Fried Chicken and Cheesesteaks

This is one of those "oops forgo the picutre before it was devoured" posts .... but I'm getting a CSA share from Lancaster Farm Fresh again this year after two years off.     One of the unusual vegetables in this past Monday's share was Kohlrabi. I looked up how to cook them and found a variety of suggestions ... but I didn't want to heat up the kitchen.   so I washed them, sliced off the leaves, sliced them into 1/2" slices, and put them in a metal dish with some butter.    I covered that with foil and put it on top rack of my grill.    Sooooooo good!   It's like a cross between a tender broccolli stalk and an artichoke heart. Yum Yum Yum 

My CSA share this week included fresh lima beans. I've never cared for them much. I remember swallowing them like pills as a child. But I thought I should give them a fare try. I had some cubed pancetta and prosciutto (the local farmers markets sells the bits too small to slice at a lower price - like cheese ends, only expensive Italian hams) First, start a pot boiling with water for your pasta. Send your children or husband out to shell the lima beans. I started by chopping two small onions into thin half moons. Into the hot pan they went, after a bit of oil: Add the proscuitto and some onion to the pan to brown, then turn to low: I soaked some dry mushrooms. Dry mushrooms are a great thing to have in your pantry, because they last for years, and can be used in small quantities. Pre soak them to add like a dish to this - just cover with warm water. If adding to soup, you can throw them right in. I started the pasta (1/2 pound) in the water, and then added the lima beans: I added...

I happen to have lots of wonderful tomatoes on hand this week. I also found 80/20 ground beef at the grocery store at a really good price. It was already on sale for 2.69 pound, but then this package also had a $2 off coupon .... so I paid under $5 for two and a half pounds of ground beef. So what better to make with tomatoes, corn and ground beef than a taco salad? ground beef (I used a 2.5 pound package, but had lots leftover) 2 large tomatoes 2 large onions (I used Vidalia) 1 bell pepper 2 ears corn salad greens tortilla chips taco seasoning (in a packet or from a jar) 2 limes cilantro garlic Brown the beef in a pan. Using a spoon, drain off the fat. Mix the taco mix with about 1/2 cup of water and stir into the beef. I also added a few cubes each of garlic and cilantro. Dried cilantro would work just as well. Roll two limes on the counter before juicing them over the beef: Peel the two onions. Cut off the ends, cut them in half, and then slice into half moons. These go into another...

I'm not super political about my food. But I certainly recognize the desirability of local food based on freshness, taste, and cost. So how to find good local produce? Drive down rural highways and stop at farm stands. Make friends with someone who grows zucchini and tomatoes. Visit your local pick-your-own orchard. If you live in the Western suburbs of Philadelphia like I do, check out my links to the right - Gentiles, Linvilla, Boothscorner Farmers Market, Ardmore Farmers Market, and Wolffs are all wonderful. Reading Terminal Market and the stands at the Italian Market are great if you live in Philadelphia. Farm to City also lists Farmers Markets in the general Philly area. (By the way if you happen to live in Greenville, SC check out the Farmers Market on Rutherford Rd - it was a favorite of mine early on Saturday mornings during growing season) These are great links for finding local produce near you (at least if you live in the US): Local Harvest Pick Your Own farms Local Die...

I signed up for a half share of a "CSA" this year, because I was too chicken to pay the money for a whole share without trying it first. A half share means I participate only every other week. Basically a CSA means you are buying a "share" of whatever a farm (or in this case a group of farms) produces. So if the spinach crop is quite robust, but the the snow peas fail, you'll be eating a lot of leafy greens! I have been interested in the concept for a few years now because (1) it is a constant goal to eat more veggies (2) another ongoing goal is to eat a wider variety of veggies and learn how to cook them in diverse ways and (3) local produce is normally cheaper and fresher. I also just like the idea of supporting local growers, because it encourages them to continue! The CSA I joined is one called Lancaster Farm Fresh , and as the name suggests is produce from Lancaster County, PA. Some is organic, but personally I haven't joined that crusade just yet. I...