In 2009, I made an effort to learn how to cook and to be mindful of where my ingredients came from. I signed up for a CSA (community sustainable agriculture) program and started receiving boxes full of fresh fruits and vegetables every week – all of which had been grown and harvested in the NW (or as close as possible).
This new lifestyle has resulted in an addiction to the Food Network, an obsession with food blogs written by fantastic women across the country, a commitment to recycling food waste and therefore decreasing my carbon footprint (though I hadn’t really thought of that until just now, and so I went an calculated and discovered that my footprint was 5.87 metric tons of CO2 in 2010. The average American’s carbon footprint is 20.something, so I’m winning in that regard), and the development of an adventurous culinary spirit which I nourish through my own creation as well as through those celebrated chefs in the NW who also believe in cooking the way I do (though their talent, resources, expertise, and equipment far exceed my own).
All that said, below you’ll find a list of recipes I’ve enjoyed making. You’ll notice a lot of love for recipes by Smitten Kitchen and The Pioneer Woman- I simply adore them and they often post recipes when the ingredients in their refrigerator’s match mine. Apologies for any confusion in the categorization… I’ve done my best. Enjoy!
Appetizers
French Onion Soup Stuffed Mushrooms
Herbed Mushroom Stuffed Pastry Cups
Corn, Buttermilk and Chive Popovers
Smoked Mozz and Sundried Tomato Cigars + Salad
Peppered Rosemary Oat Crackers
Crispy Delicata Squash Rings with Apple-Fennel Relish
Cumin Seed Roasted Cauliflower
Smoked Mozz and Sundried Tomato Cigars + Salad
Soup
Alice Waters’ Cauliflower Soup
Quinoa Soup with beef
Indian Lentil Soup with Fenugreek
Carrot Soup with Miso & Sesame
Poultry/Fish/Meat
Poultry
Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Roast Chicken w/ Parsnips, Beets and beer pan juices
Roast Chicken w/ Broccoli Rabe, Fingerling Potatoes
Baked Chicken Samosas w/ Mint Chutney
Sage & Lemon Cornish Game Hens
Fish
Sriacha-Baked Salmon and Kale Wraps with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Halibut wrapped in Swiss Chard and baked in a lemon-thyme butter
Shrimp Enchiladas with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips
Roasted Halibut with Grapefruit Fennel Salsa
Beef
Standing Rib Roast with Porcini Mushroom Sauce
Braised Beef Short Ribs with Swiss Chard
Standing Rib Roast with Roasted Potatoes and Portabello Mushrooms
Pork
Salt-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Red Potatoes
Roasted Salt and Spice Pork Loin
Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork
Veggies
Asparagus
Asparagus wrapped in parchment paper
Asparagus with Chorizo and Croutons
Asparagus, Pecorino and Red Onion Salad
Beets
Roasted Beets & Sauteed Beet Greens
Roasted Beets, Red Onion and Feta Quinoa with Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Capers and Lemony Browned Butter
Greens (Kale, Chard, Rabe, etc)
Beet Greens and Red Kale sauteed with Bacon
Massaged Kale Salad (with Mango & Pepitas)
Broccoli Rabe w/ Sweet Italian Sausage
Broccoli, swiss chard & goat cheese pizza
Onions, Leeks
Potatoes
Crispy, Garlicky Smashed Potatoes
Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Spinach
Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary
Yukon Gold Potato Salad with Crispy Prosciutto
Garnet Yams with Maple Syrup, Walnuts & Brandied Raisins
Yam and Russet Potato Salad with Greens and Bacon
Asian-inspired Potato Latkes (YUCK)
Sweet Potatoes with Pecans & Goat Cheese
Salads
Carrot Salad with Feta, Harissa and Mint
Spicy Quinoa Salad with Cucumbers and Tomatoes
Avocado Salad with a Carrot-Ginger Dressing
Spring Salad with New Potatoes
Squash
Acorn Squash with a Chili-Lime Vinegarette
Parsnip & Butternut Squash Bread Pudding
Butternut Squash Salad w/ Lentils & Goat Cheese
Zucchini and Summer Squash Risotto
Miscellaneous Veggies
Carrots and Lentils in Olive Oil
Parsnip and Hazelnut Gratin with Bacon
Five-Minute Indian Style Cabbage
Pasta
Three-Cheese Lasagna with Italian Sausage
Lemony Pasta with Shiitake Mushrooms and Asparagus
Penne pasta with Cauliflower, Leeks and a Red Pepper
Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Garlic Chips
Desserts & Other Sweet Things
Pear Crisp with(out) Vanilla Ice Cream
Zucchini and Chocolate Chip Bread
Strawberry Brown Butter Betty’s
Salted Brown-Butter Rice Krispies Treats
Thick, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Crisp, Salted White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Oatmeal Cinnamon Chips Cookies
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies (holiday)
Lime Meltaways (holiday)
Raspberry Cream Sandwich Cookies (holiday)
Cranberry Coins (holiday)
Raspberry Cream Sandwich Cookies (holiday)
