Peanut Chicken Soba Salad

 Adapted from Peanut Chicken Soba Salad Cooking Light 2004

 This is a great idea for a delicious chicken salad when it's hot outside.  I've adapted the original Cooking  Light recipe to work with what you've got and to include more veggies.  Serve 2 generously

•  6-8 oz cooked chicken
  
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey or 1 tablespoon Kotterin Mirin 
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee or Siracha) or more to taste
  
• 2 cups cooked soba noodles (about 4 ounces uncooked)
• 2-3  cups thinly chopped cabbage and/or grated carrot
• ½ cup thinly sliced green onions (oh shoot, I forget these)
• ¼ cup minced red onion (maybe a bit more since I forget the green onions above)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil (mint, thai basil and cilantro are great additions here and more of all is ok)
• 2 tbs chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts 

Directions:

Acquire 6-8 oz of cooked chicken.  This could be leftover roast or rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken breast or thighs (my favorite is 9-10 oz of chicken thighs, seasoned w/ salt and pepper and grilled).  I reckon it could also be firm crumbled tofu, though I haven't tried that yet.

Put shredded cooked chicken (by whatever method) in a bowl.  Combine vinegar, oil, soy, Mirin/Honey,  chili sauce in a bowl (add more or less of any of these condiment to taste).  Pour over shredded  chicken and let stand at least 5 minutes.  

Chop cabbage, grate carrot, chop onion and herbs as you are using.

Put peanuts in plastic zip loc bag and smash lightly with meat mallet.

Cook soba noodles according to package directions.  When done, rinse briefly with cold water and add to bowl with chicken.  Add veggies and herbs (shredded cabbage and carrot, basil, mint and onions) and toss to combine). 

Portion between two bowls, garnish with smashed/chopped peanuts.

A pic or two:

When you forget the peanuts:

 

When you remember the peanuts:

Bratwurst Meatballs

 So I'm on a roll today (a meaty one).  As I've mentioned before, I've been getting pork from PTB Farms (If you follow that link you should also check out their instagram at https://www.instagram.com/pinetroughfarm/ as Hailey posts great stories about life on the farm.  In addition to every pork cut you could imagine, they also sell sausage of many flavors including bratwurst.  Thought the bratwurst is tasty, it's not the same as my favorite bratwurst, which was also the first bratwurst I'd ever had.  When I was in graduate school in Texas, there was a local butcher that sold the best brats.  Legend had it that one of the chemistry professors at A&M missed Wisconsin brats when he moved to Texas and took his grandmother's recipe to Readfield's Meats and they ended up being one of their bestselling items, as well as the star of many a GSAC cookout (damn, they have a website now, and merch!  And David and I thought we were so fancy writing the newsletter on his first gen Apple Macintosh).  Anyhow, I've not really had brats like that since leaving Texas.  

A few weeks ago, I watched this video from Sohla El-Waylly on making meatballs.  Her "Sohla Off-Script" videos on Food52 are short and fun, and she teaches you a basic technique that you can take in many different directions.  When she said that "meatballs are just a hand-formed sausage" I had the idea to try a bratwurst meatball.  And it went pretty darn well.

Bratwurst Meatballs

Adapted from: https://food52.com/blog/26252-sohla-off-script-meatballs-guide and https://www.thepauperedchef.com/article/wisconsin-style-bratwurst

Ingredients

2 oz bread (sandwich bread, hamburger buns, etc)

½ cup whole milk

1 lb ground pork

2 tsp kosher salt (I used Diamond Crystal)

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp ground marjoram (did not have so substituted a pinch of dried oregano, rubbed between my fingers to crush)

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp dried ginger

12-oz beer (I used an amber ale)

1 large onion, sliced

1-2 tsp kosher salt

 

Directions

1.     Tear the bread into small pieces, ranging in size from small cornflakes to panko sized crumbs.  Mix with milk until everything is moistened and incorporated but still lumpy.  Let sit at least 5 minutes so all the starches are hydrated.

