What I did with my Door to Door Organics box LAST week....

I'll start off by stating the obvious - I'm a week behind.  I've been tied up with a couple of projects this week and haven't had much spare time to think.  Better late than never, though, right? 

I kind of had a theme going on with my cooking last week of quick standby's that can be made up a thousand different ways and are perfect for using whatever you have in the fridge.  Ok, that is my theme every week, but last week it was considerably apparent.  I'm talking omelets, quesadillas, salads, lacto-fermented veggies, and fritters.  You can look at these more as methods instead of exact recipes.  Play around with them and I bet you could remake them in some way, shape, or form every week using whatever is in your box.  I was informed by my family that I could make omelets any time I wanted, so there you go.  Give it a try for a quick and easy dinner and you might just find something new to add your rotation.

Now in case you are wondering, here is what found its way into my box last week:

1 lb Zucchini
2 lb Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 ea. Spinach
1 ea. Romaine Lettuce
1 lb Leeks
1 ea. Green Chard
2 ea. Cucumbers
1 ea. Carrots with Tops
1 ea. Broccoli
1 ea. Strawberries
4 ea. Navel Oranges
1 ea. Mangoes
6 ea. Danjou Pears
6 ea. Braeburn Apples
1 ea. Avocado

And let the weekly recap begin...

1.  Jamie Oliver's Zucchini Fritters - Lots of people are asking what they can do with their zucchini and this week I have an amazing fritter recipe for you. It comes from "Cook with Jamie" by Jamie Oliver. I promise this recipe will have you smiling when you see zucchini in your box!

4 zucchini
1 large free-range or organic egg
1 tsp white pepper
1 heaped tablespoon flour
1 fresh red chili, deseeded and finely chopped ( I used cayenne pepper) a bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped
1 lemon, zested and quartered
a handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese sea salt grape seed oil
1/2 tsp cumin

Remove the ends from the zucchini and cut them lengthways into quarters. Remove the fluffy white center from each one with your knife (don't throw it out - use it in smoothies!). Then slice the zucchini up into matchsticks - don't worry about being precise and perfect, just do the best you can.  Try to make them as thin as possible, though.

Separate the egg and put the white into one bowl and the yolk into another. Add the zucchini matchsticks, white pepper, flour, chili, mint, lemon zest and parmesan to the yolk and mix up with your hands.

Whip the egg white with a pinch of salt until stiff, then carefully fold it into the zucchini mixture.

Put a couple of tablespoons of oil into the pan and add 5 or 6 bundles of the mixture. Sprinkle with some cumin and cook the fritters on a medium heat, about 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden.

Serve on a platter with the lemon quarters.

2.  Potato Quesadillas - This is a popular street vendor food in Mexico.  They remind me of perogies.  You can make just anything into a quesadilla.  This is such a great way to use up leftovers.  I made homemade quinoa tortillas; although, you can use store bought.  Here's how you make a Potato Quesadilla:  Slice your potatoes very thin (preferably with a mandolin slicer) and cook over medium heat in a skillet with one onion, sliced, and 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil for about 10 minutes.  You want the potatoes to be just cooked, but not falling apart.  Remove from the heat and heat another griddle or skillet over medium-high heat.  Add a small amount of oil to the pan.  Spoon some potatoes on one half of a tortilla.  Top with some cheese (I just used parmesan). Fold the tortilla in half over the potatoes.  Toast each side of the quesadilla for a couple of minutes or until the cheese has melted.  Serve with sour cream and salsa.

3.  Umeboshi Broccoli Salad - This is one of my favorite salads spawned from the traditional salad with broccoli, bacon, sunflower seeds, raisins, and tons of mayo.  Instead of mayo I use a dressing made of cucumbers and tangy umeboshi paste.  There are so may tastes going on that it leaves you completely satisfied.  Click here for the recipe.

