What’s in my box this week?
Click on your delivery date to see what is in your box this week. Note that the web site is updated daily to reflect the NEXT day’s deliveries but before that, will show the information from the previous week. You can check an earlier day in the week to get an idea of what will be in your box, but the contents of your box may be different as the box contents frequently change between days.
Tuesday: March 19
*Click on produce above for Recipes
Veggie Tips
Beets – We grow gold, red, and Chioggia (candy stripe) beets. All have a sweet, earthy taste. Right now the greens are looking amazing so don’t discard them; they’re very similar to chard, maybe a little heartier. Separate the roots from the greens when you get home and store both in bags. They can be sautéed (try Sicilian style with raisins and pine nuts, or just green garlic), added to soup, pickled, made into a pesto, or add them to a gratin with green garlic (available here if you don’t have NY Times access), pasta, omelets/frittatas, and more. Cook them with the roots in a soup or a barley risotto. You can also mix with carrot greens in a soup or salad. The roots are infinitely adaptable (so many recipe ideas on our website) and can be cooked several ways. This list and this list provide rundowns on the various ways to prepare them. Roasting takes the longest but will yield the most flavorful and sweetest results. Roasted beets can be added to anything, including a kale salad with green garlic dressing, yogurt and granola, sandwiches, hummus, pasta, green salads, and grain salads. A CSA member recently mentioned she likes making beet brownies! Beets can also be enjoyed raw, or can be steamed, boiled, or grilled!
Carrots – separate the roots from the greens before storing them in the refrigerator to help them stay crunchy and crisp. If they do get a little limp, you can revive them by putting them in water, even for just five minutes. Carrots make an excellent snack or check out the recipes on our website for other ideas. We’ve heard from several CSA members that they’ve made a delicious carrot cake. You can also make cake or muffins with a mix of carrots and beets or and/or any root vegetables or winter squash (including rutabaga if you have last week’s!). What’s your favorite recipe? Give your carrot greens a try! They can be used in a broth, pesto (which you can enjoy with the roots) chimichurri, or soup.
Cauliflower – This week you’ll get a white or purple cauliflower. Cauliflower is so versatile; it can be roasted, raw (our farm manager likes dipping the florets in humus, or make a salad with mandarins or a shaved salad), blanched, pickled, steamed, sautéed. Roasting brings out its sweet side: enjoy plain, add it to pasta, a salad, or mix with other vegetables, like potatoes (see the Recipe of the Week), carrots, green garlic (pasta or salad), or beets. You can also make a soup – a blended, creamy soup or something more chunky (like with rutabaga, carrots, kale, lentil curry, or minestrone). A CSA member recommended this “rice” pilaf recipe. And we’ve been hearing that y’all like roasted cauliflower. One person said “I did a roasted Vietnamese preparation and an Italian roasted version that was also yummy” and another person recommended this roasted cauliflower stir-fry. Store in the refrigerator in a bag, loosely covered with some airflow. You should use the leaves and stems too – roast them or sauté (mix with other greens to make saag chana)! Or add them to any cauliflower dish. Stems will require longer cooking times and leaves will require less. We have a few recipes on our website and some of our other favorite sites have a plethora of tasty and delicious ideas – see here, here, or here for more ideas.
Green Garlic – In fall we plant cloves (a combination of purchased seed garlic and our own saved garlic) and green garlic is just the immature form of garlic. Between now and June, they’ll form cloves and will bulb out at the bottom, but for now, they look more like little leeks. Green garlic should be kept in the refrigerator in a bag. Much like leeks, you can use the whole stalk, though some folks may find the upper green parts too tough. Save those for making broth or stock. It has a fresh, mild flavor and can be used raw or cooked. You can add green garlic to any dish you would make with cured garlic (one stalk is about equal to one large clove) or you can make something with more delicate flavors to highlight the taste of green garlic like a dip (to eat with carrots), pasta (add roasted cauliflower), potatoes (roasted, mashed, or gratin), cauliflower risotto, crostini with goat cheese, toast, hummus, beets, beets and greens, salad dressing (the salad recipe calls for fennel – if you still have last week’s), and raita being a few examples. Green garlic is excellent added to eggs or any potato dish, like mashed potatoes or soup. Green garlic can also be made into a pesto. More about green garlic here.
