Ravioli with Sundried Tomatoes and Fava Beans

The final vegetables to be used from last week’s vegetable box delivery was another new to me veggie- fava beans.

These double pod beans have the most protective surroundings I’m aware of.

After removing the beans from the large sponge-like-lined bean pods, I tossed the beans into boiling water to blanch.

Post blanched fava beans.

The job to prepare these well-packed beans is not over yet.

Simple tear a bit off the end of the protective skin and give a little squeeze to the beans.

The fava beans should easily slip out. Now, the beans are ready to be used.

Spinach stuffed ravioli made the perfect base for a simple sundried tomato and fava bean topping.

Once the fava beans were shelled, this dish was ready in 15 minutes.

Recipe slightly adapted from The Italian Dish

serves 2

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups fresh fava beans, pods removed

2 servings prepared ravioli

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 Tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

6 sundried tomatoes, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

2-4 Tablespoons grated pecorino cheese, plus more for garnishing

12 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Method

1. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. Put another large pot of salted water on to boil to blanch the fava beans.
   Place a large bowl of ice water next to your stovetop.
2. When the blanching water boils, throw the shelled fava beans into the pot and blanch them for about one minute.  Remove them  to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.  Remove the translucent skin from the beans by peeling off a bit of the skin and gently squeezing the beans.
3. Add the ravioli to the pasta water to cook and start preparing your sauce.
4. In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter, the onion and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and cook until the onion starts to soften, about 2 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and pine nuts and cook until both have begun to toast, about 2 minutes, stirring often to keep the garlic from burning.
6. Add the red pepper flakes, oregano and 3/4 cup of the pasta water and mix to combine.  Add the fava beans.
7. When the ravioli begins to float, remove with a strainer and add right to the skillet with the onion and fava bean mixture.  Gently toss until the pasta is coated with the sauce, about 1 minute.
8. Remove the skillet from the heat.  Add the salt and pepper, the rest of the butter and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, the grated pecorino cheese and the basil and mix everything together well.  Serve sprinkled liberally with more pecorino and black pepper.

Enjoy!

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Rhubarb Tiramisu

During the month of May, my CSA box came bearing rhubarb two times.

Each time, I squealed with joy.

I love the sweet and tangy taste of rhubarb.

Luckily, the May newsletter from Biolandgärtnerei Hüsgen had a whole section on rhubarb. They wrote about the rhubarb fields and how the 1,000 rhubarb plants are cared for and harvested. They also provided three new recipes.

The recipe that really caught my eye was Rhubarb Tiramisu.

from Biolandgärtnerei Hüsgen

Ingredients

500 grams rhubarb

100 grams sugar

1 Tablespoon butter

250 grams quark

250 grams mascarpone

1 orange

1-2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

1 package Tiramisu biscuits

Method

1. Combine the rhubarb, sugar and butter in a saucepan and cook over medium low heat until the rhubarb is a very soft compote. Remove from heat and cool completely.
2. In another bowl, combine the quark and mascarpone with the juice of the orange. Whisk until smooth and shiny. Whisk in the powdered sugar to taste.
3. In a medium-sized serving dish, create layers starting with the biscuits then 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture, top that with the cooled rhubarb compote and the remaining mascarpone mixture. Garnish the dish with the zest of an orange.
4. Cool the tiramisu for at least 3 hours before serving.

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CSA Veggie Stir Fry

I love my weekly box of fresh, organic, local produce.

Oh, have I said that before?

Sorry for sounding like a stuck record, but deciding to receive a weekly CSA delivery is the smallest change, but it has yielded the largest difference.

I am now saving money on groceries, eating healthier, and experimenting with new recipes and produce.

All the while, I’m supporting businesses that I believe in.

A win-win situation.

Here’s how I make the best use of this service.

