Will Allen, the founder of Growing Power, Inc., received the MacArthur Foundation's annual "genius grant" this past week. Growing Power is an amazing organization that strives to put healthy, high-quality, affordable food in the hands of all people through their urban farms. They have mostly focused their mission on lower income communities in so called "food deserts." Allen started out in Milwaukee but in the past few years Growing Power has moved into Chicago. You may have seen their urban farms in Grant Park, Jackson Park, or Cabrini-Green to name a few. You also may have noticed their farm stands at the Green City Market in Lincoln Park or a whole host of farmer's markets on the Southside. I highly recommend checking out the organization’s site to see all the great things they're doing, and supporting them by purchasing their produce at one of the farmers markets they attend.
As you can imagine Growing Power has received a lot of press as a result of their recent award, here is a great article from the NY Times on Will Allen and his vision for the organization. The one downside to Allen being awarded the MacArthur grant is that the Just Food team’s effort to secure someone from the Growing Power organization, which we started working on a few weeks ago, to speak at an upcoming community meal seems like a long shot now. :) Anyway, I encourage you to check out what Growing Power is doing and support them if you can, because they are a great organization that is bringing about positive change in communities through food and farming.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
week 17!
The Week 17 box was filled with delicata squash , tomatoes (keep 'em coming!), eggplant, swiss chard, extra-peppery arugula, endive frisee, basil and sage.
My new favorite salad mix is swiss chard, arugula and endive frisee! Now that salads greens are back in season, I am loving them more than ever. It was only a few months ago that I recall dreaming of the red, yellow, purple, gold, orange and non-leafy green vegetables to come! At the time, the thought of yet another salad for lunch made me long even more for the vegetables that were in the greenhouses waiting to be ripened or planted. Now I realize just how much I will miss the fresh leafy greens this winter. My salad worldview has been changed forever! I no longer think that salads need anything added to them, even cheese. Farm-fresh additions are always welcome, but I am just as happy with the flavors provided by the greens themselves. Thank you Mike and Clare for making me see salads in a new light!
Ryan and I began the week with a Cedar Valley free-range balsamic roasted chicken . (The recipe is great, but I only needed to roast the chicken for 20 min, not an hour.) Another weeknight was celebrated like a special occasion with simple pan-roasted porkchops and Clare's suggestion for sautéed delicata squash. (From her week 17 email, "Peel, seed, and cube your delicata, cook up some minced onion and garlic in some butter, toss the squash in with some sage and after a couple of minutes a glug of broth and cook until the squash is easily pierced. Maybe top it with a little cheese.") The Cedar Valley chops needed nothing more than salt and pepper before being seared on each side in the pan. Thanks to Mike and Clare, and Beth and Jody, we now find ourselves choosing to stay at home to make our own delicious meals rather than going to a restaurant!
My new favorite salad mix is swiss chard, arugula and endive frisee! Now that salads greens are back in season, I am loving them more than ever. It was only a few months ago that I recall dreaming of the red, yellow, purple, gold, orange and non-leafy green vegetables to come! At the time, the thought of yet another salad for lunch made me long even more for the vegetables that were in the greenhouses waiting to be ripened or planted. Now I realize just how much I will miss the fresh leafy greens this winter. My salad worldview has been changed forever! I no longer think that salads need anything added to them, even cheese. Farm-fresh additions are always welcome, but I am just as happy with the flavors provided by the greens themselves. Thank you Mike and Clare for making me see salads in a new light!
Ryan and I began the week with a Cedar Valley free-range balsamic roasted chicken . (The recipe is great, but I only needed to roast the chicken for 20 min, not an hour.) Another weeknight was celebrated like a special occasion with simple pan-roasted porkchops and Clare's suggestion for sautéed delicata squash. (From her week 17 email, "Peel, seed, and cube your delicata, cook up some minced onion and garlic in some butter, toss the squash in with some sage and after a couple of minutes a glug of broth and cook until the squash is easily pierced. Maybe top it with a little cheese.") The Cedar Valley chops needed nothing more than salt and pepper before being seared on each side in the pan. Thanks to Mike and Clare, and Beth and Jody, we now find ourselves choosing to stay at home to make our own delicious meals rather than going to a restaurant!
