This week's share...
Head lettuce
Lettuce mix
Green onions
Summer squash
Carrots
Fennel (<-- click for more info)
Sugar snap peas
Snow peas
Kohlrabi (see last week's post)

Balsamic Roasted Fennel and Carrots

by Healthy World Cuisine

Ingredients

• 1 fennel bulb and reserved wispy leaves (frangs)
• 3 large carrots
• 8 Cipollini onions (or one large onion sliced into half-moons)
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Sicilian Spice Mix or Italian Seasoning
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F or 218 degrees C
• Remove the top stems of the fennel bulb and reserve the wispy leaves (frang) for garnish. (The top stems of the fennel bulb are delicious in soup stocks)
• If your outer fennel bulb is tough remove just the outer edge. Cut your fennel in half and cut each half into 4 thin half moon slices.
• Next, peel and chop carrots into long matchsticks.
• Remove the outer skin of the Cipollini onions.
• In a small bowl, combine white balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, Sicilian Spice Mix or Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.
• Place your sliced fennel, matchstick carrots and peeled Cipollini onion in a bowl. Pour over your prepared balsamic vinaigrette and toss.
• Pour your prepared fennel, carrot and onion mixture on a lined baking sheet. We always spray a little oil on the bottom of the sheet pan to prevent sticking.
• Bake for 20 minutes and gently turn the carrots, fennel and onions over so they brown on both sides. Roast for another 20 – 25 minutes or until fork tender. Garnish with fennel frangs or otherwise known as the wispy leaves.

Menu ideas...

• Grilled summer squash kabobs
• Raw snow and sugar snap peas with hummus dip
• Kohlrabi home fries (<-- click for recipe)
• 10 ways to use lettuce that isn't salad

This week's share...
Lettuce Mix
Broccoli
Sugar snap peas
Snow peas
Carrots
Green onions
Summer squash
Spinach
Kohlrabi (<-- click for more info)

With the cooler nights it's a treat to have spinach this late in the season! The peas are just starting, so hopefully we will enjoy the sugar snaps for the next few weeks. And one new vegetable in this week's share- kohlrabi! Also known as "german turnip" it is a versatile vegetable that adds a great crunch to a variety of dishes. I pickled mine and added it to stir fry, along with the snow peas and carrots, yum!

Here is a recipe for quick pickled kohlrabi...

Shredded Kohlrabi Quick Pickle Recipeby serious eats

Active 20 mins
Total 2 hrs
Serves 32 servings
Makes 2 quarts Ingredients

• 2 pounds kohlrabi
  
• 2 cups red wine vinegar
  
• 2 cups water
  
• 2 tablespoons honey
  
• 2 tablespoons pickling salt
  
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  
• 1 garlic clove, grated
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
  
• 1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
  

Directions

1. Wash and dry two quart-size canning jars. Set aside.
   
2. Clean and trim kohlrabi bulbs. Using a mandoline slicer or a food processor, slice kohlrabi into thin matchsticks.
   
3. Divide the shreds evenly between the two canning jars.
   
4. Combine vinegar, water, honey, pickling salt, ginger, garlic, black peppercorns and red chili flakes in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
   
5. Once brine is boiling vigorously, remove it from the heat and carefully pour the brine over the kohlrabi.
   
6. Place lids on the jars and let them sit until cool.
   
7. Once jars are cool to the touch, refrigerate the pickles and eat with salads, sandwiches or meat dishes.
   

Special Equipment 2 quart-size canning jars, food processor or mandoline slicer


Other menu ideas...

• Steamed summer veggie penne (steamed summer squash and broccoli tossed with pesto and penne pasta)
  
• Stir fry (carrots, snow peas, kohlrabi, broccoli)
  

We are grateful for over an inch of rain and the vegetables are cheering too! Our summer crops are coming on, and we just got the fall pumpkins and vegetables in the ground and started in the greenhouse. Here's what we've been picking this week...

This week's share:
Head lettuce
Carrots
Summer squash
Broccoli
Green onions
Curly kale
Collard greens
Radishes
Spinach

Meal plan ideas...
Lettuce wrap burgers with roasted squash
Spring spinach salad (spinach, radishes, broccoli, green onions, carrots)
Crock pot collard greens with ham and grits (<--click for recipe)
Japanese vegetable pancakes (<--click for recipe)

Welcome to week two of our summer CSA! We enjoyed meeting our new farm share members last week, and look forward to meeting the rest this week!

This week's share:
White Russian kale
Carrots
Green onions
Head lettuce
Garlic scapes
Radishes
Pea shoots (<-- click for more info)
Asparagus
Mizuna (<-- click for more info)

We finally got a little rain, woo hoo! Hopefully the rain keeps coming and we can keep your kitchen stocked with the freshest seasonal vegetables.

If this is your first week of your farm share, refer to our previous post for some recipe ideas. And here is an Asian flavor inspired recipe to try!

Spring vegetable stir fry

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
Lemon
1 lb ground beef
1 tsp Cumin 
1 tsp Coriander
1/2 tbsp Chili powder 
1 tsp soy sauce 
1 bunch green onions 
2 garlic scapes
2-3 carrots
2 small cucumbers
4 radishes
2 tsp Ginger
Rice vinegar 

2 tbs coconut oil (or neutral oil)
Toasted sesame seeds

1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp sriracha

Slat and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. The night before or morning before or one hour before- tear kale into strips and remove stems. Squeeze one half of the lemon onto leaves and massage with palms. Sprinkle with salt, store in fridge until ready to use. Season the beef- place in bowl and season with salt and pepper, soy sauce, cumin, coriander, chili power, and any remaining juice in the lemon half.
2. Prep ingredients- chop green onions, separate whites from greens. Dice garlic scapes. Shred carrots. Slice cucumbers into 1/4 in slices. Slice radishes ‘match stick’ style. 
3. In a small bowl, toss cucumber slices with 1 teaspoon of salt. Fill bowl half way with rice vinegar. Toss with a fork halfway through. 
4. Heat 2 tbs of a neutral oil (olive, coconut, etc.) in a skillet on medium-low heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add garlic scapes and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add shredded carrots. Season with salt, pepper, and ground ginger. Cook for 3-4 more minutes. Remove from skillet and transfer to a plate. 
5. Return skillet to medium heat. Add beef. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Press down into pan with spatula and sear for 3-4 minutes.  Once beef has a golden-brown sear, flip and cook 3-4 minutes on other side. ( Note: beef should be seared on both sides and pink in the middle. It will continue to cook). This would be a good time to toss your cucumbers with a fork. 
6. Add onion, garlic and carrot mixture to beef in skillet. Stir together with spatula. Turn off heat, add kale, and cover with glass lid. Let rest for 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, stir together greek yogurt, sriracha and juice of half a lemon to make sauce. Add water to your liking to make the sauce thinner (this makes it easier to drizzle). 
8. Remove lid from skillet. Kale should be slightly wilted. Stir. Top with cucumbers, radishes, and yogurt sauce. Garnish with the green part of the green onions. 
9. Enjoy! 

Also, here is an example menu of how I plan to use my share to feed my family of 3!
Wednesday- Salad (bacon, head lettuce, pea shoots, carrots, radishes, hard boiled eggs, garlic scape dressing)
Thursday- Mizuna pesto chicken  with roasted carrots and asparagus
Friday- Cooked kale greens with ground pork and grits
Saturday- Leftover tacos with pea shoots

Please share any recipes you have found!