This recipe arose out of the comments section on this blog. Jenny posted this recipe and after seeing that it involved goat cheese (pan-fried nonetheless!) I knew I had to try it.  See, I don’t didn’t eat beets.  Can you believe it??

So when I see a recipe that pairs something that I do like, with something I’m not so sure about, I jump at that recipe.  I am so glad that I jumped at this one!

Jenny, this recipe is already a favorite in our house.  Plus, you’ve helped me form a positive opinion on a vegetable that I never really tried before.

Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

-1 bunch of beets, sliced to 1/4-1/2″, drizzled with olive oil and kosher salt
-toasted walnuts

-goat cheese
-egg, lightly beaten
-Panko bread crumbs

-mixed greens

Roast the beets in a 425° oven for 20-25 minutes or until tender.  Place the walnuts on the cookie sheet with about 5 minutes remaining to toast lightly.

Slice goat cheese in rounds (easiest if you pop it in the freezer for a minute to make the cutting easier) dip in beaten egg and coat in Panko.  Let it sit in the fridge for a few minutes before frying so it doesn’t just turn to mush. Lightly pan fry in olive oil.

Serve mixed greens topped with beets, walnuts, goat cheese rounds & balsamic vinaigrette.

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Beets getting ready to head into the oven!

Goat cheese + egg + Panko

Such a beautiful salad and it tastes even better than it looks! Thanks Jenny!

I just made that name up because let’s face it….I am oh so clever!!

I had a dinner party to attend last night, and my girlfriend and I were brainstorming a last minute dish to bring.  I mentioned the lovely tomatoes and basil that I had from Thursday’s pickup.  “Mozzarella!” she exclaimed.  Next thing I know, we have an easy peasy caprese salad in the making!!

Easy Peasy Caprese Salad

4-5 large tomatoes, chunked (use more if you need to.  We used a mix of heirloom and red/orange tomatoes)

several stems of basil, chopped

Fresh mozzarella (cut to size of tomatoes)

Truffle Cream of Balsamic (This is a specialty item that my friend prefers over traditional olive oil/balsamic vinegar.  Use balsamic vinegar and olive oil as a substitute)

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all items in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss and serve!!

Left to right:

1 bunch beets

1/2 pound of mixed greens

1 bok choy

1/2 melon

1 bunch basil

1 bunch of parsley

Front:

1/2 lb of carrots

3 peppers; red, purple and green

tons of tomatoes! Heirloom, red/orange and glacial.

assorted squash

1 bunch of italian parsley

We took a family trip to the farm this morning and did our U-pick. We got 1 quart of beans (a mixture of italian flat beans and yellow beans), 1/2 quart of cherry tomatoes, 15 hot peppers and 3 Sunflowers!! The little one had a great time messing around in the black dirt. 

It’s a short work week for us, so I’m limited on time. I’ve already prepped the majority of this weeks haul even though I’m not entirely sure what I’ll be doing with all of it.  I did make a Caprese Salad so check out that recipe! YUM!

Any ideas for this weeks haul?? In last weeks pickup comments, Jenny mentioned a beet salad that I will be trying this week.  The pan-fried goat cheese sounds delish!! Last week, we ended up roasting the beets and I enjoyed them.  I think I need some more time to warm up to them, so I was glad to see them in this weeks pickup.

Any ideas for this weeks haul??

I’ll likely be freezing and/or giving away the majority of what I pickup on Thursday. We are headed up north for a long weekend away! Ahhh vacation!

It’s the time of year for tomatoes!! I received 13 tomatoes at last weeks CSA pickup, and I was running out of ideas.  Take Part, one of my favorite websites came to the rescue last night! They pointed me in the direction of Endless Simmer’s “100 Ways to Use a Tomato.” I started clicking and found myself awestruck over the many blog posts that are showcased on this page. WOW!!

Tomatoes are one of those  fruits vegetables that I don’t care for raw. I’m learning to get used to them, but I’ll be honest and say that I don’t think I can even force this one.  I do however love tomatoes in sauces, baked into casseroles or with a roast.  My ideas are limited so Endless Simmer’s post was very helpful.

Here are a few of the favorites that caught my eye last night.  Check out these lovely food blogs! I’m drooling!!

Five Star Foodie–Candied Tomatoes with Basil Cookies.  W O W

Foy Update– I must have spent 15 minutes just clicking around her lovely blog.  Awesome!

The Knead for Bread—tomato bread?? Who woulda thunkit?

The Runaway Spoon–Caprese Tart. YUMMY!

Former Chef—how to make tomato soup! Love it!

Have fun clicking around!

I have a small obsession with my slow cooker.  Enchiladas in the slow cooker + tons of veggies = WIN! This recipe was delicious, however I will make several adjustments the next time I make it (see my adjustments below).   Overall, we loved it!

Slow Cooker Enchiladas

from Simply In Season

1 pound ground beef, turkey or venison

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

Cook together in a large skillet until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat.

2 cups cooked pinto or kidney beans

2 cups cooked black beans

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup summer squash or carrots (shredded, optional)

1 cup corn (optional)

ground red pepper to taste

Add and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)

Combine separately.

7 flour tortillas, 6-7 inches in diameter

In a slow cooker layer about 1 cup meat-bean mixture, one tortilla and 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers to use all ingredients.  Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or until heated through.

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The delicious meat-bean mixture.  Can you see the shredded carrots and squash? I actually used yellow carrots from the CSA!

The layering begins!!

I forgot to take a picture of the final product, and maybe it was because the slow cooker was BURNING the bottom of the enchiladas.

I know that my slow cooker runs warm, so I set it on low and checked it only 2 hours later. It was completely done at that point.  The 5-7 hour cooking time seemed peculiar.  There was also no mention of breaking up the tortillas, but I think next time I will do that instead of layering it like a big stack.  I’d also be interested in trying this with corn vs. flour tortillas.  I think the crunch would be nice.

I was able to salvage a majority of the dish and we devoured what remained.  What I loved most about these enchiladas was how many vegetables were incorporated.  I used carrots, squash, 4 tomatoes, an onion and a green pepper.  Combined with the beans and the meat you have a meal right there! It would make a great salad topping.

Overall this dish was very good, I will just tweak it the next time I attempt it.