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Update & Share: 8/8/23

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

  • Veggies: squash, peppers, red cabbage, white onions, eggplant, tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, beans, peppers, fingerling potatoes, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes and choice of an herb (basil, thyme or parsley) and watermelons or other types of melons as supplies allow. (“B” group for half shares)
  • Add-on shares:
    • Fruit: paused this week
    • Flowers: yes this week
    • Mushrooms: no mention in John’s email but should be every week

Serving suggestions:

  • If you’re running out of ideas to use up our plentiful eggplant, try Lidia Bastianich’s “Eggplant and Rice Parmigiana.” This eggplant parm/lasagna/risotto hybrid sounds strange but is ultimate comfort food. It’s a great make-ahead meal that you can prep over the weekend and enjoy as a weeknight dinner that needs nothing more than 30min in the oven to reheat. If you’re only feeding 3-4 people, you can transfer half of the cooked “lasagna” to foil and freeze for next month (it truly is one of those dishes that gets better when you reheat it). If you have other CSA regulars like zucchini or summer squash, slice those thin like the eggplant and add to your layers. When I made this last week I cut some major corners (i.e. leftover jarred sauce, pre-shredded mozzarella) and it still came out perfect.

Update & Share: 7/25/23

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

Today’s share will include:

  • Veggies: cauliflower, lettuce, kale, rainbow carrots, eggplant, celery, string beans, summer squash, choice of cherry tomatoes or ground cherries, shallots, and choice of an herb- parsley, summer savory, mint, or thyme.  (“B” group for half shares)
  • Add-on shares:
    • Fruit: paused this week
    • Flowers: yes this week
    • Mushrooms: no mention in John’s email but should be every week

Serving suggestions:

  • If you happen to miss out on the cherry tomatoes, don’t be disappointed by the ground cherries, they are sweet and tart, and are a great topping for salads or for snacking. My daughter loves them and eats them for breakfast instead of other fruits.
  • My favorite treatment for cauliflower is from Alison Roman in Nothing Fancy. Cut the head into small bite-sized florets, toss with oil and seasonings, and then roast at 450 for 30min tossing midway through. It sounds like overkill, you will be tempted to take them out or lower the temp, and they will look burnt and crisp, but that is the point! A hard roast like that brings out their natural sweetness and makes them melt in your mouth. Roman’s recipe uses garlic, chili flake and Indian spices; it’s great as written but sometimes I like to switch it up and use other flavors to pair with whatever else I’m cooking that week.

Update & Share: 7/18/23

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

Today’s share will include: kale, lettuce, squash, cucumbers, beets, sweet onions, eggplant, cauliflower,
beans, broccoli, and choice of cilantro, parsley, or dill. There will be tomatillos as an extra. (Flower shares will return this week. Fruit shares will receive cherries and pluots.)

Serving suggestions:

  • I tried a new strategy to use up the bundles of spinach and kale from last week: spinach artichoke dip. I had everything but the canned artichokes in the fridge/pantry and it came together easily so I will definitely keep it in mind for the next time I am craving something different with our abundant leafy greens. Don’t bother using expensive oil-marinated artichokes here, a drained can of Cento or Goya will do just fine. I threw in some leftover chopped CSA broccoli and onion which faded into the background proving that this might be my new go-to fridge clearing recipe. Served with a mix of crackers, sliced CSA carrots and tortilla chips, it was a family-friendly dinner loaded with veggies (and cheese).

Update & Share: 7/11/23

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

Today’s share will include: summer squash, choice of spinach or Swiss chard, kale, lettuce, broccoli, sweet onions, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, and choice of an herb (cilantro or dill)

Serving suggestions:

  • This week we will get our first batch of kale. If you want to use the kale in a raw preparation where you’ll be dressing it, here is a tip: after thoroughly washing and drying the kale, drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle with some salt, then massage the kale leaves well, then roughly chop. The massaged kale will be softer and slightly wilted, making it better to serve as salad greens. (Don’t forget that you already salted the kale when adding dressing and other seasonings)
  • Broccoli can handle a hard roast very well which brings out a concentrated flavor. Roast some simply seasoned florets — oil, salt, pepper — at 450 degrees until they start to char in spots. Toss with some finely minced raw garlic while still piping hot, and toss on some red pepper flakes if you’d like.

