Multiple post Tuesday! Cause I got behind. Woops.
CSA 2013 Partial Share #5
- 1 bunch lacinato kale
- 1 bunch Swiss chard
- 4.5 oz salad mix
- 3/4lb shelling peas
- 1 bunch basil
- 1 bunch mint
Winner: This is tough. My first instinct is to freak out about the peas, because OMG peas and I haven't had fresh peas in years. But then, the kale. And the basil and mint! So many cool things to choose from :D This is the first time Free Bird Farm has tried growing mint and shelling peas, so I'm very excited about that. When we were up at the farm, Ken was telling us how another farmer had told him to grow some shelling peas, because us city folk go crazy for them. Ken didn't understand why, since the volume of edible food per square foot of soil is quite low (you can't even eat the pea pods!), but he figured why not? Make the city people happy with some novelty items. This is why I love my CSA. <3
Challenge: On the bright side, there's no garlic scapes or multiple heads of lettuce! I'm not the hugest fan of Swiss chard, so when I saw that someone had left a half dozen eggs in the swap box, I jumped on that and swapped out the chard for some free-range eggs. They look so lovely, all brown and different sized. :)
Today was a fantastic haul for me. I love everything in my share and I even got my hands on some eggs! I got another chicken too, so I'm planning on butchering the chicken this weekend and making some soup stock. I'll use a bit of the stock to make some light summer soup with the pea pods and garlic scape trimmings. The pea pods are pretty delicate, but the garlic scapes are also mild, so I think everything will balance out nicely. I'm thinking about throwing in the mint as well. Mint-pea soup sounds so summery and fresh :)
Showing posts with label swiss chard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label swiss chard. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
CSA 2013 Partial Share #3
Good thing I like green things, because the first few weeks of the CSA season is pretty much solid green, every week. Salads and omelettes have become a way of life and even my eggs are green (from all the extra vegetables I keep throwing into the pan). Nom nom nom.
CSA 2013 Partial Share #3
- 1 bunch spring onions
- 1 head red leaf lettuce
- 1 bunch garlic scapes
- 1 bunch Swiss chard
- 4 oz salad mix (which I really really need to remember to wash tonight)
Winner: GARLIC SCAPES. <3 <3 <3 I adore garlic scapes. They're so cute and so tasty!
Challenge: Lettuce, especially after last week. I still have half a head of red leaf in the fridge (if it hasn't gone bad by now). Le sigh.
I was supposed to get a chicken, but I came at the very last minute and they were out by the time I got there. So I'll probably get one next week or a double chicken share the week after. I am running out of space in my freezer though, so I'm going to try and cook the first chicken with my friend during July 4th weekend.
CSA 2013 Partial Share #3
- 1 bunch spring onions
- 1 head red leaf lettuce
- 1 bunch garlic scapes
- 1 bunch Swiss chard
- 4 oz salad mix (which I really really need to remember to wash tonight)
Winner: GARLIC SCAPES. <3 <3 <3 I adore garlic scapes. They're so cute and so tasty!
Challenge: Lettuce, especially after last week. I still have half a head of red leaf in the fridge (if it hasn't gone bad by now). Le sigh.
I was supposed to get a chicken, but I came at the very last minute and they were out by the time I got there. So I'll probably get one next week or a double chicken share the week after. I am running out of space in my freezer though, so I'm going to try and cook the first chicken with my friend during July 4th weekend.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
CSA Share #19
Days flying by. Is it just me, or is there tons of great music out there all of a sudden? Taylor Swift, Tristan Prettyman, Zedd, Christina Aguilera...
It seems the flood of great music has been accompanied by an equally overwhelming flood of lettuce. I have four different heads of lettuce, one head of frissee, a lovely mess of arugula, and bunches of swiss chard waiting in my fridge for me. #deathbylettuce
CSA Share #19
- 6.5 oz arugula
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 bunch opal basil
- 3 leeks
- 5 medium potatoes (2lbs)
- 3/4lb purple string beans
- 1 bunch swiss chard
- 1 head frisee
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 head green leaf lettuce
- 1 head red leaf lettuce
CWTC: potatoes!!! :) potatooooooooes :D
TAV: purple string beans, because they are purple
WTF: lettuce. I am adorable and cute and lovable, but I am not a rabbit. This is a veritable flood of green leafy things. I don't know how to handle this. I was so stressed by all the green that I ate half a chicken yesterday, just to reassure myself that I am not a cow or other ruminant. The farm apologizes for the cubed lettuce, which is the result of a packing mistake that was only realized after the truck was packed.
