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This week’s share will include: 

• Veggies: Zucchini, lettuce, cucumbers, sweet onions, spinach, “Red Thumb” fingerling
• potatoes, beets, scallions, broccoli or cauliflower, choice of an herb.
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: paused this week
  • Flowers: yes, TBD
  • Mushrooms: expected every week unless we hear otherwise
  • Eggs: expected every week unless we hear otherwise
• For those with half shares, this is a “A” week.

Serving Suggestions:

• I have a bunch of onions building up in my kitchen. Some are half-used and hoping to be used before the compost bin gets them. Some are already sliced from a dinner I never got around to making after I prepped it (thanks Summer). Some are ends and scraps in the freezer waiting for a stock project. Some are still whole and hanging on from my half share two weeks ago. I plan on making a big batch of caramelized onions and am using this space to brainstorm some uses for them:
  • One of my favorite quick dinners is fresh pierogies sauteed with butter, oil and caramelized onions. Bonus points if you have a chunk of non-Italian sausage hiding in the back of the freezer that you can defrost. Heck, we all have hot dogs laying around in the summer so cut two on the bias and call it an American sausage!
  • I have a roll of crescent rolls in the fridge looking for creative use. I was thinking about rolling a teaspoon of caramelized onions inside and then brushing them with the oniony fat to encourage a deeper browning. Served alongside whatever pantry/freezer soup you have on hand and it’ll feel like you spent more than 15 minutes on dinner.
  • When I’m feeling like “pizza” but don’t really want to make pizza but actually want a pantry raid flatbread, I’ll reach for a frozen garlic naan to use as a ready-made crust. Crisp it plain in the oven for a few minutes then smear your onions on top. Then, crumble on whatever cheeses you have on hand — some mozzarella, some cheddar, some feta, maybe even some gorgonzola for a real punch — and cook until things are melty and heated through.
  • A list about caramelized onions that doesn’t mention soup would feel incomplete. Everybody seems to have their favorite French Onion Soup recipe so I won’t go too deep. But, I will say that one of my favorite restaurant soups is a Seven Onion Soup that I used to get regularly at a place that has since closed. I don’t remember the exact varieties they included (think: white, red, yellow, Vidalia) but they also added leeks and scallions. Some of those are CSA staples, as are things like chives and garlic scapes which would fit right in. If you have the time to caramelize all your onions now, your future self will thank you for making a hearty pot of soup just a quart of beef broth away. Don’t limit yourself to just one type of onion when making soup!