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About this Blog

This blog started as a way of supporting my Austin-based CSA (community sustainable agriculture) farm, Johnson's Backyard Garden. A member since about 2006, I have had a lot joy come from being presented a box of fresh goodies every other week; it has truly been one of the most fun, and most meaningful, additions to my daily life -- the excitement of not knowing what's going to be in the box, and, the challenge of using everything up before it spoils.

But that latter part can be difficult -- you don't want to contribute to food waste, but it can be onerous to eat 8 eggplants in a week. And, how many different ways can you cook butternut squash while it's in season?

This blog started as a way of documenting things I've made from these CSA boxes, and as a way to help other CSA members come up with ideas to use their fresh produce.

In late 2009, the blog moved away from this original premise because its author (me) moved away from the farm. Work has me traveling too much to ensure that I can be there to pick up the box, or, to be home long enough to use its contents. I'm down to using a farm box every few months or so...when I know I will be in town.

Since this transition, the blog has become more of a recipe resource for those following my cooking and learning how to cook themselves. I don't consider myself new to cooking, at all. But I am an advocate for showing others that home-made cooking isn't necessarily complicated or time-consuming. It can easily be incorporated into your daily life.

I hope you will be inspired to try some new recipes and to add cooking into your routine. 

Please, leave comments! It inspires me to know that people are reading this blog.

And, if you are interested in joining a CSA in your area, check here!

Popular posts from this blog

Curried Chicken Soup

      I made this soup so often in the 1990s, but frankly had forgotten about it.   Flipping through this cookbook, I found this recipe and was flooded with memories. When I was in grad school, this soup was my "feeling decadent" food and reminded me of something people might eat after hitting the slopes -- a thing I have never done. A few decades long, and with a lot more experience with cooking, I realize that this is basically a chicken curry with a thin sauce and the rice already in the meal -- but don't let that in any way discourage you! It's delicious as is and is a wonderful take on what is otherwise chicken and rice soup. I have become a fan of using rotisserie chickens, especially during the pandemic. They are so cheap, and I can use the meat in a soup like this on the day-of grocery shopping, and, crunch the bones down for the freezer for making stock in the future. Of course, this soup can be made with a fresh chicken, but I have modified the recipe bel...
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Spicy Bulgarian Tomato Dumpling Soup - Domatene Supa

  This was very very good. The soup itself was flavorful and would have been enough as a dinner soup. But adding the dumplings converted this soup into an entree. The couscous addition in the batter makes the dumplings pretty foolproof -- no real concern that they'll still be raw because most of the bulk is couscous, which was already cooked. I opted to cook only enough dumplings as we needed that night. We will have to make future dumplings "on demand" as we eat this as leftovers. Spicy Bulgarian Tomato Dumpling Soup - Domatene Supa Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant Soup 1 onion , diced 4 cloves garlic , minced 3 T olive oil 6 c tomatoes , chopped (fresh or canned and drained) 2 tsp chili powder 2 T flour 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 4 c stock Dumplings 2 T butter , room temperature 2 eggs , separated 1/4 c couscous 1/4 c boiling water 3/4 c flour 1/4 tsp salt 2 T dill weed , fresh (or 1 tsp dried) 1/3 c milk or stock In medium pot, sa...
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Mayocoba Beans with Green Chiles

I love this dish so much that I can barely stand it. Delicious the night it was made, and fantastic as leftovers throughout the week. Mayocoba beans are easily replaced -- try pintos, if you can't find mayocobas. Mayocoba Beans with Green Chiles Baptism of Fire 3-4 green chiles, roasted and chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 T lard or olive oil 1/2 tsp oregano 1 tsp cumin pepper 1 c mayocoba beans, dry 3 c water 1 tsp salt Cook the green chiles, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and black pepper in the fat until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the beans sit, uncovered, for an hour. You may drain the water to remove some of the slightly indigestible sugars that cause gassiness. If you decide to drain them, add enough water back into the pot to cover the beans with about 2" of water above the beans for cooking.  Bring the beans back to a boil and cook, until tender. This will take...
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