Adventures in CSA: Week 6 Share

This week, Dan picked up our CSA share while Sebastian and I headed off to a birthday party. We were pretty happy with all the fruits and veggies in our fridge when we returned. Here's a list of the loot, though I'm not sure of the amounts. I think there were 2 bunches of arugula and several cucumbers and squash:

Week 6 Vegetables and Fruit (and eggs)
Arugula
Cucumbers
Green cabbage
Fresh onions (note from farm: sweet white onions, with tops that you can use as green onions)
Basil
Carrots
Summer squash
Blueberries
Cherries
Black raspberries

It took me a few days to get this posted, so I'll be back soon with a recipe report. I still need to type up week five's recipe post, too.

What was in your share this week?

Routines are important...

...and so I have instituted summer "BLT Mondays."

Feel free to join me.

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Ice Cream, Man.

My friend Nick keeps making delicious homemade ice cream. He sent me home with a jar of chocolate peanut butter cup (homemade peanut butter cups!) a few weeks ago, and we demolished it in one sitting.



I'm encouraging Nick in his idea to run a "CSI" (Community Supported Ice Cream) program in the neighborhood this summer.  At the very least, I think I need to commission some flavors when I start receiving fruit from my CSA.  Nick, I'll happily pay for more jars of ice cream.  Take my money, please!

Briefly Noted: Rhubarb and...

This rhubarb cobbler from Grey Dog wasn't bad, but it had a little too much orange in it.  Speaking of rhubarb and orange (a flavor combination I'd never tried before)...

What is it with people who insist on mixing rhubarb with other fruits?  Rhubarb doesn't need orange (or its "classic" partner, strawberries).  It's perfection (with the right amount of sugar, of course) on its own.  I grew up eating rhubarb cobbler.  The only fruit in it was rhubarb.  It was delicious.  Rhubarb-strawberry cobblers and pies have never tasted right to me.  Strawberries are pretty lackluster when baked.  They don't really hold their own.  They bring me down, man.  They cover up the brightness of the rhubarb.

Rhubarb is doing it for herself, everybody!  Let her shine.

This said, there is an exception (or three) to every rule.  Dr. Joe mentioned to me the other day that he'd once made a rhubarb and cranberry pie.  I'd eat that in a heartbeat.  I think two sour fruits together are sometimes nicer than a sour and a sweet fruit (though it's recommended to mix crisp sour and soft sweet apples in apple pie, and I agree). 

If you insist on not allowing rhubarb a solo in the spotlight, another Snackreligious-approved combo is rhubarb with sour cherries.  Don't lull your mouths, people.  Explode your mouths!

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Poetry Tuesday: "How Hot Is It?"

[We're deep in the steamy thick of summer here in NYC. Yesterday, I found myself home from work, sticky and cranky, eating butterscotch chips out of the freezer while all the fans in the house whirred at top speed. I was suddenly reminded of the first line of a poem I wrote in college, a little over ten years ago (during the month of January, oddly enough). Allow me...]


so hot the sunlight is wet - he, limp,
a rooftop landmark; turn left at the sunbather
from 3C-heavy head,
masses of hair groundcover pale flesh

He is his own roof garden.

moist ripeness, dewed with sweat.
hosed-down-reduced to
sodden melted sugars, pinkwhite fat
sopping starch, matted hair and tarpish skin

Nothing sprouts here, where this mess lies
Supine out of soil
Green plastic weave of lawn-chair raft
floats, mildewed, in that sun.

Je [mange] au foot.

Last Saturday, I attended the 2009 Adidas Fanatic tournament, or "Adicup" in a park on the west side of Manhattan. I was there to cheer on competing CSC members (no matter their various alliances f0r the day), but was myself "fanatic" especially for the official CSC team in their smart yellow jerseys.

I was also there to eat.

I do like soccer. I promise I do. But I'll admit that a major draw to this event is the promise of free food. And free drinks. And free ice cream. Especially free ice cream.

Here's a brief photo-review:




Woo! Soccer!



Woo! Free Drinks!

Two things to mention here -- it was quite hot last Saturday, but I swear it was a good 20 degrees hotter on that green astroturf (or whatever) field. Thank goodness for rehydration options. Secondly, I refused to drink any of the "0 Calorie" beverages. To me, zero calories means weird fake sugar flavor. The Sobe Lifewater wasn't bad. Pomegranate Cherry was much better than Blackberry Grape, which tasted kind of cough-syruppy.




