CSA–Week 4; Plus Lamb Kofta

This week’s box (our CSA half-share from Two Creeks Organics) didn’t totally thrill me, but it was fun to try a couple new vegetables this week!

This weekend I made a salad using the Chinese cabbage, crunchy chow mein noodles, chopped peanuts, and a dressing consisting of these ingredients:

This was not a bad recipe, but I think I would prefer cooking Chinese cabbage next time I prepare it, to extract some of the bitterness.

I completely clashed Chinese and Mediterranean food in this meal. To go with the cabbage, I made Lamb Kofta for the first time. This is a dish that I often enjoy at Middle Eastern restaurants, so I had high hopes.

This dish was easy to prepare, using this Lamb Kofta recipe from Cooking Light. I simply combined the following ingredients…:

…and then made oblong patties, which I cooked over medium-high heat on a skillet. I was surprised by the quantity of fat rendered out of these patties. I frequently had to drain the pan.

And the verdict? Well… I don’t know WHY I keep cooking with turmeric! Everytime I do, I am never happy with the dish I make. I think I just can’t learn to like the stuff. I did reduce turmeric quantity from 1 tsp to 1/2 tsp, but I could still taste it. I just wasn’t thrilled by the flavors in this dish, but it was still fun trying new ingredients. I served the Lamb Kofta over brown rice, with hummus for dipping, with seasoned lentils and cabbage salad on the side. A pretty plate, at least?

Exponentially better than the above meal was the below grill feast!

Grilled veggies are truly the best! I chop them, toss with olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, Old Bay seasoning, and minced garlic, before grilling. In the mix, we had:

red and green bell peppers
red onion
button mushrooms
asparagus
zucchini and summer squash

And this corn was out of this world! Totally wishing I had bought more – it’s 10 for $2 right now! The steak was also perfectly cooked, thanks to the grill master.

…Enjoyed with Founder’s Porter in a frosty mug. Definitely liked this Michigan beer. I have been all about the frosty mugs lately! I just set my pint glasses in my ice maker bucket in the freezer, and have frosty mugs on demand!