Mandarin Oranges – These are Tango mandarins from our friends and neighbors at Gold Oak Ranch. They may be stored in a cool, dark spot for a few days, or even on your counter but ideally should be refrigerated to extend shelf life up to two weeks. One idea: make a vinaigrette or compote!
Potatoes – We’re currently harvesting Bintje (white) and Bella Roja (red). Store in the refrigerator and out of the light (we recommend a paper bag). See the Recipe of the Week, and we’ve got several recipe ideas on our website.
Red Russian Kale – A soft, tender kale with a sweet taste, perfect for any and all kale dishes. Lots of kale ideas on our website. Make a salad with apples and cheese or quinoa, sauté (add green garlic), or add to soup. Don’t discard the sweet and beautiful purple/red stems! You can add them a little earlier in the cooking process, or save them for something different, like pickles. Try this recipe for Japanese-style pickles. Store in the refrigerator in a bag.
Tuesday: March 12
*Click on produce above for Recipes
Veggie Tips
Cabbage – Cabbage is one of the most versatile vegetables around – good for cooking, eating raw (several slaw and salad recipes on our website), or fermenting (it makes excellent sauerkraut). If cooking, it makes a great stir-fry (add fennel or cauliflower), or soup (with rutabaga too). Or try chips or add some to the Recipe of the Week. If you’ve still got last week’s butternut, consider a soup: like this one with black-eyed peas or this one from the NY Times with butternut squash (use this link if the paywall stops you from viewing). We have lots of other ideas our website’s cabbage page, and there are more on this page.
Carrots – these are the same carrots you know and love, just without the greens. They make an excellent snack, though you have plenty (more than you’d normally get in one bunch) so see the many recipes on our website for ideas. We’ve heard from several CSA members that they’ve made a delicious carrot cake. You can also make cake or muffins with a mix of carrots and/or other root vegetables (including rutabaga!) or winter squash. Or take advantage of their small size to roast them whole! To help them stay crunchy and crisp, we recommend storing them in a plastic bag or other bag/container that will help retain more moisture than the wax bag they come in. If they do get a little limp, you can revive them by putting them in water, even for just five minutes.
Cauliflower – We are so excited to have more cauliflower for you! You’ll get a white or purple cauliflower. Cauliflower is so versatile; it can be roasted, raw (make a salad with mandarins!), blanched, pickled, steamed, sautéed. Roasting brings out its sweet side: enjoy plain, add it to pasta, a salad, or mix with other vegetables, like carrots. You can also make a soup – a blended, creamy soup or something more chunky (like with rutabaga, carrots, kale, a curry with squash, or minestrone). A CSA member recommended this “rice” pilaf recipe. And we’ve been hearing that y’all like roasted cauliflower. One person said “I did a roasted Vietnamese preparation and an Italian roasted version that was also yummy” and another person recommended this roasted cauliflower stir-fry. What are your favorite ways to eat cauliflower? Store in the refrigerator in a bag, loosely covered with some airflow. You should use the leaves and stems too – roast them! Or add them to any cauliflower dish. Stems will require longer cooking times and leaves will require less. We have a few recipes on our website and some of our other favorite sites have a plethora of tasty and delicious ideas – see here, here, or here for more ideas.