Awesome! Soccer! Yeah!




Awesome! The grills are up! Finally!

For an event that started at noon, which I consider to be lunchtime, the people running the show waited a good long time to put out the eats. I lingered near the tables when I finally started seeing smoke from the grills, and ended up pretty near the head of the line. Just out of my reach? Hot dogs (beef or vegetarian), veggie burgers, hamburgers, BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, coleslaw, potato salad, and various "fixin's," as they say.




Wait a minute! What's going on here?!

Although we were only 25 people or so back from the start of the line, it took maybe 40 minutes to make it to the table of food. Why is that? Well, apparently, there were not enough fully cooked hamburgers to go around. The men working the grill were busy rectifying this issue, but in the meantime there were plenty of other things to eat.

The problem that halted the line when it had barely begun moving was when people at the start of the line who *really* wanted burgers refused to accept alternate protein sources. They blocked the line in a snarl of greed and effectively kept it from advancing. Like a huge hairball in a pipe, they twined around each other, many of them waiting while eating from loaded plates (loaded with everything but their precious burgers) in front of everyone still hungry behind them in line.

The polite thing for burger-desperate free-food gobblers to do would have been to take what was ready and available (and free) and eat it, getting back in line for a burger if they were so determined to consume ground beef. Or at the very least to have made a second, single-file line of burger-holdouts that the rest of us could navigate around/through. But not these patrons. Stubbornly waiting for more burgers to be made, they clotted around the buns and condiments, holding up the works. As a rule, any one of them would move slightly to the side only grudgingly and in tiny increments of distance when challenged for access to the table by people directly behind them in line. This was infuriating to those of us just out of reach of food who could not move forward while they stood there trying to look innocent.

I admit to yelling, "Move it! You have food!" in that direction (okay. several times). But these Meat-Greedy Guses just hovered blankly, jamming up the works, refusing to make eye contact, and trying not to look guilty. Maddening. You can bet I whipped around them haughtily with my burger-less plate and elbowed in to get my mustard packets when we finally did manage to get to the buffet. Ruiners.





Ahhhh! Soccer! Now I feel better!




Ahhhh! Ice Cream! Now I feel best!

At some point, late in the afternoon, the free ice cream wagon came out. I grabbed an ice cream sandwich and a lemon ice for myself (and shared both with Dan). They were just what I needed. By this point, I was as sweaty as if I had played 5 games of soccer myself. Or run from the countryside into Rome carrying a dish of Italian ice (as pictured below) while wearing a heavy-looking helmet of some sort.



At any rate, the ice cream treats cooled both my literal and figurative hot-head hotness. The evening ended in cooling breezes, dimming sunlight, final games, a spirit of everybody's-a-winner, and happy weariness.

Football! Ice cream! Rah! Rah! Rah!

Quick! Someone give me a Genius Grant!

Hey, MacArthur Foundation! I just invented frozen, vegan jello. With organic juice.

Hey, Eddie Cochran! I think I found the cure for the summertime blues. And you said there "ain't no." You pessimist, you.

Hey, everybody else! This was an accident. But a very happy one.

To make:

1. Grease your jello mold(s) of choice with a little cooking spray.
2. Heat 2 cups organic juice or nectar to boiling. Remove from heat.
   
3. Add one packet Natural Desserts' (all natural, vegan, gluten free, and kosher) Unflavored Jel Dessert to heated juice. Whisk until combined. I found the Jel Dessert powder at Whole Foods.
4. Pour mixture immediately into molds (I used a lightly greased silicone muffin pan).
5. Chill in fridge until set.
6. Remove from mold(s) (I used a plastic knife to loosen one edge and they slid right out) and cut shapes if desired (I cut mine into half circles)
7. Store in tupperware (I would put waxed paper between layers), and freeze.
8. Gobble.

Next time, I'm putting it in the popsicle mold!

Beach Me.

(grapes by Tony)

Another beach trip, another sunburn. I'm working on the not burning, for sure.

However, it was an amazing day with friends, waves, shells, cat's cradle, goldfish crackers, hummus and carrots, Oreo milkshake, Vitamin Water, and grapes.

That night I was happy, starving and exhausted. I ate spaghetti, pizza, and ice cream and was asleep by 10.