I am very excited to get potatoes, but sadly, it seems potatoes struggled this year with the heat and drought. 90% of the crop was lost at Free Bird Farms :/ This is the only planned potato week. And there was a frost this week, so the farm lost "the best bean crop" they had all season. I do love green beans, so this is pretty tragic.
We have broccoli and cauliflower to look forward to in the coming weeks. (bleh, broccoli, but yay, cauliflower!) Just a few weeks left now...can't believe the growing season is almost over. Then again, every time I step outside, the frosty air nips at my cheeks and reminds me that it's nearly winter. Scary.
Oh, I also found a new friend in my string beans last night. An skinny little earthworm about an inch long. Not quite sure what to do with him, I herded him into a cup with some decomposing lettuce and let him chill for a while as I sorted my vegetables. I couldn't just kill it, like I had with the caterpillar and grub I discovered earlier this season. I've always had a soft spot for earthworms, given how beneficial they are in the garden and on the end of a fishing line. No fish to catch, so I decided to let this little guy live to see another day. Besides, I'd already gone to the trouble of fishing him out of my veggies and making him a little home. I'd feel like a terrible person if I disposed of him now.
My burst of compassion and humanity translated into a trek down five flights of stairs to a patch of moist dirt, where I gently shook him out and make sure he burrowed away safely under his lettuce scrap. Since I had to take five flights of stairs down, this meant I needed to climb back up five flights of stairs to get home, which, by the way, is no small feat for an out of shape person like yours truly. At 3am.
I have done my gym and civic duty for the day (week?)
It seems the flood of great music has been accompanied by an equally overwhelming flood of lettuce. I have four different heads of lettuce, one head of frissee, a lovely mess of arugula, and bunches of swiss chard waiting in my fridge for me. #deathbylettuce
CSA Share #19
- 6.5 oz arugula
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 bunch opal basil
- 3 leeks
- 5 medium potatoes (2lbs)
- 3/4lb purple string beans
- 1 bunch swiss chard
- 1 head frisee
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 head green leaf lettuce
- 1 head red leaf lettuce
CWTC: potatoes!!! :) potatooooooooes :D
TAV: purple string beans, because they are purple
WTF: lettuce. I am adorable and cute and lovable, but I am not a rabbit. This is a veritable flood of green leafy things. I don't know how to handle this. I was so stressed by all the green that I ate half a chicken yesterday, just to reassure myself that I am not a cow or other ruminant. The farm apologizes for the cubed lettuce, which is the result of a packing mistake that was only realized after the truck was packed.
I am very excited to get potatoes, but sadly, it seems potatoes struggled this year with the heat and drought. 90% of the crop was lost at Free Bird Farms :/ This is the only planned potato week. And there was a frost this week, so the farm lost "the best bean crop" they had all season. I do love green beans, so this is pretty tragic.
We have broccoli and cauliflower to look forward to in the coming weeks. (bleh, broccoli, but yay, cauliflower!) Just a few weeks left now...can't believe the growing season is almost over. Then again, every time I step outside, the frosty air nips at my cheeks and reminds me that it's nearly winter. Scary.
Oh, I also found a new friend in my string beans last night. An skinny little earthworm about an inch long. Not quite sure what to do with him, I herded him into a cup with some decomposing lettuce and let him chill for a while as I sorted my vegetables. I couldn't just kill it, like I had with the caterpillar and grub I discovered earlier this season. I've always had a soft spot for earthworms, given how beneficial they are in the garden and on the end of a fishing line. No fish to catch, so I decided to let this little guy live to see another day. Besides, I'd already gone to the trouble of fishing him out of my veggies and making him a little home. I'd feel like a terrible person if I disposed of him now.
My burst of compassion and humanity translated into a trek down five flights of stairs to a patch of moist dirt, where I gently shook him out and make sure he burrowed away safely under his lettuce scrap. Since I had to take five flights of stairs down, this meant I needed to climb back up five flights of stairs to get home, which, by the way, is no small feat for an out of shape person like yours truly. At 3am.
