Adventures with CSA: Week 7 (Summer 2015)

We had a hold on our share last week due to being on vacation at the beach. This week's share included a big bunch of thai basil (which smells heavenly), a large bulb of garlic, two smallish sweet onions, 3 bulbs of kohlrabi, a yellow summer squash, three *large* cucumbers (one so large we thought initially that it was a zucchini!), a bunch of pickling cucumbers, and two medium heads of cabbage.

My husband says, "What are you going to do with all that cabbage?"

This. (cabbage, garlic)

And THIS. (cabbage, garlic, and the onions)

I may end up freezing one of both of these for eating when the weather gets a little colder. We will see.

The squash I will probably grill, now that we have propane.

The big cucumbers will probably become cucumber salad.

The pickling cucumbers will obviously become pickles.

The thai basil I will likely use to make that thai basil fried rice I made before the last time we got it. This bunch is bigger, so more basil-y goodness.

Not sure what I will do with the kohlrabi, I may just peel and shred it and throw it into the cucumber salad. Gotta say it's not my favorite veg so far. We'll see how the pickles I made last time turn out.

Adventures with CSA: Week 5 (Summer 2015)

This week we got more lettuce (shocking), several yellow squash, a huge bag of garlic scapes, a big bunch of sweet basil, a sprig of fresh oregano, two bulbs of kohlrabi, a bunch of broccoli, and a bunch of kale.

Since we're leaving for the beach for a week tomorrow morning, I grated the squash and put it into freezer bags and stuck it in the freezer. When we get back, I plan to make this: Summer Squash Bread (I doubt that I need to use an entire cup of sugar in this, tho--yikes!)

The scapes and the basil are going to become pesto--I have a huge genovese basil plant in my garden that I can harvest to add to the pesto if needed also.

The kale I am thinking about making into kale chips to snack on during our long car trip tomorrow. My husband will not eat them but I like that kind of thing.

The kohlrabi I will likely pickle: Fridge Pickled Kohlrabi (I have no carrots, but that's okay

The broccoli I will likely steam for supper this evening. Thinking about grilling some chicken thighs and making baked potatoes and broccoli on the side.

Not sure what I will do with the lettuce and the oregano, I may offer them to my best friend who is watching our home and kitties while we are away.

Next week our share is being held, so I will be back for week 7--they are saying we should start seeing tomatoes soon! :D

Adventures with CSA: Week Four (Summer 2015)

This week we got two kinds of lettuce, a bunch of kale, a bag of thai basil, a summer squash, a head of fennel, and two heads of broccoli.

This week's recipes:

Creamy Broccoli Salad (broccoli, going to use raisins, not cranberries, and a little bit of sweet vidalia onion instead of red, because that's what I happen to have. Also sugar, not truvia. Taking this to a 4th of July cookout tomorrow)

Pasta with Fennel, Kale, and Lemon (fennel, kale)

Thai Basil Fried Rice (Thai basil, I will probably saute the squash on the side)

The lettuce is the thing that I have the most trouble using up from week to week. If I can find some nice tomatoes, I may make BLTs. I absolutely love BLTs with summer tomatoes. Best. sandwich. ever.

Adventures with CSA: Week 3 (Summer 2015)

This week's share includes collard greens, lettuce, napa cabbage, broccoli, red scallions, snow peas, cucumber, and parsley.

Grilled Chicken Thai Salad (Napa cabbage, some of the red scallions, leftover cilantro I bought for the tacos I made last week)

PF Chang's Knock Off Mongolian Beef (some of the red scallions, and I will serve it with steamed broccoli on the side)

Tabbouleh (Rest of the red scallions, leftover tomatoes I bought last week, parsley, cucumber. Also can serve over lettuce.

Black Eyes Pea Cakes with Collard Greens (collard greens, parsley)

The snow peas, I may end up throwing into a salad or just eating raw with some hummus. I like sugar snaps that way too.

