I don't know about everyone else... but this was the biggest surprise in my box this week. Some thing I've never had and have no idea what to with provides the biggest inspiration! I was so excited about our first week's share, but really exhausted last night so that putting everything away seemed like enough work. I wish I had cooked and eaten the broccoli though, it looked so amazing yesterday, but is already starting to look a bit wilted and old :(
After researching kohlrabi online briefly, I decided not to peel it. This is mostly out of laziness, but also because I have heard that purple colored produce is super high in antioxidants, and because I don't mind a little tough skin. Halfway through, I realized that the skin is by far toughest closer to the bottom, so if you are generous when chopping off that end, the skin's really not a bother.
Then I tossed them with olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper for a simple "refrigerator pickle". Assuming that things that grow together must taste good together, I threw in some finely chopped summer savory, just for fun. (another treat I had yet to experience)
They already make a fine snack, but should improve in flavor with time. Supposedly they should stay fresh and crunchy for up to a week, but I don't think they'll last long enough for me to find out!
I reserved the greens, which I plan to mix with the kale whenever I use that. My favorite way to eat those tougher greens is to blanch them (saves me from washing!) then a quick saute with olive oil and garlic, then add a splash of soy sauce. Yum! Best served with brown rice.
So excited about getting new things every week! I tend to get in ruts with buying the same produce week after week, so this is really great! ... I do have to admit though, I was sorta hoping for some lettuce and asparagus. But I imagine the lettuce is so labor intensive, and doesn't shelve well, that it doesn't make sense for them. And asparagus needs at least a year or two to get settled in so maybe they didn't plant that one. Those are just the things that come to mind as the really early spring veggies...
4 comments:
What is everyone most excited about from the box? Most trepidatious of?
I can't wait to eat the dino kale! Dino kale is so delicate and tender and delicious. The mean girl that sometimes lives in my body wants to make our half sometime while Shawn's not home so I can have the whole thing to myself! It cooks easily like spinach without blanching, but holds its texture better than spinach. I only see the standard curly kale at the farmer's market and our local Rainbow Foods, so I only get dino kale when I go to the coop.
I'm the same as Casey, it was kohlrabi and the summer savory that I hadn't used before. I think I'll put the summer savory in some beans tonight... since that's recommended in our newsletter. I'm in love with cooking this week!
For foods like broccoli, you can keep them in cold water in the fridge--also good for carrots and cauliflower.
Meryl, let the mean girl take my half in the CSA box. :) I love kale, but not as fiercely as you, and I've got plenty on my plate with everything else. PLEASE don't EVER hesitate to take the full amount of something--if I'm sad, I can always get it at the farmer's market, etc. Same goes if you don't like something (which I can't imagine happening!)--you can always leave it in the box and I'll deal.
For example, if we get lots of tomatoes, feel free to take almost all of them. If there are five, take four. :) Oh, other foods I'm not in love with: arugula, ginger (not that this would be in the box, but, you know!), cilantro.
My favorite in the box was the broccoli and spinach, which is sad, but maybe it's just because it's so familiar. I even ate a head of the broccoli right out of the box!
Kohlrabi and turnips will be the trickiest for me, as I've only made, I think, one recipe with turnips and it was a flop:
http://glossary-of-field-work.blogspot.com/2009/11/362-new-recipe-friday.html
Favorite - Broccoli
Least - Turnips, we haven't found a recipe we like them in yet.
Meryl, we have 4 dino kale plants in the yard. If the rabbits will stay away from them, we'll have way more than we'll even need.
We've gotten all of the veggies before so nothing was a big surprise. I have not eaten any of it yet since I've been stuck at work for the past 26 hours. :|
For all I know there is still a full box sitting on our back porch.
I pretended the turnip was a radish and sliced it into a salad yesterday! It was spicy and good... another spinach salad with tomatoes, nectarines, and--it turns out--turnip. The dressing had olive oil, mustard, agave nectar, nutritional yeast, salt, and red wine vinegar. It was one of my favorite dressings so far.
The summer savory I added to a wild rice, mushroom, zucchini, navy bean and tomato concoction.
For lunch today I'll eat the dino kale (by myself!) and that finishes up our CSA veggies. Just in time, as we go to Milwaukee tonight. Then we're home for two days before we head to the East Coast.
Molly - You're the sweetest, but I don't think we can control who is taking/splitting which half boxes. Also my friend Rebecca will be taking my share for the next two weeks. It may be more complicated than it's worth!
Angie - the rabbits have eaten a lot of our kale and even more frustrating--the tops off all my growing sunflowers :( Oddly enough, they've left our lettuce alone so far and the stuff in the veggie beds. It's the veggies I mixed with the flowers and perennials (that are closer to ground-level) that were vulnerable. We've thought about netting, but I don't think we'll get there this year. Next year I'm keeping stuff segregated!
Casey - there's plenty of lettuce and asparagus at the farmer's market. You and Ardeshir should go to the Lyndale one tomorrow before it closes at 1pm... have some grilled corn and other treats while you're there! The three red canopies are the farmer's market proper, the stuff to the right of them is private businesses masquerading as farmer's market. Also Lyndale lets in non-local sellers, you'll know who they are b/c they'll have bananas and pineapples. Buy from the small-scale family sellers... their food tastes the best! PS-Shawn hates the dress I bought at Savers for Sheena's wedding. He's such a stinker... back to the drawing board!
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