2.     Add the pork and the rest of the spices (through ginger) to the bread/milk mixture.  Mix in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment at medium speed for about 1 minute until the mixture is well combined and springy.  (if you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead the mixture with your hands for 3-5 minutes until it is well combined and springy). 

3.     Transfer the mixture to a container and refrigerate overnight (24 hours).

4.     To form meatballs, measure out ¼ cup portions of meat mixture onto a greased sheet pan (lightly sprayed with cooking spray.  Wet your hands with cold water to help prevent sticking and roll each meatball in your palms to get a rounded shape. I got 11 meatballs with this mixture, but #11 was a little runty.

5.     Place the sliced onion, salt and beer in a 10” saute pan (you could also use a 5qt dutch oven).  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

6.     Carefully place the meatballs in the poaching liquid, cover and simmer for 6 minutes.  Carefully turn the meatballs over, cover and simmer for 6 minutes.  Meatballs should be fully cooked at this point.

7.     To finish, grill meatballs over medium heat to heat through and get some grill marks on them.  Serve in a hot dog bun with mustard and sauerkraut and some of the onions from the poaching liquid.

 

fFformed and ready to poach:

 

 Served up with oven fries and homemade sauerkraut.

Lamb Barbacoa Tacos

 So I've mentioned that I have all this lamb in my freezer, and some of it is in cuts that you don't see too often at the grocery store, like lamb shoulder.  I've seen lamb shoulder chops occasionally, but never a whole shoulder at my local Harris-Teeter.  Lamb shoulder, like pork shoulder, takes well to braising, but when I've tried that with the chops I feel like I just get tiny bits of meat and lots of sharp bone fragments.  I found this recipe for Lamb Barbacoa and it came out great.  My shoulder was just under 2 lbs, but I made the recipe pretty much as written.  In addition to queso fresco and chopped avocado (tossed with lime juice, salt and pepper) I also served it with pickled red onions (from Smitten Kitchen - note that the recipe is part of a charred cauliflower taco recipe, I just quadrupled it) and this Cilantro Lime Slaw.

  Lamb Barbacoa Tacos

• 3 –5 lb lamb shoulder ( mine was bone-in, just under 2 lbs)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• one large onion, sliced
• one orange, sliced
• 3 bay leaves
  

Marinade

•     2 dried ancho chilies -stems removed, seeds removed. No need to rehydrate.
•     1 chipotle pepper (from a can)  
•     4–6 cloves garlic
•     2  cups  water
•     Juice from one orange
•     2 tablespoons cumin  seeds
•     2 tablespoon whole coriander
•     1 tablespoon chili powder
•     2 tablespoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
•     2 teaspoons kosher salt (I used Diamond Crystal)
•     1 teaspoon cinnamon
•     1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
•     1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Score the fat on the lamb.  Generously season all sides of the lamb shoulder with salt.  Set aside while you make the marinade.
3. To make the marinade, de-stem the dried chilies, break them in half and discard the seeds ( you don’t need to remove every single one, a few strays are OK). Break the chilies apart into smaller pieces and add to the blender (dry) with the remaining ingredients.  Blend until very smooth, for a full minute. (Note: I toasted the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan briefly before I added them to the blender)
4. Heat a dutch oven to medium-high heat and add oil. Sear the salted lamb shoulder, patiently browning each side to create a deep colored crust.
5. Once all sides are seared, remove dutch oven from heat. Nestle the onion and orange slices all around the lamb shoulder along with bay leaves. Pour the marinade over top and shake the pan to get the marinade to the bottom.
6. Cover tightly and bake in a 325F oven for 3½-4 ½ hours (mine was done in 3.5 hours)
7. Roast is done when meat pulls apart easily.  Pull the meat off the bones and discard the bones along with any large chunks of fat.  Shred lamb and place into a serving dish. Strain the remaining marinade and pour over the meat keeping to keep it moist (I didn't get very much here!). (Note: I parked this in the fridge overnight and we had it the next day.  I heated it up on the stove before making tacos.)

