Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Beef, Blue Cheese and Arugula Sandwiches
In case you haven't noticed, custom-sized camera cases are officially in the shop! Get yours now in the fabric of your choice. Matching mini-clip wristlets are available but I haven't gotten around to making a listing for them yet so if you want one convo me and I'll list one especially for you.
And then, allow me to exclaim once again that getting our weekly CSA box full of tasty fresh stuff has me feeling like I've won the lottery. (Which has me wondering how I am ever going to survive without it once the growing season is done?)
Here's a look at this weeks' bounty:
That's carrots, green beans, heirloom onions, napa cabbage, baby lettuce mix, real new potatoes, kale, parsley, arugula and raspberries...what a treat!
One of the best parts of getting this surprise veggie pot luck every week is that it encourages me to really get creative and step outside my cooking box. And while I tend to improvise a lot of the time anyway, I'm finding that I'm becoming even more adventurous as the weeks go on. And being someone that tends to get bored easily, that is a fabulous thing. But the absolute best part is the all-out variety and the fact that having a fridge stuffed full of such a diverse bunch of veggies has eliminated one of the decision making steps in the whole ingredients-to-meals process.
Because I tend not to be good at making decisions.
About anything.
So my favorite time of the week has become when I'm just back from the farm and unloading our box with my wheels turning thinking of the possibilities for each gorgeous item.
Tonight's meal was a no brainer. Beef, blue cheese and arugula. It's a match made in heaven, and as soon as I pulled the super fresh, extra peppery bunch of arugula out of the box I knew that that was what it would end up as:
For being all of a 15 minute meal, this was fantastic. The beef (tenderloin tips) got a quick marinade in balsamic, evoo, plenty of salt, pepper, crushed rosemary and marjoram, plus a drizzle of honey. The mushrooms got tossed in, too and after 20 minutes or so everything went onto the super hot grill for a quick ride to charred but medium rare. Meanwhile, I slathered some good blue cheese dressing on a baguette and added a big handful of arugula in preparation for tucking in the chunks of warm beef.
Completely, utterly delicious and ridiculously quick and easy. It's the kind of sandwich that makes for perfect picnic food because it seems a little different and special without being complicated.
The slaw was some of the napa cabbage and carrot julienned with a creamy dressing that got the perfect amount of perk from a little horseradish. I don't know why I don't use the horseradish trick more often, because it turns what can be boring, creamy slaw to something you can't get enough of.
And don't forget the mushrooms! These were so yummified from their marinade bath that I could have been completely happy just them in place of the beef in the sandwich. Another note to self: mushrooms + arugula = yum.
And then, allow me to exclaim once again that getting our weekly CSA box full of tasty fresh stuff has me feeling like I've won the lottery. (Which has me wondering how I am ever going to survive without it once the growing season is done?)
Here's a look at this weeks' bounty:
That's carrots, green beans, heirloom onions, napa cabbage, baby lettuce mix, real new potatoes, kale, parsley, arugula and raspberries...what a treat!
One of the best parts of getting this surprise veggie pot luck every week is that it encourages me to really get creative and step outside my cooking box. And while I tend to improvise a lot of the time anyway, I'm finding that I'm becoming even more adventurous as the weeks go on. And being someone that tends to get bored easily, that is a fabulous thing. But the absolute best part is the all-out variety and the fact that having a fridge stuffed full of such a diverse bunch of veggies has eliminated one of the decision making steps in the whole ingredients-to-meals process.
Because I tend not to be good at making decisions.
About anything.
So my favorite time of the week has become when I'm just back from the farm and unloading our box with my wheels turning thinking of the possibilities for each gorgeous item.
Tonight's meal was a no brainer. Beef, blue cheese and arugula. It's a match made in heaven, and as soon as I pulled the super fresh, extra peppery bunch of arugula out of the box I knew that that was what it would end up as:
For being all of a 15 minute meal, this was fantastic. The beef (tenderloin tips) got a quick marinade in balsamic, evoo, plenty of salt, pepper, crushed rosemary and marjoram, plus a drizzle of honey. The mushrooms got tossed in, too and after 20 minutes or so everything went onto the super hot grill for a quick ride to charred but medium rare. Meanwhile, I slathered some good blue cheese dressing on a baguette and added a big handful of arugula in preparation for tucking in the chunks of warm beef.
Completely, utterly delicious and ridiculously quick and easy. It's the kind of sandwich that makes for perfect picnic food because it seems a little different and special without being complicated.
The slaw was some of the napa cabbage and carrot julienned with a creamy dressing that got the perfect amount of perk from a little horseradish. I don't know why I don't use the horseradish trick more often, because it turns what can be boring, creamy slaw to something you can't get enough of.
And don't forget the mushrooms! These were so yummified from their marinade bath that I could have been completely happy just them in place of the beef in the sandwich. Another note to self: mushrooms + arugula = yum.
Labels: cooking food csa
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I *always* dread the end of CSA season. It's crazy how much you get used to having all that delicious produce around. Fingers crossed, our farmers are possibly going to do a winter share this year.
You're getting WAAAYY better stuff from your farm than I am from mine. I was giving them the benefit of the doubt because of the late season, but now I'm starting to think they're just lame. I've gotten almost all salad greens thus far. Which farm did you sign up with?
Julia in St. Paul.
If you prefer, respond via email:hutch006@umn.edu
PS Tipper's collar (blue dotty) is finally showing some wear. Time to do some collar shopping!
Julia in St. Paul.
If you prefer, respond via email:hutch006@umn.edu
PS Tipper's collar (blue dotty) is finally showing some wear. Time to do some collar shopping!
Hi Julia! Good to hear from you!
It's Riverbend Farm in Delano. They supply a lot of great restaurants in the cities, too. It was sort of just an offhand choice from the four or five CSA's that I contacted late last winter but I'm so, so pleased. Definitely gonna stick with them!
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It's Riverbend Farm in Delano. They supply a lot of great restaurants in the cities, too. It was sort of just an offhand choice from the four or five CSA's that I contacted late last winter but I'm so, so pleased. Definitely gonna stick with them!
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