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CSA2 Week #20

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011 by virginia

Josh is in town this week (finally!) so he picked up our CSA share on his way home from work. It was a fairly light week, which is good because we will be away for the next two weeks and I’m worried about things spoiling. The leafy vegetables are already being prepared for dinner as I write! This week our share contents included:

Sweet Potatoes – 1.5 lbs
Greens – 0.75 lbs
Turnips – 5 each
Bok Choy – 1 large
Butternut Squash – 2 small
Carrots – 1.5 lbs
Green Tomatoes – 1 lb
Green Peppers – 2 each

Bok choy, green peppers, kale, butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, green tomatoes, turnips, mizuna

I was surprised to see green tomatoes on the list, as I thought tomato season was long over. I’m hoping that since these are fairly firm, they’ll last until we get back. Maybe I can turn them into some sort of fried green tomatoes.

For our greens, Josh picked a mix of kale and mizuna, a slightly bitter salad green that is similar to arugula, though not as peppery. The kale has already been turned into the kale chips, and the bok choy has been roasted as well. I plan on using the mizuna to top some prosciutto and mozzarella pizzas that I’ll be making tomorrow (we went to DiPalo’s this weekend).

The turnips, butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and green peppers will just have to wait until we get back. They’re pretty hearty though so I’m not worried about spoilage. Although we’ll be missing the next two weeks of our CSA, I’m sure our vegetables will be going to good use, and I’m super excited about our upcoming trip – more details to come!

Tags: Bell Peppers, Bok Choy, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Green Tomatoes, Kale, Mizuna, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips
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CSA2 Week #19

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011 by virginia

Josh was supposed to pick up our CSA share this week but wasn’t able to get back in time so I stopped off on my way home from work. There were a few new items this week and items that we haven’t seen in a while, which always gets me excited. This week our share contents included:

Garlic – 1 each
Onions – 3/4 lbs
Popcorn – 4 each
Bok Choy – 1 each
Greens – 1/2 lb
Carrots – 1 lb
Turnips – 4 each
Mini Bell Peppers – 6 each
Acorn Squash – 1 each

Kale, mini bell peppers, carrots, onion, acorn squash, garlic, popcorn, turnips, bok choy

We got popcorn this week! How awesome is that? Looks like the “popcorn” is actually dried corn on the cob. According to the instructions we received, we’re supposed to place the popcorn in a brown paper bag and microwave on high until we hear gaps of silence in between popping that lasts for approximately 2 seconds. Josh and I don’t have a microwave that really works, so we’ll have to try this the next time we’re in NJ.

Other new items this week were acorn squash and garlic. We got spring garlic earlier in the season, but this is the garlic with the dried white skins that we’re used to.

We also got kale again! After all the swiss chard this season, I was happy to see kale. Unfortunately, the kale leaves are sort of small, which will make it hard for me to make kale chips. Nevertheless, I’m excited to make them again.

We didn’t get radishes this week but we did get some baby turnips, which I plan on eating raw like radishes. Hopefully they won’t be too bitter.

We also got more peppers, carrots, and boy choy. I wonder what new items we’ll get next week? (I’m hoping for brussels sprouts)

Tags: Acorn Squash, Bell Peppers, Bok Choy, Carrots, Garlic, Greens, Kale, Onion, Popcorn, Turnips
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CSA2 Week #18

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011 by virginia

It was another relatively light week for us, which was good for me since Josh was away again and I had to carry the veggies home in the rain. We didn’t receive any new items but I was pretty happy with what was on the list. This week our share contents included:

Bok Choy – 1 each
Greens – 0.5 lbs
Butternut Squash – 1 each
Carrots – 1 lb
Radishes – 6 each
Celery – 1 each
Sunchokes – 0.5 lbs
Wax Beans – 0.5 lbs

Celery, chard, sunchoke, butternut squash, beans, radishes, carrots, bok choy

We still haven’t done anything with the celery yet but fortunately they keep fairly well. The carrots also keep for a long time, and now I’ve got quite a collection in the fridge. In contrast, the bok choy and the chard need to be eaten relatively quickly, since they start to wilt a bit in the fridge.

