My favorite salad.

We're enjoying THIS lovely salad tonight; there were squash in our CSA the past two weeks - doesn't it seem early for that?

Can you believe it's almost Friday?!

xoxo, natty ♥

More food; Summer Squash Enchiladas.

So we're cooking at home a lot these days. Despite the heat outside, the oven inside is working hard for us.

I had made these once before and I made them again last night, both times with squash from our CSA. I think that my most loved use of summer squash would be grilled but since we have no grill, we have this a try and the enchiladas may well be my new favorite.

On a side note, we did so much more grilling and eating of "whole foods" in California. It's not that we're eating/making more processed stuff here but we're using those whole things {squash} within actual dishes and recipes. Oh well, it's all DELICIOUS.

Summer Squash Enchiladas...this fills a 9x13 pan which, just like the Eggplant Parmigiana from yesterday, is enough for a very full {& happy} tummy the night of and a satisfying luncheon the next day. This is adapted from a variety of recipes I searched online.

Ingredients

2 large summer squash...zucchini, Italian, Patty Pan...or many smaller ones...cleaned and diced
1 small-medium yellow onion diced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 jalapeño chopped up...you can take out the seeds prior if you don't love the spicy
Enough olive oil for frying the squash and the tortillas; I just use it as needed
12 tortillas
2 bottles {about 12 ounces each} of red {or whatever you want!} enchilada sauce {or make your own!}...I really don't like my enchiladas to be dry at all so I use two bottles/cans/etc. but you can stretch out just one
2 cups shredded cheese; I would use Monterey Jack or a Mexican blend...plus I always use a bit more
Salt and Pepper as needed...I also throw in a dash of garlic powder and cayenne pepper for flavor

Directions 

Prepare the filling

1. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large fry pan and then a bit more to medium high
2. Except for a small cupful {you'll use it later}, saute the onions for about 10 minutes, until they're clear soft 
3. Add the garlic and jalapeño and cook for another minute {garlic becomes bitter when cooked for too long which is why it's often added in after the onion in many recipes}
4. Add in the diced squash, season with cumin/salt/pepper/cayenne/whatever and cook down for about another 10 minutes
5. Preheat the oven to 350.

Prepare the tortillas...people do this differently...some steam the tortillas in the microwave, fill and roll them, and cover with sauce, but this way is a bit more decadent.

1. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large fry pan {I use the same one} and then a bit more to medium high

2. In another fry/sauce pan big enough to hold a tortilla, heat up half a bottle {or a whole if you're going to use two bottles total} of the enchilada sauce on medium. At this point I also keep a plate next to the pan with sauce in it.

3. Using tongs, fry each tortilla for about 10 seconds on each side {they may puff up, they'll go down}, dip in the enchilada sauce, let the excess drip off, and place on the plate you have ready. Repeat this for all 12 tortillas.

Assemble the enchiladas...things get messy here! Have your greased 9x13 pan ready to be filled.

1. Have all of your fillings ready to go assembly line-style. Squash and cheese though I add in a wee bit of diced raw onion {saved earlier} and maybe some spinach for extra veggies. You can even throw in a spoonful of enchilada sauce for extra flavor. Make sure you reserve some cheese for the topping.

2. For each tortilla, I approximate how much to fill it with, I use my hands to place in the fillings, then I roll the tortilla and place it seam down in the greased 9x13 pan I have ready. Repeat for all tortillas.

Once all is ready, I pour all of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas {including the sauce I used to dip the tortillas earlier}, cover liberally with cheese, and bake for 10 minutes or so, until the cheese is good and melted.

3. Toppings and "accessories" are so much fun here...toppings: black olives, salsa, cotija cheese, avocado, get creative!...accessories: I'm semi-addicted to white rice but Spanish style rice is also delicious.


Yum!! Have a fabulous weekend wherever you are!
xoxo, natty ♥

So tasty; Eggplant Parmigiana.

In an effort to remember things I've cooked {bonus, the eggplants were from the CSA which is actually why we planned to make this dish} I'm recording Tuesday night's recipe.

I had never done eggplant parmigiana before and it was super easy as long as one is comfortable with frying. If not, the eggplant can be baked at 375 for 25 minutes on each side after being breaded.

Eggplant Parmigiana...this was enough for us both to have two hearty helpings at dinner {we have healthy appetites} and for us each to have a solid lunch the next day {when it tastes even better}. This is adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe.

Ingredients
2 medium eggplants

1 to 2 jars {36 to 50 ounces total, depending on if you like it "wetter"} of marinara/chunky tomato sauce {or make your own!}

2 eggs with 2 tbsp of water, whisked to blend

3/4 of a cup of finely grated Parmesan mixed with 3/4 cup of bread crumbs, 1 tsp of dried oregano, and 1/2 tsp dried basil

olive oil as needed for frying the eggplant

1 and 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, though I always throw in a bit more

2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan to sprinkle on top

Salt and pepper as needed

Directions 
1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Peel and slice eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds or slices or whatever you like. My two eggplants were awkwardly shaped so I had some silver dollar style rounds and some more traditional long strips. And my slices were thinner because that's how I like it.

