50 Women Game Changers in Food - Sheila Lukins & Julee Rosso - Pasta Puttanesca

Puttanesca Sauce Served On Whole Grain Spelt Pasta

This is our first full week back at school, having been delayed a week due to Hurricane Irene passing through. It's been quite an adjustment so far as my oldest son is off to college this fall, and he was a huge help driving one of my other sons home everyday from school last year. I used to have dinner ready the minute they walked in the door. Now, every day, I am picking my son up right around dinner time (with over an hour commute) and often shuttling him or his other two brothers around in between, so getting dinner on the table has become a lot trickier. There are days when I start driving at 2PM and don't get settled at home until near 10PM (as I'm sure many of you are as well!). So, quick and easy dinners are essential for those busy nights.

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50 Women Game-Changers In Food - Rachel Ray - Tuna Marinara with Pasta

Tuna Marinara Sauce with Gluten-Free Pasta

Love her or hate her, Rachel Ray has skyrocketed from a no name to a well known brand name across all channels of media over the last decade.  According to Rachel Ray, she grew up on food, with her first vivid memory watching her mom in a restaurant kitchen. Not only has Rachel Ray hosted three Food Network series, but she has also syndicated her own talk and lifestyle show, Rachel Ray, authored 19 cookbooks, is the Founder and Editorial Director of her own lifestyle magazine, and founded the Yum-o! organization (a nonprofit organization to "empower kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking." Her Rachel Ray television show has won two Daytime Emmy Awards.

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College Bound and An Easy Tomato Paste Pasta Sauce Recipe

"Tomato Paste Pasta"

This past weekend we dropped our oldest son off at college where he will be a freshman. I never thought it would be as hard as it was. A few days before we left, a friend called and asked if I was sad, and I replied, "not really." Well, I was dead wrong. I think between the jet-lag from our recent vacation, unpacking everything from that trip, and then packing up my son for college, I just didn't have time to really think about what was to come. 

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50 Women Game-Changers in Food - Judith Jones - Penne with Tuna, Plum Tomatoes, and Black Olives

Gluten-Free Pasta with Tuna, Plum Tomatoes, and Black Olives

I don’t know about you, but it feels as if summer is flying by. When my kids were young and I had three toddlers under the age of 3, I thought I was busy, but looking back at the days when my little ones were happy just splashing in the little blow-up pool in the backyard, or jumping in the sprinkler on a hot day, I realize how much I miss those precious years where we just hung out in our backyard.

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CSA Box #5: Gluten-Free Pasta with Roasted Beets, Beet Greens and Pine Nuts

Gluten-Free Pasta with Roasted Beets, Beet Greens and Pine Nuts

This week's CSA Box #5 featured Bunched Beets with Greens, Broccoli Raab, Cucumbers, Lacinato Kale, White Salad Turnips (which look like white radishes), Purplette Onions, Romaine Lettuce, Broccoli, Baby Arugula, Summer Squash and Zucchini.

I was out of town this past week at my son's baseball tournament in Florida. We had a blast between watching all the ball games and riding the roller coasters at the amusement parks. Our team won Bronze - congratulations CT Fury!! 

Since we were away, I missed the CSA Box pick-up day, so by the time I retrieved my CSA Box, a few of the leaves on the Beet Greens and Broccoli Raab had turned a bit yellow and wilted. The broccoli looked a bit yellow too, but it was still firm. Overall, the vegetables were still very fresh and intact.

Cucumbers, Broccoli, White Salad Turnips, Beets, Purplette Onions, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Broccoli Rabe, Baby Arugula, Lacinato Kale and Romaine Lettuce were in my CSA Box this week.

According to the weekly CSA newsletter, "the biggest chunk of the farm is planted, and while trying to keep that weeded and watered, we have been trying to get the fall crops of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and beets in the ground. The weather has been for the most part quite pleasant, and crops continue to grow nicely, but about 10 days behind last year's pace."

After a week away without farm fresh vegetables, I was anxious to dig right into the CSA Box (my kids actually acknowledged they were tired of the amusement park food, and needed to eat some fruits and vegetables after they got home, which I was more than happy to oblige!). I washed and cleaned all the vegetables, and stored them in my refrigerator. That way, I could quickly throw together a dish using these gorgeous fresh vegetables over the next several days.

So what did I make with all the fresh vegetables from my CSA Box this week? I made an Arugula, Peach and Nasturtiums Salad with Toasted Almonds and Orange Vinaigrette, Roasted Broccoli with Garlic Scape Pesto, Simple Sauteed Kale, Korean Lettuce Wraps, Summer Squash Banchan, and Korean Spicy Cucumber Salad. In addition, I also threw together a quick no-cook pasta sauce, made with Swiss Chard Garlic Scape Pesto, fresh tomatoes, fresh minced garlic, kalamata olives, extra virgin olive oil, arugula, and fresh ground pepper. Tossed with hot gluten-free pasta and a bit of pasta cooking liquid, this pasta dish was absolutely scrumptious!