[This post submitted by Marissa]
Saturday, September 20, 2008
week 16!
This week's box included eggplant, collard greens, edamame (fun!), tomatoes, summer squash, and mizuna!
This week was also a special week for me as our Just Food team hosted our first community meal at the church. We had a great turnout, and it was amazing to see people from our church, fellow CSA members, and neighbors all gathered together to share a meal. A few of you asked me to post some of the recipes from that meal. You have to realize though that I rarely use just one recipe, the final product instead ends up being a combination of 2 or 3 recipes. So here they are, with my changes.
I'm trying to find a recipe that's similar to the roasted heirloom tomato soup with pesto that we served but I'm not really finding one and it's really simple so here it goes. If you have great tomatoes, and we had some really beautiful tomatoes from City Farm, simply quarter them and put some olive oil, salt, and pepper (white pepper if you don't want bits of black in your finished soup) on them and roast for about 50 min. at 450 degrees. Puree them in a blender and pour through a strainer to catch all the skins and seeds. Take some veggie stock to thin it out to the consistency you want. Thats it! Serve it cold, room temp, or hot. If you end up with both red and yellow tomatoes do the above steps seperately and add the finished products at the very end for a really neat presentation. For the pesto: 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 1 garlic clove peeled, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil. Blend it and you're all set. I think it makes for a pretty soup and its really tasty too.
The dressing on the green salad I stole from Lenore and her post below. I've made it a few different times now, and I really like it. Thanks Lenore!
The roasted chicken was basically one recipe. Here it is . I gotta admit I was a bit nervous about cooking that much chicken. Chicken is tricky since you have to cook it just so, definitely don't want to overcook or undercook it. I think the rosemary garlic paste added a nice flavor, and by using skin on, bone-in, chicken it kept it extra moist. I couldn't find juniper berries so I didn't use them, but I'd make this recipe again at home and try to use some to see what that adds to it. In addition, I just quartered up some baby red potatoes and placed them on the bottom of the roasting pan, covered them in some olive oil, salt, pepper, sprigs of thyme and rosemary and placed the chicken on top to cook them all together.
The zucchini/summer squash is also really simple. Just slice them up very thinly and sautee them with olive oil and some minced garlic. Once they are almost done toss in some chopped basil, salt and pepper. At the very end put a little squeeze of lemon on top of it to really brighten up the dish and give it a nice flavor.
For dessert I decided to go with fruit crumbles. I've really been on a crumble kick lately, mostly because they are super easy and delicious! I didn't use the sliced almonds that this recipe calls for and I added cinnamon to the mix. Be creative and add whatever fruit you like, I'm pretty sure any fruit or combination of fruits would be great.
Thats it, I hope those of you who were able to make it to the meal had as much fun as I did!! I'm already looking forward to our next one in October, hope you all can make it!
This week was also a special week for me as our Just Food team hosted our first community meal at the church. We had a great turnout, and it was amazing to see people from our church, fellow CSA members, and neighbors all gathered together to share a meal. A few of you asked me to post some of the recipes from that meal. You have to realize though that I rarely use just one recipe, the final product instead ends up being a combination of 2 or 3 recipes. So here they are, with my changes.
I'm trying to find a recipe that's similar to the roasted heirloom tomato soup with pesto that we served but I'm not really finding one and it's really simple so here it goes. If you have great tomatoes, and we had some really beautiful tomatoes from City Farm, simply quarter them and put some olive oil, salt, and pepper (white pepper if you don't want bits of black in your finished soup) on them and roast for about 50 min. at 450 degrees. Puree them in a blender and pour through a strainer to catch all the skins and seeds. Take some veggie stock to thin it out to the consistency you want. Thats it! Serve it cold, room temp, or hot. If you end up with both red and yellow tomatoes do the above steps seperately and add the finished products at the very end for a really neat presentation. For the pesto: 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 1 garlic clove peeled, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil. Blend it and you're all set. I think it makes for a pretty soup and its really tasty too.
The dressing on the green salad I stole from Lenore and her post below. I've made it a few different times now, and I really like it. Thanks Lenore!
