until the greens have wilted a good amount and their volume is greatly diminished (what once filled a pan is now easily compressed down to less than half of the pan).

7. Remove from heat and serve immediately. Apply balsamic vinegar lightly over top of the greens and (if desired) top with almonds.