Join our Winter CSA!  See details →
🔍

Category: 2019

  • CSA Week 6

    Hello CSA Members!

    Here is what we *hope* to bring you for Week 6 of our CSA:

     

    REGULAR SHARE
    Herb Choice
    Sugar Snap Peas
    CHOICE: Fava Beans OR Beets
    Garlic
    Kohlrabi
    CHOICE: Head Lettuce OR Lettuce Mix OR Braising Mix
    CHOICE: Kale OR Collard Greens

    LARGE SHARE ADDITIONS
    Double Sugar Snap Peas
    TWO Garlic
    TWO CHOICES Kale or Collards

    FRUIT SHARE
    Cherries

  • Radish + Salt + Butter

    Butter, salt and radish. Simple, classic, delicious.

    IMG_2162

    This post is an ode to the humble radish.

    IMG_2163

    I chop them up and throw them in just about any salad. I love adding them to my avocado toast in the morning. Lots of coffee shops serve this very dish.

    IMG_2153

    I saw this idea for butter dipped radishes and made it for a Father’s Day pre-dinner snack.  Everyone really loved them and they took about 5 minutes to make and were really super impressive looking. I’ll make these again and again I am sure.

    IMG_2150

    I will trim the greens better next time to make them prettier. Opps. Funny that didn’t bother me when we were eating them. But now that I see the picture-ekk.

    Much like the butter dipped radishes for an appetizer, I like to set out an array of radishes, butter, salt and bread to snack on with drinks before dinner.

    IMG_2159

    People can grab what they like, just butter and bread or bread with slices of radish, or they can put a little butter on a radish and salt it sans bread.

    IMG_2160

    Yup. Simple, classic, delicious.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Rhubarb Crumble Breakfast Yogurt

    I have never posted a Fruit Crumble recipe because I figure everyone already has a favorite one. One your mom or grandma made probably. It is of course, interchangeable with any type of fruit or berry and you can serve it with ice cream, whipped cream, egg custard, or just alone.

    I was talking with Lauren about crumble, as you do, and she nonchalantly commented how she has her crumble for breakfast, with yogurt.

    Mic drop.

    Mind blown. How have I never thought of this.

    IMG_2126

    This should be on every breakfast menu.

    Use your favorite recipe, add any nuts or seeds to up the protein, or don’t use any if you don’t like them. Use any grains or grain substitute, or make it gluten free.  Use honey, sugar, agave, applesauce, or any sweetener you like. Make it to your liking.

    Just make it, and thank Lauren for the great idea.

    See you at pickup.

    mo

     

     

  • CSA Week 5

    Hello CSA Members!

    Here is what we *hope* to bring you for Week 5 of our CSA:

     

    Sugar Snap Peas in Pod

    REGULAR SHARE
    Sugar Snap Peas
    Kohlrabi
    Radishes
    Hakurei Turnips
    CHOICE: Garlic Scapes OR Spring Onions
    CHOICE: Arugula OR Braising Mix OR Lettuce
    CHOICE: Kale OR Collard Greens

    LARGE SHARE ADDITIONS
    CHOICE: Double Sugar Snap Peas OR Broccoli
    Garlic Scapes AND Spring Onions
    One Other Item

    FRUIT SHARE
    NONE

  • Grain Free Kale Tabbouleh Salad

    I went to a friends for dinner last night and was asked to bring a grain free salad. I had just made this tabbouleh salad and loved it so much I made it again leaving out the bulgur and upping the greens and parsley amounts.

    IMG_2095

    This comes together in about 5 minutes and it delicious.

    Ingredients

    4 cups of mix of greens like kale, chard finely chopped (I used one bunch of kale)
    1/2 cup of parsley finely chopped and 1/4 cup mint finely chopped
    1/4 cup Scallions finely minced
    2 Tomatoes medium, seeded and diced
    1 Cucumber medium, seeded and diced
    1/2 tsp Salt
    1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
    1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
    3 Tbsp Lemon or lime juice
    3 Tbsp Olive Oil

    Optional additions are

    • garbanzo beans
    • feta cheese
    • goat cheese
    • olives

    Instructions
    1. Combine everything in a large bowl and mix well. Chill for 1 hour.
    3. Before serving taste and add more olive oil, lemon (lime) juice or salt and toss again.