1. Before Wednesday of the delivery week, I visit my CSA’s online shopping center. There I can see what produce is planned to be included in my weekly vegetable box.
2. Usually I want everything that is scheduled, but sometimes there will be items that I either don’t want or already have left from the previous week’s delivery, take carrots cor example.
3. If I want all but one item, say carrots, I usually keep with the scheduled box but just edit my order to not include carrots.
4. I also have the option to choose a completely different box. Biolandgärtnerei Hüsgen offers 8 different pre-planned boxes for €12.50: Vegetable, Mother and Child, Fruit, Regional Produce,Raw Produce, Single, Quick Cooking, and Full Assortment boxes.
5. If I didn’t want any of the pre-arranged plans, I could create a Wish Box by choosing individual items from the online shop.
6. In addition to the organic produce boxes, their online shop offers almost any other product that can be found in a small organic grocery store. I usually add a box of 6 eggs from Hof Alpermühle.
7. Once my order is placed, I keep my eyes open for recipes that include the items I expect later in the week.
8. I usually plan my meals based on which food items spoil more quickly. The produce with a shorter life-span is cooked earlier in the week than the more resilient veggies. This leads to less waste and better quality.
9. On Friday, my box is delivered to my front door and the real fun begins!

Biolandgärtnerei Hüsgen makes it so simple to choose items and plan my weekly delivery. I rarely need to shop the regular grocery store and as a result, have saved a lot of money.

Although I’m pretty good at planning how to use my weekly veggies, there have been times when my fridge is about to burst with produce that needs to be used.

 

When this happens, I either make soup or stir fry.

My CSA Veggie Stir Fry is less of a recipe and more of a formula for using up any vegetables that linger in the crisper…

This week, my CSA Veggie Stir Fry included pea pods, savoy cabbage, mushrooms, broccoli, shallots, ginger, garlic and sesame seeds.

The garlic and ginger were cooked briefly in hot sesame oil before I added the remaining vegetables. This allows the oil to flavor which will later help to impart an even taste amongst the veggies.

Cooked over high heat, I added a bit of water every now and then to help the veggies steam.

Once the vegetables were starting to soften and brighten in color, I added a simple stir-fry sauce made with sesame oil, soy sauce, miring, agave nectar salt and pepper.

Cooked until tender yet slightly crisp, the last step was to add sesame seeds to the vegetables.

Served with jasmine rice, this CSA veggie stir fry was one of the best I’ve made yet.

CSA Veggie Stir Fry Formula

~ Vegan ~ Vegetarian ~

Prepare the Vegetables and Oil

4-5 cups raw vegetables, all cut to a similar size

2 cloves garlic

1/2 inch nub of fresh ginger,

1-2 Tablespoons sesame seeds

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

Prepare the Sauce to Taste

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce

1-2 Tablespoons mirin (Japanese cooking wine)

1-2 teaspoons agave nectar

salt and pepper

 

Step 1

Heat the wok or non-stick frying pan. Add the sesame oil, heat for a moment then add the garlic and ginger. Cook over high heat until fragrant.

Step 2

Add the vegetables and continue to cook over high heat, stirring frequently. If the vegetables begin to stick, add a couple tablespoons of water.

Step 3

Combine the sauce ingredients in a small cup and whisk well. Once the vegetables begin to brighten, pour the sauce over top and stir to well-coat all ingredients.

Step 4

Continue to cook until the vegetables are tender to the tooth but still slightly crisp when bitten into. Stir in the sesame seeds.

Step 5

Serve the stir fry over cooked rice and enjoy!

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Sicilian Pasta with Cauliflower

Amidst report writing this evening, I took a much needed break to made a delicious dinner.

A lovely head of cauliflower was delivered in my CSA box this week and thanks to tastespotting, I found the inspiration for my meal.

Using the ingredients I had on hand, I slightly altered the original recipe; making this a vegan pasta dish while maintaining the addition of a protein through TVP ‘breadcrumbs’.

If you are looking interested in detailed step-by-step photo instructions, I encourage you to visit Ward Street Bistro.

The ingredient list is quite simple, relying mainly on pantry staples.

Gently toast the TVP in olive oil until it turns golden brown and resembles breadcrumbs, set aside. Wipe out the skillet, add more olive oil then cook the cauliflower over medium heat until soft.

Once the cauliflower is softened, add the garlic and tomato paste mixture. Cook for a few minutes then add the saffron water, capers, chili peppers, salt and pepper. Cook until thickened into a sauce. Add the cooked pasta with a bit of pasta water if necessary.

  Serve the pasta topped with chopped fresh parsley and the TVP breadcrumbs.

Enjoy!

