Author Archives: kbecker57

The Crisp!

With all the peaches I’ve been getting in my CSA, I decided to dig out a recipe for “The Crisp!” that was given to me by a childhood friend. I’ve had this in my recipe box since high school, or earlier, and it’s handwritten on yellowing loose-leaf notebook paper. I’ve been trying to clear out some of the paper recipes in my file (and pile), but I think this one is just too good to get rid of…I especially love the illustration and her autograph at the bottom of the page.
I made it for a potluck (more on that to come later), and it was quite a hit. I used 4 peaches (but could probably have used a couple more), and the “not that sweet” option (see step 3 below).
“The Crisp!” recipe
The Crisp!
Source: Jill Chichester (Sansone)
Serves: 8
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1/2 stick butter
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add egg. Mix with a fork, until crumbly. (Don’t mix too long because it won’t come out right!) Set aside.
3. Place cut fruit into pie plate. If you want it sweet: add brown sugar and maple syrup over top of fruit. If you don’t want it that sweet, sprinkle brown sugar over top of fruit.
4. Put crumb mixture on top of fruit. Spread evenly.
5. Pour melted butter over top. Sprinkle top with cinnamon (lightly).
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Put a bake pan underneath just in case it drips.
7. Serve hot (warm) with a scoop of French Vanilla Ice Cream on top.
Peach crisp
At the bottom of the recipe, there are some suggested fruit combinations to try:
1. apple crisp
2. apple, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry crips
3. nectarine crisp

4. nectarine, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry crisp

CSA Week 12

I wasn’t home much this week for “veggie maintenance”, though I did saute up last week’s Swiss chard and eat it for breakfast on Sunday with some corn and tomatoes…breakfast of champions. With the days getting noticeably shorter, I decided to squirrel away some goods for winter. This week, I froze pepper slices and the peaches.
  • Lettuce: 100%
  • Corn: 100%
  • Peppers: 100%
  • Tomatoes: 100%
  • Peaches: 100%
  • Eggplant: donated
  • Basil: donated
  • Carrots: 20%
  • Kale: 0%
More tomatoes and peaches this week, but we also got edamame and okra. I don’t think I’ve ever cooked okra before.
Photo courtesy of Claire Blais
My half

    Chocolate zucchini muffins

    Be careful what you wish for…since I haven’t been getting zucchini in my CSA, my friend donated a zucchini from her garden to my mission (to make these chocolate zucchini muffins). However comma, this was no ordinary zucchini…she super-sized it, and I still have half of it left!

    Foot-long zucchini

    I’ve had this recipe for a few years, and it has become my secret weapon against zucchini. I’m a big fan of the spiciness from the nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom. I have made a few changes: decreased the sugar, substituted applesauce for half of the oil, and added chocolate chips. I also usually do a mix of white and whole-wheat flour. I ran out of paper liners making this batch and the muffins that did not have liners burned a bit, unfortunately.

    A six-pack of muffins for my coworkers

    Chocolate zucchini muffins
    Source: allrecipes.com
    Makes: 24 muffins

    Ingredients
    3 eggs
    1 1/2 cups white sugar
    1/2 cup canola oil
    1/2 cup applesauce
    1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
    2 cups grated zucchini
    3 cups all-purpose flour
    1 tsp baking soda
    1/2 tsp baking powder
    1 tsp salt
    1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
    1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
    1/4 tsp ground cloves
    1/4 tsp ground cardamom
    1 cup chocolate chips

    Directions
    1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.
    2. In a large bowl beat the eggs. Beat in the sugar, applesauce, and oil. Add the cocoa, vanilla, zucchini, and stir well.
    3. Stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmet, cloves, and cardamom. Mix until just moist (yup I don’t even like typing that word), then fold in the chocolate chips.
    4. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins filling 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15-17 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Store loosely covered.
    5. Enjoy!

    CSA Week 11

    I can’t lie, this week I have a few things leftover. I didn’t have a chance to do anything with the chard or eggplant. I have plans to grill the eggplant slices and use them as a pizza topping with some fresh basil.

    • Beets: 100% (beet chips!)
    • Corn: 100%
    • Tomatoes: 100%
    • Cucumbers: 100%
    • Peaches: 100% (made a yummy peach crisp)
    • Watermelon: 25%
    • Oregano: 50%
    • Celery: 50%
    • Chard: 0%
    • Eggplant: 0%

    New week, new pick-up location in the Whole Foods parking lot. It’s a little further for me, but not terrible. Here’s what I’ll be eating this week:

    Week 11

    The tomatoes are really starting to come in…looks like it might be time to look for a gazpacho recipe!

    My half

    Out and about – Belgium (Sweet)

    I hope you enjoyed the post on my Belgian beer experiences. In case you were worried that all we did was drink, here is a tour of how I satisfied my sweet tooth. While I usually crave salty foods, it’s hard not to have a sweet tooth there.

