Everything-but-the-Kitchen-Sink Salsa

To me, this is the most ubiquitous of summer dishes, which appears at every Southern potluck or picnic. It goes by various names: Pinto Bean Salsa Salad and Black Bean and Corn Salad, just to name a few. And it has as many permutations of ingredients as it does names.

Like a lot of Southern staples I grew up on, this dish includes "a can of this and a can of that." But this time of year, you can substitute most of those cans for fresh ingredients, particularly fresh corn. I would love to make this dish one day using only fresh-from-the-garden ingredients, including home-grown beans. However, the one substitution I will never make is for that can of Ro-Tel. My Southern sensibilities run deep, and I just can't concoct anything in my kitchen that does the job so well as that linchpin of local cooking.

The wonderful thing about this salsa is that will use up the bulk of those tomatoes, peppers, and onions that come in your weekly box. I make a batch as soon as my box arrives, then I let it marinate for about a day, to allow the flavors to emerge. It stores in the fridge for about four days, and it keeps well in lunch boxes and, of course, in hot-weather potlucks and picnics.

I saw this dish so many times growing up that I assumed everyone knew about it. In fact, I thought it was so universal, I vowed a few years ago never to serve it at a party or take it to a potluck ever again. Then once, when I was living in Canada, I went to a dinner held by a gourmet cooking group I was a member of, and someone proudly presented this very dish. He had just "discovered" it in a cookbook, and "wasn't it wonderful?!" Everyone concurred.

So, on the off-chance that this is a new-to-you recipe, I proudly present ...

Everything-but-the-Kitchen-Sink Salsa

For the salsa:
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
3 small peppers, diced
1 spicy pepper (optional)
1 medium purple onion
1 can of sweet corn (or substitute fresh corn)
1 can of pinto beans
1 can of black beans
1 can of dark red kidney beans
1 can of Ro-Tel

For the vinaigrette (suggested ratios):
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
juice of one small lime
2 Tablespoons, fresh cilantro, chopped
Tabasco sauce, to taste

Chop the tomatoes, onions and peppers and put them in a large bowl. Rinse the beans and add them, along with the can of Ro-Tel to the bowl. Stir.

To make the vinaigrette, mix the olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Stir in the lime juice, salt and sugar. Add the Tabasco sauce to taste. Pour over the salsa and mix it up real good.

Garnish with the chopped cilantro. Let it marinate in the fridge for about a day. Serve with corn chips.

What's in the Box? July 14, 2015

When writing these posts every week, my goal has always been to suggest ways you can use the produce in your box at its freshest. But this week I'm all about preserving that freshness for later, as I'm heading out of town for a few days, and in this heat nothing lasts for long.

I have had a few adventures with canning and pickling, but the night before heading out on a two-day road trip with my three small children did not strike me as the right time to embark on another such adventure.

Instead, I discovered I could blanching and freeze just about everything in the box in about an hour—and without having to break out the canning equipment. With any luck, I will have my week's worth of produce still waiting for me when I get home.

So here's what was in the box this week:

Juliette tomatoes, 2 pints
Large tomatoes, 6
Eggplants, 3
Squash, 3-4
Bell Peppers, 3-4
Onions, 4-5
Garlic, 1
Basil, 1 bunch

And here's how I've "put it by" for later:

Freezing Tomatoes
I separated mine by type into large gallon-size freezer bags, and put them in the freezer. That's all there was to it! My plan is to turn them into tomato sauce when I return. Apparently, freezing then thawing tomatoes makes their skins slip right off. Who knew?  Here's a little background about how freezing tomatoes works.

Freezing Peppers
Following these instructions, I washed and seeded my peppers, and cut them into thin strips. Then I spread them on a cookie sheet and placed them in the freezer for about an hour before transferring them to a freezer bag. This is to help the pieces freeze individually, so that I can take out just what I need later for use in chicken fajitas or vegetable soups.

Freezing Eggplant
I tried P. Allen Smith's instructions for freezing breaded eggplant last week with great success in Will's recipe for Breaded Eggplant Subs . I'll make a few more of those satisfying subs in the coming weeks, as well as this recipe for Eggplant Parmesan. I love that breaded and baked eggplant tastes just as good as fried eggplant but it's much healthier and far less messy.

Freezing Pesto
There are so many great recipes for making fresh pesto out there. I like this one for explaining the whys and wherefores of ratios and substitutions, as well as the trick to storing it in the freezer: 1) Use the smallest container, and 2) fill the container with a little extra olive oil.

