Delicious Summer Salad

My sister, Krissy, and I made the most delicious summer salad. We took most the veggies from my fridge and created this colorful and vibrant salad. I love to make salads like this. Usually I call them my "vegetable drawer" or "kitchen sink" salads because I literally put everything I have in refrigerator in the salad bowl. The salads always come out delicious. This particular salad has fresh spinach, baby greens, vine-ripe tomatoes, sliced ripe avocados, boiled eggs, and walnuts. We dressed the salad with Annie's Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing.

May 11th Share

Our first share in May was full of colorful and delicious organic fruits and vegetables.  The share included cauliflower, bi-color Florida corn, baby artichokes, spring mix lettuce, cucumbers, eggplant, peaches, cantaloupe, brocolini, yellow squash, mango, strawberries, and bananas. Also, we did the $10 add-on for Heirloom Tomatoes. Yum.. They were sweet and perfectly ripe. I just love heirloom tomatoes.

April 27th Share

The share we received on April 27th was full of fixings for a Mediterranean  or Greek meals. We received Pineapples, Bananas, Apples, Blood oranges, kiwis, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Avocado's, Blueberries, Fava beans, Rainbow Chard, Arugula, Raspberries, Lemons and Garlic. Yum... I made the most delicious meal with Rainbow Chard and Fava Beans.

April 12th Share

During Tax week, we received a great organic produce share. This share gave us the staples we needed to get through a rough week for me. The organics we received included: Strawberries, Mangoes, Pears, Grapefruit, Baby Carrots, Celery, Romaine Lettuce, Asparagus, Cucumbers, Squash, and much more.

Mmmm.. Homemade Pizza

One of my homemade favorites is Pizza. Pizza at home is so yummy, easy, and affordable.  You don't have to have a stone oven or even a pizza stone. Although, a pizza stone is a great investment. I love ours, it was $25 and makes the pizza crust crisp and crunchy. When I make pizza for dinner for 4 persons or more, one of pizzas goes on the stone while the other goes on a regular baking sheet. Both ways are delicious and satisfying.

Usually I just buy pizza dough from our local grocery store in the bakery section. I've attempted to make the dough over the years and it never turns out well.

Pizza Ingredients

- Olive Oil
- Cornmeal
- Bakery Section Dough (for the pizza stone)
- Refrigerator Pilsbury Pizza dough (for the baking sheet)
- Favorite Tomato sauce
- Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- Goat Cheese
- Ball of Mozzarella Cheese
- Mushrooms, thinly sliced
- Broccoli florets
- Shallots, thinly sliced
- Pepperoni, thinly sliced
- Pineapple, crushed or canned
- Chopped fresh Basil
- Pesto
- Grated Parmesan
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Truffle Oil

Ingredients are completely subjective and vary by preference. You can do any variety that suits your taste buds.

Preparation

Pizza Stone Pizza: Caramelized Veggie and Goat Cheese

1. Place pizza stone on the lower rack of your oven. Preheat oven to 450' for 45-60 minutes.
2. Let the dough sit out at room temperature
3. Saute (or Roast) the mushrooms, broccoli, and shallots until caramelized
4. Place pineapple in colander and put a heavy pot on it, to squeeze the liquid out of the pineapple
5. Flatten dough out with your hands on a slightly floured surface. Starting at the center and working outwards until the desired diameter - 10-12 inches
6. Sprinkle corn meal onto preheated pizza stone and place dough onto the pizza stone
7. Brush the dough with olive oil
8. Spread pesto and tomato sauce on the dough
9. Layer the toppings: veggies, pineapple, pepperoni, and basil
10. Crumble the goat cheese and fresh mozzarella on the top
11. Bake in oven for 15-20, until the crust is golden brown
12. Lightly sprinkle about a tablespoon of truffle oil

Baking Pan Pizza: Hawaiian

1. Grease the baking sheet with olive oil and place the refrigerator dough on it
2. Spread pizza sauce on to the dough
3. Put the pineapple and pepperoni on to the dough
4. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella
5. Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes until crust is golden brown

Serve hot and with grated Parmesan and red pepper flakes

March 30th Share

On March 30th, I picked up our organic produce share to make colorful Easter dishes and fresh salads. Our box included: 2 pineapples, pears, fair-trade bananas, strawberries, oranges, mangoes, lemons, apples, asparagus, scallions, yellow cherry tomatoes (YUM), spinach, avocados, cucumber, and zucchini.

Organic Produce Pick-up

On March 15th, we picked a most mouth-watering organic fruits and vegetable box. This box was very fruit heavy, but delicious. We received Florida strawberries, blueberries, Kent mangos, Fair-trade bananas, tangelos, carrots, sweet potatoes, plum tomatoes, pineapples, spring mix, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers. Also, received Swiss Chard, which I included in the Winter Minestrone.

