CSA Week 3
This week’s CSA box was more full than last week’s box, with a greater variety of veggies. I’ve included how I’m using them.
Radishes with greens: sliced with salt and butter on a fresh baguette, in a green salad, on a sandwich with goat cheese and spinach, and in Hijiki and Edamame salad from Super Natural Cooking
Turnips with greens: mashed alongside bratwurst
Kohlrabi with greens: thinly sliced into green salad
Lettuce: green salads, of course!
Broccoli: in Broccoli Pesto & Fusilli from 101 Cookbooks
Cauliflower: steamed and pureed, so I can sneak it into tuna salad for Drake and Espresso Banana muffins, probably not for the kids
Snap peas: raw in green salads
Rainbow chard: chopped and used Mark Bittman’s Pan-Cooked Greens with Tofu from Food Matters, along with the radish, turnip and kohlrabi greens, and as part of the pesto in the Broccoli Pesto & Fusilli
Garlic scapes: Garlic Scape Soup (photo above) from Super Natural Cooking. I learned that chive blossoms make a lovely garnish but while technically edible, taste yucky.
This week I did minimal prep for the veg before putting them in the crisper. I removed the greens from the radishes, turnips and kohlrabi, then wrapped those greens, along with the lettuce and chard, loosely in a towel. I didn’t clean and dry them until ready to use, which is recommended in several places on the web, yet I found it promoted wilting rather than prevented it, so I think I’ll be back to washing, spinning dry and bagging my greens with a paper towel next week.
Thus far, the CSA share means I’m working with a greater variety of vegetables at a time, and it’s made me more motivated and creative in seeking out ways to use them.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Sounds like you’re eating really well this summer!
July 1st, 2009 at 1:31 pm
I boiled the turnips last night and tried to mash them using a ricer. Lots of water came out, lots of fibrous turnip matter left behind, very little edible turnip. I think I’ll use the food processor next time. I didn’t think they were that bad with some salted butter mixed in but my husband griped that nobody likes turnips, then I laughed when my sister sent me this link today; read to the first instruction the Mike Byron family:
http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/2009/07/01/awkward-family-story-the-thanksgiving-letter/
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:37 am
One thing I do with turnips is to mash them with some carrots, then add in butter, a little milk (or cream), and some garlic. And if I’m feeling fancy, some tarragon! I think the sweetness of the carrots helps cut the (potential) bitterness of the turnip, so you might want to try that and see if your husband likes it any better. It’s how my mom always makes them for things like Thanksgiving, and I must say, I can’t imagine eating them any other way! Also my non-turnip eating fiancé will gobble turnip-carrot mash down, so I think that says something too!