We got another sunchoke this week, also known as a jerusalem artichoke. They look like pieces of ginger but are a root vegetable that taste great when roasted. They’re a bit hard to clean but they don’t need to be peeled, so I just chop them up and toss them in the oven with a little olive oil and salt. Flavor-wise, they’re slightly sweeter than potatoes.

The butternut squash we got is a decent size, but I find them hard to prepare because the outer skin is so tough. I might just try cutting it in half and roasting it like that, then scooping out the flesh.

I’m thrilled that we’re still getting radishes, as Josh and I are both loving them this year. I always root around in the bin looking for the largest ones, and they’re always crunchy and slightly sweet, with just a tiny bit of a bite on the finish. Delish!

Tags: Bok Choy, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Celery, Jerusalem Artichokes, Radishes, Swiss Chard, Wax Beans
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CSA2 Week #17

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011 by virginia

Josh was away again this week so it was up to me to pick up the CSA share. It was another fairly light week though, so the pickup was quick and easy. Although I enjoy getting tons of veggies each week, we have been struggling to get through everything as of late, so another light week was very welcome. This weekend we really cleaned out our fridge and tried to organize our remaining vegetables as best as we could. Now the fridge looks somewhat neat and organized! This week our share contents included:

Celery – 1 each
Greens – 0.5 lbs
Bok Choy – 1 each
Carrots – 1 lb
Peppers – 2 each
Mini Bell Peppers – 4 each
Radishes – 6 each
Beans – 0.5 lbs

Celery, radishes, string beans, carrots, mini bell peppers, red peppers, bok choy, swiss chard

The celery we got today was huge, though to be honest, we still haven’t eaten the celery from last week. I think we’re going to try and make a savory version of a celery/goat cheese dessert that we had at Del Posto two years ago. It was a shockingly delicious dessert that Josh loved, and I found a recipe for it in an article.

We’re both happy to see radishes again this week, as we can’t stop eating radishes with fresh ricotta on baguette slices. It’s become our go-to meal this year, rather than our usual fresh mozzarella/tomato/prosciutto/basil combo.

As for the carrots, I’m stockpiling the ones we get each week and will make a carrot ginger soup when we have enough of them. We also have quite a collection of mini bell peppers, which are kind of hard to use because of their size. Now that we have so many, plus two regular peppers, maybe I’ll figure out a good use for them.

More roasted bok choy and pasta carbonara with chard are also in the works. Now I just need to figure out something creative to do with all the string beans we have, as I’m tired of sauteed string beans with garlic. Any suggestions?

Tags: Bok Choy, Carrots, Celery, Peppers, Radishes, String Beans, Swiss Chard
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CSA2 Week #15 & 16

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011 by virginia

Sorry for the lack of posts over the last week. Things have been a bit hectic for us recently and I haven’t found time to sit down at the computer and write anything substantial. We did get our CSA share last week but didn’t take any pictures of it because we were in NJ for Rosh Hashanah. Josh was able to volunteer at the distribution site and pick up our share earlier in the day before we headed to NJ. Last week our share contents included:

Squash – 1 lb
Butternut Squash – 1 each
Bok Choy – 1 each
Carrots – 1 lb
Mini Bells Peppers – 7 each or 0.33 lbs
Tomatoes – 0.75 lbs
Sweet Potatoes – 1 lb
Greens – 0.5 lbs
Radishes – 0.33 lbs

This week Josh is away on business so it was my turn to pick up the share. Fortunately it was a relatively light week, and I’m hoping that will give us a chance to catch up and clear out our fridge a bit. Between the holidays and various other commitments, we haven’t been doing much cooking lately, unfortunately. I’m hoping that we’ll have a chance to get everything organized this weekend. This week our share contents included:

Celery – 1 each
Carrots – 1 lb
Squash – 1 lb
Bok Choy – 1 each
Mini Bell Peppers – 0.3 lbs or 7 each
Radishes – 6 each
Greens – 0.5 lbs
Beans – 0.75 lbs
Fennel – 1 big or 2 small

Fennel, bok choy, carrots, squash, greens, peppers, string beans, radishes, celery

I guess tomato season is over since this was the first week in a long time that we didn’t get any tomatoes. I was happy to see fennel though, since we got it once earlier in the season and it’s one of Josh’s favorites. The last time we got one, he made a great salad with thinly sliced fennel, tomatoes, and chunks of watermelon. It was refreshing and pretty delicious.

Celery is a new item for us this season, though we did get some last year. Celery is definitely one of the items that you can taste the difference between farm fresh and supermarket varieties. The celery we get from the CSA is thinner, a bit tougher, and packs a huge amount of flavor. The celery leaves are slightly bitter but intense. This celery is nothing like the fat, watery sticks we pick up at the supermarket.

Radishes are definitely one of our favorite CSA items, and we’ve discovered a new way to eat them. Instead of using butter on slices of baguette, we used fresh ricotta cheese. The creaminess of the ricotta and the crunch of the radish was just heavenly, and the combination really can’t be beat. It might have also helped that we got the ricotta from Di Palo’s, where they have really excellent cheese.

I’m not sure what kind of greens we got this week. They kind of look like dandelion greens though, and I think they’ll need to be sauteed before they can be eaten since they’re a bit tough. As for the bok choy, I can’t wait to roast another batch. If you haven’t tried roasted bok choy yet, please do so – it’s pretty awesome.

Tags: Bell Peppers, Bok Choy, Carrots, Celery, Fennel, Greens, Radishes, Squash, String Beans
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CSA2 Week #14

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011 by virginia

Josh was out of town for work this week so it was up to me to get our CSA share. It was a fairly light week so the pickup was pretty easy, and I was happy to see a few new items on the list. This week our share contents included:

Pole beans – 0.5 lbs
Squash – 1.4 lbs
Jerusalem Artichokes – 1 lb
Shishito Peppers – 0.2 lbs
Bok Choy – 1 each.
Spaghetti Squash – 1 each
Tomatoes – 1 lb
Radish – 5 each

Bok choy, Jerusalem artichokes, tomatoes, spaghetti squash, pole beans, shishito peppers, radishes, squash

In the original email we got from the CSA with our contents for the week, the list merely said “artichokes.” Josh and I were excited, as we had never received artichokes before, and I was hoping to make stuffed artichokes. When I showed up at the pickup site, however, the board said Jerusalem artichokes. I was slightly disappointed but still excited, since we only got a few Jerusalem artichokes last year but they shriveled before I had a chance to cook them. They kind of look like pieces of ginger, all gnarly with a brown skin. I was wondering how to prepare them, and more importantly, how to peel them without losing all the flesh, but a woman who was picking up her vegetables at the same time told me that roasting them like potatoes was best. Plus she said they didn’t need to be peeled, which was a relief!

Another “new” item that we got last year was bok choy, which I was really happy about. Roasted bok choy is one of my favorite CSA recipes, and I’m looking forward to eating it again.

A completely new item for us is the spaghetti squash. I’ve never prepared spaghetti squash before so I’ll need to look up some recipes. I’ve always read that it’s actually really a great noodle substitute, but as a pasta fiend, I have my doubts. Still, I’m eager to try it out.

The shishito peppers we received a few weeks ago were green, but these are bright red. The green peppers didn’t seem too spicy, but I wonder if they get spicier when they turn red. The email said they would be mild to hot, so we’ll see.

We also got more tomatoes, squash, radishes, and pole beans. I’m hoping we’ll be moving more into winter squashes soon, since I’m still overwhelmed with summer squash right now. Now that the weather is cooling down, I’m more amenable to making squash soup. It’s really easy – just roast the squash with some olive oil until soft and slightly carmelized, boil with stock or water (enough to cover the squash), puree, season, and serve. It’s a thick creamy soup with no cream in it, so definitely one of the more healthful dishes that we make. Try it out!

