donna's daily dish

and then the weather changed, part 2

9/18/2023

In last week’s weekly CSA box post, the webpage administrator commented, “I just saw a recipe in NYT cooking for Creamy Corn Orzo. I am not able to link it, but it looks delicious.” As New York Times subscriber I was able to gift her the recipe which is Creamy One-Pot Orzo with Corn and Bacon and decided to give it a try myself. Beside the aforementioned ingredients you’ll also need chicken broth, kosher salt, basil, Calabrian Chile paste (or harissa or homemade chile sauce) and whole milk ricotta. Although the recipe calls for using a box grater to remove the corn kernels, I used a chef’s knife to cut the kernels off and then used the backside to scrape the corn liquid off the cobs.

and then the weather changed, part 1

9/17/2023

Thank goodness the heat and humidity are gone. Meals with warm flavors and the last of the summer vegetables can be made. From my CSA box I had a bunch of scallions that I wanted to incorporate into a main course. From Yewande Komolafe of The New York Times, I found a recipe for Sheet-Pan Gochujang Chicken and Roasted Vegetables. I enjoy the spicy and sweet flavor the gochujang imparts. For the recipe you’ll also need soy sauce, fresh ginger, a neutral oil, squash (butternut, acorn or delicata), turnips, scallions, kosher salt, bone-in skin on thicken thighs, radishes, rice vinegar, sesame oil and steamed rice (optional).

capturing summer

9/9/2023

Recently I received more tomatoes and peaches in my Dreyer Farm CSA box. In my search on the NYT Cooking app, I found a recipe by Alexa Weibel for Tomato and Peach Salad with Whipped Goat Cheese.

As crazy as the combination sounded, it was outstanding and perfect for a summer lunch, starter salad or as a bruschetta on top of grilled Italian or sourdough bread. For the recipe you’ll need extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, whole-grain mustard, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, small red onion, goat or feta cheese (I used goat cheese), heavy cream, 2 large heirloom tomatoes, 2 medium peaches, and, optionally, mâche or watercress. If you can’t find either, you can substitute arugula or baby spinach.

ahh!

9/4/2023

Take a breath, breathe, another summer season at the Jersey shore is in the books.

It was a busy summer at my home. My granddaughters were down every Thursday for swimming lessons at The Atlantic Club. Nana made pancakes and waffles for breakfast and made sure there were cookies and snacks available. When they weren’t here, I tried many new recipes incorporating the produce from my Dreyer Farm CSA box.

A couple of weeks ago, I dug out a recipe that I clipped from the July 2020 issue of “Southern Living Magazine” for Grilled Chicken and Corn with Charred Scallion-Lime Butter. For the recipe you’ll need, fresh corn (unshucked), scallions, unsalted butter, fresh chives, fresh flat leaf parsley, fresh lime juice, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, bone in, skin-on chicken thighs.

stone fruit

8/23/2023

Skillet Meatballs with Peaches, Basil and Lime

Summertime fruits are so versatile, you can use them in baking or in savory dishes such as Skillet Meatballs with Peaches, Basil and Lime or Grilled Pork Chops with Plum BBQ Sauce. These recipes can be found in The New York Times on their Cooking webpage.

Skillet Meatballs was featured in the article “A Lighter, Brighter Meatball,” from Melissa Clark’s column “A Good Appetite.” The accent flavors of peaches paired with basil sounded interesting. For the recipe you’ll need fresh ginger, fresh garlic, ground cumin, kosher salt, ground pork (you can use turkey, chicken or vegan meat), panko or plain bread crumbs, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, onion (white, red or scallions), wine, fresh peaches or nectarines and a lime. You can serve the meatballs atop white rice, coconut rice, rice noodles or on a green salad. For this recipe I used ground pork and a red onion that I had on hand.

who would have thought...

8/22/2023

Sometimes our CSA repeats vegetables during the season. So, the question becomes, “What can I do with…” Another head of cabbage and more peaches were in my box last week.

