This will just be a quick post.
I had another produce delivery on Wednesday - I don't think having our groceries delivered will ever get old for me! I had ordered quite a few items including spinach and zucchini. I thought I had ordered one of each. Turns out "one" means one batch or bushel. I think I received about 12 yellow & green zucchinis and 3-4 bunches of fresh spinach. My husband was out of town so I knew I wouldn't be able to eat all of that by myself. Soooo, I went looking for a soup recipe. Lucky for me the amazing and wonderful blog "101 cookbooks" exists. See "Blogs I love" for the link.In a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot (but not smoking) add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes along with pinch of salt - just until they soften up a bit. Stir in the potatoes and zucchini. Add the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are soft throughout, roughly 10-15 minutes.
Stir in the spinach, and wait for it to wilt, just ten seconds or so. Now stir in the cilantro. Puree with a hand blender until smooth. Whisk in a big squeeze of lemon juice. Now taste, and add more salt if needed. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.
Many thanks to Heidi at 101cookbooks for a new soup to add to the rotation!
Here are a few pictures of my humble, cute, front porch, herb garden.
For the pasta -
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil in preparation for your pasta.
In a small pan, add the ingredients in the order listed above. Using a small whisk, gently stir the sauce to incorporate all the ingredients. Use a medium heat so it doesn't burn. Slowly whisk the sauce until it becomes a little thicker (the cream may become too thick if you beat it too much) and heat through. You don't want a runny consistency but you also don't want whip cream! Set aside when ready.
Add your pasta and bring to a boil. Fresh pasta shouldn't take too long to cook.
In another pan, add a smidgen of water, cover and steam your snap peas and watercress for only a few minutes until they are warmed through but still crunchy. You don't need to cook the zucchini.
In a small non-stick frying pan, add a touch of olive oil and place your cheese in for about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown.
Plate the pasta first in the centre and build the dish up from there. Add the snap peas and watercress. Then the zucchini on top. Place the cheese slices (about 2 per dish) on the side and give the plate a generous drizzle of the saffron thyme cream.
Enjoy this meal on a warm summer night with friends!
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
After my produce delivery last week, I attempted to make a strawberry rhubarb pie. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough rhubarb for the filling so I needed to add some more berries. My pie soon became a strawberry, raspberry, rhubarb pie. All the fruit used in the recipe was from local farms. The berries were smaller and they go soft much more quickly than other berries I have bought in the past so you have to eat them fast or else they don't last. This pie was a great way to enjoy their flavour!To make the filling; preheat oven to 400°F. Combine first 8 ingredients in large bowl. Toss gently to blend. Fill up the pie shell and cover with second shell. Cut a little slit in the top to let steam escape. How easy is that!?
Transfer pie to baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake pie until golden and filling thickens, about another 25 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely. 
In case you can't see everything, here is a list:I have to say, that is a lot more veggies than we would normally eat in one week so I think I'll be doing some frozen meals or soups. Regardless, I am pleased as punch with this service and blown away by the quality of produce that is grown just down the road. Now I don't have to get up at 7AM on Saturday to go to the Farmer's Market! Homefield Organic Food Co. also delivers a plethora of other items such as dairy, eggs, bread, grains, pasta, cereal and pantry items (sauces, pickles, beans, jams and bulk foods etc.)
Last night, I made a vegetarian "baked surprise" (LOL) that turned out very well. I used my fresh tomatoes and cremini mushrooms (among other things) in that dish. We also had the local potatoes which I roasted with rosemary from my own window-box garden. Fantastic!
Tonight I will bake a strawberry-rhubarb pie and prepare a salad of beets and snap peas. Another post to follow with pics!
Next year we will be buying a share in a local CSA for the summer, but for now the Homefield Organic Food Co. seems to be a sure thing! Look for a similar service in your area!
http://www.homefieldorganics.com/
Make the sauce: Bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan with the bay leaf and garlic. Cover, turn off the heat, and let infuse, about 15 minutes. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute to remove the raw flour taste. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring, until thick. Stir in the cheese, season with salt and pepper, and reserve.
Heat the oven to 425°F/210°C. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Salt it, as for pasta, and blanch cauliflower until just shy of being tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well. Pat dry with a tea-towel. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with the sauce and dump into a gratin dish. Scatter over the breadcrumbs (or panko) and Parmesan and bake until bubbling and gratinéed on top.
I served the gratin with some Indian-inspired lentils and a green salad. Supreme!
Cook your tofu in the oil for a few minutes until hot (add salt if you like). Set aside. Scramble your egg and set aside with tofu. Cook your noodles according to package directions. Heat the sauce. Mix the noodles with the sauce in a large serving bowl. Add the tofu and egg. Top with cilantro, green onion, peanuts and garnish with lime. Bean sprouts are good if you have them. I had them tonight but forgot to add them until it was time to eat.
Feel free to add some grilled shrimp or chicken to this dish instead of the tofu.
