Typically, I pick up my CSA on Thursday evenings. Then I spent the next two weeks working feverishly to use it all up. Sometimes I freeze it, most times I eat it, and almost always I photograph it, so I can then share it with all of you. I’m thoughtful like that.
Lettuce rides shotgun in my car.
My week five CSA pick up was scheduled for the fourth of July. Since it was a holiday and all, the farmers and their cohorts decided to take that day off, which means no CSA for me. They did however add an extra week to the end of the season to make it right. I love those farmers; I really do.
What this means though is: No CSA For You. Obviously I’m channeling the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld here.
Sure, I could share the haul I grabbed last Thursday, but I really like giving myself a solid two weeks between pick up time and blog post time because it allows me to use everything and thereby win the point for the week. I’m not competitive at all (snort), and I’m certain going to war with my produce every week speaks volumes about my sanity.
A two-week delay also gives me more time to photograph my goodies, edit said photographs and freeze my veggies without any pressure. I like a life of no pressure. So no CSA for you today either, except…..
You may or may not remember (I’d prefer if you did, although I will forgive you if you don’t), I wasn’t able to share photographs for every single veggie from last week. I was stumped by my collard greens. I also left a head of lettuce on the table, along with one last beet.
Alright, technically nothing was left on the table; it was all in the fridge, but I’m working with battle driven metaphors here, where I lay it all on the line, so you’ll have to cut me some creative slack. Just don’t try leaving your beets or lettuce on any table for three weeks and expect them to survive. It won’t work; well unless your table is in your fridge, in which case your fridge is huge and maybe we should be friends. ♫”Call me maybe.”♫ How embarrassing; that song is so last summer.
In all fairness, since some of my produce stumped me, temporarily I might add, I did award last week’s point to my CSA. The veggies bested me. Needless to say (yet I will say it anyway), this didn’t sit well with me because I am strong, hard-core, fearless….and I just really hate to lose. Up until about two days ago, the loss was still haunting me. It hurt, and every time I opened my fridge and saw those damn collards, it was like rubbing salt in the wounds.
Fear not my fine friends because that is no longer the case. I took the collards and I made them my bit…..er, I owned those fuc….you get the idea.
The collards are gone, and I’m on a comeback.
Sautéed collard greens with onions, garlic, black-eyed peas, eggs, and fresh tomato slices.
No collard is safe my house. Who’s house? Meghan’s house!
Special thanks go to Sam for sharing her recipe and giving me the wherewithal to tackle my collard greens. This post is also hooked up with Gastronomical Sovereignty and In Her Chucks because they love local produce as much as me. I’m also linking up to Laura’s Strange But Good because if cooking with collards isn’t strange, my mental state certainly is.
Do you participate in a CSA? Any particular veggie giving you problems? It’s ok to confess; your secret is safe with me.
Good god woman. That dish looks amazing.
Thanks Jess. It was really tasty too.
I am loving the way that you used your collard greens! And when all else fails, add a fried dippy egg, right?? 😉
Ain’t that the truth.
Sauteing is ALWAYS the way to go with big leafy greens you don’t know what to do with!! This looks amazing, EVERYTHING looks amazing..god that pic monkey is legit!
That’s totally true with some olive oil, garlic and maybe a little onion. Yum, sautéed greens.
Pic Monkey is awesome. Have you started using it?
I’m so glad you tried the recipe and you liked it!
Yes, I loved it. Thank you so much for sharing it with me! You saved me.
I have never eaten a collard green.
But I’m from the Northwest. So I hide behind the fact that we don’t really eat that stuff around here much. It’s not my micro-culture, if you will.
But I will drink anyone under the table in iced mochas. I got that shit covered.
BTW – that is one delicious mash up of food. I think those are the best dishes, ever. Just a bunch of yummy stuff all sauteed up with salt, pepper, some fragrant’s like onions or whatever and then stuffed in our faces. SO GOOD.
I know, we don’t get collards often in our shares, and I think this is the first time I’ve ever actually done something with it. Collards are foreign to me.
I think we should have an ice mocha drinking contest!
When I did a CSA, I did not like the dandelion greens. Your collards look awesome…I would totally give them a try!
Dandelion greens??!! What the heck are those, and what did you do with them?
Collard greens and black-eyed peas, are you SURE you aren’t just a little bit southern?
I also love your stern bad-ass face. If I were I veggie, I would STEP INTO LINE at that. Yes, ma’am, no, ma’am, and thank you, ma’am!
I think you’re rubbing off on me; or maybe I just gave you my stern bad-ass face!
Ermygawd those greens look REALLY good. I love black eyed peas too so I need to do this.
Make those greens your bitch baby!
Damn skippy!
This looks delicious, Meghan! I’ve never tried collards but I’m pretty happy with most greens so I think I’d like this!
This was really good so I bet you’d be a fan.
Well, you know I don’t think cooking with collards is strange… but I’m strangely ogling this dish as I’m trapped on a plane coming back from California… we’re starving, tired, and on a wine-overload. I need greens. Now.
So thanks for linking up and making me even more hungry. 😉
I knew you wouldn’t think collards were strange, but up here in Ohio, they are strange. Heck, being a vegetarian is strange up here, although I ate a marshmallow last night so I think I blew my vegetarian status.
After a weekend of indulgence, I crave greens, usually in salad form. I’m glad you had such a great birthday weekend!
I feel like adding garlic is always the way to go… that or cheese 😉
You can’t go wrong with garlic or cheese!
Who needs sauce when you have a yolk as perfectly runny as that – mmm :)!
Oh man, I added hot sauce to this and totally forgot to mention it. Ha!
I love digging little wells in things and cracking an egg in! We usually just chop collards, toss ’em in hot sauce and call it a day. Especially if there are beans and/or grits involved. mhm!
Now that’s a good day!
I worked for several years across the street from the Capitol of the Confederacy and this appeals to my latent Southern food cravings. Well done to manage collards without pot likker!
I need to share Seinfeld with my kids so they understand their parents’ better.
You should share Seinfeld; it’s a classic and still funny!
I was super proud of myself with the collards.
Brav-OOOOOOOOO!!!
*Stands up on chair and feverishly claps hands above head*
Amazing. Gorgeous. MAGNIFICENT!
Who’s laughing now, collards?! 😉
“Why thank you” she says, while taking a bow. 😉
I love that your lettuce rides shotgun. That’s my kinda car ride!
And I’m definitely the same way with produce. I like stress out about using it all before it goes bad. Crazyness!
I actually go out of my way not to stress out about using it all up, although it still happens on occasion. It’s easy now though because it’s still really early in CSA season.
um…YUM! that collards dish is totally rocking my world right about now 🙂
Thanks for sharing and linking up!