Bounty Rice

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 6-8
Date made: 1/28/2011

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
1/2 head of cabbage, shredded*
3 c cooked Cajun brown rice*
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 c sour cream
1 c mozzarella cheese

Saute ground turkey, onion, and green pepper in large skillet on medium heat until meat is browned and vegetables are soft.
Stir in tomatoes, cabbage, rice, and herbs and cover.  Cook until cabbage is crisp tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Stir in sour cream and transfer into a grease 13x9 baking dish.  Bake at 325°F until the cabbage is tender, about 30-45 minutes.  Sprinkle cheese on top and let melt.

The acid is slightly overwhelming -- I might add more rice next time.  Not sure if it was really 3 cups since I kind of eyeballed it.  I eyeballed the cheese, too, so next time I think I'd add more cheese.  Still tasty and very hearty!

Easy Potato Bake

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 6-8
Date made: 1/28/2011

3 lbs small red potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced*
1/4 c onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp pepper
1 c chedder cheese, shredded

Place potatoes in a greased 13x9 baking dish.  In sauce pan heat butter, onion, salt, thyme, and pepper until melted.
Drizzle mixture over potatoes.  Cover and bake at 425°F until tender, about 45 minutes.
Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

These are easy and really tasty!  Yum!

Broccoli Gratin

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 4-6
Date made: 1/28/2011

1 head of broccoli, cooked until crisp-tender and cut in chunks*
2 green onions, chopped*
1 clove garlic
1/4 c flour
2 c milk
1 c cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of nutmeg and ground red pepper
1 c bread crumbs
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp dried parsley

In small saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until fragrant and tender, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle flour over onions and garlic.  Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes without browning.
Whisk in milk and bring to a boil.  Add spices and cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in cheddar cheese and remove from heat.  Combine with broccoli in a 8x8 casserole dish.
Combine bread crumbs, butter, and parsley and sprinkle on top of broccoli mixture.  Bake for about 20 minutes at 350°F.

The original recipe called for 5 cups of broccoli; the head that I had was only about 2-3.  So the cheese sauce is probably a little overkill since I forgot about the difference and didn't scale it down.  However, I think it's still yummy!

Tomato Sweet Potato Soup

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 4-6
Date made: 1/28/2011

1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium-small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped*
4 c vegetable broth
1 c water
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3/4 c orange juice

Saute onion in oil in soup pot until translucent.  Add sweet potatoes, broth, and water, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until sweet potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes with juice and pepper.  Puree until smooth and return to soup pot.
Add orange juice, heat gently until hot, and serve.

My sweet potatoes were a little on the small side so if I had to do it again, I'd cut back on either the tomatoes or the orange juice or add another sweet potato to cut the acidity.  The texture is interesting since it has a lot of the acid, but a hint of that starchy, almost creamy finish from the potatoes.  Knowing this, next time I might add a little cream or half-and-half instead of the cup of water.

Shredded Beet Salad

Adapted from Simply in Season, serves 4
Date made: ???

8-10 small/medium red beets, boiled, peeled, and shredded*
2-3 carrots, shredded
3-4 celery stalks, chopped finely
1/2 head of lettuce, roughly chopped*
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Combine beets and carrots and toss with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper.  Combine with lettuce when ready to serve.


Like I said, I'm not a big beet eater, but it's slowly growing on me.

Marinated Mushrooms

Adapted from several recipes I found online
Date made: ???

1/2 lb mushrooms, cleaned*
1 green onion, chopped finely*
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
juice of 1 orange*
1/4 c olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Saute mushrooms in about 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat until it starts to sweat.  Add balsamic vinegar and green onion, bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and let simmer until tender.
Add herbs, salt, pepper, and orange juice.  Pour mixture into a sterilized mason jar, seal, and allow to cool.  Refrigerate for several hours to a few days.


I don't remember exactly how I made this dish, but I think this is about right.  I might've added a clove of garlic as well.  I really just wanted something to do with the crap load of citrus I'd been getting at Hollygrove.  I got sick the week prior and the resulting sore throat was rather averse to acids for a while.

After the mushrooms marinated for several days I tossed it with a box of cooked penne and added some salt.  The mushrooms turned out pretty tasty, if I do say so myself.  I would probably something else to dress up the pasta though.

Cabbage Noodles

From Mommy, serves 4-6
Date made: 1/19/2011

12 oz package wheat noodles
1 medium onion
1 head cabbage, chopped into small pieces*
1/2 lb butter

Cook pasta per directions.  Melt butter in skillet and saute onion on medium heat.  Add cabbage and mix well, coating with the butter.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and cook until cabbage is soft and translucent.  Mix with noodles and enjoy!


Pretty simple, but also pretty tasty!

