9/14/12 CSA SHARE: What we got and what I took home

POST #808
What we actually got and what I took home:

Spaghetti Squash – 1 pc…traded for dumpling squash
Green Beans – 1 lb
Leeks – 1 bun
Broccoli – 1 hd
Fingerling potatoes ……traded for 3 big tomatoes
Red Tomatoes – 4 med
Batavian Lettuce – 1 hd

Once again, I couldn’t beat the super-cadger – this older fellow always seems to get there before anyone else (I can’t really complain, because people probably say the same thing about me), and raids the trade box before I can.  Fortunately, he didn’t want the tomatoes, but he did get the green beans before I could.

I have these big leeks.  I don’t normally eat leeks – I’ve tried, but they’re just not me.  Still, I saw a recipe for fermented leeks somewhere, and I’m going to try to find it again, and try it out.

This week, I will probably eat cream of broccoli soup, made with cashews.  I’m not sure about the squash yet – maybe a squash soup with cashews and Thai green curry paste, or maybe a pasta.

I guess I’ll be eating a salad or two, as well.

DINNER TONIGHT: Squash soup and cashew/spinach cheeze on campari tomatoes

I had the spinach and the kale from the CSA share last week, and I had the new supply of cashews, in addition to a leftover butternut squash and a couple of apples.  What to do for dinner?

I decided I wanted to save the kale for our Thanksgiving dinner, so it was time to experiment with a spinach/cashew cheeze — something I have considered, but never gotten around to.

With the squash and the apples, I made soup.

SPINACH/CASHEW CHEEZE
2 C spinach
1 C cashews
2 lg cloves garlic
1/4 C hot sesame oil
pinch sea salt
1/2 t apple cider vinegar
Campari tomatoes

• Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process to smooth (you could use a VitaMix – I would have, but mine is broken)
• Slice tomatoes about 1/4. thick.
• Spread cheeze on tomatoes and arrange on plate.

Note: I use campari tomatoes because they are small and give only 2 or 3 forkfuls.  You could use roma tomatoes or beefsteak tomatoes.  (I have even used grape tomatoes – hollowing them out and stuffing them, but that was more work than I want to do again – although it did look cute)

SQUASH/APPLE SOUP
2/3 med. butternut squash, chopped
2 med. apples, chopped
1/2 C cashews
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T hot sesame oil
1 t Spike (or other salt-free seasoning)
1 t black pepper
pinch sea salt
warm water as needed to make a thick creamy soup

• Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until creamy.
• Add water as needed to obtain desired consistency.

LAST NIGHT’S SQUASH SOUP

LAST NIGHT’S SQUASH SOUP

I had a sunshine squash left over, so I peeled and cut it, washed the seeds to dehydrate, and set about to make a soup.  I developed the recipe as I went, and, of course, I did not write down anything, so here is the basic idea of the recipe.

I put in

• @ 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• @ 4 C chopped squash
• @ 1 T green Thai curry paste
• @ 1 C cashews, soaked, drained, soak water saved
• @ 1/2 C dehydrated tomatoes, soaked, drained, chopped, soak water saved
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 C sauerkraut

1. I added everything to the VitaMix and processed it, adding a little more water to give it a creamy soup texture.
2. Because there was so much, I ended up having to divide it in half for final processing.
3. To serve, I sprinkled a little tomato powder on top.