CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  Essentially, one purchases a ’share’ in a local farm – much like the stock market, one then has a vested interest in seeing the farm succeed.  Dividends/pay outs come in the form of produce – vegetables and sometimes fruit.  Different farms do things differently; my farm happens to be also organic, and I pick up my box each week – Tuesdays for me – from a local location.  Join me on this journey – my inaugural season with a CSA – as I explore the various vegetables I receive and what I can do with them to turn them into delicious happiness…
For more information on CSAs, click here.  To find a CSA local to you, you can click here or for one in NYC, visit JustFood.org.  I found mine by typing “Forest Hills CSA” into Google – my neighborhood name + the word CSA, and I’m sure that would work for you as well.  Good luck and enjoy the fruits of your labors… har, har. 

Yes, my dears, I joined the CSA again this year!  There was no way I would miss this for the world; the fresh veggies, the reasonable pricing schedule (with 1/2 a share, it comes out to about $10 a week for local & organic produce), which is completely reasonable, cheap even.  I have a few photos of items, though most things I’ve been making magic soup with (even in this horrid weather) or roasting (again, even in this horrid weather – toaster oven, and stay out of the kitchen while it’s going on so I don’t roast myself as well) – many of these goodies then became bento-staples.  (Enter the giveaway while you’re over there, why don’t you?)

In this instance, I actually remembered to take a picture of the “cream of fennel” soup I made.  Simple (and no leeks, which a lot of recipes seemed to call for):

1. Sautee thinly sliced fennel and thinly sliced onion together in butter. 
2. Cook until very, very soft, but do not brown. 
3. Toss a tablespoon or two of flour on top and stir to incorporate/coat, allowing flour to cook a bit. 
4. Add cream or milk slowly, then let come to a small bubble (VERY small bubble) and thicken a bit.
5. Using an immersion blender (or you can use a regular blender if that’s what you have, but be careful!), blend until smooth.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve.

I added the fronds on top just to look fancy but I didn’t eat them.  You can also serve this cold if you like! 

This next one I’ve been posting on Facebook repeatedly as I tweak the recipe to fit what’s in my fridge.  It’s perfect for the hot weather.  You must have seen it on my Facebook because you’re a fan of the Feisty Foodie, right?  Right?  Well, why not?  Anyway, the first time I posted it here and the second time I posted it here… but here are my final tweaks, I think, unless I make it one more time:

poached/cooked/cooled/shredded chicken breast (one) (you can use whatever chicken you like, or even the meat from a rotisserie chicken you picked up! just make the meat bite sized, or shredded so that it’s close in size/shape to the cabbage)
shredded green cabbage, half a head to a head depending on size (you can even buy a bag of this already shredded at Trader Joe’s)
shredded carrots (hey if you’re already at Trader Joe’s, just pick those up while you’re there, it’s next to the cabbage)
shredded radicchio for color and bitterness
dill and/or celery seed
thinly sliced onion
sesame seeds

Really, you can play around with the veggies to find a combo you like – the carrots add a nice sweetness, so when I didn’t use them, I found myself adding a little sugar to my vinaigrette to cut the tartness a little bit. 

Vinaigrette:

juice of a lemon, lime, both, either, or
salt
pepper
dash of sesame oil (do NOT substitute all of your oil and only use sesame oil; sesame oil is VERY strong)
extra virgin olive oil

Whisk to incorporate.  Honey or sugar can be used (sparingly) to cut the tartness if it’s too tart for you.  Taste it, make it what you like!  Have fun with it!

I love making quick and fast salads like so, without mayo (which can be heavy, cloying, or just icky in this horrible heat NYC is encountering currently).  How do you make yours?  What do you put in it?  Share in the comments your quick-fast-easy meals for weekday nights that are too hot to cook! 

Happy eating!

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Post tags: salad, soup/stew

Oh my goodness, what’s this?…

Yes, I’ve been woefully neglectful of my bento duties.  I pack lunch for school, but mostly just take something quick (a sandwich, cut up fruit), and rarely take pictures.  The above is one from May that I took a picture but never posted… hummus, baby carrots, turkey and mustard on whole grain, with clementine sections to help prevent the sandwich from moving around, all packed in a Ziploc container I bought for $3.49/2.  The box is a little big for regular meals, but with sandwiches or salads, it’s perfectly fine.  (The big compartment is 650ml, then 175ml, then 100ml, total 925ml… kinda big for me.) 

