Main Dishes

Zucchini Almond Pesto

September 11, 2013 by Erica

Zucchini Almond Pesto // Coffee & Quinoa

Reason #66 that I love pesto: You can make it out of just about anything.

Start with garlic, olive oil, parmesan, and some sort of nut, and you’re basically guaranteed a delicious and pesto-y-tasting outcome, no matter where the rest of the ingredient list takes you. It’s magical!

Zucchini Almond Pesto // Coffee & Quinoa

In case you’re wondering, reasons #1-65 that I love pesto involve the taste of garlic, olive oil, parmesan, and nuts, the fact that it can be spread on just about anything, that it reminds me of my childhood, that it’s quick to prepare, etc. etc. etc. Don’t make me list them out one by one!

For this pesto, I was actually considering making some sort of zucchini noodles, but ended up thinking it would be too much trouble. Instead, I opted to roast the zucchini, throw it in the blender with all those other wonderful pesto ingredients, and toss it with regular pasta. Ta-da! A quick and satisfying seasonal pasta dish that doesn’t involve me purchasing some sort of spiralizing equipment.

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Fresh Corn Polenta with Tomatoes and Basil

September 4, 2013 by Erica

Fresh Corn Polenta with Tomatoes and Basil // Coffee & Quinoa

This polenta is my answer to the question, “What do I do with all this corn?”

We’ve been getting a ton of corn in our farm box recently. And by a ton, I mean three or four ears a week. I know, I know, that’s not that much. My dad, who hails from the Midwest, could (and regularly does) eat that in one sitting… but for two city kids who mostly just put corn in our salads (can we still be city kids now that we live in Utah?), that is a whole lotta corn. But something fortuitous happened last week: in the few minutes that I was driving home from picking up our farm box, NPR was playing a piece about heirloom corn and making delicious polenta with it. Ding ding ding! We have a winner. What an awesome coincidence.

Fresh Corn Polenta with Tomatoes and Basil // Coffee & Quinoa

To be honest, I didn’t even know you could make polenta from fresh corn – every recipe I’ve ever seen has involved cornmeal. Shows you how much I know! Turns out, you can make the most delicious polenta EVER when you start with fresh corn. And from the recipes I’ve seen, starting from scratch doesn’t add to the cooking time of “regular” polenta.

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Orzo with Zucchini and Sweet Corn

August 14, 2013 by Erica

Orzo with Zucchini and Sweet Corn

I’m just going to say it: I am nowhere near ready for fall.

You might think it’s jumping the gun to start thinking about cooler temperatures when it’s still August (and I couldn’t agree with you more). But if you live in Utah, you know that anticipation for ski season – forget fall altogether – is already mounting by August. (This I will never understand.) And even the non-ski bums around me are starting to mention looking forward to fall boots, colorful leaves, etc.

Stop it! It’s just wrong.

Orzo with Zucchini and Sweet Corn

Though I’ve never been a fan of the very hot weather, I do love all the things that come with summer – most notably sundresses, summer produce, walking out of the house without bundling up, and the lack of impending winter doom. I intend to cling to all of those things for as long as possible and hope I don’t get hypothermia.

So let’s embrace that summer produce while we still can with this orzo recipe: a warm pasta salad-y dish with lots of yummy texture from zucchini matchsticks and corn kernels, not to mention the orzo. It’s all just barely heated up together, so it’s full of bright, fresh flavor in addition to all those great textures.

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Roasted Summer Squash Pasta with Feta and Thyme

August 5, 2013 by Erica

Roasted Summer Squash Pasta with Feta and Thyme

I am happy to report that I’m not yet sick of summer squash.

That might have something to do with being in a squash-free zone (a.k.a. beach vacation) all of last week. Or it might be because my CSA kindly rations the squash, giving me only 2 or 3 each week, which is quite manageable. All you people with green thumbs who harvest tons and tons of summer squash at once… I don’t know how you do it. It’s no wonder my grandma talks of leaving bags of zucchini on unsuspecting neighbors’ porches during the summer time. Hah!

Roasted Summer Squash Pasta with Feta and Thyme

But me, I’m still quite enthusiastic about summer squash, especially roasted up with some other tasty veggies and tossed with pasta, cheese and herbs. Mmmmmm. If I were a zucchini, this is how I’d want to go.

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Thai Green Curry with Turnips and Summer Squash

July 24, 2013 by Erica

Thai Green Curry with Turnips and Summer Squash

Remember my CSA bounty I told you about on Monday?

Thai Green Curry with Turnips and Summer Squash

Well, hidden in there were also some adorable summer squash.

Lebanese squash (I think?), pattypan squash, green zucchini, and yellow zucchini.

Thai Green Curry with Turnips and Summer Squash

I only ever really buy zucchini and yellow crookneck squash, so I was really excited about the prospect of trying some new kinds. I mean, they all tasted the same, but I loved the colors. And that little pattypan squash is just too cute to be allowed!

Admission: I’ve been afraid to buy pattypan squash, despite their cuteness, because I didn’t know how to cut them up. This forced me to try, and it was super easy: just slice off the stem on top and bottom and chop into wedges. Duh.

Thai Green Curry with Turnips and Summer Squash

So I got a multitude of squash, but no turnips. I actually planned this meal before I picked up the box, assuming we’d get turnips again. Then, when we didn’t, I just bought some anyway. (Buying turnips… who am I?) They are definitely trying to give us a variety in our CSA box – cherries one week, apricots the next, etc. – which is nice, except when you’re learning how to cook with something new. I’m like, helloooo, now I’m brimming with turnip recipes! Bring on the turnips! Then nothing. But that’s OK, because I’m sure I’ll get my fair share of turnips and squash during the rest of the summer, and now I know the perfect dish to use them all up.

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