Cilantro Lime Slaw

•     3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used Fage 2%)
•     1/4 cup mayonnaise (Hellman's Light)
  
•     1/2 cup tightly-packed fresh cilantro
•     1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
•     1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
•     1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
•     1/4 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
•     3 green onions (just the green parts) -I think I subbed some garlic scapes here -’tis the season
•     2 garlic cloves
•     (optional) 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, stemmed and cored (I used a few good shakes of Tapatio)
• 8 cups shredded cabbage (could also use a bag of coleslaw mix)

Directions

1. Combine the Greek yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt, black pepper, green onions, garlic and jalapeño (if using) in a blender or food processor*.  Pulse briefly a few times until the mixtures is combined.
2. Place the cole slaw mix in a large mixing bowl.  Drizzle the sauce on top of the cole slaw, then toss until the mixture is evenly combined.  Season with extra pepper and/or lime juice if needed.
3. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Some pics!  With and without slaw:

 

 

I've made a few things..

What have I made over the past few weeks?
Here's the week 5 basket:

What all did we get?

• carrots
• beets (I've got to do something with all of these I'm accumulating!)
• kale
• fennel bulb w/ fronds
• rainbow chard
• cucumbers
• garlic scapes
• two heads lettuce (hidden under the fennel)
• a tomato!

The week 6 basket I forgot to take a picture of, but the Guilford College Farm posted one on Instagram so here's a link.  You should follow them @guilford_college_farm on the 'gram.  What was in it?

• carrots
• beets (I have a problem here)
• fennel bulb (the fronds were not quite as nice on this one so I tossed them
• collard greens
• cucumbers
• garlic scapes
• two heads lettuce
• pt cherry tomatoes (several types)
• 2 tomatoes!

 So there are some salads, gazpacho and beets (roasted and pickled) my future.

A few things I've made recently, from least complicated to most:

Grilled Garlic Scapes
Put garlic scapes in a 1 gallon ziplock bag (you may need to cut them in half).  Add a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and shake/massage the bag until the scapes are evenly coated.  Grill 5-10 minutes until a bit charred.  Serve as a side (like asaparagus) or how ever you like.

Tzatziki (cucumber yogurt sauce)

Ingredients:

• Cucumber, shredded and squeezed dry in a clean dish towel)
• Greek yogurt (I usually use 2%)
• 1small garlic clove, pressed
• 1-2 tsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

 Peel the cucumber (or not, I usually don't) and shred using the coarse holes on a box grater.  Pile cucumber in a clean dish towel, wrap up and squeeze to get out as much moisture as possible.  Place cucumber in bowl, and add greek yogurt to roughly equal the amount of cucumber (this is usually about 1/2 - 1 cup cucumber to 1/2-1 cup yogurt).  Stir to mix.  Press a clove of garlic into the mixture (or grate it in w/ a microplane).  Add 1-2 tsp of lemon juice, mix.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Hey, remember that head of red cabbage from a few weeks ago?  I finally got around to doing something with it!
Crispy Braised Chicken Thighs with Cabbage and Bacon (adapted from Serious Eats)
Ingredients:
    2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 thighs; 1.15kg)
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    4 ounces chopped pancetta
    1 medium onion, thinly sliced (about 6 ounces; 170g)
    1 pound finely shredded cabbage (about 1 medium head; 450g - I used red cabbage here)
    2 tablespoons (30ml) whole grain mustard
    1/2 cup (120ml) apple cider vinegar
    3 cups (700ml) homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
    3 tablespoons sugar
    2 bay leaves
    6 sprigs thyme
One of the ways I adapted this was to substitute pancetta for the bacon called for, and to use less of it. I also didn't use any of the oil or butter called for, because between the pancetta and the chicken there is plenty of fat in this dish.

