Yesterday my 14 year old son, took to heart my comment from Facebook's 25 random thoughts - I posted that I really don't like it when I cook a meal, and people come to the table and complain about how awful the food is before they even taste it. He came to me after supper (which was not one of his favorite meals) and said that he'd found a recipe he thinks he would like, would I make it. It was for Cheeseburger Soup (from Splendid Soups and Spectacular Sides). SO...I honored his request and made it last night. It is a really interesting soup - I am not sure it really tastes like a cheeseburger - or maybe I'm confused because the texture is soup and the taste is cheeseburger. I share the recipe here for your enjoyment. If you end up preparing it, let me know how your family likes it.
Brown in 1 tbsp oil: 1 lb. ground beef.
Add: 1 cup onion, diced
3/4 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1 tsp. garlic, minced
Stir in: 3 cups chicken broth
2 cups russet potatoes peeled, diced
1 tsp. dried basil
Melt, whisk and then add to soup:
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
Add: 2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. prepared mustard
Serive with shoestring fries (very crispy with salt).
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Ten Tips for Less Waste in 2009
1. Ditch the dryer sheets (I use lavender dryer bags from Purple Dragon)
2. Bring your own cup or mug
3. Use a reuseable utensil
4. Bag the sandwich bag
5. Say no to gift wrap - use a reuseable bag
6. Reuse a plastic bag
7. Bring a bottle (made of stainless steel)
8. Pack a sustainable lunch
9. Bring a bag with you
10. No more paper towels
2. Bring your own cup or mug
3. Use a reuseable utensil
4. Bag the sandwich bag
5. Say no to gift wrap - use a reuseable bag
6. Reuse a plastic bag
7. Bring a bottle (made of stainless steel)
8. Pack a sustainable lunch
9. Bring a bag with you
10. No more paper towels
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
WEDNESDAY 01/21/09 LATE DELIVERY
Due to truck problems the delivery today is a bit later than expected -
Monday, January 19, 2009
Wednesday 01/21/09 Special Message
Starting this week we will be part of a new driver's schedule - we expect him to deliver by 6am - so the food should be ready for pick up - MUCH EARLIER than before. I believe you can start picking up by 9am this week.
WED 01/21 WEATHER ALERT
It is going to be below freezing Wednesday morning!
Coordinators: please make sure the veggies will not freeze where they are stored.If they might freeze, please cover with blankets, tarps, newspapers, etc. Keeping veggies off the floor will help prevent freezing. Bananas and tomatoes should be kept in a warm room until divided. Please call us for advice if you have any questions about what to do.
***** Please read notes on the porch -
there may be items in the ice chest for you to pick up!!!******
Members--please leave an ice chest if you cannot pick up early.Everyone--please call or e if you have any questions about protecting your fruits and veggies.
Coordinators: please make sure the veggies will not freeze where they are stored.If they might freeze, please cover with blankets, tarps, newspapers, etc. Keeping veggies off the floor will help prevent freezing. Bananas and tomatoes should be kept in a warm room until divided. Please call us for advice if you have any questions about what to do.
***** Please read notes on the porch -
there may be items in the ice chest for you to pick up!!!******
Members--please leave an ice chest if you cannot pick up early.Everyone--please call or e if you have any questions about protecting your fruits and veggies.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
What's Coming on Saturday 01/24/09
This is what we expect to be in the Saturday order. Please note that things can change at the last minute, so we expect these things but we cannot guarantee them. Look at what the extra $3 gets us!
We expect PA IPM Golden delicious apples and organic Crimini mushrooms, sweet potatoes, NY yellow onions, Florida dill herb (delicious in soups and salad dressings, or in butter for steamed parsnips and carrots,) romaine OR red leaf lettuce, green with possibly a touch of red bell peppers, tangeloes and grape tomatoes, California broccoli, carrots, collard greens and parsley, Peruvian bananas and blueberries from Argentina.
Make-ups for problem produce will also be included in this week's order; we are not sure yet what is replacing what.
Fruit shares: I am planning to get blueberries, Braeburn apples, grapefruit and Anjou pears.
We expect PA IPM Golden delicious apples and organic Crimini mushrooms, sweet potatoes, NY yellow onions, Florida dill herb (delicious in soups and salad dressings, or in butter for steamed parsnips and carrots,) romaine OR red leaf lettuce, green with possibly a touch of red bell peppers, tangeloes and grape tomatoes, California broccoli, carrots, collard greens and parsley, Peruvian bananas and blueberries from Argentina.
