If I Can Do It, So Can You

All winter, going to the grocery store was an exercise in frustration.  I get so used to cooking with fresh herbs, I want them to cook with over the winter, too, but the prices are exorbitant.  Plus, the packages contain more than I need at the time, so I wind up tossing some in the trash when it goes bad.  Ugh!

On top of this, I'm the biggest brown thumb on the planet.  Seriously, I try every year.  I try hard.  But my little 35 square foot garden usually yields about 3 carrots, 2 tomatoes and a handful of jalepeños in a year.  Yes, I'm that bad.

But herbs are different.  Maybe they're more foolproof than veggies.  In any case, about this time I plant a bunch in pots, and I don't have to buy any for months.  One plant, that will yield all season long, costs about the same as 1 or 2 small packages at the grocery store.

Come fall, we'll talk about how to preserve herbs over the winter.

One more note.  Have you tried Trickling Springs's ice cream?  Waaaay good.  Their Strawberry is about the best I've ever had -- and when it comes to ice cream, I'm really addicted.  The seasonal flavor right now is Lemon Chiffon, and it's pretty darned incredible too.  Hurry up and get some, before I eat it all!

A Whole New Meaning for, "Fruit Cocktail"

I apologize to my friends on the Nall's staff.  We've been chattering about doing this post for a few weeks now, and they've been anxious to see what I could do.  Okay, here goes...

Don't think that you need to eat all of the contents of your crop share box.  You know, you can actually drink them as well!  And no, I'm not referring to juicing, either.  Let's talk adult beverages.  The quality and freshness of the contents of your box will really shine forth in cocktails.  Trust me, I've most certainly tried!

Mint
This discussion started when the big bunch of mint came out in the crop shares a couple of weeks ago.  We were talking about what to do with it, beyond making lamb, when the obvious answer came forth:

Photo via liquor.com

Mojitos!  It's really simplicity itself.  Lime wedges, muddled with simple syrup (one part water, one part sugar) and mint leaves.  Use about 3 lime wedges and half a dozen fresh mint leaves.  Add equal parts light rum and club soda, and half as much fresh-squeezed lime juice.  Such a summer classic!  But in my book, there's a better mint option:

Photo via liquor.com

Yes, that's a mint julep.  We think of those more in the spring, particularly during Kentucky Derby weekend.  For me, they're a reminder of trips to New Orleans and the all-night revelry those excursions entail.  (Not to mention watching sunrises in Cafe du Monde, burning my fingers on hot Beignet and my mouth on hot chicory coffee.  Ah, what an end to an evening...)  The mint julep is simply mint leaves muddled with just a little simple syrup, add bourbon (don't be stingy) and ice.  Some like a splash of bitters as well, but I'm more of a purist.

Peaches
The rightful place for peaches behind the bar would be in a bellini, which is simply puréed peaches topped with Prosecco or another dry, sparkling wine.

Photo via liquor.com

Another option I've stumbled across was this take on an Old Fashioned, "garden style."  I'm definitely putting that one on the list.

Those, plus everything else
Then again, the simplest answer is usually the best.  Any fruit you have, any time of year, can make a great sangria.  Sangria is just wine, chopped fruit, and a touch of brandy.  Start with a bottle of your preferred variety of wine.

Photo via Conde Nast

Yes, white wines work extremely well too.

Photo via Rachel Ray

Add in about 4 oz of brandy (again, don't use cheap stuff, but don't waste the Louis XIII either).  Chop fruit into small cubes and let it all marry together in the fridge overnight.  Serve over ice.  Mmmm...

The great part about sangria is that experimentation is heartily encouraged.  Traditionally, some sort of citrus was one of the fruit ingredients.  Of course, you can use anything you can think of.  For me, it's a great way to use up fruit that gets soft.  Based on what fruit you use, you can also switch out brandy for something else, such as Grand Marnier, dark rum, amaretto, limoncello, Chambord... you get the idea.

