CSA Week 8

Two months down! Here's what was picked this week:

Cucumbers, lettuce, corn, red potatoes

I can already tell you that there won't be any posts about this produce - the cucumbers and lettuce will be used on salads and sandwiches, the corn will be boiled and eaten right off the cob, and the potatoes will be halved and roasted. I was hoping for some more substantial produce, such as broccoli, cauliflower, or snap peas, but there were none this week. This week did mark the return of chrysanthemum greens (YUCK). I told the farmer that I had tried them the last time they were at the market and I didn't really like them. He did not seem surprised.

Spring Onion Soup

When handed a bunch of spring onions, what would you do with them? Sure, they make a pretty garnish and add a nice fresh crunch when used as a topping, and they add a nice subtle onion flavor when sautéed. But how do you use up a whole bunch of spring onions in one fell swoop?

That's where the Internet comes in, as always, and saves the day! I found this recipe for spring onion soup - it did not take long to make, used few ingredients, and seemed to be an easy way to use my bunch of spring onions. And it was! The soup was savory and a bit oniony. Definitely not as strong as French onion soup. The only thing that would have made this soup a little better would have been some crusty, cheesy bread to dip in it.

CSA Week 7

Corn, lettuce, squash, and onions!

Chrysanthe-yum?

If you had asked me a few weeks ago, I would definitely have told you chrysanthemum is a pretty flower and was not meant to be eaten. Well, if you ask me that now, I will tell you the same thing. Chrysanthemum greens are definitely not something I plan on eating again anytime soon! According to the farmers at the market, chrysanthemum greens can be eaten raw or cooked. When raw, the stalk tastes like carrots (but more bitter) and the leaves are VERY bitter. When cooked, the flavor of both the stalk and leaves mellows.

It was hard to find a recipe for chrysanthemum greens - it is obviously not a very popular vegetable! The only information I was able to find about cooking chrysanthemum greens stated that they cook very quickly (less than 2 minutes), and that they become mushy and tasteless when over cooked. Therefore, the easiest way to cook them seemed to be simply sauteing them in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper.

Well, cooking them was very easy, but it didn't really improve their taste. Kind of like really bitter broccoli rabe. Not so delicious. However, the stuffed burgers that we had as our main dish were VERY delicious!! One of our favorite wedding gifts was this stuffed hamburger press that allows you to put cheese, vegetables, or anything else you want inside your burger. Just form two smaller balls of ground beef, put them in the press, fill the center with cheese, and then seal the sides. These burgers made up for the lackluster side dish, that is for sure.

And for those of you who were wondering, here's what the burger looks like on the inside:

Look at this cheesy goodness - kind of sounds like something Guy Fieri would say!

Even though this selection was a bit of a flop, I am still glad I picked chrysanthemum greens from the farmer's market. Part of the reason I wanted to participate in a CSA was so that I could try new foods and experiment with new cooking techniques. The CSA has definitely taught me more about produce, my own tastes, and it has given me more confidence in my own abilities in the kitchen. After all, you learn more from your mistakes than from your successes!

CSA Week 6

Cauliflower, green leaf lettuce, eggplant, and pattypan squash.

Eat Your Spinach!

I am not sure where this recipe came from, but it is (as usual) a quick and easy side dish. Spinach with garlic and raisins is a nice way to change up sauteed spinach, and the raisins are a nice complement to the garlic and the bitterness of the spinach.

Spinach with Garlic and Raisins

1. Saute 1lb spinach in pan that has been heated with olive oil over low-medium heat. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Cook 3-5 minutes, until spinach begins to wilt.

2. Add in chopped garlic (as many cloves as you prefer - I usually do one big or two small cloves) and 1/4 cup raisins. The raisins will begin to expand. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Serve as a side dish.

CSA Week 5

Broccoli, red potatoes, red spring onions, and cucumbers.

Sautéed Zucchini

Zucchini has turned into one of my favorite summer vegetables. It is quick and easy to make, and it pretty much complements any meal. Here's one of the ways I most frequently make zucchini.

Sautéed Zucchini

1. Uniformly slice zucchini - you want all the pieces to be the same thickness so that they will cook at the same time. This is easily achieved by using a mandoline (thanks, Mom!) or some very good knife skills.

2. Heat 2 Tbl olive oil in a large pan over low-medium heat. Use a pan larger than you think you need, since you do not want to overcrowd the pan. This will result in uneven cooking of the zucchini.

3. When the pan is hot, throw in the zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté zucchini for about 7-10 minutes, until they begin to soften and turn translucent.

4. Serve on its own as a side dish, or mix with chickpeas or beans as a salad, use it as a topping on pizza, or add it to vegetable pasta. 

This is my go-to way of preparing zucchini, but I've also made zucchini fries, lasagna with poblano peppers and zucchini, summer vegetable tart, and zucchini pizza. Next time there is zucchini, I want to try zucchini chips!

What are your favorite ways to prepare zucchini? Do you have any other ideas about what to do with zucchini?

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

I cheated on my CSA. That was a lot harder to admit than I thought it would be! But it was totally worth it - is it bad I feel that way? Hear me out...

Last weekend, my husband and I took a nice little trip to the beach. It was filled with sun, crabs and Old Bay (this is Maryland, after all!), and relaxation. The Eastern Shore of Maryland is full of farms, so many of the farmers set up produce stands on the side of the road to sell their fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. On our way home, we stopped off at one to pick up some fruit - plums and nectarines - and checked out some of the other produce, canned sauces, and pickled items. My husband spotted a display full of different varieties of squash, so we picked out the best looking spaghetti squash, headed to the counter, and purchased it along with our fruit. Because our CSA is mostly vegetables, the only items I buy at the grocery store each week are fruit, dairy, bread, and meat. I don't want to waste anything that is included in the share, so I deliberately choose items that I know we will eat within the week and only buy a few additional items at the grocery store. Buying this lone spaghetti squash felt wrong!

Now, I am no idiot. Spaghetti squash is obviously NOT something that is harvested in the summer. It is a winter squash, and like other hard squash varieties, such as pumpkins, butternut, acorn, and delicata, is usually harvested and eaten during the late summer, autumn, and winter months. However, it just seemed right to buy it, and I knew we would eat it quickly. And besides, the CSA didn't even have spaghetti squash last year...so that makes it OK to get it from somewhere else, right? Anyway, we put that spaghetti squash to good use in spaghetti squash primavera!

This is another simple recipe:

1. Prepare the spaghetti squash in the microwave by slicing it in half, scooping out the seeds, and placing in a microwave safe bowl (cut side up) with 1/4 cup of water and covered with plastic wrap. Microwave on high 7-8 minutes until the squash is soft and the insides can be pulled with a fork into strands that resemble spaghetti.

2. Meanwhile, chop celery, carrots, and onions. Saute the mirepoix (fancy French term for the combination of these three ingredients) over medium heat in a large pan with olive oil for 10 minutes, or until soft. Add salt, pepper, and garlic to taste.


3. While these vegetables are cooking, thinly slice yellow squash and sundried tomatoes. Add to the pan once the mirepoix has softened. Continue cooking about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. When the spaghetti squash is ready and has slightly cooled, use a fork to pull the insides out. Place spaghetti squash strands into the pan and combine with cooked vegetables. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

CSA Week 4

Here's what I got this week! Lettuce, yellow squash, beets, and cauliflower. I am a bit behind in posts but there are a few good recipes coming up!

And here is Winnie, completely unimpressed by lettuce: