Try out these great recipes we found around the web that feature items from your share:
Vibrant Beet Soup with Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium yellow or red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
2 tbsp ginger, minced or grated (about 1 ½-inch knob)
1 cup chopped celery, about 2 stalks
1/2-1 cup chopped beet green stalks, or swiss chard stalks
1 cup diced carrot, about 1 large carrot
2 cups cubed beets, Peeled. about 2 large beets
6 cups vegetable broth, or water plus 2 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Vegetable paste or 2 bouillon cubes
1 tsp black pepper
2 cups cubed sweet potato, about 2 small, sweet potatoes
2 cups chopped beet greens, or swiss chard greens
3-4 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions:
Warm the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, ginger, and celery, and beet green stalks, and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent.
Add the beets and carrots and sauté for another 3 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth (or water and bouillon) and black pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the soup with the lid ajar for 10 minutes, adding more vegetable broth to thin the soup if preferred.
Add the sweet potatoes and cook with the lid ajar for another 20 minutes or until the beets and sweet potatoes are tender.
Stir in the beet greens and cook another 5 minutes until they are tender.
Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the red wine vinegar. Season with salt to taste and serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley.
Citrus, Tangerine ‘Sugar Belle’ – The Family Garden
Tomatoes, Cherry Mix – Little Pond Farm
Try out these great recipes we found around the web that feature items from your share:
Hearty Root Veggie Salad
Ingredients:
Sweet potato
Carrots
Radishes
Fennel bulb
Red cabbage
Baby arugula
Toasted pumpkin seeds
Fresh parsley
Fresh lemons
Extra virgin olive oil – use the best quality possible
Instructions:
Roast the peeled and diced sweet potato until tender. Let cool before adding to the rest of the ingredients.
While the sweet potato is roasting, prepare the other vegetables. Use a mandoline or a sharp knife to thinly slice the fennel and cabbage. Use a grater for the carrots and radishes. Add all the vegetables, cooled sweet potato, arugula and parsley to a large bowl.
Add lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to combine everything well. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice as needed. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds or any toasted seeds or nuts you like.
Here’s what to look forward to in this week’s CSA box:
Baby Carrots
Bok Choy
Celery
Collards
Cherokee Red Lettuce
Spring Mix
Red Radishes
Beans, Yellow & Green mix – Passion Organics Farm
Sweet Pepper Mix – Little Pond Farm
This week we’re shining a spotlight on celery. It’s a sad fact that this vegetable can sometimes get taken for granted. Not everyone can appreciate its true superpower: aromatic qualities. Cajun cooks prize this so much they include it in the “holy trinity” with onion and bell peppers. Same goes for French chefs who use it in their famous Mirepoix alongside onions and carrots. We love the smell and the taste, including in juice, which is especially soothing at bedtime. Celery has Magnesium, which lowers stress by stimulating your neurotransmitters. In other words, celery sends your brain a message to chill out. Why do you love celery? Send us your photos and recipes to @frogsongcsa. We love sharing your kitchen inspiration!
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste; 1 tsp is hot, 1/2 tsp medium, 1/4 tsp is mild)
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoon coconut aminos
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons arrowroot flour
Instructions
Heat the avocado and sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. When hot, add the celery, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the celery is slightly tender and browned, about 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the broth, coconut aminos, rice vinegar and arrowroot and stir until well combined and the arrowroot has dissolved.
Pour the sauce into the skillet and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the celery is well coated in the sauce; 3 to 4 more minutes.
Kale, Sausage & Sweet Pepper Pasta – adapted from eatingwell.com
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 links FSO chorizo, diced into small pieces
¾ cup sweet peppers, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
4 cups chopped kale
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (Optional)
1 ½ cups water
¾ cup whole-wheat penne pasta (3 oz.)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook, stirring, until no longer pink, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add sweet peppers and onion to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in kale, garlic, crushed red pepper (if using), and the sausage; cook, stirring, until the kale is wilted, about 3 minutes.
Stir in water and pasta; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the pasta is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.
French Mirepoix
To make this mirepoix recipe you’ll need two parts onion, one part carrot, and one part celery, plus olive oil, butter, or lard.
1. Prepare your vegetables. Trim the root ends and tips from the vegetables. Rinse and scrub the carrots and celery. Dry well.
2. Chop your vegetables. The size you choose to chop your onions, carrots, and celery will vary depending on the recipe being prepared. However, as a general guideline: for sautéed recipes, chop small (¼-inch to ½-inch), for soups and stews, medium size (½-inch to 1-inch), and for stock, broth, or blended soups, larger size (1-2 inches).
3. Cook vegetables over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil to a large skillet set over medium-low heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, mixing well to coat. Cook, stirring often, for 10-12 minutes, or until softened and onions are translucent. Adjust heat to prevent vegetables from browning.
You can use mirepoix in lots of different recipes! Usually it forms the base of soups, stews, sauces, braises, and casseroles.
SPRING SEASON RENEWAL INFORMATION
We’re gearing up for our Spring season, Wednesday, April 5th – Saturday, July 1st. Want to renew but not sure how? We’ve made it easy: On March 26, all CSA Memberships will automatically renew and charge to your card on file. If you decide not to renew, no problem! Please opt out by emailing us before March 26. For more information, visit our website frogsongorganics.com. Thank you for supporting our farm and organic farmers!