  • Saag Paneer

    We are getting lots of greens in our CSA share of late, here is a great way to use lots of those greens up.

    Saag is a quick easy one dish meal or side dish. It travels well and is good warm or at room temperature. Saag is usually made with spinach, but you can use any green. I actually think saag means ‘leafy green’, so use kale or chard, or turnip greens-use what you have! You can make it luxuriously rich making it with cream, or vegan by using coconut, or any plant based milk like almond or soy. If you don’t have or like paneer sub, tofu, garbanzo beans, cubed potatoes, cauliflower or just make saag and let it stand alone.

    IMG_2079

    Basically you cook some garlic and onions and ginger in a pan and add some Indian spices, then add a TON of finely chopped greens to that pan. When the greens have wilted down you add the liquid you like and cook that to a creamy texture. Sometimes I  use an immersion blender or a regular blender to get a really smooth texture, other times I leave it a little choppy.

    Here are two basic saag recipes that you can springboard off.

    I pretty much followed the recipe from 101 Cookbooks. I like that she uses weights for the spinach. I’ll note the changes I made in parentheses.

    INGREDIENTS

    • 1 1/2 pounds fresh baby spinach, well washed and dried (I used collards and chard)
    • 2 tablespoons ghee, clarified butter, or unsalted butter
    • 8 – 12 oz paneer cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
    • 2 medium onions, finely chopped (I used a mix of our CSA green garlic, leeks and scallions)
    • scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
    • 3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped (see my note above)
    • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (I used two tablespoons)
    • 1 tablespoon spice mixture* see below (I used a premix Indian spice)
    • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
    • 1 cup buttermilk (I used a mix of butter milk and yogurt because I didn’t have enough of either. Feel free to use coconut milk, or a plant based milk. )
    • splash of cream or dollop of plain yogurt (I like it with a splash of cream)
    • fresh lemon to finish, and toasted sesame seeds to sprinkle

    INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Chop the spinach well, and set aside in a large bowl.
    2. While you’re chopping spinach, cook the paneer in one tablespoon of the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Make sure the paneer is in a single layer and use a spatula to flip it regularly so all sides get deeply brown. This typically takes 7 minutes or so. Remove from the pan and set aside.
    3. Heat the other tablespoon of butter in your largest soup pot. Add the onions and salt, and saute until the onions soften up, five minutes or so. Add the garlic, ginger, spice mixture, and turmeric. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and nicely combined – a minute or two.
    4. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the spinach to the pan all at once, if possible. Cook, stirring all the while, until the spinach is collapsed and wilted, a couple of minutes. If you need to add the spinach in batches (adding more spinach as it collapses), that is fine too, just do it as quickly as possible.
    5. Stir in the buttermilk and cream and heat gently while stirring. If the mixture seems dry, add more buttermilk a splash at a time (this rarely happens to me). Taste and add more salt if necessary and more red pepper flakes if you like. Add a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice, stir in the paneer, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

    This is my biggest mixing bowl full of a bunch of collards and a bunch of chard. Next photo is step #1 all chopped up and then the other ingredients assembled.

    Step #3 and #5 look how much that cooks down.

    The next two pictures are, first, where I left the saag chopped and second, where I used a blender to puree it. I prefer to puree it when I make it with more hefty greens like collards and kale. I cook it a little longer too and added an extra dollop of cream. It makes it a little less chewy.

    IMG_2080

    IMG_2100

    If you don’t already have saag in your ‘easy meal’ repertoire I hope you give it a try.

    Have a great week, see you at pickup.

    Mo

     

     

  • CSA Week 4

    Hello CSA Members!

    Here is what we *hope* to bring you for Week 4 of our CSA:Bok Choi

     

    REGULAR SHARE
    CHOICE: Herbs
    Radishes
    Scallions
    Hakurei Turnips
    CHOICE: Spinach OR Arugula
    Salanova Lettuce Mix
    CHOICE: Kale OR Bok Choi OR Collard Greens

    LARGE SHARE ADDITIONSHakurei Turnips
    Broccoli
    Rhubarb
    Spring Onions
    Double Choice: Kale OR Bok Choi OR Collard Greens

    FRUIT SHARE
    NONE

  • Braised Bok Choy

    Word has it there is a lot of bok choy in the field so I wanted to add one more fast delicious prep for the bok choy you are getting this week.

