fennel & potatoes rule

i think the best thing i made this week was the fennel and potatoes! I didn't get fingerling potatoes like the recipe, i got blue & yellow small potatoes, it was so  so delish and unique tasting.

I did indeed finally make the coleslaw and it was divine, the agave toasted pistachios made this dish!.it made so much i really need to not make it unless i'm going somewhere i can take it

I also made the cream peas with tempeh bacon, it was pretty good, tasty and salty and I would do it again.

the radishes i sliced and ate on a piece of toast with wholefoods mock chick salad, it added a lovely sharp spice to it.

this is a watermelon peach smoothie i made with the peaches, just cut up watermelon, peach and a banana, amazing

Peachy keen

I love peach season love love love - i know i should or could make a great recipe with them but they are so delicious i can't help eating them fresh!

This box had peaches & grapefruit - i love grapefruit too but i get bored of them a little so for breakfast today i put peach AND grapfruit in my cereal, weird i know the grapefruit but i got the idea from the Engine 2 Diet - Rip's Big Bowl uses it and when if first tried that it was amazingly good. So the pic above is my own mini version : Shredded Spoonfuls, Ikea Muesli, Almond Milk, Peach, Grapefruit & strawberries.

so here is the Local Box list for 5/17/12

Cherry Tomatoes
Peaches
Cream Peas
White Mushrooms
Cabbage
Basil
Fennel
Radishes
Orange
Grapefruit

Cherry Tomatoes - in my salads, and i'm going to roast some because i crave them!
Peaches - yum

Cream Peas - i know this recipe has bacon but i'm gonna try it with tempeh bacon to see how it turns out, can't be bad! Southern Cream Peas and (tempeh)bacon

Mushrooms - i love mushrooms so i tend to put these in salads raw or a quick sautee with spinach and onions for a taco.

Cabbage - i still never made coleslaw, i just keep feeding it to Drizzle the guinea pig or using some in salads or taco toppings - i'm DETERMINED Vegan Coleslaw NOW

Basil - i'm so easily influenced, i overheard someone describing some exotic smoothie with pineapple and celery and basil so i want that now.  The box came with a simple cherry tomato and basil recipe that sounds good and summery....

Fennel - omg to this recipe! Fingerling Potatoes & Fennel

Radishes - they are the cool black radishes - i already fed the greens to Drizzle - he's a lucky guinea pig, organic local produce :)
I may roast them which i love or there is this Black Radish and Grapefruit salad that could use the other grapefruit!
I also love the idea of Radish sandwiches - here are two one is simple Radish & Butter open face Sandwich simple and fresh  - the other Green Pea, Avocado & Radish Sandwich - what???? yum

i said snow peas NOT snoopys!

many many years ago i saw a comic strip of a waiter holding a tray of miniautre snoopys - and the customer at the table was saying "i said snow peas not snoopys" so i think of that whenever i eat snow peas!


i had fun with the bag of snow peas - seemed like they lasted forever - first i made the Thai style Tofu & Snow Peas over rice vermicelli - it was so amazing i kind of can't believe i made it myself - restaurant worthy.

One night i didn't feel like cooking and i had these packets of "healthy" ramen noodles so i added snow peas to the noodles as they cooked. it was good

here are the roasted beets & carrots again on a salad, so amazing, i had some left over and i just ate them cold out of the left over container

In between local box weeks last week i got the Vegan Meal Kit #2 box from Greenling - OMG these are so so worth it. 5 meals for 2.pre chopped up and prepped, with a little cookbook with directions. so easy. makes me feel accomoplished and together - i've been so busy lately, it helps a lot.  My kids won't eat most of it so i either share with my next door neighbor or have left overs and it lasts forever.  I totally forgot to take pictures but here is what was in box #2

Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches & Cole Slaw
BBQ Tempeh & red bean tacos (this was my FAVE)
Pasta with Eggplant Arrabiata
Vegan Minestrone with spinach salad
Ginger Garlic Stir Fry

Ketchup - which really means Catch Up

I can't believe how behind i am, i think it's been two or three boxes that i haven't written about! So i'm just gonna post some pics of the things i've made over the past few weeks then start with listing today's local box

roasted beets & carrots on a bed a lettuce

two weeks ago i grilled beets

One box we got a bag of mixed greens, so i sauteed them with  onions & garlic

The grilled beets were good in this pasta salad

I also have been using limes from the box on everything - especially some delicious papaya i bought.

So in yesterday's 5/3/12 local box i got:

Grape Tomatoes - YAY - i buy these weekly anyway for my salads, and these are like candy you can just pop in your mouth - sweet

Snow Peas - never had these in a box before! Will probably stir fry with other stuff, something asian-y

Summer Squash - again i will probably stir fry these

Mango

Kale

Green Cabbage

Red Beet Bunch

Carrot Bunch - i love when we get the carrots with the greens attached, or rather Drizzle the guinea pig loves it!

