Friday Foodie

*FRIDAY FOODIE-AN ADVENTURE IN COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE*

 Each week I pick up a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share at my local farmers market, a box chock full of fresh, organic produce. I'm writing about the CSA experience here on my blog, take a peek at what I've cooked up so far:

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Week 17, October 12th
Butternut squash, baby spinach, white potatoes, parsnips, cabbage, delicata squash, white onions, corn on the cob, sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts

 Have the kids shuck the corn while you boil a big pot of water. When the water is spitting and sputtering, plunge the cobs in. Let them dance in the hot water for 5 minutes, then drain. Cut the kernels off each cob and (hurry-before the kids see you!) stuff a few zip lock bags full of summer fresh corn on the cob. Come mid winter, preferably during the biggest snow storm of the season, heat and eat a bit of summer sunshine...

Cut the ends off each tiny cabbage like B sprout while your daughter complains about having them for supper. Cut an X in the hard knobby end with your sharpest knife. Douse them with olive oil and sprinkle them with sea salt. Put them in a hot oven-375-until they are nearly soft and their are a few burnt, crunchy bits. Take them out of the oven and rub a healthy knob of fresh butter into the mix. Bribe daughter to try just one taste. Watch as she eats a few...then a few more...smile but don't say anything...
 
Week 16, October 5th
A baby boo pumpkin, white potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, acorn squash, collard greens, eggplant and garlic.

 Cut the big vein (down the center of the collard green leaves) out. Wash the greens in cool water and lay them on on top of each other. Roll them into a cigar shape and chiffonade (cut into ribbons.) Heap them into a pot with some water, a ham bone and a clove of garlic. Let them simmer on the stove for an hour. Splash with vinegar and hot sauce (to taste) before serving.

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Week15, September 28th
Fresh eggs! sweet potatoes, white potatoes, cabbages, corn on the cob, butternut squash and green peppers.

As a benefit to being a CSA member, we've had wonderful salads all summer long. This one, made by my sister Cathy, is chock full of CSA treats, lettuces, cukes, onion, peppers in all colors...delish!

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Week 14, September 21st
Carrots, green peppers, corn on the cob, delicata squash, Macintosh apples, swiss chard

CSA Pizza
Buy a some pizza dough at your local bakery. When you pick up your CSA box, go through it and use whatever tickles your taste buds. Here's what we cooked up:

Spread pesto sauce over the dough, layer it with sliced tomatoes, sprinkle it with sweet corn just cut from the cob (you don't even have to cook it) and some sharp cheese (I used asiago.) Bake it till it bubbles!

Spread a basic white sauce over the dough, add thin slices of summer and zucchini squash, finely chopped walnuts and sliced caramelized onions. Sprinkle with bleu cheese. When it comes out of the oven, drizzle it with honey.

Spread marinara sauce over the dough, chop a selection of veggies, fresh from the CSA box, sprinkle with a combination of whatever cheeses you happen to have on hand.

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Week 13, September 14th. 
It's the season of the squash, acorn, delicata squash, carnival squash, butternut squash, onions, carrots-beautiful, greens-still-on carrots, peppers, corn on the cob, basil...which leads me to:

Gently wash the basil, pick off the leaves (have the family help,) breathe in the scent of fresh green basil. Toss the stems in the compost pile. Crush way too much garlic (too much is always just enough for me) and pack it, along with the basil leaves, into a food processor. We're always anointing with olive oil and this is no different-well actually it is, don't anoint, baptize, bathe, douse, flood the basil and garlic! Pitch in the pine nuts, toss in the cheese. Ladies, start your engines...let the processor pulverize.

It's an holy mess this oily masterpiece, but oh so worth it! Slip and slide the bowl off the processor and put your pesto into containers. Ice cube trays are good-freeze up little green pesto cubes and then stock them in a freezer bag, pluck out a few (or a lot) as needed all winter long.

My kitchen smells heavenly, my breath smells of garlic...all is right with the world.
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Week 12, September 7th.
No pick up this week, I was selling at Brimfield!

