Looking forward to the next Box

Fruit, Vegetable, Herb, and Juice List for 01/14/2013 - 01/18/2013
 THIS WEEK'S TOTE INCLUDES:
"Organic" Salad Sprouts (Red/Green Lentils, Pea Sprouts, Mung Beans, Adzuki Beans) ~ great sauteed or raw, "Organic" Purple Carrots, "Dino" Kale, White Acorn Squash, Broccoli Crowns, "Haas" Avocado's, Golden Beets, Red Leaf Lettuce, "Organic" Fuji Apples, Vine Ripened Strawberries, Sweet "Pomelo" Grapefruit, and Naval Oranges

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So this is what we get to look forward to this week. The salad sprouts should be interesting. We usually buy an organic blend of lettuces from the grocery store, and we will probably still have that on hand, but these sprouts should jazz it up a bit this week. Lee likes to take a salad to work every day. I don't always have time for salads at work, so I try to keep my lunches to something I can eat out of hand or heat in a microwave and eat quickly.

The red leaf lettuce will be a nice change up. I have seen purple carrots, but I never tried them. Well, there's always a first time... We love squash, and broccoli is pretty much a staple in our house, as are avocados. We live in an avocado region, but its funny that most of the stores carry avocados from out of the area. Every so often I go to the Avocado Farm on Hwy 41 and pick up some good, local avocados. I'll have to ask Rachael where this week's avocado come from.

It's only been in the past year that I have gained an appreciation for beets. My dad used to love them, but they were usually canned beets...yuk! He grew some in his garden, but I don't think it ever occurred to my Mom to roast them. She boiled them and made a lot of Borscht, though. After I read a recipe from Guy Fieri for a roasted beet salad and tried it, I am hooked on roasted beets! That's the only way to go, as far as I'm concerned. Also, his Tarragon Dressing is like my favorite one to whip up in a hurry! So delicious!!!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/beet-salad-with-goat-cheese-recipe/index.html

Looking forward to all the fruits. I love Fuji apples and strawberries and oranges. Not so much a fan of grapefruit, but Lee loves them, so I am willing to give it a try.
Now on to the recipe search. One thing at the top of the list is SLO Veg's "Broccoli, Red Pepper and Cheddar Chowder". I have a red pepper in my frig now, so I will save it for the soup! 

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Broccoli, Red Pepper, and Cheddar Chowder (Broccoli,/Bell Pepper/Potatoes/Onions) 

Servings: 4 or 6 Cups Ingredients: 1 small head broccoli (1/2 pound) 1 large boiling potato (1/2 pound) 1 large onion, chopped 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces l large garlic clove, finely chopped 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3/4 cup heavy cream 6 oz sharp Cheddar, coarsely grated (1 1/2 cups)
Preparation: Discard tough lower third of broccoli stem. Peel remaining stem and finely chop. Cut remaining broccoli into very small (1-inch) florets. Cook florets in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking, then drain. Reserve 3 cups cooking water for chowder. Peel potato and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Cook potato, onion, bell pepper, broccoli stems, and garlic in butter in a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add cumin, salt, pepper, and mustard and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add reserved cooking water and simmer (partially covered), stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in cream and cheese and cook, stirring, until cheese is melted, then season with salt and pepper. Purée about 2 cups of chowder in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and return to pot. Add florets and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes.