Category: CSA box recipes

With a little planning ahead, you can have homemade pizza on a homemade crust on a weeknight! This recipe makes enough dough for three 10-12 inch thin pizzas. I often top and cook two to eat right away and partially bake the third to freeze, top, and cook another day. And if you don’t have time to make the dough, Tipi veggies are so delicious they will improve even store-bought crust.

Takes 15 minutes to mix the dough, plus overnight to rise in the refrigerator
Makes crust for three 10-12 inch thin pizzas.

1 1/4 cups lukewarm water (about 80°)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour – bread flour if you have it, or unbleached white, or use up to one cup whole wheat

1. Pour the water into a large mixing bowl, preferably the bowl of a stand mixer, if you have one. Sprinkle in the yeast and leave for about 10 minutes. The yeast should bubble; if not you might want to start over with fresher yeast.
2. Add the salt, olive oil, and 3 cups flour. Mix with the paddle attachment until you have a soft dough that’s pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If it doesn’t, add the additional flour, up to 1/2 a cup – you want a soft but not too sticky dough. When all the flour is incorporated, let the mixer knead the dough for you, on medium speed for about 4 minutes. I continue with the paddle for kneading, but if you have a dough hook for your mixer, by all means switch. Alternatively, mix in the flour with a large wooden spoon, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for about 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
3. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and sprinkle it with flour. Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface – if you are kneading by hand it will already be there – and divide it into three equal portions. Form each portion into a ball, and flour it – I like to drop the ball right into my flour canister – and arrange the balls on the baking sheet. Cover with a lid or a damp towel or a large plastic bag, and refrigerate for 8 hours or up to two days.
4. When you ready to make pizza, oil your pizza pans with olive oil, or line with parchment. Heat the oven to 450°. Remove the dough from the fridge, and roll one piece out on floured surface until it’s about the size of your pan. You can get fancy and spin it in the air if you like! Transfer the dough to the pan, pour about a teaspoon of olive oil on it and continue stretching to the sides of your pan. Don’t worry if you can’t get it all the way to the edge at this point – let it relax and rise while you prepare the toppings and do a final stretch right before topping. Repeat with the other dough pieces.
5. Top the crust and bake for 15-20 minutes until brown and bubbling. See below for topping suggestions.

 
Topping suggestions:

1. The pizza shown uses ingredients from this week’s box, sliced tomatoes and frying peppers and purple onion, with a mix of grated provolone and mozzarella cheese – about 1 1/2 cups grated cheese. Put a layer of cheese on the bottom crust, add the vegetables, brush with olive oil, and then top with a little more cheese. You could also add sliced or minced fresh garlic.
2. Also suggested by this week’s box is roasted squash, caramelized onion, and goat cheese, although the squash this week might be a bit difficult to peel and cut into cubes to roast – this works better with butternut or delicata. Here’s a recipe for roasted delicata squash, prosciutto, and goat cheese pizza.
3. Red sauce (see recipe below), sausage, and peppers. You’ll need about 1/4 pound Italian sausage per pizza, either bulk or one link, casing removed, and about one large pepper. I suggest pre-cooking the sausage, and adding the sliced pepper – and throw in some fennel seeds and extra garlic!

 
Red sauce for pizza
2 pounds peeled and seeded tomatoes, plum preferred
1 large red bell pepper, roasted
2 (or more!) cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano, or Penzey’s Frozen Pizza Seasoning, or two tablespoons chopped fresh basil – stirred in after cooking
large pinch of kosher salt
a shake of red pepper flakes
1-2 tablespoons tomato paste

Combine the tomatoes, roasted pepper, and garlic in a food processor, and puree until smooth. Pour into a wide deep skillet over medium heat, and add the dried herbs, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 40-45 minutes, until thickens and the garlic doesn’t smell – or taste – raw any longer. Stir in the tomato paste, and fresh basil if using. Can be frozen.

These sandwiches are what we ate for a picnic on Labor Day: The one on the right is a version of Pan Bagnat, kind of a Nicoise salad featuring tuna and tomatoes, on bread, and the sandwich on the left is a vegetarian version with goat cheese, tomatoes, and roasted peppers. Both sandwiches are brushed with olive oil, and spread with oil-poached garlic. If you are a New York Times subscriber you can watch a video by Melissa Clark (it might play for non-subscribers …) that shows her using her 7-year-old daughter to press the sandwich; if you do not have a 7-yo available, you can use a few heavy cans or jars of food. Like the Cowboy Caviar, feel free to adapt to the vegetables you have on hand.

Takes about 30 minutes to assemble, plus one or two hours to press, and optional chilling time
Serves 4-6

For one sandwich/4-6 servings:
1 ciabatta bread* or 4 crusty Kaiser rolls
1-2 whole bulbs of garlic, depending on size
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1 dried hot chile
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
thin slices of red or other onion
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
a handful of basil leaves, torn into pieces
For the tomato-goat cheese variant:
3-4 four ounces goat cheese, softened
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, homemade or from a jar
For Pan Bagnat:
one 6 oz. can oil packed tuna
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 zucchini or summer squash, thinly sliced – about 1/2 cup slices

*If you want to try making the ciabatta, this King Arthur recipe works well. Otherwise Madison Sourdough makes a nice ciabatta and you’ll also find it in any grocery store with a good-sized bakery department.

