We brought this salad to a party, it sounded pretty hearty and would be appreciated by vegetarians and meat-eaters alike: who doesn’t like roasted veggies? The original recipe, from Cooking Light, features eggplant and yellow squash, which we nixed and substituted asparagus and winter squash. The combination was fantastic, the only slight mis-step perhaps was replacing the original’s feta (which we didn’t have on-hand) with mozzarella (which we did): the dish seemed like it needed some extra seasoning that the salty, bold feta would have provided.

Chris says:

Oh asparagus, how I’ve missed you…

Lisa says:

What the heck are you doing?

Chris says:

What do you mean?

Lisa says:

You’re looking way too lovingly at that bowl of barley.

Chris says:

What can I say? You did a great job on this. Really tasty and filling.

Lisa says:

Don’t forget “healthy”… I still think we should have picked up some feta.

Chris says:

Totally agree — I just didn’t want to waste the cheese we already had

Lisa says:

You shouldn’t have worried… you know that would have gotten eaten…

Chris says:

True! Well, like I said, I liked it anyway.

Lisa says:

I did too… just add more salt if you’re not going to use feta!

Barley and Roasted Vegetable Salad
(Salad)
1 1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
2 red bell peppers, cut into wedges
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
Cooking spray
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 medium winter squash, halved lengthwise
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tsp grated orange rind
3 garlic cloves, minced

(Dressing)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
5 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt

1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, torn

Preheat oven to 400°.
To prepare salad, cook pearl barley according to package directions. (Generally, add 3x as much water as barley, bring to a boil, and cook ~45 minutes, or until tender). Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Spoon barley into large bowl.

Place peppers and asparagus on one shallow baking pan coated with cooking spray; place zucchini and squash in another shallow baking pan coated with cooking spray. Coat vegetables with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Place pan with squash on top rack in the oven and pan with asparagus on middle rack. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until squash and zucchini are tender. Remove pan with squash, and move pan with asparagus to top rack. Bake peppers and asparagus an additional 8 minutes or until tender. Cool. Cut vegetables into 1/2-inch pieces. Add vegetables, parsley, and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) to barley; toss gently.

To prepare dressing, combine vinegar, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add dressing to barley mixture; toss. Top with cheese.

8 1-1/2 cup servings

Chris says:

Hey, our wine arrived, and no breakage!

Lisa says:

Wahoo!

Chris says:

So what do you think — did we succeed with the risotto?

Lisa says:

I certainly think so — just needs a little extra salt…

Chris says:

Part of that is probably due to my using low-sodium broth.

Lisa says:

Well other than that I love it. The mushrooms rule. I thought the corn would be weird, but it’s not.

Chris says:

Yeah, I think this turned out really well. I like how creamy the risotto is, even without the mushroom mixture. I think I probably could have cooked the risotto just a tad more, but other than that I say “great success”!

Risotto with Corn and Chantrelles
3 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz chantrelles, trimmed, cleaned, and sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 shallots, finely minced
2 tsp minced garlic
3/4 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a medium-sized saucepan, then lower the heat to just keep warm.
Melt 1/2 the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the rice to coat, then add the wine. Cook an additional minute.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in one ladleful of stock at a time. As each addition is absorbed, continue to add stock ladle by ladle, stirring and cooking, until all but 1/2 cup of the stock remains and the rice is tender but firm. Season to taste with salt and pepper, turn off the heat, and cover.
Heat the remaining butter and the olive oil in a medium-sized pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and stir until they release their liquid, about 2 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking until the shallots are softened, 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
When ready to serve, add the milk and corn to the mushrooms and stir until the milk is hot. Remove from the heat and stir in half of the cilantro.
Warm the remaining chicken broth and stir into the rice. Ladle the risotto into soup plates. Top with the mushroom mixture and the remaining cilantro.

4 Servings

One thing that can be a challenge if you subscribe to a CSA is, well, not wasting vegetables! Sometimes you get way more of a certain ingredient than you’d normally buy at the store, or you end up with vegetables that you’re not used to cooking with. That actually ends up being a bonus for us, as it’s forced us into finding completely new dishes or to adapt and explore ways to incorporate new ingredients into old favorites. A few days ago I looked in the fridge and realized that we had most of a bunch of celery and a fennel bulb left over from last week’s delivery. Just a couple minutes of searching turned up this extremely simple salad recipe from Gourmet magazine — the only thing I had to pick up was the mozzarella. Great success!

