Change of Plans and Good News

I’m often told that my thoughts run in various directions (surely a sign of genius...) and this couldn’t be more true than in my approach to planning menus. My original menu vision is transformed as I consider my guests and their taste, the need for a balance between food groups, and, since I'm new at this, the reality check of how long it will take to pull it all together. Not only does the menu change, but since I enjoy taking creative risks, I tend to depart from ingredient lists and recipe instructions. It is for this reason that the links to recipes in this post should really serve as a guideline for technique. If you're interested in knowing what I did differently, just send me an e-mail and I'll give you the scoop along with what I did (or wished I didn't do) to tweak it.

Given the variety and quantity of vegetables and fruits that were delivered to me this week, I wanted to incorporate as many of them as possible in every dish. Here are a few of the notable creations: The collards, carrots, and celery became a hearty collard green and cannellini bean soup; the apples and bananas gave a welcome sweetness to healthy oat bran muffins; the oranges were used in a tangy citrus and tamarind marinade for baked chicken; the broccoli was steamed and dressed in olive oil, red pepper flakes, and parmesan cheese; and the zucchini, potatoes, and onion were used in a frittata that puffed up into a golden Sunday brunch treat.

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This isn't the food plan that I originally had in mind, but the diversion makes sense because today’s plan took an unexpected turn as you'll soon read. Heading in a new direction is refreshing and inspiring, I say. Hey, who knows what direction this blog will go in? While I ponder this question, my husband is enjoying a second helping of the frittata.

As far as life changes go, our friends and to-be brunch guests, Andrew and Robin Halpern, experienced perhaps the biggest one of all last night, when they became first-time parents of a baby boy, slightly earlier than expected. Needless to say, they were unable to join us today. I can’t wait to meet their little guy, Noah Alexander, and if he’s anything like his dad, Robin really has her hands full!

Speaking of full, my fridge is full of leftovers, so just give a call if you want to swing by for dinner.

As a side note, this happens to be the third time that our plans with pregnant friends resulted in labor—so, if you’re looking to get that little one out, forget the long walks and third-trimester sex, and just set a date with us!

Yes, We Have Bananas...and Tamarind Paste!

After an afternoon lesson on the ins and outs of blogging (thank you, Lindsey!), I was able to make a quick trip to Kalustyan's, a ridiculously well-stocked specialty food store, to snag some exotic "support" ingredients -- including tamarind concentrate -- to heighten the flavors of this week's all-star produce lineup. I'll be working on a hopefully memorable meal for our dear friends and neighbors, Andrew and Robin Halpern, who will be joining us for brunch on Sunday. It will be our last get together before they are brought into the parenthood fold and, who knows, Andrew might just rope me into catering the bris if he likes his meal (if it's a boy, of course)...

This week's box includes red leaf lettuce, carrots, red potatoes, spinach, zucchini, broccoli (which means another shot at Broccomole!), collard greens, Vedalia onions, grapefruit, Valencia oranges, peaches, Red Delicious apples, nectarines, black plums, and yes, bananas.

Stay tuned for more on our pre-baby brunch...

Let the Games Begin

Now for a little catch-up, since I started this blog several days after I received my first box (second time around) of organic fruits and veggies. I am pleased to report that I wasn't nearly as overwhelmed by the bounty as I was a few years ago when I first signed up for Urban Organic. It certainly helps to be home more often and with the boys now able to sit up by themselves and play together, I can really get to work.

So, here's what was included in my box from last Wednesday: carrots, corn, red kale, red leaf lettuce, cucumber, broccoli, Yukon Gold potatoes, spinach, peaches, Gala apples, Valencia oranges, bananas, nectarines, Packham pears, and grapefruit.

Yikes! It was certainly more produce than I'd ever purchase on my own at once but I'm resolved to not let any of it go to waste.

At least there was a nice assortment of hand fruit, so the peaches, nectarines, apples, and pears have been slowly dissapearing as healthy mid-meal snacks. I made one very basic dinner (with the corn and potatoes and--ahem--a store-bought roast chicken) the evening of the delivery and used the bulk of it this past weekend.

