What's Cooking? aka Door-to-Door Organics New "Kitchen"

Eggplant and Artichoke Galettes

For many of us, the downside to having fruits and veggies delivered is figuring out what to do with them. Sure you can eat them raw, throw them in salads, but if culinary creativity isn't your strong suit, the fun ends there. Wisely, Door-to-Door Organics created their new "Kitchen" feature to help us out.

When I received a late summer Local Box of veggies I wasn't sure what to do. In all honesty, there wasn't a lot in there I would normally buy. I don't really eat squash and such but that is what we grow locally  so that's what I got. Then I remembered the recipe finder feature. I had submitted my own recipe not too long ago so I figured I would find something there.

The beauty of the Kitchen recipe finder is it allows you to search for recipes in various ways. It makes recommendations based on your current delivery or a submitted  list of items in your pantry or you can search by ingredient, meal or special diet needs. Even better, since the recipes are compiled by Door-to-Door Organics subscribers you know they're prepared in "real homes" not test kitchens. There is also the opportunity to rate the recipes.

I have grown to love this feature and use the Kitchen recipe finder even when I am not using my delivery items. If you've ever thought "I'd like to get my fruits and veggies delivered but what would I do with them?" well now is the time to find out. Still not sure? Enter the Coupon Code "CupcakeMafia" and save 40% off your first Bitty Box!

The "Heart Healthy" Winner!!!

Well I have to say, I was fairly surprised by this contest. The entries were very few but the feedback was plentiful. I heard a lot on my Twitter stream and through emails that many of you are  currently subscribed to Door-to-Door Organics (or you live outside the delivery zone). I am delighted to hear that so many people are eating excellent organic produce!

The contest winner, David R., will be receiving a complimentary Bitty Box from Door-to-Door Organics. While David didn't submit a recipe I loved his response. It's very much in line with my own eating philosphy.

While there are a lot of great heart healthy recipes out there I personally want my organics to achieve their full nutritional potential, which means having them raw and having them within reach at all times.  Not to say I don't appreciate cooking, I just love the taste of crisp, fresh organic produce and build my meals around that on a daily basis.  

In addition, one generous ready, Peter West Carey, was outside of the delivery zone, but suggested if he win I give his prize to someone deserving. Check out his recipe here.

Oven Roasted Portobellas with Potatoes, Onions and Squash

Ingredients:
Portobello Mushrooms
Red Potatoes
White Onions
Italian Squash
Several cloves Fresh Garlic
1-2 teaspoons Mustard Powder
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup (or to taste) Balsamic or Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons honey

Directions: Chop potatoes, squash and onions into similarly sized pieces. Mix together in oven safe cookware. (Note: If you have a quicker cooking squash, you may want to reserve it and add midway through the cooking process.) Slice the mushrooms into generously thick portions and spread over the top of the other veggies. In a bowl or liquid measure, whisk together the garlic, spices, salt and pepper, oil, vinegar and honey. Drizzle over the top of the vegetables.
Roast in 350-375 degree (F) oven for about an hour or until veggies are tender, stirring once or twice to make sure the vegetables are evenly coated.
This one tastes prettier than it looks.

You Gotta Have Heart

February is American Heart Month in order to bring awareness and prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke. Combined these are our nation's number one killer but there is a lot you can do to maintain your health and lower your risk. The American Heart Association has a lot of great tips to keep heart healthy. One of these key items is to stick with a healthy diet including 4 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables each day.

One way to make sure you always have plenty of fruits and veggies on hand is to subscribe to Door-to-Door Organics. This company will deliver fresh fruits and/or vegetable right to your doorstep or work location. Having fruits and veggies available makes it much more likely that you'll choose them to snack on or cook with. Also, developing a base of good heart-healthy recipes will ensure you always have a healthy option for meals. To help jump start some heart healthy eating I am having a contest. Submit your best Heart Healthy recipe by this Friday, February 11 at 11:59 pm MT and you will have the opportunity to win a free bitty Box from Door-to-Door Organics! Not sure what qualifies as a "Heart Healthy" recipe? Check out the AHA website for tips.