Adventures with CSA: Week Two (Summer 2015)

This week's share included lettuce, spinach, kale, kohlrabi, green onions, garlic scapes, parsley, and strawberries.

Quinoa Salad with Kale and Feta (Kale, possibly some of the green onion)

Baked kohlrabi fries (Kohlrabi-I plan to make the spiced ones and serve them with burgers. They sounds amazing!)

The spinach and the parsley will probably go into a big pot of tortellini soup, since I have two big bags of tortellini in the freezer.

The garlic scapes I may make pesto with, my basil plants are producing pretty well and could probably use to be cut back.

The lettuce will be used for salads, wraps, and burgers + sandwiches.

I will probably clean and slice the strawberries for eating on cereals, etc. Those will probably go fast! :)

Adventures with CSA: Week One (Summer 2015)

Our very first CSA share is here!!! This is our first experience with doing this, and I am super excited!

For those folks who might not know, CSA stands for 'community-supported agriculture.' Basically, you contribute a fee to a local farm, and in return you get a share in their harvest during the season. Our CSA is through Edible Earth Farm in Tionesta, PA. We get our deliveries weekly and purchased a small share, although as I am beginning to understand, it's not actually small. Here's week one's haul:

So one of the challenges (which I accept, btw) of a CSA is that it requires a little more meal planning than I generally engage in, being that I work full time and then some and am generally running around like a chicken with my head cut off most of the time. So here's some of the recipes I am planning to make with our first week's bounty, which came last night:

Rustic Indian Lentils with Collard Greens (collard greens)
Radiant Bok Choy (bok choy)
Mushroom and Garlic Scape Quiche (garlic scapes--I may also throw some of the spinach in this)
Cheeseburger Quiche (this recipe comes from my mother and is a favorite of our gaming group; green onions)
Salad (Lettuce and spinach if there's any left)

I am looking forward to my weekly culinary adventures! :)

Spring musings

The winter weather finally broke last weekend, and now my thoughts are consumed with my dreams for my garden this summer. Also, my husband talked me into strongly considering and then purchasing a small CSA share from a local farm that drops all around our area--one of their drops is at the library he runs, and he got to see everyone coming in for their shares last summer. He also got gifts from shares that some of his patrons gave us which he brought home for me and I made good use of. I am very excited--the last two years my garden has not been very productive. I figure that this year, since I now have a share of a CSA, the garden will produce like crazy. First world problems, right? :) I'm totally pumped about eating interesting new things I have not gotten to try before...like rhubarb!

What am I hoping to grow in the garden this year? Here is my wish list:

1. Tomatoes (varieties yet to be chosen, I always do plants of these rather than trying and failing to start them from seed. Think I'm going to choose 3 plants max this year so I don't get overwhelmed)
2. Peppers (Jalapeno, poblano, and sweet banana)
3. Eggplant (variety yet to be chosen)
4. Landreth stringless green beans (have seeds to go directly into garden)
5. Boston Pickling cucumber (have seeds to go directly into garden)
6. Cucamelons (have seeds to go directly into garden)
7. Zucchini (bush variety, have seeds to go directly into garden)
8. Golden beets
9. Parisienne carrots (those small round carrots from France, have seeds to go directly into garden)
10. Jack Be Little pumpkins (tiny baby pumpkins, have seeds to go directly into garden)
11. Emily basil (a compact Genovese variety, have seeds to go directly into garden)
12. Slo bolt cilantro (have seeds to go directly into garden)
13. Bouquet dill (have seeds to go directly into garden)
14. Calendula (for pots)
15. Black-eyed Susan Vine (for hanging basket)
16. Purple Echinacea (have seeds to go directly into garden)
17, Solar Flash and Lemon Queen sunflowers (have seeds to go directly into garden)
18. Chamomile (have seeds to go directly into garden)
19. Bee Balm (have seeds to go directly into garden)