CSA Week 2
In your share this week:
Baby turnips
Carrots
Broccoli
Green Onions – Baby cippolini (Full share) or scallions (Half share)
Salad Mix
Italian Parsley (Half share) or Basil (Full)
Full shares only:
Sugar snap peas!!
Zucchini
Kale
Hello wonderful people of Neskowin!
It is my pleasure to introduce myself as a new member of the Corvus Landing team. My name is Fidé (fEE-day), I’m a student at Oregon State University, and I travel from Corvallis every week to learn and labor on this beautiful organic farm!
Getting right to it! After trellising the sugar snap peas the last few weeks, I watched them grow and stretch beyond the reach of my 5’ frame, but today was the day we got to taste and harvest them for the first time this year! They are crunchy and sweet and make a good snacking item for a quick bite. I love to snack on snap peas as is, or even combine them in a hummus platter for a unique dipping item. Snap peas enjoy the cool climate of Neskowin, and they have made great progress in the last few weeks on the farm. Full shares got the first harvest but everyone will soon be able to enjoy these tasty treats in future harvests. As a reminder, sugar snap peas are not shelling peas. When enjoying sugar snap peas, the peas and the pod are both eaten.
Everyone got onions this round! Full shares got baby cippolini and half shares received scallions! The greens of both onions are edible raw and cooked, so don’t let them go to waste! Scallion greens are commonly chopped and added to salads or, sprinkle onion greens on your potato salad or tuna sandwich to take it to the next level!
In your shares you either got broccoli or broccolini. The broccoli have the tighter and larger heads that we’re all familiar with, and the broccolini have looser larger heads and tender stems. I’m a fan of both and enjoy giving them a little steam bath and serving them along side some savory dishes. However they both taste great raw tossed into salads or dipped in hummus (I just dip everything in hummus).
Tuscan kale is present in most full shares. I would describe them as having a nutty flavor. I more often cook them, although they can make a great base for a salad if you cut the stems off. Full shares also got zucchini and one lucky winner got a monster zucchini which took me by surprise as I searched the understory of our zucchini plants. That will make one memorable veggie lasagna! Some people may not know this but zucchini is botanically classified as a fruit. Zucchini’s come packaged with antioxidants, as with most fruits, and anti-inflammatory compounds. It even has a bit of protein in it! I didn’t know that until today. You can also eat the flesh of the zucchini, but some people peel it off as a personal preference.
The two recipes I want to leave you with today are Zucchini Noodle Salad and a Turnip soup.
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Zucchini Noodle Pesto salad
This recipe is one of my favorites and you can modify it to your liking!
What you will need for this recipe:
A veggie noodle-er and high-powered blender or food processor.
(I got my vegetable noodle-er from at a grocery store some years ago and they have become more popular in recent years).
Zucchini
Process zucchini through the noodle-er. Alternatively, you can slice them with a mandeline or by hand into ribbons.
Simple Pesto Sauce
Blend all ingredients together
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or pepitas
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 small garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Ground black pepper
2 cups basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
Optional: nutritional yeast, capers, or oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
Mix the pesto and zucchini noodles together and serve cold for a summer-fresh, raw food dish! Neatly place on a bed of your Corvus Landing salad mix for extra greens and presentation.
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Alice Waters’ Turnip and Turnip Greens Soup
Baby turnips are a wonderful cool-season treat. They have a delightful creamy texture and just a little bite. The greens are also both delicious and nutritious. I usually just use them raw on salad, but found this recipe in Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food to share with you. Serves 4 to 6.
Remove the greens from:
2 bunches young turnips with greens
Trim and discard the stems from the greens and cut into ½ inch strips.
Slice the turnips thinly.
Heat 3 Tbsp butter or olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and Add:
1 onion, sliced thin
Cook until soft, about 12 minutes. Add the sliced turnips with:
1 bay leaf
2 thyme sprigs
salt
2 strips bacon or prosciutto, chopped (optional)
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover with:
6 c chicken or vegetable stock Bring to a boil, the reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the turnip greens and cook for another 10 minutes or until the greens are tender.
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It was a joy packaging your shares and sharing my favorite recipes with you! Enjoy this bountiful harvest!
Corvus Landing Team