Perfectly Imperfect Produce: Box #9
Perfectly Imperfect Produce: Box #9
When I opened the box this week, all I saw was a giant orange thing and a grass-like plant. I thought, "Oh boy, what even are these?!" Turns out the green grass looking item was fennel, and the giant orange thing was a hubba squash. I had never heard of a hubba squash before this week! Check out what I did with it below!
What's in the box?
Blueberries: Healthy Blueberry Muffins
I love a sweet blueberry muffin with a sugary crumble on top. However, sometimes those muffins turn into more of a dessert than a healthy breakfast or snack. So this week I found a healthy version of the blueberry muffin. These muffins are packed with oats, wheat flour, plain greek yogurt, blueberries, and honey. While they are not the sweetest, they have a natural sweetness from the blueberries and fill you up! They are the perfect grab-and-go breakfast or healthy snack! Recipe below!
Recipe: Here
Tweaks: After I mixed up the batter, it was still very thick. So I added an extra splash of milk. I also cooked mine for 20 minutes instead of just 14-17 minutes.
Plums: Plum Crumble
The red plums in my box this week were absolutely gorgeous. They were jewel-like on the outside and sweet on the inside. To highlight the plums, I made a plum crumble. Made with brown sugar, almonds, and oats, the crumble topping browned beautifully and paired perfectly with the bubbly, hot, sweet plums. We ate the crumble with a dollop of freshly whipped cream, and it would also be delicious with vanilla ice cream! Recipe below!
Recipe: Here
**Tweaks:
Potato and Fennel: Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut squash soup is always one of our favorites. The soup is warm, filling, and screams fall-time. While the butternut squash can sometimes be hard to work with, once it is cut up, this soup is so easy. I used the giant russet potato in this soup and also snuck in some fennel! It turned out delicious.
When researching what to do with fennel, I found that all three parts of the fennel are edible: bulb, stalks, and fronds. While most recipes utilize the bulb, the fennel stalks can also be used like celery. So instead of adding celery to the recipe, I added a couple stalks of fennel. As it cooked, the fennel gave out its "licorice" aroma, but once added with the other vegetables, I could barely notice its distinct flavor. It was a good way to use the fennel stalks instead of only using the bulb!
Recipe: Here
Tweaks: I used fennel stalks instead of celery and added one cup of cream at the end. I also added some cayenne and white pepper to give it warmth.
Apples: Apple Pancakes (Apfel-Pfannkuchen)
I love Germany... like a lot! My German family lives near Bonn, and I absolutely love the culture and food. One of my favorite memories in Germany is when my german mom made me Apfel-Pfannkuchen (aka apple pancakes.) These german pancakes are not cooked in the oven like the german pancakes we typically have here in America. Rather, they are cooked entirely on the stove. Because I haven't had these pancakes for three years, I decided it was time to try to make them on my own. So with a german recipe and my memory, I went for it. To my delight, they tasted exactly as I remembered them. Yay!
While these pancakes are not overly sweet, they are delicious. The apples are first caramelized in butter and then submerged as the batter is poured over to form the pancake. They almost remind of a thick apple-crepe topped with powdered sugar. I absolutely love them because they taste delicious and bring back memories of my time in Europe. I attached the recipe I followed below and then wrote my own directions in English. Let me know if you try them!
Recipe: Here
Morgan's version in English:
Ingredients:
200 grams flour
2 Tbs. sugar
4 eggs
250 ml milk
sprinkle salt
2 apples
about 4 tsp. butter (I actually used a couple tablespoons)
*Optional: juice of half a lemon and a large bowl full of water
Directions:
Hubba Squash: Hubba Hubba Bars
Can I just say that this squash made me go Hubba Hubba! When I opened the box this week, all that was staring back at me was this bright orange squash. Plus, it was pretty large compared to everything else in the box, so it was extra interesting. Once we figured out what kind of squash it was, my husband and I threw around some ideas. First, we could carve it like a pumpkin and use it as decoration. Second, we could roast it and puree it into a soup. Or third, I could puree it and use it like a can of pumpkin in a dessert. While using the hubba squash as decoration was tempting, I wanted to actually cook something with it. After some research, I found that the hubba squash was sweet enough to use in desserts, and so I was sold! This hubba squash was going to be turned into a dessert! The next challenging part was to decide what dessert to turn it into!
I didn't grow up loving pumpkin pies/desserts. My mom makes the yummiest pumpkin cookies, but beyond that, I stayed away from pumpkin-flavored foods. (Crazy as it seems, I am not a girl who is super into pumpkin spice things!) So I turned to my husband's family, and they shared with me one of their Thanksgiving favorites: Pumpkin Bars. I followed their recipe but instead of using pumpkin, I substituted in the hubba squash! With a brown sugar and oat base, a sweet, silky squash filled middle layer, and a crumble topping of nuts and brown sugar, these bars are absolutely delicious! They tasted just as yummy as the canned pumpkin version and maybe just a bit sweeter! Highly recommend!