4.  Chard Omelet - Another great way to (1) use veggies and (2) make something quick on these beautiful evenings when the last thing you want to do (even me) is be in the kitchen all night.  The key to a good omelet is good eggs and you can't buy good eggs from the store!  I get farm-fresh, pastured eggs from Parker Farms, as well as, a couple of other dealers I can count on when I'm running low between my regular CSA deliveries.  Making omelets takes some practice (and patience), but once you get it, you get it.  Here's how it's done:

Beat 3 eggs with 1 tablespoon milk and a little salt and pepper.  Heat an 8 inch skillet over medium heat and then add one tablespoon butter or coconut oil (swirl it around to coat the pan).  Once it's melted, add the egg mixture and let it cook for about 30 seconds so it forms a nice layer on the bottom.  Now with a rubber spatula begin to push the edges of the egg towards the middle so the uncooked portions are filling the perimeter.  Continue for a couple of minutes until the omelet is mostly cooked.  Be sure the pan is not hot enough so that it is browning the eggs.  You want to keep it moving so everything is getting cooked but portions are not getting overcooked.  Now it's time to add your filling.  I like to do a half-fold, so I put my fillings on one half and then, in one motion, slide the omelet out of the pan and fold the unfilled half over the filling.  Perfect!

For my chard filling, I cleaned and destemmed my chard and then put it in a glass dish (with water still on the leaves).  Cover and microwave for just a couple minutes so it begins to melt.  Now saute it in a little coconut oil, chopped garlic, and a tiny bit of crushed red pepper.  Once it's fully cooked grate a tiny bit of fresh nutmeg over it.  Careful not to do too much - you're not going for pumpkin pie!  You can do this with literally any green and it always goes well in an omelet with feta (or your favorite) cheese. 

5.  Summer Salad - The salad you see above is inspired by one that I love at Yard House.  I start making it at home just as soon strawberries make their appearance in the spring.  Lettuce is tossed with thinly sliced leeks, strawberries, candied walnuts, avocado, and oranges and is dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette.  My version of the walnuts is made by mixing a tablespoon of honey with a tablespoon of water and heating for 20 seconds in the microwave.  Add a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper and stir.  Toss with walnuts and the bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.  I use this basic dressing and add feta cheese.  I think I had this every day for lunch last week! 

6.  Pickles - I am really into lacto-fermenting right now and I'm trying to lacto-ferment something every week. Last week it was beets.  This week it's cucumbers.  This is a topic discussed in great detail in Nourishing Traditions.  Here is a great article from Weston A. Price Foundation where you can read all about the many health benefits. In summary, lacto-fermenting is method of preservation using salt and/or whey.  The result is the presence of "good" bacteria aiding in digestion, increasing vitamin levels, and providing an array of healthy enzymes that, again, you can read all about here.  The pickles I made is a recipe straight from Nourishing Traditions.  For the two cucumbers I received, here is how I made the pickles: 

Slice cucumbers into desired shape (round slices, spears, etc.).  Add to a 1 qt. sized mason jar.  In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of water, 4 tablespoons of whey, 1 tablespoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (Note:  If you do not have whey available, use a little extra sea salt.  Be warned, though, they will be quite salty).  Pour mixture over cucumbers and add water to fully cover.  Put the lid on and leave at room temperature for 2 days then move to the refrigerator and enjoy.

7.  Avocado Dressing - Here is a very tasty dressing from Elana's Pantry.  Creamy avocado with a splash of lemon and olive oil.  I tossed it with the romaine lettuce, thawed frozen sweet corn, and feta cheese.  The picture is sort of funny.  My brother and his family came over for dinner and I forgot to get a picture before everyone dug in.

8.  Homemade Applesauce - This is one of my family's favorite things.  All of us love it, so it doesn't last long.  Heck, EJ alone can wipe out a quart in one day...which he did.  Typically, I would make this in the fall when apples are so abundant, but I wanted to have some around for a recipe I was going to try out.  Guess I'll have to wait on that!  I don't know if you can really call my applesauce a "recipe" since all I do is core and quarter the apples and bake them at 350 for about an hour.  Once they are very soft I run them through the food mill and voila.  No sugar or anything.  It's the best applesauce I've ever had!

That just leaves the carrots, spinach, mangos, pears, and oranges.  We just ate the fruit whole - nothing special there.  The carrots went into a pot of beans, as well as, smoothies.  The spinach went into smoothies, too, similar to the one here.  Overall, a successful week!