8/12/14 CSA SHARE: What they said we would get, what we got, and what I traded ffor

I love love love my Corbin Hill CSA. They usually have a trade box, where you can put in what you don’t want, and take something you do want. They usually have a guard to make sure you are making your fair trade, but I don’t mind that one whit, as I am honest. The trade box is my savior when I get something I just know I am not going to eat – at least, I will get something to take home. To take full advantage of this, I make every effort to be the first person there – even though the CSA distribution is supposed to open at 4:30, I get there at 4:00 because other people come early, too. I just wait (it is handy to be a reader, as I always have a book to occupy my wait-time). When they say I can go, I gallop down the stairs into the basement  space where the CSA volunteers have set up the bins with the share items.  (Usually, as I go, I put each item in a ziplock bag. This week, however, there were about 5 people behind me, so I just stashed everything in a plastic bag, to make way for the others behind me, and then went over to the share box, dropped my bag, did my trading, and then just squatted down there and put all my goodies in ziplock bags right there and then. This system works for me, because I tend to be disorganized.  If I bag everything properly as I pick it up, it is easy for me to shelve it in the refrigerator when I get home. I developed this system at my former CSA, which delivered the shares in boxes, and we had to take the things from the boxes. There was space there, so I bagged everything there. This new CSA doesn’t have a lot of space, but, hey! I am still a little flexible, so I can squat down on the floor and do my work out of everyone else’s way)

Anyway, this is my record of this week’s bounty. Things I got and brought home are marked in green. The things that did not come are marked in red.  Where I traded something, that is marked in italics, and what I took is marked in green.

WHAT THEY SAID                                      WHAT I TRADED FOR
1 bun Cilantro
1 bun Mustard greens                               2 tomatoes
1 bun Kale
1 pc Fennel                                                1 bun kale
1 bag Green beans                                    2 ears corn
2  tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Corn 2 ears corn
Long hot peppers 2 peppers
3 Doughnut (Saturn) peaches

In the fruit share I got:

3 Doughnut (Saturn) peaches
8 Shiro Gold plums

What I will do with all this bounty:

Kale: That’s easy! This is my last week with my dehydrator for a while, so I expect I will make some delicious kale chips while I can.

Tomatoes: Oh! Tomato salad with the onion I got last week and some of the cilantro!

Long hot peppers: I’ll have to taste them, but I expect they will go with anything and everything I make this week. If, in fact, they are hot, they will go into the kale chips, in the tomato salad, and anything else I make up.

Doughnut (Saturn) peaches: These are interesting. They are hard, but sweet. They are not very juicy. Munching at work, and a cashew smoothie or two. My last CSA called

them UFO peaches.

Shiro Gold plums: I’m eating these. They are actually a bit on the sour side, not quite as sweet as red plums or purple plums. This is the first time I have eaten this kind of plum.

RAW VEGAN CORN SALAD (OR SALSA)
You can make this with raw corn, frozen corn, or cooked corn, as you prefer. I am raw vegan, so I make with raw corn or raw corn I have frozen.
2 C corn
1 C diced tomatoes
1/4 C minced hot peppers (jalapeno, etc)
1/8 C finely chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste
1 T minced garlic, or to taste
Sea salt (to taste – I don’t use salt, but you might like it)
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t (or to taste) apple cider vinegar

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ANOTHER CORN SALAD

RAW CORN SALAD
2 C corn, sliced from cob
1 C tomatoes, chopped
1/4 C onion
1/2 C bell pepper
Chili powder to taste

 In the food processor, process tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper to a chunky consistency.In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.

I drizzled a little cashew cheddar cheez over this salad on the plate, and mixed it in as I ate.

 

• In the food processor, process tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper to a chunky consistency.
• In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.

I drizzled a little cashew cheddar cheez over this salad on the plate, and mixed it in as I ate.

DINNER: CASHEW KALE CHEEZE ON TOMATO SLICES, CORN SALAD, INSTANT KIRBY PICKLE

I am very pleased with myself: I can make a nice dinner tomorrow with 3 of the items from my CSA share

CASHEW/KALE CHEEZE ON TOMATO SLICES
1 C cashews, soaked and rinsed
2 C kale, chopped fine
2 – 3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 C onion, chopped
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

In the food processor, process all to a fine consistency.
Spread on 1/4 inch-thick Roma (or other) tomato slices

INSTANT KIRBY PICKLE
1 small kirby cucumber, thinly sliced
1 t minced onion
1 T raw apple cider vinegar
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Place in a tightly covered container and shake well. (Otherwise stir thoroughly to mix well.  Let set for 1/2 hour or more.

