revel in thy broccoliness...

..this bit doesn't follow like it does on the other posts.

so, one of my co-workers, dense-face, is a vegetarian (primarily). this is not her defining characteristic, but given the amount of time we spend talking about food, it is important. DF (one of many, many probably inappropriate names) often speaks of the joys of eating simply so that you can really taste the thing you are eating. it is inspiring. this recipe for pasta and broccoli is inspired by DF - it probably contains many more ingredients than she would prefer, and it contains no weeds.

so cut the broccoli up into small florets - really small sort of at the major branch level if you think of broccoli as a tree (one could even make comparisons to fractals here, but that would be way too geeky). include the stalk because it is probably the best bit. fry off a clove of garlic, thinly sliced, in some olive oil and add a whole chilli (not chopped - i just wanted a bit of heat). when the garlic is cooked add the broccoli and fry for a bit, until it is bright green.

before this get the pasta water boiling. just as the broccoli goes bright green, add a splash of water and put the lid on to steam it a little. cook the pasta and drain it.

i tend to do this bit backwards, so bare with me...add the drained pasta back to the pot, and tip in the broccoli. add some herbs (thyme and mint on this occasion) and a big blob of ricotta so that it coats the pasta and broccoli but is not saucy. some cbp (cracked black pepper) finishes it off. this bowlful had some grated PR on it.

this was very very nice. thanks dense-face!

salsa del boxio

ethetheth eth eth eth ethe ethe ethethethetheth. that's spanish for 'salsa made from box ingredients'. so, there is corn, tomato, onion, cucumber and some non-box coriander and lime. it is delicioso. eth eth eth.

here is a picture...

scorchio!!

box 11...

..was full of surprises. this was a medium mixed box, so there should be either more of each product or a bigger range. given that the contents and number of each species differs each week, it's a little hard to tell whether a medium box is a good thing or a bad thing. don't get me wrong, the stuff is all top quality and looks awesome. but i can't work out how this compares to the small box because i don't know what was is in them this week. get it? poor experimental design.

anyway, to the contents: plums (!!), nectarines, bananas, avocado, tomatoes, potatoes, cucumber, beans, mushrooms, broccoli, onion, squash, fennel (!!), lettuce and sweetcorn (!!!). have a look for yourself...

looks good yeah? suggestions, especially for the squash are very welcome...

breaking box challenge news...

...i have ordered a MEDIUM mixed fruit and veg box for this week. i have heard reports of more variety rather than just more of the same stuff. stay tuned...

exploding kidneys...

...was the self diagnosis a friend of mine made the morning after eating quite a bit of beetroot the night before. he was so alarmed that he drove himself to the hospital. fortunately, he realised what might in fact be happening and never turned up at emergency.

i turned the handful of beetroots from box 9 into some easy and tasty beetroot dip this evening. it is very nice indeed. the recipe couldn't be easier (thanks to vincenzo from the work for the instructions!). the beets were microwaved for about 5 minutes until they were tender. when cool, peel them and then grate them (or chop them very finely). then add some yoghurt, lemon juice,a little crushed garlic, and some herbs (whatever) and you're away!

here is a picture of the dip (note the artistic framing/wanky picture taking)...

in real life it is a much more intense colour - deeply deeply purple. i jamie-olivered some oil over the top at the end just to make it shiny. this shall be made again! in fact, i might give a carrot-id (see what i did there? a medical pun to tie in with the title of this post. will i ever stop?) version a run.

box 10...

...was collected this evening. it is a fairly standard assortment of things, but it is all top quality. this week we have carrots (a lot actually), broccoli, green beans, mushies, tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, apricots, nectarines, a big cos lettuce and a massive red salad onion.

not as many things jump out as being particularly challenging or inspiring, but that may have more to do with my frame of mind than anything else. you see, i'm going on holidays soon and i'm afraid that part of me has already left.

here's a picture (of the box)..

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broccoli and egg...

...is probably all the direction you need to make this. the recipe came (unashamedly) from the gary and george of masterchef fame cookbook. basically, you cook a finely-diced onion in some olive oil until a little brown, add some bacon if you are ethically able to eat it (while i dont know for sure, i reckon facon or smoked tofu would do the job) and let that crisp up (does facon crisp up?). then, add some bits of broccoli and reduce heat, cover the pan and leave until the broccoli is tender and bright green. add a splash of sherry vinegar. then, mix in egg white(s) and season. finally, carefully add egg yolk(s) and warm through under a really hot grill. add a sprinkle of mint and thyme (i forgot this bit - i even had the herbs picked, washed and chopped). delicioso!

this was an antidote to christmas meat consumption and it was rather tasty. it is supposed to be a side dish (all the broccoli and egg recipes that appear on google searches are too) and it would probably be best for that. as a meal in itself it was fine.

would i cook it again? yes, but not on high rotation, and probably as a side to something else

box 9

goodies collected this week: pumpkin, broccoli, cos lettuce, bananas, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchinis, white nectarines, apricots, green beans and beetroots!

notes:

1. options i hear you say. i agree - lots of good stuff here. love the stone fruit for that is what summer is all about

2. white nectarines!!! these are so far superior to ordinary, pus-coloured ones that the other ones shouldn't even be called nectarines.

3. white nectarines!!!

4. beetroot - a challenge and a new ingredient for my box. i predict some roasting, and maybe some dip manufacture.

i'll let you know what gets made from this box (that's not a promise, just a suggestion to get you coming back) (no one reads this - Ed.)

now i have to pack it up before it rots on the bench. this weather sucks.

what is box challenge?

about 2 months ago, i started getting a box of random (but local and organic) fruit and vegetables to try and make myself eat more fruit and vegetables. so far, things are going very well - the quality of the pro-dooce has been amazing, and i have been eating more fruits and vegetables.

more importantly though, the food is local. internal rage is generated when i go to the supermarket and have no choice but onions from the USA (not that there is anything wrong with the USA per se (or is there? - discuss), i just don't know why we need their onions...). note that i have already used nested parentheses. that will upset some people.

this is where i will post some pics of the goodies in the box, and some of the recipes that arise. you should join in if you have any suggestions. i'm getting a little bit over [insert vegetable] frittata...

this is a picture of box 7 ingredients for reference...yummo!