Tag Archives: pluots

Jan 03 2013
16 Comments
CSA Box

What’s in the Box? Best of 2012

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It’s hard to believe that 2012 has come and gone.  It was a wonderful year filled with birthday parties, special memories and of course lots of fruit and veggies.  The What’s in the Box? Link Party was born in 2012 and has been rocking ever since.  I am so grateful to all the participants that have shared their delicious goodies with the rest of us.  It’s been a blast to swap recipes with you and drool over your fresh produce.

Speaking of drooling, I am totally salivating over last week’s party.  With so many people’s CSA seasons ending, we only had 4 participants, so the party was small, but boy was it mighty.  Everything from mashed root veggies, to cranberry nut bread, to homemade pizza with spinach crust and a killer party dip.  Thank you ladies for making our new year bright :)

Now on to my favorite boxes of 2012.  To be honest, it was hard to pick a top 5 because they are all pretty awesome.  But after spending hours looking through the pics and checking to see what came of the produce, I was finally able to narrow it down.  So without further ado, here are the What’s in the Box? Top 5 of 2012…

#5: What’s in the Box? #22

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So many of my favorite fruits and veggies in one place, including the star of the show…blueberries!  But really, this week it was all about Mashed Red Potatoes.  They are the best you will ever have.  And when you serve them with a side of steamed broccoli tossed with lemon juice and a small portion of protein, you have yourself the perfect meal.

#4: Whats in the Box? #36

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Summer is my favorite time of year.  I love all the delicious fruits that come my way.  Nectarines, plums, berries.  They just make me happy.  I usually eat them for a snack, but after weeks and weeks of plums and pluots, I had to throw together a few Pluot Crumbles.  It is a great dish to whip up for a summer barbecue and is sure to impress your family and friends.

#3: What’s in the Box? #34

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I don’t think I have ever seen such a beautiful head of lettuce.  It was so gorgeous it made me want to throw it in a vase and display it on my table as a centerpiece.  However, after a few days of marveling its beauty I caved and made a huge Strawberry Salad.  One of my favorite afternoon treats by far.  Throw in some grilled chicken and you are good to go!

#2: What’s in the Box? #31

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One word…apricots!!  I can’t get enough of them.  I think I might be able to live on apricots alone.  Well, apricots and some Braised Pork with Fennel and Pork.  I am so grateful that getting a delivery of fennel helped me to think outside the box.  I would have never purchased fennel at the store but after some creative experimentation, I found one of my favorite recipes of all time.  Try it…I promise you will become a fennel lover too :)

#1: What’s in the Box? #45

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One of the highlights of receiving fresh produce every week, is that I get to share my love for fruits and veggies with my family.  It makes me happy when Harper dives right into the broccoli without any begging, coercing or bribing.  I also love that I can whip up a healthy and yummy meal in no time.  This Chicken with Tomato Herb Pan Sauce is so easy to make and delicious to eat you will want it on your table at least once a week.  That is, as long as you have some fresh cherry tomatoes sitting around.

So those are my Top 5 boxes of 2012.  Can’t wait to see what 2013 has in store for me.  I am counting down the days until my first box arrives.  T minus 6 folks…

Your turn:  What are some of your favorite boxes of 2012?  Feel free to add the links to the deliveries you loved the most.  Let’s take a walk down CSA memory lane shall we?

Linking up for the first time?  Click here for more info…and Welcome!  PS:  Don’t forget to tell your readers about the party by linking back to this post.  Thanks!


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Sep 06 2012
45 Comments
CSA Box

What’s in the Box? #42 & a Giveaway!

Wednesday kind of crept up on me this week.  I am normally fully aware of my favorite day of the week, but with the long weekend, my days are a bit thrown off.  However, I am thrilled and as excited as always to celebrate the goodness that is my CSA, even if my mind still thinks it’s Tuesday ;)

I hope all of you had a lovely Labor Day weekend filled with lots of fun and good eats.  Seems like the link party was a popular place to be over the holiday too.  Last week we had a total of 54 link ups!  Each and every one looked delicious, and nutritious :)  My sweet tooth is in heaven with some yummy and creative treats this week.  Flourless Squash Brownies, Apple Hand Pies, Sweet Corn Ice Cream…simply divine.  Who knew CSA fruits and veggies could be so sinful?  Thanks to everyone who linked up.  My cup of inspiration remains full from week to week from all of your lovely links.  I truly appreciate your participation.

