Thursday, July 28, 2011

What do I do with all this produce?

I have been requested to post some ideas about what to do with our awesome produce baskets. The items we got this week will be underlined. Here are some ideas:

Green Beans:
1. Snap off ends, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle on some coarse sea salt and minced garlic (if desired) and either bake in oven, saute in a pan or throw them on the grill, as Jen Rock suggested, until they are done to your liking (some people like them more crunchy, some more soft).
2. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 clove garlic, minced and 4 c. green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces. Saute over high heat to sear beans, stirring frequently so they don't burn. Cook until they turn bright green.
Stir in 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, 1/2 tsp. sea salt, fresh ground black pepper to taste, 2 c. vegetable broth and 1 c. water. Bring to boil, then simmer 20-30 minutes or until beans are tender. Drain broth from beans (can save for later use) and squeeze in 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Serve.

Zucchini and Squash:
1. Steam 1/2 inch carrot rounds for 10 minutes, then add zucchini and squash chunks and steam an additional 6-8 minutes, until tender. Mix 2 Tbsp. melted butter with 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. sea salt, then pour over hot veggies.
2. Slice zucchini or squash in half length-wise, scoup out the center seed part then fill with tuna salad, chicken salad, hummus, guacamole, beans or anything else you can think of. Also works well with cucumbers. Great for a healthy lunch!

Lettuce:
1. Make a salad! Throw in some of those cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, pears or even raw green beans. Then make a really simple homemade salad dressing: 1/2 c. olive oil, 2 Tbsp. flax oil (or just more olive oil), 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp. alfalfa sprouts, 1 green onion (the whole thing), 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 c. honey, 2 Tbsp. dijon mustard. Blend well until it looks creamy and drizzle over salad.
2. Use any of the fillings in suggestion # 2 for zucchini and squash, and wrap in large lettuce leaf. Also makes a great healthy lunch!

Fruits:
1. Make a green smoothie! To a cup or 2 of water, add several handfuls of spinach and any other dark greens you might have. Blend until there are minimal chunks then add any kind of fruits and vegetables you desire. Some good ones are: apples, carrots, celery, bananas, mango, pinapple, kiwi, berries, cantaloupepeaches, pearsgreen beans (I know, sounds weird, but you can't taste them as long as you don't add too many). Some not-so-good ones are: broccoli, tomatoes, onions, you get the idea :) Feel free to experiment with different combinations. Also, unless you have a high-powered blender, make sure to chop everything up well. It's great to have some of the fruit frozen (creates a nice, cool texture, especially with bananas) however, most blenders don't like that too well, so if you want it to be cold and icy, you can just add ice (and maybe a little less water).


Note: Just an idea for organizing said produce, I like to make a list of all the produce I got on one side of a paper, then go through my recipes or ideas in my head and write what I could make with each item (or which ones to chop up and freeze) on the other side of the paper. From there, I make my menu for each week based off of what I already have.

I hope these ideas help you out as you endeavor to eat healthier and not waste any of your precious basket! Please leave me any questions or comments about how these suggestions turn out for you!

~Kelli Green

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