Arugula, Peach and Nasturtiums Salad with Toasted Almonds and Orange Vinaigrette

Gluten-Free Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Garlic, Swiss Chard Garlic Scape Pesto, and Arugula

A new dish I tried was Gluten-Free Pasta with Roasted Beets, Beet Greens and Pine Nuts as I wanted to be able to use the entire beet, including the greens before they went bad. 

Fresh Beets and Beet Greens Are Both Used In This Pasta Dish.

I found a lovely Bon Appetit recipe for Farfalle with Golden Beets, Beet Greens and Pine Nuts that sounded perfect. Although my beets were red, I didn't mind a bit of red staining on the pasta (I actually think it makes the pasta quite pretty). I also decided to roast the beets instead of just boiling them, to add deeper flavor and bring out the sweetness in these beets. For the gluten-free pasta, I chose Le Veneziane Farfalle, which is made in Italy. I recently discovered this gluten-free pasta (made with corn), and the quality is exceptional. Unlike brown rice pasta, Le Veneziane pastas are not gummy and I could not tell they were gluten-free.
My little guy and I enjoyed this Pasta with Roasted Beets, Beet Greens and Pine Nuts for lunch - a nice balance of flavors and textures. I got a big "thumbs up" from my little guy, the ultimate reward!

How To Roast Beets:

Roasted Red Beets from my CSA Box

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of beets with greens
• water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut greens off of beets and reserve for later. Wash and trim beets, leaving a bit of the ends attached.
3. Place beets in a shallow pie pan with 1/4" inch of water.
4. Cover pan with aluminum foil.
5. Bake 40-60 minutes, until a knife pieces the beets easily. Roasting time depends on the size of the beets. I had small and medium size beets, and ended up baking them for 60 minutes.
6. Remove beets from oven and let cool.
7. Skin will peel off beets easily, either using a paring knife to gently scrape the skin off, or using your fingers.

Gluten-Free Pasta with Roasted Beets, Beet Greens and Pine Nuts

Adapted from Bon Appetit. I used red beets instead of yellow in the original recipe, and decided to roast them for a deeper, sweeter flavor profile. The caramelized onions are a must (although I adjusted the cooking time as it was too long in the original recipe). I also added a splash of raspberry balsamic vinegar to add a little bit of tang. A sprinkle of nutritional yeast on top (vegan version) or goat cheese would be nice. 

Gluten-Free Pasta with Roasted Beets, Beet Greens, Pine Nuts and Goat Cheese (for vegan version, use Nutritional Yeast)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bunch beets with greens
• 1 tablespoon raspberry balsamic vinegar
• 8 ounces gluten-free pasta (I used Le Veneziane farfalle or bow-tie pasta)
• nutritional yeast or goat cheese, optional
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• fresh chives, for garnish

Directions:

1. Roast beets as directed above, reserving beet greens. Cut roasted beets into wedges.
2. Wash beet greens well, and cut into 1 inch pieces.
3. Cook pasta until al dente, according to directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.
4. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add onions and saute on low to medium-low until soft and golden brown, about 18-20 minutes. 
5. Add garlic and and stir 2 more minutes. 
6. Stir in beet greens along with raspberry balsamic vinegar. Cook for 2-3 minutes until tender. 
7. Toss cooked pasta with onion/beet greens, and roasted beets. Add pasta cooking liquid to moisten if desired. 
8. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
9. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.
10. Serve with nutritional yeast or goat cheese, if desired.

Serves 3-4

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CSA Box #4: Vegetarian Stir-Fry Garlic Scapes with Five-Spice Pressed Tofu Recipe

Stir-Fried Garlic Scapes with Five-Spice Pressed Tofu

This past week, my CSA Box held a larger variety of vegetables than the last three weeks - Green Leaf Lettuce, Red Kale, Rainbow Swiss Chard, Bok Choy, Zucchini, Sugar Snap Peas, Cilantro, Radishes, Kolhrabi, more Garlic Scapes and a Tomato. My immediate reaction was "Yay, more Sugar Snap Peas, some Baby Kale, and Zucchini! But more Garlic Scapes? And what do I do with the Kolhrabi?"

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CSA Box #3: Basil Garlic Scape Pesto and Broccoli with Toasted Garlic Olive Oil

Whole Grain Pasta with Basil Garlic Scape Pesto

This week, when I picked up CSA Box #3, I noticed the box was considerably fuller than the first two boxes. It's always a fun surprise each week to see what's inside.

