Burgers. Beets. Battlestar Gallactica.

Tonight's post is dedicated to Dwight Shrute and the end of The Office.  We're pretty sure our beets came from a farm in Virginia, but Scranton isn't too far from DC, so I guess there's a slight chance they came from Shrute Farms.

This week's share gave us some Polyface ground beef, which we are always excited for. With the warm summer weather, burgers on the grill sounded like the perfect dinner.  We still had some umami dust on hand, and since Umami Burger isn't DC yet, we had to make our DIY version.  This recipe was our inspiration.

The twist this time around was the oyster mushrooms and onions in a port reduction that topped the burgers.

It's a really simple way to elevate any meat, whether it's a burger or a piece of steak.  Start by slicing and dicing your mushrooms and onion, and saute them in some brown butter.

Once they've softened, you'll add about 1 cup of port.  Here's where you'll deglaze your pan, making sure to scrape up all the tasty bits that are stuck on the bottom of your pan.  Then just let the liquid reduce down, stirring occasionally, until you have a thick glaze on your onions and 'shrooms.

We tucked our patties into some lettuce leaves, topped them with the port 'shrooms and onions, and some crumbled bleu cheese.

Since we didn't have any sweet potatoes for fries, we decided to make beet chips again to accompany the burgers.  They're super simple, and add a sweet, crispy component to the meal.  I would advise using a mandoline to slice them, if you have one, so that each chip is the same thickness.  Otherwise, take your time slicing and use a really sharp knife.  We used the beet greens to make a simple salad for a little extra roughage.

The beet chips, along with the port, added a nice sweetness that balanced out the rich umami flavors of the burgers.

And if you use your imagination a little, doesn't my plate kind of look like Dwight?

CSA Recap

Who's ready for a recap?

• Lamb Chops & Roasted Asparagus
• asparagus
• Sausage & Ramp Risotto w/ Salad
• ramps
• oyster mushrooms
• bibb lettuce
• Grilled Lobster & Ramps
• ramps
• Beer Can Chicken w/ Butter Braised Radishes
• chicken
• radishes
• Strawberry Shortcake
• strawberries
• Cod w/ Lemon Dill Beurre Blanc & Sauteed Spinach
• dill
• spinach

CSA Day!

We're back to our normal bi-weekly share pick ups, and couldn't be more excited with the goodies we picked up today.

I know Justin is most excited about the ramps, especially since we've been seeing them everywhere.  And we've got big plans for the chicken.

We made quick work of the asparagus, simply roasting them with salt and pepper, and giving them a little squeeze of lemon juice to finish them off.  They were paired with grilled lamb chops, with the curry cream sauce we made at Easter.

CSA Recap

I know we're a week early, but last week's share was to make up for the one we missed while on vacation.  Tomorrow we'll pick up our next share and get back on the 2 week rotation.  So, here's what we picked up...

And here's what we made...

• Balsamic Chicken with Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus
• asparagus
• Pecan-Crusted Salmon with Sorrel Sauce & Salad
• sorrel
• basil
• mixed greens
• celery tops
• golden delicious apple
• Garlic Scape Pesto
• garlic scapes
• basil
• Umami Burgers (like these) & Sweet Potato Fries
• ground beef
• bibb lettuce
• sweet potatoes
• Sausage & Spinach Frittata w/ Home Fries
• pork sausgae
• spinach
• garlic scapes
• potatoes

We still have some sorrel, celery tops, and the actual garlic bulbs left, but I'm sure we'll find a good use for them with the goodies we pick up tomorrow.

CSA Day!

Between the end of the winter share and being on vacation, it feels like forever since we picked up a share.  But we're back on track to bring you more delicious meals.  We're really excited to get fewer potatoes and squashes, and a wider variety of fruits and veggies as the weather warms up.

I'm really excited about the sorrel, an ingredient I've never cooked with before, and to have garlic scapes to work with.  Stay tuned to see how we use them!

CSA Recap

Helloooo!  Apologies to our loyal followers...I know we've been a bit silent over the last couple weeks, and that was not intentional.  Justin and I were over in China for the last couple weeks, and had been planning to post a few things while we were gone, until I was reminded that China blocks Google and blogs.  Whomp!  Whomp!  We'll have a recap of some of the delicious things we ate while we were traveling, but I still need to get settled back in first.  So let's pick up where we left off...our CSA recap...

And here's how we used everything...

• Chicken Marsala & Roasted Turnips
• shitake mushrooms
• oyster mushrooms
• turnips
• green onions
• Steak Frites
• sweet potatoes
• Roasted Chicken (like this one)
• whole chicken
• Kale & Bacon Frittata (sorta like this one, but with squash on the bottom)
• kale
• squash
• green onion
• Pork Chops with Mango Salsa
• green onion
• romaine
• watercress

We ended up just eating the peanuts while watching some basketball, and the potatoes were used for some home fries for a weekend breakfast.  We'll get back on track with our regular posts...promise!