CSA goodies galore!  Roasted broccoli & cippolini onion hiding underneath, roasted beets, chicken cole slaw (recipe to come), hard boiled egg, and jarred peaches. 

Showing my Mets pride!  Someone gifted me a Mets ProToast toaster, which brands the team logo into bread as it toasts it.  So here’s my Mets sandwich with honey roasted turkey, sliced asiago, and dijonnaise; mozzarella sticks; chocolate covered biscuits; roasted beets; chicken cole slaw; roasted broccoli & garlic. 

The day of the All Star Game (go National League!), showing my pride even more!  Probably should have drawn a #5 on that with ketchup or mustard or something, but oh well!  Pretty much the same as yesterday’s, with the addition of a second cheese stick – this one monterey jack. 

And what’s this?  It’s a GIVEAWAY!!!  I received a review copy of Yum-Yum Bento Box (associate link) by Crystal Watanabe and Maki Ogawa – and of the handful of bento books I’ve read, this is heads above the rest.  It doesn’t hurt that I love Crystal’s blog, Adventures in Bento-Making, but really, this book actually teaches you how to make the bentos it shows.  Plus I can see Crystal’s wackiness peeking out here and there in the tone of the book.  LOVE the photos on every page.  This is a GREAT book for those who are interested in charaben or decoben – it explains things thoroughly and easily enough for anyone to be able to follow along, even those completely new to bento, along with sections on the equipment/tools necessary to make things.  AWESOME book. 

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is comment below with why you bento (or why you want to start) by midnight EST on August 1.  Easy-peasy!  On August 2nd, I’ll run the numbers on Random.org and see who wins their very own copy of Yum Yum Bento Box! 

Good luck and happy bento!!!

© Feisty Foodie for The Feisty Foodie, 2010. | Permalink | 32 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Feisty Bento, giveaway

My sister, FeistySis, is adorable.  (It runs in the family.)  For her hubby’s birthday recently, she printed out the above menu not so we’d know what we were eating, but rather, so she wouldn’t forget to serve something (a common theme in our family… we are scatterbrained a bit, and love lists).  It reminds me of when we were little and my dad would draw up elaborate menus… and when software became ‘advanced’ enough, he’d print them out, decorated with clip art.  My sister did that one Christmas, too… I wonder if she still has that file.  Heh. 

FeistySis enlisted me to take pictures of the food but then kept adding to the table, so the table shots aren’t really quite completely … full. 

Homemade pico de gallo slash salsa.  It’s a cross between the two, not quite one or the other, but definitely delicious. 

Homemade cole slaw.  Yes, there are pineapples in there. 

Store-bough guacamole that’s been doctored with the above pico-salsa.  NOM. 

The crudite platter.  Normally I’m in charge of chopping because I am anal retentive and everything comes out the same size/length.  This time, she spared me and chopped it before I got there.  I did put it together though, again because I am anal retentive and make everything super neat…

I made spinach dip from the Knorr’s packet, though! 

Let’s try this again. 

FeistySis grilled clams, which came out really well I thought.  I didn’t expect them to be so easy. 

No FeistyFamily gathering is complete without deviled eggs, honestly.  Even if you don’t see pictures of them, they were on the table… mmm

Ribs!  Fatty, juicy, and marinated in something… then grilled.  I envy her a bit having a backyard and a grill… then I remember she lives in Long Island.   

My plate!  Chips, deviled egg, rib, spinach dip, guacamole, cole slaw, veggies.  So good.  Honestly, it’s hard to really show you how much I eat at these things since I tend to graze… or sit in the chair and eat for hours, as everyone does the same, chattering loudly.  That’s the kind of family we are. 

We also opened a bottle of blueberry wine Snorlax brought back on one of his trips to Maine.  I wasn’t a huge fan of it, but my FeistyMom liked it…

Grilled veggies that FeistySis drizzled balsamic vinegar over… pretty tasty.  She said it was her first time cooking zucchini, but now that she knows it’s so simple, she’ll do it more often.  Yay! 

Dessert – Red Velvet cake.  I think this was from Wal-Mart (I told you, she lives in Long Island – they have things like Wal-Mart!).  And it was pretty good.  Not Cakeman Raven good, but undoubtedly also not $6 a slice, either… I ate my slice happily!  (I would have taken some home if I didn’t feel all fat from my trip to the West Coast!)

I know the dessert portion of the menu says ice cream and pineapple – my sister ALWAYS has ice cream in BULK in her house - but instead we had super ripe and super sweet canteloupe, and strawberries, which my nephews adore. 

