Last CSA box, but First Farmers' Market!

I've been told that I say "Egad!" too often, but ... erghmph!  This box was awesome.  The last, but definitely not the least.

It contained rhubarb, five huge bunches of asparagus, salad mix, spinach, turnips, chives and cilantro.  All gone already!  I even used the turnip greens to make a raw salad with the turnips juilienned in it ... and made a dressing with chili garlic sauce.

These boxes really do set off cooking frenzies.  My CSA farmer's Summer CSA deliveries have already started.  I'll be a faithful attendee at our local farmers' markets ... the first one is Pasco's, and I'll be heading there this Saturday morning, May 5.  I hope you will be, too!

Be sure to check out the Schreiber and Sons booth.  Historically, Schreiber is the only farmers' market vendor to offer organic cabbages, kale, chard collards, mustard ... and a variety of unusual melons and other vegetables.

2012: Winter CSA Boxes 10 and 11

Box 10:  Horseradish root, dried red peppers, Spring onions, spinach, and mixed salad greens.

Box 11:  Dried dill, mixed salad greens, asparagus, cilandro, Spring onions.

The green goodies from the Winter CSA are about to end, but the Farmers' Markets are just around the corner.  Summer CSA memberships are available if you find it hard to make it to the Farmers' Markets.  And remember the Northwest Food Hub.  Schreiber and Sons is planning to sell produce there as well.

2012: Winter CSA Boxes 8 and 9

Box 8:  The toothsome kale!  The spectacularly fresh salad greens!  The rainbow of chard!  The crisp, juicy Fuji apples!  Little garlic heads, and a swatch of dried oregano.

And that other thing, there?  I'm not ungrateful.  But we don't eat grain flours anymore.  The times, they are a'changin,' nutrition wise.

Box 9, below:   More salad greens of exquisite, dewy freshness. Spinach ... and KALE! (Smiles all around). Split peas (already spoken for .. that means you, Vicki), dried sage, awesome Rowley and Hawkins dried tart cherries, and a cavalcade of apples. Me happy.

2012: Winter CSA Boxes 6 and 7

Winter CSA Box 6

Winter CSA Box 7

Box 6 contained a gnarly horseradish root that I am still meditating about.  Beets, spinach, arugula, red delicious apples, chili peppers and lentils completed the lineup.  The lentils (petite brown) were gifted to a friend.

Box 7 delighted me with TWO bunches of organic lacinato kale. Kale chips, anyone? The farmer keeps experimenting with dried cannoli beans ... these are not too exciting.  But we have frozen tart cherries from a local orchard, a gorgeous selection of pear varieties, arugula, braising greens, and dried mint. 

After sorting and washing the braising greens, I tossed them into a pot with some ghee, chicken broth, store-bought spinach, and CSA kale, and simmered them for half an hour or so.  I love to tuck a little hank of cooked greens alongside a dinner entree on the plate!  Greens make me smile.

Some of the pears went into a new grain-free version of Leek, Pear and Goat Cheese Tart.  I altered the original recipe by using butter instead of olive oil, and a crust of nut flours and butter instead of wheat flours.

The arugula was snipped and tossed with a little bacon in a skillet of scrambled eggs.  Peppery, tasty and a beautiful.  And hey .... only a little over two months 'til the farmers' markets open!  I am hugely grateful for my CSA farmer, whose produce gets us through the winter so well. 

2012: Winter CSA Box 4

Box 4 contained the crispiest, freshest salad greens (mostly romaine) I've ever seen.  There was a bunch of kale to swoon over, a big blue-green squash, russet potatoes, a bunch of beets, dried oregano, two cobs of popcorn and a bag of white lentils.

I have been busy cooking simple food that doesn't require much in the way of recipes.  But a few new things are in the blog pipeline ...

2011: Winter CSA Box 3

That's a hunk of pink banana squash there.  Egad!  Braising greens, salad greens, two dozen eggs (my add-on), Delicata and acorn squashes, onions, turnips, leeks, dill, and some dried white beans.

Even though I was a little tired the night I picked up this box, its contents clearly were not going to wait for me to feel like dealing with them.  So onward I forged.

I washed the dill and put it to soak and revive.  Topped the turnips and leeks, cleaned up the onions, seeded and peeled and chunked the banana squash.  Realized I had some beets left from an earlier box, and so dinner began to take shape ... CSA Box Emergency Borscht.

A big chopping session ensued, and most of the onions and turnips and all of the dill and leeks went into a pot with a pound of Baron Farms pastured pork sausage, some cabbage, and some chicken broth.  And you know what?  By the time the soup was simmering nicely, I felt re-energized!

The cubed squash went into the fridge for another day, when I tossed it in coconut/sesame oil, coated it with Rogan Josh seasoning, and roasted it.  Divine! 

Sometimes the CSA boxes seem like a lot of work.  But we enjoyed the soup for several days, and the roasted squash was delicious.  Totally worth the effort!

2011: Winter CSA Box 2

My mother-in-law called one day, and chatted with Mr. Eating the Scenery.  She must have asked how I was doing, because Mr. ETS said, "Oh, she's having lots of fun with fruits and vegetables."

And so it is that we acquire, by virtue of that which engages us, a certain identity.  So be it.  I can think of worse things to be associated with!

The second Winter CSA box's largesse included salad greens, braising greens, spaghetti and acorn squash, broccoli, green cabbage, daikon radishes, onions, taters, and Brussels sprouts.  And yes, I'm having fun with them.

2011: First Winter CSA Box

As a kid, I used to watch Monte Hall on "Let's Make a Deal."  He would stand there bemusedly, patiently holding his microphone, while contestants literally would jump up and down, going seriously delirious just to have the opportunity  to choose "one of the three doors where Carol is now standing!"

