Organic box...in summer...

So far, it's been a great food box week!  Now that it's summer, I'm so glad I switched from the $24 small box to the $29 dogma box (locally sourced vegetables)...on the every other week schedule... http://www.bostonorganics.com/fresh/thisweekbox.php

Here's what came:
bok choy
asparagus
mushrooms
lettuce
1 huge delicious tomato
2 onions
collard greens
beets
lettuce

The meals!  The meals!  Some shining moments so far:

Prep items:
1. Bok choy...stems cut off,  blanched the rest... (washed stems were great for veggie stock)
2. Stir fried collard green leaves (stalks great for veggie stock)
3. Roasted asparagus--olive oil, salt, pepper
4. caramelized onions
5. veggie stalk (bok choy stems, collard green stems, asparagus stems, onion skins)
6. steamed rice

The mix and matched results:
1. Snacking beets!!!  I finally conquered my poor track record of roasting beets successfully!  They've always come out too dry, and nothing like what one gets at restaurants.  This time around, I ladeled in two spoonfuls of veggie broth into the foil...it totally did the trick.

2. Roasted asparagus, pan fried walnuts, golden raisins, and shaved parmesan salad.

3. Coriander mushroom curry....  one sauteed onion, several spoonfuls of coriander chutney (from the Indian grocery store), half of above said tomato--chopped, sour cream or plain yogurt, and garam masala

4. Wilted bok choy salad with coriander mushroom curry dressing (above, but chilled)

5. Carrot miso dressing (the ocean waves: Carrot ginger miso dressing).  Unlike previous dressings, I only used a teaspoon or two of olive oil this week...  threw into the food processor a ton of baby carrots...and then used veggie stock as my main liquid... processed with miso paste and sesame oil...  had with lettuce in rice wrappers for summer rolls

6. Carrot miso topping with rice and bok choy

7. Curry with rice

8. Asparagus and peas in mint ricotta custard

9. Roasted asparagus, tomato, mushroom, onion, and mozz scramble

...was reminded by the savory ricotta that I'm overdue for making one of my favorite pasta dishes--Zucchini with ricotta sauce over pasta...inspired by Fratelli la Bufalla http://www.fratellilabufala.eu/ in Miami Beach...the one restaurant where my friend's Italian husband and his family is willing to go for real Naples Style Italian food...  where I was first introduce to the taste of fresh ricotta as it should be...and vowed never to cook with the nonfat stuff again...

...am also wondering how a spring pea soup would taste with mint added in...

Crimini mushroom, thyme and rosemary soup

Just kidding with the recipe... I decided to experiment with my own thing :/  Shocking I'm sure!

Melt approximately 3 tbsp butter and 1T olive oil
Stir in crimini mushrooms, thyme, and rosemary until liquid evaporates
Add in pre-sauteed onions
Add in flour to coat
Add in a few ladles of vegetable stock
Transfer to stockpot
Add in a stockpot full of vegetable stock
Add in approximately 1 c of wine (I had malbec on hand)
Add in a parboiled potato (I boiled mine in the larger vat of vegetable stock while making mashed potatoes and borrowed one for the soup cause)
Add in rind from manchego cheese (Yes, save the rinds of manchego or parmesan for soup bases!)
Bring contents to boil
Reduce heat to simmer
Add salt to taste
Use potato masher to break up potato / thicken soup

Results: Most amazing soup ever!!!