Gołąbki

Adapted from my mommy's recipe, Gather and another food blogger, 6-8 servings
Date made: 1/19/2011

1 large head of cabbage*
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
2 c cooked Cajun brown rice*
2 eggs
3 garlic cloves, minced
2  10 oz cans condensed tomato soup
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3 ribs of celery, peeled and finely chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
thyme, salt, pepper, parsley to taste, other seasonings can be used as desired.

Core cabbage and place in boiling water.  Peel the leaves as they get soft and remove from the pot and set aside.
Saute onion in oil or butter until translucent.  Mix half of the onion with ground beef, pork, one egg, one cup of rice, and two garlic cloves.  Add about 1-2 tsp each of the seasonings.
Mix other half of onion with bell pepper, celery, carrot, the remaining rice, garlic, and one egg.  Again, add about 1-2 tsp each of the seasonings.
Take a cabbage leaf and cut off the thick stem.  Place a spoonful of filling in the middle of a leaf, fold the left and right sides over, and starting at the end closest to you, roll the cabbage up (see referenced recipes for photos).
Repeat until you have used all the mixture up.
Mix together two cans of tomato soup and tomato sauce.  Add 3 bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste.
Place cabbage rolls seam side down into crockpot and pour tomato soup/sauce mixture over the rolls.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Jason and I had made a Russian version (Голубцы - golubtsy) of this dish a while ago, but it it was my first time making this Polish version that my family has been eating at reunions, parties, etc. for years.  My friends have been doing a "family dinner night" where every other Wednesday evening someone hosts the group for dinner.  The veggie version was for the vegetarian in our group.  Since I had gotten a huge head of cabbage from Hollygrove Market and Farm the week prior, I figured I'd try my hand at this and also make cabbage noodles.  All-in-all it turned out okay -- it was pretty underseasoned, but that was my fault since I'm pretty timid when it comes to seasoning my food.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Adapted from cdkitchen, serves 4

Date made: 1/12/2011

1 T butter, melted

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/4 c melted butter

1/4 c flour

2 c half-and-half

2 c chicken stock

1/2 lb fresh broccoli, chopped in small pieces*

1/4 t nutmeg

1/2 lb goat cheddar cheese, grated*

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion in tablespoon of butter and set aside.

Stir melted butter and flour over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stirring constantly, and slowly add half-and-half.

Add chicken stock, also while stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add broccoli and onions. Cook over low heat until veggies are tender, about 20-25 minutes.

Add salt and pepper and the grated cheese. Stir until melted, stir in nutmeg, and serve.

I only had about 3/4 of what the recipe called for of the local goat cheese I had gotten from Hollygrove Market and Farm the week prior, so I satisfied the balance with finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese from the normal grocery store. I liked the overall flavor -- not too cheesy, but next time I might add a little more sharp cheddar to add more flavor.

Chicken and Bok Choy Stir Fry

Adapted from Real Simple, serves 2-4

Date made: 1/12/2011

1 c uncooked, Cajun brown rice*

1 T olive oil

1 lb chicken, cut into bite-sized chunks

1 head bok choy, greens and stalks separated*

1 green onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 c soy sauce, approximate

3-4 T sesame sauce, approximate

1/4 t ground ginger

salt and pepper, to taste

Cook Cajun brown rice -- I have a rice cooker, which is almost as valuable as my Crock Pot, so I can't really help you with times for normal cooking.

Heat olive oil in large skillet (if you don't have a wok) on medium heat. Brown chicken, tossing occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add scallions and saute for about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and continue to saute until fragrant.

Add soy sauce, sesame sauce, and bok choy stalks and spices. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low.

Allow bok choy to simmer for 2-3 minutes, add the greens, and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.

Add chicken and allow it to heat through. Serve on a bed of rice.

I had a very vague idea of what to do with the bok choy. Only a day after I bought it at Hollygrove Market and Farm, it started to wilt because it was so big it didn't fit into my crisper, so I had to figure out what to do with it... fast. Over the past couple years, I've been bad at wasting my Hollygrove produce due to improper storage, and part of my New Year's resolution is to reduce the amount of spoiled produce that comes from my fridge.

I had had a lot of veggie-only dishes the few days prior (the veggie soup, rice bake, collards...), so I was really craving some protein. I knew I wanted to make a stir fry out of the bok choy, but wasn't really sure how to incorporate the chicken. If I had done it over again, I would have marinated the chicken for a few hours in a soy sauce/sesame sauce mixture since the flavor didn't get absorbed very well.

Crockpot Vegetable Lentil Soup

From me!, serves 6-8

Date made: 1/11/2011

3 medium Idaho potatoes, cut 1/2-in pieces

4 carrots, cut in 1/2-in pieces

4 small-medium beets with stems, cut in 1/2-in pieces*

1 green onion, chopped*

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 c lentils

3 c chicken broth

water

2 bay leaves

cumin, celery salt, salt, and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in crock pot. Fill to min fill line with water, and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.