Make-ups for problem produce will also be included in this week's order; we are not sure yet what is replacing what.
Fruit shares: I am planning to get blueberries, Braeburn apples, grapefruit and Anjou pears.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
What's Coming on Wednesday 01/21/2009
This is what we expect to be in the Wednesday order. Please note that things can change at the last minute, so we expect these things but we cannot guarantee them. Look at what the extra $3 gets us!
We expect PA IPM Golden delicious apples and organic Crimini mushrooms, sweet potatoes, NY yellow onions, Florida dill herb (delicious in soups and salad dressings, or in butter for steamed parsnips and carrots,) romaine OR red leaf lettuce, green with possibly a touch of red bell peppers, tangeloes and grape tomatoes, California broccoli, carrots, collard greens and parsley, Peruvian bananas and blueberries from Argentina. Make-ups for problem produce will also be included in this week's order; we are not sure yet what is replacing what.
Fruit shares: I am planning to get blueberries, Braeburn apples, grapefruit and Anjou pears.
We expect PA IPM Golden delicious apples and organic Crimini mushrooms, sweet potatoes, NY yellow onions, Florida dill herb (delicious in soups and salad dressings, or in butter for steamed parsnips and carrots,) romaine OR red leaf lettuce, green with possibly a touch of red bell peppers, tangeloes and grape tomatoes, California broccoli, carrots, collard greens and parsley, Peruvian bananas and blueberries from Argentina. Make-ups for problem produce will also be included in this week's order; we are not sure yet what is replacing what.
Fruit shares: I am planning to get blueberries, Braeburn apples, grapefruit and Anjou pears.
Purple Dragon Supplier supplies food for Inauguration!
Farm News: One of the farm cooperatives that supplies us told us that they are supplying food for the Inauguration! This is the same group from whom we got the celeriac. We will be getting beets and yellow carrots from them next delivery.
Friday, January 9, 2009
ATTN: SATURDAY PD FOLKS
It is supposed to be below freezing tomorrow morning and we are expecting snow starting around noon. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE pick up as early as possible, read all notes (I may have some items residing in a cooler to keep them fresh) and I will have a space heater on the porch - hopefully everything will be as terrific as always!
If you have any questions - please call me at 908 803 1157 (cell).
Thanks,
If you have any questions - please call me at 908 803 1157 (cell).
Thanks,
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Going Green
I have two terrific website to recommend to all of you!!! The first one has great ideas for packing lunches for kids...and the second is a wonderful source for bags/boxes/lunchpails to go green with in 2009. ENJOY!
http://lunchinabox.net/
http://www.reusablebags.com/
http://lunchinabox.net/
http://www.reusablebags.com/
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Kale and Yukon Gold Potato Soup
I was looking for something new and different to do with this week's Kale, and after a conversation with another co-op member found this recipe from Rachel Ray of the Foodnetwork. I'm probably going to use Italian Sausage since I have some in the freezer, but doesn't this look wonderful?! If you try it too - let me know what you think! -Paula
Ingredients
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium white waxy potatoes, like yukon golds, peeled and diced
2 medium onions, chopped
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
1 pound kale, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and pepper
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzos (chick peas), drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 pound diced chourico, casing removed
1 quart chicken broth
Warm, crusty bread
Directions
Heat oil in a deep pot over medium high heat. Add potatoes and onions, cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic, bay leaves, and kale to the pot. Cover pot and wilt greens 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomatoes, chourico, and broth to the pot and bring soup to a full boil. Reduce heat back to medium and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.
Serve soup with hunks of crusty bread and butter.
Cook's Note: If you are in Mystic, ask for cherise (phonetic pronunciation), if you want to sample the chourico.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium white waxy potatoes, like yukon golds, peeled and diced
2 medium onions, chopped
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
1 pound kale, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and pepper
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzos (chick peas), drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 pound diced chourico, casing removed
1 quart chicken broth
Warm, crusty bread
Directions
Heat oil in a deep pot over medium high heat. Add potatoes and onions, cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic, bay leaves, and kale to the pot. Cover pot and wilt greens 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomatoes, chourico, and broth to the pot and bring soup to a full boil. Reduce heat back to medium and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.
Serve soup with hunks of crusty bread and butter.