Sicilian Pasta with Cauliflower and TVP Breadcrumbs

Vegan~ Vegetarian~ Serves 4

Inspired by Ward Street Bistro

Ingredients

1/3 cup small textured vegetable protein (TVP,) slightly rehydrated with 1 teaspoon water

1 tablespoon of olive oil

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large head cauliflower, core removed, florets finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons roughly chopped capers

A generous pinch crumbled saffron dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water

3/4 pound whole wheat pasta

Finely chopped Italian parsley

2 crumbled small dried chilies

salt and pepper to taste

 

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the fresh TVP and toast until golden brown. Set aside.
2. Combine the tomato paste and juice from the can of tomatoes in a small bowl. Stir to combine (reserving the diced tomatoes).
3. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped cauliflower to the skillet. Cook the cauliflower until it is softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste/juice mixture to the skillet. Cover and simmer the sauce over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the cauliflower is very tender.
5. Add the reserved diced tomatoes, the roughly chopped capers, and the dissolved saffron to the skillet.
6. Simmer the sauce, uncovered, over medium heat until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the crumbled dried chilies and salt and pepper to taste.
7. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Turn the drained, hot pasta into the warm sauce and stir thoroughly to combine.
8. Serve immediately garnished with the toasted TVP ‘breadcrumbs’ and chopped parsley.

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Mismatched Magic

It’s been a while since I’ve done a “Day in the life of” post. I really enjoy looking back at my earlier posts because they were more of a journal or diary rather than ‘just recipes.’

I guess a mixture between the two is the way to go for me.

Speaking of mixtures, my dinner tonight was a wonderful mismatch of delicious recipes.

Before getting to dinner, let’s start with breakfast.

Breakfast was a yogurt bowl using my new favorite Turkish yogurt topped with raw oats, fresh strawberries from my CSA box, ground flaxseed, raw buckwheat and slivered almonds.

Delicious.

My time at school has been very busy lately. Last week the students had to take their standardized tests which means that this week I’m very busy marking the tests. We have also been busy putting together a musical which has been a lot of fun, but a lot of behind-the-scenes stress for me.

My first break today was spent trying to work out some computer kinks with the tech guy at school. After much effort, neither my SD drive nor my scanner were properly working. Boo.

At least I was able to munch on an apple during the so-called-break.

Regular lessons continued after the break and before I knew it, it was lunch.

Although I didn’t snap a photo of my salad, it was identical to the salad I ate yesterday, so here’s a slightly blurry picture of that salad.

All ingredients, except for the chickpeas and salad dressing came from my CSA box.

Cabbage, red leaf lettuce, zucchini, carrots, red peppers, chickpeas and a dressing made with grape seed oil, white wine vinegar, sweet mustard, salt and pepper.

Lately I’ve recognized that my produce supply is now grocery store free. All of the vegetables in my refrigerator for at least the past 3 weeks have come from my boxed delivery scheme. Really cool to be eating completely locally grown vegetables.

Sadly, I wasn’t able to really enjoy my lunch today as I was too busy arranging microphones and the sound system for my students’ musical.

My adorable 18 students are putting on a musical performance of The Pied Piper of Hamelin. They have worked so hard to create the set, costumes, props and characterizations.

The backdrop for the musical turned out really well, if I do say so myself. I sketched a town scene onto two large bed sheets then the kids took it away from there.

They mixed their paints then painted the entire scene. They worked so well together by organizing themselves into ‘task forces.’ Our classroom assistant and I then went through and outlined everything with black permanent markers.

The amazing music teacher at our school actually wrote all the music for our musical. I told her what I wanted to do, gave her a few lyrical ideas and she created something amazing.

Today my class invited the whole school to watch their dress rehearsal. Although they were obviously nervous, they sang their little hearts out and really impressed the students and teachers alike.

I am so so very proud of these kids.

We have another rehearsal tomorrow with a small audience and then the parents’ performance on Wednesday.

Wish them luck!

After school, I went to the gym and took a new class. It was so hard but so good. While taking a shower, I could barely rub the shampoo in my hair- my arms felt like noodles.

Once finished at the gym, I came home to make dinner.

My refrigerator was getting pretty full of food that needed to be used up or thrown out. Although this meal was a real mismatch of unlike food items, the whole package was magical.

Wild rice, tahini coleslaw, rhubarb chutney and breaded tofu.