Now let’s take a look at what I will be working with this week…

A nice hybrid of summer and autumn produce.  Including some of my favorites from each season.  I was shocked and surprised to see strawberries this late in the summer but I’ll take it!  And they are just as juicy and sweet as can be.  Can’t wait to indulge in a bowl full of berries for a nice after dinner treat.  Or better yet, I might just have to recreate this salad using that lovely head of lettuce.  I made one for our Labor Day BBQ and still have a half a block of Dubliner cheese in the fridge just waiting to be grated.  Might have to figure out a way to do both…

Speaking of treats, I recently came across this recipe for Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins.  So when I saw that I received zucchini and apples, I knew I had to give them a whirl.  They have no sugar or flour which means they are completely clean!  So I won’t feel naughty whipping up a batch and enjoying a few for a snack.

I am planning on making the potatoes as a side dish for dinner tomorrow night.  I am going to stick with my old stand by recipe because, well…it’s delicious :)

As much as I LOVE my Pluot Crumble recipe, while I was in the midst of my clean eating journey, I can across this recipe for a clean version of Pluot Crumble.  After seeing these gigantic plums in my box, I figured I would give it a try.  Never hurts to have a clean option of a favorite dessert.

Although I a bit tomato-ed out from the meal plan, I am fortunate enough to have a plethora of creative tomato recipes from various link party participants.  Now it’s just a matter of sitting down and figuring out which one will tickle my fancy.  Or rather, which one my husband would be interested in.  After all, it’s important to me that he eat my food, so I do my best to cater to his tastes.

Those lovely ears of corn remind me of one of my favorite clean eating lunches.  And the best part about fresh corn is that all is needs is a quick 3 minute boil and it is good to go.  No butter, or mayo or parm cheese needed.  Now that’s not to say I didn’t indulge in some Mexican corn on Labor Day…I had my fill.  But I am back on the wagon and looking forward to making some better choices :)

It’s no secret that I am always on the lookout for creative ways to use my celery.  I enjoy eating it for a snack, love making mirepoix, think it tastes great in soups, but I can never seem to get through an entire bunch.  So I was excited to find this recipe which is another option to throw into my tool chest.  Granted it only calls for 2 ribs, but that’s 2 ribs that won’t get lonely in the crisper drawer.

And last but not least, I always love to see fresh broccoli.  Unlike some folks, I could eat broccoli every day.  And no need to get fancy with it either.  Although, after being on a steaming stint lately, I think I might have to roast it this week to change things up a bit.

So, if talking about fresh fruits and veggies weren’t fun enough, I am excited to offer a fantastic giveaway this week.  And even though it has nothing to do with produce or even food for that manner, it has everything to do with being healthy.  Remember that awesome deodorant I was telling you about the other day?  Well the very generous folks over at 30SomeWeeks.com have offered to giveaway their incredible product to 5 lucky winners.  How cool is that?

Here’s the scoop…

To enter:  ”Like” 30SomeWeeks.com and In Her Chucks on Facebook and leave a comment telling me that you have done so.

For additional entries…

1.  Subscribe to this blog and leave a comment telling me you have done so.  If you already subscribe to my blog, then leave me a comment telling me that you are already subscribed (and thanks for the support!).

2.  Follow @DeodoMom on Twitter and leave a comment on this post letting me know you’ve done so.

3.  Pin this giveaway and comment here with a link to your post.

The more entries you have, the better your chances are to win.  The giveaway will close at 12:01 am on September 13th.  A winner will be randomly selected and announced on September 23rd.  Make sure to include your email address with your comment so that I can contact if you win.

Alright…time to get busy!  Good Luck :)

Linking up for the first time?  Click here for more info…and Welcome!  PS:  Don’t forget to tell your readers about the party by linking back to this post.  Thanks!

