I’ve been teasing with the idea of joining a CSA (Community-supported agriculture) for a couple of years. I always came up with excuses for not joining, but the true reason I didn’t want to join was I was afraid.  Yup, afraid of a box of vegetables – sounds silly doesn’t it?  My fear steamed from figuring out what I’d cook with a box of more or less random vegetables.

Thing is the vegetables aren’t really random – they are seasonal and things that grow together often taste well together.  Like tomatoes and eggplant in the summer or fennel and apples in the fall.  And picking those recipes to use with the vegetables?  Well, not to boast, but I’d say the Project Foodie recipe box solves that one pretty easily. 

Thus enlightened, on Thursday my first CSA box arrived.  I opted for a small box of veggies with a bit of fruit.  The box contained kale, red chard, Napa cabbage, red grapes and Fuji apples.  The quick story is that by Monday I’d cooked up everything and we’d eaten most of the fruit.  I had fun picking out the recipes, enjoyed cooking them and ate some things I wouldn’t normally eat. 

The longer story will continue as I get more boxes.  I still have fears (yeah I know they are only vegetables).  What if we get the same thing next week?  What if I don’t like something?  What if, well you get the idea.  In joining the CSA I decided I've got to tackle my fears and that’s what I’m going to do.  Getting the same thing for a few weeks will actually be a great challenge.  A quick Project Foodie search of recipes containing kale, chard or cabbage shows over 300 recipes!  Wow – doesn’t look like we’ll run out of options for a while.  And if I don’t like something?  Thankfully, it is rare for both Husband and I to not like something so I can always just give it to him to eat.

The benefits of the CSA box so far have been trying out recipes I wouldn’t normally eat, but I think I’ll find many more benefits, including perhaps, an increased amount of vegetables in my diet!  Hmm fear may be a good thing; good that is if it promotes us to examine the unknown and see where it will take us….

Oh and what did I do with my assortment of veggies?  Here’s a list of the recipes I choose for my first CSA box:

• Red Chard: Pasta With Kielbasa And Swiss Chard – this is one of my favorite recipes for chard.
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• Napa Cabbage & Fuji Apples: Red and Napa Cabbage Salad with Braeburn Apples and Spiced Pecans – I haven’t made much with cabbage before but I loved the flavors in this salad. 
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• Kale: Whole-wheat Lasagna with Butternut Squash and Kale – This was OK, but a lot of work.  I’m not sure I’d make it again.

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Even if you only follow my posts just a little, you probably know that I am no baker. I've been pleasantly surprised over the years to find that there are many others out there just like me, but when given an opportunity to try out the new Ghirardelli Gourmet Baking chocolates I thought okay I'll utilize my minimal baking skills to produce some chocolaty good desserts for my family.  

The first one I tried was the 100% Cacao, unsweetened. I decided to make the recipe that was featured on the back of the package. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Terrine (see recipe below) had to be one of the most decadent and delicious desserts I've ever made and it was sooo easy to make. Although I did make one modification - Instead of whipped cream I served the terrine with a raspberry coulis (frozen raspberries that I pureed in the blender and sweetened with a little sugar and lemon juice).  My husband and daughter were so excited that I'm lucky I got to try any of it. The texture was silky and smooth and the almond crust was a nice contrast.  The terrine is also elegant and will impress your guests when you whip it out at your next gathering. This recipe is definitely one to add to your recipe box. 

My oldest daughter loves chocolate pudding and every now and again I like to treat her to what I call my "Fancy Chocolate Pudding" or quite simply Pots de Creme.  This time I used the Ghirardelli Bittersweet chocolate and once again we had another winner.  Super rich and satisfying, I knew it was good when I caught my daughter liking the inside of her empty ramekin.  Well, by the time I got around to trying out the last baking chocolate in the new collection, the 58% Cacao, semi-sweet, needless to say, I was all baked out (remember I told you guys I wasn't a baker). What did I do with that bag of chocolate?  I parked myself on the sofa with a pile of my favorite magazines and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and nibbled on some of the best chocolate I've had in a really long time.  So if any of you are real chocolate lovers and love baking with it, you definitely have to give this new line a try.  

Ghirardelli Chocolate Terrine

Recipe courtesy of Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Prep Time : 1 hour

Crust

• 1 cup whole natural almonds, toasted
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
  

Spray an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch (4 cup) loaf pan with non stick spray. Line with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap adheres to the corners of the pan.

In a food processor, coarsely chop the almonds. Put them in a bowl and stir in the brown sugar and then the melted butter. Mix until the nuts are evenly moistened. Press the nut mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Filling

• 10 ounce Ghirardelli Gourmet 100% Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate
• 2 ounce unsalted butter
• 2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tbsp salt
  

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler or microwave. In a bowl, whisk together the cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk in half of the chocolate until smooth and then whisk in the remaining cream. Spread in the pan over the nut mixture. Tap the pan on the counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.