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Week 11, August 31st.

 Peppers-yellow, red and orange, carrots, corn on the cob, lettuce, kale, onions, eggplant, squash...

carrots and tats

squash, acorn, delicota, carnivale...

peppers and tats

delicata squash roasted with honey and cinnamon

more peppers and tats

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Week 10, August 24th
Green peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, very pretty apples, sweet delicious corn, purple top turnips, butternut squash, lovely red potatoes, collard greens...

Each Friday I take my CSA box to the farmers market and it gets filled with the garden's bounty.

pretty apples

I love the lime green dots...

tiny red tomatoes

more sweet corn, you can never have enough in my book...I see a tomato, corn pizza with pesto sauce, asiago cheese and a chiffonade of fresh basil tossed on top.

 

Thanksgiving squash, aka, butternut. This makes a velvety delicious soup you know.

Collard greens, I am thinking of a ham hock here...yes?

purple top turnips, legs sprawling all over kingdom come...

the every day, plain jane broccoli...

I'm partly Irish and potatoes speak to me...I often describe myself as having an "Irish potato Body," we are the same shape the potato and I...

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Week 9, August  17th
Carnival squash, eggplant, corn on the cob, swiss chard, tomatoes, green peppers, scallions, cucumbers, zucchini...

TA DA! Emma and the magical Carnival squash

"I hate vegetables!" Emma said. "They taste gwoss and dithgusting and my mom twies to get me to eat them all the time. Yuck!"

I looked at her  and said "I bet I can make that squash taste good."

"No way" she said emphatically, "and anyway I'm not eating it!"

"Okey dokey, suit yourself" I said.

Halve the squash and remove the innards. Brush with olive oil and bake (cut side down) until it is easily pierced with a fork.
When done, use a grapefruit spoon to scrape out the flesh. Mash it, mix it with butter, salt and pepper.
Buy or make pizza dough, and stretch it out on a pizza stone. Turn the oven up-high, like 525!
Drop spoonfuls of mashed squash around the pizza dough and sprinkle with smoked gouda cheese.
Bake until the cheese melts bubbles
Sprinkle with sea salt
Share with Emma.
Be prepared, she will eat many pieces.
Point out the squash as she gobbles it up.
"Emma, you are eating the squash." Huh? Emma replies. "The squash, it's right there on  your pizza, see?"
"No sir!" she says, as she takes a big giant bite of yummy pizza.


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Week 8, August 3rd
Eggplant, corn on the cob, green peppers, raspberries, tomatoes,  cucumbers, zucchini, kohlrabi, carrots

Hello bulbous purple alien, what's your name? Kohlrabi? Interesting. We'll have to get to know one another.

Sweet corn, sweet peaches, sweet life.

I have been making deviled eggs, trying out different recipes, something other than the usual faire...

The devil made me do it eggs:
Put eggs in pot of water, when the water starts to dance turn it down. Chop some sweet red pepper, shrimp, avocado and cilantro while the eggs slow groove, toss it in a bowl. Add a few handfuls of corn (leftover and cut from the cob.) Spritz it with fresh lime juice and anoint with a couple tablespoons of fruity olive oil. Drain and then run cold water over the eggs. Peel 'em, cut 'em in half, pop the yolks into the aforementioned bowl of goodness. Mash it up, adding just enough mayo to hold things together, taste. Sprinkle in a bit of S and P if needed, hot sauce doesn't hurt either.  Stuff the eggs. Taste-test one egg...hey, I said one! Lick the bowl.

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Week 7, July 27
Eggplant, tomatoes, peaches, kale, romaine lettuce, onions, and corn on the cob...

Week 6 July 20
Tomatoes, blueberries, zuchinni, scallions, romaine lettuce, eggplant, corn on the cob, broccoli, cukes

Favorite Summer Supper Recipe

When the sun is low in the sky and shadows long and stretched out, put your biggest frying pan on the stove. Fill it with bacon and start the sizzle. When the bacon fills your house with salty, smoky perfume and kids slam the back door on their way in to see what's cooking, put a large pot of water on the stove, cover it and turn up the heat. Give the kids corn on the cob and have them husk it on the back porch.

