How are you using your CSA share?

[Comtessa]

So I figured it might be fun to see how others are using your produce from CSA shares (or your gardens).  Since we're all probably getting a lot of the same things, as certain kinds of plants are producing at the same times throughout the summer/fall, maybe we can share some tips and recipes?  

Here are my two success stories of the week:

- a coconut-milk curry using Chinese cabbage and radish pods

- a brown-rice and quinoa risotto using beet greens, fresh peas, carrots, onions, fresh garlic, and I think a few other veggies we got in our share last week

Any other suggestions or ideas?  Anyone doing anything interesting with salad turnips, kale, carrot greens?  Let the creative juices flow!!!

[ahimsamom]

Great idea Comtessa!

I have been getting tons of cabbage from my CSA, so I have been trying to ferment as much as possible. Last week I got basil, carrots and broccoli as well, so I made 1 basil sauerkraut and 1 kimchi. I also got a bunch of cucumbers so I made some pickles as well.

I like putting carrot greens in my juices, but I don't have any other good ideas for those!

My favorite way to prepare turnips is to thinly slice them with a mandolin (or by hand but that is a pain) and marinate them for a little bit in olive oil, Italian spices and a little apple cider vinegar. Then I stick some cashew cheese in the middle of a slice and put another turnip slice on top (like a sandwich). Then I put it in the dehydrator (I am sure you could bake it too) for a few hours. Topped with tomato sauce, the finished product seriously tastes like ravioli!

Back in the day, my FAVORITE kale recipe was this:

Saute diced onions in olive oil until soft. Add diced "fakin' bacon" tempeh and saute until brown. Add chopped kale and Nama shoyu to taste and cook until kale is palatable. Serve with rice!

Now I mostly just strip the kale off the stems, massage until soft with a little salt, and then eat it as a side with whatever else I am eating (BORING).

I am up to my neck in green beans from my CSA and my garden. Anyone have any suggestions for these??

[Heather30ish]

My big success last week was a new salad made with roasted beets, a citrus vinaigrette, crumbled feta & pistachios; so yummy!  For our kale, we've mostly been sauteing it with onion, garlic & olive oil and then tossing it with some cooked, GF gnocchi. I was stymied by the giant kohlrabi, though. Unlike the small ones, it was too strong too eat raw. Maybe roasting? This week there was an eggplant, which is exciting, and DH picked up an overgrown eightball zucchini which I believe is destined for some quick-bread...

[LightForest]

Love this topic! I made two exciting new creations this week:

Zucchini muffins with fresh chopped apricots (about 6 apricots for a batch of 12 muffins).

and

Salad with beets, fennel, and apricots (all sliced paper thin) in a dressing of lemon juice and a bit of sugar.

I'm having a hard time keeping it creative with all the greens also. I like to saute kale in a bit of olive oil and salt and add it to burritos with black beans, sour cream, and salsa. It's really tasty with soyrizo!

We've been using turnip greens in fried rice... But, bleh, that's getting a little boring...

[Comtessa]

Originally Posted by ahimsamom 

I like putting carrot greens in my juices, but I don't have any other good ideas for those!

I am up to my neck in green beans from my CSA and my garden. Anyone have any suggestions for these??

Ahimsamom, great ideas for turnips and kale!  I can't wait to get ahold of some turnips now. 

I've been adding carrot greens to scrambled eggs.  And salads, in small amounts.  Mostly I'm just adding them to the big collection of vegetable peels, etc. in the freezer that will eventually get cooked down into veggie broth. 
 

We like to add green beans to savory pies, rice dishes, and curries.  I have a really good recipe for spicy Indian green beans, if you want it I can dig it out. 

Originally Posted by Heather30ish 

 I was stymied by the giant kohlrabi, though. Unlike the small ones, it was too strong too eat raw. Maybe roasting?

I like to peel and chop these and add them to soups or curries, like potatoes. 
 

Originally Posted by LightForest 

I'm having a hard time keeping it creative with all the greens also. I like to saute kale in a bit of olive oil and salt and add it to burritos with black beans, sour cream, and salsa. It's really tasty with soyrizo!

We've been using turnip greens in fried rice... But, bleh, that's getting a little boring...

Your apricot recipes sound yummy!

We made almost exactly that same kale recipe last night for dinner -- only I used Swiss chard, which we have in abundance this week. 
 

[mumkimum]

Well, I've done 2 batches of zucchini muffins (including a dozen for our csa farmer) and a zucchini cake.  Anything else along these lines *please* pass on, I'm tired of making the same recipes!

I've done a great fritatta with zucchini, pepper, corn, onion, eggs (& cheddar too), and herbs.

Dh did our greens recently simply (really yummy this year - chard, mustard, and beet) and we had a great meal of them with johnnycakes and tempeh fakin bacon.

Dh also did up pesto with a ton of basil and we mixed pea shoots in.

[LightForest]

You guys just reminded me of another favorite chard recipe

Swiss chard and red pepper gratin

It's such a forgiving recipe. I just use whatever cheese and grains I have (usually brown rice or millet).

[Comtessa]

Originally Posted by mumkimum 

Well, I've done 2 batches of zucchini muffins (including a dozen for our csa farmer) and a zucchini cake.  Anything else along these lines *please* pass on, I'm tired of making the same recipes! 

Not much of a baker here, but a few good savory recipes:

I do a homemade mac & cheese and mix a whole grated zucchini into the sauce just before adding the pasta.  I have to peel it, since DD is suspicious of green things in her pasta, but it sneaks in a lot of vegetable she wouldn't otherwise eat. 

My mother makes a spectacular quesadilla with grated raw zucchini, thawed frozen corn (it would be good with fresh corn, too), and grated Swiss cheese. 

Found a great way to use a pound of chard and collards yesterday: I steamed them, then pureed them in the food processor and added to spaghetti sauce.  My toddler hasn't eaten so many greens in one sitting for months! 

[HollyBearsMom]

We got a large amount of beets and carrots last share so I made beet and carrot "chips" that I served with a creamy horseradish dip. Munchie goodness!

I also made a lasagna with both Swiss and rainbow chard, zucchini and pattypan squash and a ton of basil.

[es1967]

Had 2 bunches of Kale from my veggie box that I forgot about.  So last night I made a kale salad with garlic,olive oil,lemon and braggs.  Love this salad.

Tonight I used up one entire kale in this recipe.  I did not use the goat cheese this time but used parmesan.  Could use dairy free parmesan too.  After complaining for about 5 minutes my DS who is 4 1/2 said he really liked it.

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/winter-pasta-recipe.html 

[caiesmommy]

I dont have a cas but my gardens starting to bust

Raspberries-we've been doing mostly snacking on and smoothies.

Zukes(frm my aunts garden)-dh grilled(dd LOVED it!! ds not so much. He despises zukes unless its REALLY hidden..as in pureed into something lol) I made vegan lasagna rollups and pureed sauteed zuke,eggplant and onions into the tofu and he loved it lol. I also made zuke pancakes w onion,garlic and Carribean spice and he liked those 

Swiss chard-salads, and sautees w onions garlic ginger and lemon

Kale-kale chips in the dehydrator...honestly its the only way I end up eating kale b-c I love it so much I dont get any left over to eat any other way

[HollyBearsMom]

Made the most amazing eggplant parm with these small pale purple and white striped eggplants.  I made the sauce with roasted cherry tomatoes and baby purple onions.  Added some pureed chard that was on its last legs.  so so good!