Place the terrine upside down on a piece of parchment paper. Remove the pan and carefully peel off the plastic wrap. Place a cutting board on top of the terrine and invert the terrine and the cutting board so it is crust side down. With a sharp knife, cut the terrine into 1-inch slices. (Clean off the knife between each slice.) Place on individual plates and serve with Chantilly cream.

Chantilly Cream

• 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk the cream just until it holds its shape. Refrigerate the cream until ready to use.
 

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Foodie Pam and I had a wonderful time reading the entries for the Favorite Foodie Road Trip contest.  But unfortunately the contest has come to an end. The good news is that a winner has been chosen. So without further ado, give a warm virtual applause to our winner, Alison Penland of the blog  "Someone’s In The Kitchen” .  Alison is a personal chef from Arkansas who is the process of relocating to North Carolina but before making her big move she took a much needed Foodie Road Trip to the fabulous San Francisco bay area.  The trip was exactly what she needed to re-charge her batteries and prepare her for the adventures that lie ahead.  Highlights from Alison’s trip include a chance meeting with culinary legend Jacques Pepin, a trip the CIA in Greystone, and seeing Rockers Jimmy Buffett and Tina Turner in concert.  Be sure to head over to her blog and read all about the trip in detail and check out all the great photos too.  Thanks again Alison for participating in the Foodie Trip Contest enjoy your season one pass of “Spain… on the Road Again”  be sure to keep in touch and let us know about all your great discoveries in North Carolina.

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Unfortunately my husband and I don't get to travel as much as we'd like, but when we do, finding good places to eat is the number one priority... for me anyway.  My husband prefers luxury accommodations, but I will stay at Motel 6 as long as I can dine where I want.  I traveled quite a bit as a child, but none of those vacations really stand out as Foodie Road Trips.  For our first wedding anniversary, my husband and I decided to check out the local wine scene, well not really local but it was as close as we were getting to Napa Valley anytime soon.  A good friend of mine told me about the Brandywine Wine Trail located in Chester County Pennsylvania.  Every weekend during the month of March they host "Barrels on the Brandywine", where for a nominal fee you can tour all seven of the wineries in the Brandywine River Valley area, participate in exclusive barrel tastings and a host of other fun wine filled events. 

We started our romantic weekend by checking into the Hilton Garden Inn in Kennett Square, PA. and then had a celebratory anniversary dinner at this fabulous little restaurant called the State Street Grille. The owners, former New Yorkers Richard and Evelyn Halka moved to Chester County after having their daughter and brought with them all of their varied experience from working at some of the best restaurants in East Hampton, NY.  The homey and quaint little restaurant boasted an open kitchen where you could watch the chefs as they prepared your meal.  My husband had a perfectly prepared NY strip, and let's just say I had a nice sample of practically everything on the menu.  We finished off the meal with molten chocolate cake and a bottle of Veuve Clicquot (my favorite champagne). 

The next morning we woke ready to start our tour, we were joined by our good friends Gerald and Sherri. Our first stop was the Twin Brook Winery, 30 acres of classic European vinifera and French hybrid vines.  The wine making is actually done in their perfectly restored 19th century barn which also holds the tasting room and retail store.  After a formal tasting in the tasting room and a sample from some of the barrels we left with two of their most popular vintages, the Icebreaker Blush Wine and the Spice Wine which, now that I think about it, would be a great addition to your holiday tables.  Next up was Va La, (Sherri's favorite) Va La is what I like to call a boutique winery that focuses on blends of traditional Italian and French wines.  In their tasting room, which is located in the main house, not only can you sample their Fioretti or Mahoganey Va La wines, but also artisan cheeses, mustards, and olive oil made by local purveyors.  Visiting the Paradocx tasting room was like stepping into a crowded bar in Key West before a Jimmy Buffet concert.  The tasting room was turned into an island paradise, which was definitely a nice reprive from the 50 degree March weather we were experiencing.  Attractive young servers in brightly colored outfits were either pouring glass after glass of delicious wines to patrons or passing out cheeseburger sliders. It was like one big party, and a good time was definitely had by all.  Our final stop on our day of tasting was the Chaddsford Winery. Chaddsford, a little more mainstream, is the biggest winery out of the seven on the trail and the one whose wines are most widely distributed.  Chaddsford also has what was recently named one of Americas top tasting rooms.  The place was wall to wall people. There were lines everywhere, at the tasting bar, the gift shop, and the barrel rooms.  We left with a bottle of their Spiced Apple Wine which made for a wonderful mulled wine when we returned home.  Unfortunately, we were only able to visit four out of the seven wineries that day, but the people we met, conversations we had, and the wines we tasted made our little weekend getaway our best Foodie Road Trip ever.  

And there you have it, that's my entry to Project Foodie's Foodie Road Trip event....

