CSA June 2022 Recap

 It's hard to believe this is our fourth year doing the farm share. I have often felt anxious about the start of the season - there is a lot of pressure to use up all the produce, clean it, prepare it, etc. Somehow this year feels easier. Partially, it is easier, because we have been consistently splitting up the share. But also, I think I better understand the flow of duties each week. 

Day 1: cut up green onions, chop off carrot and beet greens, wash and freeze kale, spinach swiss chard, or other cooking greens, wash at least 1 head of lettuce if there are no clean salad greens, maybe wash a 2nd lettuce, like radicchio or arugula

Day 2: roast zucchini, yellow squash, or beets, wash steam broccoli for freezing, slice turnips, and/or radishes to put on salads or pickle

Day 3: pickle radishes, turnips or beets

This way, I always have salad greens, which I can use for salad. I do a classic Caesar with rotisserie chicken, parmesan, and croutons, or throw Costco Tuscan bean salad, frozen breaded chicken tenders, leftover tofu stir fry, or some frozen taquitos on a bed of greens (really whatever I have laying around). I collected two weeks worth of broccoli and steamed all of it at once to be frozen, to use in place of the pre-frozen broccoli I normally buy. Once my veggies were pre-sliced, they were easy to grab for lunches, or do a quick pickle on a day I work from home. 

I also have given myself more leeway to buy additional vegetables. In the past, I felt like I should use what the produce I have, but now I realize that buying bell peppers for stir fry, or carrots for soup helps me to use the farm vegetables, and enjoy them more. 

Week 1 - June 6

Bok choi 
Chard (steak enchiladas)
Head lettuce 
Kale (frozen, with fried eggs)
Salad mix 
Scallions 
Spinach (frozen)
Turnips 

Pick-Your-Own:
Herbs
Strawberries (ate some, froze some)

Week 2 - June 13

Bok choi
Broccoli (frozen)
Head lettuce
Kale, toscano (Farmer John's kale walnut pesto)
Kohl rabi (Farmer John's kohlrabi fritters)
Napa cabbage
Salad mix
Scallions 
Spinach
Turnips 

Week 3 - June 20

Baby kale (soup, below)
Beets
Bok choi
Broccoli
Collards
Fennel
Garlic scapes
Head lettuce
Kale, green
Kohl rabi
Napa cabbage
Salad mix
Scallions
Summer squash (baked, pasta salad)

Week 4 - June 27

Arugula 
Beets, gold 
Bok choi
Broccoli
Chard
Cucumbers
Fennel
Head lettuce
Kale
Kohl rabi
Radishes (with crackers and sardines)
Salad mix
Scallions
Summer squash

Since I missed week 3 last time, I'll include a recipe from Week 3:

Italian chicken soup

Adapted from: https://www.marthastewart.com/872966/rustic-chicken-minestrone

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes

3 medium carrots, cut in rounds

4-6 oz baby kale

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans

Chicken broth and 1/2 the meat from a  rotisserie chicken

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook until softened, 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with juice and cook until liquid is evaporated, 4 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Add kale, zucchini, and beans and cook until zucchini is crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and cook until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove rind before serving. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired. Option to add leftover brown rice.

Allergens: none
Nutrition (1/5 recipe): 310 calories, 28 g protein, 29 g carbohydrates, 8 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 10 g fat, 1080 mg sodium, 1320 mg potassium, 56% vitamin A, 58% vitamin C, 21% calcium, 23% iron, 10% thiamine, 29% riboflavin, 44% niacin, 11% vitamin B-5, 23% vitamin B-6, 25% vitamin B-12, 13% folate, 154% vitamin K, 33% copper, 11% magnesium, 48% manganese, 29% phosphorous, 51% potassium, 16% selenium, 16% zinc
Cost: TBD