Let’s be honest, I only made the rice to use the rice cooker I inherited yesterday from a leaving teacher. Making the rice was more fun than eating it and all but a couple bites sadly went in the bin.

I used Mama Pea’s recipe for Tahini Slaw but omitted the peppers. Although I accidently went a little heavy on the dressing, this slaw recipe is a keeper. I love the Asian flavor from the ginger and creaminess of the tahini.

Yummy!

This past week, a good looking recipe for Crispy Tofu Kabobs with Rhubarb Chutney was posted on one of my favorite recipe blogs, vegalicious.

I knew then and there that these recipes would help me put to use the tofu and rhubarb that were hanging out in my fridge waiting to be used.

Although I didn’t have panko crumbs, normal breadcrumbs worked very well. This is actually the first time I’ve ever fried anything or made a chutney.

While everything (except for the rice) was delicious, the real star of the whole meal was the rhubarb chutney.

Holy Cow!

Spicy, sweet, warm and flavorful, this chutney rocked my taste buds.

If you have 3 stalks of rhubarb handing around, please make this chutney. It was so simple with outstanding flavor and depth.

Such a yummy, mismatched meal.

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Spring Tour

Chickens, juice and vegetables- Saturday was a fascinating day as I toured the farms and local businesses where my local CSA grows and acquires their produce and products.

The tour started at 9:00 at the farm where the vegetable boxes are packed, Biolandgärtnerei Hüsgen. When I first chose to receive a weekly vegetable box delivery, I picked this company for a few main reasons:

• Their dedication to growing organic produce
• Their support of other local organic farmers
• Their commitment to be as environmentally friendly as possible
• The ease of participating due to their online shop
• That this business is allowing a young family to do what they love while being available to their children

In addition to their vegetable box delivery scheme, they also own and operate a small organic grocery store for the community.

The store had a wonderful local feel to it. It was at this shop that I saw my first bulk bins in Germany. They had a little bit of all things necessary without being crowded.

Outside the shop, they had so many vegetable plants and flowers for sale. I would love to go back to buy some plants for the balcony.

The shop was really busy with locals from the village picking up their plants and weekly shopping.

Throughout the first half hour, we were free to walk around the shop and farm before setting off in a tour bus at 9:30.

Our first stop was Hof Alpermühle, the farm where my eggs come from.

The eggs from Hof Alpermühle are free range and certified organic. We were taken on a tour of the chicken coops as well as the room where the eggs are sorted, stamped and packaged.

To be certified as an organic, free range chicken farm, the family farm must meet certain regulations (I hope I get everything right, my German is alright but not fluent.)

• Chickens are all-natural, unmodified by breed or body
• Access to organic food and water at all times
• Access to the outside (the barn is closed up over night to protect the chickens from foxes)
• Access to shelter at all times
• Free choice in nesting
• A dry, naturally ventilated, sanitary shelter
• No more than 4 hens per square meter (at this farm, they only have 2 hens per square meter)

One thing I found a bit ironic was the chicken feed. The ingredient list on the hens’ feed is healthier and more natural than probably 85% of food items that we’d find on grocery store shelves.

All feed ingredients were certified organic and recognizable as grains that we’d even eat.

The farm has 2,500 chickens, split into 4 family groups, which each lay one egg per day in the morning hours, usually between 6-10 am.

Although the barn is kept closed over night, the doors are opened bright and early to allow the chickens access to open pastures once they’re awake and active.

We were shown one of the hens up-close. Here, the owner, Mr.Klose, is describing how the beaks of chickens are cut off in caged farms. Every hen on his farm looked like the image of a healthy and happy hen.

This is the nesting room. The hens have free choice to lay eggs wherever they want but they like the dark of this part of the barn. Once the hens lay their eggs, they head outside.

The nests slightly slope back, allowing the eggs to roll and be collected. The size of the eggs depends on the age of the hens. Older hens lay larger eggs than young hens.

I was really impressed with how clean the barn was. The hay on the ground was dry and fresh, keeping the hens’ feet healthy. Since the barn was so sanitary and the hens were so healthy, the eggs came out immaculate.

Once the pallets of eggs are collected, they are taken to be sorted.

The sorting is done by a conveyor belt system which is carefully observed by the employees of the farm.

Some stages are more carefully observed than others, such as the candling stop where the eggs are checked for shell damage and deformities.