Please email entries (with pictures if available) to thecupcake@mycupcakemafia.com. Voting will be held from Saturday- Monday, with the winner being announced on Tuesday, February 15. You must live int he DTDO delivery area to qualify for the prize.

If you don't have a recipe to submit but are in the DTDO delivery area and want to try it out you can sign up and enter "cupcakemaifa" as a promotional code to save 40% off your first Bitty box!

Already receiving a Door to Door Organics delivery? Current customers can add Valentine’s Day goodies to their order, including items from local Colorado companies Beautiful Sweets Organic Bakery and Seth Ellis Chocolatier. Door To Door Organics will donate 10% of the proceeds from the purchase of these special Valentine’s Day items to the American Heart Association.  Orders must be submitted by February 13.

Bountiful: Part 2 Purple Potato Chips

As a follow up to my post about local foods earlier this week I want to share another creation from my Door-to-Door Organics delivery.  Last week I received four purple potatoes. In a sense a potato is a potato, I probably could have used them in any recipe that calls for potatoes. I decided to try something new (at least new to me). I wanted a snack that could be good for the work day or a snow shoeing adventure.

After looking online and getting the basic idea for cooking times for baked potato chips I went to the spice cabinet and this is what I came up with. The chips can be a little spicy so if you like a mild chip use less Cayenne.

Ingredients
4 Medium Purple Potatoes
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1 Tsp Sea Salt
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper
1 Garlic Cloved Finely Minced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Thinly slice the potatos, try to cut uniform slices. Set aside. In a large bowl combine olive oil, spices, and garlic. Add potatoes and toss to coat. I recommend using your hands (after washed of course) to make sure each slice is coated.

Lay slices evenly across two baking sheets. When laying out on the sheet make sure to keep thicker slices on one sheet and the thinner slices on the other, this will make it easier to gauge when they're done and remove a whole sheet at a time.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes until crisp on the under side. Flip and cook another 8-15 minutes. Remove from oven. You can either enjoy once they've cooled a bit for fresh warm chips or place in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Bountiful: Finding Pleasure in Local Foods

November naturally brings to mind Thanksgiving (if you live in the US). I know a lot of people first visualize a turkey when they think of Thanksgiving, I on the other hand picture a Cornucopia. I remember numerous coloring pages and craft projects that featured a Cornucopia as a child. They were always a bounty of beautiful colors found in so many fruits and vegetables. I was always a bit in awe at the idea of so many fruits and vegetables and that is exactly how I feel when I open my delivery from Door-to-Door Organics.



A sample of one delivery

If you live in Colorado, Kansas City, Chicago, Michigan, or certain areas on the East Coast you may already be familiar with Door-to-Door Organics (also known as Suburban Organics. This organization is similar to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in the sense you're buying produce from local farmers therefore eating local and minimizing the impact to the environment that comes with long-distance imports. However with many CSAs you buy your share and you get your box, not knowing what you'll get. With Door-to-Door Organics you get to choose the size of your box and whether you want it delivered weekly or every other week. You also can substitute items. As a terribly picky eater I love this. At the same time I rarely substitute items just because I don't know what they are or don't like them.

One of the great features of a delivery from Door-to-Door Organics or any CSA is it gives you a chance to break up your routine. For example, last week I got a Persimmon in my box. I had no clue what a Persimmon tasted like let alone how to eat it. I ended up researching recipes online and found a recipe for Persimmon Bread via Sunflower Market. Since they had Persimmons on sale I picked up two more needed for the recipe and gave it a try. It is delicious!  The best part is that is my usual response to cooking with something new from my delivery.


If you're not in Door-to-Door Organics delivery area, want to look at options for work trade shares of a CSA, or just want to learn more about eating local check out Local Harvest! They're a wealth of information.