Directions

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350°F
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper, set aside (even better if you can do it the day before)
3. In a 5 qt cast iron dutch oven, heat 1/2 cup water and pancetta over medium heat.  As water evaporates, fat will render.  Cook until pancetta is browned (about 5-10 min?).  Remove pancetta from pan w/ a slotted spoon, leaving fat behind.  Remove (pour or spoon out) fat until there is only 1-2 tbs remaining in the pan. 
4. Place chicken skin side down in the pan. Cook without moving about 8 minutes until skin is crisp (reduce heat if it starts smoking).  Flip over chicken and brown on opposite side, about 3 minutes.  Remove chicken to a large platter or plate and set aside.
5.  Add onion to pan and cook about 4 minutes, until softened and starting to brown.  Add cabbage to pan and cook about 4 minutes, until softened and starting to brown.  Add mustard and vinegar and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Add chicken stock, sugar, bay leaves, browned pancetta and thyme sprigs and bring to a simmer.
6. Nestle chicken back into the pan, leaving the skin above the liquid but submerging most of the meat. Transfer pan to oven and cook, uncovered, until chicken is totally tender and liquid has reduced by about half, about 45 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and transfer chicken to a serving platter. Season cabbage mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, spooning cabbage and sauce into shallow bowls and topping with chicken.
   
   I also served this with some mashed potatoes to soak up the juices.  Some pics!
   
   The browned pancetta
   
   
   Cooking the chicken
   
   
   
   Cooking the onions
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Cooking the cabbage
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Ready to go in the oven
   
   
   
   All done
   
   
   
   Plated up!
    
   

Chicken Soba Salad

This Chicken Soba Salad is adapted from this recipe published  in Cooking Light in May 2004.  It's a nice dinner on a hot summer night.  From the CSA I used some carrots, purple cabbage and red onion.  If you've got cooked chicken on hand, it comes together pretty quickly!

Ingredients

• 8 oz shredded cooked chicken breast (see note).
• 1 tbs rice vinegar
• 1 tbs toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbs mirin
• 1 tsp siracha or chili-garlic paste
• 2 cups of a mixture of grated carrot, shredded cabbage or broccoli slaw (see notes)
• 1/3 cup minced red onion
• 1/4-1/2 cup chopped thai basil (can also use italian)
• 1 tbs chopped mint (optional)
• 2 cups cooked soba noodles (one 4 oz bundle)
• 1 tbs chopped dry roasted peanuts
• lime wedges (optional)

Instructions:
Whisk together the dressing ingredients (rice vinegar through siracha), pour over shredded chicken and toss to coat.  Let stand at least 5 minutes.

Add the carrot/cabbage slaw mixture, red onion, basil and mint to the chicken, toss to mix.

Cook the soba noodles according to package directions, drain and rinse with cold water.  Toss with the chicken and vegetable mixture.  Divide between two bowls, sprinkle with peanuts, garnish with lime wedges if desired and serve

 Notes:
The original recipe called for poached chicken breast, but I've used grilled chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken.  Now I use sous vide chicken breast I cooked at 150°F for 2 hours.

I will use a mixture of carrots and cabbage (more cabbage than carrots) or a bag of broccoli slaw.

Some pictures!
The cabbage and shredded carrot ready to go in:

All the veggies tossed together:

Time for dinner!

Dudley is exhausted from begging for chicken:

Week 2 and 3....salad, salad, and the mysterious kohlrabi.

So I got a little behind last week.  No photos of the whole box from week 2, but here's a lovely photo of the mysterious kohlrabi:

What was in the box with this beautiful thing?

Week 2

1 lb salad mix

1/2 lb arugula

1 bunch radish

1 head cabbage

1 lb collards

1 head green leaf lettuce

3 small heads romaine lettue

1 bunch garlic scapes

So, we might have eaten a bit of salad this week!  But not enough, as we've still got the romaine left over and week 3 dropped today:

Week 3

1 head Cherokee lettuce

1 lb salad mix

1 bunch radish (these were much bigger than last week!)