    IMG_2049

    Bok choy is a substantial vegetable that can stand alone as a main dish or as a side.  When you braise it the liquid you use becomes a tasty sauce you can serve with rice, grains, pasta or potatoes.

    Make sure you wash your bok choy really well, especially around the stem area. They are a little bit like leeks, that they hang onto soil around their stems. See?

    IMG_2048

    Braised Bok Choy

    1 bunch of bok choy, washed and halved. Don’t worry if some leaves fall off, just throw them in the pan to cook with the intact halves

    1 tablespoon sesame oil, butter, or olive oil, your choice

    1 cup chicken, vegetable stock, I used 1/2 coconut milk and 1/2 water

    Salt + pepper

    I added a handful of leeks and green garlic too.

    Bring water and butter or oil to a simmer over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add bok choy and other vegetables if you are using any, the liquid won’t cover the vegetables, that is ok. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook about 5 minutes or until stalks are tender. Transfer the vegetables to a shallow serving dish  and cover them to keep them warm. Taste the liquid and decide if you want to  reduce it or make it thicker, or maybe it’s ok? I added a little corn starch to mine this time to thicken it up. Most times I reduce it down to about half. Whatever you decide when you are happy with how it tastes, pour the braising liquid over the bok choy, tasted again if it needs any more salt or pepper and enjoy. 

    We had our bok choy with fish and rice. This isn’t a great picture but I am adding it to show you the braising liquid, see in the bottom right? There isn’t much left, it is absorbed by the vegetables, but it is very tasty and ties the dish together, with a little squeeze of lime and we are done in less than the amount of time it took to cook the rice.

    IMG_2056

    Have a great week and I’ll see you at pickup.

    Mo

  • Miso Soup with Bok Choy

    Wyatt suggested this healthy quick meal because it is so adaptable to any array of vegetables that may come your way via CSA.

    I used bok choy, green garlic, a handful of kale, soba noodles and an egg. But feel free to replace or add any vegetables or protein you have.

    IMG_2025

    Here is the basic recipe, it makes enough for 2 bowls and takes about 10 minutes to make.

    • 3 ounces dried soba noodles
    • 2 – 4 tablespoons miso paste (to taste I used white miso, I like red too)
    • 4 cups of water or broth
    • 2 – 3 ounces firm tofu or 2 eggs or chicken
    • a handful vegetables washed and chopped
    • 2 or 3 green onions or green garlic (garlic scapes would work too) finely chopped
    • Grated fresh ginger to taste- I used about 2 tablespoons

     

    • Cook the soba noodles in salted water, drain, run cold water over the noodles to stop them from cooking,  set aside.
    • In a medium sauce pan bring 4 cups of water or broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and add the chopped vegetables, onions and garlic and simmer for 3-5 minutes until they are just cooked.
    • Pour a bit of the hot water (or broth) into a small bowl and whisk in the miso paste – so it thins out a bit and keeps the miso from clumping.

    IMG_2029

    • When the vegetables are cooked turn off the heat and stir the miso into the pot. You don’t want to boil the miso because will kill the probiotics in it. Taste, and then add more (the same way) until it is to your liking. Taste and see if it needs any salt, some misos are saltier than others.

    Split the noodles and grated ginger between two  bowls, and pour the miso broth over them and divide up the vegetables between the bowls.

    Serve and enjoy!

    IMG_2046

     

     

     

     

  • CSA Week 3

    Hello CSA Members!

    Here is what we *hope* to bring you for Week 3 of our CSA:

     

    REGULAR SHARE
    CHOICE: Sorrel OR Herb Choice
    Radishes
    Scallions
    Hakurei Turnips
    CHOICE: Spinach OR Pea Shoots OR Arugula
    Bok Choi
    CHOICE: Curly Kale or Tuscan Kale

    LARGE SHARE ADDITIONS
    Swiss Chard
    Collard Greens
    One other Item

    FRUIT SHARE
    NONE