CSA Update: 7/9/12 ? poor scientist. will blog 4 food.

Before I start, I want to make a little request. Some of you might remember a post that I wrote a year ago, describing my decision to leave academic science. I?m in the process of writing a follow-up, which will be in a Q & A format. So, if you have any questions related to that (what I?ve been up to professionally, etc.), please either leave a comment below or email me at willblog4food [at] gmail [dot] com. Thanks!

I don?t know why, but I?ve been quite a slacker lately when it comes to CSA posts. Better late than never though, right? Here?s what we got in our Eatwell CSA box two Wednesdays ago:

strawberries
thyme
basil
lavender
Italian flat leaf parsley
chard
zucchini
beets
Wakefield cabbage
Canela potatoes
garlic for drying

We made the same zucchini, cabbage, basil and ground pork stir fry that we made last time, which was quick and delicious, as usual.

One thing we?ve been making a lot is smoothies, thanks to a blender we got from our friends SP and DP. We have a bunch of frozen strawberries from Strawberry Day that we?ve been using, in addition to: bananas, blueberries, frozen beet greens (and sometimes spinach too), yogurt, orange juice, and soy milk. It took me a while to get used to the tiny hairs from beet green stems, but now I?m OK with them. I?m looking forward to freezing stone fruits for some variety, as well as adding tropical fruits like mango, pineapple, and papaya.

Smoothie ingredients, ready to go!

Cheers to your health!

I was tired of roasting potatoes, so I ended up mashing them, using a vegan recipe from Post-Punk Kitchen. The thing I love about vegan recipes is that they are lactard-friendly, and in the case of Post-Punk Kitchen, still hella delicious. I put a ton of garlic and thyme in the potatoes too, which was tasty but left the breath a little stinky. (OK, a lot stinky.)

Who knew vegan mashed potatoes could be so tasty?

Mashed potatoes alone do not make a meal, so TC and I went crazy and cooked everything all at once: more zucchini, this time saut?ed with basil and lemon (just so-so), roasted beet salad with walnuts and vinaigrette (very good), and baked chicken drumsticks in a soy garlic glaze (awesome!!). The chicken, an impromptu thing I made up, turned out so good, easy, and quick that I will share the recipe with you.

A little bit of everything.

Baked Chicken with Soy Garlic Glaze

Ingredients
chicken drumsticks (I used 9)
soy sauce (1/2-1 cup; enough to cover the drumsticks with some residual liquid for basting)
cooking wine ?michu? ? 2-3 Tbsp (optional)
honey, to drizzle
garlic, 2-4 cloves, minced
green onion, 2 sprigs, chopped in 1-inch pieces

Directions:
Optional: marinate drumsticks overnight in soy sauce, cooking wine, garlic, and green onion in the refrigerator in a flat bottom pan, turning occasionally. If you don?t have time, it?s still advisable to do a quick marinade before baking.
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Mix all ingredients except honey in a flat-bottomed baking dish. Drizzle the tops of each drumstick very lightly with honey. Cover with foil.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, basting 1-2 times during baking.

That?s it! I told you it was easy. The sauce is also really good over rice. Enjoy!

p.s. Can?t get enough of CSA goodies? Check out this link party over at In Her Chucks!

Source: http://willblog4food.wordpress.com/2012/07/09/csa-update-7912/

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