Grape Tomatoes, Roma Tomatoes, & Yellow Bell Pepper: Pesto Pasta
I love pesto but had never made my own! With leftover kale from last week's box and a lot of yummy tomatoes, I decided to try making a pesto pasta with tomatoes. Surprisingly the pesto was super easy to make. After I washed the kale, I threw it in my food processor with olive oil, garlic salt, the juice of one lemon, a handful of Parmesan cheese, and some walnuts. I was skeptical, but when I tried the pesto on the back of a spoon, I was surprised! It tasted so good! The kale flavor was muted by the olive oil and lemon juice, and it just tasted like pesto! This pesto was a great way to use kale and tasted great!
For the pasta, I cooked a handful of whole-wheat spaghetti and also roasted the tomatoes and bell pepper in the oven! While we ate it vegetarian, you could even saute shrimp or add chicken. The tomatoes paired with the pesto so nicely and the bell pepper added flavor. This meal was easy and quick! I attached the pesto recipe below! Enjoy!
Pesto Recipe: Here
*Tweaks: I used the juice of a whole lemon and substituted the almonds for walnuts.
Rough Recipe: I boiled a handful of wheat pasta. Meanwhile, I cut up the pepper and halved the grape tomatoes. I drizzled them with olive oil and sprinkled them with salt and pepper. The tomatoes and pepper went into a oven on broil for 8 minutes. On the stove, heat a large pan on medium heat. Add about half a cup of pesto. Once pasta is done, use twongs to transfer the pasta into the pan. (This way some of the pasta water stays on the noodles.) Add tomatoes and pepper and coat the noodles in the sauce. Serve with a topping of parmesan cheese!
Zucchini: Pesto Salmon with Roasted Zucchini
With leftover pesto from the pasta dish this week, I also tried pesto on my salmon as it broiled in the oven. Let me say, it was absolutely delicious. The pesto is addicting, and I will definitely use it in my daily cooking!
The salmon dish was easy! First I turned the oven on broil, and I placed a salmon filet on a lined baking sheet. I cut up the zucchini, tossed them in olive oil, topped it with a dash of salt and pepper, and scattered them around the salmon. The baking sheet went into the broiling oven for about 10 minutes. With the addition of the pesto, the salmon did take longer to broil than when I just use butter, but it was worth the extra two minutes! Highly recommend!
How did I do with this week's produce? What would you have made? Let me know your ideas and if you recreate any of the recipes above!
When I opened the box this week, all I saw was a giant orange thing and a grass-like plant. I thought, "Oh boy, what even are these?!" Turns out the green grass looking item was fennel, and the giant orange thing was a hubba squash. I had never heard of a hubba squash before this week! Check out what I did with it below!
What's in the box?
Fennel
Hubba Squash
Russet Potato
Roma Tomatoes
Grape Tomatoes
Yellow Bell Pepper
Apples
Zucchini
Blueberries
Plums
Blueberries: Healthy Blueberry Muffins
I love a sweet blueberry muffin with a sugary crumble on top. However, sometimes those muffins turn into more of a dessert than a healthy breakfast or snack. So this week I found a healthy version of the blueberry muffin. These muffins are packed with oats, wheat flour, plain greek yogurt, blueberries, and honey. While they are not the sweetest, they have a natural sweetness from the blueberries and fill you up! They are the perfect grab-and-go breakfast or healthy snack! Recipe below!
Recipe: Here
Tweaks: After I mixed up the batter, it was still very thick. So I added an extra splash of milk. I also cooked mine for 20 minutes instead of just 14-17 minutes.
 |
| Healthy Blueberry Muffins |
Plums: Plum Crumble
The red plums in my box this week were absolutely gorgeous. They were jewel-like on the outside and sweet on the inside. To highlight the plums, I made a plum crumble. Made with brown sugar, almonds, and oats, the crumble topping browned beautifully and paired perfectly with the bubbly, hot, sweet plums. We ate the crumble with a dollop of freshly whipped cream, and it would also be delicious with vanilla ice cream! Recipe below!
Recipe: Here
**Tweaks:
- This recipe was vegan, but I used normal butter as that is what I had in my fridge.
- I tripled the topping to ensure it would cover the plums.
- With the plums, I added a whole lemon instead of just half.
- I used five large plums and zero nectarines.
- I cooked it in an 8x8 inch pyrex for almost an hour.
