CSA Week 1 Recipes Part 1

Cooking with a farm share is super fun because it requires creativity and spontaneity. You never know what awaits you in the share room, so you can't exactly plan out recipes in advance. Once I pick out my share and get it home, I like to take stock and figure out how to make it work with whatever I already have on hand. This usually results in the kind of cooking where you don't follow a recipe. You just make it up as you go. Sometimes the result is yummy and other times it's not so great, but it's ALWAYS fun! Here's what I've done so far with this week's share. Items from the CSA are in bold letters.

Kiwi and Mint Infused Water
makes one medium pitcher

3 sprigs fresh mint
1 kiwi, peeled and chopped
water

1. strip the leaves off 2 mint sprigs and place on the bottom of a medium sized pitcher 
2. add kiwi
3. muddle everything together
4. fill the rest of the pitcher with water
5. allow to sit for a couple of hours in the refrigerator for a more intense flavor
6. pour into a glass over ice through a fine mesh strainer
7. garnish with the remaining mint sprig

Quinoa with Mushrooms, Greens and Chives
makes about 6 servings

1 C dry quinoa
olive oil
1 large package of cremini mushrooms, chopped
3-4 C fresh tat soi
2 C fresh baby spinach
salt and pepper
1 bunch fresh chives, diced
lemon juice (or balsamic vinegar)

1. cook quinoa according to package directions and set aside
2. saute cremini mushrooms in a bit of olive oil
3. add tat soi and baby spinach to the pan (or whatever greens you have on hand)
4. cover pan and allow greens to wilt
5. season the greens and mushrooms with salt and pepper
6. add sauteed greens and mushrooms to the cooked quinoa along with the chives
7. drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice
8. salt and pepper to taste

serve warm or at room temp

Spinach Salad with Sugar Snap Peas, Pears and Radish

makes two small, or one large salad

2-3 C fresh baby spinach

1 sliced pear (skin on)
2 grated Easter Egg Radishes (skin on)
a handful of sugar snap peas, sliced on the diagonal
a sprinkling of shelled sunflower seeds
3 chopped scallions

dressing
1 T olive oil
1 T honey dijon mustard
a dash of rice wine vinegar
salt and pepper

1. make a bed of spinach and top it with the pear, grated radishes, sugar snap peas, sunflower seeds and scallions
2. season with salt and pepper
3. mix all the dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake until combined before dressing salad

Paper Thin Radishes over Sweet Potato Puree with Sage Coconut Sauce

If you love homemade butternut squash ravioli with sage brown butter sauce, this recipe is for you! All the flavor with none of the guilt. Fresh and light, it is packed with nutrients that you can feel good about.

This recipe makes enough for 2 entree-sized portions or 4-6 small plates for an elegant first course.

1 medium-large sweet potato
4 Easter Egg Radishes in different colors
olive oil
4-5 sprigs of fresh sage
1 T coconut oil
salt and pepper
3 T Trader Joe's Coconut Cream (if this is not available, you can skim the cream off the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk)

1. poke holes in the skin of the sweet potato and bake in a 400 degree oven until soft (about 1 hour)
2. using the thinnest setting on a mandolin, shave the radishes into paper thin rounds
3. in a very hot pan, fry a few whole sage leaves in coconut oil until crisp and then set on a paper towel
4. add the rest of the sage, roughly chopped, to the skillet and season with salt and pepper
5. cook the sage until it gets a little brown and crisp (you may need to reduce heat to avoid burning)
6. add Trader Joe's Coconut Cream and reduce heat, cooking until flavors meld
7. spoon the cooked sweet potato out of the skin and throw into a blender with a splash of coconut milk
8. puree sweet potato until smooth seasoning with just a pinch of sea salt
9. put a dollop of sweet potato puree down on the plate
10. arrange the radish slices on top of the puree
11. pour the sauce over the top
12. garnish with fried sage

serve while the potato puree and sauce are still very hot

Russian Red Kale with Marinara and Kalamata Olives

This is a DELICIOUS way to eat your greens. It reminds me of pasta puttanesca, without the heavy pasta.

Since this was a baby Russian Red Kale, I used the whole leaf.  If you are using a mature kale, you'll need to take out the tough stalks and cut up the leaves into smaller pieces before cooking. All varieties work well in this dish if you make sure to simmer until tender.

This recipe makes one plate

1 T olive oil
4 C Russian Red kale
1 C marinara sauce
1/4 C pitted Kalamata olives
2 T fresh parsley, chopped

1. in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat
2. add kale and allow to wilt
3. pour in marinara
4. add olives
5. allow to simmer for about 20 minutes while kale soaks up the flavor of the sauce
6. serve topped with parsley

For Brad, who is more of a meat and potatoes kind of guy, I used some sugar snap peas in a basic chicken stir fry with veggies.

These beautiful fresh strawberries were eaten exactly as-is. Yum!