I remember candling eggs in kindergarten throughout the process of hatching chickens in a classroom incubator.

Here Mrs. Klose was explaining the difference between egg sizes and colors. She also told us that her dogs, although not trained to do so, protect the hens from hawks and foxes.

Every member of the Klose family, human and hound clearly love the hens they care for.

After the tour, we were treated to coffee, brownies and fresh fruit.

The brownies came from a local bakery that only uses eggs from Hof Alpermühle.

One thing that was really funny was when Mr. Klose opened the barn door. As soon as the hens heard his voice, they came running from all directions to greet him like a pack of loving dogs.

I am so glad to know where my eggs come from. To see the way the hens are cared for makes me completely comfortable consuming a product from this farm.

It was also wonderful to meet the family and get to know their passion for organic farming.

After the chicken farm, the next stop was the local juice press.

I once received a mystery-free bottle of Weber apple juice in my vegetable box. It was the best apple juice I have ever drank, 100% pure fruit juice, pressed in a family press not far from my home.

The tour of Weber Fruchtsaftkelterei started in the apple orchards.

Mr. Weber took us around his apple orchard while explaining the varieties, pollination of the trees and recent weather conditions.

The orchards host bees, local grazing animals like cows and sheep, birds and even small children.

The blossoms have just fallen off of the apple trees.

Weber buys apples, pears, rhubarb, cherries and an assortment of other fruit from local farmers, but 10% of the apples used in their products were grown in the Weber family’s own orchards.

They also import some exotic fruit such as mangoes and bananas for a few of their juice varieties.

Although some fruit which can not be grown in this area is imported, they are committed to using local fruit for all else.

Seeing that it’s spring, the presses were not running but we were invited to return in the fall when the apples are harvested and to see the press in action.

I have no idea what Mr. Weber was talking about in the large room full of huge metal vats. The technical language mixed with the loud echoing kids’ voices= I didn’t catch a single thing.

The room was pretty impressive none the less.

After the big jugs room, we saw the assembly line where the bottles are cleaned, filled, sealed and labeled.

Weber reuses its bottles like most other beverage companies in Germany. I love the pfand system here. When you buy most drinks, you pay a pfand for the bottles. Pfands are usually between 8-20 cents, depending on the size and material of the bottle. When you’re done with the contents, you bring the bottle back to the store and get your money back. This economic incentive results in bottles being reused rather than going to garbage dumps or incinerators.

The whole process, from apple branch to bottling takes place on the family-owned property.

After the tour, we were invited to a juice tasting.

Apple mango, pear, apple, apple cherry, apple black currant, and apple elderberry juice were served.

Mr. and Mrs. Weber even brought out their apple sparkling wine for us to taste.

My favorite juices were the plain apple and apple mango. I bought a bottle of both from their little shop.

I also bought a bottle of rhubarb nectar which I brought to a going-away BBQ Saturday evening. We mixed the rhubarb nectar with champagne- so so so delicious!

After our visit at Weber, we went back to Biolandgärtnerei Hüsgen for a yummy fresh lunch before continuing the tour of the gardens and box-packing facilities.

Lunch was white asparagus soup and a salad. Both asparagus and the red lettuce were in my box this week.

The local organic bakery where the delivery scheme buys its bread was also at the farm for us to taste and buy some of their new products. Although almost all of their products are vegan, when eggs are used, DLS whole-grain mill bakery only uses eggs from Hof Alpermühle.

Here is the DLS Bakery promise, copied and translated from their website.

Our products contain
NO preservatives
NO dyes
NO emulsifiers
NO cling materials
NO acidity regulators
NO anti-mold agent
No industrial bakery
NO pre-mixes

NO Animal products (with the exception of two bread recipes.)

All grains are grown under the highest organic standards in and around Hennef. The grains are slowly ground daily on natural stone.

I bought two wild garlic baguettes to bring to the Saturday night BBQ and a wild garlic and tomato quiche which I ate for breakfast on Sunday.

After lunch, we were shown the box-packing facilities.

All 1,100 weekly organic produce boxes are packed by hand.

We were shown how the produce is weighed, wrapped and organized for each and every individual box. One thing is for sure, every employee really seems to love and believe in the value of their job.

