I've never been a huge fan of scheduling meals for every day of the week. I like a little more sponteneity than that! Now, however, with two children, school, evening meals for the kids, the family and or just the adults I realize that a little routine isn't half bad. In fact, the reason I started having a bit more routine is that on Thursdays we pick up our farm share from Lindentree farms in Lincoln and I'd have to pack a picnic for the kids since we got back late, and my husband and I would be home with the kids dozing in their beds with maybe a bit of dirt still under their fingernails and an entire counter full of fresh farm vegetables.
One week when I was home alone with the kids our CSA farm-share partners said "Do you want me to prepare a protein for you when you get back from the farm." That is when a new plan took action. Of course, if I think ahead a bit I can have a protein ready to go (shrimp, fish, chicken, tofu -whatever you fancy) and then I can cook up any veggies I please to go with it! Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that?
So now, I have slowly developed a dinner repertoire for the family. There is the protein for farm days, we've added taco night into our list because who doesn't love tacos?, we have pizza night, fish/seafood night, Friday store bought roasted chicken and challah and some other menu I choose.
Today, we had no farm pick-up so after getting Isabelle from school she and I headed over to the Belmont Farmer's Market to check it out. It's not the biggest market, but they had a couple of fruit/vegetable stands, some bread, some honey, all the standards. Isabelle and I got some great eggplant from the Farm School and some purple peppers across the way (I couldn't see a farm name). Isabelle loves purple peppers in her lunch. She picks them out herself and they're a novelty since they're purple.
I took out one of our frozen pizza doughs last night and as I fed the kids, I grilled the eggplant, we had some spinach that I bought earlier in the week at Russo's. I always have grated cheese in the drawer (nachos, kids' snack, pizza, grilled cheese). In the fridge are leftovers from the kids' dinner last night meatballs in tomato sauce. So our pizza is a a meatball, eggplant, and spinach pizza. Everything is prepped, I take the kids to bed. Then my husband and I create a pizza to our liking and dinner is served.
It's fresh, it's cheap, it's quick and it's delicious. You can be so creative too. Sterling farm was at the Belmont market too. I bet they would have had some great goat cheese for the pizza.
Bon Appetit.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Food for Thought
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/26/alice-waters-takes-kids-beyond-chicken-nuggets/
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Delivery Fresh From The Farm
Getting local, farm fresh, fruit and veggies is relatively easy with the local CSA's, farmer's markets, and even grocery stores. Getting local fish and meat, however is a bit more difficult. I did, however, notice that the Davis Square Farmer's Market had wellfleet oysters this week (I never made it out there to get some for myself). I also stumbled upon this intriguing service: https://www.inseason.us/index.php. If the quality is good, then the prices seem fair for fresh local ingredients delivered.
I haven't tried it yet, but I do look forward to testing it out. Also, take a minute to browse their blog: https://www.inseason.us/blog/.
I haven't tried it yet, but I do look forward to testing it out. Also, take a minute to browse their blog: https://www.inseason.us/blog/.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Tomatillos
As we were collecting our vegetables at the CSA and comparing recipes, Megin mentioned this incredible recipe for Pizza with Tomatillos...okay yes it sounded a bit odd, but after having tasted it I have to say it's incredible. I must also mention that it should have a warning that it may be addictive.
The following was written by Katie Charner-Laird for Lindentree Farms CSA and beyond.
I brought my 5 year old son, Quinn, with me to do my last 2 hours of farm work this Saturday. He always loves the idea, and loves the first five minutes or so of doing the farm work, but his enthusiasm tends to peter out quickly. I’ve been trying to be conscious about what excites him about being at the farm, and keeping that at the forefront when we’re there. He doesn’t really eat any vegetables, but he does love to cook with us. This Saturday, when we asked Ari what our next job was, and he said it would be to pick the tomatillos, Quinn quickly remembered the Mexican Pizza we’ve been making from Everyday Greens, the cookbook by Annie Somerville (chef from the amazing Greens Restaurant in San Francisco). He picked up his pace as we headed out to the tomatillos, very excited to pick the vegetable that would adorn our pizza this week. In fact, he even decided that we needed to serve it at our Labor Day party, so he was eager to fill his bucket with bursting, ripe tomatillos.
I told him we’d share the recipe with all of you, so that you, too, could enjoy this fabulous, intriguing vegetable (or fruit??).
