Summer Week Two

Summer has arrived in New England and the heat is here to stay for a while. I must have finally adapted to New England weather because the daily temperatures we’ve been seeing in the 90s feel oppressively hot. By the end of next week, we’ll have already reached our average number of 90-days for the summer—and summer has only gotten started. I’m giving thanks for the little backyard pool we splurged on earlier in the year, and a house with air conditioning to keep us cool. And I know colder temperatures always come before I’m ready for them, so I’m grateful for the summer crops that are here to keep us company for a while.

I donned my Grandma’s apron this week and dug the canner out of the basement. We’ve reached that time of year when there are not many days that go by without needing to can something or blanch and freeze. It is so much work, but it is one of my favorite parts of summer. I canned Strawberry Syrup, Pickled Golden Beets, and Rhubarb Chutney. I made pasta from beet greens and pesto from kale stems and called it “Compost Dinner.” I made Cheesy Kale Scones. I blanched peas, beet greens, broccoli and garlic scapes. On the horizon for this week is a small batch of Strawberry Jam.

It must be CSA season!

Summer Week 2

3 quarts strawberries
3 heads lettuce
1 bunch rainbow swiss chard
1 bunch Golden Sugar Beets (with their greens)
1 bunch Red Sugar Beets (with their greens)
1 bunch curly kale
2 bags snow peas
2 bags sugar snap peas
4 broccoli crowns
1 bunch garlic scapes (plus a few more sad unloved ones from the swap table)
3 yellow squash (from the swap table)
2 zucchini (from the swap table)

From the Farmstand

1 small yellow onion
2 sweet onions
2 Spanish onions
4 misfit broccoli crowns
1 bunch of misfit celery
2 small zucchini
1 head of lettuce (I know what you’re thinking … “because 3 isn’t enough?”)
2 tomatoes

Recipes to Try

Strawberries

This was an abysmal year for strawberries in New England. Between last year’s drought and this year’s heat, strawberry crops really struggled. We are thankful for the 12 quarts of strawberries we’ve gotten over the last three weeks, and have put them to good use. Here are my favorite ways to use strawberries, if you are lucky enough to find a flat or two.

Lettuce

I have been saving this recipe for the week that Bibb lettuce and broccoli appeared at the same time. David has declared it to be his favorite salad, and that, my friends, is high praise. Maybe he will turn into a salad lover after all.

Last night we had friends over for a Taco salad Buffet. I turned my counter into a salad bar and put out lettuce, shredded taco chicken, black beans, roasted beets, sautéed squash with garlic scapes, salsa, guacamole, cotija cheese, Monterrey Jack cheese, pickled jalapeños, tortilla chips, and street taco shells. It was so fun, and the salads turned out amazing. 

Last week I made a bacon egg and cheese salad for breakfast. It was better than a bacon egg and cheese sandwich, and I love a good breakfast sandwich. One day I’ll create a recipe, but it’s basically as easy as it sounds. Start with a bed of lettuce, topped with cooked bacon, some shredded cheddar cheese, and a fried egg (cooked however you like). I used a bit of honey mustard dressing. David used his runny egg yolk as dressing. 

Swiss Chard

The first Chard of the year always means Green Treats on the menu! These are so good and they are so filling you don’t need much else for dinner. Except for a small salad of course, because there’s too much lettuce to not have a salad every day.

Beets

I think I’ve told you before that I hate beets. I’ve tried so many ways to like them, but have never been able to get past the dirt taste they leave in my mouth. But y’all. I made these Easy Roasted Beets last night for my Taco buffet, and they were incredible. They tasted like candy. I don’t know if it’s how I cooked them or where they’re grown—Farmer Jamie seriously had the best produce I’ve ever tasted—but I am now a beet lover. Or at least a Farmer Jamie’s beet lover.

I may get really brave and try something like this Raw Beet Salad this week. Or this one, with lettuce instead of arugula. 

My favorite way to use beets is to juice them. We found a juicer at a thrift store a couple of years ago and it has been an excellent addition to our kitchen. I haven’t learned how to use it, so I pile all the things I don’t want to eat in a bowl and make David juice it for me. My favorite is beet, kale greens, apple, and ginger. It’s a true breakfast of champions!