The roasted chicken was basically one recipe. Here it is . I gotta admit I was a bit nervous about cooking that much chicken. Chicken is tricky since you have to cook it just so, definitely don't want to overcook or undercook it. I think the rosemary garlic paste added a nice flavor, and by using skin on, bone-in, chicken it kept it extra moist. I couldn't find juniper berries so I didn't use them, but I'd make this recipe again at home and try to use some to see what that adds to it. In addition, I just quartered up some baby red potatoes and placed them on the bottom of the roasting pan, covered them in some olive oil, salt, pepper, sprigs of thyme and rosemary and placed the chicken on top to cook them all together.
The zucchini/summer squash is also really simple. Just slice them up very thinly and sautee them with olive oil and some minced garlic. Once they are almost done toss in some chopped basil, salt and pepper. At the very end put a little squeeze of lemon on top of it to really brighten up the dish and give it a nice flavor.
For dessert I decided to go with fruit crumbles. I've really been on a crumble kick lately, mostly because they are super easy and delicious! I didn't use the sliced almonds that this recipe calls for and I added cinnamon to the mix. Be creative and add whatever fruit you like, I'm pretty sure any fruit or combination of fruits would be great.
Thats it, I hope those of you who were able to make it to the meal had as much fun as I did!! I'm already looking forward to our next one in October, hope you all can make it!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
week 15!
It was the Sunday after Labor Day weekend - unofficially the beginning of fall - and I finally hosted the first Washtenaw Backyard BBQ of the season. It would have been much, much earlier in the summer, except that until recently we did not have a propane tank with which to fuel the gas grill we share with our upstairs neighbor.
So.
The BBQ was a huge success, due in equal part to beautiful friends, and to excellent meat from Cedar Valley and great produce from Mike and Clare. I set out a bowl full of the small and wonderful tomatoes we've received in our boxes over the past two weeks, and they were enjoyed over the course of the afternoon. The yellow variety was the clear favorite.
It was a BYOSTG (stuff to grill) event, and my STG was the pork shoulder steaks from last month's meat share. I've saved most of my meat share items for grilling, so my mouth was watering in anticipation while the steaks cooked slowly over the hot flames. They took about 20 minutes, and were well worth the wait! All I did to prep the steaks was rub them with garlic and olive oil, and they turned out great- juicy and full of flavor - some of the best pork I've tasted.
I kept thinking back to the farm visit in May, and could hear Jody's voice in my head introducing us to the "happy pigs" they were raising. Those happy creatures provided these steaks, as well as many other wonderful and flavorful pork cuts we've enjoyed over the summer. Since reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma" I've been trying to be a more conscious carnivore. I would like to only eat meat if I know and agree with how the animals were raised and treated. It was great to enjoy the BBQ last week with Beth and Jody's philosophy and practices in mind.
[this post submitted by Dena]
Friday, September 5, 2008
week 14!
In this weeks box we got: swiss chard, peppers, tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, thyme and garlic.
Shortly behind my love for cooking is my love for cookbooks. I’m the nerd who can spend hours in the cooking section at Borders, anxiously anticipates the James Beard Foundation Awards each year and may just have a cookbook or two on my nightstand to peruse before dozing off at night. After a summer of participating in the CSA, I’ve learned to love some of the great books in my collection even more. For those looking for some good resources on fresh, healthful and simple recipes using your CSA share, I thought I’d share some of my personal favorites:
The cookbook that gets the most use in our home is Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, and it’s by far the one I’ve turned to most this season. Madison’s vast collection of recipes touches on all the bases – unique salads and soups, simple pizzas, pastas and gratins, ideas for incorporating whole grains and beans into your diet and some of the best breads I’ve ever baked. Best of all, Madison covers almost every vegetable imaginable – from the most basic to the most obscure – by explaining how to choose, store and prepare in both simple and complex ways. An easy weeknight dinner we love that uses some of this week’s items is spaghetti with zucchini and basil. Sauté 1 ½ lbs. cubed zucchini with a little olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, salt and pepper for about 20 minutes. Add ½ cup milk and cook for 10 more minutes. Toss with 1 lb. cooked pasta, a mix of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and Romano cheeses and a handful of torn, fresh basil. I’m sure the summer squash would work well in this dish, too.
