The 5 best ideas I tried with my share vegetables this year

From CSA member Ruth!

Idea #1: The Vegetables: Tomatoes/basil

The Gist:

Baked in the oven, tomatoes collapse and get a little bit jammy but don’t totally fall apart. Toasted bread cubes soak up some of the extra juices. The recipe says plum tomatoes, but any summer tomatoes will work.

The Recipe: Scalloped Tomatoes

Where to find it

Idea #2: The Vegetables: Zucchini/garlic

The Gist:

This is like zucchini bread, but a little bit more eggy. The inside is peppered with exciting flavorful bits like olives and pickled jalapenos. You can eat it hot out of the oven right after you’ve made it, and then go back to snack on it out of the fridge the next day.

The Recipe: Australian Zucchini Slice

Where to find it

Idea #3: The Vegetables: Corn/Eggplant

The Gist:

If you make polenta using fresh corn instead of dry corn, you get something very different - sweeter, softer. The addition of feta instead of the usual parmesan and the eggplant sauce on top work together to fill out the flavor. Eating this feels decadent. 

The Recipe: Sweet Corn Polenta

Where to find it: It’s in Ottolenghi’s book from 2010, Plenty, but also here

Idea #4: The Vegetables: Sweet PotatO

The Gist:

The sweet potatoes cook two ways: first in the oven, covered, to steam in their own juices; then, still in the oven, uncovered, so they roast and caramelize. A creme fraiche, maple syrup, and soy sauce dressing compliments the taste of the potato, as do the scallions, chili flakes, and peanuts on top. We’re not all fans of sweet potatoes, but it’s hard not to like this version of them.

The Recipe: Baked Sweet Potatoes with Maple Creme Fraiche

Where to find it: It’s in Nik Sharma’s book from 2020, The Flavor Equation, but also here

Idea #5:  Vegetables: Butternut Squash/Onions

The Gist:

The neck of the squash goes right into the pot with the other vegetables, while the bulb of the squash roasts first with a little bit of sage tucked inside. Brown butter and crispy sage leaves add more layers of flavor. Like most soups, it tastes even better the next day.

The Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup with Brown Butter, Sage, & Nutmeg Creme Fraiche

Where to find it

Simply Sautéed Swiss Chard

Colorful rainbow chard is one of the vibrant greens we see frequently coming from Windflower Farm. One of the best ways to prepare it is simply sautéed with oil, salt & pepper, but incorporating a few other CSA items makes this especially delicious! Member Elisabeth Stuveras has modified a recipe she found on Simply Recipes to make the most of her share. She recommends it as a light lunch or dinner with scrambled eggs on the side

Simply Sautéed Swiss Chard

• CSA Swiss chard

• CSA Onion

• CSA Garlic scapes

• Pinch of red pepper flakes

• CSA Eggs (scrambled and on the side)

Rinse the chard, then tear or cut the leaves away from the stalks. Cut the stalks into 1/2-inch pieces and separately cut the leaves into 1-inch wide strips.

Thinly slice garlic scapes and dice onion. Heat some olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, then add garlic scapes, onion, and crushed red pepper. Cook until fragrant.

Add the chopped Swiss chard stalks. Lower the heat to low, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Then add the chopped chard leaves, tossing with the oil & aromatics. Cook 3-4 more minutes, turning chard frequently to wilt and cook it consistently.

Check out some CSA Recipes

Check out these posts by one of our members and see how she uses her veggies from the CSA.

Summer Pananelle Salad

Summer Gazpaco

Clean out the fridge chicken soup

Grandma’s Peaches and Cream

Strawberry Basil Mule

Blue Berry Muffins

Chinese Tomato Egg Stir-Fry

Don't know what to do with all those tomatoes? Try out this tasty tomato egg stir-fry. I like making this for a quick lunch when I'm working from home, but it makes for a good meal any time of the day. 

Chinese Tomato Egg Stir-Fry from Woks of Life

Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

4 small to medium tomatoes (about 500 g, 1 pound)

1 scallion

4 eggs

3/4 tsp salt (divided, or to taste)

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp shaoxing wine

3 tbsp vegetable oil (divided)

2 tsp sugar1

/4-1/2 cup water

Instructions: 

Start by cutting tomatoes into small wedges and finely chop the scallion.

Crack 4 eggs into a bowl and season with ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon white pepper, ½ teaspoon sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine. Beat eggs for a minute.

Preheat the wok over medium heat until it just starts to smoke. Then add 2 tablespoons of oil and immediately add the eggs. Scramble the eggs and remove from the wok immediately. Set aside.

Add 1 more tablespoon oil to the wok, turn up the heat to high, and add the tomatoes and scallions. Stir-fry for 1 minute, and then add 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ cup water (if your stove gets very hot and liquid tends to cook off very quickly in your wok, add a little more water). Add the cooked eggs.

Mix everything together, cover the wok, and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the tomatoes are completely softened.

Uncover, and continue to stir-fry over high heat until the sauce thickens to your liking. Serve!

Shakshuka

Our CSA provides the perfect veggies for shakshuka: a middle eastern dish that makes for a great brunch or dinner. Though it calls for canned tomatoes, it tastes even better with fresh ones (just chop them up and add to the pan as instructed).

Shakshuka with Feta by Melissa Clark, New York Times

Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

1-2 bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced3garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1teaspoon ground cumin

1teaspoon sweet paprika⅛teaspoon ground cayenne, or to taste

1(28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes with their juices, coarsely chopped

¾teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

¼teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed

5ounces feta, crumbled (about 1¼ cups) - optional

4-6large eggs

Chopped cilantro or parsley, for serving

Instructions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook gently until very soft, about 20 minutes. Add garlic and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes; stir in cumin, paprika and cayenne, and cook 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes and season with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; simmer until tomatoes have thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Stir in crumbled feta.

Gently crack eggs into skillet over tomatoes. Season eggs with salt and pepper. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with hot sauce. Good with a fresh piece of bread or pita!