Photo via mein-schoener-garten.de

One last little option I'd like to show to you.  Rumtopf (literally, "rum pot") is a very old-school German tradition.  It involves a ceramic pot (or you can use glass jars), and over the summer any excess fruit gets cut into pieces and added to the container.  In addition, add sugar equal to the weight of the fruit, then completely cover the fruit with rum.  As summer wears on, the jug gets filled.  Once summer fruit comes to an end, the jug is stored in a cool, dark place until around Christmas time.  The flavors of the fruit plus the extra fermentation creates a wonderful cordial.  Be careful, it will be very delicious and hardly taste of alcohol at all, but the contents are at least the same proof as the rum you used, if not a little more.  I take half of mine and put it in small, decorative bottles for gifts.  The rest, well, Frohe Weinachten!

Melon & Mint Salad and Bittersweet Goodbyes

Sometimes procrastination really pays off, because I waited until late this week to finally cut into the cantaloupe we got in the last share of the Early Spring Crop Share (which speaking of, are you registered for Spring yet, because if not, you should be!  Register online, as the Spring round kicks off on 5/9!), and oh holy night it was perfectly sweet and juicy.  Possibly one of the best cantaloupes I've never had and it's not even the peak of melon season yet!

Some friends were making shrimp kabobs at their place, so I contributed Quinoa Tabbouleh and then used up the rest of the mint to throw together this lovely Melon & Mint Salad.  While it was crazy juicy, I wanted some sort of added dressing that wasn't loaded with sugar, so I just whisked up 1 tsp each of local honey and lemon juice, and added some extra juice from the melon and ta-da, a perfectly fresh and fragrant melon salad.  Which good thing I added the mint since I also made garlic sauce, and we were all fire breathing dragons by the end of the meal!  So as we head into summer, make this your go to fruit salad base or any melon.  Mmm, mint and watermelon might actually get me over my watermelon phobia!

And now for the bittersweet part of this post's title...this is my last, official post at the helm of Nalls' Kitchen.  I'm still sticking in as a Crop Share member and I'll definitely still send the Nalls team guest posts when I come up with a winner, winner veggie dinner, but after today I'll be turning the reigns back over to Valerie and the rest of the Nalls Produce team.  I would have loved to continue this indefinitely, but any of you who've followed since my departure from Nalls, back into my family's business, know that the posts have been getting fewer and not coming as prompt as they once did.  That's not fair to you all or to the team at Nalls.  So gear up for a new round of Crop Share and a new voice here in Nalls Kitchen!

Now onto the food!

Melon & Mint Salad

Ingredients:

1 cantaloupe, skin removed, seeded and cubed (save any juice to use in dressing)

2 Tbsp mint, chopped

1 tsp local honey

1 tsp lemon juice

Toss cantaloupe and mint together in a large bowl.  Whisk honey and lemon juice, and any reserve juice from the cantaloupe in a separate bowl, then pour over fruit and toss to fully coat.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes up to 1 hour to allow flavors to set up.

Alright folks, that's all she cooked!

Keep it fresh in your kitchens, and if you must "selfie" do it the foodie way and shove ignorant bits of delicious food into your mouth.  Because, it makes it classy.

Kale-ly Yours,

~Tara~

Citrus & Pomegranate Salad

We just got some gorgeous looking pomegranates in this week, so as I was musing over that citrus salad from the Crop Share Spoiler, I thought no, pumpkin no, this need to be a Citrus & Pomegranate Salad.  I'm sure you've seen the pom-everything drinks in stores and heard all about the amazing benefits of pomegranate, but frankly I just think it's gorgeous.  They're like little jewels on your plate.  So snag a pomegranate when you're in this weekend, and really make this fruit salad pop!  And for a great tutorial on how to cut and remove the seeds from this tricky little bugger, check out this great and adorable tutorial.

Citrus & Pomegranate Salad

Ingredients:
2 oranges, peeled, pith removed and segmented
4 tangerines, peeled, pith removed and segmented
(still have grapefruit from last week, throw segments from one of those too!)
Seed of 1 pomegranate (click here to see two easy methods for removing the seeds)
2 tsp fresh mint, rough chopped
2-3 Tbsp local honey
Splash or two of vanilla extract









Arrange citrus on a serving plate and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and chopped mint.

