In Season Recipes

We have reached quite a few new customers lately with our bags of fresh produce, but I have heard from quite a few more in our town that they would happily order the CSA bags if they knew what to do with the ingredients.

Ask and you shall receive.

Next week's produce offerings, both at the winter Farmers Market and through our online sales, include spinach, kale, green onions, radishes, carrots, turnips, bok choy, bell peppers and swiss chard. With those veggies readily available to me, right in my back yard, I have done a fair amount of experimenting with different recipes. Below are our favorites.

Kale is a very versatile, nutrient-packed food. Its texture stands up to moisture, so if you make it into a salad, add the dressing a half hour before eating, or add it to soup. Our household's favorite kale soup is the Tuscan white bean, sausage, kale soup: http://sharedappetite.com/recipes/rustic-tuscan-style-sausage-white-bean-and-kale-soup/

Most people have tried radishes raw, but have you tried them cooked? When cooked, radishes lose that spicy bite to them and instead have a flavor similar to cauliflower. And it is super easy to make. http://www.marthastewart.com/312469/sauteed-radishes

We pride ourselves in the ability to make all vegetables unhealthy. This recipe proves it. When Jay wants to spoil me and we have carrots in season, this is our cake of choice. It is so delicious, it doesn’t even need the frosting: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/carrot-cake-cream-cheese-swirl-bundt-cake/

Egg drop soup is one of those rare dishes that all seven in our house will happily eat. This recipe (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/asian-egg-drop-soup-recipe.html) is our favorite, using fresh green onions. When in season, we also add 2 stems of bok choy to the soup with the green onions.

Most of our customers see swiss chard and say, “That’s pretty! Now what do I do with it?” Swiss chard is best sauteed and tends to pick up the flavors you saute with it, whether that be bacon, ginger, onion, or garlic. To add some vegetables to your breakfast, try this recipe: http://americanfood.about.com/od/breakfastandbrunch/r/Chard_Frittata.htm

And what about spinach? I love cooking and eating spinach, because it’s so versatile. Try any of these delicious ways to get your greens:
-Add sliced strawberries, toasted almonds, and a raspberry vinaigrette for a sweet salad.
-Mix 2 cups of torn fresh spinach, 2 sliced boiled eggs, cooked bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing.
-Spinach artichoke dip is delicious. We use this recipe, but replace the frozen spinach with 4 cups fresh spinach, sliced into strips and sautéed 3-4 minutes until wilted. http://www.food.com/recipe/spinach-artichoke-dip-1209

Turnips anyone?  How about a quick and easy side dish.  Try this out.  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/214157/caramelized-turnips/

If nothing else sounds good or easy, make a quick and easy veggie stir fry by chopping up a bunch of vegetables (carrots, onions, radishes, turnips, bok choy, bell peppers), sauté them until fork tender, add Kraft's Asian Sesame salad dressing, and continue cooking until the sauce thickens.

If you can't find something to suit you, then check out this.  I am sure you will find a recipe that you will like.  http://www.redfirefarm.com/recipes/index.html

Hopefully that will get you started with our current in-season veggies. We love suggestions, so if you have a recipe we should try, please send it our way!

In Season Recipes