What we ate for dinner

We are well over a month into the first year of the CSA, and let it be known that, so far, I’m winning. Yes, vegetable eating has become a competitive sport around here. It’s more me vs. the crisper drawers than me vs. Sara (she’s more of a hapless bystander). So far, I’ve eaten my weight in rhubarb, figured out that garlic scapes go with just about everything, and snuck parsnips into every dish I could think of (although I did not repeat the parsnip frosting disaster of ‘03).  Last week I actually reached parsnip 0 in the fridge. This hasn’t happened in weeks. This week, I had to buy extra vegetables because I ran out. I am so winning!

Here’s a recipe I came up with to use up all those parsnips. You could mix it up with other root vegetables — carrots would be especially nice in this, I think.

Roasted Parsnip Spread
Good as a sandwich spread or as a dip for veggies or pita

3/4 C red lentils
3 parsnips cut into 1-inch chunks
3 garlic scapes cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tsp dried rosemary
salt
olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 2. Put red lentils in a small pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil over med-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are cooked (about 15 minues). Drain and set aside.
3. While lentils are cooking, arrange parsnips and garlic scapes on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with rosemary and a couple pinches of salt. Drizzle with about 1-2 Tbsp olive oil and toss to coat vegetables. Roast in oven until parsnips are tender and slightly browned (about 20-30 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
4. In a food processor, combine lentils, roasted vegetables, vinegar (or lemon juice), and salt & pepper to taste. Process until smooth and adjust seasonings to taste.

One of my very best friends just moved back to Minnesota from California. And, since I haven’t started Summer classes, I actually had a little time to spend with him, so I invited him over for dinner and whipped up some green curry. Our beer pairing was Bell’s Oberon Ale, and we followed the whole thing with ice cream from Pumphouse, a little walk, and a long long talk. Perfect!

Green Curry with Tofu and Hon Tsai Tai
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine via Epicurious

1 14oz pkg extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1 inch cubes
3 Tbsp vegetable oil, separated
1 medium onion sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp green curry paste
salt
2 small-medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 14oz can light coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 bunch hon tsai tai, stems removed and coarsely chopped
chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime cut into wedges

1. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add tofu and fry, turning every few minutes until browned on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp oil in large frying pan. Add onion and cook until softened (about 3-4 minutes).
3. Add garlic, curry paste, a good sprinkling of salt, and cook for 1 minute more.
4 Add sweet potatoes, coconut milk, and water, and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer until sweet potatoes are tender (about 5 minutes).
6. Add hon tsai tai and simmer until wilted (just a minute or 2)
7. Add cilantro to taste and remove from heat.
8. Serve over jasmine rice with lime wedges.

Our first CSA box came from Harmony Valley last week, and it was everything I dreamed of. It was all I could do to not sprint the 3 blocks to our pickup location (I definitely would have had Sara not been walking with me). Upon returning home with our bounty, I immediately put some asparagus in the oven to roast for dinner.

Figuring out what to do with the rest was more of a challenge, but I made a master plan for using everything and we’ve done pretty well so far — especially since it’s finals time. There’s a lot to cover, so I’ll have to do these posts in installments. Here’s a recipe I came up with to use up a good portion of our vegetable abundance:

Lemony Lentil & Spring Vegetable Salad

3/4 C French lentils
3/4 C pearl barley
2-3 C parsnips chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
5 sunchokes peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
6 garlic cloves, peeled
6 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 bunch ramp bulbs sliced thin
4 radishes sliced
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 large or 2 medium lemons
salt
black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add lentils and barley and boil until tender — but not mushy (about 20-30 minutes).  Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
3. Toss parsnips, sunchokes, and garlic cloves with olive oil, spread on a rimmed baking sheet, and roast in the oven, stirring occasionally (or, not at all if you’re forgetful like me) until partially browned (about 20-30 minutes).
4. In a large bowl, combine cooked lentil mixture and roasted parsnip mixture with ramps, radishes,  lemon zest & juice, remaining 4 Tbsp olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste.

Never heard of a sunchoke? Neither have most people. This was the first time I’d cooked with them and I think roasting is the way to go — it seems to bring out their artichokey flavor. They’re hell to peel, though — look at all the nubs:

Time: 45 minutes

Last week was all about beans. I usually try to think of two very different dishes each week so that we have some variety for our taste buds. Sometimes this works better than others. Sometimes (like last week), I manage to get very different flavors with similar ingredients. I probably wouldn’t do a bean-bean pairing again, though.

Recipe 1: Black Bean Chilaquiles

This recipe comes from one of my favorite everyday cookbooks, Jack Bishop’s A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, but I did manage to find the recipe online for those of you who don’t own it. Chilaquiles are always a hit over here. Sara made some guacamole to go with hers, but I am (sadly) allergic to avocados.

