For new members, the early weeks of the CSA can be difficult and overwhelming with the amount of greens that are in each week’s share.  Don’t fear though, before you know it we’ll have onions, tomatoes and all the other goodies that we look forward to each Summer.  For now though, we have lots of greens to use up.  Bob takes steps each Tuesday to prep for salads the rest of the week:

Whenever we get greens from the CSA, I prep them right away.  I know if they go into the fridge as-is, I’m going to be far less likely to use them when I cook dinner subsequent nights.  It may not be the most ideal way of storing them for long periods but I’ve found that they last at least 3-5 days which is perfect for us.  Depending on the type of green, I will stem and/or chop the leaves before thoroughly washing them.  I fill my salad spinner with water and let the greens soak for two minutes (longer for spinach), using my hand to swirl them around before pulling the basket out and dumping the water.  I repeat two or three times until the water that is left behind is mostly clear.  I spin them dry and then bag with pieces of paper towel.

In addition to washing and bagging the greens, Bob goes a step further to make side salads even easier:

I also prep my salad toppings in advance so that when it’s dinner time a salad is only a minute away.  I cut up tomato and cucumber and store them in plastic containers and make a big batch of dressing in a mason jar that I can easily store and shake up.  Another tasty, and simple, addition is quick pickled red onion.  When I’m prepping all of the other ingredients, I will marinade some thinly sliced red onion in a mixture of salt and vinegar.  Go heavy on both because you’ll drain the mixture and give them a quick rinse after they sit for 10-15 minutes.  The quick pickling marinade tames their strong flavor a bit and adds a nice tart kick to your salads (and sandwiches).

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.

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.

Welcome back CSA members!  Sadly, all good things must come to an end (unless you’re getting the stock up share!).  Like Bob, many of you are probably starting to drown under your root vegetables:

I needed a new soup recipe so I started googling.  I knew I wanted to use a lot of sweet potatoes since I had so many but since they were the white sweet potatoes I also thought of using carrot for color.  I found this recipe for Autumn Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup and it was great, a real crowd pleaser for my football watching crew.  The only modification I made was to add some ginger and garlic to the onions as they were cooking to add some more depth of flavor.  I drizzled the soup with maple sour cream (simply sour cream thinned with good maple syrup) and crumbled some crispy bacon on top.

For those of you doing the stock up share, here are some ideas from previous CSA posts for a few of the items you’ll be receiving:

Garlic:  Bob has been saving heads of garlic to give this recipe a try.  He’s have never made it but loves all things Alton Brown so it will certainly be fantastic.  40 Cloves and a Chicken.

Potatoes: Shana loves this method of cooking potatoes which is perfect for families who have children who like to get involved.  Let them smash away!

Onions: One of Bob’s favorite soups to make is french onion so that’s a no-brainer (and really easy if you use your slow cooker).  But what if you have more onions than the soup recipe calls for?  Cook them all, reserve some before adding the broth, google “caramelized onion fritatta” and go crazy.  There are so many recipes out there that you can find inspiration to use up some other CSA veggies.

Cabbage: Did you go apple picking last weekend?  Or maybe you have some from your fruit share?  Give this a try, it’s beautiful and would make a great side dish to go along with a Wrong Direction pork tenderloin.

Butternut Squash: Shana picked up Bon Apetit’s Thanksgiving issue and it features a ton of mouthwatering squash recipes.  If you don’t subscribe to the magazine, you can get them online here.

That’s it for 2017, see you all in the Spring!

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.

Welcome back to Serving Suggestions readers!  Sorry these posts have been fewer and further between lately but Bob has two good recipes to share this week for those of you who might have some veggies piling up.

Due to the timing of going away last week, I have a bunch of stuff leftover from last week before adding the incoming share.  So, I knew I had to find some recipes that would load up on veggies.  The first I found is a Slow Cooker Chickpea Stew which I will modify slightly to use onion, garlic, potatoes, cauliflower, peppers, carrots, turnip and beans all from the CSA.  While I was away I found an awesome spice shop and bought some whole ras el hanout which I plan on toasting and grinding to replace the curry called for in the recipe.  I also knew I wanted to use my acorn squash in some sort of “stuffed” recipe.  I found a simple one that I could doctor up using whatever is leftover after my chickpea stew.  There are a number of ways to make cauliflower rice but it really depends on what kitchen gadgets you have; if you have a Vitamix or food processor start there, if not you can do it with a box grater and some patience.

CSA member Joy Garden loves zucchini, almost as much as she loves salad turnips (the reason she joins the CSA!)  This is her go-to meal that she swears she could eat every day.  Shana is not a zucchini lover but made this and she admits it was pretty delicious!

• Slice zucchini into thin slices and roast until tender.
• Boil your favorite pasta while the zucchini is in the oven.
• Remove the zucchini from the oven and drain your pasta.
• Layer the zucchini in a dish, alternating with the pasta, adding plenty of basil and parmesan.  Optionally, you can add sauteed onions and garlic.

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.