CSA Day AND Chicken Marsala

That's right...you're getting a two for one deal tonight!  So let's get things started.

Here's what we hauled in today...

We're really excited about this whole chicken.  The peanuts and potatoes will be a little trickier since they are both off limits with the Paleo diet, but since we allow ourselves one cheat day, we'll find a way to incorporate them into meals then.

Now...for tonight's dinner, we whipped up some chicken marsala and roasted turnips.

We started by making a "marinade" for the chicken.  I use that term loosely since it wasn't your typical saucy marinade, but that's how the recipe phrased it, so that's what I'm sticking with.  We started by slicing and dicing some green onion (since we didn't have shallots), white onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary (our little twist), and sage, and adding in a bit of grapeseed oil.  Then we layered in our chicken, making sure each piece was nicely covered in the aromatics.

The recipe says to cut your chicken into chunks, but we went more with cutlets.  So I stacked them up, making sure to get the onions and herbs in between each piece, and let them sit for about 10 minutes while we prepped the turnips.  We kept them simple and just roasted them up, similar to how we did the cauliflower here.  Once the chicken had a chance to marinate, we browned them in a pan, and then popped 'em into the oven just to stay warm (so turn your oven no higher than 200).

Using the same pan, we added the remaining onions and herbs to the pan to soften, and then added in the mushrooms.  We used both the oyster and shitake mushrooms that we picked up in our share.

Once the mushrooms have cooked down, add in your marsala wine to deglaze the pan.  Be sure to scrape up all the delicious brown bits that may be stuck on the bottom of your pan.  If you use a non-stick pan like we did, you won't have to worry about those stuck-on bits.

Once the alcohol has cooked off, add in your chicken stock.  Give everything a good stir, and be sure to season your sauce with salt and pepper.  Then you just let it simmer and reduce for about 10 minutes.  Up until this point, it was Paleo-friendly.  But we had to add a tiny bit of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.  The recipe called for arrowroot as the thickening agent, but we didn't have any on hand.  Considering there was only about 1/2 tsp of cornstarch, I'm going to say this was still Paleo-friendly.

Once your sauce has thickened to your desired viscosity, you can toss your chickens in so they can absorb some of the sauce.  Then you're ready to serve!

CSA Recap

Happy April!  It's time once again for our CSA recap.  Here's what we picked up...

And here's how we put the deliciousness to use...

• Lamb Sausage & Broiled Tomato Salad
• lamb & pork sausage
• romaine
• tomatoes
• Chicken & Kale Curry
• kale
• tomatoes
• green onion
• Chili (very similar to this one)
• ground beef
• Lettuce Wraps
• green onions
• shitake mushrooms
• bibb lettuce
• Pork Chops, Roasted Turnips & Salad
• turnips
• creasy greens

We ended up just eating the apples as snacks/part of our lunches, and the bacon is in the freezer since we still have some from the last share that we need to eat.  Stay tuned tomorrow to see what we pick up next!

CSA Day!

It's that time again!  Woohoo!  Here's what we hauled home today:

Lots of good stuff to come as we jump back on the Paleo train.  Stay tuned!

CSA Recap

I know we've been a bit M.I.A. these last couple weeks, and we kind of fell off our Paleo wagon.  But with a new share coming our way tomorrow, we're ready to re-focus and get back on the Paleo train.

Here's what we made with our last share:

• Butternut Squash Soup & Salad
• Butternut Squash
• Bibb Lettuce
• Green Onion
• Granny Smith Apple
• Ode to Ray's Hell Burger & Sweet Potato Fries
• Ground Beef
• Bibb Lettuce
• Sweet Potato
• Whole Roasted Chicken & Baked Sweet Potato
• Sweet Potato
• Green Onion
• Brunch
• Kale
• Spinach
• Green Onion
• Fuji Apple
• Granny Smith Apple
• St. Patrick's Day Feast
• bacon
• potatoes
• Salmon with Spinach & Kimchi Brussels Sprouts
• spinach
• green onion

We still have an apple, a few green onions, and a couple potatoes left, but I'm sure we'll find a way to incorporate them into some upcoming meals.

CSA Day!

Woop! Woop!  It's that time again!  It's the last share of the season, and it's a good one!  We're happy to report we did not pick up another cabbage tonight.  Although with St. Patty's around the corner and our last cabbage dish turning out so delicious we wouldn't have minded. We did score plenty of greens though, and some great meats.  Take a look!

We were hoping for more sunchokes so we could make the kale and farro dish again, but we may have to make a special trip to the store.  We're working on planning out exactly how we want to use everything, so if you have any ideas, send 'em our way!