I have done my gym and civic duty for the day (week?)
Thursday, October 11, 2012
CSA Share #18
This has been the week of chicken soup. Sometimes, a small gesture goes a long, long ways. A friend, not even a very close friend, dropped by last night because she was "in the area," to pick up a few books I'd promised to lend her (Atonement by Ian McEwan and If This be Treason by Gregory Rabassa, if anyone was curious). She came by as I was in the middle of sorting out my vegetables, with a warm smile and two bowls of chicken matzo ball soup for me and my sick roommate (who she is also friends with). Plus several lovely, thick slices of challah bread. What an angel.
She lives all the way on the UWS and is incredibly busy with her studies, but somehow she managed to make the time to stop by Kips Bay and drop off chicken soup. By the way, "in the area" was actually Penn Station, which is not even remotely in the area at all. Anyways, I really appreciated it and I hope someday that I can return the favor or pay it forward.
After she left, I went back to the task of de-stemming my giant pile of kale. See, I've been getting sick and tired of sauteed greens, and I was far too time-pressed to make kale chips, so I googled kale and what did I find? Recipes for massaged kale salad. Repulsed at first, I was slowly won over by the descriptions of the kale salad that kept popping up. "Silky," "tender," "luxurious," were all used to describe the compliant kale leaves post-massage. I had a lemon slowly drying away into oblivion in the fridge and of course, I had olive oil on hand. So I figured why not, rolled up my sleeves, and set out to make massaged kale salad. It's quite good! I had a small bite and then left the rest to marinate for a few days in the fridge while I do some damage to the more perishable items. The leftover kale ribs were not discarded either. I tossed them in a baggie and added them to my growing "leftover ends for chicken soup" pile in the freezer. I really must make soup this weekend. Anyways, I'll make a post on the kale salad later. I have a lot of posts to write this winter, it seems.
On to this week's CSA share. Lots of repeat vegetables and a few new ones.
CSA Share #18
- 2 sweet dumpling winter squash
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 bunch arugula
- 6 ½ ounces salad mix
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 bunch Swiss chard
- 2 eggplants
- 1 bunch red Russian kale
- 3 red bell peppers
Full disclosure: I swapped out the salad for a head of garlic. I just couldn't handle the thought of more salad...
CWTC: Winter dumpling squash! They really are just so adorable. It's perfect that we got these in our share this week, because I've been eyeing all the little displays of decorative mini squash and pumpkins that the corner delis have set out. They're perfect for decoration and they'll keep for a long while. Multi-functional vegetables that last a long time are definitely my favorite.
TAV: Kale. See above for my little ramble on massaged kale salad.
WTF: Cilantro. T______T No matter. I've been on a roll with preserving fresh herbs lately. I set out to dry the cilantro, remembered that dried cilantro tastes like dried paper flakes, and opted to chop and freeze the cilantro instead. I divided the bunch in two, washed each half-bunch, and chopped them finely and coarsely, respectively. Into ziploc baggies they went, along with a little bit of water (to avoid freezer-burn). I laid them flat in the freezer until they were solid and then stored them away next to the flat-packs of frozen chicken soup.
Side note on the fruit share: Once again, I die. This week's fruit share from Maynard Farms included a bowl of beautiful little Seckel pears and a bowl of large, bright, juicy Golden Delicious. Looks like Maynard Farms was spared the weather problems that have decimated most of the Northeast region's apple crop (yields are down 50%!) This is just not a good year for corn or apples, is it? Apparently raspberries have been hit hard as well, but not by weather problems. Spotted wing Drosophila have decided that the raspberry fields make excellent feeding grounds for their larva and have been quite actively laying their eggs in the berries. Gross. I had to look at Drosophila flies, breed them, mutate them, draw them, examine them, and write papers on them for my entire freshman year of college. These days, I prefer they stay unseen, especially in my food.
In any case, I am still dreaming about that heavenly Macoun I had a few weeks back and I really do wish I had signed up for the fruit share this year. Perhaps next year.
Side note on using up CSA shares: I've noticed that as the summer (and fall) have crept by, I've become more adept at what I've come to think of as vegetable triage. I take stock of this week's share and the leftovers still in the fridge, and quickly assess the survival time of each item. Things that can be frozen or dried are taken care of right away (e.g. garlic, herbs, green onions, soup stock vegetables).
