Week 7

Food

Collard greens

Fava beans

Kohlrabi

Lettuce?

Red onions

Zucchini

Recipes

We had us a feast! We made a salad with the lettuce and red onions. 

I lovingly prepared the fava beans: I shelled them, boiled them for 30 seconds, and then shelled them again. I tossed the with salt, pepper, and sesame seeds. So much work.

Meanwhile, Sarah prepared the crowd pleaser. I hope she can post the recipe; I don't have it. But, it involved kohlrabi in a creamy sauce...and here it is:

Kohlrabi in Herb Cream Sauce

serves 4

1 kg (2 1/4 lb) kohlrabi

2 litres (3 1/2 pints) water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

50 g (2 oz) butter

salt

generous pinch of sugar

scant 150 ml (1/4 pint) vegetable stock

5 tablespoons creme fraiche (we used yogurt, and ignored any curdling)

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

1. Wash the kohlrabi under lukewarm running water. Cut off the tender inner leaves and keep them to one side. Peel the kohlrabi, remove any woody parts, cut into quarters and then into fairly thick sticks.

2. Bring the water to the boil with the lemon juice. Place the kohlrabi in a sieve and suspend it in the boiling water. Blanch the kohlrabi for 5 minutes, rinse in cold water and drain it thoroughly.

3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and braise the kohlrabi, stirring frequently. Add salt to taste, the sugar and stock and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Chop the kohlrabi leaves and mix them into the herbs.

4. Stir the creme fraiche (yogurt) and herbs into the kohlrabi.

Jeremy grilled up meat and fake meat for the main course, and the zucchini too. 

Week 6

Food

Cabbage

Carrots

Kale

Parsley

Peas

String beans

Recipes

Really Week 6 is over, but it was good. De-lish. My two favorite dishes were spicy green beans with garlic and my very modified version of spaghetti alla carbonara. I also roasted the kale again, but at a lower temp and for less time. It just dissolved in my mouth.

Spicy green beans with garlic (from Emeril Lagasse, 2001)

Ingredients

1/4 cup clarified butter (I just stuck my non-clarified onto the skillet)

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (I just minced mine)

2 small green peppers, stems and seeds removed, minced 

2 t turmeric 

2 t ground cumin

1/8 t cayenne

1 lb green beans, tough ends removed

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 t salt

3 T sesame seeds (I did not add these)

1. In a large saute pan, heat butter over medium-high. 

2. Add garlic, peppers, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, and cook, stirring until the garlic begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes. 

3. Add the green beans, water, salt, and stir well. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. 

5. Add the sesame seeds and cook uncovered, stirring, until toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Modified spaghetti alla carbonara

Ingredients

1 lb spaghetti (I don't do spaghetti, so I used whatever noodles I had on hand...probably penne)

2 t olive oil

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, trimmed of fat and diced (I didn't have any on hand, so I used lots of de-thawed frozen shrimp instead)

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 large egg

2 large egg whites

2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until they turn golden. Add shrimp and cook 1 minute. Add white wine and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat.

3. In a small bowl, whisk egg, egg whites, cheese, and parsley. Season with pepper.

4. Drain pasta and return it to the pot. Add the egg mixture and the shrimp to the pasta. On a low heat, toss the pasta until the eggs are creamy, 30-40 seconds; do not overcook. Add more pepper, and serve. 

Week 5

Food
Carrots
Garlic scapes YUM!
Lettuce
Peas
Rainbow chard
Turnips

Recipes
It seems like we received more food than that? At any rate, I cooked up the garlic scapes Wednesday night, per Sarah and Jeremy per the chef at the goods pick up. I cut them up, disgarding the top soft part. I cooked them in a hot pan with some olive oil for a couple minutes, and then added salt, pepper, and 1 T of balsamic vinegar. I served it over pasta, and with a salad made of my fresh veggies. Next time I would stick to the pesto, just because that is SO SO good, or use this as more of a side dish.

Welcome

Finally, after over six years of putting it off, I have signed up for a summer vegetable share in a local CSA (community supported agriculture). Community Roots is an innovative version; instead of my veggies being grown on a local farm, they are grown in a suburban neighborhood setting. Front and back yards in Boulder's Martin Acres neighborhood have been converted into vegetable gardens. Participation in Community Roots varies from offering your yard, joining the CSA, volunteering, and more. I joined this CSA because my friend Sarah, a Martian Acres homeowner, wanted to split her share with someone, and I was eager to accept the push into community agriculture. Yay for growing things and eating them!

Welcome to this blog that will document my CSA experience. I hope to include lists of the food, photographs, and recipes.