A No-Cone Snow Cone

Since I work just a few blocks from there, I hustled over to Num Pang, a Cambodian sandwich shop, to try their Pineapple Ginger Snow Cone with Toasted Coconut.

The flavors were great. The ginger was quite strong and I've always appreciated the tropical edge that coconut gives to other fruit. However, the snow cone was much bigger (and more expensive) than necessary. It started out too hard to eat (with the coconut on top un-incorporated and threatening to blow away as I walked back to the office) and ended up so melted I had to drink it. A softer texture would have made this snow cone even better.

I'd have one again, if I had a friend alongside with which to share it, on a hot day.

Seen on the street:

(photo by Dan)

Blue Bunny Sedona Granola Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches were being given out (free snacks!) near the corner of University and 14th Street around 1pm. You'd better believe I turned around and backtracked a few steps to get one.

I'd eat these again, though the chocolate frozen yogurt had a bit of a "low-fat aftertaste." I'd rather have a full-fat version. This one reminded me of my mom's diet fudgesicles (which we were not supposed to eat. Sorry, Mom!). The granola cookies on either side of the frozen yogurt filling were smooth and tasty -- with no cookiesmoodj!

Milkshake and Bake

(phone photo by Dan)

It was a great day at the beach until guys in uniform with whistles showed up.

Fort Tilden Beach officials are trying to enforce some kind of crazy "no swimming" policy, which is ridiculous, as we've been swimming there several times a year for three or four years without ever seeing anyone challenged.

No, there are no lifeguards on duty, but that's what "swim at your own risk" is for. I hope no one got hurt (that would be a sad reason for the new enforcement), but people get hurt on beaches with lifeguards, too, so this shouldn't necessitate a swimming prohibition. Besides, there is a lifeguarded beach at Jacob Riis Park (a short walk away) for people who need supervision, so leave us alone on our unguarded stretch of sand! Let us swim, already. I'll be finding another beach soon, if this keeps up.

Anyway, when entering Fort Tilden, look for the snack bar trailer. Dan got a hot dog and a coffee drink. I got a milkshake and some Cheez Its. The milkshakes are not too thick, which seems just right on the beach. Mine was peanut butter.



(phone photo by Dan)

Also, wear sunscreen! I should know!

Saltermelon

Mr. L. suggested that sea salt on watermelon is a good idea, so I tried it this morning. I just happened to have a bit of organic watermelon in the fridge for my breakfast and some fancy flaky sea salt on the pantry shelves (bought for use in a margarita cookie recipe).

The salt sure perked up my pale slices. If the watermelon had been deep red and juicy I bet it would have been even better. I'm adding this seasoning idea to my snacking repertoire.

Snickerpuss

And why not eat an Snickers Ice Cream bar while watching the movie Tapeheads (in which John Cusack does a remarkable David Arquette impression several years before anyone had heard of David Arquette)? It's a holiday weekend! Live a little.



I think this is a candy bar that is better in ice-creamed format than in its original (though harder to eat in the shower).

The air smells like rotting fish and solarcaine...

and the snack is slightly stale spicy cheese puffs. They were great when fresh but didn't keep well.



Also: Sour Cream and Onion Pringles, dried apricots, apple and cheese wedges sandwiched together, spicy Cheez-Its, fresh cherries, pineapple slices, vanilla-flavored (though I can't imagine why) milk, a banana, and one Chipotle-flavored kettle chip.

Clue to my snacking location today (between 2 and 5 pm): where does every snack become filled or coated with sand?

Questions and clues:

Where did we go tonight?









What did we eat there?









And did powdered sugar get everywhere?





(to be continued...)

Fresca

If you're in search of "refreshing" on a steamy day, the Watermelon Agua Fresca from Taco Bite near the post office is a good choice. Ripe watermelon becomes liquid with ever so little coaxing. Bonus: straw wrapper art!



To cool me off further, a window air conditioner dripped into my lap from overhead as I sipped. And two fire hydrants had been opened across the street, much to neighborhood children's delight.

In other news, my shrimp quesadilla contained broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. It didn't need all that. The tortilla was crisped perfectly and the shrimp tasted great.

Popsicle, popsicle, make me a batch

I inaugurated my new popsicle mold. Nothing fancy yet. Just lemonade and blueberries. The combo wasn't bad, but I admit it's a beginner's pop.