Sizzle, boil, husk.

Wash a large head of lettuce, tear it to pieces. Slice some ruby red, juicy tomatoes. When the back door slams again, take the lid off the pot and (carefully!) drop corn in. Put sizzling bacon on paper towels to drain. Assemble kids, friends, family. Have each person slather whole grain bread with mayo and pile on bacon, lettuce, tomatoes. While they lick their fingers and wipe their chins, drain the corn. Put a full stick of (cold) butter on a plate. Taking turns, have each person spin the corn on top of the stick of butter, then sprinkle with sea salt.

Have napkins ready.

B is for broccoli

E is for eggplant

Z is for zucchini

Y is for yummy

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Week 5 July 13
Cherry tomatoes, summer squash, zuchinni, scallions, raspberries, cukes and lettuce

Slice veggies lengthwise, try to keep them about the same width so they cook evenly. Take them for a swim in olive oil, vinegar and whatever spices you have on hand. I had garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, and some dehydrated veggie flakes. Of course I threw a little S & P into the mix. Fire up your sister's grill and when it's good and hot put the veggies on. Close the lid and let the smoky fire do it's job. When they wilt and soften give them a turn. We like ours pretty well done with a black, crunchy edge.

While the veggies are smoking, wash some lettuce in ice cold water and take it for ride in the salad spinner. Throw it in the same bowl of marinade you used for the veggies. When it's soaked up the sauce, top it off with the grilled veggies and a sprinkle of asiago.

The ice cold lettuce, the hot grilled veggies, the asiago melting on top..hello delicious. My salad rejecting son ate 2 huge bowls full of...yes...salad.


Week 4, July 6
Wax beans, green beans, golden beets, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, zuchini, red beets, blueberries, red leaf lettuce, and cucumbers.

Ashton with golden beet

Cohen with swiss chard

Chicken and swiss chard quesadillas. Chop swiss chard into ribbons, toss in a hot frying pan with a couple cloves of garlic and some olive oil. Let it sizzle. Eat a few spoonfuls of swiss chard when no one is looking. Chop leftover chicken, toss it-along with a jar of your favorite salsa-into the pan. Move it to the back of the stove to simmer (on low.) Put a whole grain tortilla into a clean frying pan, sprinkle a bit of shredded cheese on one side. Put a few slurpy spoonfuls of the hot salsa/swiss chard/chicken mixture on top of the melting cheesy part of the tortilla and sprinkle some fresh chopped cilantro over the whole mess, fold neatly if you can, and if you can't, don't worry abou it.) After a couple minutes flip it over and heat the other side (have fun with the flip and good luck:) Slide the hot, cheesy, crunchy tortilla onto a plate. Watch your kids each swiss chard and rave.


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 WEEK 4, June 29th

This week's prize package included wax beans, cucumbers, swiss chard, tomatoes, scallions, kale, carrots, red leaf lettuce, onions and rhubarb.

There are lots of yummy things in addition to what comes in the CSA share package.

 I think of jewelry every time I see the colors and shapes at the farmers market. Delicious, nutritious jewelry...radish necklace anyone? Beet broach?

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A Summer Place
While at LaSalette Farmers Market in Attleboro I ran into some neighbors. They have a small plot just up the street from Bliss Farm, called "A Summer Place" (complete with chickens!) where they grow a nice selection of organic vegetables. Of course you can also buy fresh, organic, free range eggs too. If you're lucky you can also get a great story-ask about the owl in the hen house:)

The light blue eggs are from Araucana chickens.

              The rooster who guards the girls.

                                       

granddaughter feeding chickens

A Summer Place sells at the Attleboro Farmers Market on Fridays from 2-6, they bring seasonal, organic vegetables and of course yummy eggs.