Lisa says:

Such a fresh-tasting salad!

Chris says:

It was extremely simple and quick to make.

Lisa says:

I really like the crunch from the celery and fennel.

Chris says:

The light dressing really brings out the flavor of the fennel — I’m a fan.

Lisa says:

Now I’m ready for dinner!

Fennel and Celery Salad - Dama Bianca
1 medium fennel bulb, stalks discarded
3 pale inner (white) celery stalks, leaves discarded and stalks thinly sliced
1/4 lb ball mozzarella, roughly torn
1/4 tbsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Cut fennel in half lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise about 1/4 inch thick. Toss with celery and arrange on a platter with mozzarella. Whisk together zest, juice, oil, sea salt, and pepper and drizzle over salad.

3-4 starter-size servings

This strong-flavored soup is adapted from a recipe in Great Bowls of Fire. The original recipe called for ramen-style noodles, but we used chinese egg noodles and it came out great. The shiitakes and mushroom broth make this a shroom-tastic meal for this time of year. Veggie-licious!

Lisa says:

I heart mushrooms.

Chris says:

And you heart vegetables.

Lisa says:

Well now you know why I made this.

Chris says:

This is probably the darkest broth we’ve had in a long time.

Lisa says:

That’s mostly from the mushroom broth — it was darker than the chicken or veggie broths we usually use.

Chris says:

I’m a big fan — and the cornstarch at the end thickened it up nicely. A pretty filling meal!

Noodle and Shiitake-Ginger Soup
5 oz chinese egg noodles
1 tbsp peanut oil
1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced at an angle
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1 tbsp minced ginger root
2 cups sliced bok choy leaves
4 cups mushroom broth
1 8-oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 lb extra-firm tofu, diced
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
4 tsp Szechuan sauce
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

Cook the noodles according to the package directions until al dente and set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the mushrooms, carrots, bell pepper, and ginger and cook for 7 minutes over medium heat, stirring. Add the bok choy and cook for 3 minutes more. Stir in the broth, water chestnuts, tofu, soy sauce, sesame oil, and Szechuan sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1 1/2 tbsp cold water. Whisk the mixture into the soup and cook for 3 more minutes over low heat.
Use tongs to place the noodles in 4 soup bowls. Ladle the soup over the top and serve.

4 Servings

Lisa got some finishing salts from Cathy for her birthday, and we’ve been waiting to find the best use for some cacao nibs from Theo Chocolate — this recipe from Chocolate and Zucchini fit the bill perfectly, and was a delicious finish to our soup from earlier in the evening. Lisa made the cookies slightly bigger than the original recipe, and finished them with a few extra grains of salt. We sat down to eat them while we played a new card game.

Abbie says:

Do we actually get to eat these or are you saving them?

Lisa says:

Are you kidding? Eat these!

Chris says:

Does anything go better with zombies than these cookies?

Abbie says:

Yeah: Braaaaiiins.

Chris says:

Well, clearly… but probably not much else.

Lisa says:

All I know is that while you two were chatting a couple more cookies seemed to have disappeared.

Chris says:

Gimme!

Lisa says:

This rules, I never realized I could combine dessert with my favorite condiment.

Chris says:

It’s like your birthday all over again!

Abbie says:

Uuuuuuuungh… Braaaaiiiiinnnns…. and cookies.

Chocolate and Cacao Nib Cookies
2 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fleur de sel
4 tbsp cacao nibs

Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Melt together 1 1/2 oz of the chocolate and the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool for ten minutes. Meanwhile , combine the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in another mixing bowl and set aside. Finely chop the remaining chocolate, and set aside.
Whisk the eggs into the cooled melted chocolate. Add in the brown sugar and mix again. Sift in the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. The batter will be thick. Fold in the chopped chocolate, cacao nibs and fleur de sel.
Scoop out rounded tablespoons of batter, shape them into balls with the tips of your fingers, and line them up on the cookie sheet, leaving a one-inch space between them. Sprinkle a few grains additional salt over the top of the cookies. Put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for ten minutes (if the sheet and batter are cold, the cookies are less likely to spread). Put the cookie sheet into the oven to bake for eight to ten minutes, until the tops feel just dry to the touch.

