CSA Box 6

Sorry about being so late with this week’s box.  Now that school is out for the boys, the house is very busy.  So far, every dinner has been 100% CSA foods, with the exception of some faux meat crumbles. From left to right: beets, butter lettuce, new red potatoes, kale. Second row, various mushrooms, sugar snap peas, zucchini, spring lettuce mix, garlic scape, broccoli

CSA Box 5

This looks like an exciting box! Beets, rhubarb, lettuce, sugar snap peas, tart cherries, spring onions, spring mix, zucchini, garlic scape.

Last Week’s Box

Sorry it’s late but it wasn’t an exciting box.  It was a whole lotta greens.  We’re getting a bit tired of greens but everyone loved trying roasted beets for the first time.

I got the weekly email from my CSA about this week’s box and it looks much more promising.  I’ve made up my weekly menu based on the email (which has been quite reliable so far) and we’ll be trying 3-4 new main dish recipes (email said Chinese cabbage or beets which is why that number isn’t firm) and the rubharb is back.  I found a rubharb cake recipe that I’m dying to try.  There is only one new-to-me veggie coming, garlic scape, but it sounds like an interesting one.

Birthday Dessert

For my birthday a few days ago, we had angelfood cake with strawberry sauce.  The strawberries were from this week’s CSA box.  The sauce was AMAZING! It would taste great on pound cake or vanilla ice cream, too.

Strawberry Sauce

(be aware, I just throw this together and didn’t really measure so amounts are approximate)

1 pint of fresh strawberries

1/6-1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cornstarch

Puree the strawberries in a blender or food processor.  Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small pot.  Add strawberries.  Bring mixture to a boil, simmer for 2 minutes and remove from heat.  Let sauce cool completely before serving.

CSA Box 3

This week, we have strawberries, radishes, collard greens, spring onions, spinach, kale and romaine lettuce.  I’m a bit disappointed that we didn’t get any rhubarb this week.  I was expecting to get it for several weeks.  At least, there’s some in the freezer.

Rhubarb Mint Cooler

This is one of the recipes I got when I picked up my box.  My older son loved it, my younger son thought it was too sweet.  I thought it was greatly mellowed by the addition of a splash of Three Olives vanilla vodka.  It has potential to go well with gin as well, but I’m all out.

1 pound trimmed rhubarb

5 cups water

1 cup sugar

1/4cup packed fresh mint leaves

Dice rhubarb into 1/4 in pieces.  In a saucepan, bring water to a boil and add rhubarb, sugar and mint.  Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and let cool.  Poor mixture through a fine sieve, into a pitcher, pressing hard on solids.  Chill mixture, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

I didn’t have a sieve and I ended up losing about 1/3 of the total liquid.

CSA Box 2

In today’s box, we got, strawberries, rubharb, mushrooms, mint, spring onions and 4 different types of salad greens.  I think I’ll make one batch of rubharb scones, which only take 2 stalks, then freeze the rest of it.  It will be nice to have a rubharb pie in the middle of winter.  I still haven’t used any of the mint from last week, so hunting down mint recipes will be on the to-do list.  As for the salad greens, I have a taco salad planned for dinner one night and my husband might be taking some into to work for his sandwiches.  We’re not really big on salads around here, so I will probably give some to my mother.

Spinach and Garlic Bread Pudding

I didn’t get spinach in my CSA box, but a friend, who is a member of a different CSA, traded her spinach for some of my mushrooms and mint.

This recipe was developed by combining the best elements of several different savory bread pudding recipes I found online.  Sorry there’s no picture, but as soon as it came out of the oven, everyone dug in.

2tbs Earth Balance (or other butter/margarine)

about 4 cups baby spinach, washed and stems removed

2tps water

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 large loaf of French or Italian bread, in 1/4in dice (about 5cups total)

3 large eggs

3/4 cup Silk creamer (cow’s milk cream would probably work)

Preheat oven to 325F.  Butter is 6 cup souffle dish or other deep baking dish.

In a large skillet, melt 1/2tsp of Earth Balance over medium high heat.  Add the spinach, garlic and water, season with salt and pepper and stir a few times. Cover and cook the spinach until it wilts, about 2 minutes.

Set a colunder over a bowl and drain the spinach; press lightly and on the spinach to extract 1/4 cup of liquid.  Let spinach cool.  Heat the remaining Earth Balance in a large skillet.  Add 2 cups of the bread cubes and stir until they are crisp and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs with the creamer, reserved spinach cooking liquid, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8tsp pepper and nutmeg.  Stir in spinach and remaining bread.  Pour into baking dish and top with the crispy bread cubes.

Set baking dish in a water bath and bake for 35-4o minutes.

Lentil Rhubarb Soup

I won’t lie to y’all, this one had mixed reviews.  My husband and kids liked this one, I thought it was a little strange.  It’s a good way to use up rhubarb without tons of sugar and fat that comes with a pie.  I’m keeping my eye out for more savory rhubarb recipes.

• 1 1/2 C. boiling water
• 3/4 C. lentils

Soak the lentils in the boiling water while you prepare the remaining ingredients:

• 2 C. chopped carrots
• 1 3/4 C. chopped celery
• 1 1/2 C. chopped onion
• 1 C. finely chopped rhubarb
• 4 C. broth, chicken or veggie
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat a dutch oven over medium heat and add 2 T. olive oil. Saute onion, carrot, and celery for about 4 minutes, or until a little soft. Add the rhubarb and continue sauteing for a bit longer. Drain lentils and add them to the pan. Add the broth and salt and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Rhubarb Scones

These are very tart but good.  My older son loves them, but he doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth.  My younger son doesn’t really care for them, but he has his mother’s sweet tooth.  I find them very tart but delish!

Rhubarb Scones

2 1/2 cups white flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking spoon

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup soy milk

1 egg

2 stalks rhubarb in a small dice.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 400. In bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In small bowl whisk soy milk with egg. Drizzle over dry ingredients and sir together with a fork. (dough should be very sticky) Knead in the rhubarb. Drop by large spponfuls onto baking sheet.  Bake for about 15 or until lightly browned.