September Foodie Pen Pal

After a month hiatus, I am back as a foodie pen pal.  I was a little disappointed in myself because the box I put together for my own pen pal was a tad lack luster. I had roasted up some of Uncle Steve's Granola for a homemade treat, then right as I went to ship realized it contained wheat germ and my pen pal was gluten free. Out of the box it came. Rats! Luckily, I received a wonderful box from my own sender to perk me up. I will absolutely pay it forward with an extra special box in October.

The highlights of my September Box:

1) This recipe, from my penpal's daughter, a NV State Fair 2012 entry... How cute!
2) Gluten-free corn bread from Red Mills, can't WAIT to try it!
3) Lemon cookies and jasmine green tea, for curling up by the fire.  Love that.
4) Saving the best for last, Lettuce Mesclun Seeds!  I have been meaning to plant vegetables in our MTK garden forever, and this is JUST the sign.  Can't wait to try my hand at gardening in the spring.

Want to be a Foodie Pen Pal?  Sign up here.

#FoodiePenPals

My #FoodiePenPal this month went way over the spending limit, spoiling me with yummy treats.  How lucky I was to be paired up with Dawn. The highlights:

1. Lemon Creme Wafers: If you asked me what my favorite cookie is, I'd probably tell you I prefer cheese to any sweet.  But if I really think about it, it's absolutely a wafer.  Airy, crunchy, layered, a little savory.  Yum.  These lasted only two days. Oops. 
2. Savi Seeds: A first for me, and such an interesting flavor. I wish I knew about this Amazon Inca Peanut while I was pregnant, as the seeds are the richest source of Omega 3 on earth! 
3. Kale Chips: I don't think Dawn knew about my obsession with kale.  These were spot on, calling my name. 
4. Lavender: An ADORABLE little tea bag full of lavender which I promptly tucked into my underwear drawer :-)

The protein drink mix is in my gym bag and I'm saving the lollipops for a rainy day.  Thanks, Dawn for an overflowingly fun box.  Join the #FoodiePenPal movement here.

Pickled Radishes

Radishes were the first farm-fresh vegetable to stop me in my tracks.  The taste was so totally different, so totally better than the supermarket variety that my love affair with CSA's and farmers markets began.

There are so many great ways to eat radishes.  Raw with salt, sliced in a salad, roasted, just the green tops sauteed in olive oil, and now, pickled.

Pickled radishes make a great addition to sandwiches, sit pretty on a plate next to grilled protein and are a nice snack when you are craving something with a bit of a bite.  They *might* stink up the kitchen, but it is well worth it, I promise.  Best of all, they only take moments to prepare.

In the June #FoodiePenPals exchange, I was paired up with a local penpal and decided to fill my box with only homemade treats.  I included a jar of these pickled radishes, and hope they are as enjoyed by Andie as they are by me!

Pickled Radishes

Ingredients

• 6-8 summer radishes, thinly sliced on a mandoline or by hand
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds

Directions

• Thinly slice the radishes by hand or on a mandoline (a.k.a. the finger shredder 2000 as my husband refers to it)
• Place the radishes in seal-able container, cover with the water, vinegar, mustard and coriander seeds
• Mix well, and let refrigerate for 3-5 days before enjoying

#FoodiePenPals

For the second month in a row, I've been paired with a California-based #FoodiePenPal. How lucky am I??? As you may know from this post, my May box included a 2 lb bag of black beans which just delighted me. I had so much fun soaking, preparing and eating them in a Shrimp and Quinoa salad.

My favorite May Pen Pal box item is the Pomegranate Apple Jelly from Ha's Apple Farm. It's perfectly textured, just sweet enough (no sugar added!) and already in frequent rotation. Last night, I seared two lightly salted pork chops in a cast iron skillet for two minutes a side, smeared a generous heaping of the pomegranate jelly on top and popped the whole skillet in the oven for 8 minutes to finish off the meat. Delish.

The one item not pictures below is the cactus flower tortillas. What an awesome, super local, California item. Love love loved these! Thank you, Michelle, from The Confluent Kitchen, for a wonderful May delivery!

Do you want to be a FoodiePenPal? Sign up here for this super fun exchange. You don't need to be a food blogger, you simply must love Food.

#FoodiePenPals

This was my first month taking part in #FoodiePenPals, an awesome foodie care package started by Lindsay at the The Lean Green Bean. In a nutshell, #FoodiePenPals is an opt-in $15 a month foodie penpal box program.  After filling out a simple form, Lindsay pairs you with a fellow food lover for a surprise care package.  You can learn more and sign up for this super initiative here. 

Actress, foodie and fellow fitness freak, SexyFlexi, was given my name in April. After a quick email exchange on tastes and aversions, the box of goodies above arrived. What FUN it was to receive. I found myself double checking the foyer for a package in excitement--it was a Christmas morning kind of feeling.  

The box was spot on in terms of my approach to food. Healthy but fun snacks (i.e. REAL veggie chips, a small package of cookies for a treat, etc.), a jar of soup (my favorite meal!), and tea with honey sticks which I can't wait to bring to the office.  The three best surprises were: 

1. An Avocado from SexyFlexi's local farmers market: I feel a little guilty purchasing vegetables that are not local to the North East.  For this reason, I went a year without a banana, and think of avocado as a "special" treat.  Is this a bit hardcore? Yes.  Does this keep me motivated to mostly enjoy my local CSA farm share vegetables? You bet.  Oh sweet avocado, I stare at you daily waiting for you to ripen.  Major points for SexyFlexi for finding a way to send produce.  I struggled with this when creating my own #foodiepenpals box. 
2. M&W Gourmet Lemon Honey Roasted Almonds: Oh. My. Lord... These nuts are insanely good. I MAY have had a handful in the middle of the night.  I MIGHT have not told my husband about them so I could have them all to myself.  I DID email my penpal in awe.  The company calls these "healthy fruit loops", which sounds odd I know but is spot on.  I will get my hands on more of these.  I will.
3. A handwritten recipe and dry powder ingredients for a vegan chocolate cake: How cute and creative is that?  I'm making the cake as a surprise for my hubby the night before I go back to work after maternity leave.  

Can't wait for next month, and to stay in touch with SexyFlexi!