Category Archives: CSA

Kale Salad

2015 CSA Spring June 20th

2015 CSA                Spring           June 20th                     Planet Earth Diversified

 

  •   Red, White &Blue Potatoes
  •   Chard
  •   Collards
  •   Lacinato Kale
  •   Spring Onions
  •   Tomatoes
  •   Garlic Scapes
  •   Poultry Herb Blend
  •   Lemongrass
  •   Thai Basil
  •   Zucchini/Squash
  •   Chives
  •   Squash Blossoms
  •  Cucumber
Squash

Squash

Red White Blue Potatoes

Red White Blue Potatoes

Fresh Onions

Fresh Onions

Red, white and blue potatoes, garlic scapes, and the combo of Thai basil and lemongrass are all part of your CSA share this week. Garlic scapes are the top shoot that would eventually turn into a flower. They are delicious stir fried, steamed or roasted. With the consistancy of an asparagus sprig, they can also be chopped and added to your favorite dishes. For a simple roast, toss the scapes in oil, salt and pepper, lay on a pan and roast at 350f for about 30 minutes.

Kale & Fruit Salad by Wanda Johnson, VSU Extension: Ingredients: 5—6 cups of fresh kale leaves (torn, washed) 1/4 cup sliced red onion, 1/2 cup shredded carrots, 1 apple, julienned, 1 pear, julienned, 1/2 cup cranberries, 1/2 cup almonds or walnuts (optional), 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles Preparation: De-stem kale and tear into small pieces. Place the kale, onion, carrots, apples and ears in a large bowl. Whisk or blend well olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, honey, garlic and red pepper flakes. Pour dressing over the kale and other ingredients in the bowl. Mix and serve, adding feta cheese crumbles to garnish.

Dressing:

  1. 1/2 cup olive oil
  2. 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  3. 3 tbsp. honey
  4. 1/2 lemon (juice)
  5. 1-3 garlic cloves (minced)
  6. 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Working with VSU to preserve the knowledge shared at vsuag.net. The recipe can be found at http://agriculture.vsu.edu/files/docs/extension-connection.pdf

squash Blossom

2015 CSA Spring June 13th

2015 CSA                Spring           June 13th                     Planet Earth Diversified

 

  • Fresh Dug Potatoes
  • Chard
  • Collards
  • Tomato
  • Lacinato Kale
  • Spring Onions
  • Flat Parsley
  • Poultry Herb Blend
  • Thai Basil
  • Tarragon
  • Oregano
  • Chives
  • Squash Blossoms

 

CSA: Tomato, freshly dug new potatoes, more edible flowers and a new take on eating collard greens: Crazy Cajun wraps…Baba Yaga rolls…whatever you call them, they are an easy and quick way to enjoy your collards this week. We took grated ginger, ham, onion, sweet peppers & cardamom, sprinkled this chopped blend with balsamic then wrapped this in a collard leaf and fastend it with a toothpick. Finished by pouring olive oil around and over top a bit…cooked for 15 mins @ 350..then sat for 5 in cooling oven.

 

With the herbs and new potatoes a simple oven roast would sufice to enjoy the flavors; coat bite sized cuts of potato in olive oil and chopped poultry herbs on a roll sheet or pan with sides; roast at 325 for 30 minutes or until golden on outside and soft when pierced with a fork. Chopped onion can be included for a sweet accent to the roasting. A potato salad from boiled potatoes and onion or chive would make a nice side dish on some of these more warmer evenings.

Tomato, onion, oregano and squash blossoms this week would make for a yummy combo, whether they end up as toppings for pizza or pasta, as ingredients for omelet or quiche, or used as enhancement for stuffing the blossoms. This combo is also a great start for “sopa de flor de calabaza”, roughly traslated as soup of the squash flowers; a delicacy considering how prickly the plant is. J Enjoy!

 

Lacinato Kale

CSA Spring June 6 2015

  •  Chard
  •  Collards
  •  Baby Arugula
  •  Lacinato Kale
  •  Lemon Verbena
  •  Spring Onions
  •   Flat Parsley
  •  Rose Geranium
  •  Rosemary
  •  Sage
  •  Thai Basil
  •   Tarragon
  •  Oregano
  •  Chives
  • Squash Blossoms

 

Berries are in at the Charlottesville City Market and one of our all time favorite things to do with rose geranium is here: strawberries for stewing and brewing!   Any fruit will do but strawberries are especially yummy when stewed with rose geranium sprigs that are then fished out when the leaves begin to turn army green colored. We stew the strawberries a bit to let them cook, in sugar and a bit of water, and towards the end (just a few minutes cook time), drop in the sprigs of rose geranium, taking care to turn down the flame as the scent will cook off at high temperatures. I add mine after letting the strawberries cool for a few minutes.

 

We use the stewed strawberries in drinks, making a tea of it by adding water and honey, topping for waffles and pancakes, stir into a yogurt cup, or use in yogurt for a dressing of an apple salad, even as a base for a fruit chutney. Once cooked and the leaves removed, it can also do well stored in the refrigerator for future use; just be sure to pull out the rose geranium, or it can mess with the flavor, becoming overpowering to your dish. When we use this as a chutney, is usually with a yellow curry.

 

photo: gardenaction.co.uk

Please be sure to see attachment for lots of yummy ideas for your squash blossoms. Consider also using them as a topping for a gourmet pizza. Many people will remove the inner base of the flower, but we leave it in. Lacinato kale is also in your CSA share this week. Cutely nicknamed dinosaur kale, it does well chopped into a saute pan and cooked for a few minutes. This kale is well liked as “chips”: remove thick center rib, cut to desired size, coat in oil and favorite spices (simple salt and pepper does nicely), and bake about 10 minutes, checking for roasted crisp finish.