Cut lettuce oxidizes very rapidly, so I store it as a whole head and use it up leaf by leaf, rather than slicing it all up at once. Loose, cut leaves go bad first, so I try to eat those or cook those first (e.g. bok choy, salad mix, arugula, beet/radish/turnip greens).
Long-term storage vegetables, which include essentially all the root vegetables, are separated from their bushy green tops and stored away until the more perishable items are used up first (e.g. potatoes, onions, garlic, beets, carrots, turnips). Even if I really want to eat them, I try to hold off until the more perishable items are used up. I actually haven't seen much of these in recent weeks - I assume Free Bird Farm is trying to keep those in the ground as long as possible as insurance against an unexpected frost that might decimate a planned CSA share. Plus, this gives them extra time to grow. At least, I hope that's the case! I'm really looking forward to at least one more haul of onions and garlic. I'm hoping for potatoes too, but I might be asking for too much. I do think there's a crop of peas headed our way too, but that of course, depends on the weather and the bugs. This week's forecast looks chilly but I don't see any real danger of a sudden frost (knock on wood). Then again, there's still four more weeks to go!
She lives all the way on the UWS and is incredibly busy with her studies, but somehow she managed to make the time to stop by Kips Bay and drop off chicken soup. By the way, "in the area" was actually Penn Station, which is not even remotely in the area at all. Anyways, I really appreciated it and I hope someday that I can return the favor or pay it forward.
After she left, I went back to the task of de-stemming my giant pile of kale. See, I've been getting sick and tired of sauteed greens, and I was far too time-pressed to make kale chips, so I googled kale and what did I find? Recipes for massaged kale salad. Repulsed at first, I was slowly won over by the descriptions of the kale salad that kept popping up. "Silky," "tender," "luxurious," were all used to describe the compliant kale leaves post-massage. I had a lemon slowly drying away into oblivion in the fridge and of course, I had olive oil on hand. So I figured why not, rolled up my sleeves, and set out to make massaged kale salad. It's quite good! I had a small bite and then left the rest to marinate for a few days in the fridge while I do some damage to the more perishable items. The leftover kale ribs were not discarded either. I tossed them in a baggie and added them to my growing "leftover ends for chicken soup" pile in the freezer. I really must make soup this weekend. Anyways, I'll make a post on the kale salad later. I have a lot of posts to write this winter, it seems.
On to this week's CSA share. Lots of repeat vegetables and a few new ones.
CSA Share #18
- 2 sweet dumpling winter squash
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 bunch arugula
- 6 ½ ounces salad mix
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 bunch Swiss chard
- 2 eggplants
- 1 bunch red Russian kale
- 3 red bell peppers
Full disclosure: I swapped out the salad for a head of garlic. I just couldn't handle the thought of more salad...
CWTC: Winter dumpling squash! They really are just so adorable. It's perfect that we got these in our share this week, because I've been eyeing all the little displays of decorative mini squash and pumpkins that the corner delis have set out. They're perfect for decoration and they'll keep for a long while. Multi-functional vegetables that last a long time are definitely my favorite.
TAV: Kale. See above for my little ramble on massaged kale salad.
WTF: Cilantro. T______T No matter. I've been on a roll with preserving fresh herbs lately. I set out to dry the cilantro, remembered that dried cilantro tastes like dried paper flakes, and opted to chop and freeze the cilantro instead. I divided the bunch in two, washed each half-bunch, and chopped them finely and coarsely, respectively. Into ziploc baggies they went, along with a little bit of water (to avoid freezer-burn). I laid them flat in the freezer until they were solid and then stored them away next to the flat-packs of frozen chicken soup.
Side note on the fruit share: Once again, I die. This week's fruit share from Maynard Farms included a bowl of beautiful little Seckel pears and a bowl of large, bright, juicy Golden Delicious. Looks like Maynard Farms was spared the weather problems that have decimated most of the Northeast region's apple crop (yields are down 50%!) This is just not a good year for corn or apples, is it? Apparently raspberries have been hit hard as well, but not by weather problems. Spotted wing Drosophila have decided that the raspberry fields make excellent feeding grounds for their larva and have been quite actively laying their eggs in the berries. Gross. I had to look at Drosophila flies, breed them, mutate them, draw them, examine them, and write papers on them for my entire freshman year of college. These days, I prefer they stay unseen, especially in my food.