If you’re interested in learning about all the health benefits of your ingredients, Nina Simonds’ Spices of Life is the book for you. Simonds reminds us that the vitamins and nutrients in fruits, vegetables, herbs and other natural ingredients have a significant, lasting impact on our health, and specifically lists these properties with each recipe. This gem of a book includes my favorite miso soup (a simple mix of 6 c. chicken broth, a generous ½ cup white miso paste, and ½ cup cubed tofu) that calls for shiitake mushrooms, spinach and green onions, but in reality works great with whatever veggies you have on hand (especially greens like the swiss chard in this week’s box). Another standard in our home is Simonds’ avocado tomato salsa – a fabulously delicious alternative to guacamole. Mix ¾ lb. seeded, chopped tomatoes, 2 diced avocados, juice of 2 limes, 1 chopped jalapeno, 1 Tbs. minced garlic, 1 cup minced green onions, 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, ½ c. chopped fresh cilantro and 1 tsp. salt. Serve with tortilla chips as an appetizer or spoon over grilled chicken, fish or meat.
Though a bit more involved, The Food and Wine Cookbook from gourmet haven Dean & Deluca provides some beautiful options for a dinner party or special meal. This book also includes a wonderful vinaigrette to use some of the thyme and garlic this week. Blend 3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme and 1 minced garlic clove. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve over your favorite salad. Trust me, this easy mix will surely replace your favorite bottled dressing. Enjoy!
Shortly behind my love for cooking is my love for cookbooks. I’m the nerd who can spend hours in the cooking section at Borders, anxiously anticipates the James Beard Foundation Awards each year and may just have a cookbook or two on my nightstand to peruse before dozing off at night. After a summer of participating in the CSA, I’ve learned to love some of the great books in my collection even more. For those looking for some good resources on fresh, healthful and simple recipes using your CSA share, I thought I’d share some of my personal favorites:
The cookbook that gets the most use in our home is Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, and it’s by far the one I’ve turned to most this season. Madison’s vast collection of recipes touches on all the bases – unique salads and soups, simple pizzas, pastas and gratins, ideas for incorporating whole grains and beans into your diet and some of the best breads I’ve ever baked. Best of all, Madison covers almost every vegetable imaginable – from the most basic to the most obscure – by explaining how to choose, store and prepare in both simple and complex ways. An easy weeknight dinner we love that uses some of this week’s items is spaghetti with zucchini and basil. Sauté 1 ½ lbs. cubed zucchini with a little olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, salt and pepper for about 20 minutes. Add ½ cup milk and cook for 10 more minutes. Toss with 1 lb. cooked pasta, a mix of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and Romano cheeses and a handful of torn, fresh basil. I’m sure the summer squash would work well in this dish, too.
If you’re interested in learning about all the health benefits of your ingredients, Nina Simonds’ Spices of Life is the book for you. Simonds reminds us that the vitamins and nutrients in fruits, vegetables, herbs and other natural ingredients have a significant, lasting impact on our health, and specifically lists these properties with each recipe. This gem of a book includes my favorite miso soup (a simple mix of 6 c. chicken broth, a generous ½ cup white miso paste, and ½ cup cubed tofu) that calls for shiitake mushrooms, spinach and green onions, but in reality works great with whatever veggies you have on hand (especially greens like the swiss chard in this week’s box). Another standard in our home is Simonds’ avocado tomato salsa – a fabulously delicious alternative to guacamole. Mix ¾ lb. seeded, chopped tomatoes, 2 diced avocados, juice of 2 limes, 1 chopped jalapeno, 1 Tbs. minced garlic, 1 cup minced green onions, 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, ½ c. chopped fresh cilantro and 1 tsp. salt. Serve with tortilla chips as an appetizer or spoon over grilled chicken, fish or meat.
Though a bit more involved, The Food and Wine Cookbook from gourmet haven Dean & Deluca provides some beautiful options for a dinner party or special meal. This book also includes a wonderful vinaigrette to use some of the thyme and garlic this week. Blend 3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme and 1 minced garlic clove. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve over your favorite salad. Trust me, this easy mix will surely replace your favorite bottled dressing. Enjoy!
[This post submitted by Lenore]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)