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WHO KNEW?

Swiss Miss 

Who knew Swiss Chard was so delicious? No, I'm not kidding, it really is! Chopped and sauteed with a little olive oil and crushed garlic, a bit of s and p-that's it. It has a nutty flavor, not your typical "green" at all. I'm making a quiche featuring ~Miss Swiss Chard~for dinner tonight.

 Simple chopped scallions, I love the graduation of color-from deep green to white, the French call that Ombre right?

Creamy Risotto

Chop a sweet onion, smash a couple cloves of garlic and saute in olive oil. Take the tops off the carrots (put them in the compost pile) and slice 'em up. Toss them in the pan along with a cup of Carnaroli Rice, turn up the heat baby! Swish everything, coating it with the garlicky, oniony olive oil and let it get hot, don't burn! Deglaze pan with a cup of leftover wine, or chicken stock, or whatever you have on hand (breathe the heady scent in the sudden cloud of steam.) Turn down the heat madam! Keep adding stock (a cup at a time) stir, stir, stir, slow, slow slow, until it's absorbed. Bless with sea salt and pepper to taste. Thank the food gods.

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Week 3, June 22

Cucumbers; peel, slice and soak in a mix of vinegar and icy water, toss in a crushed clove of garlic and  little green circles sliced from the tops of scallions. Crunch!

Fresh peas, pop them in your mouth, no cooking required!

Rhubarb

Slice rhubarb (you will smell the color green,) toss into frying pan with a sweetly fragrant vanilla bean, a few spoonfuls of sugar, a dash of cinnamon and a splash of water. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is tender, spritz balsamic reduction. Stir things up...lick the spoon.
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WEEK , June 15
Asparagus, green leaf lettuce, beets, cherry tomatoes, dried oregano, scallions

Splatter olive oil into frying pan, scatter the cherry tomatoes across the pan and watch them come to a sudden halt when they hit the oil. Shut your eyes and breath in the fragrance while you pinch oregano between your fingers and strew it over the tomatoes. Crush a couple cloves of garlic, chop them up and toss them in. Use a potato masher to smash the softening tomatoes and simmer until it starts to thicken. Stick your finger in and see if it needs a bit of salt. When it's thick enough, spread it, nice and thick, across slices of Ciril Hitz's focaccia (breadhitz.com.) Add a chiffonade fresh basil and cap it off with a combination of your favorite cheese's. Slip in into a hot oven, really hot, like 450, and use a pizza stone if you have one. Watch it melt and bubble through the oven window and-at just the right moment-take it out. Hurry!

Asparagus soup with sour cream and scallions

Simmer asparagus in chicken stock with a clove of garlic and a handful of chopped onion. When the veggies are tender use an immersion blender to smooth it into chartreuse velvet. Splash it with cream, dash it with sea salt, dollop it with sour cream. Slurp.

Snuggle beets next to asaparagus, rub 'em down with olive oil and roast in a medium oven, sprinkle with lemon zest while still warm, smell the heavenly scent of lemon mixed with earthly beets and asparagus.

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Week 1, June 8th
Salad mix (greens,) green leaf lettuce, strawberries, rhubarb, beets, scallions, cherry tomatoes...
Wash strawberries, dip in sugar...

Eat berries while giggling.

 Beets: Trim the tops and give them a gentle scrub under cool water. Pop them in a pan of water and simmer on the stovetop until tender (Auntie Charlotte told me how to do this.)

Crown a mixed green salad with sliced beets, crumbled goat cheese, candied pecans, and whatever veggies you have ready to go. Freeze some beets for winter too!

Wash ruffled and brightly colored lettuce in cool water and arrange on a plate, slice cooked yellow beets and lay across the greens, watch the asiago cheese curl out of the grater and tumble down (be generous here,) squeeze balsamic reduction back and forth, back and forth and speckle with sea salt. Sit on the porch, watch the sun set, eat, eat, glorious food.

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OMBRE SCALLIONS...