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!

[This post submitted by Lenore]