In a bowl, whisk together honey and vanilla.  If the dressing seems to thick, cut it with a bit of water.  Then dipping a spoon into the dressing, drizzle it evenly over the entire salad.

For a warm citrus salad, arrange everything on an oven-safe platter and broil on high for a minute or two.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

When your best friend is Lebanese and her mom owns her own restaurant, that can only mean one thing...you wind up with hummus running through your veins.  I cannot tell you the number of times I made the mistake of eating something before going to their house.  Big, big mistake!  Because you're almost always greeted with a giant plate of delights, and whether you came on an empty stomach or not, you will leave nearly unable to stand up straight from being so full.  So I've been trained to consume NFL linebacker portions of hummus, pita, tabbouleh, kibbe, fattoush, mujadara and shawarma.  Not to mention obscene quantities of garlic sauce that I will continue to sweat out for about 48 hrs (oh yes, I keep it classy!).  So when I had to give up gluten, there went pita, kibbe, fattoush, and tabbouleh, 4 of my favorite things on earth, right out the window.  Waaaaaaa!!!!  But, like the angle she is, Mrs. Rajeh started making gluten-free kibbe and tabbouleh at her restaurant, using quinoa as the base for both.  Happy days were here again!  So the last time my friend Nawal stayed with us, she arrived with a big container of me-safe tabbouleh from her mom's restaurant, which I promptly ate in one sitting.  Whether you enjoy this recipe gluten free with quinoa, or go the traditional route with bulgur/cracked wheat, it will undoubtedly have you singing....The Tabbouleh Song.  DC based comedian, Remy, put this together a few years ago and ever since I've been shake, shaking my booty every time I eat tabbouleh.  Because, as Remy says, you've got to push, push, push the tush, when you eat an Arab salad that's not fattoush!  Enjoy this taste of Samia's Phoenician Grill (well as close as it gets since, as a true cook, Mrs. Rajeh never measures or writes anything down).

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa (or bulgur for traditional, non-gluten free version), cooked to package directions
1 bundle fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbsp (heaping) fresh mint, finely chopped
3 green onions, ends trimmed and finely diced
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tsp garlic, minced
Juice of 2 lemons
1/4 olive oil
Kosher or sea salt

Cook quinoa according to package directions, then set aside to cool completely.

In a bowl, mix together parsley, mint, onions, tomatoes and garlic.  Fold in cooled quinoa and stir to fully combine.

In a separate bowl whisk together lemon juice and olive oil.  Pour dressing over the tabbouleh and season with a pinch of two of coarse ground salt.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld together, and then taste and adjust any seasoning as needed.

Serve with Homemade Chicken Shawarma or Kale, Sweet Potato & Lamb Polenta Pizza, basically anything with super bold flavor that needs a good refreshing palate cleanser to go with it.

Cucumber Mint Gin & Tonic

While I highly considered making some mint & cucumber water for a lovely detox with last week's Crop Share, I had that sad bottle of gin sitting on my counter, just looking at me longingly.  So I used up the last of the bottle to experiment with a mint & cucumber infused gin.  On a date night out with the Mister recently, I'd had this great mint & cucumber cocktail, so I was on a quest to recreate it.  I dare say I succeeded.  Super easy to make and this is the ultimate in refreshing summer cocktails.

Cucumber Mint Gin & Tonic

Ingredients for infused gin:
Gin
15-20 fresh, mint leaves
8 slices cucumber

Fill a mason jar with gin and add mint leaves and cucumber slices.  Seal lid and allow to infuse in fridge for at least 1 day up to 3 days.  Discard mint and cucumbers when finished.

Ingredients for cocktail (makes 1 cocktail):
1 shot cucumber & mint infused gin
8 oz club soda
slice of cucumber, for garnish
slice of lime, for garnish

In a double old fashioned glass, add 1 shot of infused gin and top with club soda to fill glass.  Garnish glass with a slice of cucumber and lime.  Cheers!

