Week 5: Hot and Lazy

I am sure all of your know this but it has been hot lately.  Not just hot... sweaty, stifling, can't-sit-outside-for-more-than-a-minute hot.  Honestly, I love the heat!---and this has been a little excessive for even me.  The big joke amongst my friends is that I don't sweat (which I basically don't).  And I have been sweating!  It's nasty!  Luckily, we finally got a cool down around her last Saturday.  It was pretty amazing.  We were actually in Milwaukee along the Lake.  I couldn't have been more thankful for 70 degree weather.  Of course, it is heating back up again which is really fine by me.  It's summer!  I don't want fall to come too soon....because that just leads to winter which means the end of sun, warmth, long days, and of course the CSA.  But lets not get ahead of ourselves here.  I am only on Week 5!  The height of the season is just beginning!! This week's box was kind of nice because it was basic stuff we use everyday.  But because of this, it may make for a boring blog post.  I didn't do anything too wacky.  Also, I have been a little lazy lately.  I'm not sure if its because of the heat or because I am still in vacation-mode but we actually haven't eaten all of the produce from this week.  I know what I am planning on doing with it which I will list but there aren't any pictures.  I will try to add them later this week. 

Well, here we go....

Sweet Onions:
We have basically just put them in everything we usually put onion in.  This onion isn't very strong and fairly small but it does the job.  Since the onions are fresh from the ground (not cured like the ones we are used to in the store), we will have to keep them in a fridge and keep an eye on them.  B and I put onion on a lot of things so I am not too worried about using it up.

Sugar Snap Peas:
They were HUGE!  Seriously, bigger than my fingers!  But still super crunchy and super sweet.  We just ate them raw as a snack for a couple of days.  One of my favorite raw vegetables, for sure.

Basil:
I'm not sure if everyone knows this but basil should not be kept in the fridge.  It makes me so mad when I go to the grocery store and see basil in the little plastic things in the cooler with all of the other herbs.  The fridge makes basil turn brown and go bad faster.  If you have fresh basil, keep it on the counter with the stems in water.  Our basil kept pretty well.  About 1/4 of it had to be thrown away because I think it was getting too warm.  I decided not to make pesto out of this bunch because I am sure we will be getting lots more.  Instead, I have been throwing into things left and right.  I especially like making Caprese Salads for lunch.  Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil and I always add a splash of balsamic vinegar.  It's probably my favorite lunch. 

Here is a pizza we made this week.  I usually buy the dough from the pizzeria around the corner from us.  (I highly recommend doing this.  Comes out great!).  This pizza has Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Sweet Onions, Garlic Scapes (yes, I am still eating them from a few weeks ago), grape tomatoes, Sungold tomatoes from my plant, all topped off with fresh basil.  It was delicious!

Romaine Lettuce:

We made salads, of course!  Actually, we had one of my favorite salads which I call Southwest Chicken salad.  It includes: romaine lettuce, onion, bell pepper, tomato, avocado, corn, grilled chicken that has been marinaded in Mestique sauce, and cheddar cheese chunks.  I top it off with crushed tortilla chips.  For the dressing, I add cumin and chipotle powder to Ranch Dressing. This salad is always a favorite around here. 

Kale: 

I haven't gotten around to using it yet but I we plan on eating it tomorrow.  I found a recipe were you add it to ricotta and stuff into pasta shells.  I may be more hiding the Kale instead of featuring it but either way we get the nutrients from it, right?  I plan on using the recipe below.  I will try to add a picture of the finished product tomorrow.

http://afoodcentriclife.com/kale-and-ricotta-stuffed-shells/

Summer Squash:

Surprisingly, we haven't eaten them yet.  As I said before, I was getting lazy.  Earlier this week instead of making new recipes, I decided to stick to meals that knew off the top of my head.  I was really hoping we would eat it this week because I am sure we are going to get 4 more tomorrow.  And that is how you end up with boat loads of summer squash in your fridge that you don't know what to do with.  Depending on when we eat it, I have two ideas for it.  Either I want to try a Gratin recipe or I will make a light pasta dish that I have made a few times. 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/zucchini-gratin-recipe2/index.html

http://www.marthastewart.com/328016/zucchini-pasta-with-ricotta



My Garden...

To go along with my hot theme, we made quite the discovery this week.  B and I were very excited that one of our "Sweet Orange Bell Peppers" was ready to be picked and eaten.  I was a little concerned because it didn't really look like a bell pepper and it wasn't really all that orange.  More of a gold color.  Actually, the exact same color as my SunGold tomatoes.  But I shrugged that off.  Most veggies don't quite look the same when you grow them at home.  Well, it is DEFINITELY not a "sweet" pepper.  I cut it up and put it on B's salad.  He was sweating immediately!  Way hotter than the jalapeno that I already put in there.  I had just a little taste and I could hardly handle it.  I double checked the tag for the plant and it says 'sweet bell pepper' so it was mislabeled.  After a little Google research, I think we decided it is actually a pepper called Bulgarian Carrot.  I am sad the plant isn't what we thought it was but I can make this work.  And B is super pumped!

Finally, I just want to thank everyone who reads my blog.  While in Milwaukee this weekend I found out of many of my family members and friends actually read this. I had no clue and I am overwhelmed by the support.  I really enjoy doing this and I am glad that others find it interesting as well.

--I'll post a picture tomorrow of our new box!--