Happy nommings!  How do you and your family celebrate birthdays and special occasions?  Anything always on the table, like our deviled eggs?  Or do you go with whatever’s in season?  Or do you go out?  Share your celebratory rituals please

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Post tags: feisty family

Directly following my trip to Peru, I left on a research trip to the West Coast for two weeks.  What was I researching?  Glad you asked: a book on Stadium Eats!  Um, yeah, without a deal in sight currently (hint, hint, anyone reading this who is interested!), I went to preemptively scout out the 6 West Coast stadiums and eat my way up and down the West Coast at the same time, starting in San Francisco, working my way down to Los Angeles, then San Diego, back up to San Francisco and then to Seattle!  Phew!  Tune in at 4:15 EST (or 1:15 PST, lunchtime on the West Coast) for the next 6 weeks to see what I ate and where I ate it… and how I gained 10 lbs in two weeks!

My dedication to good food runs far and wide.  Maybe you remember me mentioning Roli Roti… but you probably don’t know that I dream about that sandwich.  Since November, I’ve occasionally found myself staring into space, imagining the feel of that sandwich in my hand, the bread sliding between my teeth as I bit down into absolute bliss; the sweet onion marmalade along with the crisp, crackly skin of the pork belly… oh my… excuse me *wipes drool

In any case, since then, I knew I had to return to have the full sandwich.  I waited patiently but when I finally booked my trip, I was over the moon that I would have so many days in San Francisco.  When I looked up the schedule, the first day I could, I headed to where they said they would be – Friday morning, back in Oakland (where I spent all of Thursday), for the Old Oakland Farmer’s Market… (Fridays 8am-2pm, year-round, 9th at Broadway, if you’re interested)

I first walked up and saw this, and was super excited.  I also love Farmer’s Markets, and the NYC ones seem to be so crowded and difficult to maneuver without getting shoved.  It wasn’t nearly that crowded here, though I got here around noon.

Golden Rainier cherries!  I got really excited, despite how expensive they were (a few days prior, I’d run into a supermarket where they were selling them for 68c a pound). 

But I didn’t spend too much time initially dawdling and looking around at the produce – I made a beeline to the end of the market for the one thing I’d come for. 

Where is the sandwich on the menu.

NO SANDWICH???  Why is there NO LINE at the most awesome of trucks, which smelled awesome (I literally followed the scent to find the location)???

This hand-scrawled sign … sort of explained it.  They had no sandwiches.  Just pork? 

I’m sorry for the horrible picture because I snapped this before digging in and didn’t take any more pictures of it whole.  My precious…

The rosemary potatoes were tasty enough but really just an afterthought. 

THE REAL SHOW.

Juicy, succulent goodness!!!  I started chowing down frantically on this fatty piece of heaven.  The skin was chewy in parts but super crisp in others. 

This picture was accidentally snapped while I was trying to pull my hair back because it was windy and the only table I could find was in direct sun, so I was overheating quite a bit.  I was still trying to eat with a plastic knife and fork at this point, too.  I finally gave up and

Picked it up with my hands to NOM on it like a big turkey drumstick.  The person walking by that I requested take my photo probably thought I was crazy, but obliged and laughed while walking away.  Oh well. 

After I’d nommed it all down, I walked around the market and picked this up, a brand of soda I hadn’t seen before. Pretty tasty, though I wish more of the lime had come through in the flavor.  Otherwise, not bad.   

When I’d walked up to the Roli Roti truck, I’d heard a guy yelling “I have something for you!” from a booth nearby, but I turned and told him politely “I’m on a mission! I’ll come back!” as lecherous as those words might sound to a cynical New Yorker.  I returned a few minutes later holding my pork prize, and he’d been very surprised I returned – but I said I’d be back!  In any case, it turned out this booth was the Home Maid Ravioli Company, and he held out a cracker with a schmear of garlic parmesan spread on it. 

After a lot of chatter about the products, his love of Chicago baseball, and discussing my tour of the West Coast ballparks, I walked away holding three containers.  I didn’t get a chance to eat them until the next morning, though…

After I’d stuffed my face with as much pork as possible, I headed to the nearest Trader Joe’s (according to my GPS which I’d brought from NYC), for stuff to drink and crackers for my Home Maid Ravioli products.  Interesting note: my rental car had a “cooler box” above the glove box, designed to hold 4 cans of drink and keep them cold.  Ummm… it didn’t work.  Let’s just put it that way. 

