David and I have been talking about signing up for a service called Absolute Organics (http://www.theabsoluteorganics.com/) for about two years. I'm not really sure what was preventing us from signing up, but we finally did it last week and we sure are glad we did!
It's a mom and pop organic produce delivery service - it seems about 60-70% of their stuff is locally sourced, other things come quite a distance. You decide your ratio of fruit to vegetable - 60/40, 70/30 etc. - and then you go through their list of produce and tell them what you don't ever want. Then you choose what sized box you want - a small box is $30, a medium $40 and a large $50 - and decide how often you want a delivery - once a week or every other week. We chose to get a medium box every other week and opted for 70% veg and 30% fruit I think, and to never get celery (one of the only veggies I hate) or butternut squash (which David doesn't dig). They deliver on Tuesdays, and the Friday before you get an email telling what you'll get AND recipe ideas. If there's anything in your box that you're not excited about, you can email them by Monday morning and they'll switch some things around. Such customer service! We're so pleased.
SO, this week we had our first delivery. We got:
5 sweet potatoes - local
1 head romaine lettuce - local
bunch rainbow carrots with tops
2 bunches green chard
2 heads green cabbage - local
5 red onions - local
5 fuji apples
4 murcott tangerines
1 mango
3 bananas
That may not sound like a lot, but when spread it across the counter you realize it's a LOT. If we went to the farmer's market and bought only organic produce, we'd spend at least $40 on this amount of food - and to have it delivered to your door!?! Awesome. We're in love. And there's no contract, you can discontinue service whenever you want! They also stock coffee, granola and some other things but we're sticking to produce for the minute. If you decide to give them a try, tell them you heard about it from us and they'll give us a free box!
After allowing the freezer section to dictate what veggies we'll have on the side for the past six months, we're finally eating with the Seasons again and allowing the vegetables to dictate the meal. We've spent more time in our (new/old!) kitchen in the last week than we have since we moved in! First, we made fish tacos with homemade cilantro slaw and homemade mango salsa with avocado. So delish! Here are the recipes:
MANGO & TOMATO SALSA
from kitchenscoop.com
10 to 12 strips fresh peeled mango, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped fresh tomato (no need to peel or seed)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro leaves
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt to taste, optional
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, catching as much of the juices from the mango and tomato as possible and mixing them in. Serve immediately with chips or cover tightly and refrigerate for up to a week. Makes a good-sized bowl full.
CILANTRO SLAW
from Absolute Organics
1 bunch cilantro
½ bunch green onions (we used 6)
2 Jalapeno chilies seeded
2 T cider vinegar1 T celery seeds (didn't have so didn't use)
1 cup Mayonnaise
½ cup buttermilk
2 cups shredded cabbage (we used about 5!)
Loosely chop cilantro, green onions and jalapeno slightly and add them to a food processor .Chop a little in the processor and then add the mayonnaise and vinegar. Process until the mix resembles pesto. Add cabbage and mix by hand. Makes a LOT, but keeps well in the fridge for a few days.
I took a photo of the meal, but it didn't come out well so won't upload it. Needless to say, the meal was super colorful and mega delicious - we pan fried the tilapia with salt and pepper and then piled little corn tortillas high with fish, slaw, avocado and salsa. So good!
I guess this would be a good place to mention that after our 30 day vegan experiment (which we SO enjoyed), we've reverted to a pescatarian lifestyle - which means we eat fish and dairy, but no "meat". People who choose this lifestyle also call themselves aquinarians or vegaquarians.
