budgetsmartgirl

Posts Tagged ‘CSA. community supported agriculture’

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The CSA Box-Week 20-One of my Fall Favorites

In Meatless Mondays on October 25, 2012 at 6:38 pm

It’s getting close to the end of the CSA boxes for the year and you know what they say about saving the best till last. One of my fall favorites was nestled inside last’s week’s delivery.

Buttercup squash, cauliflower, red onion, kale, lettuce, gold beets, carrots, dill.

Buttercup squash-I still have a few of these from previous deliveries and I’m saving them up for suppers when the weather turns chilly.

Cauliflower-the ones that we’ve had from Featherstone Farm have been some of the best I’ve ever tasted and convinced me that this veggie does have flavor afterall.

Red onion-I also have a good supply of these and I’m using them for just about everything. They say they’re the best for making French onion soup.

Kale-this vegetable is so good for you and it’s inexpensive, especially in the fall. It’s only drawback, sometimes it’s tough no matter how long you cook it. However, last week I finally stumbled upon the perfect way. I used a skillet and sauted it in some oil and stir fried it until all the oil was evaporated and the kale slightly wilted. Then I added about a 1/4 cup of water and a good sprinkling of salt, pepper and garlic powder. I put a glass lid over the skillet and let it steam for about 10 minutes. It was perfect, it still had some bite left in it, but wasn’t overly ‘chewy’.

Lettuce-Now the weather’s turned colder I’ve got tired of salads so I’m using this in another form for Monday’s meatless meal.

Gold beets-these are my favorite and if you’ve never tried them, do. They’re sweet and not so earthy tasting as the red variety. They’re perfect on a salad.

Carrots-I’m going to miss these when the season comes to an end.

Dill-I loved this in the summer. Although I was tempted to try and keep it fresh, I ended up drying it and will be using it through the rest of the fall and winter. Try it in scrambled eggs or mix it with cream cheese.

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The CSA Box-Week 14-A Sweet Surprise

In csa box on September 13, 2012 at 3:33 pm

Each week when I bring home these CSA boxes it’s always a suprise to see what’s inside. Last week was no exception because nestled in with the produce was a bunch of grapes. They weren’t from the farm but a nearby vineyard and given as an extra treat for us shareholders. I know this might sound strange but they really tasted like grapes. You know there’s a big difference between drinking grape juice and eating grapes from the supermarket? These grapes that are called Bluebells, tasted exactly like grape juice.

The rest of the goodies included-

Napa cabbage, broccoli, Yellow Doll watermelon, tomatillios, cilantro, argula, eggplant, hot and sweet peppers, onions, tomatoes and red leaf lettuce.

Napa Cabbage-I still have this on hand and thinking about a fall themed coleslaw using it along with apples.

Broccoli, onions, and tomatoes-the previous week’s flyer had a recipe for tomatt gratin that also used broccoli so I thought I’d give it a try for Saturday supper. I would have never thought of pairing the two together but it was fantastic. Very simple to make just steamed broccoli, and yes, even use the stems, sliced tomatoes, a cheese sauce with sauted onions, layered together and topped with cheese, fried onions and dabs of butter.

Watermelon-once again a new to me variety, and this was the best of the bunch, so sweet and perfect for snacking.

Tomatillos, hot peppers, and cilantro- this week I felt that these were meant to be together in a meal so I made a grilled veggie salsa and combined it with a quick meal that’s next Monday’s Meatless feature.

Arugula-I’m not the biggest fan of this because the smell and taste is overpowering but the flyer suggested making pesto from it which I’m going to give a try.

Eggplant-this is waiting to be turned into a batch of ratatouille that I make this time every year.

Red leaf lettuce-when it’s this good you’d be foolish not to use it as is for salad.

And just to prove that I’m turning into a vegetable gardener myself, here’s the first of the lettuces I grew from seed. And you know the saying about he who hestitates is lost? That person also has their food poached too. I snapped this photo of the lettuce one day and thought I’d eat it for the lunch the following one, but a deer beat me to it!

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CSA Box-Week Three

In csa box on June 28, 2012 at 3:47 pm

Here’s what goodies were in week three’s CSA Box-

Salad mix, red beets, red chard, cilantro, basil, snow peas, green zucchini and yellow squash, garlic scapes, broccoli, radishes, spinach and Yukon Gold potatoes.

I’m learning more about working a meal around one particular vegetable and think it’s a skill I’ll be putting to use year round now.

I used the pototoes and broccoli as side dishes to accompany some grilled Quorn ‘chicken’ breasts I bought on sale.

The salad mix and radishes were eaten for lunches throughout the week.

Featherstone Farm who supplies the veggies gives us two recipe ideas each week. This was the second week the box had contained red chard. First week I cooked it as a side dish, this time around I used their recipe for chard enchiladas that I have to say were really delicious and a keeper recipe for me. Red chard’s something I’ve never bought before and I wouldn’t have thought to use it in this type of recipe. Best thing is it used both the greens and stems so nothing went to waste. I also used the garlic scapes and cilantro too.

I really like the garlic scapes and sad to learn that was the last of this season’s crop. They’re definitely something I’ll buy. I’ve even thinking about planting my own garlic this fall just to have the scapes next spring. The thing I like about them is they’re milder than actual garlic and give a subtle taste to any dish. Another plus is they don’t burn and turn bitter like garlic.

Another thing I very seldom buy fresh are snow peas. I make lots of stir frys so thought for Saturday dinner I’d use them with shrimp, fresh ginger, and one of the sauces that the folks from Thai Kitchen sent me a while back (along with some spices and flavorings) to taste test.

This is an easy stir fry, just blanched snow peas, lots of onions cut into wedges, garlic scapes, a good helping of chopped, fresh ginger, and shrimp. I made sure the onions, ginger, and garlic scapes were slightly carmelized before I added the snow peas and shrimp. Next I added about half the bottle of the Thai Kitchen (Chili and Ginger) sauce and simmered everything together for about five minutes. I served it with brown rice and sesame seeds.

These snow peas are called Oregon Giants and are very tasty and a must try if you see them in the produce department.

One thing I have discovered is waste not want not. Greens and stems can be used for meals, vegetable based dishes are just as satisfying and tasty as those using more expensive items like meat. And what does need to be trimmed and thrown out can go in the compost bin.

On Monday I’ll be sharing with you a recipe by a local chef using the zucchini, potatoes and basil.

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