Makes about 15 two-bite-size cookies.

We still have noodles left over from the Fideos a la Catalana, and it’s definitely been soup weather lately, so we thought this would be a perfect dish to share with company: a “Mexican Minestrone” with noodles and plenty of vegetables. The recipe is adapted from one found in an old favorite, Great Bowls of Fire.

Lisa says:

You should put our CSA avocados in it!

Chris says:

I thought the same thing — slicing them up now.

Abbie says:

Yum! Hey, there’s a little spice in there!

Lisa says:

I’m glad we like it, it looks like the recipe made a LOT.

Chris says:

I like the way the cheese melts, it adds a nice creaminess to the broth.

Abbie says:

Oooh! Look at this cute top!

Chris says:

Huh?

Abbie says:

Oh, sorry. I’m reading this catalog while we eat.

Chris says:

I’m freaking hot from standing over the dang pot.

Lisa says:

I just assumed you were sweating because it’s spicy.

Chris says:

It’s not that spicy…

Sopa de Fideos
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 small shallots, diced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
8 cups vegetable broth
1 large potato, diced
2 carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 oz capellini
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 avocado, peeled and sliced

In a large pot, heat the oil, then add the onion, shallots, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and jalapeño and cook over medium heat until the vegetables softened and the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the broth, potato, carrots, chopped tomatoes, and spices and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Break the pasta in half and add to the soup. Cook over medium until the pasta is al dente, about 3 minutes, or according to the package directions. Stir in the parsley and let sit for a few minutes.
Ladle into bowls and top with the shredded cheese, additional chopped parsley, and the avocado slices.

6 Servings

In tonight’s dish, adapted from Fresh Spanish, chicken sausage is cooked with garlic, onions, and tomatoes, and mixed with a short pasta for a hearty main course. Use fideo if you can find it, but if not, vermicelli or thin spaghetti broken into short lengths will work.

Chris says:

Well I’m going to complain about this one, but I know how I’d change it.

Lisa says:

What are you complaining about? I really like the taste.

Chris says:

Oh I really like the taste, too. I just think the pasta is way overcooked, so it’s a little mushy.

Lisa says:

Hmmmm, well, I still like it. So why do you think it came out this way?

Chris says:

Two reasons: we didn’t have vermicelli, so I used cappellini, which is even thinner, and there was a bit too much liquid. Also, I’ve seen in other recipes that the pasta is often toasted/sauteed before adding the broth.

Lisa says:

So you’re saying we’ll have this again, but better?

Chris says:

Indeed! And I’m listing the recipe with the changes I’d make. The Change We Need.

Lisa says:

Wait — what does Obama have to do with this recipe?

Chris says:

Not a damn thing. But HOLY CRAP, we just witnessed history.

Lisa says:

Wahoo!

Fideos a la Catalana
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 lb large fresh chicken sausages
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 tsp mild paprika
8 oz vermicelli, cut into short lengths
3-4 cups chicken broth
salt and freshly ground pepper
chopped parsley, to garnish

Heat half the oil in a 12-inch shallow casserole or skillet with a lid. Add the sausages and cook over a medium-high heat, turning frequently, for 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the pan, add the onion and garlic and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until soft. Add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat until very lightly toasted. Add the tomatoes and paprika, stirring, for 3-4 minutes further. Return the sausages to the pan, add 3 cups of the chicken broth. Season to taste, stir to mix, and bring to a boil. Continue to cook until the pasta is cooked and the water absorbed, adding broth if necessary. Stir and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

4 Servings

Another great way to use our CSA veggies tonight: a very colorful, unusual stew with strong flavors of lime and cilantro along side sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and okra. This recipe comes from the vegetarian recipe book The Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home.

Lisa says:

Wow, that’s really limey… 

Chris says:

See? And we get criticism that we like everything we make. (That’s for you, CB). 

Lisa says:

No, I meant that I really liked the lime. 

Chris says:

Oh! Well, there goes the I-don’t-love-it example… I like the slight heat from the jalapeno. 

Lisa says:

I don’t really taste it. 

Chris says:

Really? Hmm, well, next time I won’t remove the seeds. I was worried that it would be too spicy for you. 

Lisa says:

Well, you could have left them in this time. I really, really like this soup. 