The Basics Share

On March 2nd, We received a colorful organic produce share. We received a bunch of staples for our weekly menu. Items included: pineapples, strawberries, blueberries, spring mix greens, carrots, sweet potatoes, bananas, mangoes and much more. The yellow and red grape tomatoes were fresh and wonderful. Also, we received Swiss Chard that I incorporated into the below recipe for Winter Minestrone.

President's Week Share

On February 16, I picked our fruity booty share. We received a varity of colorful, flavorful and delcious fruits and vegetables. Some of the items we received included florida strawberries, fair trade bananas, Valencia oranges, cucumbers, collard greens, baby spinach, celery, and much more. I am really most excited about the fingerling potatoes and leeks. Fingerling potatoes can be roasted, grilled, and baked. They are so delicious. I like them roasted with rosemary, olive oil, and sea salt.

Parsnip Spice Cake

Parsnips are a root vegetable that look like a bleached carrot.  They have a stronger flavor than carrots. This cake is a excellent alternative to Carrot Cake. It was delicious with the ginger cream cheese frosting.

Adapted from Bon Appétit Magazine - March 2008

Parsnip Spice Cake

3/4 cup of all purpose flour
3/4 cup of whole whear flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
2 cups (packed) shredded peeled parsnips (about 3-4 large)
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9-inch spring-form baking pan. Combine flour, sugar, ground ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon salt, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves in large bowl; whisk to combine. Whisk eggs, oil, milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in medium bowl to combine. Pour egg mixture over dry ingredients; stir until just combined. Stir in parsnips and walnuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on a rack.

Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in fresh ginger and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until frosting is smooth. Spread over cake. (Frosting can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Superbowl Party Box

On February 2nd, I picked up our organic produce share. Annie included items we could use for a superbowl party. We received avocades, limes and red onions for gaucomole; potatoes and scallions for potato skins; tomatoes and garlic for salsa; and plenty of other items to make a variety of meals during the week. My personal favorite from our last share was fresh arugula. I love making fresh salads with this peppery tasting lettuce. Yum!

Simple Cauliflower Recipe

Cauliflower has a milky, sweet, almost nutty flavor. Cauliflower can take on different flavors and adapts well in many dishes. It makes a great low-carb alternative to mashed potatoes. The cauliflower growing season is December through March.



Heidi Swanson is one of my all-time favorite vegetarian chefs. She keeps her recipes simple, healthy, and delicious. I have been wanting to test out this cauliflower recipe for quite some time. The recipe turned out perfectly; the lemon zest added a bit of zing.

Simple Cauliflower Recipe
Adapted From Heidi Swanson at 101cookbooks.com

To make this recipe vegan, just omit the Parmesan cheese.

1 Large head of Cauliflower
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small bunch of chives, chopped
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons of sea salt

To prep the cauliflower, remove the leaves at the base and trim the stem. Now cut it into tiny florets. About the size of an olive and all equal in size, so they cook in the same amount of time. Rinse under running water, and set aside.



Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the cauliflower and stir until the florets are coated. Wait until they get a bit golden brown on the bottom, then toss the cauliflower in the pan. Brown a bit more and continue to saute until the pieces are deeply golden - about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and remove from heat.

Stir in the chives and lemon zest. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a pinch of sea salt. Serve immediately.



Serves 3-4 as a side.

Healthy Soup Share

In our, January 19, share from Annie's Organic Buying Club, she included everything needed for making healthy soups and produce good for juicing. We received Gala Apples, Blueberries, Satsuma Mandarin Oranges, Honey Tangerines, Comice Pears, Cauliflower, Parsnips, Collard Greens, Celery, Roma Tomatoes, Carrots, Sweet Potato Yams, and much more.



This share was awesome. I made a variety of healthy vegetable and fruit juices. Also, got to test out three new recipes and make an Italian Feast.

Stay tuned. :)

Annie's Organic Buying Club

A few months back, we joined Annie's Organic Buying Club. This organic produce buying club was established by Annie Malka. She uses the groups pool of money to purchase the organic produce in bulk and coordinates with the coordinators all over Florida and southern Georgia to distribute the organics to the club participants. It really makes buying organic fruits and vegetables more affordable. See the link below for more information. http://www.anniesbuyingclub.com

We have had a great experience receiving the freshest and most delicious organic fruits and vegetables. I am currently receiving the $45 Fruity Booty share Bi-weekly. My first share in January included apples, pineapple, broccoli, lettuce, cucumbers, shitake mushrooms, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, crimson melon, sunchokes and much more. It's approximately a 30-40lb box (or bags in my case) of fruits and vegetables. The friday before I pick up my share, Annie emails what we can expect to receive and a collection of recipes that correspond to the weeks share. http://www.anniesbuyingclub.com/faq.html#ThisWeekShares




The shares allow us to eat healthy and organically-affordable. I get to experiment with vegetables, I would not normally purchase at the grocery store. It's a fun way to add a healthy variety to each week's menu.