RAW CORN SALAD
1 C raw corn kernels (this can also be done with cooked corn)
1 T onion
3 T sweet red pepper
1 t cumin powder
1/4 t minced garlic
1/2 t raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 t olive oil

Toss to mix well

7/14/14 CSA SHARE: What we got and what I’ll do with it

GOT                                                                          TRADED FOR
1 bun Cilantro, parsley or purple basil
1 hd Lettuce or radicchio…………………………..1 bun kale
1 bun Kale
5 Cucumbers (full-size or pickling)
2 ears Corn
2 Leeks or new potatoes……………………..………..2 ears corn
Zucchini or cauliflower…got 1 lg yellow squash
1 pt Cherries
1 pt blueberries

WHAT I PLAN TO  DO WITH THIS BOUNTY
CILANTRO: dehydrate (I may hold back a few sprigs for a corn salad
KALE: dehydrate for chips!!!!
CUCUMBERS:  old-fashioned cucumber salad with onions and ACV
SQUASH:  spiralize for a pasta dish
BLUEBERRIES: process in the food processor – they gel up nicely for a dessert or pie filling – you can only do this with fresh blueberries!

CSA SHARE 7/15/14: What they say we will get

What they say we will get:
Cilantro, parsley or purple basil
Lettuce or radicchio
Kale
Cucumbers (full-size or pickling)
Corn
Leeks or new potatoes
Zucchini or cauliflower
Cherries

Fruit Share:
Cherries
Blueberries

I am not going to think about what I hope to see or what I want to make until I see what the real deal is.  I’ll let you know.

HOW TO FERMENT GARLIC SCAPES

YOU CAN FERMENT GARLIC SCAPES EASILY!
If you have received garlic scapes in your CSA share in the past two weeks, and haven’t been sure how to deal with all of them, this is a great way to preserve them easily, so you can use them in many ways in the coming months
The stems of the garlic scapes are much sturdier than the blossom ends are, so cut off the blossom ends and use them right away.
The stems have a mild garlic flavor, so you don’t want to lose them.
I have two ways you can ferment garlic scapes:
1. Chop the garlic scape into small pieces and pack them into a pint (or larger)jar.
2. Make a brine of @ 1 C water and 1 T salt. To that, add 1 or 2 caps of probiotics (or 1 teaspoon of probiotic powder). Pour the brine over the garlic scapes, to fill the jar up to @ 1/2 in of the top. Push the garlic scapes down so they are under the brine.
3. Put a dome (2-part lid) on the jar, or, if you are using a “found” jar, just put that lid on it, and put the jar in a bowl, or on a saucer, and leave for 3-4 days (or more). You need the dish under it because it is likely that liquid will seep out.
4. Enjoy

Way 2 –
Chop the garlic scapes finely (or process them in a processor (small food processor, Magic Bullet or Nutri Bullet with the flattest blade) and combine them with a salsa mix or other vegetable mix, and follow step 2 above

7/8/14 CSA SHARE: What we got, etc.

We got pretty much what they promised. Here are the specifics:

Basil or sage………………….1 bun Basil
Cabbage or lettuce…………1 med. hd Cabbage
Collards……………………..1 bun Collards
Peas……………….……………..@ 1/2 lb. Snow Peas
Beets with greens………….1 bun beets, no greens
Yellow or green zucchini…1 big Zucchini
Cucumbers or onions……..1 big Cucumber
Cherries…………………………1 pt Cherries

I also got 1 quart of Cherries in the fruit share.  I think I have to find a new cherry recipe that is more than just pop a cherry in your mouth, savor it, spit out the seed, repeat.

The lady who prepares the featured recipe each week was making a raw beet salad. I loves my beet salad, so I was all ears and eyes.  Hers was much more designer than mine is,but I can definitely see myself adding some of the ingredients she uses to my own delicious recipe My Famous Beet Salad (you can find other beet recipes on that page, too). I will write a separate page with the CSA recipe – it is goooood!