Fennel – Our first spring fennel! Fennel is popular thinly shaved and added to a salad, especially with oranges (or mandarins), olives, or both, or your mandarin oranges and can make a quick pickle (lots of variations, including with orange zest). Or make a fennel-only salad (examples: with onions and cheese or massaged Japanese-style). If you don’t like the taste of it raw, try cooking (roasting, braising, sautéing, etc.) which will transform the taste – cooked fennel tastes like a combination between onion and celery. It makes a great base for soup or stew (with potatoes, cabbage, miso, or butternut squash) and we really like it braised (with rutabaga too). It also is a good addition to other roasted vegetables – including rutabaga (or the Recipe of the Week) or potatoes (try this recipe or this one). For easier storage, separate the fronds from the bulb. For the fronds: many people like making a fennel frond pesto (add to risotto), or using it like an herb when cooking. Or save the stalks and fronds for stock/broth or dal. We’ve got several recipes on our website.
Mandarin Oranges – These are Tango mandarins from our friends and neighbors at Gold Oak Ranch. They may be stored in a cool, dark spot for a few days, or even on your counter but ideally should be refrigerated to extend shelf life up to two weeks.
Potatoes – We’re currently harvesting Bintje (white) and Bella Roja (red). Store in the refrigerator and out of the light (we recommend a paper bag). We’ve got several recipe ideas on our website. You also can mix potatoes and rutabaga in any dish (like potato salad or gratin with fennel)!
Rutabaga – We love rutabaga! Many of you do too and have shared your favorite tips and preparation methods:
- roasted “I peel it, cut it in half and then slice into about 1/4″ to 1/2″ half-moons. I toss them with olive oil and salt and put it under the broiler until soft and sweet.” Another member recommended this recipe with maple syrup and thyme.
- Other CSA members swap out rutabaga for potatoes in soups, potato salad, mashed potatoes (using half potatoes), and hassleback potatoes. They can also substitute for parsnips or sweet potatoes.
- Cake! This recipe. “We just made it this morning, but as muffins (bake 25 min at 375 in oiled muffin tin, skip the sugar topping), and it was fabulous and totally different from anything else we’ve ever done with rutabaga.”
Roasting is one of the most popular ways to enjoy them – as addition to a pan of roasted vegetables or roasted on their own too, cubed or as “fries.” See the Recipe of the Week for one idea. Add your seasoning of preference, smoked paprika and thyme being two great ideas. You can get a rundown of other basic cooking methods here or here. They can easily substitute for potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, turnips, and parsnips in any recipe, and are great in soup (with cabbage!) or a mash (make with cauliflower). You can also eat them raw (you can also make a salad with fennel, carrots, or cabbage). Other ideas: orzo with brown butter, hash with fennel, a stew with fennel and other produce, or a fennel, potato, and squash bake. Additional recipe ideas on our website, with additional ideas here, here, here, and many ideas for meat eaters here. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator – they can keep that way for weeks!
Wednesday: March 13
*Click on produce above for Recipes
Veggie Tips
Carrots – Separate the roots from the greens before storing them in the refrigerator to help them stay crunchy and crisp. If they do get a little limp, you can revive them by putting them in water, even for just five minutes. Carrots make an excellent snack or check out the recipes on our website for other ideas. We’ve heard from several CSA members that they’ve made a delicious carrot cake. You can also make cake or muffins with a mix of carrots and/or other root vegetables (including rutabaga!) or winter squash. Give your carrot greens a try! They can be used in a broth, pesto (which you can enjoy with the roots) chimichurri, or soup.
Cauliflower – We are so excited to have more cauliflower for you! You’ll get a white or purple cauliflower. Cauliflower is so versatile; it can be roasted, raw (make a salad with mandarins!), blanched, pickled, steamed, sautéed. Roasting brings out its sweet side: enjoy plain, add it to pasta, a salad, or mix with other vegetables, like carrots. You can also make a soup – a blended, creamy soup or something more chunky (like with rutabaga, carrots, kale, a curry with squash, or minestrone). A CSA member recommended this “rice” pilaf recipe. And we’ve been hearing that y’all like roasted cauliflower. One person said “I did a roasted Vietnamese preparation and an Italian roasted version that was also yummy” and another person recommended this roasted cauliflower stir-fry. What are your favorite ways to eat cauliflower? Store in the refrigerator in a bag, loosely covered with some airflow. You should use the leaves and stems too – roast them! Or add them to any cauliflower dish. Stems will require longer cooking times and leaves will require less. We have a few recipes on our website and some of our other favorite sites have a plethora of tasty and delicious ideas – see here, here, or here for more ideas.