- Morgan's topping ratios: 1/4 c oats, 1/4 c brown sugar, 1/4 c chopped almonds, 1/4 c flour, 3 Tbs. butter, 3 pinches of salt.
 |
| Sliced Plums |
 |
| Plums & Crumble Before Baking |
 |
| Plum Crumble Freshly Baked |
Potato and Fennel: Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut squash soup is always one of our favorites. The soup is warm, filling, and screams fall-time. While the butternut squash can sometimes be hard to work with, once it is cut up, this soup is so easy. I used the giant russet potato in this soup and also snuck in some fennel! It turned out delicious.
When researching what to do with fennel, I found that all three parts of the fennel are edible: bulb, stalks, and fronds. While most recipes utilize the bulb, the fennel stalks can also be used like celery. So instead of adding celery to the recipe, I added a couple stalks of fennel. As it cooked, the fennel gave out its "licorice" aroma, but once added with the other vegetables, I could barely notice its distinct flavor. It was a good way to use the fennel stalks instead of only using the bulb!
Recipe: Here
Tweaks: I used fennel stalks instead of celery and added one cup of cream at the end. I also added some cayenne and white pepper to give it warmth.
 |
| Butternut Squash Soup |
Apples: Apple Pancakes (Apfel-Pfannkuchen)
I love Germany... like a lot! My German family lives near Bonn, and I absolutely love the culture and food. One of my favorite memories in Germany is when my german mom made me Apfel-Pfannkuchen (aka apple pancakes.) These german pancakes are not cooked in the oven like the german pancakes we typically have here in America. Rather, they are cooked entirely on the stove. Because I haven't had these pancakes for three years, I decided it was time to try to make them on my own. So with a german recipe and my memory, I went for it. To my delight, they tasted exactly as I remembered them. Yay!
While these pancakes are not overly sweet, they are delicious. The apples are first caramelized in butter and then submerged as the batter is poured over to form the pancake. They almost remind of a thick apple-crepe topped with powdered sugar. I absolutely love them because they taste delicious and bring back memories of my time in Europe. I attached the recipe I followed below and then wrote my own directions in English. Let me know if you try them!
Recipe: Here
Morgan's version in English:
Ingredients:
200 grams flour
2 Tbs. sugar
4 eggs
250 ml milk
sprinkle salt
2 apples
about 4 tsp. butter (I actually used a couple tablespoons)
*Optional: juice of half a lemon and a large bowl full of water
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, crack the 4 eggs. Add 2 Tbs. sugar, a sprinkle of salt, and 250 milliliters milk (on my Pyrex it has cups on one side and milliliters on the other side). Whisk together.
- Using a kitchen scale, weigh out 200 grams of flour. Add flour to wet ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
- Cut 2 apples into thin slices (the thinner the better). If needed, place in water and lemon juice to avoid browning.
- In a medium-sized pan, on medium heat, melt a pad of butter. Making sure the pan is hot, place sliced apples in a pattern on the bottom of the pan. Let them cook for 30-60 seconds.
- Spoon batter over the top of the apples. (My pancakes used about 2/3 c of batter, per pancake, to cover all the apples.) Cook for about a minute or two. Once you can see the edges are beginning to lightly brown, flip the apple pancake and cook for another minute or two until done.
- Repeat with all other pancakes.
- Serve with powdered sugar and enjoy!
 |
| Apfel-Pfannkuchen (Apple Pancakes) |
Hubba Squash: Hubba Hubba Bars
Can I just say that this squash made me go Hubba Hubba! When I opened the box this week, all that was staring back at me was this bright orange squash. Plus, it was pretty large compared to everything else in the box, so it was extra interesting. Once we figured out what kind of squash it was, my husband and I threw around some ideas. First, we could carve it like a pumpkin and use it as decoration. Second, we could roast it and puree it into a soup. Or third, I could puree it and use it like a can of pumpkin in a dessert. While using the hubba squash as decoration was tempting, I wanted to actually cook something with it. After some research, I found that the hubba squash was sweet enough to use in desserts, and so I was sold! This hubba squash was going to be turned into a dessert! The next challenging part was to decide what dessert to turn it into!
I didn't grow up loving pumpkin pies/desserts. My mom makes the yummiest pumpkin cookies, but beyond that, I stayed away from pumpkin-flavored foods. (Crazy as it seems, I am not a girl who is super into pumpkin spice things!) So I turned to my husband's family, and they shared with me one of their Thanksgiving favorites: Pumpkin Bars. I followed their recipe but instead of using pumpkin, I substituted in the hubba squash! With a brown sugar and oat base, a sweet, silky squash filled middle layer, and a crumble topping of nuts and brown sugar, these bars are absolutely delicious! They tasted just as yummy as the canned pumpkin version and maybe just a bit sweeter! Highly recommend!
Coombs' Family Recipe: Pumpkin Bars
Crust:
1 c flour (white or whole wheat)
1/2 c quick oats
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c softened butter
Mix flour, quick oats, brown sugar, and butter until crumbly. Press into an ungreased 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350 for 10 mins.