And here’s your weekly reminder to not compost the greens! Blanch them in boiling water for 3 minutes, put them immediately in ice water for 3 minutes, then squeeze out as much water as possible before freezing. You’ll be so grateful for their presence come Winter.

Curly Kale

Curly kale is my favorite type of kale. I love to make a Massaged Kale Salad. It feels heartier than a lettuce salad and holds up really well for picnics.

If you’ve been reading my Monthly Newsletter for a while, you know how much I love Smitten Kitchen’s Flipped Crispy Egg Taco with Singed Greens. This is my favorite breakfast of all time and I’m thrilled to have curly kale in the house once again. (Shameless plug - June’s newsletter will go out early next week, so take a minute to signup so you don’t miss it!)

These Cheesy Kale Scones are another fun breakfast. It is a huge recipe and makes very big scones as written. I made much smaller scones this time around, making 4 small balls of dough and cutting them each into 8 triangles. We ate 6 of them, I brought 4 to a friend, and the rest went into the freezer. I think scones taste best freshly baked, so I freeze them before baking. I put them on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze them overnight, then I put them in a ziplock freezer baggie and return them to the freezer. It’s super easy to grab a few and bake when I’m ready for them.

Dare I say Kale is my favorite breakfast food?

Snow peas/Sugar Snap Peas

Fresh peas get eaten incredibly fast in my house. They are my kids’ favorite snack in early summer. I often don’t get to cook them or save any for winter, so I immediately blanched an entire bag of snow peas when I brought them home. They are a wonderful addition to Stir-Fry or Mongolian Beef, and I wanted a few hiding away for winter meals.

I want to make these Sesame Snow Peas this week. Maybe I’ll make Beef & Broccoli to go with them.

Garlic scapes

Garlic scapes are such a fun sign of summer. The garlic scape is the stem and flower bud of the hardneck garlic plant. Farmers harvest them not only because they are great to eat, but also because it helps the garlic bulb grow bigger. When the scape isn’t harvested, the plant sends all its energy into creating the flower and seeds and the bulb doesn’t grow as much. Garlic is one of those incredible plants that feeds us twice—once with the scape and twice with the bulb itself. This list of how to use them is pretty helpful. I love to grill them with romaine lettuce and top it with grilled shrimp or fish. This week I blanched half of ours for just 30 seconds and froze them to use instead of green beans in pot pie later in the year. Garlic scape compound butter is another fun way to save them for later.

Broccoli

I adore broccoli season and can never get enough broccoli. I’m always sad when I hear people say they don’t like it. It’s the first vegetable we run out of in our freezer stash each year, so I always blanch and freeze as much as I can. These Broccoli Fritters are a huge hit in our house and can be made with fresh or frozen broccoli. Just thaw and drain the frozen broccoli first.

This Charred Broccoli Salad is one of my favorite ways to use fresh broccoli. I like to eat it warm, but I think it would save well for a cold lunch too.

And when I have provolone cheese hiding in my fridge and an old loaf of bread needing to be used, I make these Broccoli Melts.

Yellow Squash/Zucchini

These were not in my regular Super Share this week, but there were some less than perfect ones in the Swap Box, so I grabbed them. I sauteed the Yellow squash at super high heat with some barely blanched garlic scapes and an onion leftover from cooking beans earlier in the week. I sprinkled some salt and pepper and Arizona Dreaming on top and it was an incredible addition to the Taco Buffet.

Squash and Zucchini make a very big appearance in Summer, so there’s lots of time to share my favorite recipes with you. I’ve been craving these Zucchini Taco Boats, so that’s how I’ll use zucchini this week. I use ground beef because we get it in our Meat Share.

Now—who’s ready to eat after reading all that?! What will you make this week?

I Went Strawberry Picking ... Now What?!

You’ve loaded up the kids (including the neighbors), you’ve gone to the strawberry farm, you’ve braved the extreme heat, and now you’re home with a gazillion quarts of strawberries that need to be eaten RIGHT NOW! Don’t worry, I have you covered!

