Beef Stew

So many veggies.

Green chard, carrots and fingerling potatoes.

So many ingredients.

1lb stew beef
1/2 lb fingerling potatoes
3-4 carrots (chopped)
1 bunch of green chard
4 cups beef stock
1 onion (chopped)
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup of alcohol (preferably red wine, all I had alcohol wise in my apt was patron - so I used 1 shot to substitute)
1/2 tbsp ketchup
1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tbsp of A1
veggie oil
flour

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Dredge beef cubes in flour mixture. In a medium hot pan, drizzle veggie oil, add in beef cubes, and cook til done. Remove beef cubes, add in alcohol, deglaze pan, add liquid to crockpot. Add in beef stock, onion, garlic, thyme, oregano and basil to crockpot. Cook for 2 hours on low. Then add potatoes, carrots, cooked beef, and cook another 3 hours. Add chard, A1, ketchup and worcestershire sauce at the end, cook another half an hour to wilt.

So many dishes.
(I don't have pictures, though I wish I took some.)

The results? Eh.

 

The broth was flavorful and full-bodied, the beef melted in your mouth, the veggies delicious. But the chard. Oh, the chard. It barely added to the flavor of the broth. It was basically just... there. There, in all its bitter glory. I don't think I'll be making this recipe again (So. Many. Dishes.), but if I did, no chard.

Marinated Radicchio and Ricotta

Produce ingredients: radicchio and lemon

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbls Balsamic Vinegar
4 Cloves garlic
1 Tsp fresh lemon juice
3 Tbls Olive Oil (plus more for drizzle)
1 Head radicchio
1/2 Cup basil leaves
1 Cup Ricotta cheese

Preheat oven to broil on low.
Wisk together vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Use a garlic press (or mince) and add garlic.
Rinse ridicchio then place all leaves on cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.


Broil for 5 minutes. Immediately add radicchio and chopped basil to marinade, cover, and let set for at least 1 hour. I put it on top my oven to keep warm.

Serve with scoop of ricotta cheese.


Result: TASTY!
I found a recipe on epicurious and modified it a bit. This is an earthy, fresh dish, full of bittery flavor. The basil, balsamic, and garlic add sweetness. The ricotta cheese is so delicious with this beacuase it's fresh and it balances the sharpness of the other flavors. I think the garlic is a bit much (maybe next time I'll use less), but still yummy. I could see this going well with a steak, or even just some grainy bread (maybe with raisins in it). This is not my average choice of flavors, it's a bit more sophisticated. I hope the leftovers taste as good as the original (I'm hoping it'll be even better).

Turnip Cauliflower Potato Mash

My Produce Items: Fingerling Potatoes, Purple Turnip Top

1 lb fingerling potatoes
1 turnip
1 head cauliflower
2 teaspoons butter
1 clove of minced garlic
1/3 cup of milk
1/2 cup of shredded cheese blend
3 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Boil water and place potatoes in whole to soften. Boil for about 10-15 minutes (I didn't actually time this, so just feel it out. The potatoes will take longer to soften than the cauliflower and turnip).

Chop up cauliflower and turnip and add to boiling water. Boil for another 10-15 minutes or until all ingredients are soft.

Drain water and mash all ingredients together.

Add butter, garlic, milk, cheese and salt and pepper and continue to mash until cheese and butter are melted and evenly dispersed. Add desired amounts of salt and pepper.

Serves 5-6

Final Verdict: Fail

I got the original recipe from Penzeys Spices Magazine but added the turnip to it. The mash was way too watery. Maybe everything needed to set for a few minutes before serving or maybe I boiled everything too long. I never made mashed cauliflower before so I don't know how watery it gets. The fingerling potatoes were not a good choice. You need yellow potatoes for this recipe so I thought they'd do, but they took forever to soften, seemingly longer than other potatoes would. I left the skin on but I definitely should have peeled them. Fingerling potato skins are pretty tough and I noticed the consistency in the mash right away. The turnip softened very quickly, much quicker than the potatoes and cauliflower so I had to remove them from the boil and throw them back in once everything else was soft. I didn't taste the turnip at all. The flavor was not prominent and it was completely hidden. Maybe more turnips next time would help. The flavor was okay, it didn't taste bad, but the texture isn't desirable. So it is edible, just not completely enjoyable. Plus the end result didn't look very appetizing. It certainly didn't match what the magazine looked like.

Produce Box #3 is here!

Here is what we received this week from FarmFreshtoYou.com

1.5lbs of fingerling potatoes
6 navel oranges
4 tangeloes
4 lemon
6 pears
6 gala apples
1lb turnips
1 bunch-o-broccoli
1 head of radicchio
1 bunch of spinach
1 bunch-carrots
1 head of chard
1 head of leaf lettuce

Stay tuned for recipes!