Cook's Note: If you are in Mystic, ask for cherise (phonetic pronunciation), if you want to sample the chourico.
Monday, January 5, 2009
ONION, ONION, Who's Got the Onion?
I had a request today for soup recipes for onions - that are vegetarian. My two favorites are by mollie Katzen. I will list them below. Also - if you have tons of onions - you can slice and cook in a bit of oil or butter until carmelized and put into 1 tbsp. lumps to freeze. Then gather them into a freezer container (after they are frozen). Anytime you cook a burger, just heat up the amount you need.
ONION SOUP
In a dutch oven, melt 2 tbsp butter and cook for about 10 min.
4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp. salt
Add the following, cover and cook slowly for about 35 mintues:
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
a dash or two of thyme
Add:
4 cups water
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2-3 tbsp dry white wine (optional)
a few dashed of white pepper. Simmer at least 10 more minutes.
Service with croutons and swiss cheese. If you are using oven proof bowls, you can add a large crouton, and cheese and put under the broiler (like French Onion Soup)
SWISS CHEESE & ONION SOUP (think fondue soup)
Starts a lot like the last one....
Melt 2 tbsp butter in a dutch oven. Add:
2 med. onions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
1-2 med. cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dry mustard.
Cook 8-10 min. until onions are very soft.
Add 1-3 tbsp flour (sprinkle and stir)
2 tbsp dry sherry
2 cups water
1 tsp horseradish
Cook 5 more minutes
Add 1 1/2 cups warm milk (can be lowfat)
1 1/2 cups packed grated swiss cheese
Stir until smooth.
ONION SOUP
In a dutch oven, melt 2 tbsp butter and cook for about 10 min.
4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp. salt
Add the following, cover and cook slowly for about 35 mintues:
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
a dash or two of thyme
Add:
4 cups water
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2-3 tbsp dry white wine (optional)
a few dashed of white pepper. Simmer at least 10 more minutes.
Service with croutons and swiss cheese. If you are using oven proof bowls, you can add a large crouton, and cheese and put under the broiler (like French Onion Soup)
SWISS CHEESE & ONION SOUP (think fondue soup)
Starts a lot like the last one....
Melt 2 tbsp butter in a dutch oven. Add:
2 med. onions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
1-2 med. cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dry mustard.
Cook 8-10 min. until onions are very soft.
Add 1-3 tbsp flour (sprinkle and stir)
2 tbsp dry sherry
2 cups water
1 tsp horseradish
Cook 5 more minutes
Add 1 1/2 cups warm milk (can be lowfat)
1 1/2 cups packed grated swiss cheese
Stir until smooth.
What's Coming on Saturday 01/10/09
This is what we expect to be in the Wednesday order. Please note that things can change at the last minute, so we expect these things but we cannot guarantee them.
We expect NY Ecologically grown #2 Honeycrisp apples and organic Yukon Gold potatoes, Florida cherry tomatoes, California avocadoes, broccoli, carrots, grapefruit, kale, romaine lettuce, Oregon Bosc pears, Mexican zucchini and Peruvian bananas and possibly one other item, or we will get extra lettuce and greens.
Fruit shares: I am planning to get blueberries, Pink Lady apples, a mango, Valencia oranges and a pineapple.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
What's Coming on Wednesday 01/07/08
This is what we expect to be in the Wednesday order. Please note that things can change at the last minute, so we expect these things but we cannot guarantee them.
We expect NY Ecologically grown #2 Honeycrisp apples and organic Yukon Gold potatoes, PA celeriac, Florida cherry tomatoes, California avocadoes, broccoli, carrots, grapefruit, kale, romaine lettuce, Oregon Bosc pears, Mexican zucchini and Peruvian bananas.
Fruit shares: I am planning to get blueberries, Pink Lady apples, a mango, Valencia oranges and a pineapple.
We should be ready for you to pick up at Paula's by 11am.
We expect NY Ecologically grown #2 Honeycrisp apples and organic Yukon Gold potatoes, PA celeriac, Florida cherry tomatoes, California avocadoes, broccoli, carrots, grapefruit, kale, romaine lettuce, Oregon Bosc pears, Mexican zucchini and Peruvian bananas.
Fruit shares: I am planning to get blueberries, Pink Lady apples, a mango, Valencia oranges and a pineapple.
We should be ready for you to pick up at Paula's by 11am.