Fennel – Our first spring fennel! Fennel is popular thinly shaved and added to a salad, especially with oranges (or mandarins), olives, or both, or your mandarin oranges and can make a quick pickle (lots of variations, including with orange zest). Or make a fennel-only salad (examples: with onions and cheese or massaged Japanese-style). If you don’t like the taste of it raw, try cooking (roasting, braising, sautéing, etc.) which will transform the taste – cooked fennel tastes like a combination between onion and celery. It makes a great base for soup or stew (with potatoes, cabbage, miso, or butternut squash) and we really like it braised (with rutabaga too). It also is a good addition to other roasted vegetables – including rutabaga (or the Recipe of the Week), cauliflower, or potatoes (try this recipe or this one). For easier storage, separate the fronds from the bulb. For the fronds: many people like making a fennel frond pesto (add to risotto), or using it like an herb when cooking. Or save the stalks and fronds for stock/broth or dal. We’ve got several recipes on our website. See this page for tips on how to cut it with a few ideas here.
Karinata Kale – This beautiful purple kale is a cross between mustard greens and kale with a unique taste. We’re one of only three farms (that we know of) that grow it! Use as you would any kale or mustard green (raw or cooked), like in the Recipe of the Week, but beware that it may stain your food purple! We’ve got many kale recipe ideas on our website. Store in the refrigerator in a bag to keep from wilting.
Mandarin Oranges – These are Tango mandarins from our friends and neighbors at Gold Oak Ranch. They may be stored in a cool, dark spot for a few days, or even on your counter but ideally should be refrigerated to extend shelf life up to two weeks.
Potatoes – We’re currently harvesting Bintje (white) and Bella Roja (red). Store in the refrigerator and out of the light (we recommend a paper bag). We’ve got several recipe ideas on our website. You also can mix potatoes and rutabaga in any dish (like potato salad or gratin with fennel)! Or with your cauliflower – make aloo gobi!
Rutabaga – We love rutabaga! Many of you do too and have shared your favorite tips and preparation methods:
- roasted “I peel it, cut it in half and then slice into about 1/4″ to 1/2″ half-moons. I toss them with olive oil and salt and put it under the broiler until soft and sweet.” Another member recommended this recipe with maple syrup and thyme.
- Other CSA members swap out rutabaga for potatoes in soups, potato salad, mashed potatoes (using half potatoes), and hassleback potatoes. They can also substitute for parsnips or sweet potatoes.
- Cake! This recipe. “We just made it this morning, but as muffins (bake 25 min at 375 in oiled muffin tin, skip the sugar topping), and it was fabulous and totally different from anything else we’ve ever done with rutabaga.”
Roasting is one of the most popular ways to enjoy them – as addition to a pan of roasted vegetables or roasted on their own too, cubed or as “fries.” See the Recipe of the Week for one idea. Add your seasoning of preference, smoked paprika and thyme being two great ideas. You can get a rundown of other basic cooking methods here or here. They can easily substitute for potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, turnips, and parsnips in any recipe, and are great in soup (with cabbage!) or a mash (make with cauliflower). You can also eat them raw (you can also make a salad with fennel, carrots, or cabbage). Other ideas: orzo with brown butter, hash with fennel, a stew with fennel and other produce, or a fennel, potato, and squash bake. Additional recipe ideas on our website, with additional ideas here, here, here, and many ideas for meat eaters here. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator – they can keep that way for weeks!
