 |
Jane, Jessamine, and Timmy navigate the path through the
weeds. This time of year, the weeds are really tall, so we have
a narrow trail that runs along the coldframes to the front field. |
One of the things we especially enjoy about our face-to-face
drop-offs is getting to see everyone and chat with you all each week. We really like talking about the farm, how we
grow everything, and how to use the abundance of veggies in the shares. At the drop-offs we often get the question,
“What do you do with this?” Especially
for new members getting used to eating more and different veggies, it can be a
learning curve. Over the years I have learned how to cook faster, make really
good dishes, and use what we have instead of going to a recipe. We eat a lot of veggies at our house and use
them for all three meals each day. Below I have listed some of the different
things that I made this week, in case you’re looking for some inspiration:
Grilled Shrimp with Zucchini, Pearl Onions, Tomato, and Fennel
I take the pearl onions, zucchini, and fennel and cut it
into cube(ish) pieces. I then put olive
oil in a pan, and put the veggies and thawed shrimp in a pan and over high heat,
stirring occasionally with the pan covered.
I then wait until the veggies are a little soft and then transfer over
to the grill, stirring occasionally until I get the amount of grilling that I
prefer. I transfer everything to a bowl
and take some fresh cubed tomato and add to the mixture. Then I add fresh lime juice, chipotle seasoning,
salt, and some parmesan cheese to taste. Then mix and serve.
Sauteed Carrots or Beets
This simple recipe is a go-to for part of breakfast at our
house. First, take the carrots and cut in half lengthwise, and put in a pan
with salt and olive oil and cover. I
cook on high heat at first to get things cooking quickly, then after a few
minutes I turn the heat back down to medium.
Wait until soft and maybe a little browned on the sides, then
serve. If I’m making this for a side dish
for dinner, I often add rosemary, marigold leaf, or parsley.
For beets I do basically the same process, starting by
cutting them into chunks not much wider than 1/3 of an inch. Often I mix the carrots and beets together.
Kale and Swiss Chard
This is another very basic breakfast dish in our house. We first fry bacon in a pan, then take the
bacon out and put in some chopped kale, chard, or both together with the heat
on medium low. Keep stirring the greens
constantly until they take on that darker green cooked appearance, and
immediately take them out of the pan so as not turn them into mush. Then add salt and a little brown sugar to
balance the natural bitterness of the leaves.
Very simple, very quick side dish.
 |
Fred harvests microgreens in the greenhouse on Tuesday
for one of our restaurant customers. |
Summer Veggie Plate
This 4th of July in the afternoon around our
small pool, we made an antipasto plate of sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and
mozerella. Next to the plate, we had
small bowls with some chopped fresh basil mix, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and
salt that anyone could add in whatever portion they desired. This dish really stands out if the veggies
are very fresh, like we had. This is
really easy and really delicious!
Grilled Steak with Bok Choy, Zucchini, Basil Mix, and Fennel
with Hoisin Sauce
I chop the zucchini, bok choy, and fennel, and put it in a
pan with olive oil, and sautee this mixture until the veggies are cooked
through. Then I take the lid off toward
the end. Keep the veggies cooking a
little while after taking the lid off to get rid of excess moisture form the
veggies. You want the veggies to not be
dripping, except maybe some of the olive oil.
At the same time, I also grill a steak to my desired pinkness (usually
rare) on the grill. Then I put the steak
on the plate and slide the veggies right up next to the steak, covering
everything with hoisin and soy sauce to desired taste, and then sprinkle some
chopped basil mix all over it.
For us, farming is often hard and uncertain, but one of the
consistent benefits of having the farm is all the great food we get to have on
a regular basis. We hope this gives you
a few ideas of things to try this week, and that you love cooking with your
veggies as much as we do!
I don't think I ever ate a leek before I met Fred. In fact, I was probably several years into being married to a vegetable farmer before I ever tasted this wonderful, delicately oniony veggie. So if, like me a few years ago, you just have no idea what to do with the leeks in your CSA shares, check out these 27 Leek Recipes That are Like, "Onions Who?" from Bon Appetit! So many great ideas, and there really is something in here for everyone! Or if you're feeling like some zucchini bread this week, here is my go-to zucchini bread recipe! I don't happen to like walnuts, so I just leave those out, but I make a bunch every year to put in the freezer, and it always turns out awesome!