3. Pour enough olive oil to coat bottom of a large pan and then a bit more and heat to medium-high.

4. While olive oil is heating prepare the "breading station"; in one large bowl put the egg and water mixture. In another, place the Parmesan mixture. Dip the eggplant in the egg, shake off any excess, dip it in the Parmesan mixture, and then fry for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Keep an eye on these guys because my oil always seems to get much hotter as I continue to cook so the cooking time may decrease.

I also fry these guys in batches so that they're not over-crowding each other in the fry pan...I usually have enough to cover the bottom in one layer. I drain each batch on a plate with some paper towels.

5. When the eggplant is all fried up you can begin to assemble to actual dish. I layered eggplant, 1 to 2 cups of sauce {depending on how much sauce you want}, and half the mozzarella, then repeat. I add a bit of extra mozzarella on the top, sprinkle with some Parmesan, and then bake for 20 minutes.

6. Let the dish sit for at least 5 minutes before you dig in.


It was SO GOOD for lunch the next day too.
 
xoxo, natty ♥

Vegetables.

Today's take-home minus the eggs in the fridge and an eggplant that went into tonight's eggplant parmigiana.

"I'm not afraid to fry things...I'm not afraid to fry things."

I'm excited for the okra!!! 

Basil, jalapeños, garlic, okra, cauliflower, squash, potatoes, a basil plant, green pepper, cucumbers.

xoxo, natty ♥

Ah-ha.

It WAS too much pulsing, as my friend Rebecca pointed out to me, that turned yesterday's pesto daaaarrrrk green.

And I remembered this morning that I totally didn't add in garlic.

Yuck, no garlic.

Good thing I can get as much basil as I want again this week so maybe there will be round #2 of pesto coming up.

Happy Saturday!
xoxo, natty ♥

What went wrong?

Part of our CSA this week was as much basil as one could want.

So I grabbed a solid gallon bag's worth and got down to work on some pesto today.

I had made pesto last year that was super yummy so I was looking forward to this big batch.

And it came out looking like smashed spinach. But it tasked ok at least.

I went off the usual pesto recipes of  :basil, nuts {I used almonds because pine nuts are pricey and we always have almonds around}, some parmesan, and enough olive oil to be at the consistency I liked after many pulses of the food processor.

I think maybe our food processor is too big for a batch like this? Even though there was a lot of basil in there I think it might have been too spread out for the blades so it took many, many pulses and maybe that's what made it such a dark green.

Oh well. Like I said, it tasted good and when frozen into cubes like this it's enough for a year's worth of impromptu pesto dinners.

What's on your weekend agenda folks?? Do you have any pesto solutions??

xoxo, natty ❤

Quite a haul.

xoxo, natty ♥

Back.

We're back and it's muggy and hot; quite a change from 40s and 50s.
I'm getting back on track slowly and will have plenty to report later this week.
Until then, see if you can correctly identify all of these veggies and I'll post what they actually are tomorrow!

Here's to Tuesday!
xoxo, natty ♥

Summer CSA #3.

The most recent collection; next week is on hiatus since we're going to be out of the country.

xoxo, natty ♥

Summer CSA #2.

This past week's haul...yippee!

xoxo, natty ♥

Packaging.

Just a bit more vegetable related things so that I can remember for now and then I'll back off.

When I unloaded the stuff Tuesday night, there were a couple of things I had to do.

Since these guys come directly from a farm and it's a farm that doesn't use pesticides/herbicides/fertilizers {they're pretty crunchy over there!}, there's dirt and there are hanger-ons {see Wednesday's photo}. I'm OK with all of this and kind of like it : I've been to the farm and seen where the stuff comes from and the messiness is pretty indicative of how produce is grown - in dirt and bugs. I still buy bags of pre-washed lettuce from the grocery store, don't get me wrong, but I'm appreciating this reminder.

So, everything got a good washing and drying {the eggs too, they still had some "farm" on them} and then I packaged it all. Because of the waste I feel kind of "meh" about using plastic baggies for the stuff but for now they work best for me and we use our Pyrex containers pretty regularly for prepared food and don't have enough to dedicate just to this. I add in a paper towel to the bags of greens so that it can absorb excess moisture and prevent the leaves from getting soggy/gross. I put my mint in a cup of water {on the counter} to inject some life back into it.

That's it! Have a lovely Friday and weekend!

xoxo, natty ♥

Summer CSA #1.

Here's the haul from this week.

This was our first time with this farm and I'm happy with this spread. The plants we get might be an issue because we have nowhere to put them but I'm thinking about "plant-bombing" the landscaping of our building and just putting them in the ground during the middle of the day when no-one's looking.

And for my own sake of remembering what I do and being accountable : so far we've used lettuce in a salad {boring but good}, chives and eggs in a quiche, garlic scapes {which are just the young garlic plant minus the actual garlic and they can be used in lieu of regular garlic} in black beans and salsa, dried the oregano, and are planning to make mojitos tonight.

There's also a garlic scape/white bean spread I've been eying but I didn't love the recipe so I might make up my own.

