If You Can't Take the Heat (Part 2) - CSA Box #8

 

Howdy! Welcome to CSA Box #8. Remember, the whole idea of this series is to show you how you can save money on your grocery bill by centering your weekly cooking around fresh, in-season produce! As an added bonus, you can serve your family really nutritious food, too!

This week we'll take a look at cooking without heating up the kitchen. Here's a link to remind you of all the great recipes I introduced in If You Can't Take the Heat - Part 1. 

Pasta Primavera

Okay, the first recipe that I will talk about actually breaks my rule of not cooking indoors. But, it uses the stove top for just 30 minutes. So, I feel justified in saying that Pasta Primavera is still perfect for a summer evening meal.

This can easily be made with rice based pasta for a gluten free version. Here's what I did!

Pasta - 1/2 pound - cooked - boiled in water for 12 minutes
Tomatoes - 2 - diced
Onions - 2 small - diced small
Zucchini - 2 small - sliced
Yellow summer squash - 2 small - sliced
Onion powder - 1 tsp.
Garlic powder - 1 tsp.
Salt free seasoning (your choice) - 2 tsp.
Lemon juice - 2-3 Tbsp.

Saute the onions in a few Tbsp of water for 5 minutes or until softened and translucent. Add the squash and cook for 10 minutes. Add spices, tomatoes and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Throw the veggie mixture on top of the cooked pasta and stir. Squeeze lemon juice over the top and serve!

That's it! Seriously!  Look at how delicious this looks!

HINT! While you are boiling that pasta, go ahead and throw in an entire pound of pasta. Use half of it for the pasta primavera. Then, use the other half to make pasta with pesto. Voila! In just 30 minutes, you have not just one, but two meals!

Pasta with Pesto

Pesto can be made so many ways! Carrot top pesto, ramp pesto, and radish green pesto are all just as wonderful as the traditional version made with basil.

HINT! I make a huge batch of pesto and then freeze it in empty yogurt cups. I use one of the frozen pesto cubes for 1/2 pound of cooked pasta. Just throw the freshly boiled pasta on top of the cube and the residual heat will melt the pesto cube.

LOW CARB TIP! Don't eat wheat pasta. I generally don't either. So, I will tell you that this recipe is great with garbanzo bean, red lentil, rice, or other gluten free pasta. It's also perfect for spiralized summer squash or cooked spaghetti squash!

Here's my recipe for no oil radish leaf pesto. 

Easy Cabbage Slaw Salad

I love cabbage slaw, but I never eat mayo! For one thing, I'm vegan. For another, it is incredibly full of fat and excess calories. Years ago, I figured out that I could still eat my favorite salad and it could be made quickly and be full of fiber, low in fat, and high in nutrition!

Here's what I do!

Slice the cabbage in half, remove the core, and then just use a knife to chop the cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Throw it in a big bowl.

Add toppings. Every time I make this salad it is different, because I  use whatever I have on hand. I'll bet you could think of a few more!

green onion
fresh blueberries
tomatoes
red peppers
corn
edamame
carrots
celery
raisins or craisins
black beans
nuts  - just a few! (walnuts, sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds, or raw sunflower seeds)

Add Dressing: 

You can eat this salad as much as you'd like, because the dressings I use contain no added oil or salt. That's right! You don't need oil! It contains 100 calories of fat per Tablespoon and is a very concentrated source of calories.

Dressings: (From Jane and Ann Esselstyn): Their 3-2-1 Dressing is my go-to dressing. I use it every, single week for the vast majority of my salads. This YouTube video is worth your time to watch. In it, these great ladies give you a lot of ideas for dressings that are both delicious and nutritious.

Oil Free Lemon Ginger Dressing:  This is a recipe that the 14 year old sous chef and I created a couple of years ago. It's one of our popular cheap eats recipes. It's very versatile too. You can put it on top of quinoa salad, or even use it to anoint the top of baked potatoes. Enjoy!

Zucchilattas

That's a fancy way to say that you are going to fill tortillas with zucchini, tomato, and some other yummy veggies and then eat it. Oh boy! Does this sound easy and delicious! The recipe says to heat in the oven for 15 minutes. In this heat, I generally use our small toaster oven or the microwave to keep heat out of the kitchen. Click on the title of the recipe and it will link you directly. 

Raw Beet Salad

If you've never tried a raw beet salad, please do! This is where I admit to you that a decade ago when we joined our first CSA, I thought I hated beets. Nope! I just hadn't given them a good try. This is not your Grandma's pickled beet! This is delicious and features an easy, fresh vinaigrette. 

Spinach Blueberry Salad

Taste of Home features this fresh, summer, no cook salad. You could easily substitute kale or another green for the spinach called for in the recipe. 

Carrot Tops!

Don't throw away those carrot greens! Nope! They are very nutritious! I use them in soups all winter long for a last minute splash of color and a taste that takes me back to warmer weather days.

 HOW TO USE: Remove them from the stems. Just grab the end of the larger part of the stem and pull. It will separate the leaves from the stem (much like you de-stem kale). Use in salads, soups, or any other dish that you'd like. 

To freeze:  Wash thoroughly, lay in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Place in the freezer until firm and then remove to freezer bags. You will not believe how amazing these taste in the middle of winter when you are crazing the summer sweetness of fresh produce! 

 Step-by-Step Instructions for Freezing Produce 

Putting Food By for Winter: Freezing

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Your turn!

How do you beat the heat and still feed your family? Since I'm not much of a griller, I'd love to hear some ideas and recipes from those of you who love to light up the gas or charcoal grill. Thanks so much! 

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Do all to the glory of God, 

Hope