Spring is here! And it brings the most delicious and exciting shares for our CSA members. This week, you’ll find in your box:
Napa Cabbage
Baby Collards
Purple Kohlrabi
Cherokee Lettuce
Strawberries
Sweet Red Onion
Parsley
Sugar Snap Peas from Rainbow Star Farm
Yam Fingerling Sweet Potatoes
Featured product: Snap Peas from Rainbow Star Farms
Snap peas are a delicious edible-pod pea that are a cross between snow peas and garden peas. Its natural sweetnesses makes it a great addition to salads, stir fries, or even as an on-the-go snack.
Our CSA members are well familiar with the versatility of snap peas, but the ones in your share this week are a little more special. They’re carefully grown and harvested by our partner grower Rainbow Star Farm, a 3-acre farm that offers a variety of fresh produce within the city limits of Gainesville, FL. Locally run and operated for over 30 years, Rainbow Star believes in natural and organic cultivation of food. Check out their Facebook and thank you for supporting our local businesses!
1 – In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Place a layer of sweet potatoes on the bottom of the skillet, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle a layer of onions and peppers over that and season lightly with salt. Add another layer of potatoes, onions, peppers and salt, and repeat until you’ve used all the vegetables.
2 – Cover the skillet and cook the mixture until the sweet potatoes brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the mixture (in pieces — don’t worry about keeping it intact), cover and cook until the sweet potatoes brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes.
3 – Fold in the collard greens and cook the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
4 – Season lightly with the pepper and stir in the nutritional yeast, if using. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve hot.
300 grams kohlrabi (1 medium-large head, peeled and julienned)
6 Tbsp. fresh dill (roughly chopped, I didn’t have enough fresh dill, so I threw in some dried dill weed)
1 cup dried cherries
1 lemon (3 tbsp fresh lemon juice)
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove (crushed)
100 grams sprouts (alfalfa works but others are great too! I used a mix of lentil, alfalfa, radish, etc – reserve some for garnish, optional)
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
pepper (fresh, to taste)
Instructions:
1- Mix together the chopped cabbage, kohlrabi, dill, cherries, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, oil and garlic. Massage everything together for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld and to soften the cabbage and cherries. Let the salad sit for 10 minutes.
2 – Add the sprouts, salt and pepper, and adjust to taste.
3 – Garnish with reserved sprouts and serve at room temperature.
1 cup diced strawberries (a little more than a half pound of strawberries)
1 cup diced ripe mango (from 2 large mangoes)
1 avocado, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
2-3 tablespoons diced cilantro
1 small lime, juiced
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix to combine. Garnish with extra cilantro. Serve with pita chips for dipping. Also great served on salmon, fish tacos or shrimp. Serves 4-6. Double the recipe to serve 10-12.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 2 quart baking dish. A 8×8 dish will work as well. You can even use a 9×13 dish but the cobbler will be more spread out.
Prepare the peaches: Slice or dice your peaches (peel if desired, see Note on how to best do this). Place them in the casserole dish, then sprinkle the 1/4 cup of sugar and cornstarch on top. Mix right in the dish to combine, then spread the peaches out evenly in the dish.
Make the batter: In a large bowl, mix together the melted vegan butter, sugar, vanilla and soy milk. Now add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix to combine. The batter will be thick, with a cookie dough consistency.
Using a spatula or your hands, sprinkle the batter on top of the peaches and spread out a little bit. It doesn’t have to be perfect, or cover all of the peaches.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the crust is slightly golden and the peaches are bubbling. Remove from the oven and serve warm with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream or coconut whipped cream. Enjoy!
Fresh Basil and Balsamic Bean Salad
Ingredients
Serving of tri-color beans
1/4 sweet onion, thinly sliced
tablespoon olive oil
tablespoon good balsamic vinegar
a few leaves of sweet Italian basil, chopped
a couple twists of salt & pepper
Simply stir ingredients together in a bowl and enjoy this summery bean salad!
1 small head green cabbage any dark, loose leaves removed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup raw pecan halves or walnut halves optional
1 small lemon halved (optional but very good)
For serving: grated Parmesan (highly recommended) chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme or parsley (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously coat a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside.
Cut off the bottom (root) end of the cabbage and place it on a cutting board sitting up so that the flat end is on the cutting board. Cut top to bottom into 3/4- to 1-inch thick slices. Place on the prepared baking sheet. If you have more slices than fit on your baking sheet without touching, divide them between two baking sheets.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Brush over one side of the cabbage, then flip the cabbage over and brush the other side. Roast the cabbage for 26 to 28 minutes, or until crispy at the edges and tender in the center. (If you are using one pan, roast it on the center rack; if two, use the the upper and lower-third racks.) Halfway through the baking time, rotate the pan(s) 180 degrees; if you are using two pans, switch their positions on the upper and lower racks at this point too. No need to flip the cabbage over. Don’t worry about any extra crispy, dark leaves around the very outsides; they’ll taste incredible.
While the cabbage bakes, toast the pecans in the oven at the same time: spread the pecans onto a small, ungreased baking sheet. Toast them in the oven with the cabbage until fragrant and the center of a pecan is light tan when broken in half, about 8 minutes, tossing them once halfway through. DO NOT WALK AWAY during the last several minutes of baking. Nuts love to burn the second you do. Remove the pecans from the oven and transfer immediately to a cutting board (if you leave them on the hot pan and they are super toasted already, they may burn). Let cool, then roughly chop.
Sprinkle the roasted cabbage with Parmesan and fresh herbs. Squeeze the lemon over the top, then finish with the chopped pecans. Serve hot.
I added Black Pearl Mushrooms from Fungi Jon to the dish in the second half of roasting. Yum!