There is no better sign of the beginning of summer than that juicy ripe red strawberry freshly picked off the vine. Strawberries mark the beginning of the Summer growing season here in Massachusetts and it’s fun to start the CSA season with such a treat. We are only two weeks into Strawberry Season and we’ve eaten 10 quarts of berries. It’s my favorite fruit to eat right out of the container and it’s also really fun to make all kinds of treats with them.

It can be a lot of work to use all the strawberries we pick (or buy), but I never regret it come winter. In the dark days of winter, I can make strawberry something and it reminds me that Summer always comes. I’ve put together my favorite ways to use this delightful little gift from nature. Which ones do you want to try?

Strawberries & Cream—This makes a terrific afternoon snack or an easy and light dessert. Pour some heavy cream in a bowl, add a little powdered sugar (you don’t need much at all), and mix with a handheld mixer until soft peaks form. Dip your strawberries in it and watch them disappear.

Make jam—Strawberry jam is the one jam in our house that always gets eaten before Winter is over. It’s everyone’s favorite and for good reason. I’ve made pectin-free, sugar-free jam before, but my favorite is the traditional Ball recipe. It takes a few hours and makes a huge mess, but it’s so worth it.

Strawberry Galette - I’m not a huge fan of pie, but I can always go for a good galette. The Any-Kind-of-Fruit Galette is a great way to use strawberries. I also love mixing late-season strawberries with early-season peaches to make this galette.

Strawberry sauce—It’s good on waffles, yogurt, and just about anything else you could want. There’s no recipe for this, I just puree some strawberries and add a little maple syrup or honey. It’s delicious on top of yogurt, or you can heat it up and drizzle over pancakes or waffles. You really can’t go wrong with pureed strawberries.

Strawberry Syrup—Strawberry Syrup is a fantastic addition to your favorite cocktail. You can mix it with Sparkling Water to make Strawberry Sodas. You can add a little to plain water - because why not? This is a super easy canning recipe and is a great thing to start with if you’re new to canning. I love to pull it out in February and make pink everything. Pink milk, pink lemonade, pink water … you get the picture.

Strawberry milk— Remember when we could request strawberry milk for lunch in Elementary School? I’m sure it was made with terrible artificial flavoring, but it was always delicious. To treat my kids to the same fun experience, I use strawberries to make Strawberry Milk once a year. In the words of my husband, “Restaurants should sell this stuff … ‘Seasonal strawberry milk!” Because it doesn’t have sugar, and only a small amount of honey, it’s a fantastic breakfast treat. And much healthier than the Strawberry Carnation Instant Breakfast I used to drink as a kid.

Strawberry ice cream—During the summer, it seems our ice cream machine is always working. I usually stick to vanilla, but this year I’m vowing to expand our horizons. This recipe requires no cooking – and I can’t wait to taste the final product!

Strawberry Popsicles—Like the ice cream maker, our popsicle molds are never empty for very long. These pops are so easy and so delicious – they’ll be gone before you know it!

Strawberry Lemonade—Once upon a time I canned Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate, but I can’t remember the recipe I used. This Pink Lemonade recipe is great for an afternoon picnic. Pour it in a mason jar and bring it to your next beach outing and everyone will be happy!

Strawberry Summer Cake—It’s not Summer without a Strawberry Summer Cake. This is my favorite easy dessert. I always mean to make extra and freeze them, but it seems they always get eaten before they can be stored.

Pink Lady Cake—The Pink Lady Cake is one of my favorite cakes for Valentine’s Day. I know what you’re thinking. “But wait, Crystal, Valentine’s Day is 8 months away!” There are two ways to save your fresh strawberries for Pink Lady Cake. You can make the cake now. Wrap it in Saran Wrap (I double wrap it) and freeze it until February. Or you can measure the strawberries, cut off the tops and freeze them in a Ziplock baggie. You’re going to puree them eventually anyway, so it doesn’t matter if they stick together. Make sure you label it “for Pink Lady Cake” so you don’t forget which bag it is. Come February, pull the bag out of the freezer, let it thaw, and then proceed with the recipe as written.

Red & Black—A spicy twist on a Strawberry Margarita, this is my absolute favorite summer cocktail.

Eat them—Simple, right?? It’s funny how often we overlook the simple. They are only fresh in spring – so eat them up … and savor every bite!

