Posts Tagged ‘Squash’

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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.

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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!

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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?

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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?

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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…

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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?

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CSA2 Week #9

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011 by virginia

We weren’t expecting to pick up our CSA share this week but due to unforeseen circumstances, our trip was unfortunately cancelled. Not a big deal, as we plan on redoing the same trip next year. And this means we have more time to eat our veggies, as I was starting to get worried about the state of our fridge again. Hey, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, right? Well in this case, we got a ton of tomatoes this week, so Josh is making gazpacho, one of my favorites. This week our share contents included:

Greens – 1 lb
Peppers – 3 each
Squash – 1.15 lbs
Cucumber – 1.5 lbs
Tomatoes – 4.5  lbs
Watermelon – 1 each
Mint – 0.12 lbs
Perslaine – 0.12 lbs

Chard, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, purslane, squash, mint, watermelon on top

Spaghetti carbonara with chard is one of our favorite dishes, and so easy to make. It’s always a quick standby dinner for us. Other simple suppers include pureed zucchini soup, or zucchini pancakes with smoked salmon and poached eggs.

I was surprised to see purple peppers, since we’ve been getting a lot of green peppers. I wonder if they taste the same, or if they’re any sweeter. I might just eat those fresh with a salad.

We also got more purslane, which I’ve been using as a garnish. It adds a citrusy, almost sweet bite to every dish. This batch will be the perfect topping for Josh’s garlicky gazpacho.

As for the mint and watermelon, maybe we can combine those for a refreshing salad or an interesting dessert? So many possibilities!

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CSA2 Week #8

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011 by virginia

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. We were in Hilton Head for a long weekend and ended up staying an extra half day when our flight was cancelled due to weather here in NY. At least we had great weather down there, lots of sun, though it was pretty hot and humid. I sat by the pool while Josh golfed in the morning. Not a bad way to spend a few days. Now we’re back and have lots of work to catch up on before we head off on our next trip, next week.

Josh picked up the share this week, which was another heavy load. This week our share contents included:

Cucumbers – 1.75 lbs
Tomatoes – 1.9 lbs
Squash – 1.5 lbs
Greens – 1 lb
Beets – 0.75 lbs
Purslane – 0.4 lbs
Eggplant – 1.75 lbs
Peppers – 1.25 lbs
Melon – 1 each
Basil – 0.2 lbs

Kale, purslane, eggplant, tomatoes, beets, cucumbers, squash, peppers, basil, melon on top

This was the first week that we got tomatoes, and they’re pretty ripe. I’m sure we’ll get more in the next few weeks, and while these are standard red tomatoes, I can’t wait for the heirlooms to come in. I’m not sure if we’ll make a gazpacho with these, or just pair them simply with the gorgeous basil leaves we got.

For the greens, only kale was available, which is always fine by me. We also got some more purslane, which I’m still not sure is the best way to prepare. There’s also a wonky looking yellow melon, which I don’t know if it’s sweet or savory. I guess we’ll just have to cut into it to find out!

As usual, we got more squash and cucumbers, as well as a bunch more peppers. I’ve also got a big supply of eggplant now, though Claire’s idea of baba ganoush is definitely up my alley. I love smokey eggplant dip, and the few recipes I’ve looked up look pretty simple to make. We just don’t have much time to use up all our veggies, since we’ll be away for a week and a half starting next Wednesday. I’m pickling cucumbers as I write!

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CSA2 Week #7

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 by virginia

It was a pretty hectic CSA Wednesday for me, as Josh was out of town and I had a work function to attend at 5:30. I ended up running out of my office at 3 to pick up the share, then running back to work right afterward. It was also tough because our share was so HEAVY this week, though the farm reports warn us that shares later on in the season will be smaller because things are ripening so fast right now due to the warm weather. This week our share contents included:

Cucumbers  – 2.5 lbs
Squash – 2 lbs
Greens – 1 lb
Eggplant – 1 lb
Peppers – 3 each
Purslane – 1/2 lb
Basil – 1/3 lb
Watermelon – 1 each
Dandelion – 1/3 lb
Tomatillos – 0.4 lbs
Beans – 2/3 lb
Corn – 2 each

Ruby chard, dandelion, squash, beans, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, watermelon, cucumbers, basil, corn, purslane

There were two new items for the season this week – corn and tomatillos. We got corn last year, but the tomatillos are brand new to us. I’d love to make a salsa verde with them, but we really don’t have a whole lot to work with. I can’t wait to try them out though, and experience their tanginess.

For the greens, we got ruby chard again. Beautiful stems though, so I’m excited. The leafy portion we’ll probably mix with dandelion and either eat them sauteed with garlic, or mixed into a spaghetti carbonara.

For the beans, I picked ordinary string  beans rather than yellow or green pole beans. I prefer the tender crispiness of string beans. I’m not sure what to do with the squash and eggplant, since we get those fairly often. Maybe mix them with the peppers for a nice ratatouille? I might also try to stuff the peppers, since we still have a few from last week to use up.

As for the basil, I have a batch of pesto already in the freezer, since we’ll be away this weekend and then for the next two weekends after. Hopefully another batch will keep just as well. With regard to the purslane, we ate a simple salad of purslane and parsley greens mixed with a bit of lemon juice and olive oil. Refreshing and delicious. It’s a bit intense, so a little goes a long way. The purslane has a nice lemony flavor to it. It’s a great accompaniment to something rich – try it out! Lots of omega-3s are just a bonus.

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CSA2 Week #6

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011 by virginia

Josh was in charge of picking up our CSA share this week, which was good because there was A LOT of stuff. I guess the warm weather has really rushed the ripening of a lot of the vegetables. Even so, I was pretty happy to see so much variety in addition to the quantity. This week our share included:

Squash – 2.75 lbs
Cucumbers – 2 lbs
Peppers – 0.8 lbs
Eggplant – 0.8 lbs
Basil – 0.5 lbs
Lettuce – 1 each
Greens – 1 lb
Purslane – 0.33 lbs
Beans – 0.6 lbs
Pole Beans – 0.75 lbs
Parsley – 0.15 lbs

Cucumbers, basil, string beans, collards, pole beans, peppers, lettuce, eggplant, parsley, purslane, squash

It’s the first time that we’ve received purslane, and I’m curious about it. I’ll have to do some research on how it should be prepared – anyone have any ideas? I’m also intrigued by the purple string beans, though I suspect they probably taste like regular string beans.  Supposedly they turn green when cooked; that seems pretty cool.

I plan on turning the cucumbers into Chinese style garlic pickles, which are delicious and super quick to make. As for the squash, I foresee some zucchini pancakes with smoked salmon and sous vide eggs – one of my favorite brunch dishes.

I was disappointed again that we didn’t get kale for greens, but collards make good chips as well. I’m not sure how to prepare the eggplants though, which are the thin Japanese style. Maybe in some sort of garlic sauce? So many possibilities, too little time. We’ll have to make a good dent in the veggies this week though, as Josh will be on a business trip next week and then we’re off to Hilton Head for a long weekend. We did a decent job cleaning out the fridge last week so we’re almost all caught up on our veggie shares, finally!

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