Thursday: March 14
*Click on produce above for Recipes
Veggie Tips
Carrots – these are the same carrots you know and love, just without the greens. They make an excellent snack, though you have plenty (more than you’d normally get in one bunch) so see the many recipes on our website for ideas. We’ve heard from several CSA members that they’ve made a delicious carrot cake. You can also make cake or muffins with a mix of carrots and/or other root vegetables (including rutabaga!) or winter squash. Or take advantage of their small size to roast them whole! To help them stay crunchy and crisp, we recommend storing them in a plastic bag or other bag/container that will help retain more moisture than the wax bag they come in. If they do get a little limp, you can revive them by putting them in water, even for just five minutes.
Cauliflower – We are so excited to have more cauliflower for you! You’ll get a white or purple cauliflower. Cauliflower is so versatile; it can be roasted, raw (make a salad with mandarins!), blanched, pickled, steamed, sautéed. Roasting brings out its sweet side: enjoy plain, add it to pasta, a salad, or mix with other vegetables, like carrots. You can also make a soup – a blended, creamy soup or something more chunky (like with rutabaga, carrots, kale, a curry with squash, or minestrone). A CSA member recommended this “rice” pilaf recipe. And we’ve been hearing that y’all like roasted cauliflower. One person said “I did a roasted Vietnamese preparation and an Italian roasted version that was also yummy” and another person recommended this roasted cauliflower stir-fry. What are your favorite ways to eat cauliflower? Store in the refrigerator in a bag, loosely covered with some airflow. You should use the leaves and stems too – roast them! Or add them to any cauliflower dish. Stems will require longer cooking times and leaves will require less. We have a few recipes on our website and some of our other favorite sites have a plethora of tasty and delicious ideas – see here, here, or here for more ideas.
Fennel – Our first spring fennel! Fennel is popular thinly shaved and added to a salad, especially with oranges (or mandarins), olives, or both, or your mandarin oranges and can make a quick pickle (lots of variations, including with orange zest). Or make a fennel-only salad (examples: with onions and cheese or massaged Japanese-style). If you don’t like the taste of it raw, try cooking (roasting, braising, sautéing, etc.) which will transform the taste – cooked fennel tastes like a combination between onion and celery. It makes a great base for soup or stew (with potatoes, cabbage, miso, or butternut squash) and we really like it braised (with rutabaga too). It also is a good addition to other roasted vegetables – including rutabaga (or the Recipe of the Week), cauliflower, or potatoes (try this recipe or this one). For easier storage, separate the fronds from the bulb. For the fronds: many people like making a fennel frond pesto (add to risotto), or using it like an herb when cooking. Or save the stalks and fronds for stock/broth or dal. We’ve got several recipes on our website. See this page for tips on how to cut it with a few ideas here.
Karinata Kale – This beautiful purple kale is a cross between mustard greens and kale with a unique taste. We’re one of only three farms (that we know of) that grow it! Use as you would any kale or mustard green (raw or cooked), like in the Recipe of the Week, but beware that it may stain your food purple! We’ve got many kale recipe ideas on our website. Store in the refrigerator in a bag to keep from wilting.
Mandarin Oranges – These are Tango mandarins from our friends and neighbors at Gold Oak Ranch. They may be stored in a cool, dark spot for a few days, or even on your counter but ideally should be refrigerated to extend shelf life up to two weeks.
Potatoes – We’re currently harvesting Bintje (white) and Bella Roja (red). Store in the refrigerator and out of the light (we recommend a paper bag). We’ve got several recipe ideas on our website. You also can mix potatoes and rutabaga in any dish (like potato salad or gratin with fennel)! Or with your cauliflower – make aloo gobi!
Rutabaga – We love rutabaga! Many of you do too and have shared your favorite tips and preparation methods:
- roasted “I peel it, cut it in half and then slice into about 1/4″ to 1/2″ half-moons. I toss them with olive oil and salt and put it under the broiler until soft and sweet.” Another member recommended this recipe with maple syrup and thyme.
- Other CSA members swap out rutabaga for potatoes in soups, potato salad, mashed potatoes (using half potatoes), and hassleback potatoes. They can also substitute for parsnips or sweet potatoes.