At the time, I was somewhat puzzled that people could behave so in public.  But last Tuesday I definitely had the urge to do a little dance on the sidewalk when I picked up my first Winter CSA box.  It's nice to know the simple things in life can still thrill:   turnips, cabbage, beets, squashes, cranberries, tomatoes, braising greens, salad greens, and radishes.  All insanely fresh.

Box Eleven

The last three boxes are all coming in a row ... this is the time of year when growing things really take off, and apparently it's mostly GREEN!  Chard, parsley, Walla Walla sweets, spinach, and delectable asparagus.  Like last year, I'll be sorry to see the boxes end, but am enormously grateful for our local farms and the fact that the farmers' markets are just around the corner.

Winter CSA: Tenth Box

Asparagus (and thus, to me, true Spring) is here!  Our farmer specializes in asparagus, and it doesn't get more tender or fresh than this.  As well, we have mixed salad greens, spinach, Walla Walla sweet onions, chives, and cilantro.  Only two more boxes, and I'm set to appreciate the heck out of all this local greenery ... and then start frequenting the local farmer's markets! 

Nature's little creatures also like our fresh CSA asparagus ...

Ninth Box

Box Nine contained two bags of golden delicious apples (crisp and juicy!), a big 'ol fennel with tentacles reaching everywhere, green onions, salad greens, spinach, chard, sage, and chickpeas.  The salad greens were scrumptious in a salmon salad, and the green onions found their way into Tom Kha (a Thai soup).  The fennel looks to me like it should be in a gratin.  Hmm.  I sauteed the chard and spinach together, and they were delicious.  I recently read that if you eat leafy greens regularly, you will get your needed Omega 3's as well as calcium.  Eating scenery has its perks!

And that's Bananagrams in the background.  If you haven't discovered the joys of Bananagrams, and you like word games, well--you're missing out.  Go get it!  It's way more fun than Scrabble, because it's fast moving, you don't have to wait for other people to take their turns, and you're completely in charge of your own word arrangement.

Eighth Box

Delivery of Box Eight was delayed because of very cold weather.  But stuff is taking off again!  Spinach, salad greens, parsley, fennel, lentils, squash, garlic ... and cute little leeks.  Ah, Spring.  I can almost taste the asparagus to come ... and meanwhile we'll enjoy these fresh, green wonders.

Box Seven

I love it when I forget the boxes are coming, and drive up to my house and see them sitting there!  This box reminds me of the one last year with six GIANT red onions.  I was so thrilled that I made this recipe that called for three of them!  We also have apples, squash, bok choy, sage, lavender, and braising greens.  Dinner is gonna be great!

Box Six

 

A bag of beautiful red pears is hiding out under the salad mix.   I found a big bag of taters, two squash, dried herbs, fresh cilantro, split peas, apples, and a baby bok choy.  I washed the salad greens right away and made Wilted Greens with them, and sauteed the bok choy next morning with shallots and Thundering Hooves sausage, and sprinkled the CSA cilantro o'er all. 

Fourth and Fifth Boxes

Box Five ... onions, garlic, salad greens, chickpeas, carrots, chili peppers, a Carnival squash, a New Zealand Blue squash, and (I think) another Kabocha. 

Box Four ... taters, squashes, popcorn, lavender, beets, salad greens, and lentils.

The Lunar Eclipse/Solstice Box

Total lunar eclipse, Winter Solstice, and Winter CSA Box Three--all on the same day.  What is the deeper, or higher, meaning of this?  Um ... nothing!  I don't mean to squash anyone's enthusiasm for the supernatural, but I don't carrot all for big stretches to link unrelated items. Unless I'm trying to put a bunch of things into a recipe ...

Box the Second

Two winter squashes, two Chinese cabbages, two bunches of carrots!  Chili peppers and oregano, spinach and braising greens, a bunch of beets and turnips.  And a really happy CSA customer in a pear tree!

First Winter CSA Box!

The boxes are here!  Woo hoo!  Imagine having a box of fresh, locally-grown vegetables, all winter, every two weeks 'til April.  No, you're not dreaming!  It can happen!  

This first box contained winter squash, Chinese cabbage, chard, cranberries (from Western Washington), turnips, beets, carrots and sage.  The cranberries made a luscious sauce for Thanksgiving, and the carrots are wonderfully sweet.  The cabbage went into Thanksgiving dinner slaw.  I cooked the beet and turnip greens for dinner on dropoff day. And somehow missed getting the chard and cranberries in the photo.  I seem to recall flinging produce here and there in my delight.

This is my second winter CSA year, and my blog was created to document my first year's experience. We're off and running again!

Crossing the Winter CSA Finish Line: Box Twelve!

Salad greens, hearty chives, radishes, spinach, more of those peppery greens, and leeks. What with the nice weather and more going on, I haven't been too creative of late, but I am thinking about using those exotic greens in the Bye-Bye Winter Pie again, and perhaps tossing the leeks in, too. The salad greens will be served with a fresh vinaigrette tomorrow for a special dinner, as will some of the asparagus, roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a dash of soy sauce.

The Winter CSA has been a marvelous adventure. As for the blog, I think our local farmers' markets will provide much raw material (!) for new recipes and further exploration of the delights of eating locally. I hope you'll come along and explore the world of real food with me!

Another Bonus Box ... Asparagus

Plus some other goodies ... a peppery kind of greens, radishes, and spinach. I've been attempting to "share" my asparagus with friends, family and neighbors ... it is truly fresh and tasty, and of course tastes best when used very fresh.