Update & Share: 6/27/23

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

Today’s share will include: Lettuce, spinach, arugula, radishes, garlic scapes, summer squash, kohlrabi or Napa cabbage, peas (more sugar snap and snow peas now), and parsley.

Serving suggestions:

Update & Share: 6/20/23

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

Today’s share will include: spinach, peas (mostly English or shell types), lettuce, summer squash
choice of arugula or tatsoi, salad turnips, fresh garlic, bok choy, and choice of an herb (cilantro, dill,
chervil, marjoram or summer savory).

Serving suggestions:

  • Spring CSA peas are best eaten raw or barely cooked so their freshness and sweetness come through. I like to smash them with some herbs (mint, dill, cilantro, all of the above), olive oil and flaky sea salt. Then I spread some high quality (or homemade) ricotta on top of toast and top with the smashed pea mixture. One of the best spring dinners, and it only takes a few minutes after shelling the peas.
  • Bok choy is a good addition to soup because you can get two textures from one ingredient. I like to cook the dark green leaves for longer so they wilt and melt into the broth. And then the crunchier stems I will add just before serving so they soften a bit but keep their snap. Any soup with greens can work, think Italian Wedding Soup or Caldo Verde and use the bok choy instead.

Update & Share: 6/13/23

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

Today’s share will include: lettuce, radishes, spinach, summer squash, garlic scapes, choice of arugula or tatsoi, choice of cilantro or dill

Serving suggestions:

  • Make a pesto with the garlic scapes (NYT Cooking)
  • Mix dill in with your greens for an herby spring mix like they sell at the grocery store
  • A favorite in our house… lightly wilt spinach in some rendered bacon fat then top with the crispy bacon, a soft boiled egg and some quick-pickled red onion

Serving Suggestions: 11/4/19

Welcome to the newest installment of Serving Suggestions, the fourth of 2019!  This week we have a suggestion from Bob on how he turned some pantry staples and CSA leftovers into a surprisingly tasty dinner:

I had a work event last Sunday so knew I wouldn’t have a chance to do my usual food shopping, but I did want to cook rather than order takeout.  I had some leftover cheese tortellini in the fridge that I needed to finish before they went bad.  The question was, what do I serve with the tortellini?  I didn’t have any jarred tomato sauce or the ingredients for homemade, so I knew I was destined for a butter-based finish instead.  I checked my dwindling CSA stockpile and saw that I had some leftover onion and acorn squash.  I thought through some potential dishes and landed on what I’d call: Cheese Tortellini with Caramelized Onions and Roasted Acorn Squash.  I cooked all three components separately and then tossed them with some browned butter and topped with freshly grated pepper and parmesan.  My wife and I were both surprised at how well the dish came together and we agreed it was the perfect dinner for a cool Fall day.

 


Serving Suggestions is a recurring article that will be posted periodically 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.

Serving Suggestions: 9/3/19

Welcome to the newest installment of Serving Suggestions, the third of 2019!  This week we have a suggestion from Bob on how to use some of the root vegetables that might start piling up with this week’s share:

A few weeks back, I decided to grab some of the kohlrabi from the extras basket.  When I first started the CSA back in 2016, kohlrabi was something I had neither seen nor tasted before.  Those first bulbs sat in the crisper drawer for weeks as I contemplated what to do with them.  I added them to a stir fry for some crunch which was a nice touch but fell short of the potential I thought kohlrabi had.  After some online searching, I came upon the idea of grating kohlrabi into latkes (potato pancakes).  Three years later, I returned to my original inspiration and am ready to make another batch tonight.  Making shredded vegetable pancakes is a grate (!) way to use up some of the root vegetables that are accumulating in your kitchen.  A mixture of kohlrabi, potato and onion is what I’m aiming for tonight.  Zucchini would also be a welcome addition if you still had some on hand.  I haven’t tried it yet but I wonder if grated beet, in small a quantity, would work as well.  No matter what veggies you choose, start by ringing out excess moisture before you mix with eggs, flour, salt and pepper.  Fry the patties in a slick of oil in a nonstick pan until crisp.  I like to serve with a horseradish sour cream (simply prepared horseradish mixed with sour cream) and applesauce.  It can be labor intensive for a quick weeknight dinner but make enough so you have leftovers and you’ll thank yourself later.


Serving Suggestions is a recurring article that will be posted periodically 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.