Farm share (Fall 2011): Week 1

I'm posting this a bit late -- I just received my week 4 share, but that just means I can make the fun last past the end of this brief fall season.

In the mid-summer I grew more and more interested in local food and CSA (community supported agriculture). I dubbed CSA "farm share" as a quick, easy way to explain the concept to my 4-year-old and other people unfamiliar with the term CSA. I was just in time to sign up for Potomac Vegetable Farm's fall program, which is 7 weeks long.

I had my first pick-up in late September. The bag contained a big bunch of kale, 2 beets, a bag of green beans, a bag of carrots, a small butternut squash, 4 mini-eggplants, and a clove of garlic. All that was a "mini" share.

With it, I made:

• Pasta w/ (farmers market) sausage & kale
• Coconut Curry Tofu (eggplant, kale)
• Roasted organic chicken thighs with roasted root veggies and squash
• Chickpea Meatball (with the farmers market sausage) Soup with kale
• "Sunny" pasta (with olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, sunflower seeds, the clove of garlic, and the green beans)

Green Businesses: Moe's Southwest Grill

This is a new section. I recently started keeping track of local businesses that have something "green" about them. Usually it's the meat. So I thought I would briefly profile some of these businesses here.

Moe's Southwest Grill
Locations in many states: http://moes.findlocation.com/

My family has long loved Moe's. The staff welcomes you with a cheerful "Welcome to Moe's!" And it's the first restaurant I remember visiting with my older daughter and actually enjoying our in-restaurant experience. (That kid loves Mexican food.) The food is good: they have a salsa bar and give chips with every order. They have a nice variety of fillings for whatever you order.

When I went to Moe's this past weekend with my mom, I was pleased to find out that they've had a recent overhaul, offering a variety of "greener" and more sustainable ingredients. Typically I've enjoyed their chicken more than their beef, but since they switched to grass fed beef, I'll have to try it again some time. They also offer tofu, which is nice and unusual for chain restaurants, especially Mexican.

Here's a sampling of their updated "green" profile:

• Meat with no hormones, grass fed beef
  
• Organic tofu
  
• Sour crem without growth hormones (in the milk)
  

Read more at http://moes.com/mission/

Meatless Monday: Pasta Primavera

I love this recipe; it's one of my go-to dishes because of its versatility and simplicity. Plus it usually gets rave reviews from my family!

Pasta Primavera

Ingredients

• Any kind of pasta, typically I use a long, stringy variety like spaghetti or linguine
  
• Pasta sauce
  
• Garlic, chopped (1 t or to taste)
• Chopped, sliced or diced veggies, any ones you choose (I like zucchini, yellow squash, and bell peppers)
  

Directions

1. Boil the water for your pasta. Meanwhile, prep your veggies.
   
2. Boil the pasta, and start a pan for sauteeing with olive oil (or spray) and garlic.
   
3. Toss in your veggies after the garlic has been going about a minute.
   
4. Saute the veggies to taste and add your sauce. Simmer.
5. If you like, add the pasta to the sauce mix.
   
6. Top with grated/shredded cheese if you like. Serve with garlic bread/toast.
   

Meatless Monday: Coconut Curry Tofu

This is so good! The first time I made it I didn't have chili paste, and it was pretty good. So I got the chili paste and made it again--and it was fantastic!

Coconut Curry Tofu
source: allrecipes.com (KATHYCOLLINS)


Ingredients

• 2 bunches green onions
• 1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
• 1/4 cup soy sauce, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons chile paste
• 1 pound firm tofu, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• 4 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 4 cups chopped bok choy
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Remove white parts of green onions, and finely chop. Chop greens into 2 inch pieces.
2. In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, mix coconut milk, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, brown sugar, curry powder, ginger, and chile paste. Bring to a boil.
3. Stir tofu, tomatoes, yellow pepper, mushrooms, and finely chopped green onions into the skillet. Cover, and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in basil and bok choy. Season with salt and remaining soy sauce. Continue cooking 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender but crisp. Garnish with remaining green onion.

Alterations: I have used green onion and red onion, depending on what I have, and only as much as I see fit (I don't like too much onion). With the chili paste, I only used 1 tsp. I think 2 would be pretty spicy. I also vary the vegetables based on what I have -- this time I made it with mushrooms, eggplant, and carrots. Also I used kale instead of bok choy (note: kale needs more time to cook). It works well with any ingredients really. I usually serve it with Asian noodles (Japanese or Thai). But it would be good on rice, too.