Freezing Squash
This was the first time I have attempted to blanche and freeze squash. I used these instructions, and plan to use the thawed squash in a vegetable soup.

Savory Summer Eggplant Sub

Wondering what to do with all those eggplants week after week? This mouthwatering suggestion came straight from the farmer's mouth. Will says he likes his fried and served with tomato and goat cheese on a sandwich.

Think of it as an ELT: Eggplant, Lettuce, and Tomato. But since lettuce isn't in season this time of year, why not substitute some of that wonderfully aromatic basil? Just remember to use a lot less basil than you would lettuce. A little goes a long way.

And if you're like me, and you don't like to deep fry, then try this tutorial for breaded and baked eggplant slices. They taste just as good—and they are probably healthier to boot. But the best part is, you can freeze several eggplant's worth ahead of time and just pop a few in the oven half an hour before you want to eat.

What's in the box? June 7, 2015

It's weeks like this when I'm really grateful for my CSA box. It was just so packed full of produce, and my fridge was just so empty, owing to a couple of jam-packed days with no time for grocery shopping. More importantly, everything was just so darn good looking!

I tend a 20" x 20" community garden plot, where I grow many of the same vegetables that I receive in my share. But, although I am proud of my weekly harvest, it is never as abundant—nor as good looking—as what I get from Native Son Farm.

After seeing what month after month of rain has done to my own vegetable patch, I am regularly astounded by how good Will's produce always looks and how full my box is, when I know he's been dealing with the same soggy conditions. Maybe next year he will take up blogging and share some of his gardening advice...

In the meantime, let's tally up what all was in the box this week:

Large heirloom tomatoes, 7
Roma tomatoes, 15
Cherry tomatoes, 26
Bell peppers, 2
Sweet peppers, 2
Eggplants, 3
Yellow squash, 3
Cucumber, 1
Onions, 3
Garlic, 2
Celery, 1
Basil, 1

Here are a few tips to maximize the utility of all that produce:

Like, dicing onions. Apparently, I have been doing it wrong. This method really is so much better.

All you need to know about eggplants. We received three of them this week, and there is no sign of slowing, so let's get this right. Eggplants taste best within a day or two of harvest. Store them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight—not the refrigerator! Or, bread and freeze it for later.

Basil: 1) How to keep it fresher longer, and 2) store it for later.

And here is my plan for incorporating all of that produce into a week of meals for two adults and three children:

Wednesday Breakfast
Quiche, with peppers, onions, tomatoes, basil, and sausage

Wednesday Dinner
Eggplant, Cherry Tomato and Feta Salad

Thursday Lunch
Sarah's Southern Bean Salad (recipe to come)

Thursday Dinner
Tofu and Eggplant Stir-Fry

Friday Lunch
Veggie Spears (cucumber, celery, and pepper) with dip

Friday Dinner
Roasted Garlic on toast
Homemade Pizza with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella*
*Yes, we have a version of this pretty much every Friday night. It never gets old!

Saturday Dinner
Roasted Chicken with Sautéed Squash, Basil and Feta

Sunday
Celery Soup

Friday Night Pizza

When I was growing up, Sunday night was always "pizza night." My grandparents' hosted, and there would be so many aunts, uncles, and cousins in attendance that some of us would have to sit on a red-checkered picnic blanket on the living room floor. I always felt special when my grandfather would single me out to go with him to the Pizza Hut to pick up our weekly order of six large pizzas. I still remember the smell of those pizzas and how their intense heat would burn my lap as we road home in his burgundy Lincoln Towncar.

Now that I have a family of my own, it seemed only natural that we would have a "pizza night," too, although ours is on Friday night and I usually make our pizza from scratch. I've made Alice Waters' recipe for homemade pizza dough so many times now that I can do it in my sleep. But even if you've never made pizza dough before, you'll find this recipe incredibly simple to master. I usually make my dough right after breakfast on Friday morning, and then leave it sitting out on the counter covered with a dishtowel until I'm ready to make dinner. But you can also make it the night before and store it in the fridge overnight. Just make sure to take it out in the morning so that it has all day to rise at room temperature.

As for toppings, your imagination is the limit. In summer, I try to make use of the abundance of fresh tomatoes, basil, peppers, mozzarella, and I'll add a little prosciutto if I'm craving meat. In winter, I tend to use pitted Kalamata olives, oven-roasted tomatoes, pesto, feta, and Andouille sausage. If you use fresh basil, try tucking it under the mozzarella so that it doesn't burn. Or else just put it on for the last five minutes of baking.

