(A quick recap: this is my second season belonging to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture---basically I pay a farm upfront for a share of their season's harvest). Every week from now until October, I'll drive to my farm's pick-up spot and get my share of whatever is in season. When I remember, I'll take a photo of the week's bounty, tell you what I got and what I did with it. Hope you enjoy this ongoing project).
Week Five
We are seeing color!
Pictured are: (top row, left to right) Mustard Greens, 2 Heads Lettuce, Beets with greens; (middle row, left to right) Dill, Scallions, Arugula, Snap Peas, 2 Red Cabbages; (bottom row, left to right) Green Peppers, Zucchini, Yellow Pattypan Squash, Cauliflower, Savoy Cabbage
Yes, there is color other than green. Look carefully at the photo and you'll see a Yellow Pattypan Squash (I could say that over and over again: pattypan, pattypan, pattypan). And, those are some little Red Beets, White Cauliflower and Purple Cabbage too.
Oh, and, yes, you may notice that the photo sucks. That is because my father-in-law accidentally took our camera back to Florida with him, so I had to resort to a camera-phone picture. Hopefully, next week all of our technical difficulties will be behind us.
I have to confess that I was a bit lazy with the cooking this week but still managed to make a dent in what we have. I suppose anyone would quiver at this much cabbage (not to mention the collard greens still holding up space in my refrigerator).
First, I made some Quick Sauerkraut, a food I really do not like. However, my mom and sister love it, so I made it for them. Not having any idea what 'good' sauerkraut tastes like, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they liked this.
Quick Sauerkraut (Everyday Food)
1 head green cabbage, outer leaves & core removed, halved and then leaves thinly sliced
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 TBS coarse salt
Combine above ingredients with 1 1/4 cups water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a bit more water if bottom starts to brown. Will keep in refrigerator up to two weeks.
I also made Spinach Beet Green Feta Brown Rice Bowl which I adapted from the From Asparagus to Zucchini cookbook. Here is my version:
2 TBS olive oil, divided
1 cup white rice (recipe calls for brown which I hate)
1 bunch scallions, chopped
large bunch of greens (used beet greens), stems removed, leaves chopped
1 bunch fresh dill (a large handful)
2-4 oz chunk of feta cheese, diced
Prepare rice with 1 TBS oil and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and then let simmer until water has absorbed. Remove from heat. While rice cooks, heat 1TBS oil in pan and cook scallions for a few minutes. Add beet greens and stir until wilted. Stir in dill and a little salt. Remove from heat. Stir greens mixture and feta into cooked rice and serve.
For the Fourth of July, I was all about the cabbage. Along with the Quick Sauerkraut, I brought along Red Coleslaw (delicious, quick and easy---the cilantro sprinkled on top is a nice touch) and my tried-and-true Cabbage Salad.
Coleslaw (from Everyday Food) (amounts are doubled since I brought a big batch)
Whisk together 1/2 cup reduced-fat mayo, 4 TBS white-wine vinegar, 4 tsp sugar, 1 tsp coarse salt and 1/4 tsp ground pepper. Add a head of red cabbage that has been cored and thinly sliced. Toss to coat and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight. Just before serving, sprinkle with 4 TBS fresh cilantro, and pepper if desired.
Saturday evening, I was left alone for a few hours and thus decided to clear out my refrigerator cook. I found this recipe for Red Beet Risotto with Mustard Greens and made it with the following changes/additions:
- threw in a bunch of chopped garlic scapes with the beets and onions
- replaced 1/2 cup of broth with white wine
- cooked the risotto by adding 1/2 cup of liquid to it at a time and letting it absorb into the rice before adding more liquid
Considering that I HATED mustard greens last year but loved this dish, I'd say that it was a success.
While this cooked, I roasted the head of cauliflower in some olive oil and sea salt and proceeded to eat most of while standing over the stove. I also made this very easy, but very tasty, salad using the arugula.
This week, my oldest daughter and I went to the farm to perform some of our volunteer hours. If you end up doing this for your CSA, please take my advice and wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt unless you want your arms and legs to look like you were attacked by a pack of wild kittens. Despite the scratches, it was satisfying to pull out the angry weeds that were crowding out my beloved Pattypans.
*think this title is corny? Just wait to see what I come up with by Week 15. . .
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