PLANS
Basil – I am going to try to find something new with basil other than to use it as a main ingredient in a salad (yes, I like it that much). Maybe some in a cheeze?
Cabbage – this is a no-brainer. I need sauerkraut! (I made sauerkraut with the last head)
Collards – Easy would be to make marinated massaged collards but maybe I should try a wrap with them. Got it! 2 leaves go to wraps (that will be 4 or so), and the rest go to collard greens!
Snow Peas – right now, I have no clue. I should have traded them. Must meditate on this.
Beets – these are small beets, so there is really no point in trying to spiralize them. Okay, default to my famous beet salad
Zucchini – I haven’t had spaghetti in a while! The spiralizer probably thinks I’ve forgotten it. I think I’ll get out my old Ann Wigmore almond tomato sauce recipe!
Cucumber – I have had a hankering for something cucumber for a few days now. I could slice the cucumber thin and put it in vinegar with salt and pepper and have that old Southern summer salad.  I could. Or, I could make some jalapeno cheeze roll-ups.  Must think quickly! Cucumbers don’t last long in my fridge.

What the heck am I going to do with all these cherries?
Cherries

 

 

 

7/8/14 CSA SHARE: What they say we will get

Here is what they say we will get:

Basil or sage
Cabbage or lettuce
Collards
Peas
Beets with greens
Yellow or green zucchini
Cucumbers or onions
Cherries

What’s coming in the extra Fruit Share:
Cherries

I have enjoyed the cherries this past week, but I do believe I am about cherried-out. I believe I have eaten more cherries since last Tuesday than I have eaten in my life. Don’t get me wrong! I have nothing against cherries, but they have never been my go-to must-have fruit, ever since I ate the entire jar of maraschino cherries when I was 8.

7/1/14 CSA SHARE: WHAT WE GOT

WHAT THEY SAID WE WOULD GET, WHAT WE GOT,
AND WHAT I TOOK HOME

WHAT THEY SAID……………………..I TRADED FOR

1 hd Lettuce or cabbage                         1 bun Garlic Scapes
1 bun. Mustard greens or chard
1 bulb Fennel
1 pc.Broccoli
2 Yellow squash or zucchini
1 bun.Radishes, onions, or cucumbers
1 bun. Garlic scapes
1 pt Cherries

The fruit share was 2 pts of cherries!

I know! I always say that I am going to eat the lettuce next time, but …. I just am not Salad Girl!  I do like garlic, and garlic scapes are the next best thing, so it was a no-brainer.

The mustard greens will go to marinated greens or else get dehydrated.

A woman at the distro demo’d a nice raw fennel and mint slaw (recipe below), and so I kept that. 

I kept the big piece of broccoli because I *am* going to challenge myself this week to do something with it. No clue what that will be yet.

Next week’s FERMENTED FOODS meetup is about miso.  I am just not the type to make miso, but there are miso pickled/fermented vegetables! Some squash, some radishes, maybe something else will get in the miso tomorrow night an lie there until Sunday.

Now, the big challenge is what to do with all of these cherries. I’ll take some to work tomorrow to much on. Then what? Can you dehydrate them?  And, if you did, what would  you do with them later?

I’m a little busy tonight with another project, but I will post my recipes, as well as the fennel one from the CSA, tomorrow.

6/25/14 MISSED THE CSA DISTRIBUTION THIS WEEK – MY STUPIDITY

I missed the CSA distribution this week (6/25/14) because of my own stupidity.  I believed that I had signed up for automatic weekly payments (I very much recall stressing over the idea), and, so, my payment did not happen, because, in fact, I had not signed up for automatic payments  (I have now!).  I got an email on Monday night telling me that I hadn’t paid so I wouldn’t get a share on Tuesday  (I seriously recall emailing the CSA last Tuesday when the “receptionist” at the distribution questioned me about paying, and I believed I had signed up for auto-payment, so I wrote to them to ask them about it, but they did not get back to me until way too late!

Oh well. Now I know how it works, sort of. Anyway, I am signed up for auto-payments now.  More on the CSA next week.

Meanwhile, I picked up a Yorkville Food Pantry order and got 3 pears, 2 onions,  and 4 green bananas (they are in a paper bag to ripen right now)