1/4 lb cilantro

1 bunch rainbow chard

2 heads romaine

1 bunch kale

1 broccoli crown

2 cucumbers

One thing we did with week 2 box was to make some of this Zesty Avocado Cilantro Dressing, but instead of adding 1 garlic clove and 2 tbs chopped scallions, I subbed in 3 of the garlic scapes, roughly chopped.  That made it a nice vibrant green:

It also tasted pretty amazing.  This is a throwback to the grilled chicken salad I posted the recipe for here. I've been told however, that this dressing isn't just for salad, it's good on tacos, chips, or just eaten directly from the container with a spoon.

The mysterious kohlrabi, what did I do with that?  A brief internet search informed me that "kohlrabi" is German for "cabbage turnip", and since the head of cabbage wasn't quite enough to make a batch of sauerkraut, I decided to add the kohlrabi to it.

I cut the kohlrabi into matchsticks:

Combined it with the chopped cabbage, salted and massaged it as described in this post and packed it into a mason jar to ferment:

I let it ferment for 6 days, then popped it in the fridge.  Unfortunately, my kitchen was a little too warm, as the brine turned brown on top.  According to the blog www.makesauerkraut.com, that's perfectly normal in warm weather and not harmful, just unappetizing (and if you can't trust a blog named makesauerkraut.com, who can you trust? Anyhow, it smelled and tasted fine, so I think I'm good to go.

Sauerkraut!

Really, who doesn't love sauerkraut?  Ok, well, a lot of folks, honestly. Including me, until I was in graduate school in Texas.  Not that I'd ever really had sauerkraut before.  But the part of Texas that Texas A&M is in has a huge German and Czech community, so your sausages and fermented cabbage products abound.  (As do kolaches, which are awesome, but do not involve sauerkraut.)  There was a local brand that was sold in the refrigerated section in the grocery stores that completely changed my mind, and all brats are naked without it.  That was quite some time ago, so I can't even begin to remember the name of it!

After moving out of Texas, my interactions with sauerkraut were relatively limited - I'd occasionally buy a bag or jar in the refrigerated section of the market, but that was it.  Four years ago, I taught a First Year Seminar class called "Food:Science, Transformation and Culture".  I used as a base text the book "Cooked" by Michael Pollan, and in the chapter entitled "Earth" he discusses making sauerkraut - specifically way too much of it using a crock and many pounds of cabbage.  I had my students that semester make kim chi and sauerkraut, adapting this recipe for "Small Batch Sauerkraut" from the website kitchn.com that makes a little less than a quart.

For each 2 qt mason jar (I usually halve this for a 1 qt jar)

1 medium head green cabbage (about 3 lbs)

1 ½ tbs kosher salt (or 1 tbs pickling salt) - (better to measure about 2-2.5% by weight of cabbage)

1 ½ tsp caraway seeds (can add other flavorings - I left these out)

1.         Clean everything, including your hands!

2.         Slice the cabbage – cut into quarters and trim core.  Slice each quarter into halves lengthwise.  Slice each wedge crosswise into very thin ribbons

3.         Transfer cabbage to a gallon freezer Ziploc and sprinkle salt over.  Seal the bag and start working the salt into the cabbage by squeezing and massaging the cabbage through the bag with your hands.  Gradually the cabbage will become watery and limp, about 5-10 minutes.  Add the caraway seeds now if you like.

4.         Pack handfuls of cabbage into the jar, every so often pack down the cabbage.  Pour any liquid released by the cabbage while you were massaging it into the jar. 

5.         Weigh the cabbage down w/ a small plastic bag of pie weights or marbles to keep it submerged below the brine.

6.         Cover the jar w/ a piece of doubled cheesecloth and secure w/ a rubber band.

7.         Press the cabbage down every few hours.

8.         Add extra liquid if needed; after 24 hours, if the liquid is not above the cabbage, dissolve 1 tsp salt in 1 cup water and add just enough to submerge the cabbage.

