Hello everyone, Jess here, ready to chat about the goodies from the first Winter CSA of the season. Saturday was a lovely day to stop by the farmstand for CSA pickup, and the pickup itself was brimming with goodness. The Blue Hubbard was so big that it required a second trip to my car! The bounty is so lovely and plentiful, the only thing missing was the cornucopia. It was also a blessing to see the food donation crates brimming with non-perishables for those in need. A time for giving thanks, indeed.
- Potatoes– If you’re a traditionalist, garlic mashed is the way to go (I love this quick-prep slow cooker version if time is short.) If you don’t plan to use them right away, a cool dark place is where they like to live (away from your onions, they don’t play well with each other in storage).
- Onions– Onions store fabulously in a cool dark onion bin – check, pull and immediately use any that are losing their texture, as they may be fixing to sprout. My ripcord idea when I get a lot of onions is usually to caramelize a batch and then add with wild abandon to just about any dish.
- Shallots– I store mine near the onions. If/when the greeenhouse parsley graces the shares (as it sometimes has been known to do) try a little Shallot and Parsley Pan Sauce with a big ol’ Springdell Steak! Shallots also go amazing with apples, and can be used in a lovely pan sauce. Add pork chops and sage to the mix, and you have dinner!
- Carrots– Unlike the summer carrots, I store these in the fridge right in the bag after a quick rinse and damp dry. As you may have read, in our household I don’t get to cook with these too often because the boys enjoy them raw over cooked. A quick trip through the mandolin slicer and the kids eat them like chips.
- Cranberries! – Fresh and Local! I accidentally mistook my strawberry jam for cranberry sauce in the pantry and just realized I’m on my last jar of sauce, so I’ll be whipping some up this week to provide my favorite accompaniment for turkey dinner.
- Johnny Putt Greens– A lovely mix of nutrient-packed greens, complete with microgreens (we have peppery micro radishes in our bag, but you may get something different).
- Butternut Squash and a BIG ‘OL Blue Hubbard Squash– These beauties like to live in a cool and dark place (mine live in a crate in my basement by the bulkhead door, and I check them once or twice a week to make sure they’re happy.) My favorite way to prep a Hubbard is to send it for a trip down the stairs or a drop out the window in an old pillowcase. Repeat as necessary and you’ll end up with nice roastable sized pieces.
- Broccoli– Salted and steamed is what’s working in this house right now. This may change on a dime, but meanwhile, I’m going with it.
- Apple Cider from Box Mill Farms- It’s delicious as-is, or warm on a cool day. Reduce some in a pan for a yummy glaze for roasted brussels sprouts, squash, etc. Cider Shallot Reduction is quite versatile. Read below to see how it works with scallops!
- Rainbow Carrots– My kids wont let me cook them lately, so it’s the mandolin slicer and a bowl on the table in this house. If you need ideas though, just send me a message and we’ll find you the perfect dish!
- Cauliflower– Ok- so cauliflower wasn’t in my CSA box this week, but I saw some at the farmstand and wanted to grab it while I could. I plan to take another crack at a cauliflower soup.
- Apples– A beautiful tote- ready for pies, scones, sauces, or just a quick snack. I’ll keep a couple on my counter for a day or two (they won’t last long there as my kids swipe them) and I’ll pop what I’m not using right away by the bulkhead, as apples prefer cool storage.
- Garlic– A couple of lovely looking bulbs. These also like cool dark and dry storage.
- Eggs– These little bundles of protein are always a welcome sight. Steamed and sliced, scrambled, sunny-side up, or in my case, into a turnip soufflé with a turnip that accidentally rolled out of sight and needs some love.
- Sweet Potatoes– Maybe a reincarnation of Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew is in order, it’s been a while since I made this one.
That’s about it from this end. I’ll be picking up a turkey this year from Shepherd Family Farm in Townsend, and though our traditional family dinners will be far from traditional this year, I look forward to sharing some photos and recipes in the coming posts. Meanwhile, if you’re stuck on any recipe ideas, or have any good ones to share, please feel free to drop me a line. Have a great week, all!