CSA: Month Seven

For our final weeks of CSA experimentation, we went all in. We challenged ourselves a little bit, but were richly rewarded with some fun new foods and recipes.

Carrots
Roasted Carrot and Black Bean Tacos
Chicken Pot Pie (substituting as many CSA vegetables as possible)

Lettuce
Green Salad

Tomatoes
Green Salad
Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes

Kohlrabi
Sauteed Kohlrabi with Onions and Cream
Chicken Pot Pie (substituting as many CSA vegetables as possible)

Swiss Chard
Sauteed Swiss Chard

Peppers
Chicken Stir Fry

Cucumbers
Refrigerator Pickles

Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Wedges
Leek and Sweet Potato Soup
Shared

Green Beans
Steamed Green Beans
Chicken Stir Fry

Bok Choy
Sauteed Bok Choy

Cilantro
Roasted Carrot and Black Bean Tacos

Kale
Chicken and Kale Casserole

Leeks
Leek and Sweet Potato Soup

Hakurei Turnips
Chicken Pot Pie (substituting as many CSA vegetables as possible)

Celery
Chicken Pot Pie (substituting as many CSA vegetables as possible)

Turnip Greens
Compost (went out of town and just couldn't use all our greens)

Arugula
Green Salad

Parsley
Garnish

Beets
Penne Pasta in Roasted Beet Sauce (did not use vermouth, poppy seeds, or mint leaves)

Pie Pumpkin
Decoration


Done and done. We had a great CSA experience, and we will definitely do it again, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't ready for a break. I'm only a little ashamed that we slipped back into convenience-food mode, but with busy schedules at the end of the year, we consider it a victory to eat together most nights. After some rest and rejuvenation, I'm confident we'll get right back into experimenting in the kitchen. It is crock pot season after all...

CSA: Month Six

What should have been the end of our CSA adventure was merely just a segue into our second CSA experience. When another local group started a fall share that we could pick up at Elsa's school once a week, we couldn't resist.

Kale
Chicken Stir Fry
Kale Puttanesca

Lettuce
Green Salad
Chicken Stir Fry Lettuce Wraps

Carrots
Carrot Top Pesto (served with steak)

Bell Peppers
Mini Stuffed Peppers

Hakurei Turnips
Grilled Turnips

Parsley
Seasoning (added to a variety of dishes--when I remembered)

Arkansas Black Apples
Plain/Raw Apples

Pie Pumpkin
Decoration (Jon doesn't like pumpkin pie, so baking with a real pumpkin is way too much work for just me)

Basil
Pesto

Bok Choy
Sauteed with Garlic

Garlic
Seasoning (added to just about every dish we cook)

Swiss Chard
Chicken Stir Fry; Chicken Stir Fry Lettuce Wraps

Heirloom Tomatoes
Green Salad
Tomato Soup

Pears
Plain/Raw Pears

Argula
Green Salad

Turnip Greens

White Bean, Sausage, Potato and Turnip Green Stew

2 tsp plus 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 large bunch fresh chopped turnip greens
2 cups diced smoked sausage
2 tbsp olive oil
3 medium potatoes (about 1 lb.), medium dice
2 leeks, tender part, diced (did not use)
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (15-oz.) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
1 (32-oz.) container reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tsp ground black pepper

Bring 2 qt. water and 2 tsp kosher salt to a boil in a large stockpot over high heat. Add turnip greens, and blanch 3 minutes or until tender. Drain.

 Cook sausage in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring often, 5 minutes or until browned. Stir in potatoes, and cook 5 minutes. Add leeks and next 3 ingredients, and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes or until leeks are tender.

 Increase heat to high. Add turnip greens and chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, black pepper, and remaining 1 tsp. salt.  *adapted from a recipe from Southern Living

Celery
Added to White Bean, Sausage, Potato, and Turnip Green Stew

Radishes
Garnish
With Ketchup (one of Elsa's favorites--who knew?)


As you can see, we stepped it up with our new CSA. Certainly not in creativity, but definitely in quantity.