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You know the old adage "An apple a day keeps the Doctor away"? Well, when I was growing up my family totally bought into that one. I remember endless school lunches always packed with a shiny red apple and trips to the local orchards with my grandparents, picking bushel after bushel of Galas, Golden Delicious, and Winesap apples which would eventually be turned into Apple Sauce, Apple Pies, Apple Crisp, Baked Apples, Caramel Apples and my all time favorite Apple Butter.  As an adult, I found myself on Apple overload and it became the last thing I reached for when I wanted a piece of fresh fruit.  That was until I had my oldest daughter; what's the first food you give an infant?... why applesauce of course. As she got older, applesauce led to sliced apples with peanut butter, candy apples, and apple turnovers.  By the time you read this article I will have taken my oldest daughter to the Apple orchards, not because I'm dying to make homemade applesauce for her little sister, but because I feel that it is one childhood experience that should not be missed.  To this day, I still have a tendency to avoid using apples to cook with even though they are pretty plentiful right about now across the entire country. But I still love apple butter, so while the rest of you are finding all sorts of wonderful things to make with those fresh apples from the orchards or farmers market I've been going Apple Butter crazy.  

Apple Butter is basically applesauce that's cooked down until it starts to caramelize and turn a deep, dark brown color.  It's referred to as a butter because of its super thick consistency and its use as a spread on breads.   My grandmother guards her apple butter recipe like it's part of the federal reserve, but I found one that I think is pretty darn close to the original, and one of the best things about it is that I can use my slow cooker to make it.  I'm not a not huge fan of the slow cooker but its great for making jams, jellies, and chutneys. 

Foodie Heather's Apple Butter

• 4-5 pounds of Apples, peeled and cored
• 3 cups of Sugar
• 4 to 5 small Cinnamon sticks
• 2 to 3 whole Star Anise 
• 1/2 tsp of cloves
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of black pepper (this gives it a nice bite)

Put everything in the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 hour, reduce heat to low and continue cooking for approximately 10 hours.  Mix with an immersion blender or a standard blender in small batches and put it back into the slow cooker.  Remove the lid and continue cooking for 2 more hours. Place in storage jars or freeze it.  

Okay so once you've made my fabulous Apple Butter here are a few uses for it.  

Pan Roasted Pork Chops with Apple Butter Beurre Blanc 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees      

• 4 1 1/2 inch think Rib Pork Chops
• 1 1/2 T Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder

Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt.  Heat olive oil in a skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork chops, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and continue cooking for about 7-10 minutes.  Remove Pork Chops from skillet and place on a serving platter, put the skillet to the side. 

•      Beurre Blanc

• 2-3 sticks of cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup dry White Wine
• 1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
• 3 T of Apple Butter 
• 1 T Shallots, minced
• 1/4 tsp of Salt
• 1/2 tsp of fresh Lemon Juice

Sauté shallots in fat remaining in skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and vinegar and deglaze by boiling over high heat, scraping up brown bits, until the liquid is reduced by half. Remove pan from heat; whisk 2 pieces of butter into the reduction. Set pan over low heat and continue whisking butter into sauce a chunk at a time, allowing each piece to melt into sauce before adding more. Remove sauce from heat; whisk in lemon juice and Apple Butter. Season with salt and pepper, serve over the Pork Chops.

Apple Butter BBQ Sauce 

The first time I used this was on an open faced grilled chicken sandwich with Munster cheese, I stumbled upon the flavor combination purely by accident but now I use it all the time.   

• 1 cup Apple Butter
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
• 2 T Worcestershire Sauce

Simply mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl and serve. The Apple Butter provides the necessary sweetness that we find in most BBQ sauces, and the Worcestershire sauce rounds out the flavor so nicely with its own combination of spices and acidity.   

Open-Face Ham, Cheddar, and Apple Butter Sandwiches

Sweet Potatoes with Apple Butter

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Take one Oscar Award winning actress, one fabulously successful chef, one equally fabulous food journalist, and one sexy Spanish native; give them a couple of convertibles, drop them in the middle of Spain and what do you get…you get what has to be one of the best Foodie Road trips ever!  Last fall, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mario Batali, Mark Bittman and Claudia Bassols set out to find the best of what Spain has to offer in Food, Art, History, Music, and everyday life.  The road trip, “Spain…On the Road Again”, is a 13 part series now being shown on Public television stations across the country and on iTunes.   

Here at Project Foodie we have a real treat for you.  We want to hear about your favorite Foodie Road trip!  Starting today, share your story by 10/29/2008 (see details below). Team Project Foodie will post a round-up of all the entries we receive.  And we'll choose our favorite adventure out of the bunch* to win an iTunes' season pass to download all 13 episodes for free to view at your leisure, which is great for those of us who don’t have to time to plop down in front the TV these days.   

So what are you guys waiting for, hurry we want to hear your Road Trip stories!

The Details

• -Share your favorite foodie road trip between 10/10/2008 and 10/29/2008 by either posting your story on your blog and linking to this post.
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• -Email us at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it and provide the URL to your story (or if you're not a blogger email us the story itself) along with an optional 100x100 pixel image

*sadly, you must be a US resident to be eligible to receive the iTunes' season pass.

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