Strawberry Top Infused Water—I try my hardest not to waste any part of our CSA share. It would be easy to compost those strawberry tops, but I love to throw them in a half gallon mason jar, add a few sprigs of mint, and maybe a slice or two of lime, and cover it with water. Infuse it for 6-12 hours, strain it, and you have the most beautiful pink water. It’s refreshing, and it’s fun. And you’ve used every single part of your berry!

Freeze them—Berries are one of the easiest fruits to prepare for freezing. You simply wash them, cut the greens off, and pop them in the freezer. It’s best if you freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes or an hour before putting them in a freezer bag. Then – just use them as you would store-bought frozen strawberries. When I’m short on time (or feeling super lazy), this is how I make sure my strawberry bounty doesn’t go bad. Then I make jam or other goodies later in the year when I’m feeling inspired.

Do you have any other favorite strawberry recipes?

Summer Week One

We went on a field trip yesterday to Old Sturbridge Village. It’s one of my favorite places to take the girls because we always learn something new. As a family who enjoys historic handicrafts, we really enjoy talking to the costumed historians who illustrate what life was like two hundred years ago. Yesterday was their final Homeschool Day for the school year and the girls had a great time painting a plate and making artwork out of things they found in nature.

We took a detour on the way home to pick up our Farm Share. When I opened the trunk to pull out my baskets—and my phone to take a picture—I discovered my phone was not in my backpack like I thought. There was a small panic in my mind about who might find my phone and hack into it to discover all my photos and terrible writing drafts. Then I realized the Village was closed for the day and hoped other homeschoolers were as honest as we are. When we got home, we used Find My Phone to search for it, and sure enough it was still in the bathroom where it must have fallen out.

The smell of coffee woke me at 6am this morning. Finding my bed empty, I trudged down the stairs to find an empty French Press and a note. “Phone GPS says it’s in the parking lot, not the bathroom. I’ll be back soon.” Anytime he leaves me a note, no matter what it says, my heart goes aflutter. He’s on the road, rescuing my lost phone, and I am here. Making my own coffee and meal planning. He is a true Hero.

And I’m going to need another cup of coffee.

This is the first week of our Summer Share at Springdell and Farmer Jamie does not ever disappoint. We have a Super Share this year plus extra fruit and eggs each week. We are getting a LOT of food, and while it can feel overwhelming during the peak harvest months, I never regret it come Winter. I’ll share tips and tricks with you on storing food, and if you stick with me through Winter, I’ll help you use it along the way. If this is your first year with a CSA, or if you’re considering a CSA for the first time, I do not recommend beginning with a Super Share. Get your feet wet first, THEN dive all the way in. Early summer means a lot of greens, and this week is all about the salad.

Summer Week 1

4 heads lettuce
2 heads cabbage
1 bunch Russian Red Kale
1 pint strawberry honey
1 bunch rhubarb
1 bunch golden beets (with their greens)
7 quarts strawberries

From the Farmstand

2 greenhouse cucumbers
1 half pint cherry tomatoes
4 small yellow onions
1 sweet onion
2 misfit broccoli crowns

Strawberries & Rhubarb

I have a post coming later this week about all the many things you can do with strawberries. Today I’d like to talk about the perfect pairing of strawberries and rhubarb. When I was a kid, my Aunt would make Strawberry Rhubarb pie for every Thanksgiving. I would never touch it. Rhubarb sounded weird, and I didn’t want to eat anything weird. I now know I was being ridiculous, because strawberry rhubarb is now one of my favorite combinations.

I adore this Strawberry Rhubarb Pecan Loaf so much that I make 2-4 of them every year and stick them in my freezer. Come January, when all the fresh fruit is long gone, I pull it out and enjoy it for breakfast with a cup of coffee. You can turn it into muffins too, which makes for even easier winter enjoyment.

I made a variation of this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp last week. I used equal parts strawberry & rhubarb (1 lb), cut the sugar to 1 cup, and used arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch. I also always use old fashioned oats instead of quick-cooking, because it’s what I usually have in the pantry. It was delightful with ice cream for dessert, and with yogurt for breakfast the next day.