In any case, I am still dreaming about that heavenly Macoun I had a few weeks back and I really do wish I had signed up for the fruit share this year. Perhaps next year.
Side note on using up CSA shares: I've noticed that as the summer (and fall) have crept by, I've become more adept at what I've come to think of as vegetable triage. I take stock of this week's share and the leftovers still in the fridge, and quickly assess the survival time of each item. Things that can be frozen or dried are taken care of right away (e.g. garlic, herbs, green onions, soup stock vegetables).
Cut lettuce oxidizes very rapidly, so I store it as a whole head and use it up leaf by leaf, rather than slicing it all up at once. Loose, cut leaves go bad first, so I try to eat those or cook those first (e.g. bok choy, salad mix, arugula, beet/radish/turnip greens).
Long-term storage vegetables, which include essentially all the root vegetables, are separated from their bushy green tops and stored away until the more perishable items are used up first (e.g. potatoes, onions, garlic, beets, carrots, turnips). Even if I really want to eat them, I try to hold off until the more perishable items are used up. I actually haven't seen much of these in recent weeks - I assume Free Bird Farm is trying to keep those in the ground as long as possible as insurance against an unexpected frost that might decimate a planned CSA share. Plus, this gives them extra time to grow. At least, I hope that's the case! I'm really looking forward to at least one more haul of onions and garlic. I'm hoping for potatoes too, but I might be asking for too much. I do think there's a crop of peas headed our way too, but that of course, depends on the weather and the bugs. This week's forecast looks chilly but I don't see any real danger of a sudden frost (knock on wood). Then again, there's still four more weeks to go!
Friday, August 10, 2012
CSA Share #9
This drought must be heavily affecting Free Bird Farm. Supposed to get a ton of rain this weekend though. Good for them, bad for me, especially since I have no clue where I put my umbrellas as I was moving to my new apartment.
Anyways, this week's share:
- 2 japanese eggplant
- 2 light green bell peppers
- thai basil
- carrot and carrot tops
- 3 leeks
- swiss chard
CWTC: leeks! I'm thinking about making leek soup this weekend. om nom nom.
TAV: Carrot tops. Must find a new use for them, as I would very much prefer not to repeat last week's toasted grass experiment.
WTF: Thai basil. What to do with MORE thai basil???
I've actually managed to do pretty significant damage to this week's share already. Down to the eggplants, one bell pepper, the leeks, and some thai basil. But before I get ahead of myself, I must admit that it's probably just because the drought is reducing the sheer volume of our shares.
Since my update is a bit delayed, I already made a few things with this week's share, with varying degrees of success.
Bell pepper and carrot sticks make for lovely office snacks, especially with a bit of 된장 or hummus.
Carrot top tea is...interesting. I couldn't stomach (haha) the thought of eating more woody, chewy, bitter stems, so I decided to try carrot top tea. Besides, I fucking love tea. Apparently, carrot top tea is chock full of vitamins and minerals, and detoxes your kidneys. I probably need a liver detoxifier more than anything else, but any kind of detox is probably a good idea for me. Pretty straightforward stuff.
1. Wash and trim carrot tops.
2. Boil a pot of water.
3. Drop carrot tops into the pot and wait one minute.
4. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and let cool.
6. Strain out carrot tops.
7. Refrigerate and enjoy.
The carrot top tea was a pale olive green color and tasted pretty nasty when still warm. Much better after being chilled in the fridge overnight, but it was a struggle to finish the entire glass. I would probably only make two or three cups of tea and call it a night. I don't think I'm capable of drinking more than that in one week. Definitely interesting though!