Middle Layer:
1 can pumpkin (15 oz or 2 cups) *I used pureed hubba squash
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
2 eggs
3/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Beat pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, salt, and spice until well mixed. Pour over crust. Return to oven and bake for 25 minutes longer.
Topping:
1/2 c chopped pecans *I used walnuts
1/2 c brown sugar
2 Tbs. butter
Mix nuts, brown sugar, and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over pumpkin layer. Return to oven and bake 15-20 minutes longer.
Cool and serve with whipped cream! Enjoy!
 |
| Hubba Hubba Bars |
Grape Tomatoes, Roma Tomatoes, & Yellow Bell Pepper: Pesto Pasta
I love pesto but had never made my own! With leftover kale from last week's box and a lot of yummy tomatoes, I decided to try making a pesto pasta with tomatoes. Surprisingly the pesto was super easy to make. After I washed the kale, I threw it in my food processor with olive oil, garlic salt, the juice of one lemon, a handful of Parmesan cheese, and some walnuts. I was skeptical, but when I tried the pesto on the back of a spoon, I was surprised! It tasted so good! The kale flavor was muted by the olive oil and lemon juice, and it just tasted like pesto! This pesto was a great way to use kale and tasted great!
For the pasta, I cooked a handful of whole-wheat spaghetti and also roasted the tomatoes and bell pepper in the oven! While we ate it vegetarian, you could even saute shrimp or add chicken. The tomatoes paired with the pesto so nicely and the bell pepper added flavor. This meal was easy and quick! I attached the pesto recipe below! Enjoy!
Pesto Recipe: Here
*Tweaks: I used the juice of a whole lemon and substituted the almonds for walnuts.
Rough Recipe: I boiled a handful of wheat pasta. Meanwhile, I cut up the pepper and halved the grape tomatoes. I drizzled them with olive oil and sprinkled them with salt and pepper. The tomatoes and pepper went into a oven on broil for 8 minutes. On the stove, heat a large pan on medium heat. Add about half a cup of pesto. Once pasta is done, use twongs to transfer the pasta into the pan. (This way some of the pasta water stays on the noodles.) Add tomatoes and pepper and coat the noodles in the sauce. Serve with a topping of parmesan cheese!
 |
| Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Pesto, Roasted Tomatoes, and Peppers |
Zucchini: Pesto Salmon with Roasted Zucchini
With leftover pesto from the pasta dish this week, I also tried pesto on my salmon as it broiled in the oven. Let me say, it was absolutely delicious. The pesto is addicting, and I will definitely use it in my daily cooking!
The salmon dish was easy! First I turned the oven on broil, and I placed a salmon filet on a lined baking sheet. I cut up the zucchini, tossed them in olive oil, topped it with a dash of salt and pepper, and scattered them around the salmon. The baking sheet went into the broiling oven for about 10 minutes. With the addition of the pesto, the salmon did take longer to broil than when I just use butter, but it was worth the extra two minutes! Highly recommend!
How did I do with this week's produce? What would you have made? Let me know your ideas and if you recreate any of the recipes above!
More links:
Box #8 Mini Pot Pies, Roasted Veggie Salad, Cauliflower Mac & Cheese, Shakshuka, Stuffed Acorn Squash, Homemade Granola
Box #7 Marbled Zucchini Bread, Triple P Pizza, Apple Turnovers, Grandma Sloots Potato Soup, Spaghetti Squash Tots, Tin Foil Shrimp & Veggie Packets
Box #7 Marbled Zucchini Bread, Triple P Pizza, Apple Turnovers, Grandma Sloots Potato Soup, Spaghetti Squash Tots, Tin Foil Shrimp & Veggie Packets
**Box #6 Crème Brûlée, Rose Petal Apple Pie, Cafe Rio Inspired Salads, Delicata Squash Soup, Roasted Asparagus with Salmon, Minestrone Soup, Chicken Croissants
Box #5 Lemon Pancakes with Blackberry Sauce, Zoodles with Homemade Tomato & Meat Sauce, Beet Gnocchi with Goat Cheese, Stuffed Peppers, Plum Cake Round 2
**Box #4 Nectarine Vanilla Scones, Lemon Fajitas, Plum Cake, Zoodles Topped with Lemon and Parmesan, Sautéed Shrimp with Squash, Mango Salsa Salmon, Chicken Noodle Soup
Box #3 Carrot Cake Cupcakes, Omelet with Crispy Hash Browns, Butternut Squash Soup with Beet Salad, Pulled Eggplant Sandwich, Salmon with Roasted Zucchini
Box #2 Butter Chicken with Watermelon for Dessert, Very Homemade Sushi: Custom California Roll, Chicken Orzo with Vegetables, Waffles with Peaches
Box #1 Fruit Salad, Broiled Salmon with Vegetables, Eggplant Roll-Ups, Carrots with Hummus
**My favorite boxes
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