how i spent my summer vegetables

black bean and corn vegetarian stuffed peppers

this dinner used up a whole lot of the veggies in our fridge (thank goodness, at this point, we need the space! our fridge has been stuffed to the gills with vegetables for a few weeks now).

we made vegetarian stuffed peppers, with the recipe variation in the infallible cook's test kitchen cookbook that cute erik so wisely invested in a few months ago. (we've yet to find any recipe that even barely resembles a flop from that book, and at this point, i don't expect to ever find one). 

in trying to search for a link for you all so  you can see exactly how awesome this dish was, i realized it's part of the 'premium content' on the cooks test kitchen website. since i can't emphasize strongly enough how awesome this cookbook's been, instead of potentially violating a copyright and posting it here, i'll just give you a list off the top of my head of the good stuff in the filling and tell you that it's worth the cost of the book if you're just dying to make it yourself.

the filling included:

- white rice
- monterey jack (though we subbed in cheddar + some mozzarella)
- a can of black beans
- corn
- jalapenos
- green peppers
- tomatoes
- onion

i think i just like stuffed vegetables in general - i've always been a fan of stuffed cabbage.

enjoy!

turnips au gratin, oh my!

last night, my good friend, maya, was in town and we decided to cook dinner in, since the fridge was completely full of veggies from last thursday.

we made a really awesome dinner that included potatoes and turnips au gratin (i used the simple recipe below, since my theory lately is the simpler the ingredients, the better it'll probably be), sauteed spinach, a salad of mixed greens with scallions, goat cheese and pine nuts and day-old multigrain rolls from le bus.

how are you using your vegetables this week? and i'd love more spinach recipes, since we have more than i can imagine using in the next few days. thanks! xo!

5 medium red potatoes
6 medium-large turnips
salt, pepper to taste
pat of butter (for greasing the dish)
2 cups cheddar (grated)
2 cups heavy cream

slice the turnips and potatoes with the fancy food processor slicer tool. pat them dry and spread one  layer in a buttered casserole dish. add salt, pepper and about 1/4 of the cheese. add another layer of turnips and potato, repeat salt, pepper and cheese. repeat until the dish is full, ending with a layer of salt, pepper and cheese on top. slowly pour the cream evenly over the dish. baked in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until the top is crisp and brown.

enjoy!

week four: grocery list

1 head broccoli – certified organic – Farmdale Organics
1 bunch Hakurai turnips – certified organic – Hillside Organics
1 bunch white scallions – certified organic – Country Boy Farm
1 bunch Lacinato (or dinosaur) Kale– certified organic – Goshen View Organics
1 bunch tatsoi – certified organic – Hillside Organics
1 bag wildfire lettuce mix – certified organic – Farmdale Organics – 1 lb
1 bag young rainbow chard – certified organic – Elm Tree Organics – ¼ lb
1 head red leaf lettuce – certified organic – Farmdale Organics
1 pint Chandler strawberries – certified organic – Friend’s Road Organics

so this week's challenge veggies will be the tatsoi and the turnips - and i'm sure you all have amazing turnip recipes that i'm excited to hear about, so link away! not to just totally leave us out on a limb with strange veggies, our CSA provided this recipe as an idea for the tatsoi from epicurious:

 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 lb mixed baby greens such as kale, mizuna, tatsoi, mustard, arugula, and spinach (16 cups)
1 1/2 oz edible flowers (optional)

whisk together vinegar, shallot, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. add greens and flowers and toss until coated well.

notes:
· greens can be washed and dried 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealed plastic bag lined with paper towels. · vinaigrette can be made 6 hours ahead and chilled, covered. bring to room temperature before using.