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Aug 23 2012
28 Comments
CSA Box

What’s in the Box? #40

 

Break out the gag gifts, inflate a bunch of balloons and get the party favors ready, because What’s in the Box is Over the Hill!  That means I have drooled over, gushed about and enjoyed around 400 varieties of fruits and veggies during the last 9 months.  And each and every piece of produce has been divine!  The fun part about this milestone is, that like a good bottle of wine, as we move forward on this journey together, it is only going to get better :)  The more I receive fresh, local produce, the more I learn how to cook, enjoy and prepare it.  And now that I have you all partying with me…well, I have more ideas than I know what to do with!  So, WITB…40 is looking real good on you :)

Last week might have been a small turnout (compared to some of our recent parties) with 33 link ups, but each and every post was chock full of delicious CSA goodness.  And tomatoes stole the show!  Everything from Oven Roasted Tomatoes, Crepes a la Piperade, Vodka Sauce and Tomato Cobbler.  Truth be told, I wasn’t always a fan of tomatoes, but I’m definitely warming up to them.  And these recipes have me drooling over tomatoes now!  Thanks to everyone who participated in the link party last week.  I appreciate your continued support and creative ideas.

Now it’s time to check out the contents of my Over the Hill box…

Speaking of tomatoes…check out those yellow tomatoes.  I was stumped when I first saw them.  I have never encountered a tomato of that shape and the color made me think it was a pepper or other type of fruit.  So I had to take a bite out of one to make sure it was indeed a tomato.  Score!  I was on my way to the store to pick up some tomatoes for the rest of my meal plans this week and was happy to get some freshly picked ones instead.  Love when that happens :)

I was excited to see another bulb of elephant garlic again.  Although I still haven’t made my way through the last bulb.  Guess I will have to get on that or else I will have garlic coming out of my ears!

After a ton of pluots in my box this summer, I finally got my favorite variety…Flavor Granade Pluots.  I love the color and I love the flavor.  They make for such a yummy and refreshing snack, it’s hard to eat just one.  If I wanted to be naughty, I would make this tart.  Blows my crumble out of the water!

I am loving those little tiny grapes.  I almost didn’t think they were real.  They look like the plastic grapes you see used as decoration.  Harper and I grabbed a handful and gave them a try.  Crunchy and sweet!  I will have to look for this Red Flame variety in the future.

And while we are on the subject of grapes…these grapefruits look mighty nice!  There is nothing like a tart, juicy grapefruit to start your morning off right.  I find that it rounds out my meals with eggs quite nicely.  I will have to try my best to fit it into my meal plan this week.

As for the rest of the haul…The green beans and red bell peppers were cooked up tonight for lunches tomorrow.  Stay tuned for a clean eating post with details.  Expect to see the corn, carrots and Romaine lettuce in the next few days as well.  Lots of delicious and fresh meals on the horizon.

Your turn:  What are some of your favorite ways to use the fruits and veggies shown?  Any special recipe, tips or tricks you’d like to share?  Looking forward to reading your responses :)

Linking up for the first time?  Click here for more info…and Welcome!  PS:  Don’t forget to tell your readers about the party by linking back to this post.  Thanks!


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Jun 14 2012
49 Comments
CSA Box

What’s in the Box? #30

What’s in the Box? has officially left its twenties and is celebrating its 30th post!  Which means I have gushed over at least 300 fruits and veggies over the past 7 months and shared a ton of recipes.  And now you are joining me in the fun.  We had 47 links last week!  A record high :)  Thank you for continuing to link up week after week.  I appreciate your support in helping create an online CSA community.  I can’t get enough of your delicious dishes.

And now on to the great reveal…

Freaking Rainier Cherries people!!!  The most delicious gems I have ever tasted.  They are worth their weight in gold.  The bag barely made it through the picture taking.  They were gone immediately afterwards.  An entire pound, gone in seconds.  SO delicious!

Am I the only one that has never seen yellow zucchini’s before?  I mean, I have seen yellow squash, but not yellow zucchini.  Cool!  After the success of the Turkey Burgers from the last delivery of zucchini, I think we might have to enjoy another round.  Complete with homemade Zucchini Fries of course.

