Mennonite "Caprese" Salad

Nothing says summer like tomatoes & Miracle Whip!  Growing up, I never heard of Caprese salad?!  Basil & mozzarella, what is that?  I did however hear of Miracle Whip on top of freshly sliced tomatoes as a quick snack.  I like to add a dash of freshly ground pepper for some extra pizazz!

  P.S.  Notice I use Miracle Whip, plain old mayo just won't do for this Lancaster County snack.

Leeks - Leek & Gruyere Toasts

As I was perusing the internet to find a recipe for leeks I visited one of my favorite blogs Smitten Kitchen and found that a recent recipe post included leeks!  I altered the recipe a little since I do NOT care for bleu cheese.  I decided to use Gruyere because I just happened to have some on hand from a french onion soup recipe I tried last weekend.

• 1 1/2 pounds leeks (about 3 big leeks), cut lengthwise and white and pale green parts sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 3 generous cups of slices)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing toasts
• Coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 6 medium-sized or 12 baguette-sized 1/2-inch slices of bread of your choice (we used a round italian loaf)
• Gruyere cheese

Fill a large bowl with cold water. Cut leeks lengthwise then cut across to make half moons. Place cut leeks into water and swish around to loosen dirt.

Meanwhile, heat a large, heavy skillet over medium. Once hot, add butter and olive oil and once they’re fully melted and a bit sizzly, add the leek slices, still wet. Sprinkle with coarse salt to taste and a few grinds of black pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and cook leeks for 25 minutes, stirring them occasionally. Adjust seasoning to taste.

While leeks cook, brush bread slices with olive oil and pepper.  Growing up we rarely had pepper on the table, but in the last several years I have really acquired a taste for freshly ground pepper. I have fallen in love with Multi-Colored Peppercorns which I sprinked into the oil before brushing on the bread. 

After brushing oil onto bread I placed shredded Gruyere onto the bread and placed bread slices under a broiler until the were slightly browned.  After leeks were done cooking I spooned the leek mixture on top of toasts and served warm.  Delish!

Rhubarb - Rhubarb Betty

I found this recipe to be very quick, easy & delicious.  I've  never baked anything in the microwave before and was suprised at how well it turned out.  It would be really good to serve with vanilla ice cream but we didn't have any on hand and didn't feel like running out to get any.....

Ingredients

• 5 cups chopped rhubarb
• 3/4 cup white sugar, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 cups cubed cinnamon swirl bread (I tore it into small pieces rather than trying to cut it)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

In a medium bowl, toss together the rhubarb, sugar and cinnamon. Add half of the bread cubes, and toss lightly to distribute.

Transfer to an ungreased 2 quart microwave-safe baking dish. Top with remaining bread cubes. Drizzle melted butter over the top.

Cook in the microwave on full power for 12 minutes, or until the rhubarb is tender. serve warm.

Week #1

Week #1 couldn't come soon enough!  I was so excited to see what items we would be receiving our first week.  Would it be worth it? 
As I climbed the stairs of a backporch at the "pick-up location" I was pleasantly suprised to see a bursting paper bag with stalks of rhubarb peeking out to say "hi".

The following items were included in our package for week #1:
-Locally grown spring onions
-Locally grown leeks
-Locally grown rhubarb
-Locally grown radishes
-Locally grown tomatoes
-Locally grown asparagus
-Locally grown, pesticide-free bib lettuce
-Home canned 7-day sweet pickles
-Pint of apple cider

And so the journey begins....

After several years of debating we finally decided to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). In the past, most CSAs that we researched were quite pricey due to their organic approach of farming.  This year we were introduced to an affordable CSA that was less focused on being organic and more focused on being local. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against organic growing practices, but in the current economic time I feel that it is more important to support local growers and protect our wallets while doing so.

Follow me on my journey as I try to utilize all of the items we receive bi-weekly throughout the growing season.......