CSA Week 11 & Easy to Make Meals!

Last week, I picked up CSA at City Hall and got these delights:

Husk Tomatoes

Cherry Tomatoes

Tomatoes

Sugar Plums

Mcintosh Apples

Romaine Lettuce

Corn

Summer Squash

Zucchini

Cucumber 

...and

Spaghetti Squash!

I used a lot these ingredients in lunches for the week.  I cooked up some packaged vegetable ravioli's and sauteed the summer squash, corn and tomatoes.  I also used the Romaine in salads for the week.  But one really original idea I had was to to make Zucchini Boats.  Yes, I know that's not original... but what about stuffing it with spaghetti squash, tomato sauce, cheese and breadcrumbs?  Sounded pretty good to me.

I cooked the Spaghetti Squash the day before.  I get home late so I use the prep-ahead method as often as I can.  I cooked the Spaghetti Squash by puncturing holes in it and baking it in a baking dish at 375 for an hour. Once cool enough to handle, I cut it in half, removed the seeds and used a fork to shred the pulp into strands. Put away for the next day to make...

 Zucchini Boats stuffed with Tomato Sauce, Cheese and Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:

2 cups of strands of spaghetti squash

1 cup of tomato sauce (half of your favorite jar)

1/4 cup Monterrey jack cheese

1/8 cup of Parmesan cheese

sprinkling of panko bread crumbs

Instructions:

Cook the Spaghetti Squash, and remove strands.  Using a knife, score the inside of the zucchini and then use a small spoon to scoop out the zucchini flesh, leaving a 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick shell.  Place the zucchini shells, spray with cooking spray and salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes. 

 While in the oven, mix the spaghetti squash and the tomato sauce together.  Then take out the zucchini and stuff each one with the spaghetti mixture.

Sprinkle with cheese and panko bread crumbs.  Add more Parmesan to the top.

Bake for twenty minutes or until slightly softened and the cheese has melted. Enjoy with an extra side of 'Spaghetti.'

I loooooved this dish!  And the best part was I got to eat it again for lunch.  I love leftovers! This was seriously SO easy- anyone can make this!

In addition, I also made two other fantastic dishes.  I was a little unorganized when I went to the grocery store this weekend.  Gasppp I didn't have a plan.  I was waiting for takeout on Friday night and the restuarant was conviently located next to a Whole Foods.  So I decided to get my grocery shopping done early.  Plus, I love me some Whole Foods!

Right away I saw Fresh Figs.  I've been looking for these everywhere because I have been dying to recreate the pizza I had at Anthem.  And Susie posted a pretty amazing flatbread recipe that I tried to recall off the top of my head.  So I got the ingredients for that and made the recipe up as I went along- whole wheat pizza dough, figs, fig jam, arugula, tomatoes, cheese, and proscuitto.  I also picked up Pre-Package Garlic and Basil Polenta and some Tofu.  But lets start with the Figs! This recipe ROCKED!  Another easy, must try : )

Ingredients- We Are Not Martha style

Fig, Arugula, Prosciutto Pizza

Ingredients:

15 Fresh Figs, Cut into pieces, tops discarded

1 Tomato, sliced in rounds

1 package of Prosciutto

1 package of Olivia's Organic Arugula

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Fig Jam

Shredded Fiesta Blend Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

Instructions:

Roll out the pizza dough on a baking sheet.  Spread with Fig Jam.  (A little goes a long way here- I think I may have used too much... I still loved it though!).  Top with Sliced Figs, tomato slices, prosciutto and cheese.

Bake in oven at 400 for 15-20 minutes until bubbly. 

Top with Arugula and enjoy!

I seriously LOVED this pizza.  Dave, my husband, however, likes more traditional pizzas.  But ignore him and make this!! Sweet pizzas rock!

I also made a dish I saw online on Bon Appetit and also saw on Bridget's Crumbly Cookie: Poached Eggs with Arugula and Polenta Fingers.  Sounds interesting right?  And what exactly are polenta fingers you may ask? You can make them with cornmeal or you can cheat like I did and buy Food Merchants Polenta Garlic Basil Roll and cut them in three pieces, using the middle piece for your "finger."  This is what I mean...

Don't they look like mozzarella sticks?  The combination of arugula with lemony dressing with polenta and the runny egg was so tasty and worked perfectly together.  I will definitely be making this again.  But I may first get a poached egg pan first. (I'm still not the best at poaching eggs, it's hard!)

Poached Eggs with Arugula and Polenta Fingers 

(adapted from Bon Appetit May 2008 and The Way the Cookie Crumbles )

Ingredients:

1 Package of Food Merchants Polenta Garlic Basil Roll (cut into rounds then sticks- 3 per round)

1 cup of Vegetable Oil for frying
8 cups arugula
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon of dijon

2 tablespoons of lemon juice
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
4 eggs, each cracked into a small handled cup
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in  batches, add polenta fingers carefully, flip and cook until lightly browned. For the salad: While first batch of polenta cooks, whisk oil, vinegar, dijon, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in small bowl until combined. In large bowl, toss arugula with dressing and divide among salad plates. While last batch of polenta cooks, fill an 8- to 10-inch nonstick skillet nearly to the rim with water, add the salt and vinegar, and bring the mixture to boil over high heat. Once boiling, add egg one by one into boiling water, and lower heat. Poach until yolks are medium-firm, exactly 4 minutes. For firmer yolks (or for extra large or jumbo eggs), poach 4 ½ minutes; for looser yolks (or for medium eggs), poach 3 minutes.Top each salad with a poached egg. Break yolks with tip of knife. Sprinkle with black pepper. Serve with polenta.

Stay tuned for what I do with Tofu! Happy Wednesday : )