Yes, goofing off in Trader Joe’s.  I am the Artichoke Queen!  Look at my Artichoke Scepter! 

I was amused to see Two Buck Chuck, which I believe in New York no longer sells for Two Bucks… (It’s been a very long time – almost 10 years? – since my friends would buy this.) 

The sign as you leave that Trader Joe’s – love it!  (Yes, my local Trader Joe’s probably has the same sign.)  Also, while I was shopping, guess what I found?  More Hansen’s soda!  I picked up a 6pack of the creamy root beer and enjoyed that for the next few days of my trip (it was indeed very creamy in the mouth-feel). 

Back to food!  The next morning, before heading out of my horrible hotel that thankfully had a fridge, I spread out my goodies on the desk and began my nomming. 

First up was a loaf of bread I’d picked up while roaming around the Farmer’s Market after buying the goodies from Home Maid Ravioli.  Of course a loaf of bread… I love bread (despite not eating it that often). 

Look at that gorgeous loaf.  Dense, with a crisp exterior. 

Not having had pugliese before, it reminded me of ciabatta with a much denser crumb.  It worked perfectly for my purposes –

The only container I’d purchased without trying, this was a little too lemony-tangy for me.  Replete with with artichokes, but even more filled with lemon, lemon rind, lemon juice, I choked a bit on this. 

But the initial spread I’d tried was creamy, delicious, with full parmesan flavor, along with wonderful garlic, and hints of lemon.  I inhaled this with crackers (mostly while driving down to LA later that day).  SO GOOD. 

But the last item is where I swooned till I almost keeled over. 

Delicious button mushrooms in this heavenly flavored oil… I ate about half the container before stopping.  These would be amazing to top a salad, or an antipasto platter, or just to eat… omg… so good. 

YUM!  Double whammy: after I’d eaten half, it occurred to me… dip the pugliese in the oil!  AND OMFG IT WAS PURE GENIUS.  SO.DAMN.GOOD.

Unfortunately, Home Maid Ravioli doesn’t ship anywhere currently… I am hoping this changes very shortly!!!  Mmmmmmmm.  Sooo good, the mushrooms and the parmesan spread… amazing… nommm

Yvo says: The Market did get a lil crowded around 1pm, but it isn’t very big and is easy to navigate in any case.  I highly recommend checking it out if you have time to get over to Oakland during a trip out there, or just however.  It’s pretty close to a BART station too (I think?), if you don’t want to rent a car.  Good stuff and all the people were super friendly and nice.  I could totally see going back… (there’s another Farmer’s Market post coming up as well, for a different Market)  I didn’t mention it or manage to take photos – when I was done eating, it was more crowded – but there were a ton of produce stands with cheap Asian-bent greens (yu choy, choi sum, bok choi, that type of stuff), which was really cool because I’ve never seen such an Asian-slant to the veggies.  And Asian supermarkets are pretty cheap already.  Mmm. 
recommended – love love love everything here

© Feisty Foodie for The Feisty Foodie, 2010. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bread, farmer's market, porchetta

The last day of class (yes this is over a month ago!), my French study group had another potluck. 

I made tortilla chips by deep frying some corn tortillas I cut into wedges, both blue and yellow, and some awesome guacamole that was again dogged.  This group is good for my self-esteem

ST made an awesome nicoise salad, wisely keeping the tuna separate so that LA-LA could take some without it being “contaminated” by animal parts.  This was delicious!!!  Salad topped with lots of yummy veggies, a great balsamic vinaigrette… so good. 

LA-LA brought two dishes; spiced chickpeas that were pretty tasty, and…

Homemade cinnamon buns, which were to die for delicious. 

Just to make you jealous, a picture of my plate. 

This angle you can see the chickpeas!

And again, BM this time with the FAIL

Actually, this time, we were chowing down and studying when a knock came on the study room door.  “What are you doing?” screeched this unpleasant woman.  We didn’t know what her problem was – we were studying and eating our dinner, really – but we wound up getting kicked out of the library after a nonsensical lecture about how we’re not meant to bring in ‘full meals’ into the library, though we’re allowed to eat there ‘as a courtesy’ - um, no, that really doesn’t make sense… we were just sharing our dinner with each other.  Whatever.  Since it was a nice day, we wound up walking to sit outside the campus bookstore, but we were all pretty annoyed by it…

And all of us did well on our final!  One of us even graduated.  Holla!!!

Happy eating! 

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Post tags: potluck