Chris says:

I do too, but I’m going to say it’s not the best in history, just to even things out a bit. 

Caribbean Vegetable Stew
2 cups chopped onions
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cups chopped cabbage
1 jalapeno, minced
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 cups water
3 cups diced sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes
salt to taste
2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes
2 cups frozen sliced okra
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
chopped peanuts
sprigs of cilantro

In a large pot, saute the onions in the oil on medium heat for 4 or 5 minutes.
Add the cabbage and the jalapeno and continue to saute, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.
Add the grated ginger and the water, cover the pot, and bring to a boil.
Stir in the sweet potatoes, sprinkle with salt, and simmer for 5 or 6 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender.
Add the tomatoes, okra, and lime juice.
Simmer until all of the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in the cilantro and add more salt to taste.
Sprinkle the stew with chopped peanuts.
Top with a few sprigs of cilantro.

4 Servings

Lisa’s been obsessed with making mushroom burgers since she heard her friend Cathy raving about the one she had in a Roseville restaurant. After scouring the net for recipes, she got ideas for the basic ingredient list and came up with this particular combination, featuring mixed wild mushrooms, breadcrumbs, oats, and spices. We dressed the burger with grilled onions, arugula, and chipotle mayo, and served it with baked acorn squash from our CSA box.

Chris says:

Whoa, these are awesome. Good job!

Lisa says:

They don’t need to be cooked more?

Chris says:

I don’t think so — the texture is perfect. Chewy in the middle, and a nice crisp crust.

Lisa says:

Well I’m glad you like them, we have four more left over!

Chris says:

Wahoo, I’ll take ‘em!

Lisa says:

They are pretty delicious… good job on the chipotle mayo.

Chris says:

Thanks for actually giving me something to do — you know it kills me when I’m not involved in the cooking…

Lisa’s Mushroom Burgers
1 tsp + 1 tbsp olive oil
3 cups coarse chopped mushrooms (we used a combination of cremini, shiitake and portobello)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
6 cloves minced garlic
2/3 cup oats
1/3 cup shredded parmesan
2/3 - 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup egg beaters
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Heat 1 tsp oil in large saucepan. Saute the mushrooms, onions and garlic over low heat for about five minutes, or until soft. In large bowl, add mushroom mixture to oats, parmesan, breadcrumbs, eggs,
parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix well. Shape into patties. Heat 1 TB oil in large saucepan. Fry patties, cooking about 4 minutes on each side - or until golden brown.

This is a perfect recipe to adapt to the vegetables you happen to have on hand.  Our CSA box came loaded with corn on the cob and mushrooms, so I modified a recipe from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Everyday to use the fresh vegetables of the day.  As the book suggests, one of the great things about this soup is that once you master the base broth, the variations are limited only by your imagination.

Lisa says:

Wahoo! I love walking in the door to a meal that’s ready to go!

Chris says:

I like not feeling rushed on nights that you’re home late.

Lisa says:

Nice. Is it spicy?

Chris says:

Shouldn’t be — ancho powder is relatively mild; it has a slightly smokey flavor.

Lisa says:

Mmmmm… the masa harina really gives it a nice consistency.

Chris says:

Totally — and the flavor goes really well with the fresh corn kernels. The starch from juicing the cobs also helps thicken it.

Lisa says:

I like how thin you cut the chicken.

Chris says:

Yep — it cooks pretty quickly that way.

Lisa says:

Well this soup is disappearing pretty quickly this way.

Red Chileatole with Mushrooms, Corn, Peppers, and Chicken
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, halved and sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsp ancho chile powder
1 1/2 tbsp masa harina
4 cups chicken broth, divided
6 oz cremini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 ears of corn
1/2 poblano pepper, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large sprig fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
salt, to taste

Husk the corn. In a shallow bowl, hold ears of corn upright and, with a sharp knife, cut kernels from the cobs. Then with blunt edge of the knife, scrape juice from cobs. Discard the cobs.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring until golden, about 7 minutes. Transfer the onion and garlic to a food processor or blender. Add chile powder, masa harina, and 1 1/2 cups broth; process until smooth.

Return the puree to the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups broth, mushrooms, corn kernels and juices, poblano pepper, and parsley and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in chicken and continue to simmer until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes more. Taste and add salt if needed. Remove parsley and ladle into soup bowls.

3-4 Servings