Sauteed swiss chard with garlic and wilted thai basil
Yum. This was probably the crowning glory of my culinary experiments with my CSA shares this season. I blanched the chard and sauteed it with some aromatics. It's pretty simple, but it's more like a real recipe than anything else I've done so far, so I'll document it as such. Really delicious stuff. Even my coworker thought it tasted good. It probably can't compete with anything from the food trucks or midtown eateries, but hey, one step at a time right? #turtlewinstherace
Ingredients:
- Handful of thai basil
- 7-8 large leaves of swiss chard
- 5 cloves garlic (or to taste)
- olive oil
- salt
1. Wash chard and basil thoroughly.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
3. Drop the swiss chard in the pot of water for about 30 seconds to a minute.
4. Drain and refill pot (with swiss chard still in there!) with cold water. Repeat until water drains cold.
5. Squeeze the water out of the swiss chard, chop into ribbons, and set aside.
6. Slice garlic.
7. Heat a bit of olive oil in a pan (medium-low heat). When a drop of water "spits" back at you, add the sliced garlic. Stir occasionally until the garlic just begins to brown.
8. Add chopped swiss chard to the pan.
9. Sprinkle some salt over the pan.
10. Add the handful of thai basil leaves (stripped from their stems).
11. Stir gently until the thai basil is wilted.
12. Remove from heat and serve!
Yum yum. This weekend will be eggplants and leek soup. We'll see if I can top the swiss chard dish...
Anyways, this week's share:
- 2 japanese eggplant
- 2 light green bell peppers
- thai basil
- carrot and carrot tops
- 3 leeks
- swiss chard
CWTC: leeks! I'm thinking about making leek soup this weekend. om nom nom.
TAV: Carrot tops. Must find a new use for them, as I would very much prefer not to repeat last week's toasted grass experiment.
WTF: Thai basil. What to do with MORE thai basil???
I've actually managed to do pretty significant damage to this week's share already. Down to the eggplants, one bell pepper, the leeks, and some thai basil. But before I get ahead of myself, I must admit that it's probably just because the drought is reducing the sheer volume of our shares.
Since my update is a bit delayed, I already made a few things with this week's share, with varying degrees of success.
Bell pepper and carrot sticks make for lovely office snacks, especially with a bit of 된장 or hummus.
Carrot top tea is...interesting. I couldn't stomach (haha) the thought of eating more woody, chewy, bitter stems, so I decided to try carrot top tea. Besides, I fucking love tea. Apparently, carrot top tea is chock full of vitamins and minerals, and detoxes your kidneys. I probably need a liver detoxifier more than anything else, but any kind of detox is probably a good idea for me. Pretty straightforward stuff.
1. Wash and trim carrot tops.
2. Boil a pot of water.
3. Drop carrot tops into the pot and wait one minute.
4. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and let cool.
6. Strain out carrot tops.
7. Refrigerate and enjoy.
The carrot top tea was a pale olive green color and tasted pretty nasty when still warm. Much better after being chilled in the fridge overnight, but it was a struggle to finish the entire glass. I would probably only make two or three cups of tea and call it a night. I don't think I'm capable of drinking more than that in one week. Definitely interesting though!
Sauteed swiss chard with garlic and wilted thai basil
Yum. This was probably the crowning glory of my culinary experiments with my CSA shares this season. I blanched the chard and sauteed it with some aromatics. It's pretty simple, but it's more like a real recipe than anything else I've done so far, so I'll document it as such. Really delicious stuff. Even my coworker thought it tasted good. It probably can't compete with anything from the food trucks or midtown eateries, but hey, one step at a time right? #turtlewinstherace
Ingredients:
- Handful of thai basil
- 7-8 large leaves of swiss chard
- 5 cloves garlic (or to taste)
- olive oil
- salt
1. Wash chard and basil thoroughly.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
3. Drop the swiss chard in the pot of water for about 30 seconds to a minute.
4. Drain and refill pot (with swiss chard still in there!) with cold water. Repeat until water drains cold.
5. Squeeze the water out of the swiss chard, chop into ribbons, and set aside.
6. Slice garlic.
7. Heat a bit of olive oil in a pan (medium-low heat). When a drop of water "spits" back at you, add the sliced garlic. Stir occasionally until the garlic just begins to brown.
8. Add chopped swiss chard to the pan.
9. Sprinkle some salt over the pan.
10. Add the handful of thai basil leaves (stripped from their stems).
11. Stir gently until the thai basil is wilted.
12. Remove from heat and serve!
Yum yum. This weekend will be eggplants and leek soup. We'll see if I can top the swiss chard dish...
