Try out these great recipes we found around the web that feature items from your share:
Roasted Fennel and Snow Pea Salad
Ingredients:
1 lb fresh fennel
3 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
ground black pepper
1 lemon
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, toasted
5 oz. snow peas
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 450°F (225°C).
Cut the stalks and fronds off the fennel. Then cut the fennel bulb into small wedges. Arrange in a baking dish. Drizzle olive oil on top. Salt and pepper to taste.
Cut the lemon in half and squeeze out the juice and save for something else. Cut the lemon rind into thin wedges and place around the fennel (oven-baked lemon gives a lovely flavor but you don’t have to eat them if you don’t want).
Bake in the oven for 20–30 minutes or until the fennel has turned a nice golden color.
While the fennel is baking, place the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan and toast over medium heat for a few minutes until browned but not burnt.
Mix the roasted fennel with raw shredded snow peas and the dry toasted pumpkin seeds. Plate and serve with fish, chicken or meat.
Try out these great recipes we found around the web that feature items from your share:
Arugula Salad with Balsamic Roasted Radishes and Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
1 bunch radishes, trimmed, washed and quartered
1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 shallot, peeled and quartered
4 cups baby arugula
2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
Crumbled blue cheese (optional)
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
On a nonstick baking sheet, stir together the radishes, sweet potato and shallot. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, stir and then roast for 10-15 minutes more.
Drizzle the roasted vegetables with balsamic vinegar and toss to combine. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
Toss the roasted vegetables with the baby arugula. Divide onto four plates and drizzle with a little additional balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle it with salt and, if desired, blue cheese.
It’s week 2 of the winter season, and it’s off to a wet and stormy start. We beat out the lightning and heavy winds today for our weekly team lunch together. Farm lunch is a tradition started by Amy & John during the farm’s earliest days, and it continues on all these years later, every week, rain or shine. Back in the packing shed after lunch, the team hunkered down in the storm and prepped sweet potatoes, trimmed turmeric, and started packing CSA boxes for the week.
In this week’s share, parsley and snow peas make their debut! CSA members will be the only customers receiving snow peas this week, with all the current inventory going in member shares rather than out to markets. Since CSA members buy a share of the harvest in advance, we make every effort to ensure you receive priority access to crops come harvest time. We hope you enjoy these first snow peas of the season!
Snow peas are flat, thin-skinned with an edible pod. They’re tender and sweet. You can eat them raw or cook them up in a snap. Toss them in a skillet or wok, steam or sauté – it doesn’t take much to bring out their flavor. Just don’t overcook them so they keep their crunch!
This week’s recipes inspired by the items in your share include 1) a tabouleh where parsley is the star ingredient 2) a spicy beef stir-fry with snow peas, bok choy and any other veggies you’d like to add and 3) baked Murasakis with miso tahini butter.
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in the bulgur. Let the grains soak up the dressing until they are plump and most of the moisture is absorbed for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the parsley, tomatoes, green onions, and mint to one side of the large bowl with the bulgur, but don’t mix yet.
When the bulgur is plump, and the lemon-olive oil mixture is mostly absorbed, stir everything together until well combined. Serve at room temperature or chilled from the fridge.
12ouncesflank steak(sliced ⅛-inch/3mm thick into 2-3 inch/6-7cm pieces)
1teaspooncornstarch
2teaspoonsneutral oil(such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
1teaspoonwater
¼teaspoonbaking soda
For the rest of the dish:
4cupsbok choy(cut into 1×3-inch (2.5×7.5cm) pieces, washed and drained)
¾cup shiitake, oyster or beech mushrooms, washed and drained
¾cupsugar snap peas or snow peas(washed and drained)
½cupwarm water(or beef stock or chicken stock)
¼teaspoonsesame oil
2teaspoonslight soy sauce
1teaspoondark soy sauce(or mushroom-flavored dark soy sauce if you have it)
1tablespoonoyster sauce
¼teaspoonsugar
3tablespoonsneutral oil(such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil, divided)
½teaspoonminced ginger
2clovesgarlic(finely minced)
1tablespoonShaoxing wine
2teaspoonscornstarch(mixed into a slurry with 1 tablespoon water)
Instructions
Mix together the beef with the marinade ingredients (cornstarch, oil, water, and baking soda) until well-coated. Set aside for at least 30 minutes (or overnight, if making ahead).
Next, prepare your veggies—we’re using bok choy, mushrooms, and snap peas, but you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand.
Now prepare the sauce mixture. In a small bowl, mix the warm water (or stock), sesame oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar.
Heat your wok over high heat until it’s lightly smoking. Spread 2 tablespoons of oil around the perimeter to coat. Add the beef, and use your metal wok spatula to spread the beef in one even layer. Sear for 30 seconds. Turn the beef to sear the other side for another 30 seconds. At this point, the beef should be about 80% done. Turn off the heat and remove the beef from the wok.
Next, with the heat back on high, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the ginger. Cook for 10 seconds, and add the garlic. After 5 seconds, add the mushrooms and stir fry for another 15 seconds, giving them a good sear. Add the Shaoxing wine.
Next, add the snap peas and the bok choy, and stir-fry on the highest heat for another 20 seconds, until the bok choy begins to wilt. Stir in the prepared sauce mixture and add the beef back to the wok. Gather everything in the center of the wok.
