Asian pork burgers with quick pickled cucumbers

There's been a lot of talk about veg around here lately, so I thought I probably owed you a nice, meaty post.

So of course I shall focus on pork (not quite bacon, but damned close).

I've been trying out some pork burger recipes over the past few months, looking for some alternatives to straight-up beef burgers -- although there is nothing wrong with a nice, locally raised grass-fed beef burger, my friends, nothing at all.

I came across a recipe for "triple pork burgers" in a recent issue of Food and Wine. Triple pork? You know The Ninj's interest was piqued. And it also included cabbage. Yep, cabbage -- in the burger. Very stealthy indeed.

But, as is often the case, I felt the recipe was way too involved and included some spice that would require a special trip to an ethnic grocery store in another town.

Not happening.

Not to mention that "triple pork" was misleading: that simply meant three burgers per bun. Come on: sometimes more pork is simply too much pork. (Can you believe I just wrote that?) 

So, being all stealthy like I am, I gave the recipe a ninja-style modification to make it more realistic, less unhealthy and faster to prepare.

CSA Share Ninja Rescue 2013: scallions, garlic scapes & strawberries (10 ways)

Welcome to another installment of the 2013 edition of CSA Share Ninja Rescue, a weekly feature in which you tell me on Fridays what veg you got in your CSA share box (or found at the farmers' market) that you don't know what to do with and I'll give you a whole slew of recipe ideas on the following Monday.

(Or Tuesday, just this one week, because I was on vacation.)

We've wound up with an interesting combination this week, based on reader requests: scallions (green onions), garlic scapes (the long, curling tops of garlic) and strawberries -- because you might, just might, get sick of eating them straight out of the basket (I certainly won't but you might).

Strawberries

• Strawberries with Brown Sugar and Balsamic Vinegar: an easy, elegant dessert
• Roasted Strawberries: once roasted, use them to make strawberry, brie and chocolate bruschetta, too!
• Strawberry Gazpacho: a cool summer dinner starter

Garlic Scapes

• Pickled Garlic Scapes: a twist on traditional pickles
• Arugula and Garlic Scape Pesto: Spicier than your average basil pesto -- and great on pizza
• Garlic Scape Hummus: A delicious dip for crunchy veggies

Scallions

• Skillet Hash Browns with Scallions: A crispy, more interesting potato and onion side dish
• Scallion Pancakes: Another side, a little like a vegetable fritter
• Pasta with Scallion Sauce: An onion-y take on pesto

Now, with what veg can I give you a little help next week? Leave a comment -- The Ninj wants to know.

CSA Share Ninja Rescue 2013: kohlrabi (6 ways)

Photo by Michael and Christa Richert via the stock.xchng

Welcome to another installment of the 2013 edition of CSA Share Ninja Rescue, a weekly feature in which you tell me on Fridays what veg you got in your CSA share box (or found at the farmers' market) that you don't know what to do with and I'll give you a whole slew of recipe ideas on the following Monday.

Recipes by request: how cool and easy is that?

This week, my readers are looking for help with kohlrabi. You might not even know what it is -- but it's that alien-looking veg you see in the photo above. Freaky, no? 

Kohlrabi is a root vegetable, either green or purple, that is in the same family as cabbage (and even tastes a bit like it), so, when shredded, it makes a great substitute for cabbage. It is has historically been widely popular throughout eastern Europe, due to its cold-hardiness. I also learned recently that is sometimes referred to as "German turnip."

Ready to get creative with kohlrabi? Here are six ways:

1. Potato-kohlrabi puree: a great alternative to mashed potatoes (you could throw a little celeriac in here, too)
2. Roasted kohlrabi: simple and delicious side dish
3. Quick kohlrabi pickles: pickling non-traditional veg yields some fun, interesting results 
4. Kohlrabi soup: this would be a unique (and easy!) starter for your next big family dinner
5. Sweet and spicy slaw: simply substitute kohlrabi for the cabbage -- lovely with burgers
6. Nouveau colcannon: again, substitute kohlrabi for the greens -- it will add a nice touch of crunchiness

Now, with what veg can I give you a little help next Monday? Leave a comment -- The Ninj wants to know.

Fruit leather

Boy oh boy oh boy, have I got an addictive snack for you.

Fruit leather. Which is simply the grown-up name for the Fruit Roll-Ups we had as kids.

(Do they even make those anymore?)