- Cake! This recipe. “We just made it this morning, but as muffins (bake 25 min at 375 in oiled muffin tin, skip the sugar topping), and it was fabulous and totally different from anything else we’ve ever done with rutabaga.”
Roasting is one of the most popular ways to enjoy them – as addition to a pan of roasted vegetables or roasted on their own too, cubed or as “fries.” See the Recipe of the Week for one idea. Add your seasoning of preference, smoked paprika and thyme being two great ideas. You can get a rundown of other basic cooking methods here or here. They can easily substitute for potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, turnips, and parsnips in any recipe, and are great in soup (with cabbage!) or a mash (make with cauliflower). You can also eat them raw (you can also make a salad with fennel, carrots, or cabbage). Other ideas: orzo with brown butter, hash with fennel, a stew with fennel and other produce, or a fennel, potato, and squash bake. Additional recipe ideas on our website, with additional ideas here, here, here, and many ideas for meat eaters here. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator – they can keep that way for weeks!
Friday: March 15
*Click on produce above for Recipes
Veggie Tips
Carrots – Separate the roots from the greens before storing them in the refrigerator to help them stay crunchy and crisp. If they do get a little limp, you can revive them by putting them in water, even for just five minutes. Carrots make an excellent snack or check out the recipes on our website for other ideas. We’ve heard from several CSA members that they’ve made a delicious carrot cake. You can also make cake or muffins with a mix of carrots and/or other root vegetables (including rutabaga!) or winter squash. Give your carrot greens a try! They can be used in a broth, pesto (which you can enjoy with the roots) chimichurri, or soup.
Fennel – Our first spring fennel! Fennel is popular thinly shaved and added to a salad, especially with oranges (or mandarins), olives, or both, or your mandarin oranges and can make a quick pickle (lots of variations, including with orange zest). Or make a fennel-only salad (examples: with onions and cheese or massaged Japanese-style). If you don’t like the taste of it raw, try cooking (roasting, braising, sautéing, etc.) which will transform the taste – cooked fennel tastes like a combination between onion and celery. It makes a great base for soup or stew (with potatoes, cabbage, miso, or butternut squash) and we really like it braised (with rutabaga too). It also is a good addition to other roasted vegetables – including rutabaga (or the Recipe of the Week), romanesco (add to risotto or pasta or polenta), or potatoes (try this recipe or this one). For easier storage, separate the fronds from the bulb. For the fronds: many people like making a fennel frond pesto (add to risotto), or using it like an herb when cooking. Or save the stalks and fronds for stock/broth or dal. We’ve got several recipes on our website. See this page for tips on how to cut it with a few ideas here.
Karinata Kale – This beautiful purple kale is a cross between mustard greens and kale with a unique taste. We’re one of only three farms (that we know of) that grow it! Use as you would any kale or mustard green (raw or cooked), like in the Recipe of the Week, but beware that it may stain your food purple! We’ve got many kale recipe ideas on our website. Store in the refrigerator in a bag to keep from wilting.
Mandarin Oranges – These are Tango mandarins from our friends and neighbors at Gold Oak Ranch. They may be stored in a cool, dark spot for a few days, or even on your counter but ideally should be refrigerated to extend shelf life up to two weeks.
Potatoes – We’re currently harvesting Bintje (white) and Bella Roja (red). Store in the refrigerator and out of the light (we recommend a paper bag). We’ve got several recipe ideas on our website. You also can mix potatoes and rutabaga in any dish (like potato salad or gratin with fennel)! Or with your cauliflower – make aloo gobi!