9.         Ferment the cabbage for 3 to 10 days: As it’s fermenting, keep the sauerkraut away from direct sunlight and at a cool room temp, ideally 65-75°F.  Check daily and press down if the cabbage if floating above the liquid.  Start tasting after 3 days, when it tastes good to you, remove the weight and screw on the cap, and refrigerate. You can also allow the sauerkraut to continue fermenting for 10 days or even longer. There's no hard and fast rule for when the sauerkraut is "done" — go by how it tastes.  While it's fermenting, you may see bubbles coming through the cabbage, foam on the top, or white scum. These are all signs of a healthy, happy fermentation process. The scum can be skimmed off the top either during fermentation or before refrigerating. If you see any mold, skim it off immediately and make sure your cabbage is fully submerged; don't eat moldy parts close to the surface, but the rest of the sauerkraut is fine.

10.       Store sauerkraut for several months: This sauerkraut is a fermented product so it will keep for at least two months and often longer if kept refrigerated. As long as it still tastes and smells good to eat, it will be. If you like, you can transfer the sauerkraut to a smaller container for longer storage.

 Chopping the cabbage:

 Packed into the bag with salt:

After 10 minutes of massaging and squeezing, packing it into a jar:

 

Plenty of brine!

Keeping the cabbage submerged for a few days w/ a ziploc filled w/ dried beans:

A few days later, you can see the bubbles as it ferments:

I let it go for about 7-8 days, tasting every couple of days until it got to the level of sauer I like.  Then pop the lid on and put it in the fridge and it'll keep pretty much forever.

Week 5 CSA Share beauty shot

I've been remiss about posting what we get each week, so here you go Iain:

What's in this week's basket?

• The triumphant return of SALAD MIX! (0.5 lbs)
• Kale (0.5 lbs)
• 1 bunch mustard greens
• 2 bell peppers (I got a green and a red)
• Eggplant (1 lb)
• Okra (2/3 lb)
• 1 head garlic
• Broccoli (1lb)
• Sweet potatoes (2 lbs)

Chopped and washed the greens, but didn't make anything with the basket tonight.  I can tell you to look for a sauerkraut post soon, though!

A couple of side dishes...new and old

So, yesterday I made two side dishes I really like, one I just discovered, and one I've been making for years.  We had friends over for the 4th, and I made brats on the grill and a variety of sides. 

First, I had a purple cabbage that's been kicking around in the fridge for a few weeks (week 5, she says apologetically).  I found this really simple and really delicious recipe from the "Simply Recipes" blog for Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage.  It came together very quickly!

Pretty wedge of cabbage:

Slice cabbage ready to be sauteed:

Finished cabbage - oops forgot to take a photo!!  But it was delicious.

The other side dish I made was a classic Squash Casserole.  This is one I've adapted from a local blog called Slowly She Turned.  Unfortunately I can't find the original post, so I've copied the recipe below.  You can add a little more squash and onions, change up the cheeses or add different vegetables, it's  a pretty flexible way to turn vegetables into a casserole.

Squash Casserole
3 1/2 cups chopped summer squash (any kind!)
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
2 tsp olive oil
2 tbs flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk (I use 2%)
1 cup (4 oz) cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup (1 oz) parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1 cup bread crumbs (I usually just whiz anything I've got kicking around in the freezer in the food processor).

I double this for a 13x9" casserole dish, so I find this recipe fits in an 8x8" square casserole.

Preheat oven to 350°F
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan.  Saute the onion and squash for about 10 minute until tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste while cooking.  Cool to room temperature.  Combine squash and onions in a large bowl with the eggs, flour, milk, 1/2 cup (2 oz) cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup bread crumbs.  Put the mixture into a casserole dish sprayed with olive oil.  Mix together the rest of the cheeses (cheddar and parmesan) and the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the casserole.  Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

I'll take a pic next time!

