Roasted Romanesco Broccoli / Cauliflower

Roasted Romanesco Broccoli/Cauliflower, Potatoes and Carrots

In the last post, I mentioned my Tanaka Farms CSA. Today, I tweeted a photo of this green vegetable found in my CSA box with the questions: what is this vegetable and what should I make w it? 

My twitter friends came to the rescue! Thanks dessertbycandy, misschiffonade, valgriswold, justjenndesigns, janeofmanytrades, michele_james, robinreads, bluechefk for the help!!

Some sources call it the Romanesco Broccoli and some call it Cauliflower. I'm going with awesome looking veggie!

My twitter friends suggested some delicious recipes and I'm saving them for later! Today, I simply roasted it (like I would a cauliflower) with Tanaka Farms carrots and potatoes I picked up at the Farmer's Market.


I love the wonderful design and color of the Romanesco. If you haven't picked one up, please do so.

Recipe:

Roasted Romanesco Broccoli/Cauliflower, Potatoes and Carrots

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. I used the "Convection Roast" setting on my oven...it is wonderful for roasted veggies. Cut veggies to size and toss with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Place potatoes & carrots on a sheet pan and roast for 7-10 minutes. Then add the Romanesco and cook until done (depending on your oven), turning the veggies once or twice. (I started the root vegetables earlier because they usually take longer to roast than the rest of the veggies, but it depends on your preference and size of your veggies.) Next time, I'd like to throw in a handful of pine nuts at the end too. Enjoy!

Tanaka Farms CSA (Los Angeles)

Late last year, I signed up for the Tanaka Farms CSA box (Community Supported Agriculture). Tanaka Farms is located in Irvine (Orange County), California and is one of the few farms left in Los Angeles & Orange Counties. My friends and I went on their Strawberry Farm tour, and it is a delight to be able to purchase local produce!

The most convenient aspect of this CSA is that you can pick it up at Whole Foods! And they have hours for working people (some pick-ups are until 9 pm). This shows Whole Food's commitment to local farmers, and it gets people in the store! In addition to picking up the box, I must get some Cranberry Tuna from the deli and am always picking up a few more items. By the way, have you tried the Whole Food's Cranberry Tuna? It is such crack. Sometimes, I eat some in my car, in the parking lot. Total crack.

I get the "small" box for $20 plus $3 delivery. It's awesome! You can check out Farmer Tanaka's blog to see what might be appearing in the box.

Although I'm crazy lucky to have year-round Farmer's Markets available, I often load up on tons of fruit (and kettle corn) and neglect some veggies. The CSA makes sure I fit in some fresh, fresh, fresh veggies. I can't wait to open the box and see what I got this week! It's like a little birthday gift.

Sometimes I share the box with my parents... I leave a bag of produce on their door on the way to work. A nice surprise for them too!

I started in the Winter so we've been getting lots of greens such as swiss chard, bok choy, broccoli, green beans, lettuce, spinach, kale, Romanesco, and Tanaka Farms delicious carrots. Oh, those carrots are so tasty.

Last week, I squealed in Whole Foods! I opened the CSA box (you pick it up from the produce guy) and there was a box prettier than any Tiffany box. Tanaka Farms Strawberries. These are sooooo delicious! As we head toward spring and summer, I can't wait for more strawberries and sweet corn!

Tanaka Farms doesn't have an orchard so they supplement the box with organic oranges and apples from Cuyama Orchards in Ventura County.

If you are interested in a Tanaka Farm's CSA, they are multiple pick up locations in LA & OC. The small box is $20 and the large box is $30 (plus $3 delivery unless you pick it up at the farm in Irvine). You can get weekly or bi-weekly delivery (I get bi-weekly).

Tanaka Farms Swiss Chard Saute

Here is how I enjoyed my first CSA box: Sauteed swiss chard in olive oil. A bit of zest and juice from a Meyer lemon. Enjoy!

Busy Beaver Button Company - Golden Button Award Voting

Were you a 2011 I Like Big Bundt Baker? You have the chance to make our special button (only sent to bundt bakers) a winner!

The Busy Beaver Button Company is hosting their 1st Annual Golden Button award and my friend JustJenn's  design was nominated for the People’s Choice Award!