PLEASE READ - UPDATE FROM PURPLE DRAGON
PLEASE READ ALL OF THIS - MY NOTE IS AT THE BOTTOM:
We did NOT pass along our increased fuel costs, both for our drivers and what we were being charged when we received deliveries because we feel that we have a partnership with the members. We can weather these trying economic times together. Purple Dragon is in a unique position to help you save money on your groceries and natural household items. Let's work together and hopefully the summer regional produce prices will be more in the normal range. We have found that, with the higher prices farms and wholesalers have been charging, we have had to really struggle to get a decent order for you and we are not able to get you some of the wonderful things we would like to get. We are going to ask everyone for an additional $3/delivery starting in January. (Leave your check for the new amount when you pick up on Wednesday.) This translates to $1.50 per week, so we hope you feel this is fair and economical. This way, we can have additional buying power to get our orders fuller and better. We have been having to leave off some items we would like to have gotten for everyone because we did not have enough money with the price rises in wholesale food costs in the last six months. We feel this small price increase will allow us to get everyone more food and a better variety. Please remember, when gas and food prices were going up all around us, we did not raise our price. Don't forget that you can be a coordinator ($40 discount each delivery) or a divider ($15-30 discount per delivery) if you are having trouble affording your veggies. Meanwhile, we are having our company software rewritten, which we have not done in over 10 years. We hope to finally make online ordering possible, as well as to automate functions that now take hours of office time. We always need drivers with their own vans or mini-vans to deliver the veggies early in the morning, one or two days a week, before they go to their other jobs. Please let us know if you know of anyone.
PAULA'S NOTE: THIS MEANS THAT STARTING ON 01/07/08 and 01/10/08 when you pick up and leave a check - the cost is as follows:
WHOLE SHARES: $47.00
HALF SHARES: $23.50
FRUIT SHARES: $17.00
IF YOU WANT TO RECEIVE JANIT'S E-MAIL DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX - PLEASE SEND A NOTE TO janit@verizon.net and tell her you are in my POD in New Providence, and which day. In addition to her letter you will get special order sheets for getting extras. If you place a special order, please copy me so that I will know what is coming, and drop off a check (by the day before delivery) made out to Purple Dragon for the amount of your special order. I need to pay for the order when it is delivered.
THANKS!
We did NOT pass along our increased fuel costs, both for our drivers and what we were being charged when we received deliveries because we feel that we have a partnership with the members. We can weather these trying economic times together. Purple Dragon is in a unique position to help you save money on your groceries and natural household items. Let's work together and hopefully the summer regional produce prices will be more in the normal range. We have found that, with the higher prices farms and wholesalers have been charging, we have had to really struggle to get a decent order for you and we are not able to get you some of the wonderful things we would like to get. We are going to ask everyone for an additional $3/delivery starting in January. (Leave your check for the new amount when you pick up on Wednesday.) This translates to $1.50 per week, so we hope you feel this is fair and economical. This way, we can have additional buying power to get our orders fuller and better. We have been having to leave off some items we would like to have gotten for everyone because we did not have enough money with the price rises in wholesale food costs in the last six months. We feel this small price increase will allow us to get everyone more food and a better variety. Please remember, when gas and food prices were going up all around us, we did not raise our price. Don't forget that you can be a coordinator ($40 discount each delivery) or a divider ($15-30 discount per delivery) if you are having trouble affording your veggies. Meanwhile, we are having our company software rewritten, which we have not done in over 10 years. We hope to finally make online ordering possible, as well as to automate functions that now take hours of office time. We always need drivers with their own vans or mini-vans to deliver the veggies early in the morning, one or two days a week, before they go to their other jobs. Please let us know if you know of anyone.
PAULA'S NOTE: THIS MEANS THAT STARTING ON 01/07/08 and 01/10/08 when you pick up and leave a check - the cost is as follows:
WHOLE SHARES: $47.00
HALF SHARES: $23.50
FRUIT SHARES: $17.00
IF YOU WANT TO RECEIVE JANIT'S E-MAIL DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX - PLEASE SEND A NOTE TO janit@verizon.net and tell her you are in my POD in New Providence, and which day. In addition to her letter you will get special order sheets for getting extras. If you place a special order, please copy me so that I will know what is coming, and drop off a check (by the day before delivery) made out to Purple Dragon for the amount of your special order. I need to pay for the order when it is delivered.
THANKS!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)