When everything comes back up to a simmer and the sides of the wok begin to super-heat, stir-fry everything in a circular motion so the beef and vegetables hit the sides of the wok.
Pour the cornstarch slurry in the center of the wok while stirring. The sauce will immediately thicken, so work fast to stir everything together for another 20 seconds to coat everything in the sauce. (There should not be any standing sauce—it should be clinging to the beef and vegetables.) Serve!
Baked Murasaki Sweet Potatoes with Miso Tahini Butter
Ingredients
2pounds Murasaki sweet potatoes
Miso Tahini Butter
5tablespoonsvegan butter,softened at room temperature
1tablespoonwhite miso,plus more to taste
2tablespoonsgood-quality tahini
1/2of a medium lime,zested
1 ½tablespoonslime juice,plus more to taste
1teaspoontoasted sesame oil,plus more to taste
1/2 to 1teaspoonagave nectar
A few pinches of red pepper flakes
For serving
1tablespoonstoasted sesame seeds
Flaky sea salt
1/2cupfresh cilantro leaves
Lime zest
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
Lightly slash or prick the sweet potatoes several times with a sharp knife to allow for even ventilation. Place the potatoes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, or directly on the oven rack. Bake for 75 minutes for medium-sized potatoes (60 minutes for small Japanese sweet potatoes; 85-90 minutes for large ones). Turn off the oven and keep the potatoes in the oven, with the door closed for 45 to 60 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the Miso Tahini Butter. Add the softened vegan butter to a medium bowl, along with the tahini, miso paste, lime zest, lime juice, toasted sesame oil, agave, and red pepper flakes. Use a fork or whisk and mash until the mixture is very smooth. Taste for seasonings, and add the additional miso for more umami, lime juice for acidity, or sesame oil for toasted nutty flavor, as needed. If the butter is more on the melty side rather than creamed, pop it in the fridge for 20ish minutes until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
Once the sweet potatoes are done, slice them open and spread the miso butter tahini on top. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and a pinch or two of flaky sea salt. Top with fresh cilantro leaves. Zest a bit of lime on top before serving. If desired, sprinkle some vegan furikake or gomasio on top before serving.
Here’s a peek inside this week’s CSA share – we’re delighted to bring this spring abundance to your kitchen!
Italian Basil
Celery
Panisse Lettuce
Scallions
Snow Peas
New Red Potatoes
Squash Mix
Strawberries
Tokyo Turnips
Let’s hear it for our strawberries – they’re making a comeback! This has been our most challenging strawberry season in a decade. As farmers we’re at the mercy of the weather and natural cycles. We’re in control little beyond how we interact with our soil and crops. Last December’s freeze was a classic example, when we used water to save our citrus trees. The days of running sprinklers saved our trees, but it reduced the fertility in the soil. We traded off an abundant 2023 strawberry crop for the potential of citrus over the next decade.
We’re delighted to report that all was not lost! This week’s share brings a quart of our resilient and luscious berries. What makes them extra-special is that they’re grown on real beds of straw mulch to ensure optimal flavor and nutrition. With our commitment to sustainable farming practices, you can rest easy knowing that FSO berries are never grown on plastic! They’re handpicked at the peak of ripeness, guaranteeing a burst of juicy sweetness in every bite. Keep that flavor alive for a few extra weeks with our small-batch jam recipe below.
Another long-awaited flavor in this week’s share is our Italian basil. Basil is delicate – like many of us in Florida, it doesn’t like the cold! To prevent wilting, we recommend storing on the counter. Clip the stems at a 45-degree angle, like flowers, and fill a jar about halfway full of water. Cover loosely with a plastic bag. Another option is to make a batch of basil oil. The recipe below will add a hint of basil to your dishes this week – we love the addition of garlic but it’s completely optional.
Basil-infused Oil
Ingredients:
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, stemmed and washed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions:
Place the basil, water, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes in a mini-food processor and pulse a few times. Add the olive oil and blend until you have smooth sauce.
Use immediately or refrigerate. TIP: Flavors are even more intense the next day.
Small Batch Strawberry Jam
Ingredients:
1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled
1 ½ cups organic cane sugar a
¼ cup lemon juice
pinch of sea salt
Instructions:
Heat large saucepan over medium-low heat and add strawberries, sugar and lemon juice. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
Increase saucepan to medium-high to bring mixture to a boil. Continue to boil for 15 minutes or until thickened. If you have a candy thermometer, just boil until the temperature reaches 220°F. Remove from heat and add pinch of salt.
Transfer the jam to a jar and let cool at room temperature. Store in fridge and use within 1 month.
Celery Smoothie
Ingredients:
4 medium ribs celery (¾ cup chopped)
1 large green apple
1 banana
½ teaspoon peeled and grated ginger or galangal (from fresh root)
2 cups baby spinach leaves
½ cup water
10 ice cubes
1 ½ tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
Instructions:
Roughly chop the celery. Chop the apple into chunks, leaving the peel on. Break the banana into pieces. Peel and grate or mince the ginger/galangal.
Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth, stopping and scraping as necessary and adding a splash more water if it’s too thick. Drink immediately or store for up to 1 day.