Romanesco – You’ll be getting a romanesco this week! Romanesco is sometimes called broccoli romanesco but it is much more similar to cauliflower. You should should treat it like a cauliflower and use it as you would for your favorite cauliflower preparation: roasted (add lemon!), raw, blanched, pickled, steamed, sautéed. Roasting cauliflower and romanesco brings out their sweet side; add it to pasta, this lentil pilaf, or mix with other vegetables, like carrots, fennel (see the fennel notes for some ideas) potatoes, or orange juice. You can also make a soup – a blended, creamy soup (with potatoes), or something more chunky (like with carrots or rutabaga). You should use the leaves and stems too. Stems will require longer cooking times and leaves will require less. Tip for the leaves: massage them with oil and add them to a baking pan for roasting; bake until they are crisp or sauté the leaves like kale, or add to whatever treatment the florets receive). Other ideas: curry, pasta with fennel and garbanzos, or a potato mash. There’s even a cookie recipe out there (which we haven’t tried). We have two great recipes on our website and some of our other favorite sites have a plethora of tasty and delicious ideas – see here or here for more ideas. Store in the refrigerator in a bag, loosely covered with some airflow.
Rutabaga – We love rutabaga! Many of you do too and have shared your favorite tips and preparation methods:
- roasted “I peel it, cut it in half and then slice into about 1/4″ to 1/2″ half-moons. I toss them with olive oil and salt and put it under the broiler until soft and sweet.” Another member recommended this recipe with maple syrup and thyme.
- Other CSA members swap out rutabaga for potatoes in soups, potato salad, mashed potatoes (using half potatoes), and hassleback potatoes. They can also substitute for parsnips or sweet potatoes.
- Cake! This recipe. “We just made it this morning, but as muffins (bake 25 min at 375 in oiled muffin tin, skip the sugar topping), and it was fabulous and totally different from anything else we’ve ever done with rutabaga.”
Roasting is one of the most popular ways to enjoy them – as addition to a pan of roasted vegetables or roasted on their own too, cubed or as “fries.” See the Recipe of the Week for one idea. Add your seasoning of preference, smoked paprika and thyme being two great ideas. You can get a rundown of other basic cooking methods here or here. They can easily substitute for potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, turnips, and parsnips in any recipe, and are great in soup (with cabbage!) or a mash (make with cauliflower). You can also eat them raw (you can also make a salad with fennel, carrots, or cabbage). Other ideas: orzo with brown butter, hash with fennel, a stew with fennel and other produce, or a fennel, potato, and squash bake. Additional recipe ideas on our website, with additional ideas here, here, here, and many ideas for meat eaters here. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator – they can keep that way for weeks!
Saturday: March 16
*Click on produce above for Recipes
Veggie Tips
Carrots – Separate the roots from the greens before storing them in the refrigerator to help them stay crunchy and crisp. If they do get a little limp, you can revive them by putting them in water, even for just five minutes. Carrots make an excellent snack or check out the recipes on our website for other ideas. We’ve heard from several CSA members that they’ve made a delicious carrot cake. You can also make cake or muffins with a mix of carrots and/or other root vegetables (including rutabaga!) or winter squash. Give your carrot greens a try! They can be used in a broth, pesto (which you can enjoy with the roots) chimichurri, or soup.
Cauliflower or Romanesco – We are so excited to have more cauliflower and romanesco for you! Romanesco is sometimes called broccoli romanesco but it is much more similar to cauliflower. You should should treat it like a cauliflower and use it as you would for your favorite cauliflower preparation: roasted (add lemon!), raw, blanched, pickled, steamed, sautéed. Both cauliflower and romanesco are so versatile; they can be roasted, raw (make a salad with mandarins!), blanched, pickled, steamed, sautéed. Roasting brings out its sweet side: enjoy plain, add it to pasta, a salad, or mix with other vegetables, like carrots. You can also make a soup – a blended, creamy soup (with potatoes) or something more chunky (like with rutabaga, carrots, kale, a curry with squash, or minestrone). A CSA member recommended this “rice” pilaf recipe. And we’ve been hearing that y’all like roasted cauliflower. One person said “I did a roasted Vietnamese preparation and an Italian roasted version that was also yummy” and another person recommended this roasted cauliflower stir-fry. If you get a romanesco, other ideas include: curry, pasta with fennel and garbanzos, or a potato mash. There’s even a cookie recipe out there (which we haven’t tried). Store in the refrigerator in a bag, loosely covered with some airflow. You should use the leaves and stems too – sauté them or roast them! Or add them to any cauliflower dish. Stems will require longer cooking times and leaves will require less. We have a few recipes on our website and some of our other favorite sites have a plethora of tasty and delicious ideas – see here, here, or here for more ideas.