CSA Recap

It's that time again...time for our bi-weekly recap of how we used our CSA goods.  As a refresher, here's what we picked up

And here's how we used our goods:

• Oyster Bahn Mi
• oysters
• cilantro
• Steak with Chimichurri & Rutabaga
• rutabaga
• cilantro
• romaine (we made a salad on the side)
• Gnocchi
• potatoes
• oyster mushrooms
• romaine (we made a salad on the side)
• Chicken Piccata & Polenta with Kale
• kale
• Trout & Spinach
• trout
• spinach
• shitake mushrooms
• cilantro
• Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
• cabbage
• onion

Tomorrow's share is looking to be a good one, so stay tuned to see what we bag!

CSA Day!

Hooray for CSA day!  Today's share is a little smaller than what we've been getting, but we have plenty of leftovers from our Chinese feast yesterday to help fill in some of the gaps.

So here's what we picked up...

The infamous cabbage is back!  I'm not sure what we'll do with it quite yet, but hopefully we can come with something other than sauerkraut or kimchi.  The oysters came pre-shucked, so my paring knife will be spared any further damage.  To Justin's credit, he did replace my paring knife with a much higher quality one :)

We'll be turning to our trusty cookbooks, the interwebs, and our own creative minds to come up with delicious uses for all these tasty ingredients.  Stay tuned!

CSA Recap

Here is our bi-weekly recap of how we used our CSA.  Here's what we picked up...

And here's what we made...

• Umami Burgers & Kimchi Brussels Sprouts
• ground beef
• brussels sprouts
• creasy greens
• Pizza & Salad
• romaine
• creasy greens
• Chicken Involtini, Roasted Turnips, and Apple Crisp
• creasy greens
• turnips
• gold rush apples
• Jambalaya
• collards
• green onions
• Sausage Stuffed Fennel
• sausage
• Chinese New Year Feast
• trout

The one thing we didn't use was the butternut squash and the cilantro, but we'll find some uses for them in the coming weeks, I'm sure.

CSA Day!

Hooray!  Time for our bi-weekly show and tell.

We're really excited to be seeing less cabbage and squashes, and more variety in the produce.  This week we have anabundance of greens...kale, collards, creasy greens, romaine, brussels sprouts.  Tonight we had a choice between a butternut or spaghetti squash, so we opted for the butternut, since it's a bit more versatile.  We also had a choice between mild or maple pork sausage, and we went with the mild.  That way we can either use breakfast or dinner.  I think the maple sausage would've pigeon-holed us into using it for breakfast.  I'm also a fan of all the herbs we've been getting.  We've managed to stretch their shelf life by wrapping them in a paper towel, and storing them them in a plastic bag in the fridge.  The paper towel helps absorb the moisture and prevent the herbs from turning all slimy.  I think we had a bunch of cilantro or mint that lasted over a month stored like that.  So there's your helpful tip of the day...free of charge!

We haven't quite figured out what we're going to cook with this week's share, but you know we always come up with something good.  Stay tuned!

CSA Recap

It's that time again!  Time for our roundup of how we used all our CSA goods over the last 2 weeks.  Here's what we started with...

And here's what we made...

• Broiled Salmon, Turnip & Parsnip Puree, & Sauteed Red Kale
• turnips
• parsnips
• red kale
• Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Cole Slaw & Sweet Potato Fries
• pulled pork
• carrot
• sweet potatoes
• Chicken & Glazed Carrots
• chicken legs & thighs
• purple carrots
• thyme
• Eggs & Sweet Potato Hash
• sweet potatoes
• candy onion
• Gnocchi Fail
• potatoes
• Trout with Farro Hash
• trout
• green kale
• sunchokes
• Chicken & Shrimp Stir Fry
• spinach
• sweet potato
• broccoli
• candy onion
• Butternut Squash Soup
• butternut squash
• thyme

We had intentions to make some kind of baked apple crumble last night as our Super Bowl dessert, but we were too full from all the other food we made.  So instead, we each took one to eat for lunch.  Tomorrow's share is looking to be like another great bundle of ingredients, and we can't wait to share our meals with you!

CSA Day!

Yay Tuesday!  Yep, today was a CSA day, and boy did we pick up some treats!

So not only did we NOT get another head of cabbage or a spaghetti squash, but we got more of the pretty carrots, red kale, turnips, and sunchokes!  Plus, 3 different meats!  We're already trying to figure out exactly how we're going to use everything.  Got any ideas?

CSA Recap

Happy MLK Day, and Inauguration Day!  For as close as we both live to the Capitol, all we could hear were sirens all morning.  In preparation for our next share tomorrow, its time for a recap of how we used all the food from our previous share.

