Shakshuka

Shakshuka is a traditional breakfast dish from the Mediterranean. This can be baked in a cast iron skillet in the oven, or simply made in a large frying pan (with a lid) on the stove. 

I like to make this as a quick mid-summer supper. The base ingredients are tomatoes, onions, and eggs, and from there you can add other ingredients and spices as you like.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Tbsp oil

• 1 onion, diced (or use chopped green onions, added at the same time as the eggs)

• 1 bell pepper, seeds removed, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced (or substitute one bunch garlic scapes, chopped)

• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• 1/2 tsp ground coriander

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• dash cayenne powder or chili powder or pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 6 cups diced fresh tomatoes or cherry tomatoes

• 1/2 cup tomato sauce (or leftover spaghetti sauce, or marinara sauce, etc) (optional)

• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (or substitute cilantro or mint)

• 6 eggs

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in frying pan. Add bell pepper and onion and cook 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add garlic and spices and cook another minute. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce and cook for about 15 minutes to reduce and thicken. Taste and add more spices as needed. Reduce heat to a simmer. Use a large spoon to make 6 evenly spaced indentations in the mixture. Gently crack an egg into each indentation. Cover the pan and cook about 8 minutes, or until eggs are poached to your liking. Sprinkle the chopped parsley on top and serve with toast, pita, naan, or challah bread.

Optional additions: feta or goat cheese, sliced avocado, cooked sweet potatoes, chopped fresh jalapenos, etc

Helping kids WANT to eat their veggies

Getting kids to eat veggies can be hard. Fortunately, research shows that participating in a CSA can help!

A fun thank you note from one of our young CSA members

If getting your kids to eat their veggies is a constant battle, then you should know that your household is just like 99% of other households!

Here are a few ideas to try:

• Grow a garden, and/or join a CSA. When kids have a connection to where their vegetables come from, either by helping to grow them themselves, or by visiting the farm where they’re grown, they’re more likely to eat (and maybe even like) them. Being part of a CSA engages kids’ curiosity, independence, and openness to new foods.

• Create a “positive food environment” by offering homegrown garden produce. Research shows that "preschool children who were almost always served homegrown fruits and vegetables were more than twice as likely to eat five servings a day than those who rarely or never ate homegrown produce." Offer high-quality, high-flavor homegrown produce to give your kids the best shot at learning to like it.

• Let kids choose. Whether it’s at the farmers market, the grocery store, or in your refrigerator, letting kids pick out vegetables engages them and makes them more likely to eat those veggies. Fun fact: we’ve observed that when given the choice, kids choose our purple bell peppers over any other color. Sometimes they just need the autonomy to try something new on their own.

• Take the pressure off. Rather than forcing your kids to eat, focus on making mealtimes positive experiences. When you create a fun environment and foster connections with your kids, it’s easier for them to try new veggies without all the pressure. (This tip comes from a great new blog by local dietician, Tara Dunker.)

• Offer new veggies multiple times. Kids can learn to like new foods if they’re offered multiple times. Toddlers can learn to like a new food after 5-10 tries. 3 and 4 year-olds might need 15 opportunities. (Farmer Katie is still trying to learn to like beets. She’s at approximately 27 tries, but she’s even more stubborn than a 4-year-old.)

• Make veggies easy and available. Kids will be more likely to eat veggies if they are the snacks you provide for them. Keep your kitchen stocked with fruits and veggies rather than junk food, and your kids will learn to reach for healthy snacks. You can make it easy for them by having pre-cut veggies in a container they can access in the fridge.

• Set a good example. Above all, kids learn by example. Be sure to model healthy eating habits in your own life. Let your children come along on trips to the CSA farm, farmers market, or grocery store. Involve your children in healthy meal prep. Eat meals with your children and let them see you try new foods and load up on veggies. Your kids may not magically like broccoli, but if they watch you eat it, they might be more open to trying it themselves.
  

Simple Snacks

Simple snacks with local veggies

If you’re trying to incorporate more healthy food into your routine, here are some easy ways to eat healthier snacks.

The quickest and easiest is to simply eat raw veggies with your favorite dip, like Ranch, honey-mustard, or homemade beet hummus like in the photo below. (For more delicious dip ideas, check out this collection.)

To make healthy snacking easier, have your veggies washed and sliced, and in an easy-to-grab container so you’ll be more likely to choose them over the bag of potato chips.

Veggies in the photo above include:

• carrots

• cucumbers

• multi-colored green beans

• kohlrabi

• multi-colored bell peppers

Other great veggies for raw snacking include:

• cauliflower

• broccoli

• radishes

• salad turnips

• cabbage

• snap peas

• cherry tomatoes

And fruits and berries are great for snacking! You can find local:

• strawberries

• raspberries

• blackberries

• cantaloupe

• watermelon

• apples

• peaches

• pears

You can freeze or dehydrate fruits and berries to make them last longer.

To step up your snacking game a bit (or for fancy appetizers), try incorporating vegetables into dips, spreads, or the beautiful tomato-basil bruschetta pictured below, crafted by one of our CSA members.

photo by Jen Amor

West African Ground Nut Stew

I love trying new foods and especially foods from different countries. I first ran across a recipe for Ground Nut Stew in college when I was assigned to make a dish from west Africa. If you're looking for a hearty soup for a rainy day, definitely try this one. I sometimes make it in a crock pot, which makes it even easier. This is a great recipe to try if you still have some sweet potatoes hiding in your basement from the last CSA boxes last year!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can chicken or several pieces leftover chicken, shredded

• 1 T oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 carrot, chopped

• 1 green pepper, chopped

• 1 tsp fresh ginger root, peeled and grated (or 1/2 tsp powdered ginger)

• 1 sweet potato, peeled & chopped

• 2 cups chopped spinach (fresh or frozen, or other greens)

• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

• 2 cups water or broth, divided

• 1/2 cup peanut butter

• 1 can tomato paste or tomato sauce

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp pepper

• cayenne powder to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Add 1 cup of the water or broth, onion, carrot, green pepper, ginger, sweet potato, spinach, and garlic to crockpot. Saute chicken (if raw) in oil, then add to crockpot. In a bowl, stir together remaining cup of broth, peanut butter, tomato sauce, and spices. Add to crockpot. Cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 8 hours, until ingredients are tender. Add more broth/water to make a thinner soup. Serve over rice, and garnish with cilantro, roasted peanuts, or hot peppers.

NOTES:

• You can leave out any ingredients you don’t have or don’t like. This is a flexible recipe.

• Substitute chickpeas for chicken to make a vegan version.