The next night, we made BBQ tofu with mac and cheese and multicolored carrots. The BBQ tofu and mac and cheese combination is an almost weekly occurance in our house - so quick and easy. I know some people have a tricky time preparing tofu, so I'll share how we do it:
BBQ TOFU
1 block tofu - any texture, but we use firm
toasted sesame oil
barbecue sauce
Preheat oven to 350 (or whatever your mac and cheese wants). Drain tofu and lay it on a cutting board so that the long edge is facing you - cut into six or so "slabs". Arrange side by side on the cutting board and gently blot with paper towel. Turn the slabs over and repeat. At this point, we sometimes cut the pieces into cubes or strips. Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a nonstick pan. When hot, lay tofu in pan. Leave to fry for several minutes. I usually note when I think I should check on them and then give them another five minutes! When slightly/moderately browned on one side, flip tofu pieces one by one to the other side - leave to fry for several minutes. Transfer to a baking dish and lightly cover with barbecue sauce. Bake in the oven alongside the mac and cheese, i.e 20 to 30 minutes. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, throw your carrots or whatever veg in a steamer. Voila! Delish! The only downfall of this recipe? We rarely have any leftovers :)
By the way, those organic multicolored carrots were the best carrots we've EVER eaten! They were so much fun to clean and chop - purple, red, orange, white, yellow - beautiful! They tasted just the same as orange carrots; I think it was the fact that they were so fresh and organic that made them so tasty.
The next night, we made another recipe shared by Absolute Organics. From the recipe, I didn't really know what to expect - and the end result absolutely blew our expectations out of the water. It was SO good! Like restaurant-good! We've made it twice in the last 10 days!
PENNE WITH CHARD & LEEKS IN A WALNUT CREAM SAUCE
From Absolute Organics
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems cut from leaves, each chopped into thin slices
1 cup minced leeks
1/3 cup veggie broth
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon walnut oil (we used olive oil the first time and no oil the second)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 lb. penne, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons minced parsley
3 tablespoons toasted walnut halves, broken in large pieces
Parmesan cheese
In skillet, over low heat, melt the butter; add leek, chard stems & salt & pepper to taste.
Cut a round piece ofwaxed paper to fit the size of your skillet; place it over the vegetables.
Cover the skillet with a lid & cook 5minutes.
Remove the lid & waxed paper.
Add chard leaves, garlic, red pepper flakes & broth; simmer uncoveredfor 5 minutes.
Increase heat to high & reduce the liquid until almost evaporated.
Add cream & walnut oil; simmerover high heat, stirring, until lightly thickened.
Season with salt & pepper.
Transfer cooked pasta to a bowl; addsauce, walnuts & toss. Sprinkle with parsley & serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Serves 3.
Tonight, we made a dent in our sweet potato stock - the results are delicious!
SWEET POTATO BLACK BEAN ENCHILADAS
from Absolute Organics
2 large sweet potatos, peeled & diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1.5 cups cooked or 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with jalepenos (or green chiles),drained
salt & black pepper to taste
2 cups salsa
8 flour tortillas (we used 4 large)
1/4 cup finely chopped red (or green) onion (we used both)
1/2-1 cup shredded cheese (e.g. Monterey Jack)
1. Preheat the oven to 400. Arrange sweet potatoes in single layer on alightly oiled baking sheet and roast until tender, turning once, about 20 mins. Remove from oven & set aside.
2. Reduce oven temp to 350. Heat olive oil in large skillet over mediumheat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 secs. Add the beans, tomatoes, and salt & pepper to taste. Stir in the sweetpotatoes and simmer for 5 mins.
3. Spread a thin layer of salsa over the bottom of a lightly oiled 9x13-inch baking dish & set aside.
4. Place a tortilla on a flat work surface. Spoon a portion of thesweet potato mix down the center of the tortill and roll it up. Placethe filled tortilla in the baking dish seam side down and repeat withthe rest. Spoon any remaining filling mixture on top of the enchiladas, top with salsa and sprinkle with the onion and cheese. Cover and bake until hot & bubbly, about 20 mins. Serve hot.
Delicious! And the recipe yielded enough to feed a family of four - maybe twice! That takes care of lunch for the next few days!
Vonda at Absolute Organics has proven that their recipes are tried and true - they've earned my trust!!
I'll try and incorporate photos in my next entry - I have to find the battery charger for the camera first!!