Tags: Bok Choy, Jerusalem Artichokes, Peppers, Pole Beans, Radishes, Spaghetti Squash, Squash, Tomatoes
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CSA2 Week #13

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011 by virginia

We had an alternate location for our CSA share pickup this week but Josh got out of work early enough that he was able to meet up with me. It’s always much faster when there are two of us waiting in line to weigh out our produce each week. We did get a report from our farm that our shares might be smaller for the remaining weeks but we’re still just grateful that we haven’t experienced too much of an impact from the hurricane. This week our share contents included:

Greens – 0.75 lbs
Mini Bell Peppers – 0.45 lbs
Squash – 1.8 lbs
Tomatoes – 1 lb
Radishes – 5 each
Lettuce – 1 each
Corn – 2 each
Heirloom Tomatoes – 1.5 lbs
Pole beans – 0.3 lbs

Chard, heirloom tomato, lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, pole beans, bell peppers, squash, corn

I was surprised to see radishes this week, since they’re usually a staple during the early season. Nevertheless, Josh loves radishes with butter and salt on slices of baguette, so we’re pretty excited to have that again.

For greens we got more chard, which we’ll cook with more bacon I’m sure. As for the pole beans, another early season item that we’re seeing again, a quick saute with garlic usually does the trick. As for the corn, a simple steaming is all we need for some sweet corny goodness.

We did get an heirloom tomato this week, though it was slim pickings on that front. Most of the tomatoes in the bin were split and starting to mold. I don’t know if that’s a result of the hurricane or if they just ripened too fast due to the warm weather we’ve been having. I’m pushing Josh to make more gazpacho since it’s a delicious way to use up a lot of the tomatoes and peppers we have.

We got more squash of course, and I’m starting to fight a losing battle with all of the squash we have. I make zucchini pancakes and squash soup, but does anyone have more suggestions on squash recipes?

Tags: Bell Peppers, Corn, Lettuce, Pole Beans, Radishes, Squash, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes
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CSA2 Week #12

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011 by virginia

We feel pretty lucky this week because we found out that the farms that source our CSA share weren’t too affected by the hurricane, though many farms in the area were pretty devastated by the weather and flooding. Apparently a lot of CSAs around the city have been cancelled because of this, so we definitely count ourselves to be one of the fortunate groups. Hopefully all those farms will be able to recover, though their losses from this season are pretty heartbreaking.

This week our share contents included:

Greens – 0.75 lbs
Squash – 3 lbs
Cucumber – 1.8 lbs
Mini Bell Peppers – 0.25 lbs
Watermelon – 1 each
Tomatoes – 3 lbs
Husk Cherries – 0.2 lbs

Kale, squash, tomatoes, mini bell peppers, cucumbers, husk cherries, watermelon

We got a new item today – husk cherries. I’ve seen pictures of these but I’ve never tasted them before. I think they’re meant to be eaten raw and are supposed to be slightly sweet and exotic tasting. I guess you just peel off the papery husk and enjoy? I’m pretty excited to try them.

I was also excited to see kale as our option for greens. Hooray for kale chips!

The watermelon we got today is probably the largest that we’ve ever gotten from the CSA. The little ones have tons of seeds in them so I’m curious if these will be equally as inundated. Nevertheless, the melons we get are always super sweet and juicy.

We also got a handful of tiny bell peppers. These are about the an inch or two in diameter, so not a whole lot of flesh to use. I wonder if these are spicy or sweet, since the last time we got mini peppers they definitely had a kick to them.

And yes, we got tons more tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers again. I did pick out these weird nubbly, small yellow cucumbers instead of the regular green kind. Something different, I guess. I’ll need to look into whether these should be eaten like regular cucumbers, or if they should be peeled first. Anyone have any ideas?

