It took us awhile, but Spring has finally sprung and the CSA has returned! The Serving Suggestions articles will return again for 2018 to help you find recipes and tips to utilize all of the beautiful produce we are getting from Farmer John. If you would like to submit your own content for Serving Suggestions please email Bob at robertfcowper@gmail.com. To read through previous Serving Suggestions articles, click here for an archive. If you’re stuck on how to use a particular ingredient, you can also try using the search bar at the top of the menu bar.

Today’s share will be heavy on herbs and lettuces. When Bob has herbs he needs to use, he turns to pesto:

Pesto can be so versatile and is a great use of leftover herbs and mild greens. My typical pesto is basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, red pepper flake and olive oil (here is a simple recipe from NYT Cooking but it’s so easy you can just eyeball it). The pine nuts are interchangeable with whatever you have in the pantry: sometimes I use almonds or walnuts, sometimes I just skip them if I don’t have anything similar on hand.  The basil is a mainstay for me but I often add parsley, cilantro or even baby spinach – essentially any greens in my fridge get thrown in. Aside from the obvious pasta+pesto uses, I often add some to mayo for a great sandwich spread or dollop some on top of vegetable soup.

We also received radishes in today’s share. A lot of past recipes we have shared called for either pickling or sauteing the radish but Bob was looking for something different:

When I need a quick dinner side dish, I often turn to a tomato and cucumber salad. I was looking for a radish salad recipe and came across this Summer Radish Salad recipe which is essentially what I do except substituting the tomato for radish. I’m looking forward to giving this one a try and using radishes in a different way than I have in the past.

CSA member Alyson Wasko was thinking about both pesto and radishes today when she picked up her share.  She posted this on the CSA Facebook page:

In an effort to waste as little as possible, I made a Radish-Top Herb Pesto:

• Radish tops
• Herbs (I picked oregano, but now I’m regretting not taking the garlic chives!)
• Garlic
• Nuts (I used walnuts, but I’m sure pistachios or pine nuts would also be great)
• Lemon juice
• Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil (drizzle into the food processor until it’s your preferred consistency)
• Salt & pepper

If you find the pesto to be too spicy from the radish tops, you can mellow it out with some of the spinach or kale.

That’s all for this week, check back again soon for more Serving Suggestions!

Serving Suggestions is a recurring article that will be posted weekly during the CSA season featuring photos, tips and recipes. Content is provided by Jessica, Shana and Bob. If you would like to submit your own photos or recipes, please email Bob at robertfcowper@gmail.com. To read through previous Serving Suggestions articles, click here for an archive. You can also use the handy search feature at the top of the right hand menu bar to search for the name of a particular ingredient you need help using.