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
CSA Share #6
Apparently upstate NY is suffering the opposite problem of last year: not enough rain. Sadly, the sweet corn crop is one of the casualties, which is a bummer since there is really nothing better than a lovely corn on the cob sprinkled with a smidge of salt. Or just eaten plain.
On the bright side, the fruit shares are benefiting from the hot, dry weather. Too bad I didn't sign up for a fruit share...next year, perhaps? Those white nectarines I walked past during today's pickup smelled amazing.
Here's the roundup for this week:
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 bunch carrots
- 2 kohlrabi
- 1 bunch broccoli
- 1 bunch sweet onions
- swiss chard
- 2 patty pan squash
- 1 golden zucchini
I'm steadily accumulating salad greens and lettuces in my fridge. I really should invest in a salad spinner for next season!
The carrots and patty pan squash are noticeably bigger than last week's version, but they are still super adorable. :)
CWTC: patty pan squash. I have a tender spot for these bright yellow zucchini-like vegetables. So good!
WTF: more broccoli? shit. haha.
TAV: kohlrabi. I've seen them before but I've never tried them. Apparently, they're like a cross between radishes, turnips and broccoli stems. I love radishes and turnips but broccoli stems are really not my thing. So...I suppose we'll find out how I feel about these vegetables this week. They do look fascinating though! I googled them and one person described them as "green Sputnik-like bulbs." Intriguing. I think I'll chop some up and try them raw as snacks, along with my carrots.
I still have garlic and cucumbers left from last week's share too. Cucumbers are good snack food. Garlic will keep forever, so I'm not in a hurry. I can probably saute the garlic with the onions and some eggs for a nice brunch this weekend. Yum.
On the bright side, the fruit shares are benefiting from the hot, dry weather. Too bad I didn't sign up for a fruit share...next year, perhaps? Those white nectarines I walked past during today's pickup smelled amazing.
Here's the roundup for this week:
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 bunch carrots
- 2 kohlrabi
- 1 bunch broccoli
- 1 bunch sweet onions
- swiss chard
- 2 patty pan squash
- 1 golden zucchini
I'm steadily accumulating salad greens and lettuces in my fridge. I really should invest in a salad spinner for next season!
The carrots and patty pan squash are noticeably bigger than last week's version, but they are still super adorable. :)
CWTC: patty pan squash. I have a tender spot for these bright yellow zucchini-like vegetables. So good!
WTF: more broccoli? shit. haha.
TAV: kohlrabi. I've seen them before but I've never tried them. Apparently, they're like a cross between radishes, turnips and broccoli stems. I love radishes and turnips but broccoli stems are really not my thing. So...I suppose we'll find out how I feel about these vegetables this week. They do look fascinating though! I googled them and one person described them as "green Sputnik-like bulbs." Intriguing. I think I'll chop some up and try them raw as snacks, along with my carrots.
I still have garlic and cucumbers left from last week's share too. Cucumbers are good snack food. Garlic will keep forever, so I'm not in a hurry. I can probably saute the garlic with the onions and some eggs for a nice brunch this weekend. Yum.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
CSA Share #3 and #5
Wow. Between traveling home for some (much-needed and much-appreciated) vacation time and a million other life-events, I just haven't had time to do much beyond pick up my CSA share and try to figure out ways to incorporate more veggies in my life.
Quick recap of the last few weeks...
CSA Share 3
- garlic scapes (picked by yours truly :D)
- patty pan squash
- romaine lettuce
- swiss chard
- kale
- arugula
- basil
CWTC: Patty pan squash. They're just so cute!
WTF: None. I like all of these :)
TAV: None. THese are all pretty garden-variety (haha). And I got so up close and familiar with the garlic scapes after spending an hour picking them that I don't really consider them adventurous fare anymore.
I picked up this share, dropped it off at home, grabbed my luggage, and ran like crazy to catch my flight back to Arizona. But...this share was too cute and I couldn't help but pack a few veggies into a bag and carry them with me. I imagine a lot of the passengers on the plane were a bit confused. I know security at JFK was certainly a bit bewildered. As I was collecting my shoes and laptop from the plastic buckets, I overheard one security person whisper to another as they examined the x-ray screen, "Are those...vegetables?"
Haha. My parents were very impressed by my dedication and even more impressed that I cooked a lovely lemon-basil pasta with summer squash for dinner the next night. Most of all, they were impressed that I did the dishes (voluntarily!) and kept my room clean. I feel like they think I'm still 16 years old sometimes.