I went to my favorite source for recipes, The New York Times’ webpage called “Cooking.” As I mentioned before, there are a number of contributors and there’s a wide range of diverse backgrounds among the recipe developers. I would have never thought of putting caramelized cabbage with pasta, but Hetty Lui McKinnon did in her recipe for Caramelized Cabbage and Walnut Pasta.

My husband was a bit hesitant when I told him what was for supper, but he loves pasta and has enjoyed the many preparations I have made over the years. For the Caramelized Cabbage and Walnut Pasta, you’ll need olive oil, unsalted butter, cumin seeds, leeks, garlic cloves, green cabbage, Diamond Crystal salt, spaghetti or other long pasta, grated pecorino cheese, freshly ground black pepper, lemon juice, toasted walnuts and chopped chives (optional).

move over Green Giant

8/13/2023

Today lunch was a delightful platter of roasted vegetables. I had a Spanish onion, cubanelle pepper, eggplant, grape heirloom tomatoes and a small beefsteak tomato that were cooked outside on the grill. I placed the cooked vegetables on a platter, seasoned with sea salt and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. I added a ball of burrata for my husband and I. We enjoyed it on our porch where there was a light breeze and peaks of sun from behind the clouds.

fresh vegetables

8/12/2023

I’m still hunting down recipes that can be cooked outside on the grill. Recently, I found on The New York Times webpage, Cooking, a recipe by Ali Slagle for Grilled Chicken with Tomatoes and Corn. This quick and easy recipe needed boneless, skinless chicken thighs, extra virgin olive oil, chili powder, kosher salt, large ripe tomatoes, a fresh ear of corn, small red onion and fresh oregano.

A trip to a local produce stand, Matt’s Farm Market in Belmar, yielded beautiful sweet corn and tomatoes for this meal. Instead of chicken thighs, I used boneless, skinless breasts that I butterflied open. The recipe also called for fresh oregano, which is one of the many herbs from my garden.

The preparation begins by coating the chicken with olive oil, chili powder and salt. I did this early in the day, but you can do it up to a day ahead. The veggies are all served in the raw state. I thinly sliced the tomatoes for a base, topped with corn kernels, red onion and oregano. The vegetables are seasoned with salt and extra virgin olive oil

summer's bounty

8/8/2023

My Dreyer Farm’s CSA offerings this summer have been wonderful; a great selection of produce to try out new and varied recipes. Recently, on The New York Times website, there were several recipes that I found to go along with my vegetables. One was a recipe by Kay Chun for Eggplant Parmesan Pasta. Also, I found a recipe for Skillet Tortellini with Corn and Crispy Rosemary by Ali Slagle and Roasted Beets with Moroccan Spices by Mark Bittman.

Eggplant Parmesan Pasta takes just 35 minutes to prepare and packs a lot of flavors. For the recipe you’ll need extra-virgin olive oil, panko bread crumbs, kosher salt, black pepper, a yellow onion, fresh garlic, eggplant (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes, about 8 cups), 28-ounce can of tomatoes (crushed), fresh basil spring plus chopped basil, dried oregano, pasta such as mezzo rigatoni, fusilli or shells, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and fresh mozzarella.

mother nature

8/7/2023

Recently when I was in the mood for meat loaf. Many years ago, I purchased a steel grill meat loaf pan from Williams-Sonoma. The loaf pan has an open bottom with a handled insert and a perforated base that allows fat to drain and is meant to be used on a grill. Although no longer available, a similar product can be found at Amazon or Sur La Table.

Cheesy Meat Loaf with Bacon and Herbs was the recipe that was included with the pan. The ingredients needed are extra-virgin olive oil, carrots, celery, an onion, fresh garlic, fresh bread crumbs, warm water, fresh flat-leaf parsley, mozzarella cheese (shredded and cubed), salt, pepper, ground beef, eggs, fresh thyme and thick-cut bacon. I used fresh herbs from my garden for this dish.