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(from left to right: red leaf lettuce, arugula, grapefruit, carrots, tokyo turnips, sweet potatoes, collard greens)
We have an excellent share this week, including:
Arugula: Its distinctive vibrant green color, lobed leaves and spicy leaves can grace pastas, quiches, salads, seafood dishes and much more. Harvesting arugula consistently ensures the younger, more tender and flavorful leaves are the only ones that make it into your share. Stores best wrapped tightly in plastic and kept in the crisper in your refrigerator. I’ve been on an arugula-pizza kick lately: make a thin crust pizza with tomato sauce, slices of prosciutto, and a sprinkling of parmesan. Once it’s cooked, throw a handful of arugula in the middle. Can’t beat it.
Carrots: This incredibly sweet and tender variety, known as Mokum, will signal the end of supermarket-bought carrots for you. You can always roast or steam these guys, but we have to recommend you at least take a bite raw. You may keep eating…
Tokyo Turnips: Mild and semi-sweet, these are easily enjoyed roasted or sauteed. One easy preparation: heat the oven to 400, peel (optional) and chop the turnips, oil a pan with olive oil, ensure turnips are oiled on both sides, season with sea salt, cracked pepper and if you like a touch of extra sweetness, drizzle a light layer of raw honey atop too. These should roast approximately 30 minutes, or until tender and lightly golden brown. The greens are also delicious and can be steamed or sauteed as a nutrient dense side item.
Red Leaf Lettuce: A tender and tasty base for any salad. Try one of our favorite farm house salad dressings:
Olive Oil – 1/2 cup
Lemon Juice – 1/4 cup
Tahini (sesame seed paste) – 2 tbsp
Soy sauce – 2 tbsp
1 clove of fresh garlic (finely minced if you don’t have a blender)
Chopped cilantro or sesame seeds are optional additions
If you have a blender or food processor, puree all the ingredients until smooth. You can add water to thin it out if it gets too thick. If you don’t have a blender, put everything in a tightly lidded quart jar and shake vigorously until well combined. Check seasoning and enjoy on your salad!
Sweet Potatoes: If any of you aren’t familiar with Food Lab, its an awesome website dedicated to breaking down the science/art of home cooking and is very thorough and informative. Here’s one post breaking down the best roasted sweet potatoes. We think these Red Rubies in the share this week are a top contender…
Grapefruit: This is a new CSA item this season! Tart, tangy, and sweet, these fruit were yielded from a tenderly cared for tree on-site. Grapefruit are incredibly loaded with Vitamin C, which provides a very necessary immune boost as we’ve been dealing with recent cold front and more volatile weather in the region. We’re in the midst of determining the exact varietal, please check the blog again for an update soon!
Note: Family share members will receive a lemon as a substitute for a second grapefruit.
Collard Greens: Traditionally slow simmered with salt pork or ham hock (which tenderizes and tempers the tough texture, coercing out a sweeter flavor), collard greens are best enjoyed next to a large heap of black eyed piece and a freshly baked piece of cornbread. If you are vegetarian, you can forego cooking with pork and slow cook the greens in vegetable stock instead. The New York Times Cooking blog posted this great collard pasta recipe a while back. Check it out here!