    First and foremost, the Belgian waffle (waffel)…yum. No syrup required. No fork required (unless you get it with whipped cream, which I did try once). There were little waffle shops all over, making it a perfect mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. I tried to eat a waffle every day, but there was just not enough room in my stomach for all of the things I wanted to eat and drink every day.

    First waffel of the trip

    We passed many many chocolate shops and I loved looking in the windows at the very elaborate decorations, made out of chocolate, of course. We tried pralines from Neuhaus in Brugge and The Chocolate Line in Antwerpen…there were so many options, it was hard to make a decision. At the Neuhaus in Brugge, I tried a “Figaro” praline with hazelnuts and one with dark chocolate and butter cream and both were delicious. I bought most of my Belgian chocolate souvenirs at Neuhaus. At The Chocolate Line in Antwerpen we decided to try some unconventional pralines…we all had a bacon one and I also tried a lemongrass one. The bacon one was a little confusing to my taste buds and I’m not sure if I liked it. The lemongrass was too overpowering and I was not a big fan of that one.
    

    Bacon praline
    I don’t mind kissing frogs that are made out of chocolate…
    The Chocolate Line

    In Bruxelles we stopped by Pierre Macrolini and tried some French macaroons. Once again, there were so many options that it was hard to decide what to try. I settled on a pistachio and a chocolate/praline ganache and that was a great decision.

    French macaroons

    During our day in Bruxelles I also tried a skewer of strawberries dipped in dark chocolate (in lieu of a waffle) and we happened upon a candy shop that was doing a candy-making demonstration.

    Consider my sweet tooth absolutely delighted!

    The rundown (or at least some highlights):
    Neuhaus (multiple locations)
    Steenstraat 66, 8000 Brugge

    The Chocolate Line (multiple locations)
    Meir 50, 2000 Antwerpen

    Pierre Marcolini
    Rue du Bassin Collecteur 4/Spaarbekkenstraat 4
    1130 Haren, Bruxelles

    Kale chips

    I think I discovered kale chips last summer, and it quickly became one of my favorite ways to eat kale. The “recipe” is pretty easy, but I’m going to share a few words of wisdom that I’ve learned along the way.

    1. Dry the kale before adding the oil.
    2. Adjust the oil depending on the size of the bunch. For a large bunch, I use 1 Tbsp per 1/2 bunch.
    3. Add the salt and pepper before cooking, otherwise it doesn’t stick very well.
    4. Keep an eye on them because burnt kale is less than awesome.
    5. Be prepared to eat them right away as they don’t keep that well. 
    Getting ready to go in the oven

    Kale chips
    Serves: 2-3

    Ingredients
    1/2-1 bunch kale leaves (separated from stems)
    1 Tbsp olive oil
    Salt and pepper to taste

    Directions
    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    2. Wash and chop (or rip) kale leaves into bite-size pieces, then dry the leaves.
    3. Toss chopped kale with olive oil and spread on baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.
    4. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until crispy and edges just start to turn brown.
    5. Enjoy!

    CSA Week 10

    I’ve hit the halfway point in my CSA season, and I think it’s been a pretty successful one so far. The Swiss chard and eggplant from the previous week are also gone. Here’s how I did this week:

    • Kale: 75% (I was saving some to use for a kale chip lesson)
    • Cucumbers: 100%
    • Carrots: 100%
    • Tomatoes: 100%
    • Corn: 100%
    • Potatoes: 75% (donated some to my parents)
    • Melon: 100%
    • Peaches: 67%
    • Dill: 0%
    • Basil: 100% (donated some to my coworker)

    Is it crazy to say that I was disappointed not to get zucchini this week? I have had some requests for zucchini recipes, and I have a great one for zucchini chocolate chip muffins that I want to make and share. It’s my favorite way to eat zucchini! I also found a recipe for zucchini chips that I’d be interested in trying…maybe I’ll like anything that can be transformed into a “chip”. Next week I’m getting a beet chip lesson.

    Week 10

    We are starting to get some beautiful heirloom tomatoes (check out the yellow one below).

    My half

    Out and about – Belgium (Beer)

    I recently spent a week in Belgium on vacation with two friends. We stayed in Gent and also visited Brugge, Antwerpen, Brussels, and Damme (to go to the Siphon).

    I did a lot of good eating and drinking while there and I have a lot to share…so please bear with me as I decided it was too much for a single post. This post will be devoted to Belgian beer (and assorted other beverages).

    I think our friend Ward said it best: “Water’s too expensive…if you want to rehydrate, drink 6% beer instead of 12%.”