Next up, the tractor wagon was uncovered and those of us who were interested in touring the Hüsgen family farm hopped on to the hay bale seats and went on a ride to the greenhouses.

Several of the organic farms in the area operate through a partnership. Each farm grows the vegetables that they grow best, then they share the harvest.

Although the Hüsgen farm grows more than what we saw in these greenhouses, what we saw here was the main part of their partnership crop.

Tomatoes

Peppers

More tomatoes

Cucumbers

Rhubarb

While looking at the rhubarb patch, one little girl cried out, “Mommy, we had that in our box this week!”

To which the mother replied, “Yes, and here is where it came from.”

How cool is that?

Salads, dark leafy greens and herbs.

Mr. Hüsgen honestly discussed farming methods, costs, and difficulties in operating an organic farm. He expressed his dislike for the plastic-covered greenhouses but explained that they work well, are durable and more affordable than glass greenhouses. I respect him for his honesty and willingness to share his triumphs and struggles with us.

I am so happy that I am able to support this farm and all the other local businesses associated through them.

I truly trust in the health and wholesomeness of the products I consume from all farmers I saw on Saturday and all those who I didn’t see but know are trusted by the Hüsgen family.

If you live in the German state of North Rhine Westphalia, the photo above outlines the organic produce box suppliers in this area of the state.

If you live anywhere else in Germany and are interested in finding a Community Supported Agriculture scheme near you, please visit oekokiste.de.

For only 13 Euros per week, I am spending less money on food than ever before while eating healthy, local, organic produce and supporting businesses that I believe in.

Choosing to receive a weekly fruit and vegetable box is one of the best changes I’ve made in my life here. Seeing exactly where that food comes from has made my choice even more satisfying.

A big, warmhearted thank you goes out to everyone who participated in the Spring Tour this past Saturday (not that any of the farmers even know about this blog.)

I especially thank Biolandgärtnerei Hüsgen for allowing me to see, for free I might add, exactly who I’m supporting with my measly 13 Euros.

Thank YOU for reading along about this awesome day in my life!

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Vegetable Box May 13

Friday was a great day.

It was Teacher appreciation day at school and all I can say is that I appreciate being appreciated.

The kids were so excited to pour out their love and appreciation to our classroom assistant and me.

The kids prepared and presented a poem about the two of us. Our Room Mums decorated a large flower pot with the words of the poem and planted a gorgeous lavender plant inside. They also made a large version of the poem to display in the class as well as a small copy for the two of us.

First thing in the morning, we were each given one gerbera daisy from each kid in the class. Later in the day, when they read the poem, they each presented a long-stemmed rose to each of us. So sweet.

The theme was ‘flowers’ and our classroom looked like a garden. I can’t believe I didn’t get a single photo of the classroom.

I was too busy being in the moment to step back and see it from the outside. The parents of my students are simply amazing, I am really lucky to know each of them.

Just like last year, I stuffed myself silly at the Teacher Appreciation lunch. There are some very talented cooks in this school.

I had a lot of fun walking home with my flowers after school. It was fun because I shared the love and gave away most of the flowers to people I passed on the way home. There is one beautiful old lady that I pass every day. She looks like a million bucks, always smiling and wearing bright red lipstick.

When I stopped to give her the flowers, I discovered that she speaks English. We had a lovely little chat. She’s 94 years old, lives independently, does her cleaning and shopping herself and always makes it out of the house for a short walk each day. She was so thankful for the roses and kept holding them out to look at them with a huge smile as we spoke.

I can’t wait to share this story with my students tomorrow.

When I got home from work, my weekly vegetable box was there to greet me.

Red leafed lettuce

May turnips

Rhubarb

Parsley

Apples

Carrots

On Saturday I went on the Spring Tour with the farm where my vegetables are coming from. It was a fantastic day, full of information, but that will have to wait for its own post.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

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Vegetable Box May 6th

This week I received another exciting box of fresh, local, organic vegetables from my local CSA.

The originally planned box also included kohlrabi but I requested to go without this week. I had a hard time finding recipes for the 3 kohlrabi that came in an earlier box.

This week, the delivery contained:

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley

1 head of cauliflower

6 organic, free range farm eggs

1 pointed cabbage

In German, this cabbage is called spitzkohl, I’m not sure of the English translation since I only came to know this vegetable in Europe.

