CSA produce pick-up for May 16, 2009

Wow, my CSA had wonderful items this week! It kind of feels like a special occasion to get all of this great produce and eggs!

I love how Jill (Cricket Song Farm) tucked in the nasturtium flowers (which are edible) with the lettuces and spinach....very sweet.

I was totally thrilled to receive the garlic salt in a grinder spice jar....awesome! Check out that artichoke!

Purple cabbage......I'm going to chop it up and eat it raw in a salad.

Here is the full "haul"....rhubarb, gigantic-enormous squash, bag of lettuces, bag of spinach, radish sprouts, radishes, garlic salt (in the handy grinder/container!), shallots, green onions, artichoke, chives, tarragon, and arugula. I am using most of the lettuces for a party tonight. I'm going to make a rhubarb/strawberry pie for my friend, Char. I love having so much produce...fantastic!

What did you get at your farmer's market or CSA this week? Post a comment and put a link to your post.

Baby Sweet Potatoes from Trader Joe's

Here is a meal I made recently.....teriyaki chicken, baby sweet potatoes and a tossed salad with grape tomatoes. It was delicious. When I was in Las Vegas, I had to go to Trader Joe's (my favorite grocery store) and buy a few things. I came across the packages of baby sweet potatoes.

Here is a picture of the package. I loved the fact that you can microwave these gems for only 6 minutes, and you are ready to serve them. They were a big hit at my house.

If you get a chance to shop at Trader Joe's, pick up some baby sweet potatoes. They are super easy to cook, taste great without adding anything to them, and are very nutritious (good source of vitamin A).

Topsy Turvy Tomato hanger

Even though I am enrolled in a CSA (consumer supported agriculture) for the summer, I wanted to try and grow something in the yard, even though we are renting this house until our property in Utah County sells. Perfect solution: the Topsy Turvy tomato hanger (got mine at Walgreen's for $9.99).

With the Topsy Turvy, you can grow tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, etc from an upside down hanging system. Click on the picture to get a closer look at the plant. The only place I could hang it was from the side yard apricot tree. It is heavy, especially after watering (water is poured in at the top). This location provides lots of afternoon sun, and the plants are thriving (I have another one growing since I took this picture). Within one week, the first plant has blossoms! Can't wait to pick my first tomato this summer!

I'll keep you posted on the progress of my tomato plants. Have any of you ever had success growing your tomatoes upside down? Post your experience!

Tilapia with Ritz Cracker Crust

I made this tasty fish for Easter Dinner (we aren't big on ham). It is a great recipe, and the entire family raved about it.


The above picture is of the Ritz crackers I used. It is their "toasted chips" variety, and is supposed to be healthier than potato chips.

Here is the recipe:

Ritzy Tilapia

4-6 tilapia fillet, 6 oz each (I got mine from from Costco in the frozen fish section)
40 crackers (more if you want)
2 TBSP butter

• defrost fish if frozen (I put mine in the microwave, 5 minutes at 50% power)


• melt butter


• grease bottom of 9x13" pan


• put defrosted fish in pan


• put crackers in zip lock bag, run over with rolling pin to crush


• brush butter on top of fish


• sprinkle crushed crackers on fish and pat down


• bake at 350* for about 10 minutes

I served the tilapia with rice, corn, and steamed green beans. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, and how you liked it.

Banana Nut Oats from Biggest Loser

Here is a picture of my breakfast yesterday. I decided to try a recipe from the Biggest Loser Weight Loss Planner by Prevention magazine. They are on the magazine racks near the checkout in your local market. This issue had what looked like some great recipes, so I bought it. This is a nice way to eat your daily oatmeal! I enjoyed it, and it is nutritious.

Banana Nut Oats

1 very ripe banana, mashed
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. fat free milk
1 pinch salt
1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
1 TBSP chopped walnuts

Mash banana with vanilla. Set aside. Combine milk and salt in medium saucepan; heat until almost boiling. Add oats and cook, stirring until creamy, 1-2 minutes. Stir in banana mixture. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with walnuts before serving. Makes 4 servings, 180 calories each.

Pumpkin Pineapple Bread

I found this recipe in one of my "church" cookbooks. It is called pumpkin bread in the recipe book, but I added pineapple to the recipe name also. My friend, Peggy, submitted the recipe, but I'm not sure where it originated. I was just thrilled to be able to use up the crushed pineapple sitting in the refrigerator! I was also able to use up a container of pumpkin puree from my freezer. What I like the most about this recipe is that the bread doesn't taste like pumpkin. It has a sweet, tropical taste. I made 3 smaller loaves from this recipe.

Pumpkin Pineapple Bread

2 1/2 c. sugar (you could reduce this slightly)
4 eggs
1 c. oil (you can get away with 3/4 c. oil successfully)
2 c. pumpkin
1 1/2 c. crushed pineapple with juice
3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp each: cinnamon, cloves (I omitted this), nutmeg
3 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Combine wet ingredients and mix well. Combine dry ingredients, mix, and add to the wet ingredients. Put into 2 loaf pans, or 3 smaller loaf pans. Bake 1 hour at 350*. Remove from pans and let cool.

Polynesian Chicken and Rice

Tonight I decided to try a recipe from the Complete Cooking Light Cookbook, that I won in an online contest last year. It is a great cookbook, and I've been pleased with the recipes I've tried.

I had all of the ingredients on hand, so I decided to give this one a go. It tasted great! DH and DS agreed that it is a keeper!

I'm going to be out of town next week for spring break, so, while I'm trying to get back into the cooking/blogging mode, you won't see any posts next week.

Polynesian Chicken and Rice

Prep time: 14 minutes Cook Time 45 minutes

1 1/4 c. chicken broth, fat free, less sodium

3 TBSP sugar (I used 1 TBSP and 2 TBSP sugar free orange marmalade)

3 TBSP ketchup

2 TBSP white vinegar

1 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce

6 oz. pineapple juice

1 TBSP butter

5 skinned chicken breast halves (I used 5 boneless, skinless chicken legs)

1 c. uncooked long grain rice (I used brown rice)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 c. sliced green onions

1 c. chopped red bell pepper

1 (8oz) can pineapple tidbits, drained

chopped cashews

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl; set aside. Melt butter in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add rice and garlic to pan; saute 3 minutes. Return chicken to pan. Add broth mixture, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes. Stir in green onions, bell pepper, and pineapple. Cook, uncovered 8 minutes. Sprinkle each serving with chopped cashews. Yields 5 servings.

I didn't add the pepper or green onion because I didn't have them. I think that it would be even better with both of those ingredients. Do give this a try!