It's a far cry from Pizza Hut, but our family pizza nights are just as fun—and much more delicious.

Alice Waters' Homemade Pizza Dough
from The Art of Simple Food

Stir together:
2 teaspoons dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water

Add and mix well:
1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1/4 cup rye flour

Allow this mixture to sit until quite bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Mix together in another bowl:
3 1/4 cups unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon salt

Stir this into the yeast and flour mixture with:
3/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup olive oil

Mix thoroughly by hand or in an electric stand mixer. If working by hand, turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until the dough is soft and elastic, about 5 minutes. If the dough is too wet, add more flour, but only enough to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Or use the mixer, fitted with the dough hook, and knead for about 5 minutes. The dough is the right texture when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl of the mixer, but still adheres to the bottom. A very soft, slightly moist dough will make the best focaccia.

Put the dough into a large bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours. For an even better-tasting and more supple dough, let the dough rise slowly overnight in the refrigerator. (Remove from the refrigerator two hours before shaping.)

Generously oil a 10-inch by 15 1/2-inch rimmed baking or sheet pan. Gently remove the dough from teh bowl and flatten it ont he baking pan, shaping it to fit the pan by gently pressing down from the center out towards the edges. If the dough starts to resist and spring back, let it rest for 10 minutes, then continue shaping. Try not to deflate or smash all of the air out of the dough as you are shaping it. Dimple the surface of the dough by lightly poking it with your fingertips.

Drizzle with:
2 tablespoons olive oil

Cover and let rise until doubled in height, about 2 hours.

While the dough is rising, reheat the oven to 450-degrees F. If you have one, place a baking stone on the lower rack and let it heat for 30 minutes before baking the bread. Sprinkle the dough with:
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

and put the baking pan directly on the stone. Bake the focaccia until golden and crisp on the top and bottom, about 20 to 25 minutes.

What's in the box? June 30, 2015

I'm going to go out on a limb here and confess that not only did The Box read my mind this week, it is also starting to speak to me. 

My grocery list included urgent entreaties for celery, onions, and fennel: and, lo and behold!, they were all in the box. This was a huge relief, because the grocery store has not carried fennel recently, and it is the secret ingredient in my recipe for Rainbow Coleslaw, which makes use of the carrots and cabbage I am harvesting from my own little garden this week.

And driving home from the Oxford City Market, where I picked up my share yesterday, it was almost as if I could hear a little voice coming from the big white box in the backseat whispering "Gazpacho." So I swung by the store to pick up a can of tomato juice and a head of garlic. I love it when I can make an entire meal—in this case several meals—with little more than the ingredients in my box. It's an added bonus when, on a hot day like yesterday, I don't even need to turn on the oven!

So here's what was in the providential box this week:

Fennel

Celery

Red Onions

White Onions

Peppers

Tomatoes

Cherry Tomatoes

Cucumber

Eggplant

Cantaloupe

And here's my meal plan for making use of them:

Wednesday Lunch
Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Salad

Wednesday Dinner
Summer Gazpacho
Rainbow Coleslaw

Thursday Lunch
Prosciutto-wrapped Cantaloupe with Balsamic Vinegar (recipe to come)

Thursday Dinner
Curried Eggplant with Tomatoes and Basil*
*This recipe was suggested by CSA member Emily Jarrett, and I can't wait to try it!

Friday Dinner
Baby Tomato Pizza with Freezer Pesto (recipe to come)

Rainbow Coleslaw

This crisp colorful salad is the perfect antidote to the typical soggy, neon green coleslaw that comes with take-out. It's also great for potlucks and picnics because it taste better made the day before and keeps for a couple of hours outside of the cooler. I serve it all the time alongside hamburgers or barbecue, and I always have people ask me, "What did you put in that? It's amazing!"  Here's the secret:

Rainbow Coleslaw

For the salad:
1 small head of purple cabbage, shredded
1 small fennel bulb, shredded (stalks discarded)
6 large carrots, peeled, then shredded
1 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

For the dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper

Shred the vegetables and combine with the raisins and pumpkin seeds in a large serving bowl. A mandolin works well for the fennel and cabbage. I use a carrot peeler to shred the carrots.

In a separate bowl, make the dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise and the red wine vinegar with a fork. Stir in the sugar, salt, and pepper. (The amounts given here are estimates. I always do this to taste. Some people like a sweeter coleslaw. I prefer mine on the tangy side.) Then add the dressing to the slaw, tossing it with your bare hands to get it evenly distributed.

Keeps for three days refrigerated.