Friday, June 6

Our first "Harvest"

This week was the first pickup for the CSA that we joined. Thanks to a lot of rain and not a lot of sunshine, the harvest is a couple weeks behind from what the owners anticipated. What we got this week looks fresh, vibrant and full of good flavor and nutrients.

Spinach

Kale

Collard Greens

Humongous green onions - I've never seen any this large!

We also got asparagus, rhubarb, tomatoes and a huge head of green lettuce. I trimmed the ends of the kale and collard greens and put them in water - the ends smelled like broccoli.

Any recipe ideas for kale or collard greens? I've never used either. I have a recipe from Heidi Swanson that I may try, called Meyer Lemon Risotto, made with barley. Ryan and I have been wanting to expand our repertoire of foods that are, well, truly good for you and that are a whole food. I bought some organic pearl barley at the East End Food Co-op today ($1.09/lb!). I also got other goodies, including the most wonderful raspberries my mouth has ever met, and some hippie things like organic quinoa ($1.49/lb!), agave nectar, raw milk, and bulk raw organic sugar.

The next thing I plan to make with the quinoa is what may become my new breakfast that appears to be flavorful, filling and probably better for me than any other breakfast I can imagine: Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa. I actually found red quinoa which the recipe calls for but does not require. What is convenient about this is I can make a week's worth at home and take it to work each day.

For those interested in the photos, I shot RAW, ISO 100, manual mode with a diffused Canon 430ex flash. I use Photoshop Elements 6.0 for editing.

3 comments:

Catherine said...

Wow you got a great haul! I hope we can do a CSA someday.

I love kale. You can use it just the same way you'd use spinach. It's a little more stiff than spinach, but the taste is a cross between spinach and broccoli. Be sure you take the center ribs out first. It's also good chopped fine and added to a mixed salad.

Collard greens have a strong taste. You want to cook them rather than trying to eat them raw. My South Carolina family would eat them sauteed or boiled with chow-chow on top. Chow chow is kind of like a cross between chutney and relish. BUT I think that's an acquired taste. :) Last week I got some collards on sale and sauteed them with Italian seasonings and a big can of chopped tomatoes, then served that over cous-cous. Having other things with the greens helps absorb and distribute some of the strong taste.

Anonymous said...

What CSA did you join? I am curious about their prices.
The farm I used to work at offered this option - this year it is still really affordable at only $15/week, but the are located so far away I can't afford the drive. I am working at a greenhouse now and we are in the process of planting for selling at local farmer's market. I am trying to convince them to grow a more interesting selection than they have in the past - we'll see what happens!
Your photos, and the veggies, are beautiful! And, you made me miss working at the EEFC - the bulk prices are so cheap:( There are only really shabby Giant Eagle stores up here with bad produce and no quinoa to speak of! Ok, enough coveting your Pgh food options...

Erin

lynardlynard said...

I meant to sign up for a farm share to pick up at the East End Co-op, but I forgot. :-( It's probably late enough that I should just do the farmer's markets and wait for my garden, which I finally have in the ground. As for perennials, my little strawberry patch is almost done, and my parsley has gone to seed. My blueberries look like bait for the birds soon. Your veggies look yum!