Fennel – Our first spring fennel! Fennel is popular thinly shaved and added to a salad, especially with oranges (or mandarins), olives, or both, or your mandarin oranges and can make a quick pickle (lots of variations, including with orange zest). Or make a fennel-only salad (examples: with onions and cheese or massaged Japanese-style). If you don’t like the taste of it raw, try cooking (roasting, braising, sautéing, etc.) which will transform the taste – cooked fennel tastes like a combination between onion and celery. It makes a great base for soup or stew (with potatoes, cabbage, miso, or butternut squash) and we really like it braised (with rutabaga too). It also is a good addition to other roasted vegetables – including rutabaga (or the Recipe of the Week), romanesco (add to risotto or pasta or polenta), or potatoes (try this recipe or this one). For easier storage, separate the fronds from the bulb. For the fronds: many people like making a fennel frond pesto (add to risotto), or using it like an herb when cooking. Or save the stalks and fronds for stock/broth or dal. We’ve got several recipes on our website. See this page for tips on how to cut it with a few ideas here.
Karinata Kale – This beautiful purple kale is a cross between mustard greens and kale with a unique taste. We’re one of only three farms (that we know of) that grow it! Use as you would any kale or mustard green (raw or cooked), like in the Recipe of the Week, but beware that it may stain your food purple! We’ve got many kale recipe ideas on our website. Store in the refrigerator in a bag to keep from wilting.
Mandarin Oranges – These are Tango mandarins from our friends and neighbors at Gold Oak Ranch. They may be stored in a cool, dark spot for a few days, or even on your counter but ideally should be refrigerated to extend shelf life up to two weeks.
Potatoes – We’re currently harvesting Bintje (white) and Bella Roja (red). Store in the refrigerator and out of the light (we recommend a paper bag). We’ve got several recipe ideas on our website. You also can mix potatoes and rutabaga in any dish (like potato salad or gratin with fennel)! Or with your cauliflower – make aloo gobi!
Rutabaga – We love rutabaga! Many of you do too and have shared your favorite tips and preparation methods:
- roasted “I peel it, cut it in half and then slice into about 1/4″ to 1/2″ half-moons. I toss them with olive oil and salt and put it under the broiler until soft and sweet.” Another member recommended this recipe with maple syrup and thyme.
- Other CSA members swap out rutabaga for potatoes in soups, potato salad, mashed potatoes (using half potatoes), and hassleback potatoes. They can also substitute for parsnips or sweet potatoes.
- Cake! This recipe. “We just made it this morning, but as muffins (bake 25 min at 375 in oiled muffin tin, skip the sugar topping), and it was fabulous and totally different from anything else we’ve ever done with rutabaga.”
Roasting is one of the most popular ways to enjoy them – as addition to a pan of roasted vegetables or roasted on their own too, cubed or as “fries.” See the Recipe of the Week for one idea. Add your seasoning of preference, smoked paprika and thyme being two great ideas. You can get a rundown of other basic cooking methods here or here. They can easily substitute for potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, turnips, and parsnips in any recipe, and are great in soup (with cabbage!) or a mash (make with cauliflower). You can also eat them raw (you can also make a salad with fennel, carrots, or cabbage). Other ideas: orzo with brown butter, hash with fennel, a stew with fennel and other produce, or a fennel, potato, and squash bake. Additional recipe ideas on our website, with additional ideas here, here, here, and many ideas for meat eaters here. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator – they can keep that way for weeks!