Grilled Corn and Potato Chowder

 In the final use of the Boston Organics box this week, I used up the corn and some of the onion. The recipe was taken from here (a Boston Organics recipe!) and changed a bit.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound red potatoes, chopped
• 1 TBSP salt
• 3 TBSP butter, softened
• 4 ears corn, shucked
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• dash of ground red pepper
• 3 cups low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1 TBSP thyme
• 1/2 TBSP black pepper

Directions:

1) Place potatoes and 2 tsp salt in a saucepan and cover the potatoes with water.
2) Bring to a boil.
3) Cook for 2 minutes.
4) Remove from heat and let sit in the water for 5 minutes.
5) Preheat a grill pan to medium and put cooking spray on it.
6) Drain the water out.
7) Melt 1 TBSP butter and spread it over the corn.

8) Place corn and potatoes on the grill pan.











9) Grill for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally.
10) Cool the corn a bit, then cut the kernels from the cobs.











11) Place 1 cup of the kernels in a food processor (or blender) and blend until smooth (it won't get too smooth, at least it didn't for me...).
12) Melt remaining 2 TBSP butter in a saucepan.






13) Add onion and saute for 3 minutes. I used a spatula to stir, so I could scrap the sides.







14) Add 1 tsp salt and red pepper to the pan and cook for 30 seconds.









15) Stir in potatoes, corn kernels, pureed corn, milk, half and half, and thyme and bring to a simmer.







16) Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
17) Add black pepper.

Tomato, Zucchini, and Eggplant Tian

 As other posts will tell you, we get a box of fruit and vegetables once a week from Boston Organics. This box contained eggplant, thus this recipe was followed and altered a bit.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds round tomatoes, about 4, sliced thin
• 1 red onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 pounds zucchini, about 2, sliced thin
• 1 eggplant, sliced thin
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp basil leaves
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp dill
• 1/2 oregano

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375F/190C.
2) Arrange the vegetables in rows in the baking dish in the order of: tomato, eggplant, tomato, zucchini, onion, repeat. If there is extra place it in the middle or around the edges.
3) Season with salt and pepper






4) Mix the herbs and additional salt and pepper into the olive oil.
5) Poor the olive oil over the vegetables in the dish.







6) Place tinfoil over the vegetables and bake for 1 hour.








7) Remove the tinfoil and bake for another 1/2 hour.

Onion, Walnut and, Blue Cheese Tart

 From: Veggie Feasts

Ingredients:

• 40 g (1 1/2 oz) butter
• 500 g (1 lb) onions, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 TBSP chopped thyme
• 50 g (2 oz) walnuts, chopped
• 350 g (11 1/2 oz) puff pastry, defrosted if frozen
• plain flour, for dusting
• 150 g (5 oz) blue cheese, diced
• salt and black pepper

Directions:

1) Melt the butter in a frying pan.









2) Add the onions, garlic and thyme and cook over a medium heat.








3) Stir occasionally for 20-25 minutes until soft and golden.
4) Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7.
5) Add in the walnuts.
6) Let cool.
7) Roll the pastry out on a lighly floured work surface to form a rectangle 40 x 20 cm (16 x 8 in).
8) Cut the rectangle vertically in half.
9) Cut this horizontally into quarters to make eight squares. I did not have enough dough (misread the package so I got 6 rectangles)

10) Divide the onion mixture between the squares, leaving a narrow boarder around the edges.
11) Scatter over the blue cheese.
12) Transfer the pastries to a large baking sheet and bake in the oven.




13) Cook until the pastry is puffed and the cheese is golden, about 12-15 minutes.
14) Leave to cool slightly and serve warm.

Mixed Mushrooms on Toast

From: Veggie Feasts

Ingredients:

• 25 g (1 oz) butter
• 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
• 750 g (1 1/2 lb) mixed mushrooms, such as oyster, shitake, flat and buttom, trimmed and sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 TBSP chopped thyme
• grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 TBSP chopped parsley
• 4 slices of sourdough bread (I used soda bread because its easier to find in Ireland)
• 100 g (3 1/2 oz) mixed salad leaves
• salt and black pepper
• fresh Parmesan cheese shavings, to serve

Directions:

1) Melt the butter with the oil in a large frying pan.









2) Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, lemon rind and salt and pepper.








3) Cook over a medium heat, stirring, for 4-5 minutes, until tender.
4) Scatter over the parsley and squeeze over a little lemon juice.






5) Toast the bread.
6) Top the sourdough toast with an equal quality of the salad leaves and mushrooms.
7) Drizzle over a little more oil and lemon juice and scatter with Parmesan shavings.

Mixed Mushroom Tart

From: Veggie Feasts

Ingredients:

• Pastry
• 200 g (7 oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 135 g (4 oz) chilled unsalted butter, diced
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 TBSP cold water
• Filling
• 50 g (2 oz) butter
• 6 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp chopped thyme
• 350 g (11 1/2 oz) mixed mushrooms (I used closed cap and flat because that's all that Tesco had), trimmed and sliced
• 300 ml (1/2 pint) soured cream
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 25 g (1 oz) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• Salt and black pepper

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 200C/400F
2) Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
3) Add the butter and rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
4) Add the egg yolk and measurement water and bring the mixture together.




5) Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.









6) Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface.
7) Use to line a 25 cm (10 in) fluted flan tin.







8) Prick the base with a fork and chill for 30 minutes.









9) Line the pastry with nonstick baking paper and baking beans (pastry weights). I did not have baking beans so I used coffee cups.
10) Bake for 15 minutes.





11) Remove the paper and beans.
12) Bake for another 15 minutes.
13) Let cool.







14) Melt the butter in a frying pan.










15) Add the shallots, garlic and thyme and cook over a low heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.








16) Increase the heat, add the mushrooms and slat and pepper and cook, stirring for 4-5 minutes until browned.
17) Leave to cool.







18) Scatter over the tart case.








19) Beat the soured cream, eggs, Parmesan and salt and pepper together.






20) Poor over the tart.
21) Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and just set.