CSA Update: Summer Bounty

My CSA membership has been paying out big time for the last few weeks. I snarfed down all the early season carrots and snap peas and lettuce without even bothering to take pictures or find recipes, because what can you possibly do to a fresh-picked snap pea to make it BETTER? (Hint: NOTHING. Except for shoving it into your face hole.)

Toddler photobombing my picture of last week's haul to get a cherry tomato

All my hopes for teaching the toddler about fresh and local food have come absolutely true. He asks to go to the farm all the time, loves seeing the plants and checking out the changes each week and will eat things I NEVER thought would pass his lips (peas! beans! lettuce!) if he gets them fresh.

But I haven’t been wasting all my veggies on the toddler. They’ve been a total life-saver on my diet plan, since I can eat as many vegetables as I want – and they are SO MUCH EASIER to eat when you know they’re fresh and tasty and they’re sitting on my kitchen counter.

Here’s what I got on Tuesday:

1. Arugula
2. Cabbage
3. Summer Savory
4. Amethyst basil plant
5. Cinnamon basil
6. Jalapeno
7. Heirloom tomato
8. Garlic
9. Eggplant
10. Green pepper
11. Cucumber
12. Fingerling potatoes
13. Red poatoes
14. Hot peppers
15. Cherry tomatoes
16. Pole beans

Holy cow. How do I even START to eat all of that goodness?

Pinterest helps, of course. I used some of the fingerling potatoes for Salt & Vinegar Fingerlings, although I wussed out on the full 2 cups of vinegar and I shouldn’t have – they weren’t tart enough for me. And I’m going to make Spicy Green Beans with my pole beans tomorrow, although mine will be a lot less fancy than that recipe (grapeseed oil? pshaw). I think we’ll have Parmesan Roasted Potatoes this weekend with the red of my red potatoes to satisfy my french fry craving.

And here are my super easy, spur of the moment, straight out of my brain recipes:

Eggplant Bruchetta

Eggplant sliced thin and broiled for about 4 minutes on each side, then topped with chopped basil, garlic and tomatoes and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. 100% CSA. And it was ZERO points on my Weight Watchers plan.

Chicken quesadillas with homemade salsa

Chicken, green peppers and onions sauteed with garlic salt and cumin, then I used my handy-dandy quesadilla maker and some Mexican cheese blend to make it melty. The salsa is the heirloom tomato, tons of garlic, one of the hot peppers, cilantro and lime juice.

Potato rosemary pizza

Pillsbury pizza crust baked for 5 minutes, then topped with mozzarella, chopped rosemary, chopped garlic and all three kinds of potatoes I got from the CSA sliced as thin as possible. Sprinkle with salt and bake for about 20 minutes more. Next time I might roast the potato slices for a few minutes before putting them on the pizza so they’re crispier, but even my husband ate it and agreed it was good. And so pretty!

We have summer squash and zucchini and more eggplant (my new FAVORITE) and tons more tomatoes coming in the next few weeks, so let me know if you have any favorite recipes. Oh, and I need a suggestion for that head of cabbage. It’s so beautiful I hate to turn it into coleslaw but I don’t know what else to do with cabbage.

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17 Responses to “CSA Update: Summer Bounty”

  1. Sarah says:

    Looks yummy! My CSA is totally the best-spent portion of my food budget. Just out of curiosity, is that everything you got? A full share or a half share? I’m always wondering how the various farms compare for variety and value.

    My latest favorite eggplant recipe (which has lasted as a fave from last summer into this one): http://www.salon.com/food/recipes/2010/06/25/melted_eggplant_pasta_sauce_recipe. I never have sundried tomatoes on hand, so I just skip those. We’re having it over sauteed chard and kale tonight! It’s also really good over pasta, and as a sauce on pizza.

    This is my favorite way to use up squash, especially if you have fancy fresh potatoes: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/herbed-summer-squash-and-potato-torte/

    And two summers ago I discovered roasted cabbage – just cut it into biggish chunks (that looks pretty small, so I’d just quarter it), cut the core out, toss with a little bit of olive oil and sea salt, and roast on a cookie sheet at 425 for like half an hour. So sweet and delicious! Nora’s the only coleslaw lover in our family, and none of us are huge fans of most cooked cabbage preparations, but we all LOVE it this way!

    • bebehblog says:

      That’s my whole half-share. So far they’ve been kind of small (and we don’t get fancy things like eggs and fruit) but it was inexpensive and just about the right number of veggies for me to eat with a little help from Little Evan (and even less help from Big Evan). Although if they wanted to give me every eggplant they grew this season I’d happily eat them all.

      I’m going to try roasting my cabbage! Thanks for the suggestion. Cabbage just isn’t in my regular meal plan.

      • Sarah says:

        We do get fruit nearly every week (she has lots of kinds of berries, and asian pears and stuff in the fall), but the eggs are a once-in-a-while treat. I definitely still buy fruit, though, a couple of pints of berries is not nearly enough for my three fruitbats!

      • brigid keely says:

        I’ll see if I can find my MIL’s cabbage slaw recipe, if you like. It’s NOT what you think of when you think “cole slaw,” it’s Eastern European and involves vinegar. Also, if you are interested in doing fiddly stuff with cooked meat & barley I’ll get her Sarma recipe, which is a filling (usually beef and barley, but you could use any meat or just barley or sub rice for barley) wrapped in (pickled) cabbage leaves. But you could pickle your own.

  2. Susan says:

    I have a recipe for cabbage soup that is amazing. I can find it and send it to you if you’d like. Even my extremely picky eater loved it. It’s filled with beef stew pieces, tomatos, etc. I make it in the fall or winter usually.

    For the squash and zucchini, I like to saute them sliced with onions and peppers and simply eat them as a side dish that way.

  3. Stacy says:

    Hey lady, are you using the online tools for Weight Watchers? I just started this week and I’ve already lost 4 pounds, I’m beyond excited! I think we can “friend” each other on the online portion if you’re using it, I’m using email slbdiet2011@gmail.com.

    • bebehblog says:

      Stacy, I FINALLY set up my community page & tried to friend you, but you’re not there! I’m using my real name and my user name is bebehblog.

  4. Cole says:

    Ratatouille and gazpacho are favorites around here – especially nice cool gazpacho in this heat! Stuffed cabbage is more of a warm weather treat, but we have it at Passover in the spring, so it’s not solely a winter thing…

  5. MeganTBeach says:

    My mom makes a hot cabbage salad that is SO GOOD. It involved vinegar and bacon and it is delish. You should make that.

  6. Sauerkraut? I know. Not helpful.

  7. Page says:

    aaaaand now I will make everything you just shared.

  8. Other Erin says:

    Quite possibly the best photobomb ever.

  9. Megan says:

    We’ve done ratatouille, homemade salsa, and a great fingerling potato, green bean, lemon & basil pasta (from Martha Stewart). And tonight we had an eggplant and rice dish with our fresh tomatoes, lemon, savory & beaten eggs from the old LLL cookbook. It is delicious! I’ll definitely be trying Sarah’s cabbage recipe. And you’ve inspired me to try to recreate my favorite cpk pizza that they took off the menu.(Why?!!!!) I have been so happy with our half share! I definitely want a full share next year.

  10. Sarah-Anne says:

    wow. that is making me drool…big time. you are so lucky to have all that produce!!

  11. Veronica says:

    Your food photography is out of this freaking world. How was the cinnamon basil?

  12. Minky says:

    And now I’m hungry! All of that looks delicious, I love arugula!

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