Mexican Pizza with Corn, Tomatillos, and Onions
Adapted from Everday Greens by Annie Somerville
1 ball of pizza dough (have to confess I don’t make my own)
1 ½ tablespoons of chipotle puree (I’m sure you could figure out a way to make this, but I just buy the stuff in the can).
1-2 onions—the sweet ones we sometimes get at Lindentree are PERFECT for this
½ cup of tomato sauce (make your own from farm tomatoes, or a simple marinara in a jar)
¼ lb. tomatillos, husked and cut in fourths (eighths if they’re really big)
2 ears of corn, shaved off the cob
¼ lb. cheddar cheese (1 ¼ cup grated)
2 oz. Monterey Jack cheese (3/4 cup grated)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Preheat the oven to 400.
Cut the onions into ½ inch rings, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and put them on a baking sheet in the oven for 15-20 minutes, tossing occasionally. They should be nice and soft.
Raise the temperature to 500.
Saute the corn in olive oil, salt and pepper for 1-2 minutes, then add ¼ cup of water and cook, covered for 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
Roll out the pizza dough (there are all kinds of tricks for pizza making, none of which I’ve mastered, so I won’t attempt to tell you how to make your pizza really behave like a pizza).
Mix together the chipotle puree and the tomato sauce, and spread it in on the pizza dough.
Mix together the two cheeses, and spread half on top of the tomato/chipotle mixture.
Now top the cheese with the onions, corn, and tomatillos.
Last layer is the rest of the cheese.
Now bake the pizza (I use a cookie sheet… I have a sense that a pizza stone is really the way to go) for 10-15 minutes. As soon as it comes out, sprinkle the cilantro on top.
Thank you Greens Restaurant and Thank you Quinn!
Submitted by member Katie Charner-Laird
The following was written by Katie Charner-Laird for Lindentree Farms CSA and beyond.
I brought my 5 year old son, Quinn, with me to do my last 2 hours of farm work this Saturday. He always loves the idea, and loves the first five minutes or so of doing the farm work, but his enthusiasm tends to peter out quickly. I’ve been trying to be conscious about what excites him about being at the farm, and keeping that at the forefront when we’re there. He doesn’t really eat any vegetables, but he does love to cook with us. This Saturday, when we asked Ari what our next job was, and he said it would be to pick the tomatillos, Quinn quickly remembered the Mexican Pizza we’ve been making from Everyday Greens, the cookbook by Annie Somerville (chef from the amazing Greens Restaurant in San Francisco). He picked up his pace as we headed out to the tomatillos, very excited to pick the vegetable that would adorn our pizza this week. In fact, he even decided that we needed to serve it at our Labor Day party, so he was eager to fill his bucket with bursting, ripe tomatillos.
I told him we’d share the recipe with all of you, so that you, too, could enjoy this fabulous, intriguing vegetable (or fruit??).
Mexican Pizza with Corn, Tomatillos, and Onions
Adapted from Everday Greens by Annie Somerville
1 ball of pizza dough (have to confess I don’t make my own)
1 ½ tablespoons of chipotle puree (I’m sure you could figure out a way to make this, but I just buy the stuff in the can).
1-2 onions—the sweet ones we sometimes get at Lindentree are PERFECT for this
½ cup of tomato sauce (make your own from farm tomatoes, or a simple marinara in a jar)
¼ lb. tomatillos, husked and cut in fourths (eighths if they’re really big)
2 ears of corn, shaved off the cob
¼ lb. cheddar cheese (1 ¼ cup grated)
2 oz. Monterey Jack cheese (3/4 cup grated)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Preheat the oven to 400.
Cut the onions into ½ inch rings, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and put them on a baking sheet in the oven for 15-20 minutes, tossing occasionally. They should be nice and soft.
Raise the temperature to 500.
Saute the corn in olive oil, salt and pepper for 1-2 minutes, then add ¼ cup of water and cook, covered for 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
Roll out the pizza dough (there are all kinds of tricks for pizza making, none of which I’ve mastered, so I won’t attempt to tell you how to make your pizza really behave like a pizza).
Mix together the chipotle puree and the tomato sauce, and spread it in on the pizza dough.
Mix together the two cheeses, and spread half on top of the tomato/chipotle mixture.
Now top the cheese with the onions, corn, and tomatillos.
Last layer is the rest of the cheese.
Now bake the pizza (I use a cookie sheet… I have a sense that a pizza stone is really the way to go) for 10-15 minutes. As soon as it comes out, sprinkle the cilantro on top.
Thank you Greens Restaurant and Thank you Quinn!
Submitted by member Katie Charner-Laird
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