Tags: Cucumbers, Greens, Husk Cherries, Kale, Peppers, Squash, Tomatoes, Watermelon
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CSA2 Week #11

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011 by virginia

I was a bit concerned about our CSA share this week, as I’ve been reading about the devastation at a lot of area farms caused by the hurricane this weekend. We didn’t get a farm report along with our share list but I hope that means everything is ok. We didn’t get a lot of variety this week but we certainly got a massive quantity of each item. This week our share contents included:

Cabbage – 1/2 head
Tomatoes – 4 lbs
Carrots – 0.7 lbs
Cucumbers – 4 lbs
Squash – 3.1 lbs
Cherry Tomatoes – 0.6 lbs
Greens – 1 lb

Chard, cucumbers, cabbage, grape tomatoes, tomatoes, carrots, squash

Watermelon was also on our original list but when we showed up at the distribution site it had been erased from the boards. I don’t know if that means they ran out of watermelons by the time we got there, or if none were delivered to begin with. Oh well.

I was happy to see carrots finally coming in, as I made a terrific carrot ginger soup last year that I’m hoping to recreate. Carrots also keep pretty well, and we are definitely struggling to keep up with eating all of our veggies.

We got a lot of tomatoes this week that are super ripe so we’ll need to eat those quickly. I’m hoping Josh makes some more gazpacho, since these are already bursting out of their skins. We also got some cherry tomatoes, a new item for us. Those are also pretty soft so we’ll probably eat them tonight in a salad with the half head of cabbage that we got.

We also got more squash of course, plus chard. I’m starting to get upset about the lack of kale! Oh well. And I can’t believe we got four pounds of cucumbers – what am I going to do with them? We still have a few pounds left in our fridge from the last few weeks. If anyone has suggestions, please let me know! I’m getting desperate…

Tags: Cabbage, Carrots, Cucumbers, Squash, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes
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CSA2 Week #10

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011 by virginia

We had another heavy week of produce, so I was glad that Josh was the one to pick up our CSA share this week. The tote bag we use to carry our stuff was packed to the brim. I was glad to see a lot of variety though, and not just multiple pounds of one item. This week our share contents included:

Cucumbers – 1.75 lbs
Squash – 1 each
Asian Melon – 1 each
Napa Cabbage – 1 each
Shisito Peppers – 0.6 lbs
Tomatoes – 2 lbs
Tomatillos – 0.35lbs
Greens – 1 lb
White onion – 1 ea.
Broccoli – 0.8 lbs

Chard, onion, cucumbers, tomatillos, broccoli, tomatoes, Asian melon, squash, shisito peppers, napa cabbage

I’m intrigued by the shisito peppers because when I was looking for padron peppers in NYC, I read that shisitos are a common substitution for padrons. Maybe we’ll pan fry these in olive oil and sprinkle them with sea salt to make our version of pimientos de padron, on of our favorite tapas.

The napa cabbage we got this week is HUGE. I still hope to make (and post about) lions head meatball stew with it. It’s such a tasty meal served over white rice, and the leftovers usually last me a week.

I was kind of disappointed that we got chard again this week for our greens. I had commented early on in the season that we got a lot of kale last year and not so much chard, and this year we’re getting lots of chard but not a lot of kale. We made collard chips one week but I have still yet to make any kale chips!

I still haven’t used the tomatillos from a few weeks ago, and so I hope they’re still good. Combined with this week’s batch, hopefully I’ll have enough to make a decent amount of salsa verde. They’re really quite small. We also didn’t get a ton of broccoli this week, just two small heads. Maybe I’ll try stir frying them with some green beans.

I’m not sure what to do with all the cucumbers. We still have some from last week as well, and I’m a bit pickled out at this point. Any suggestions?

Tags: Asian Melon, Broccoli, Cucumbers, Napa Cabbage, Onions, Peppers, Squash, Swiss Chard, Tomatillos, Tomatoes
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