Spicy Mayo

 

I like spicy hot. Master doesn't so much. When he goes out of town. I make comfort food and french fries or tator tots with a dipping sauce is always a good comfort food to me.  So I recently made a fish sandwich and didn't want tarter or chili sauce on it and made this to not only dip fries into, but add to my fish sandwich.  It was completely yummy! I now use it as a condiment on many sandwiches and hamburgers too. It is really easy to make.
 

Ingredients: 

3 Tablespoons mayo 

1 Tablespoon Sriracha, Tabasco or any chili hot sauce

Directions: 

* In bowl, combine ingredients and mix until smooth. 

* Use as dip for fries or chips or spread on your favorite sandwich

Community Shared Agriculture -- Week 4

With week 4 comes an awful lot of rain in NJ, and that is starting to be seen in our CSA box of this week.  While some crops, such as asparagus and strawberries, were plentiful, others were not as hearty this week.  This weeks box contained many containers of strawberries, several bunches of asparagus, red leaf lettuce, scallions, carrots with their greens, yellow and red tomatoes, spinach, dill, and a mint plant.

One of the things I have been enjoying are the plants that we have received.  It allows me to place them into pots and have an herb garden right by my back door near my kitchen.  This way fresh herbs are only a pinch away.  For those of you who many not be familiar with cooking with fresh herbs, there is nothing better!  So if you get the chance to find your favorite herbs in a local market try some fresh herbs instead of jarred dried ones.  The taste is distinctly different and adds a color and freshness to even the simplest of dishes.

My children and I also went strawberry picking at the farm this week while the strawberries are at the peek of sweetness.  We now have enough strawberries that we will be baking  a pie later today as well as making some jam.  Below is the recipe we plan to use for our jam.  It's simple yet very tastey.  I was given this recipe from a dear friend who had brought a jar of this to my home recently and we just couldn't get enough of it.  I believe she adapted it from an Ina Garten recipe many years ago.

Easy  Strawberry Jam


Ingredients:

1. 3 pints of fresh strawberries
2. 3 cups of superfine sugar
3. 2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur (we recommend Grand Marnier)
4. 1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced small
5. 1/2 cup fresh blue berries.

Directions:

• Place the strawberries into a colander and since them under cold running water.  Drain and hull the strawberries.  Cut the larger berries in half or quarters and leave the small berries whole.  Place the strawberries in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot such as a heavy dutch oven and toss them with the sugar and Grand Marnier.  
• Bring the berry mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.  Add the apple and blueberries and continue to keep the mixture at a rolling boil, stirring occasionally, until the jam reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer.  This takes about 25 to 35 minutes.
• Skim and discard any foam that rises to the top.  Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and then store covered in the refrigerator.  It will keep refrigerated for at least 2 weeks.  To keep the jam longer, pack and seal in canning jars. 

It doesn't seem to least more than 2 weeks in my home, so we haven't canned any  yet.  Perhaps this time if we have enough strawberries we can make a now jar and a canned jar or two for future.

I also wanted to share a recipe for using up the greens at the tops of your carrots.  In past years  I always just threw away the greens at the tops of my carrots because I knew we didn't want to eat those.  I was certain of it.  This year I decided to see if there were any yummy uses for these greens as I know they are filled with nutrients that would be beneficial to my family.   One of the women that I see weekly at the farm shared a recipe with me that I plan to try out this week, and thought that you all might want to try it as well if you have carrot greens to use.  enjoy!


Carrot Green, Parsley, and Hazelnut Pesto for Pasta


Ingredients:

1. 3/4 cup hazelnuts
2. 1/8 cup carrot leaves chopped
3. 1/8 cup parsley chopped
4. 1 clove garlic
5. juice of 1 lemon
6. 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
7. 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
8. sea salt (to taste)

Directions:

• Toast the nuts at 325 degrees for a few minutes to bring out their nutty flavor.  In a food processor, puree the nuts, carrot leaves, parsley leaves, lemon juice, and garlic.  Pour in cheese, salt, and olive oil.  Start with 1/4 cup olive oil and blend.   Increase the oil if the pas to is too thick.  Do not put the whole 1/2 cup in at once as it might be too much oil.
• Cook your pasta anyway you like it, any type that you enjoy.  Toss with the fresh pesto sauce while the pasta is still hot.  

We will be trying this recipe tonight for dinner along with a spinach and strawberry salad from our vegetables in the box.

Herbed Sea Salt

Have a foodie on your gift list?  Why not make and give them some homemade herbed salt for their spice racks.  If you garden and have your own dried herbs so much the better.  If you don't check the bulk section of your grocery and/or health food store for herbs at much better prices than buying them in the spice aisle in individual bottles.

Herbed Sea Salt

• 1/4 Cup Dried Parsley
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Basil
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
• 1 Cup Sea Salt

Mix all together until well combined.  Store in an airtight container.  Add a nice tag for gift giving.  This recipe should give you plenty for multiple small gifts.

Note: you could switch up the dried herbs a bit if you like - think marjoram, sage, rosemary, etc.

Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette

The guest post yesterday for Vegetable Cheese Quiche was made for a lunch when visited. I asked if I could bring something and my friend requested a salad.  I thought with quiche a salad of spring mixed greens with thinly sliced/chopped onions, feta cheese and seedless grapes would be good. I would have added a nut such as walnut or pine nuts but Master doesn't like nuts.  And the salad was fine without them.  Served a dijon mustard vinaigrette on top. I based it off of a recipe on Epicurious.  

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, halved

pinch of black pepper

pinch of sugar

I put all ingredients in a bottle and shake until well mixed.  But you can also put in a blender or food processor to mix.  It can be made 3 days ahead. Just mix well before adding to the salad.  

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