    The beer menu at Dulle Griet, and Old Spice Fiji

    These are all of the beers I tried:

    • Brugse Zot at Waterhuis aan de Bierkant (Gent) and De Halve Maan brewery (Brugge)
    • Gulden Draak at Dulle Griet, which has pig bladders hanging from the ceiling (Gent)
    • Tripel Karmeliet at Aba-Jour (Gent) and Kulminator (Antwerpen)
    • Straffe Hendrick tripel at Craenenburg (Brugge)
    • Straffe Hendrick quadrupel at Craenenburg (Brugge)
    • Westmalle Dubbel at Cafe ‘t Galgenhuis (Gent), though I ordered the Westmalle tripel
    • Leffe Bruin at ‘T Braboke (Antwerpen)
    • Leffe Blond at K. Zeppos (Antwerpen)
    • Mort Subit Lambic Blonde at A la Mort Subite (Bruxelles)
    • Grimbergen Blonde at Plattesteen (Bruxelles)
    • Brugs Witbier at Le Paon Royal (Bruxelles)
    • Peche Lambic at La Fin de Siecle (Bruxelles)
    • Augustjin at De Scheve Zeven (Zomergem)
    • Gentse Tripel at Waterhuis aan de Bierkant (Gent)
    • Brugse Tripel at Brasserie Borluut (Gent)

    One of my favorites was Tripel Karmeliet, which I tried the first night we were there. The menu at Aba-Jour said it was “the beer for the ladies” (or at least that’s what I was told it said). I managed to bring a bottle of that back to Boston with me, as well as a bottle of Brugse zot dubbel.

    When we were in Brugge, we were able to take a tour of De Halve Maan brewery. They brew Brugse zot, Brugse zot dubbel, Straffe Hendrick tripel, and Straffe Hendrick quadrupel.

    Straffe Hendrick tripel and quadrupel

    We tried to go to De Garre (also in Brugge), but it was closed (under construction) and wasn’t re-opening until the weekend. I got a peek on the inside and I’m not sure how they were planning to be ready to open by then.

    In Antwerpen we went to Kulminator, which is a bar with supposedly more than 500 beers. This was written up in my travel book as one of the top 10 beer places to go in Belgium. It felt like we were in someone’s living room, complete with a cat wandering around. We drank Tripel Karmeliet again.

    Triple of Tripel Karmeliet

    I loved the Mort Subite lambic blonde, which I tried at A la Mort Subite in Brussels…I think that was a two beer lunch that day.

    Mort subite lambic blonde on the left and right

    While I did heed Ward’s advice to not waste money on water, some other notable beverages included:

    • Coffee: I’m not a coffee drinker, but man they make some good coffee
    • Irish coffee: apparently this is standard procedure at Gentse Feesten as you are watching the sun come up
    • Paradis at the Siphon: I have no idea what this was, but it came in a champagne glass, and it was orange and tasty
    Paradis

    Believe it or not, there are a few things we didn’t get to do that were on our list, but that gives us a reason to go back!

    • Delirium tremens brewery (Geraardsbergsesteenweg 4/B
      , 9090 Melle)
    • Genever
    • Kwak

    The rundown (or at least some highlights):
    Waterhuis aan de Bierkant
    Groentenmarkt 9, 9000 Gent

    Dulle Griet
    Vrijdagmarkt 50, 9000 Gent

    Jigger’s
    Oudburg 16, 9000 Gent

    De Halve Maan
    Walplein 26, 8000 Brugge
    De Garre
    De Garre 1, 8000 Brugge

    Kulminator
    Vleminckveld 32, 2000 Antwerpen

    A la Mort Subite
    Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères 7, 1000 City of Bruxelles

    Siphon
    Damse Vaart-Oost 1, 8340 Damme

    Gentse Feesten

    Corn salad

    I was very excited to get corn in my CSA. I confess that I have an SSB (secret single behavior) in which I like to eat corn on the cob for dinner, but I also love making this salad. It is another great recipe that lends itself to whatever you might have in your vegetable bin. When I made it today, I didn’t have any onion, but I did add some chopped cucumber and tomato which also adds more color and texture.

    I think the fresh basil is a key ingredient to making this salad so delicious. If you are making the salad ahead of time and refrigerating it, the basil will turn black so I’d definitely add it just before serving.

    Beautiful corn

    Corn salad
    Source: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, 1999
    Serves: 4-6

    Ingredients
    5 ears of corn, shucked
    1/2 cup red onion, diced small (1 small onion)
    2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
    2 Tablespoons good olive oil
    1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
    1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, julienned

    Directions
    1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.
    2. Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

    Voila!

    CSA Week 9

    Happy August! And how is it August already? The dog days of summer are definitely here. Anyway, how did I do last week? Not too bad…I actually used almost everything!

    • Lettuce: 100%
    • Beet greens: 100%
    • Cucumbers: 100%
    • Carrot: 100%
    • Corn: 100% (used in corn salad)
    • Green beans: 100%
    • Cherry tomatos: 100%
    • Basil: 100%
    • Eggplant: 0%
    • Swiss chard: 0% (though it is washed, chopped, and ready to go!)

    Here’s what I’ll be eating this week:

    Week 9

    Lots of salad fixins, but no lettuce! But I’ve been looking forward to more kale, and am definitely going to make kale chips this week.

    My half