1. Make the oil-poached garlic: separate the garlic cloves, peel them, and place them in a small saucepan with the dried chile. Pour in olive oil to cover the cloves and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, until the cloves are very soft, checking by poking with a fork. Watch closely so it doesn’t brown or burn. Cool, and fish the cloves of garlic out of the oil and mash them with a fork. Reserve the mashed garlic and oil separately.
2. Assemble the sandwich(es): Split the bread or rolls. For either variation, start by spreading a good portion of the mashed garlic on the bottoms of the bread. Brush more poaching oil over the garlic, and also brush the tops with oil. For the tomato version, spread goat cheese on the bottom of the sandwich, then layer on the sliced peppers, onion, and roasted peppers. Top with sliced tomatoes and torn basil. For the pan bagnat version, mix the un-drained tuna with the capers, and distribute evenly on the bottom of the sandwich. Shingle the sliced squash over the tuna, layer on the sliced peppers, onion, and top with sliced tomatoes and torn basil.
3. Press the sandwiches: put the tops on, and wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Place the sandwiches between two cutting boards (or under one cutting board on the counter, if you don’t have two) and top with a few heavy cans – like 28-ounce canned tomatoes – and press for 1-2 hours. After pressing you can serve immediately or chill for several hours or overnight.

This recipe uses green beans, carrots, and yellow squash from this week’s box, but feel free to adapt to what you have – you will need approximately 6 cups of chopped vegetables altogether, not counting the onions.

Takes about 45 minutes
Serves 6

4 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil, divided
1 (14-oz.) package firm or extra-firm tofu, patted dry, cut into cubes
a few generous pinches of kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups of chopped onions
a 2-3 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2-3 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon each: ground cumin, turmeric, and coriander
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4-1/3 cups water
a heaping cup of peeled and sliced carrots
8-12 ounces green beans, rinsed, trimmed, and cut into 2 inch pieces – heaping 2 cups
1 (13.5-ounce) can of unsweetened coconut milk – full fat preferred, but lite works
2 large summer squash or zucchini, rinsed, quartered longwise, and cut into chunks – heaping 2 cups
More salt & pepper to taste

Optional garnishes: Lime wedges, cilantro leaves, and coarsely chopped, salted, roasted peanuts

Optional: serve with white or brown rice, chutney, and plain yogurt

1. If you’re serving the curry with rice, start the rice first.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil in a wide deep skillet or braiser with a lid. Add the tofu cubes, season with salt and pepper, and fry for about 10 minutes over medium heat, flipping the cubes a few times, trying not to break them up too much, until they’ve gt a little color. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
3. Wipe out the pan if necessary (I didn’t) and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil. Over medium high heat, add the onions and another couple of pinches of salt, and stir to coat with oil. Cook the onions for 2-3 minutes, then add the ginger and garlic, curry powder, garam masal, ground cumin, turmeric, and coriander. Continue to cook until the spices are fragrant and the onions, ginger, and garlic are softened, 5-10 minutes. If things start sticking add two tablespoons of the water.
4. Add the tomato paste and the water, and stir until saucy. Add the carrots and the green beans, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until softened, about 10 minutes. Again, add a little more water if things start to stick.
5. Add the coconut milk and mix well. Add the squash, stir and cover and cook for another 10 minutes, until the squash are cooked but not mushy. Taste for salt and serve with the optional garnishes and rice.

Panzanella is a great way to eat tomatoes and use up the end of that sourdough loaf that you can’t get anyone to eat! The salad in the picture is made with grape tomatoes and cucumbers – a mix of the grape and slicing tomatoes in this week’s box will work fine, and omit the cukes if you’re out.
Makes 4-6 servings
Takes 30 minutes or less

about 4 ounces crusty bread – 4 large slices or so
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 pounds of tomatoes, any variety
2 tsp. Dijon or other prepared mustard
a good pinch of sugar
another one of coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
a good pinch of sugar
another one of coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 of a large red or sweet white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons capers, drained (optional)
a couple of good handfuls of herbs (basil or parsley), chopped or torn as appropriate
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 350. Tear the bread into coarse chunks, crouton size, and place it in a bowl large enough for tossing. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and add the garlic, and toss. Turn the oiled bread out onto a sheet pan, and toast in the oven until golden. Let cool.

Mix the mustard, sugar, salt, pepper, and vinegar in the bottom of the bowl you’ll serve your salad in. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. Cut the tomatoes in half, squeeze out some of the juice and seeds, and cut them into bite size pieces. Add them to the bowl with the bread, onion, and capers, and toss well. Add the herbs and toss again. Right before serving, which should be within in an hour or two, top the salad with the crumbled feta.

Summer 2021 CSA box recipes

This is based on Jane & Michael Stern of Roadfood fame, and I got the recipe from the Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper cookbook. It’s basically a strata, bread, egg, broccoli, and cheese.
Takes about 20 minutes active time, plus an hour to bake
Serves four generously

4-6 slices of bread, enough so that torn into bite-sized pieces it will cover the bottom of an 8-in. baking dish. The original recipe calls for soft white bread; I think soft whole wheat is good, too.
3 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted, plus a little extra for greasing the baking dish
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons sugar (The original recipe calls for three!)
2 cups finely chopped broccoli – I like to do this in the food processor.

Heat the oven to 350°. Butter your baking dish – glass recommended, and cover the bottom of the dish with the torn bread. Beat the eggs, milk, and melted butter together, then add the cheese, salt and sugar. Stir in the broccoli and pour the mixture over the bread. Cover the dish with foil or a lid, and bake for about 45 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 to 15 minutes to brown the top, and if you want an even crispier top crust, run the casserole under the broiler.

Summer 2021 CSA box recipes