week 10: summer bounty and a sprite melon

the heat is definitely here this week and we've been warned to get the boxes inside (or provide a cooler).  no wonder after having seen the amount of produce in this week's box.


went back to box "c" this week (marked as the "hot pepper" box).  we still can't get over the amount of produce in this one.  beyond that, the sprite melon is the most intriguing this week.  

clockwise from top left: corn, chef bobby's espresso rub (sample), peaches, blueberries, mix of peppers, tomatoes, squash, cherry tomatoes, sprite melon, zucchini

ojp the dancer

"what are we doing with all this corn?" chopsticks says.  "we should definitely grill it."


yeah... but we've already done that...  and we still have plenty of other things around here.  ojp starts dancing.  thanks, ojp!  that's it... salsa.


the menu (21june10):

• grilled corn salsa
• chili lime shrimp tacos:  grilled tortillas and avocado

eggplant two ways

this is, honestly, the first time i've had an eggplant in the house...  let alone more than one.  and since chopsticks has never had it, i wanted to make sure this was one of the first things we attempted this week.  so was trying to think of some of the more well-known "standards" that are out there to highlight it a bit.  as the rule in the house goes, "you have to at least try a bite or two before you can pass judgement.  if you don't like it, we don't make it again. but you have to try it."


first up.  a play on baba ghannouj.  chopsticks calls out, "baba who?!" not, "who," hon, it's a what.  a small snack for us.


the menu (19june10):

• eggplant and white bean hummus:  used the white beans to "cut" the eggplant a bit.  chopsticks approved.

eggplant and white bean hummus

next was a play on eggplant parmesan because "everyone says that's what you have to do with eggplant."  fearing someone may not like this entirely (ojp look up, "me, dad?!  i'll eat it!  is it time to eat?!"), it was paired with some marinated grilled chicken.


the menu (20june10):

• grilled eggplant stacks:  grilled eggplant topped with melted cheese, homemade spicy tomato sauce and wilted spinach
• marinated chicken

1. grilled eggplant stack with marinate chicken

2.  just another view

week 9: this may be the week

we were oh-so-close to using everything from last week!!!  alas, foiled by the lack of pickling salt at the local grocery...


this week is looking promising, however.  we chose the standard box "a" this week (marked as the "traditional summer box").  chopsticks is excited to try to the eggplant.  we're also hoping for no critters in the peaches this week.    

clockwise from top left: corn, peaches, big daddy's marinade (sample), tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, green peppers, eggplant

all by myself

ojp looks up, "dad?!  i'm here!  is it time to eat?!" so, not completely by myself.

chopsticks is working tonight and the storms are rolling in.  no grilling here.  and, after having lost 15 minutes to one of those "i had no idea i was tired" naps, i'm in the mood for something a little lighter.  

the menu (15june10):

• pesto tuna salad, served open-faced on spelt bread with tomato, cucumber and mixed greens

open-faced pesto tuna on spelt

the perfect storm

i'm hungry.  chopsticks is cranky.  it's like the perfect storm.


thankfully, it's saturday morning which allows us to get out to the the western wake farmers market.  produce, cheery local vendors and samples.  inspiration and food cures crankiness and hunger.  perfect storm averted by a great local event


had the opportunity to meet paige from great harvest bread company.  after sampling (cinnamon roll for chopsticks, spelt bread for me), we ended up with a loaf of the spelt bread (had never heard of it or had it before, but, wow, is it good... i can't stop eating it).


only drawback was not brining the camera to show off some of the sites, including the massive zucchini (chopsticks mind wanders "imagine the amount of fries we could make with that thing")


update (14jun10, 11:02am):  i strongly suggest trying the spelt bread with a bit of the lilly's maple butter if you get a chance.  great combo.  i've also added a link to wikipedia for more detail on spelt

i feel like i'm eating something bad

there's certainly no debate about corn in our house.  as soon as it showed up in the box, we knew we were grilling it.  it's a rite of summer.

ah, but the ever flowing supply of zucchini and squash... begging for something different.   summer....  grill....  burgers and fries!   

chopsticks approved with a "i really feel like i'm eating something fried.  think these are keepers." 

the menu (10june10):

• mexican turkey & black bean burgers (can thank the braxtons for the original base recipe), served with tomato and guacamole
• zucchini fries with cholula lime dipping sauce
• grilled corn on the cob

grilled corn (nice action shot, chopsticks)

zucchini and squash fries, straight from the oven

dinner (think it was mandatory to eat this outside) 

going to eat me a lot of peaches...

or not... 

seems a little critter(s) made a meal out of both the peaches.  chopsticks is mad and vowing revenge.

week 8: chopsticks starts singing... american idol next?

"movin' to the country gonna eat a lot of peaches
i'm movin' to the country i'm gonna eat me a lot of peaches..."


think we have our next star... comedian, photographer, singer


standard box "a" this week.  but it was well worth it with quite a few good surprises and the first sight of corn.  no doubt one of the best parts of summer.

clockwise from top left: peaches, kirby cucumbers, squash (different varieties), corn, zucchini, ginny o's cheese straws (sample), blueberries, red skinned potatoes, tomatoes

a "promise" update

promises, promises... they're made to be broken, right?!  

• blueberries:  most are still frozen for later use.  chopsticks enjoyed a few in a smoothie, however
• spring onions:  used some for the herbed summer squash and potato torte, but not all of them.  really need to come up with some other uses for these things if they continue to come in our boxes
• strawberry cider:  this keeps.  so we're keeping it
• zucchini:  first attempt at some zucchini fries.  we'll definitely be revisiting these in some fashion.  lots of potential
• squash:  see spring onions
• cucumbers:  still waiting to be used
• tomato:  chopsticks has grabbed the cavender's and devoured another tomato
• potatoes:  more "chips" for chopsticks.  these were a big hit with the neighbors
• beans:  poor beans.  i really thought i was going to saute these up in a bit of butter and just keep them simple to make sure i ate them.  they are still lounging in the fridge and not sure i'm going to get to them this week.  you've beat me again, mr. bean.

must have been the seasoning

spring onions.... squash... potatoes... this stuff just keeps coming in and really needed some inspiration, especially for the squash and onions.  so did a bit googling (yes, i think i can use that) and ran across this recipe for herbed summer squash and potato torte over at smitten kitchen

i added a bit of  cayenne pepper to the suggested seasonings, but could have used more overall seasoning... and a bit more time in the oven to completely settle... valiant first effort though.

week 7: attempting not to let a thing die this week

wait... it's monday already?!!  long weekend threw us off so we forgot to put in our weekly box order.  the saving grace was the auto-order feature the produce box has in place that automatically sends the weekly "box a" box if you forget.  while it marks the end of a surprise box run, at least we know exactly what we are getting this week.


and a promise... so the first few weeks have been a little hit and miss as we've attempted to use everything in the box and come up with some new ideas along the way.  in the process, we (chopsticks is yelling "we?!") have not used a few things and watched a few more die.  this week, we're (yes, chopsticks, we) committed to using everything in the box.

clockwise from top left: pole beans, blueberries, tomato, spring onion, cottle farms strawberry cider, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, red skinned potatoes

the death of a beet

r.i.p. beets.  i slacked and cost you your lives.  i have only myself to blame.