Catch-Up: The First Four Weeks of Fall CSA

I’ll have to get you all caught up in just one post.

I’ve been (un)lucky enough to be out of work for the past couple weeks which I can really say gives me an advantage over all the other people out there trying to juggle work with figuring out what to cook or how to use the not-so-normal inhabitants of the weekly share.

Here’s a breakdown of what we’ve seen the past four weeks:

October 16: Mesclun, potatoes, radishes, broccoli, green peppers, mustard greens, kale, parsley, onions, Jalapenos, butternut squash

October 23: Mesclun, carrots, broccoli, romanesco broccoli, peppers, red chard, watercress, onions, garlic, pie pumpkin

October 30: Mesclun, potatoes, romanesco broccoli, tatsoi, broccoli, lettuce, mustard greens, cilantro, leek, butternut squash

November 6: Mesclun, potatoes, beets, nappa cabbage, celery, lettuce, dill, onions, garlic, acorn sqaush

A few of the dishes I was able to make include:

1. Kimchi- uses the Nappa Cabbage, garlic, onions with some other supplemented ingredients from the COop. My friend forwarded me the link to an easy first-timer recipe. Caution that it makes a lot. We got three smaller sized cabbages which i just rounded out to be 5 lbs, which is half the recipe. It turned out great! I have a big jar in the fridge and a smaller one fermenting on the counter. Very spicy which I LOVE!

2. Pesto- I made two batches. One was a parsley, jalapeno with pepitas as the nut. The other was a mustard green and walnut base. I normally just eye-ball the ingredients and adjust to my liking. Generally bunches of things (ie: a bunch of parsley, or cilantro) are the perfect size to add to a blender or small food processor. I add olive oil, parm cheese, any nut I have lying around (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans, etc), and last but not least the garlic! I posted in my travel blog about making pesto as there are so many cool things you can add! Here’s the link.

3. Soups- Thai Curry Butternut Squash, recipe from How Sweet It Is

Roasted Beet and Potato Soup, recipe from allrecipes. I would add a few cloves of garlic when roasting the beets and potatoes. Also, don’t be bashful with salt and go with 3-4 cups each of chopped beets and potatoes because they shrink when they cook down. Don’t puree too much because having a few chunks always makes it feel more substantial (At least that’s what Curt always says!)

4. Vegan broccoli salad with romanesco and regular broc, recipe from Sharons Healthy Recipes. I made one batch with bacon and one without and couldn’t tell the difference. This recipe uses veganais and although I’m no vegan, I have come to enjoy the veganais more than regular mayo (and I can actually pronounce the ingredients on the back of the label!).

5. Quiche- I use the pastry crust recipe from the Joy of Cooking but use a flour that is an organic mix of white and whole wheat. It’s a king arthur blend (and comes in the orange package). I also don’t use any shortening, only butter. I make two to four crusts at a time and put the extras in the fridge until we eat the first quiche. It’s a great thing to have on hand for a quick and filling breakfast. It’s also one of those things I never make one of the same. For instance I grab a bunch of veggies like onions, garlic, kale, broccoli, tatsoi, cooked potatoes, etc. and fill up the pie crust 3/4 way to the top. I add any cheese I have lying around and sprinkle on top of the veggies like blue cheese, feta, smoked ghouda, parmasean, cheddar, mozzarella, etc. Be careful of your ratio; Don’t add too much of a potent cheese because it will be too overpowering. Sometimes I only have one type of cheese and thats fine too! Then mix 5 eggs and 1 1/2 -2 cups of milk and pour over the veggies and cheese. Don’t worry if it doesn’t turn out amazing, because there’s always the next time! AND I’ve noticed it always gets eaten by someone!

I’ve been trying out so many recipes since the start of this CSA! I’m excited to keep up with posting my thoughts and experiences in the future!