This Strawberry Rhubarb Syrup is an excellent way to use up rhubarb. Many years I take time to can the syrup so I have it later. It’s great to use in making lemonade, or a great addition to Gin & Tonics, or even just a dash in a glass of sparkling water makes a fun treat. And I always save the fruit to put on top of yogurt. No wasting deliciousness!

Lettuce

We grabbed pizza on our way home last night, but with 4 heads of lettuce in the share, I made everyone wait to eat until I had made a side salad. Farmer Jamie’s lettuce is seriously the best lettuce I’ve ever had. The fact that not even my tiniest (who hates lettuce) complained about having to eat a salad with pizza is a huge testament to the deliciousness of her greens. We topped it with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries (of course).

This Bon Appetit Article made me want Steak Salad for dinner every night for the next week, so I was thrilled with David requested Steak Salad for Father’s Day.

I got a great variety of Red & Green Leaf Lettuce as well as one head of Bibb lettuce this week so I’m excited to mix and match them all. Lettuce Wraps are perhaps my favorite way to use Bibb lettuce. This recipe takes me back to my high school days, when P.F. Changs felt like the fanciest joint around.

If you’re starting out with a CSA for the first time this year, I hope you’re not hit with 4 heads of lettuce like I am. Unless you really love lettuce. It’s taken us a very long time to get used to using 4 heads of lettuce in one week, and I’m always so proud of us when it’s gone before the week is over. The trick is to eat lettuce every single day. Even for breakfast.

When the weather forecast is sunny and beach-worthy, I’m grateful for the ability to pack a quick lunch salad to go. Lunch Salads need no recipe, just creativity. I usually open my fridge and start pulling out leftovers and soon a lunch salad is born. Don’t forget to pack salad dressing. And a fork. A seashell will work as a fork in a pinch, but it’s not ideal. Trust me.

Cabbage

Anytime I get cabbage in my share I instantly think of this Crispy Oven Pork with Cole Slaw. This is a great recipe if you’re feeding a crowd (which I am THRILLED to be able to do once again this year).

Last week I used unloved cabbage from the misfit shelf to make this Asian-Inspired Salad. I made this Sesame Dressing because I’m not a fan of Peanut Butter in my salad dressing. It kept well in my fridge all week, and was an excellent salad to take to the beach.

This Beef and Cabbage Stirfry is one of my favorite recipes for Cabbage. I wish I could figure out a way to freeze cabbage so that I can make this in the Winter. If you know any tricks about freezing shredded cabbage, send them my way!

Russian Red Kale

Russian Red Kale is terrific for salads, and this one uses Golden Beets too! It feels like a huge win when I can combine ingredients to make meals. This White Bean & Kale Panzanella also looks delightful and would be a good way to use up that stale bread in my bread box.

If you need an easy appetizer or snack, Kale Chips are always a win around here.

With as much lettuce as we have this week, I’ll likely blanch and freeze our kale this week because it stores well and is easy to use in soups in Winter. Or maybe I’ll use some of the misfit potatoes from last week and make these Twice Baked Potatoes with Kale. They also freeze well and are a treat in the dark days of Winter.

As for the Kale stems, I try not to compost them. They juice well, or they can be thrown in a blender with some fruit for a fun twist on Green Smoothies. Don’t forget the honey in your smoothie. It will give the smoothie a sweetness that your kids (or you) can’t resist. You can also turn them into Pesto, which will freeze well and will be so welcome in Winter.

Golden Beets (with their greens)

Most people adore simple roasted beets as a side dish or on top of a salad. I have been trying to love beets as long as we’ve had a CSA, and I just don’t. I do like some varieties better than others, but all-in-all, beets are not my favorite thing. I do love a good pickled beet, especially in Winter or very early Spring. This recipe is similar to the one I typically use, but I’m intrigued by this Pickled Beet with Grapefruit and Chili. Maybe I’ll try something new this year.

Surprisingly, I find beet greens to be incredibly easy to use. My kids are huge fans of these Green Treats and I will sometimes substitute beet greens for the chard. Did you know beets and swiss chard come from the same family? Most often I blanch and freeze the greens and use them later when I want fresh pasta. I hardly ever make pasta without some kind of greens sneaking their way in.