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Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce - Pasta Al Pomodoro

Pasta Al Pomodoro

Now that my boys are done with school, there will be days when I will be making an extra meal, namely lunch. Although it might be easier just to make a sandwich, pasta with a simple spaghetti sauce takes just a little bit more effort, and can turn lunch into a special meal.

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Pasta with Sauteed Swiss Chard

Pasta with Sauteed Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is one of my favorite leafy green vegetables that I buy at our local farmer's market. I especially like rainbow swiss chard, with its deep red and yellow hues.

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Farmer's Market Sandwich - Pesto, Mozzarella, and Tomato Sandwich

The local farmer's market offers fresh produce, flowers, baked goods, specialty goods and more.

This weekend, I finally got the chance to visit our local farmer's market. I missed last weekend as I was at the annual BlogHer Food conference in Atlanta, meeting up with fellow food bloggers.

I have been eagerly waiting for the farmer's market to open after such a long winter. I always like to take a quick scan around the market first to see what all the farmers are offering that day before deciding what to bring home. I was pleasantly surprised to find a number of new farmers and vendors at the market today, including Raus Coffee (farm to roaster coffee), Bonga Capacci (fresh ravioli and lasagna), Dream Desserts (gluten-free dessert bars), Skinny Pines (mobile wood fired oven serving pizzas), and Smyth's Trinity Farms (dairy farm selling fresh chocolate milk and yogurts).

Of course, the old standbys that I have been frequenting over the past several years were a welcome sight - it's like seeing an old friend after a long absence! There were organic Asian salad greens rhubarb from Stone's Throw, organic kale swiss chard, and potted plants from Riverbank Farms, fresh radishes and greens from Gazy Brother's Farm, fiddleheads from Smith's Acres, potted organic herbs and plants from Greenscapes, various dips and quinoa salads from Du Soleil, pasture raised meats from Grey Ledge Farm, fresh breads, pesto and mozzarella cheese from St. Ex Specialty Foods, apple cider donuts and honey from Plasko's Farm, fresh pies and other goodies from Michele's Pies, pies and bar cookies from Whistle Stop Bakery, fresh flowers from Uncle Buck's Secret Garden, and handmade goat's milk soup by Goatboy Soaps (great for sensitive skin).

So, what did I buy this weekend? I went for a bag of Asian baby greens, some rhubarb (also called "sticks" by a woman standing next to me in line), red radishes, curly kale, rainbow swiss chard, fresh bread, pesto and mozzarella cheese, and a collection of potted herbs.

Fresh Kale, Radishes, Rhubarb ("sticks"), and Rainbow Swiss Chard from the farmer's market.

As soon as I walked in the door, I made our family's favorite Farmer's Market Sandwich, a tradition that we started years ago. At the start of the farmer's market season, my kids love pesto, mozzarella cheese and tomato on fresh baked bread. So simple, but so good.

Farmer's Market Sandwich - Fresh Baked Bread with Pesto, Mozzarella Cheese, and Tomato

Farmer's Market Sandwich - Pesto, Mozzarella Cheese, Tomato Sandwich

This is my kids' favorite sandwich at the start of the farmer's market, where a local vendor sells fresh mozzarella cheese, pesto and bread. It's become a tradition!

Ingredients:

• Fresh baked bread, sliced
• Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
• Fresh tomatoes, sliced
• Fresh pesto
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. For each sandwich, spread some pesto on one side of each slice of bread.
2. Top with a slice of mozzarella cheese and tomato.
3. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
4. Top with second slice of bread.

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How To Dress Up a Roasted Chicken - Chimichurri Recipe



Roasted Chicken with Chimichurri Sauce

This week, I was super busy, shuttling kids around, going to what felt like a slew of meetings and more, so I picked up a roasted chicken for dinner.  I knew it would need to be "dressed up" to pass muster with my picky eaters at home, so I resorted to one of my favorite standby sauces, a version of chimichurri, a South American sauce originating from Argentina and Uruguay, which at its very basic, consists of parsley, garlic, vinegar, olive oil and red pepper flakes.

Here's a quick and easy way to dress up a roasted chicken on a busy night.  This Chimichurri Sauce is delicious on fish, grilled vegetables, and just about anything you can think of.

Sometimes oregano, cumin, cilantro, paprika or lemon are also added.  This sauce transformed one of my kid's "yuck" expression to "yum!"

Chimichurri Sauce

4 tablespoons minced parsley
4 tablespoons minced onion
1 minced garlic clove
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
a dash or two of ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together.


More Chimichurri Recipes:
Closet Cooking's Chimichurri Sauce (with cilantro, oregano, smoked paprika)
Baking with Basil's Avocado Chimichurri Bruschetta

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