Oranges

Grapefruit - had one for breakfast this morning! delish - one of my joys in life is a GOOD grapefruit knife

Ok, i just mentioned how i used grape tomatoes in my salads, well i just read the recipes that come with the box and it had Roasted Grape Tomatoes recipe - i made these last year and OMG, love them so much i may have to do that

Last box i roasted the beet & carrot and made that salad above, it was so good i have been craving it since then so i be un-advenetrous and stick with that!

Cabbage - i really want to make a coleslaw with this - this one looks amazing Vegan Cole Slaw - I LOVE pistachios and i will just use green cabbage only

Kale - i tend to just sautee but i found in my Appetite for Reduction cookbook a section about making "bowls to go" for taking lunch with you - i'm planning on actually being at the Austin Fine Properties offices more and working from there so need to plan like this - Mexican Kale Bowl has brown rice, black beans, steamed kale, steamed sweet potato, Red Velvet Mole sauce & cilantro.  The Mole sauce looks a little labor intensive for my usual ways but too yum to pass up

Snow Peas - i want this! Thai Style Tofu & Snow Peas on noodles - craving these kind of rich sauces lately -weird seeing as it's so hot already

Summer Squash - i'm extremely tempted to make this Grilled Tofu w/Summer Squash & Soba Noodles - my son loves when i use the grill and it just looks so delish - but i must caveat that i likely will get lazy and just stir fry or steam and eat with something else.

happy eating!

Dilly Dally

I love dill so much - i made this potato salad with mini blue potatoes, veganaise, celery and lots of dill. There was too much mayo though

The collards were amazing, i love them
sweet potato, carrot (from the box), orange juice freshly squeezed (from the box), peanut butter in the african collards from the Blissful Bites cookbook

I haven't touched the Kholrabi! i neeeeeeed to

Local Box 3/22/12 - Kohlrabi!

i have never gotten Kohlrabi before - but i've always wanted to! it was the "K" in a children's book about vegetables that i used to read to my kids. it's very cool looking, kind of intimidating - may websites with recipes describe it as "sputnik" looking

Avocado
Swiss Chard
Collard Greens
Kohlrabi
Dill bunch
oranges
Carrots
Limes
Broccoli
Rutabaga

Well i have already made a couple of things!
here is a plate of both mashed rutabaga AND rutabaga fries that i ate with a veggie burger patty

And this is  Dijon Dill Green Beans  from Blissful Bites cookbook by Christy Morgan

As well as some quinoa that has lime juice in the dressing.

my son loves little purple potatoes so I am going to make this Creamy Dill Potato Salad with more dill -I also think i'm going to experiment with the dill & lime to make some salad dressings, i'm getting into making my own dressings, they are so much tastier!

I already used the Chard but i forgot a picture! I made Chard with Capers & Olives from the Viva Vegan! cookbook.

I'm not sure what to do with the Kohlrabi but this WEBSITE has some ideas - right now i like the idea of adding it raw to a salad, but i need to investigate more

Collards  - i am going to use Blissful Bites again - she has this great recipe that i used before with a different green called African Collard Stir Fry, it has orange juice and carrots too!

Broccoli - again from Blissful Bites (i really love this cookbook) - Broccoli Salad with creamy Mustard Dressing, has a carrot in it too, maybe i will sub Kohlrabi for the radish or just add it!

Swiss Chard & Bok Choy - Local Box 3/8/12

a beautiful bunch of chard in this weeks box - with rainbow stems! And a really cute bok choy - guess i will get creative with greens!
When i opened this box i tested my daughter on each item, she didn't recognize those two greens! i think i'm going to do this every week :)

Ok, contents:

Avocado
Tomatos
Bok Choy
Swiss Chard
Spinach
Lettuce - beautiful dark purple
Parsley
Oranges
Grapefruit
Rutabaga

I've already used the beautiful avocado & tomatos in salads with the lettuce.

I made a delicious juice with the grapefruit and some strawberries in my juicer, then put them in a blender with ice and made a slushy drink.

I will use the Swiss Chard & Parsley in Sweet Potato White Bean Soup from The Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester

Bok Choy - this Bok Choy & Tofu Stir Fry looks good

Rutabaga - MASHED - i did this with the last box (forgot to blog and post pics) and it was sooo good, just cut up, boiled, then mashed with Earth Balance, salt, pepper and a splash of ume plum vinegar.

It's SXSW week so if i don't get this all done before wednesday it's likely none of it will get eaten! There's a recipe that came with the box that stir fries all the greens, bok choy, chard and spinach in one dish, so if that does happen i will whip this up! I will need the vitiamins and energy for the marathon that is SXSW