And the CSA Rolls On

 

Boy oh boy, are you in for a treat today. Or at least a little food porn without the egg yolk and the same kind of grainy photos you’d expect from a low-budget adult picture. I gotta shake what my momma gave me or at least work with what I’ve got. In my case, it happens to be an iPhone, some place mats, and a table (so much excitement goes down on these place mats).

Alright, I’m going to get right to it, and show you what’s in my box…my CSA box. Get your mind out of the gutter and then after you’ve done that, head on over to In Her Chucks to see what other folks are getting in their CSA’s.

The Thursday before last (yes, I’m still behind; don’t judge), we picked up our fourteenth week of produce from our CSA, and we got Bok Choy (Esqueeze me? Baking powder…), a summer squash, six ears of sweet corn, a green bell pepper, a red bell pepper, some more yummy orange peppers, green beans, basil, purple cherry tomatoes, and seven long skinny “Gilbertie heirloom tomatoes.” I’m not sure where the name comes from, so I really can’t mock it, but the tomatoes sure are phallic shaped. They have very few seeds and are less juicy but more “meaty” in texture. Sexual innuendos aside, they make for great slicing tomatoes.

Smile for your close up. Here we go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, we took home a really large haul, and I’m actually doing a pretty decent job of staying on top of everything, with the exception of the all the peppers. I’ve put a good dent in them, but I’m still drowning so if you have any great recipes for mass consumption of bell peppers, hungarian peppers (hot and sweet) and jalapeno peppers, please feel free to share. No really, please share; I’m near desperation.

In the meantime, I’ve been adding them to the Hubby’s lunch time veggie wraps and eating them with a side of hummus.

 

 

 

 

I’ve also sautéed them with some onions for more Huevos Rancheros. The Huevos still isn’t getting old and this time I topped them with black beans, cheddar cheese, and from our share, sweet corn and the Gilbertie tomatoes. Huevos not only tastes fabulous, it’s a great use of multiple CSA items, and I get my dose of protein (Beef Cake).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On to the green bean front: I’ve actually eaten them in a variety of ways, and truth be told, I could use a week off since we’ve gotten them the past three weeks. Not gonna lie; getting a little sick of green beans. Anyways, I blanched them and turned them into a cold salad with cucumbers and red onions. I sautéed them and topped them with blue cheese and walnuts, and then I added them to a pizza (more to come on this deliciousness tomorrow), and finally I baked them in the oven with some Parmesan since cheese makes everything better (unless you’re lactose intolerant and then cheese is not your friend; I’m sorry for you 🙁 ).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The above plate was dinner on Sunday night. I had a Southwestern veggie burger (why they call these things burgers is beyond me) while the Hubby had a ground beef burger (silly carnivore), a cheddar jalapeno biscuit, baked Parmesan green beans and sautéed Bok Choy. Since the biscuits were already made and the beans and Bok Choy were pre-washed and ready, it was a quick and easy dinner. Exactly what I was looking for on a Sunday night.

Now the real creme de la creme, since I was able to use so much CSA produce in one dish, is Minestrone Soup. This recipe is another score from the Moosewood cookbook by Mollie Katzen, and it was a success. It was hearty, satisfying, and savory; honestly a complete meal all by itself, but of course I ate it with some more cheddar jalapeno biscuits. The Hubby’s response was “I really, really like this.” Double really equals double bonus points, and since one batch of soup makes enough for six to eight servings, I froze some for later, which means I see a night off in my future (my psychic abilities are back) with zero impact on my wallet, followed by another “really, really.” Who knows, maybe I’ll get lucky.

If you participate in a CSA or just have a ton of produce on hand, this recipe is a winner. Go make it now and thank me later.

What have you been doing with all your produce? Any great recipes which use a lot of peppers (bell, Hungarian, hot, sweet)? Send them to me pretty please with a pepper on top. 

 

Minestrone Soup from The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

*For a minestrone that is more a stew than a soup, use the larger amounts of beans and pasta.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 5 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 to 2 tsp salt
• 1 stalk celery, minced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 small zucchini, diced and/or 1 cup eggplant, diced
• 1 tsp oregano
• fresh black pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 medium bell pepper, diced
• 3 to 4 cups (or more) water
• 1 14 1/2 oz can tomato puree (approximately 2 cups)
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked pea beans, chick peas or kidney beans
• 1/2 to 1 cup dry pasta (any shape)
• 1 or 2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, diced (optional)
• 1/3 cup freshly minced parsley
• Parmesan Cheese

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a kettle or Dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then add celery, carrot, eggplant, (if using zucchini, add it later, with the bell pepper), oregano, black pepper, and basil. Cover and cook over very low heat about 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add bell pepper, zucchini, water and tomato puree. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes. Add beans and simmer another 5 minutes
3. Bring the soup to a gentle boil. Add pasta, stir and cook until the pasta is tender. Stir in the diced fresh tomatoes, and serve right away, topped with parsley and parmesan.