If you remember, here's what we picked up last time...

And here's what we cooked up...

• Thai Peanut Stir Fry
• purple carrots
• broccoli
• spinach
• sweet potato
• dill
• Spaghetti Squash (we spared you ANOTHER post about spaghetti squash)
• pork sausage
• Stuffed Pork Loin & Butternut Squash Polenta
• gold rush apples
• butternut squash
• Sausage Egg Scramble & Home Fries
• pork sausage
• potatoes
• Bison Steak & Kohlrabi Fritters
• bison NY strip steak
• kohlrabi
• spinach
• bibb lettuce
• romaine lettuce
• Turkey Burgers & Sweet Potato Fries
• dill
• sweet potatoes
• Pain Perdu (like fancy french toast) & Hash Browns
• pink lady apples
• onion
• potatoes

The only thing we haven't used up is the head of cabbage, though we have plans to try another kimchi recipe.  Fingers crossed we don't get another one in tomorrow's share.

Going Stir Fry Crazy!

Its Tuesday...Tuesday...gotta get down on Tuesday...

Ok, I guess it doesn't quite have the same ring to it as Friday, but it brings the same excitement since we finally had a CSA share to pick up.  It feels like an eternity since our last share, and we were both chompin' at the bit to see what we'd get today.  So ...without further ado...

Wouldn't it be our luck that we got ANOTHER cabbage!  We're really excited about our meat share...the bison NY strip steak and the pork sausages.  For the sausages we had a choice between ham with cider, or pork butt and pork bellies.  It was an obvious choice here.  I'm pretty excited about the purple carrots and the kholrabi as well.  I don't think I've eaten kholrabi, so it will be fun experimenting with it.

And since its been a while since we've whipped something up in the kitchen, we're bringing you tonight's meal...free of charge!

We thought ahead for once and defrosted some chicken overnight, knowing we'd need a protein to go with whatever veggies we picked up tonight.  To keep things simple, and since I scored a new wok for Christmas, we settled on a Thai peanut stir-fry.

So here's what we started wth...the purple carrots, broccoli, a sweet potato, spinach and some dill from the share.  The green onions and mushrooms were leftover from the weekend and needed to be used.  So  got to peeling and chopping the sweet potato and the purple carrots.

Look how pretty these carrots are!

While I finished chopping everything, Justin was busy cutting the chicken breasts into chunks.  Then he lightly coated them in some seasoned flour.  We used coconut oil to cook everything, so that went into the wok with a few cloves of minced garlic.  Once that was nice and aromatic, we threw in the carrots and sweet potatoes, since those would take the longest to cook, along with the chicken.

Once the chicken browned a bit, we threw in the broccoli.  As the chicken continued to cook, we threw in the mushrooms, spinach, and green onions.  We also threw in a bit of sesame oil for an added layer of flavor

Once the spinach wilted, it was time to make the sauce.  We started by adding the coconut milk.  Then came the peanut butter.  

We just kept mixing and stirring until the peanut butter had melted down and everything was coated in sauce.  To top off the dish, we toasted up some sesame seeds, drizzled on some sriracha, and sprinkled on some chopped dill.

It was a great way to kick off this week's share!

CSA Recap

I know its been a while since you've been inside our kitchen...we were out in California for the holidays...New Years happened...and then I had a friend visit this past weekend...we haven't been in our kitchens very much.  But we'll be picking up our next CSA share tomorrow, so you'll be seeing new meals from us before you know it!

So before we get to the new share, I wanted to give you a quick recap of how we used the food from our last share.  Here's a refresher of what we picked up:

And here's what we cooked up:

• Linguine with clam sauce and roasted brussels sprouts
• clams
• brussels sprouts
• Tortilla with kale
• kale
• green onion
• potatoes
• Oyster po' boys (we'd already posted about our 1st foray with them here, so we didn't post again)
• oysters
• Spaghetti squash with meatballs
• spaghetti squash
• Sauerkraut 
• cabbage

Justin and I split the apples to take for lunch during the week.  All that was left before the holidays were the butternut squash and sweet potatoes, so Justin took those with him down to NC for his family to use.  We figured by the time we got back from CA, they'd be mush, and I'm sure his family put them to good use.  The garlic was used for a few different meals since we love garlic on pretty much everything.  We were slightly disappointed that we missed a drop while we were in CA because it featured Jerusalem artichokes (and no cabbage either!), but we're looking forward to picking up tomorrow's goodies. We'll be back tomorrow to share our share with you!

Oh!  Before I forget.  For those of you that have been following along since the beginning, you may have remembered me referencing a picture of Justin with a giant bowl of cioppino from his dating profile.  It was one of the many things that initially caught my eye.  Well...here's the picture!

How delicious does that look?!?!