Cucumber Cool & Minty Fresh

With the combo of mint and cucumber in this week's Crop Share, it'll be a passport to cool and refreshing.  If you need a bit of a detox, slice up some cucumber, lemon and toss it in a pitcher of ice water with a bundle of mint leaves.  Allow it to set up for a bit in the fridge and then enjoy your 8 glasses of water a day with an added detox boost.

But if you're looking for something a tad more substantial, try these two delicious looking recipes from Eating In Instead and A House In The Hills.  Both call for honey, so grab some local honey in store to help battle allergies while you nosh away!

Cool Cucumber Mint Salad via Eating In Instead

 Cucumber & Mint Slushie via A House In The Hills

Stuffed Turkish Eggplant

Okay, raise your hand if you're one of the folks who received "these mysterious orange things" in your Crop Share box last week?  Don't feel bad if you were stumped, as I had no idea what on earth they were when they first arrived.  But they are, in fact, Turkish Eggplant (also known as scarlet eggplant, Ethiopian eggplant, orange eggplant, and even pumpkins-on-a-stick).  Slightly more bitter than traditional purple eggplant (think similar in flavor to a green bell pepper), they are used a lot in Asian cuisine and are great sliced and baked or grilled.  But I don't know about you, when I see the word Turkish in anything, I want to throw lamb all over it.  So that's just what I did.  The filling will work perfect for any stuffed eggplant, and this recipe makes A LOT, maybe too much filling (who am I kidding, there's never too much!), so it will be great for larger eggplants...or perhaps an entire case of them.

Stuffed Turkish Eggplant

Ingredients:
1 cup wild rice (cooked to package directions)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 sweet onion, minced
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 lb ground lamb
6 Turkish eggplants (tops sliced off and reserved, and innards scooped out and chopped)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup dried currants
Fresh mint, chopped for garnish (if desired)

Cook wild rice according to package directions.  Meanwhile preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

In a saute pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add in onion and garlic and saute for 2-4 minutes, until translucent.  Add in ground lamb and cook for 5-7 minutes, until meat is cooked through and browned.  Add in chopped eggplant innards, and then all your spices.  Simmer for an additional 1 minute then add in diced tomatoes.  Cook for an additional 3 minutes and add in currants.  Allow currants to heat through and then stir in your cooked wild rice, combining all the flavors evenly, and remove from heat. You may also stir in some crumbles of feta or ricotta cheese.

Take each eggplant and fill over the brim with the stuffing.  Cap with it's top and place into a baking dish.  Repeat until all eggplants are stuffed.  If you have reserved stuffing (which you likely will), save to eat as is, or stuff additional eggplant varieties.  Drizzle tops with olive oil and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.  Garnish with fresh chopped mint, if desired

You can see I had to round up more eggplant to stuff.  And that one I topped with some crumbled dairy-free ricotta! 

Throwback Thursday: Pattypan Squash with Pasta & Mint via Katrina Runs for Food

Last June we shared this delicious recipe for Pattypan Squash with Pasta & Mint from Katrina Runs For Food, and it's just far too good not to share with you again.  Since pattypan squash is a summer squash, it's incredibly versatile, much like yellow and zucchini squash.  They are almost too cute to eat...almost!  Click the link below to visit the original post...

Pattypan Squash with Pasta & Mint

Pattypan Squash With Pasta & Mint

If this is your first time cooking with pattypan squash, don't be intimidated by it. It's a summer squash so it's soft and relatively versatile. It's best to keep refrigerated and will keep for a few days. We absolutely adore this recipe from Katrina Runs For Food, and it's the perfect showcase for the pattypan squash.  Plus, the sweetness of the white candy onions in this recipe works very well with the chicken sausage!

Ingredients:
1 pound bow tie pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5-7 small or 2-4 large pattypan squash, tips and stems removed, quartered
4 links of chicken sausage
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus 1 teaspoon grated peel
1/2 white candy onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups of chopped broccoli
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Click over to Katrina Runs For Food to view the rest of this delicious recipe, and check out more of her healthy, clean-eating recipes: http://www.katrina-runs.com/pattypan-squash-with-pasta-and-mint