I've been sick over the last few days and a nice hot soup sounded really good after having that borscht last week. I threw together a bunch of vegetables I had left over, and I found some lentils in the pantry to go with it. Again, there were just enough beets that my non-beet palate wasn't overpowered, but it was hearty and tasty. I also ate it with some cornbread on the side.

Collard Greens and Turnips

From Mimi (aka Jenny Flowers), serves 4-6

Date made: 1/6/2011

Bunch of collard greens, chopped roughly*

3 medium turnips, sliced*

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

Tony Cacheries, salt, and pepper to taste

water

Saute onion until tender in pot on medium heat. Add greens and a little bit of water (1/2 c or so) to keep the greens from sticking to the pot. Add Tony's and salt to taste. Cover pot and allow greens to boil down, about 10 minutes. Add turnips and more Tony's, salt, and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to simmer and allow greens to cook down to desired texture.

My friend's 97 year-old grandmother showed me how to make collards a year or so ago when I was trying to figure out what to do with my Hollygrove produce. This is one of the few dishes that I cook according to feel, it's so easy (I generally need recipes). I don't like my collards cooked down as much as they are at restaurants, so this only took me a half hour to 45 minutes including prep.

Wild Rice Vegetable Bake

Adapted from "Simply in Season", serves 6-8

Date made: 1/4/2011

1 c Cajun brown rice*

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 c quick pearl barley

4 medium Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-in pieces

1 acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and cut in 1-in pieces*

3 carrots, peeled and cut in 1-in pieces

1 c apple juice

3 c chicken broth

4 c water

salt and pepper to taste

Boil rice in water for about 10 minutes.

Saute onion until tender. Mix with rice and pearl barley in 9x13 casserole dish.

Spread potatoes, squash, and carrots on top of grains and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Pour apple juice and chicken broth on top, and bake at 375°F for 1 hour.

This dish is pretty hearty, and the apple juice brings a fruity flavor without it being too sweet. The recipe in the cookbook calls for you to cover the casserole dish, which I forgot to do, so the veggies got a little dry. Other than that it was pretty good!

Au Gratin Cabbage

From "Simply in Season", serves 4

Date made: 1/4/2011

2 c cabbage, shredded

1 carrot, shredded

1 green onion, chopped*

1/2 c milk

1 egg

3 T goat cheddar cheese* (I just eyeballed it)

salt and pepper to taste

Saute vegetables until crisp-tender in frypan coated with cooking spray.

Transfer to greased 9x9 casserole dish (recipe says to use 1-quart baking dish)

Combine milk, egg, and cheese in small bowl.

Pour over vegetables, add salt and pepper, and and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.

I would definitely double this recipe since it definitely didn't feel like it made enough. It was super tasty though, and I'll definitely try to make it again!

Winter Borscht

Adapted from "Simply in Season", serves 6-8

Date made: 1/4/2011

1 lb stewing beef

1/2 medium yellow onion

8 c water

4-5 medium Idaho potatoes

1/2 head cabbage, shredded

3-4 small/medium beets, including stems and greens, chopped*

2 carrots, diced

1/2 c quick pearl barley

2 bay leaves

2 T dried dill

1 green onion*

salt and pepper to taste

Brown onion and beef in oil in large soup pot over medium heat.

Add remaining ingredients, except for beet greens and and bring to boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add beet greens and pearl barley and simmer until barley is cooked and meat is tender, about 10 minutes.

I'm honestly not a huge beet person, but my Russian-obsessed boyfriend is and thought the stew could use more beets. I thought it was just enough... to each their own. Nevertheless, it's nice and hearty and is a wonderful complement to a cold, wintry day!

New Year's Resolution

I'm horrible at setting and keeping New Year's resolutions - especially ones that involve watching my spending. However, I have made a major decision to quit my job as an engineer for Shell and commit to a year of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA for HandsOn New Orleans. So with that comes certain sacrifices which might improve my chances for success in 2011.

While I was home for Christmas a few weeks ago, I stopped by the Ten Thousand Villages store on Main St. in Ann Arbor and found this wonderful little cookbook, "Simply in Season", and... voila! My New Year's resolution was born. I'm going to commit at least half of my grocery expenses to "local" food for the whole year. Local meaning Gulf Coast (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, maybe Texas...) -- basically anything that comes from the geographic sources of the produce sold at Hollygrove Market and Farm.

Since my income will be about one-sixth of what it is today, my ability to afford to eating out 3-4 times a week will be severely limited. I figured that since I want to go to grad school to study agricultural economics and food security, I ought to start with my own (soon to be almost-diminished) purchasing power and buy mostly food that is in season and local.

So this blog will mainly consist of recipes sprinkled with my own reflections throughout the year and a glimpse now and then into my reading list.  Local foods used in each recipe will be listed with an asterisk.

Happy New Year and Happy Eating!