Strawberry Honey

I don’t really need to tell you how to use fresh honey, do I? This is the most delicious honey I’ve ever had. With a faint taste of strawberries, we’ve been sticking spoons in and eating it by itself. I’ve long heard that eating local raw honey may help with seasonal allergies. Although there’s no science to back that up, I figure a small taste of honey every day can’t hurt. At the very least, it brings a smile to our faces.

I drizzle a spoonful over plain yogurt for the girls, put it in my coffee and tea, put it in smoothies, and occasionally drizzle some on top of a piece of toast covered in peanut or almond butter. A pint of honey doesn’t last long around here.

Alright friends, that’s a lot of recipes for you to dig through this week. It will only get bigger as the summer goes on. If at any time you feel overwhelmed, please don’t hesitate to comment below and ask for ideas specific to your share. I truly do love helping people learn how to love their farm shares!

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Spring Week Five

I walked into the kitchen this morning and opened the fridge to find near-empty shelves and drawers staring back at me. It’s rare that we have an empty refrigerator. We make almost every meal at home, so there’s hardly ever a day when we can say “there’s nothing in the fridge to eat.” But this morning, with the exception of a tub of yogurt, a bottle of orange juice, a raw eggplant, sad unloved carrots and celery, and various types of pickles, there was really nothing in our fridge to eat.

Luckily, it’s farm pickup day, so I sent David to the farm while I stayed home to unpack and do mounds of laundry from a week away from home. In addition to our share, he brought home a variety of things he rescued from the misfit shelf. I now have more potatoes than I know what to do with, but we love potatoes, so I’m down for the challenge. After a week of eating at restaurants and camping food, my body is feeling bloated and craving all things fresh. This is a good week for salad greens!

Spring Week 5

1 quart strawberries
2 bags spinach
1 head lettuce
1 bag mesculin

From the Misfit Shelf

20 lbs of potatoes
2 heads of savoy cabbage
2 avocados
4 oranges
8 apples
More ginger than I’ve ever seen before in my life
3 tomatoes
4 small cucumbers

Strawberries

Strawberries mark the official start of summer here in New England and I am thrilled we got some today. Most of these will be eaten straight out of the box, but I’m going to save a few for that Spinach Strawberry Salad I wrote about last week. I know strawberry picking season is upon us, so stay tuned for many ideas on how to use them before they go bad!

Spinach

Spinach will be the highlight of our meals this week. We got a lot of it, and it’s gorgeous, and I’m so excited to use it in a variety of ways. This Chickpea Stew with Potatoes and Spinach will be perfect for our mid-week dinner with our vegetarian friends (I’ll leave out the bacon and add some smoked paprika). I’m going to serve it with grilled flatbread and sauteed savoy cabbage.

We are also part of a Fish Share, which means we pick up fresh fish caught by local fishermen every other week. One of the perks of living by the coast is fresh seafood, and we like to support the local fishermen as much as possible. I never know what kind of fish we’re getting until the day of our pickup, but I’m eyeing this Baked Fish with Spinach recipe as a possibility for this week.

And since I’m overloaded with potatoes and am making chickpeas early this week, I’m thinking this Warm Potato Salad with Spinach and Chickpeas will be a delightful little lunch later in the week.

Lettuce

I love this Chopped Salad with Feta and Mint, mostly because I can use whatever vegetables I have. This week that will be cucumbers, carrots, celery, and maybe some cooked white beans, edamame, corn, or whatever else I can find hiding in the freezer.

Mesculin

Mesculin—also known as mesclun—is a word derived from the french word mesclar which literally means “mixture.” Mesculin, originating in Provence, France, includes a variety of types of greens, all in their baby state. Before any heads of greens were ready to be picked, farmers picked the baby greens and packaged them together to sell, and mesculin was born! Commonly seen in grocery stores as “mixed baby greens” or “spring greens,” it makes for a beautiful salad.

Tonight I’m making Spaghetti and Meatballs with Marinara and a huge Italian Salad. My family will love the Spaghetti and Meatballs and I will love the salad.

How’s your meal planning going this spring? Summer harvest begins next week and I can’t wait to see how the share grows as the summer progresses.