And since I seem to be in the mood to revisit favorite recipes, I will probably make another batch of Pork Chops and Snap Peas with Mint Julep Sauce.  Those mixed potatoes will be perfect to round out the meal.  And I just happen to have some heavy whipping cream stored in the fridge along with tons of butter.  Potatoes never tasted so good :)

For the lone leek I am looking forward to attempting my first quiche.  A friend gave me one of their favorite recipes and I can’t wait to give it a try.  What’s cool about quiches is that you can eat them for breakfast or lunch (or dinner).  I like the idea of enjoying a slice with a side salad.  By the looks of the head of romaine, there will be LOTS of side salads in my future.

The pluots will become a delicious dessert (which I promised last week).  But now that I have a house full of pluots, I can’t help but get busy.  I even purchased a small carton of ice cream to compliment my sweet treat.  It’s going to be amazing :)

I’m not planning on any fancy fate for the broccoli and spinach.  I love to enjoy both quite simply.  The broccoli will be steamed, the spinach sautéed.  They make for great side dishes.

And finally, the oranges will either end up in some fresh squeezed juice or in Freddie’s belly.  Now that he is riding his bike to work, he usually grabs one for a pre-ride snack.

Your turn:  What are some of your favorite ways to use the fruits and veggies shown?  Any special recipes, tops or tricks you’d like to share?  Looking forward to hearing your responses :)


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Jun 06 2012
40 Comments
CSA Box

What’s in the Box? #29

My motto of the week…Ask and you shall receive!

Remember last week when I was raving about how much I love summer fruit?  Well, wouldn’t you know it, today I opened up my box to 2 out of the 4 fruits that I have been praying for (praying?…does that sound desperate?).  This is a definite high of my week :)

But before I get too gushy about the beauty that is my CSA box, I wanted to take a moment to give a shout out to all of my link party participants.  Last week we hit a record high of 34 links!  Each entry was just as good as the next.  We are on CSA fire people!  This party is full of some healthy and creative veggie lovers.  And I am grateful for each and every one of you.  I never knew there were so many delicious ways to prepare fresh produce.  You all continue to push the envelope on CSA goodness, and each week gets yummier.  Thank you for your participation!

Now, before I explode, it’s my turn to brag…


Apricots folks!  And pluots too.  Please excuse me while I do a little happy dance :)  And then proceed to stuff my face with their juicy goodness.  No fancy recipes needed…just a slight chill from the fridge and I’m good to go.  Although, I might have to whip up a favorite pluot dessert of mine.  As long as it doesn’t exhaust too much of my stash.  I tend to get greedy when it comes to my fruit.

I am also excited about the chard.  There have been so many delicious recipes linked up to the party over the past few weeks, I am again overwhelmed with the choices.  Swiss Chard Smoothies, Swiss Chard with Pasta,  Creamed Chard…and the list goes on and on.  In cases like this, I like to turn to Freddie for his input.  He’s a good decision maker :)

Speaking of Freddie, he was stoked about the onions..and their size!  He’s already grilling up burgers to pair with them (his favorite topping).  I am sure he will add a few leaves of lettuce as well.  Red butter lettuce goes great on burgers…yum!

Loving the other staples this week…carrots, celery, parsley.  I am having a girlfriend over Friday night and we are planning to make dinner together.  Ingredients like these will be a perfect foundation for a fresh and healthy meal.

And what about the lovely head of red cabbage?  The hubby has been begging for me to make this gratin for him.  Nothing like butter, cheese and heavy cream to jazz up a purple ball of leaves.

Last but not least, the citrus.  Meyer lemons and mandarins.  Such a lovely treat.  I am thinking about another batch of freshly squeezed citrus juice (I still have my grapefruits from last week, too!).  Because there is no better pairing with my morning breakfast.  Simply refreshing…

Your turn:  What are some of your favorite ways to use the fruits and veggies shown?  Any special recipes, tips or tricks you’d like to share?  Looking forward to hearing your responses :)

Linking up for the first time?  Click here for more info…and Welcome!


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