Recipe 2: White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup

This soup is a hodge-podge of things I had on hand, and things that looked good at the co-op. Substitute ingredients as you see fit.

White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 med onions diced
2 celery stalks diced
2 carrots diced
4 garlic cloves minced
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 yam diced
2 15oz cans white beans
salt
4 Cups vegetable broth
1 Cup orzo or other small pasta
1 bunch swiss chard, stems and leaves chopped
2 tsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot.
2. Add onions, celery, and carrots and saute until carrots are tender (about 10 minutes)
3. Add some salt, and the rosemary and garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes more.
4. Add the yam and saute for 2 more minutes
5. Add beans (with liquid) and vegetable broth, and some more salt and bring to a boil
6. Reduce to a simmer and add orzo. Simmer until orzo is cooked through (about 10 minutes)
7. Add chard leaves and stems and simmer until stalks are tender (about 4 minutes)
8. Add vinegar (or lemon juice) and more salt to taste.

Here’s everything all packaged up for us to pack in our school/work bags.

Time: 2 hours

We are eating Sara’s favorite meal this week — mock duck stew! For those of you who don’t live in an area abounding with mock duck (aka Minneapolis), basically it’s some flavored wheat gluten, so you could probably make this with seitan.

Recipe 1: Mock Duck Stew

Mock Duck Stew
(serve over egg noodles)

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion diced
6 shallots sliced thinly (in rings)
salt
4 garlic cloves minced
3 med yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 carrots sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
2 10oz cans mock duck, chopped into 1-inch pieces, liquid reserved
1/2 – 3/4 C red cooking wine
3 C vegetable broth

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions and shallots and saute until they turn translucent & then begin to caramelize a little (add wine as needed to deglaze the pan)
3. Sprinkle on some salt and add the garlic. Saute 1-2 minutes more
4. Add potatoes and carrots and saute for 3 more minutes. Sprinkle with a little more salt.
5. Add mock duck and its liquid, remainder of the wine, vegetable broth, and a little more salt (feel free to add a little more broth or water if it doesn’t quite cover the vegetables).
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes and carrots are tender (about 20-30 minutes).
7. Cook some egg noodles while the stew is simmering, and then serve stew over noodles.

A note about salt: My friend Kate who is a fantastic chef taught me to salt at every level to enhance the flavor. Basically, I add a little salt every time I add an ingredient (or group of ingredients). I don’t tend to measure the salt, but it works.

Recipe 2: Snobby Joes

The other thing we’re eating this week are some snobby joes which I found the recipe for in Veganomicon, but you can find it over at the ppk. These don’t hold a candle to mock duck stew, but they’re pretty good. Imagine your childhood sloppy joes, but substitute lentils for meat — it’s a different mouth feel, but a similar taste. Three notes: (1.) Use half the amount of chili powder. (2.) Doubling the recipe results in a LOT of food. Only do this if you’re planning to share. (3.) I left out the tomato paste & didn’t miss it.

Time: 1.5 hours

Soundtrack: Sara’s painting playlist

p.s. Hey, according to the New York Times, keeping your camera in the kitchen is all the rage now. I have a trendy neurosis!

I don’t come from a touchy-feely sort of family, but last week I felt compelled (in the midst of peeling butternut squash and juicing lemons) to call my mother to thank her for cooking healthy meals for us while I was growing up. The impetus: An MPR story on childhood obesity. I realize now what a privilege it was to grow up expecting a home-cooked meal every day — even when my mom was working, grandma would cook for us, or my sister and I would cook with our aunt and serve up meals as part of our favorite game, Starlight Cafe.

My mother’s nonchalant response to this: We lived in the middle of nowhere — where would we have gone out to eat?

True enough. But still, I’m grateful.

And what was I peeling that squash for? Two winner meals this week: a soup and salad that were perfect for the spring weather.

Recipe 1: Lemon Lentil Spinach Soup

This recipe is one of mine:

Lemon Lentil Spinach Soup
Makes 5-6 servings

2 Tbs olive oil
2 onions diced
3 celery ribs diced
2 medium carrots diced
coarse kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
zest of 2 lemons
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 1/2 C red lentils
1/4 C red cooking wine
5 C vegetable broth
3/4 lb baby spinach leaves
juice of 2 lemons

1.  Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and carrots, and saute until carrots are tender (about 7 minutes). Use some of the wine for deglazing if necessary.
2. Add garlic, cumin, lemon zest, and a good sprinkling of salt, and saute for about 2 minutes.
3. Add lentils and some more salt and saute for 1 minute more.
4. Add cooking wine and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then turn down head and simmer, covered, until lentils are cooked (about 20 minutes).
5. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted (3-5 minutes).
6. Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice.
7. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.

I served it with crusty bread and a dollop of cumin yogurt (1 C yogurt + 1/2 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp ground cumin).