This is a weekly CSA and it's full of greens {which don't last long} so we need to be pretty deliberate about making sure we get this all in.

Are you CSA-ing it up this season? Any tips/suggestions on some of this stuff {kohlrabi}?
xoxo, natty ♥

Impromptu randomness.

We've been doing a semi-vegetarian thing since we moved to DC; it's cheap and good for our hearts. We'll eat meat here and there but I've enjoyed trying new recipes and saving money and being conscientious, etc.

But when I told Mike I was stopping at the grocery store on my way home tonight {for grilled cheese accoutrements} and I asked if I should pick up anything else, he said "steaks?" 
 
So I did. 

And they were delicious.

Some other things floating around in my mind...

- We just watched "The Office"; I love that show and am going to miss it when it wraps up this season.

- I just emailed in to reserve a spot in a spring/summer CSA. I'm really excited about this once since it's going to be more varied produce {not just squash, apples, & potatoes!}, it will be each week from June through October, AND it includes a little potted plant every other delivery or so.

- I just KNOW that the trees and shrubs will explode with green in about three weeks' time and I am anxiously awaiting that development.

- Easter so soon?

- I don't visit Target as much as I used to in San Jose. Mostly because it's not conveniently located on my route home. But that means, apart from saving some $$$s by not buying useless stuff, that we haven't had ANY Easter candy. We didn't have any Valentine's sweets either. Me thinks I can amend this. 

I hope that your week has been productive {but not quite productive as in The Vatican? Habemus Papam. [#we♥Jesuits]} and that you have a nice little weekend planned.
xoxo, natty ♥

Drizzly.

It's raining today in a very drizzly {gross} sort of way. But. I persisted and got out for a run this morning {glory BE!}. Then I walked to pick up our CSA haul for the next two weeks {lettuce! eggs! apples!}. After a home-made brunch and some thank you note writing, I'm still enjoying being inside and away from the weather. This American Life is playing on the radio and I'll start some earnest primping in the next hour or so. We're going to a dinner type-thing tonight and girlfriend's gotta look good. Or at least try.
I hope that your weekend is going well and do you have any idea what we could possibly do with so many apples?!?! I've earmarked several recipes in my Joy of Cooking but I'm worried it won't be enough...
xoxo, natty ♥

Warmth.

Today brought some freakishly warm temperatures of which I am most certainly NOT complaining.

I got this online, for free, legitimately, I swear. This is also really kind of cheesy but maybe I would love to do all fo these things and check them off the list???

Let's think about some other niceties.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
1} There's a wedding coming up! Becs! & Josh! I can't come up with words to do this justice but suffice it to say, it's an overload of emotion for me as a happy friend.

2} Not to mention...Ellie! & Andrew! are celebrating their special union next year too and, again, I'm feeling SUCH love and happiness for these four wonderful individuals, I don't want to try and describe it because it would be inadequate.
But I'm full of love and I know they are too.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
3} There are some poinsettia and a winter wreath outside of someone's {ours} front {& only} door!!!!

We don't have any natural lighting in the hall which is why these pictures never look that great but I must chronicle for myself here.

4} We received sunchokes in our CSA last week.
They look like scary pieces of ginger.

But when made into a creamy leek-sunchoke soup that is blended together, they taste like a more savory yet less-rich artichoke and it is a divine and decadent dish.
YUM and Woo Hoo to trying new things.

5} Did I mention how happy I am for the friends listed in #1 and #2 above? I really am.

What was your first weekend of Advent like? Are you planning any yule-time activities? I think we may forgo the tree since we're gone most of the month anyway, but I'm rooting for at least something small and piney. Wholefoods is selling ridiculously overpriced table-top live trees that might just be the ticket.
xoxo, natty ♥

Hodgepodge; October 2012.

A bit of a brain dump for y'all.

*   We had a great and exciting time volunteering last night! Prost!

*   As I said, I am really pumped about our Winter CSA. I mentioned it HERE. We'll be receiving a twice-monthly bounty that includes cheese, yogurt, and eggs. The first installment was plentiful! I'll be tackling butter beans this week and a variety of other leafy greens that we still have.

*   Yes, I'm still mentally keeping track of my 101/1'001which I EEK haven't update for you all since May. Life got the better of me but I have not forgotten! Perhaps in November there will be a Mega-Update.

*   Earlier this week I started a great book. A few years ago I read "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls and I've been thinking about it since. It's a haunting memoir and such an engaging novel. The book I finished this week is Jeannette's subsequent novel entitled "Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel" and it's a historical memoir of her grandmother. Both pieces are, like I said, haunting. I highly suggest both books.

*   The weather is roller-coasting all over the place. It's been very pleasant, I will say that much, but there was CRAZY rain Friday afternoon {I was driving and it felt like a person was throwing buckets of water onto my car} and then it's about to go back up to the mid-high seventies. I'm really loving the leaves and warm breezes!!! But I could do without the buckets of rain.
We're carving pumpkins next weekend; YES!!!!

I hope that your weekend was fruitful and that you are feeling rested and well prepared for the week ahead!
xoxo, natty ♥