Two tips:

1. The first lick is the best. If you get carried away you really can sort of suck out the juice and end up with plain ice and blueberries. Don't do that, though.

2. Try to keep your popsicle upright. The juice melts into the base/handle problematically.

A gift from Melanie

Attention everyone I asked to pick me up a set of "Sommar" popsicle molds if you happen to find yourself at Ikea: not that I wouldn't take an extra set (and pay you back, natch), but consider my sense of urgency around this issue taken down several notches.

The new Ikea in Brooklyn doesn't even stock the things, or so Rachel was told by an employee on a recent trip. He told her that the store is too new to stock "seasonal" merchandise. Boo! But Melanie found herself at Target and noticed the lovely ice pop molds pictured above, which she generously gave to me, so I win!

I am now accepting popsicle flavor suggestions.

Ralph Mouth

Here's a place I go a lot. Okay, almost every day that it's open:



Sometimes I like company when I snack, so I think most of my neighborhood friends are familiar with text messages from me saying things like, "Want to get a Ralph's?" and, "Want anything from Ralph's?" and "Ralph's!" It's not always my idea, either. I get lured in by fellow snackers, too. There's nothing more pleasant than a walk to Ralph's with your closest friends on a steamy summer evening. Which is not to say I don't go there when it's afternoon or starting to rain.

At Ralph's Famous Italian Ices, depending on what's in stock (and as long as you go there while it's open; it closes in the fall and winter), you can have:

1. A Water ice

[my picks: sour cherry, cherry, lemon, and strawberry margarita. Moss will probably tell you to get mango every time. It's great, too.]

2. A Drink
3. An Ice Cream

[I like the peanut butter blast smoothie. Dan (who would like to be known as Jean Valjean in these posts) enjoyed Crazy Coconut ice cream.]

4. A Creme Ice

[My go-to flavors: peanut butter (p.b.) cookie dough, chocolate peanut butter, orange and creme, peppermint patty, chocolate cookies & creme, chocolate hazelnut, and strawberry cheesecake. Dave has enjoyed birthday cake and rainbow cookie, among others].

or 5. A Sundae!

[I haven't been able to tear myself away from the creme ice to try one of these.]

As you may be able to tell by the list of favorite flavors shared above, I most often get a creme ice. Scratch that. I typically get a small peanut butter cookie dough creme ice, please, even though the number of pieces of cookie dough have varied from one (which was disappointing) to a more reasonable 8-10. Still, no matter how much cookie dough is in there, the density and silk of the peanut butter creme ice is perfect.



I'm also a big fan of the flavors based in the chocolate creme ice, which is richer than I'd expected without being overwhelmingly sweet.

Aside: Anyone know what makes a creme ice a "creme ice," and not an ice cream?

Both the creme ices and water ices are full of flavor and few I've tried taste overly artificial. Most varieties' textures hover in a pleasing otherworld somewhere between icy and smooth.

Now let's compare! Although I enjoyed a nice lemon water ice from an Uncle Louie G's near Prospect Park yesterday, I found the the texture, flavor and portion size (at least in comparing the small cups, which are $2 at both locations) to be inferior to the one I had today at Ralph's on Graham Ave. Uncle Louie G's fine-grained ice seemed more reliant on syrup and less cooling/refreshing to my system. Ralph's lemon water ice was like a scoop of fluffy, flavor-enhanced snow. Also, having eaten my samples on these two consecutive 90-degrees-and-then-some days (each day at around 3:00 pm), I can almost-scientifically declare that the Uncle Louie G's lemon water ice melts far more quickly (at least it seemed to) and completely into sticky lemon water.

Bonus -- at Ralph's, you also get a spoon!



On the evening I took these pictures, I chose to consume my standby (once again, that's a small peanut butter cookie dough creme ice, as pictured for a second time above). The light was fading, but I also managed to grab a grainy photo of the employee who helped my day end so deliciously:



She was great. I know it might be the sugar talking, but everybody who works at Ralph's is quite reasonably personable. And, while I know it would be bad for their business, still I appreciate that they never point and laugh and say, "Weren't you just here a little while ago?" Which is nice of them.


Ralph's is at 357 Graham Ave (ever so close to the Graham Ave. L train stop and not far from the G at Lorimer/Metropolitan) in Brooklyn, NY.
p.s. There's also a B43 bus stop just up/down the block.