The corn was easy street; just a quick boil and they were perfect with a little salt. I steamed the potatoes, quartered them, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and Herbes de Provence, and put them under the broiler to get crispy brown and bubbly on the outside.

I was able to use several of the other items in a meal that I prepared over the weekend for our good friends and bloggers, newlyweds Lindsey and Evan of The Country Weekenders. They were very surprised to see that I actually cooked instead of putting out the usual bagels and cream cheese (our weekend mainstay since the birth of our twins, who were the lucky recipients of mashed bananas and pureed apples and pears!).

I wanted to use the spinach in a strata (a simple breakfast casserole) but decided to use a different store-bought veggie combo for it instead. I then used the spinach to make a Spinach Pesto that I would freeze for use later on. However, I decided to get a little creative and fold the pesto into cream cheese for a yummy dip that I served with cut up carrots (which honestly taste a lot better than those baby carrots that I always have around).

Back to the strata for those that are curious: I ended up buying asparagus, mushrooms, and red bell peppers for use in a Asparagus Strata recipe which I tweaked a bit by adding the mushrooms, using turkey sausage as the protein, and whole wheat bread instead of French bread. I think the bread needed to be stale so that it would absorb the milk and cheese mixture better, but it was otherwise flavorful. This was my second time making it, but I still have to try it again.

The one item in the box that I've never worked with was the red kale. Kale has such a tough consistency and since I'd never used it, I set out to find the simplest of recipes and ended up following a super easy one for Kale Salad. The kale took on a more mellow crunch once boiled and tasted great with the sesame oil and soy sauce dressing. I also served a refreshing Cucumber Salad but made it my own by using rice vinegar.

Not only did I prep a meal, but I scored extra points by creating a beverage: I used cucumbers and apples to make a refreshing infused water that looked beautiful on the table.

For dessert, I served a somewhat rustic platter of orange, pear, and apple wedges along with a selection of sweet scones (and thanks to Lindsey and Evan for bringing those delicious cherry's, strawberries, and grapes!).

I had wanted to use the broccoli to try a Broccomole recipe (how cool is that?! broccoli instead of avocado...) to serve at brunch but was too tired since the boys are teething and not sleeping well. I had a little more energy to take it on last night -- not that it's even that complicated -- but discovered that my husband had been munching on the broccoli with some hummus throughout the weekend. Perhaps I'll get more broccoli in the box that will arrive this Wednesday so that I'll get another chance at that fun dip.

I used the red leaf lettuce and some remaining cucumber along with a tomato in a salad that I enjoyed for lunch yesterdat along with a turkey sandwich that included some of my spinach pesto cream cheese. With the grapefruit as breakfast this morning, every item was used and I look forward to my next box!

So, who wants to come over for brunch this weekend??

Welcome to Produce Mamma!

About two years ago, I was plagued by nightmares of rotting artichokes, yellowing cucumbers, and soggy fiddlehead ferns (what the heck are fiddlehead ferns anyway??). This newly found produce anxiety was an odd addition to my usual repertoire of neuroses surrounding work deadlines, air travel, and the clutter that had become of my closet....and I had brought it on myself! It all came about after a lovely summertime jaunt through a neighborhood street fair here in Manhattan where I decided that it would be a smart move to sign up for a local organic produce delivery service called Urban Organic. What fun, I thought! A weekly delivery of fresh organic produce that I would whip up into gastronomical delights for my new husband and friends!

Little did I realize that I had pretty much no time for such kitchen craftiness, what with my crazy job and being too slow in the kitchen as a novice home cook. Week after week, the fresh produce would wilt and wither away and I would be grief-stricken at having let it go to waste. The nightmares had to end and so I had to cancel my membership.

Fast forward to present day: I am home with my lovely 7-month old twin boys and have some time on my hands (thanks to our wonderful babysitter and their somewhat regular nap times!). Since healthy food is now more important to me than ever, I've decided to give Urban Organic another shot. I'll be posting about the contents of my weekly organic produce delivery -- which I can't select in advance, it is whatever the service bulk-buys from the farms that week-- and what I decide to create with the vegetables and fruits before the next box arrives. I hope that you'll find inspiration in my recipe decisions and please feel free to post your own ideas to help me reach my culinary goal!