Recipe 2: Warm Wild Rice Salad from Hola Jalapeno

We got our fill of asparagus last week, so I made this with chickpeas instead (also a good way to add protein since we were eating it as a main course). I doubled the recipe and we had so much we were able to eat it every day and still have some leftover to freeze. It was super tasty, but I think I need a break now.

Time: 2 hours

Soundtrack: aforementioned MPR story

Yikes! How did I get behind on blogging over spring break? I blame it partially on homework and midterms due over this alleged break, partially on my job, partially on a plethora of Aries birthdays, and more substantially on my recent discovery of Ru Paul’s Drag Race.

Rest assured, we did eat last week in spite of distraction, and in spite of the burns and cuts (still healing) I sustained in preparation.

Recipe 1: Warm barley, mushroom and asparagus salad from the Joy of Cooking.

I tend to think of Joy as a cookie cookbook, but thought I’d branch out & try a salad. It was nice and lemony. Lesson learned: asparagus is maybe a bit too potent to eat every day of the week.

Recipe 2: Mole skillet pie with greens from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

Basically, this pie is made of beans and greens (in our case, swiss chard) mixed with mole and baked with corn bread on top. It was a bit labor intensive because I had to make the mole (even more so because I spilled the first batch of spice mix all over the floor).  It was tasty though, and could benefit from adding even more veggies. Also, it’s good with cheese and sour cream, if you’re into those things (yes, I just suggested adding dairy to a vegan recipe — it is straight up anarchy over here!).

Time: 3 hours

Soundtrack: Marketplace, The World, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

The much-anticipated festivities for Sara’s birthday begin this week. It’s a pretty big deal, so we chose two dishes that don’t take a lot of time to make.
Up first: falafel

Falafel is one thing I refuse to make from a box/mix, because it’s so easy and tastes so much better homemade. I’ve been trying out some different recipes — this time I used Mark Bittman’s. It was a little dry, but we left out the onions due to a miscommunication, so I’m not ready to make a final judgment yet.

Second, I’ve been wanting to try to make vegetarian pho for a while now, and since I stocked up on noodles recently, this seemed like a good time to go for it. I snagged this recipe via Google and left out the cloves because I didn’t have any. Apparently I’m a little off this week. Let’s hope things go better with Sara’s birthday cake.

Time: 1 hour

Soundtrack: The Moth Radio Hour

This week we’re eating two recipes from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Vegan With A Vengeance, plus some extras.

Meal number one is my all-time favorite food ever: samosa filling. The recipe is actually for samosas, but after making them a couple of times I figured why bother with cutting out dough when I can just skip to the best part? I feel similarly about pie crusts/filling although I’m beginning to appreciate crusts more as I age get better at making them. Served with rice and kale mostly because I felt a little guilty about calling a bowl full of potatoes a complete meal.

Second up is mango ginger tofu. You can find the recipe for this over at the Post Punk Kitchen.

The marinade took some extra time, and doesn’t have quite the flavor I’d expected (it lacks the salty flavor I like in a baked tofu), but paired with some simple cabbage slaw (cabbage + oil, vinegar, lemon, salt, & pepper), and delicious bread from the New French Bakery, it makes a very good and filling sandwich.

Time: 2 hours plus 40 minutes in the morning to prepare tofu marinade

Soundtrack: Sara’s painting playlist

This is probably obvious by now, but I don’t eat meat. My wife eats meat, but not at home because I don’t cook it and she won’t cook it (it’s a level of cutting-board consciousness that I don’t think either of us is up for). People often inquire about how we get along, but as you can see, we manage. Sara spent some time as a vegetarian and doesn’t miss it most of the time.

Still, there are times when even I wonder if I’m pushing it.

“Honey, this week, for dinner, I’m going to make a pie with quinoa, kale, and an entire head of Romaine lettuce”

“Sounds good,” she replies without flinching.

That, my friends, is trust.

The recipe was Myra Kornfeld’s Greens and Quinoa Pie from the most recent issue of Vegetarian Times (sorry, the recipe link won’t be up until next month).  I substituted kale for chicory (because, seriously, where would I find chicory in Minnesota right now) more than doubled the amount of cheese it called for (because, seriously, I live in Minnesota), and served it with roasted carrots. The verdict: pretty good. The flavor is subdued, which is to say, I’m not raving about it, but I’d make it again.

To balance out the possibility of disaster, our second meal was something I knew we’d both love: Yakisoba inspired by this recipe in the New York Times.

I omitted the pork & cabbage in favor of broccoli, baby bok choy, shredded carrots, and mock duck. Also, I doubled the sauce (using tamarind paste in place of 1/2 of the ketchup) and used 24oz of noodles which, in case you were wondering, is almost more than will fit in my wok.  Verdict: noodley goodness.

Time: 2.5 hours

Soundtrack: The Local Show