I longed to have Fruit Roll-Ups in my lunchbox but they were a rarity around our house. This, of course, made them even more desirable, nearly as desirable as candy, which is what they tasted like to me.

This homemade version is no different -- well, other than the fact that it is made with real fruit and no sugar. But it still tastes like candy.

And it's GOOD FOR YOU. I think that makes it freakin' fruit candy!

And addictive? That barely sums it up. I cannot stop eating these bad boys. I made the batch you see here with only apricots -- and it was fantastic. But I'm already dreaming about the different combinations I can concoct when my favorite fruits are in season. I'm dreaming a lot about blueberry-peach.

ZOMG.

CSA Share Ninja Rescue 2013: radishes & lettuce (8 ways)

Welcome to the first installment of the 2013 edition of CSA Share Ninja Rescue, a weekly feature in which you tell me on Fridays what veg you got in your CSA share box (or found at the farmers' market) that you don't know what to do with and I'll give you a whole slew of recipe ideas on the following Monday.

Which is today.

Last week, readers told me that they're having a little consternation with radishes and lettuce -- mainly, how to use each in something other than a boring old salad. 

Check out these eight non-salad salad veg recipes:


Radishes

• Roasted radishes: This would be a great alternative to traditional root veggies alongside a nice roast chicken
• Baked radish chips: A good-for-you snack that's easy to make
• Mango-radish salsa: Tangy-sweet, awesome as an accompaniment to chicken or pork (or even fish!)
• Easy pickled radishes: Easy to make in the refrigerator, they make a spectacular bruschetta when placed atop mashed avocado on toast rounds

Lettuce

• Grilled romaine with blue cheese dressing: Next time you grill burgers or steaks, grill up some lettuce, too
• Pea, lettuce and tarragon soup: A gorgeous green summer soup
• Peas and lettuce: Apparently, serving peas and lettuce together is a popular side dish in France
• BLT pizza: Lettuce on a pizza? Why not!

Brush a pre-made pizza shell with some olive oil. Layer on cooked chicken and bacon and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 425 for about 8 minutes or until the cheese is toasty. While the pizza cooks, toss some sliced lettuce in a bowl with some mayonnaise that has been diluted with a little water. Layer the pizza shell with slices of tomato and avocado and top it off with the lettuce.

Now, with what veg can I give you a little help next Monday? Leave a comment -- The Ninj wants to know.

Nutella banana bread

Since I made my own Nutella, I've been looking for new, creative ways to use it -- other than eating it straight from the jar with a new, creative spoon each time.

That, coupled with having three past-their-prime bananas on the kitchen counter, gave rise to this bread.

(And why do overripe bananas always seem to hang out in recipe-perfect groups of three?)

Regular readers know I like my sweet stuff a little on the less sweet side (I'm more of a savory gal, frankly), which is why I'm happy happy HAPPY about this bread. It's a great afternoon snack and, if you don't mind a little chocolate in the morning (Mind? Who am I kidding...), it's a lovely breakfast bread.

Especially toasted and topped with a little schmear of strawberry jam. Yowza.

CSA Share Ninja Rescue: 2013

It's baaaa-aaaaack!

For the past few years, during the summer (read: peak CSA share months), I offered a feature / service I dubbed the CSA Share Ninja Rescue. Here's what it is:

Have you ever had one of those "what the heck is THAT and how do I eat it?!!" moments when you open your CSA share?

I certainly have.

Or would you like to be more food-adventurous and try something from your local farmers' market -- say, rhubarb -- that you have never eaten before and don't know how to prepare?

Enter the Ninj and the CSA Share Ninja Rescue.

Each week, you tell me what you received in your share box that is giving you angst and I will give you some ideas for how to use it.

Baffled by bok choy? Confounded by kale? Traumatized by turnips? Yep, the Ninj can help.

Too many tomatoes? Zillions of zucchini? I'm here for you.

Each Monday (like today) I will post about the CSA Share Ninja Rescue. Send me your suggestions / questions / dilemmas by Friday, posting a comment on the Monday post or by emailing me at kitninja (at) gmail (dot) com. Each week I will review the suggestions and on the following Monday provide as many helpful recipe and/or preserving ideas as I can.

We had a lot of fun with this over the past few years and I look forward to more of the same this year. 

Let's celebrate the CSA together!

So, let's get started -- what's in your box this week? Leave a comment below: The Ninj wants to know.