Pork Tenderloin with Rutabagas and Green Beans

We got some rutabagas in our CSA pickup last week, which was pretty exciting because neither Chris nor I had ever had them before, so it gave us something totally new to try. I did some quick reading about what to serve them with and overwhelming the recommendation seemed to be pork, so we picked up a garlic and black peppercorn tenderloin at Trader Joe's and grilled it up.

I found a recipe on Epicurious for Rutabagas with Caramelized Onions, and it was fantastic - and so easy! Caramelize some onions, boil some rutabagas, saute rutabagas, toss with onions and honey. Yum!

I can't wait to make these again! Recipe behind the cut...

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Quinoa with Veggies

Quinoa is one of my absolute favorite grains, although I'll completely admit that I'm not super adventurous with it. I tend it make it the same way every time - with pesto, balsamic vinegar, and sauteed veggies.

I don't have a real recipe for this one, which is good, because you can adapt it to include whatever veggies you have sitting around. This is definitely one of my go-to meals when I'm short on time, because you can have it on the table in about 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1 Bell Pepper, thinly sliced and cut into 1" pieces
• 20 Cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 Small Zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into small chunks
• 1/2 Medium Onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup Quinoa
• 1/3 cup Basil Pesto
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Unless you know you have prewashed quinoa, give it a good rinse before cooking.
2. Cut veggies (whichever you may be using) and saute in EVOO over medium low heat in a large skillet. Quinoa usually cooks for 15 minutes, and you want the veggies and quinoa to finish at approximately the same time.
3. Add quinoa to veggies, add pesto, and gently combine. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar (start out small, and increase the amount depending on your taste).
4. Season with salt and pepper, and enjoy!

CSA Week 5

I don't have an actual list for our Week 5 haul thanks to arriving home Sunday night after a 7-hour roadtrip. I had enough energy to take a quick photo, wash/wipe the haul, and then collapse on the couch.

Here's my estimate:

• 3 Tomatoes
• 2 Purple Eggplants
• 1 White Eggplant
• 2 Rutabagas
• 1 Green Pepper
• Various Hot Peppers
• 6 Small Sweet Potatoes
• 6 Potatoes
• 2 Onions
• 1 Bunch of Kale
• 1 Large Bag of Spinach (see the salad spinner)
• 6 Apples
• 5 Pears
• 1 Bunch of Radishes
• 1 Acorn Squash
• 1 Bundle of Thanksgiving Decoration (or Popcorn, as Chris insists)

I'm sure I'm missing something, but this will do. I washed, chopped, and froze the spinach and kale for use later, since I didn't have it in me to make a meal plan for the week after our packed weekend. I'm sure it will get used, but now the pressure is off!

Baingan Bharta

Or Spicy Roasted Eggplant, whichever you prefer. Indian food is a somewhat new favorite of mine, particularly because its easy to find gluten-free options. This was our first attempt making something at home though, and it was definitely a dish that will be made again - it was delicious. The original recipe is from Bella Online and we followed it almost completely, except for leaving out the ginger and cilantro due to allergy/hatred. If you like Indian, I'd highly recommend trying this dish at home.

Recipe behind the cut...

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CSA Week 4

Here's our haul from yesterday's pickup:

• 1 Purple Eggplant
• 1 Giant Green Pepper
• 3 Tomatoes
• 4 Giant Green Apples
• 1 Broccoli Head
• 1 Acorn Squash
• 2 White Sweet Potatoes
• 8 Potatoes
• 6 Pears
• 3 Onions
• 1.5 Pints of Green Beans
• 15 Various Hot Peppers
• 1 Bunch Flat Kale

Plus we bought 2 parsnips and a giant bag of mixed mushrooms from another stand. I think the parsnips will go into mashed potatoes, but I have no plans yet for the mushrooms.

CSA Week 3

This week was a huge haul, here's what we got:

• 1 Acorn Squash
• 6 Pears
• 1 Purple Eggplant
• 1 White Eggplant
• 4 Graffiti Eggplants
• 6 Apples
• 2 Zucchini
• 4 Yellow Squash
• 4 Roma Tomatoes
• 4 Potatoes
• 2 Onions
• 2 Yellow Peppers
• 1 Orange Pepper
• 4 Green Peppers
• 1 Pint Green Beans
• 8 Baby Pears
• 1 Bunch of Kale
• 9 Jalapenos
• 12 Various Hot Peppers

We're doing pretty good at using everything during the week, the only things that we usually have leftovers of are the potatoes, which don't really go bad right away, and green beans, which I just don't use all that much.