3 large carrots

3 lemons

Crimini mushrooms

1 gorgeous head of lettuce

2 zucchini

An enormous bag of baby spinach

I am most excited for the spinach since it is a difficult vegetable to come by. I can find full-grown spinach and frozen spinach, but the tender baby spinach is a rarity.

Although I really miss my mom this Mother’s day, talking to her this evening made my heart happy.

I love you so much mom and am incredibly thankful to have you for a mother, teacher, friend and example.

Enjoy the rest of your Mother’s Day!

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Fennel, Orange and Spelt Berry Salad

It really is a shame Easter is over.

This refreshing, crisp, spring salad would have been perfect on an Easter day buffet.

Oh well, better late than never, right?

In an attempt to use the fennel from last week’s vegetable box delivery, I turned to one of my favorite cookbooks, Clean Food.

The recipe in the cookbook formed the perfect foundation to build upon- from a side salad to a dish that can stand alone as a meal.

The ingredients in this recipe are clean, wholesome, and revitalizing.

After photographing the ingredients and beginning to make the salad, I decided to double the fennel bulbs.

 The mint was freshly picked from my balcony.

Although I used spelt berries, I’m sure wheat berries or another firmer grain would be just as good.

 I’ve been  zesting like crazy since I bought a microplane.

Two large oranges make a lot of zest! 

Chopped fennel and mint piled atop the orange zest.

Add in the orange segments, cilantro and red onions.

Add the cooked and cooled spelt berries.

Give it all a good toss.

Mix up your dressing by shaking it until combined.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Lightly adapted from Clean Food

Ingredients

2 fennel bulbs, halved, cored and thinly sliced

4 oranges

1/2 small red onion, finely sliced

1/2 cup raw spelt berries (wheat berries would also work)

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, torn

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, torn

Dressing

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Juice from 1/2 orange

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Cook the spelt berries according to package instructions, rinse with cold water and set aside.
2. Steep the sliced red onions in boiling water for 30 seconds; strain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, zest two of the oranges. Remove the peels and pith of all 4 oranges and add the orange segments to the bowl along with the fennel, red onions, mint and cilantro.
4. In a tightly sealing container, such as a reused glass jar, shake together the dressing ingredients until well combined. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to evenly coat.

Enjoy in the sunshine with a tall glass of iced tea.

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Ginger Tofu with Pac Choi

Bok choy.

Pok choy.

Pak choi.

Pack choy.

I’m not sure which name is actually correct, but I do know that this recipe makes for a delicious lunch.

This gorgeous head of pak choi was delivered in my last organic vegetable box.

This recipe was a quick to put together.

First, cook up the pak choi with a bit of ginger.

Stir-fry the marinated tofu.

Once the tofu is cooked fully and the remaining marinade has reduced to a thick caramelizing sauce, just top the pak choi with the tofu.

Ginger Tofu with Pak Choi

Adapted from bbcgoodfood

Makes 2 servings

• 250g fresh firm tofu , drained

• 2 tbsp groundnut oil

• 1cm piece ginger, sliced

• 200g pak choi, leaves separated

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes

• cooked jasmine rice , to serve

For the Marinade

• 1 tbsp grated ginger

• 1 tsp tamarind paste

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

1. Gently prick a few holes in the tofu with a toothpick (this will help the marinade to soak into it, giving better flavour), then cut into bite-size cubes.
2. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and toss in the tofu pieces. Set aside to marinate for 10-15 mins.
3. Heat a wok over high heat and add half the groundnut oil. When the oil starts to smoke, add the ginger slices and stir-fry for a few secs. Add the pak choy leaves and stir-fry for 1-2 mins. Add a small splash of water to create some steam and cook for 2 mins more. When the leaves have wilted and the stems are cooked but still a little crunchy, season with salt and transfer to a serving dish.
4. Rinse the wok under cold water, then reheat it and add the remaining oil. When it starts to smoke, add the tofu pieces (retaining the marinade liquid) and stir-fry for 5-10 mins. Take care not to break up the tofu as you toss it to get it browned evenly on all sides. Season with the rice wine and rice vinegar. Add the remaining marinade liquid, bring to the bubble and let the liquid reduce. Sprinkle over the chilli flakes and toss well. Spoon onto the pak choy and serve immediately with jasmine rice, if you like.

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