CSA Year 2 - Week 2

After a somewhat successful week last week keeping up with our CSA share, it's already week two! Here's this week's share.




1 bunch beets
1 small head broccoli
1 garlic plant - bulb & all!
1 pint cherries
1 sizable bunch kale
2 heads baby lettuce
1 potted plant of lemon basil

While picking up, they told us that the cherries were just a tease; we're expecting more (probably 1 QT) next week. :) In the car on the way home, I was already plotting things to do with this week's share items.


Garlic: I picked off a little of the garlic plants leaves with my fingernail and smelled it. Definitely garlic! Could you use the rest of the plant? I'd seen the scape part last week, but these were full grown leaves, so I figured....


Garlic Infused Olive Oil, right? I'm not actually sure if this will work, but I don't see why not. If the leaves smell like garlic, taste like garlic, then they should infuse the oil with garlic. And yes, I'm aware of the botulism risk and that, I did not cook my leaves, but did add some lemon juice and am keeping it in the fridge.

Kale: I haven't encountered kale much as a raw food. But, I had heard of kale chips, so....


lovely kale chips! I ended up making two varieties, garlic-Parmesan kale chips and cumin-garlic kale chips.



I wasn't sure how to store them, so, Google let me know that glass jars are common and pretty!

Broccoli: Already used! As soon as I saw that, and realized that there was leftover marinated beef from kabobs, I thought, Beef & Broccoli! As a bonus, I got to use the leftover grilled vegetables in this and served it over Buckwheat Soba noodles. Yum!

Cherries: I had snuck a peek at the
Good Food Collective website earlier this week and saw that we were to expect some cherries. With friends coming tomorrow for lunch, and with the 1.5 c. of cherries I got off the cherry tree in the front yard that I've been keeping in some maraschino brandy in the fridge, I am going to make cherry turnovers! Pockets of slightly alcoholic pie-like goodness!

Beet Roots: I wasn't terribly impressed with last week's salad, so I'm going to try another one this time, like this Beet and Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad.

Beet Greens: Last week they were so good, steamed. I didn't blanch them like I thought I would, but I steamed them and served them with a fine drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a spoonful of feta cheese and a sliced hard-boiled egg. So, I just may do that again!

Lettuce: This will be used in salad as well. I love the tiny head of red-leaf lettuce, it will make a good mixed up hand torn salad.

Basil: Let it grow! I've heard of lemon basil before (I already grow lemon mint) and was still amazed by how citrusy it smells. I can see this being used on watermelon or a fruit salad as an edible garnish. Or in chicken French. I am going to grow it up a little first and go from there!


So, that's it. I picked up the share 6 hours ago and have already used a fair share of the items already. Can't wait 'til next week!

And neither should you - make sure to follow me and check in next Friday for Food Fridays here!