Epic apologetic catch-up post

Well.  Hello world, again.  Been away for a bit - projects at home and at work have caused me to get behind on this whole blogging project.

Just to get you caught up, here's what was in the Week 5 and 6 boxes

Week 5
1 lb carrots
1 head purple cabbage
1 head broccoli
1 lb kale
1 bunch onions
1/2 lb salad mix
1.5 lbs squash and zuchinni
1 bunch swiss chard
1 bunch mint

Week 6
1 bunch carrots
1 lb squash
1 lb collards
1 bunch beets
1/2 lb broccoli
1 bunch onions
1 lb zucchini
1 lb kale
1 head savoy cabbage
choice of  cherry tomatoes, slicing tomatoes or snap peas (I chose cherry tomatoes)

So, what's been going on?  Well, the past two weeks I've been working with a group to hire a bunch of new advisors at the college, so that's taken up a bit of time, and means I've been eating out more than usual (ie lunches at work).  I've also been to a couple of high school graduations, and done a barbecue for one of those (and am headed to one I'm not catering tonight!).  We're also doing some renovations at our house so we've been busy getting ready for that. And it was our 22nd wedding anniversary so we had a lovely dinner out at 1618 Seafood Grille which was really awesome, but moved no produce out of our house.  There's only so much salad I can eat for breakfast....

So this post is going to be kind of a catch-all of stuff I've made using things from the boxes over the past few weeks.

Barbecue
For the barbecue, I made collards from the box, as well as two different kinds of slaw using cabbage and squash casserole to use up the various squashes and onions.    The collards I detailed here.

One of the slaws I made was a barbecue slaw, which is something folks usually use as a topping on a barbecue pork sandwich rather than something you'd eat separately.  It's not much of a recipe, just chop cabbage pretty finely (I used a food processor) and mix in some barbecue sauce until it looks right (lightly dressed basically).  I use this barbecue sauce usually, a Lexington style tomato-y vinegar blend.  I used the purple cabbage which is not something I've seen before.  Should have taken a picture!

The other slaw I made is called Sweet and Sour Slaw which is cabbage dressed in a slightly spicy peanut sauce.  I got the  recipe a million years ago from a friend in Oregon (Stacey, if you're reading this I think it was Craig!) and that million is also about equal to the number of times I've been asked for the recipe.  So here you are:
Sweet and Sour Slaw
Dressing:
1/3 cup rice vinegar or cider vinegar (I always have used rice)
1/4 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
3 tbs light brown sugar 
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp sesame oil
Salad:
7-8 cups (about 1.25 lbs) shredded green cabbage (I did use green this time!)
red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped (I usually manage this by putting them in a plastic bag and bashing with a rolling pin a few times).

1. In a large bowl (big enough to hold all the cabbage, whisk together the dressing ingredients until they are well mixed (you can also do this in a blender but then it's another thing to wash!)
2.  About 1 hour before serving, add the cabbage, about 2 cups at a time to the dressing, tossing after each addition.  Once all the cabbage has been added and tossed, stir in the pepper flakes (I usually use about 1/4 tsp).  Cover the bowl and chill the salad for about an hour, tossing every now and then.
3.  At serving time, add the peanuts and toss.  Serve!
4.  Accept compliments and hand out recipe generously. 

Other new stuff I've made over the last week or so
5 Ingredient Italian Sausage and Kale Baked Ziti 
Man, that website is annoying, but this was a pretty good recipe.  Some changes I made- I used turkey italian sausage and penne instead of ziti.  Here's my ingredient lineup:

 Brown the sausage:

 Add some chopped garlic

 Add the kale and cooked pasta:

 let the kale wilt down a bit:

 Assemble the casserole:

 Everything's better topped with cheese:

 Bake and eat!

Verdict?  A little dry but not bad.  Probably should cook the pasta a little longer since there's not much moisture in the casserole for it to absorb (unlike a tomato sauce based casserole).