It's fab that they nominated Jenn's cute button...I hope it is on your apron and reminds you to make some big bundts. The button with the most votes wins! Please go here to vote for #7 “I Like Big Bundts” from now until Feb 23 (that's tomorrow! Do it now!!!)

Orange Blueberry Muffins

Orange Blueberry Muffins

Things have been crazy busy lately. Don't quite understand how it got to be near the end of February! Where is 2012 going?!

Take a moment to slow down and make some muffins. Muffins are always simple and fast...they aren't called "quick breads" for nothing.

I received Sweet and Savory Swedish Baking by Leila Lindholm from my friend JustJenn of JustJenn Recipes. She selected this book because "it had little frosting." My friends know me quite well! :)

A bit of orange zest is added to the mix. I used frozen blueberries from Trader Joe's because I ate the fresh ones with my yogurt. And I always like a bit of sanding sugar atop a muffin for the great texture and bit of sweetness it provides.

Adapted from Sweet and Savory Swedish Baking by Leila Lindholm (Nine Classic Muffins, page 98)

Orange Blueberry Muffins
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 c milk (I used whole milk)
Zest of 1 orange (I used a Cara Cara orange)
2/3 c sugar (130 grams)
2 eggs, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/3 c all-purpose flour (326 grams)
2 teaspoons baking powder
Dash of salt
1 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Sanding sugar

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep muffin tin with liner (12 muffins).
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Melt butter. Add milk and combine.
4. Rub zest with sugar. Whisk in eggs and vanilla until pale.
5. Add butter and milk mixture into egg mixture.
6. Pour wet mixture on dry and carefully fold together. Don't overmix.
7. Fold in blueberries, reserving a few for top of the muffins.
8. Scoop into muffin tin. (I use an ice cream scoop)
9. Top with the reserved blueberries. Sprinkle with sanding sugar (optional).
10. Bake, depending on your oven, until toothpick comes out clean, about 25-35 minutes (using frozen blueberries takes longer to bake).

Pancake Day - Shrove Tuesday Ideas

It's Fat Tuesday / Shrove Tuesday / Pancake Day! The day before Lent, it's a day to indulge and use up some forbidden foods.

Here are some ideas of pancakes I've made in the past. Happy Pancake Day to you and yours! Next year, I hope I finally make a King Cake...this recipe from the LA Times Food Section is very interesting!

Thin Mint Pancakes

Blueberry-Cornmeal Pancakes

Cinnamon-Oat Pancakes

Cornmeal Pancakes with Maple Syrup

Welcome Baby Kendal!

Welcome to the world, Kendal

My dear friend Racheal gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl on February 10, 2012. Here are Kendal and her mom in the hospital less than two days after she came into the world. She was a couple weeks ahead of schedule so her lungs needs a little extra care for a few days, but now she is home and happy.

All those cute little toes! Isn't she precious?!

I love being Auntie Mary and can't wait to spoil her with lots of hugs and cookies. Her older brother's first real food? My chocolate cinnamon bundt! Awesome.

Congratulations Racheal & Lee! - mary

White Loaves - Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Julia

White Bread - Baking with Julia

Whoo Hoo!
It's Tuesday.
And we're back! It's the first week of Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Julia edition.

For the past few years, a group of bloggers baked our way through the awesome Dorie Greenspan cookbook: Baking from My Home to Yours. When that finished (4 years later), we all wanted to continue baking! So we embark on baking twice a month from the classic book Baking with Julia - combining two treasures: Julia Child and Dorie Greenspan!

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Julia, the organizers Laurie and Jules are hosting our inaugural baking extravaganza!

Whenever I make bread, I wonder why I don't make bread more often! I love the chemistry of it all...all those little yeast molecules coming back to life.

I made 1/2 the recipe for one loaf. I raced home after work, kneaded the dough, and let it rise while I went to pilates. Then I punched it down and let it go for a second rise while I shopped at Costco. It was a multi-tasking night!

Thanks to my friend Shannon, I was able to put lovely homemade Apple Preserves on the bread. Thanks Shannon for this treat!

Be sure to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie members!

Recipe:
The Tuesdays with Dorie group encourages you to support cookbook authors like Dorie Greenspan and purchase the book. You won't be disappointed! You can also check WorldCat to see if your local library has the book.

White Loaves, page 81-82
Recipe is also on the host's blog:  Someone's in the Kitchen