As an added bonus, the basil kept my air-sickness at bay. Every time I felt a bit nauseous, I just snagged a leaf from my bag and took a quick sniff of my basil. Mmm.
CSA Share 4
Skipped - out of town :/
On the bright side, I was having the time of my life at home, so I could care less. Plus, my CSA donates leftover vegetables, so it's not wasted!
CSA Share 5
- 1 head fresh garlic
- broccoli
- purple basil
- 2 cucumbers
- 1 Cousa-style squash (aka Korean hobak/zucchini)
- 2 golden zucchini
- red leaf lettuce
- carrots
- beets
CWTC: Carrots! They're so adorable :)
WTF: Broccoli. I like vegetables. I do. But not this one. Sigh...I still packed some for lunch, but I'm not thrilled about it.
TAV: Golden zucchini - zucchini itself is pretty standard stuff. But the color! So pretty! :)
Not sure what to do with this share yet. Very happy there is hobak in there. Apparently people didn't know how to cook/eat it, because this week's newsletter included a request for ways to prepare it. I EAT THIS ALL THE TIME. GIMME MOAR. 호박전, 된장찌개, 호박 무침...omg. More korean-style veggies are popping up in my CSA share than I expected. Plus points!
I might just pack some of my share and bring it with me to the BBQ my friend is throwing this weekend. Zucchini and beets will probably grill nicely. Lettuce on a burger? Cucumbers for snacks and cucumber water! Basil and cucumber for making mixed drinks? Mmm.
Quick recap of the last few weeks...
CSA Share 3
- garlic scapes (picked by yours truly :D)
- patty pan squash
- romaine lettuce
- swiss chard
- kale
- arugula
- basil
CWTC: Patty pan squash. They're just so cute!
WTF: None. I like all of these :)
TAV: None. THese are all pretty garden-variety (haha). And I got so up close and familiar with the garlic scapes after spending an hour picking them that I don't really consider them adventurous fare anymore.
I picked up this share, dropped it off at home, grabbed my luggage, and ran like crazy to catch my flight back to Arizona. But...this share was too cute and I couldn't help but pack a few veggies into a bag and carry them with me. I imagine a lot of the passengers on the plane were a bit confused. I know security at JFK was certainly a bit bewildered. As I was collecting my shoes and laptop from the plastic buckets, I overheard one security person whisper to another as they examined the x-ray screen, "Are those...vegetables?"
Haha. My parents were very impressed by my dedication and even more impressed that I cooked a lovely lemon-basil pasta with summer squash for dinner the next night. Most of all, they were impressed that I did the dishes (voluntarily!) and kept my room clean. I feel like they think I'm still 16 years old sometimes.
As an added bonus, the basil kept my air-sickness at bay. Every time I felt a bit nauseous, I just snagged a leaf from my bag and took a quick sniff of my basil. Mmm.
CSA Share 4
Skipped - out of town :/
On the bright side, I was having the time of my life at home, so I could care less. Plus, my CSA donates leftover vegetables, so it's not wasted!
CSA Share 5
- 1 head fresh garlic
- broccoli
- purple basil
- 2 cucumbers
- 1 Cousa-style squash (aka Korean hobak/zucchini)
- 2 golden zucchini
- red leaf lettuce
- carrots
- beets
CWTC: Carrots! They're so adorable :)
WTF: Broccoli. I like vegetables. I do. But not this one. Sigh...I still packed some for lunch, but I'm not thrilled about it.
TAV: Golden zucchini - zucchini itself is pretty standard stuff. But the color! So pretty! :)
Not sure what to do with this share yet. Very happy there is hobak in there. Apparently people didn't know how to cook/eat it, because this week's newsletter included a request for ways to prepare it. I EAT THIS ALL THE TIME. GIMME MOAR. 호박전, 된장찌개, 호박 무침...omg. More korean-style veggies are popping up in my CSA share than I expected. Plus points!
I might just pack some of my share and bring it with me to the BBQ my friend is throwing this weekend. Zucchini and beets will probably grill nicely. Lettuce on a burger? Cucumbers for snacks and cucumber water! Basil and cucumber for making mixed drinks? Mmm.
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