CSA Week 5
Hello again Neskowin family!
So happy to be sharing this weeks organic yield with you! Harvested with mindfulness, care, and joy!
This week we have…
—-Full shares—-
Napa cabbage
Sugar Snap Peas
Super secret surprise!
—-Half shares—-
Cucumber
Green Cabbage
Sun gold cherry tomatoes
—Both—
Potatoes
Zucchini
Parsley
Romaine
Onion
Both shares got a different kind of cabbage. Full shares received Napa cabbage, which is a Chinese cabbage, buttery and sweet, excellent for Asian cuisine such as stir-fries, salads, slaws, and the popular kimchi (pickled cabbage). Carolina loves to add it to tacos and I like to enjoy it in miso soup. Napa cabbage tastes great raw or cooked. Half-shares have the more familiar green cabbage which can also be eaten raw or cooked and used in the same dishes as Napa cabbage.
Everyone got potatoes! A staple food of humans for generations, potatoes are a very versatile root vegetable, known as a tuber. As with a couple weeks ago, they make a great side dish in potato salad. Potatoes are best cooked, and eaten with or without the skin. Boiled, baked, or fried, potatoes add substance to any meal. Try baking your potatoes with olive oil and rosemary or check out the recipe below. When I visited Ireland, I had potatoes almost every morning. Seasoned baked potatoes and tomatoes with cooked greens and mushrooms. Yum!
Generous heads of romaine lettuce bless both shares this week, and if you’re wondering what to do with it all, just remember that food tastes better when shared with others! However, if you can’t use enough for your summer salads, we suggest trying lettuce wraps with your desired filling, or adding it to tacos and sandwiches. I also like to garnish plates with lettuce and pile my preferred protein or vegetable choices on top of large fresh lettuce leaves for some extra green.
Parsley is also in both shares. Some people get intimidated by parsley and don’t know what to do with it. Parsley is an herb that’s often cut and dried for seasoning, but it’s fresh leaves are also valued fresh or cooked. There are many smoothie recipes that incorporate parsley, which, when blended with the other produce, can help purge the body of heavy metals. This is how I often get rid of a lot of it at once. Parsley is also an important ingredient in tabouleh, which is a mediterranean cold dish. It’s often an ingredient in Italian dishes and seasoning mixes. I like it added to salads with a vinaigrette dressing.
I’ve been eating the farm cucumbers like crazy; green salads, chickpea tuna salads, tabouleh, and couple weeks ago I added a recipe for cucumber lemonade. I had some this weekend and I hope some of you got to enjoy some as well. Add cucumbers to a sandwich for a crunch, or cut them into disks and dip them in hummus.
We wanted to add one more thing to full shares but didn’t have a ton of any one item, so full shares got a “super secret surprise”. About half of you got romano green beans, which we’ll be seeing a lot more of in a couple of weeks. These are great raw or cooked, Carolina likes them best cooked whole on the grill or lightly steamed and eaten with butter.
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Oil-free Potato Fritters with parsley pesto drizzle
Try this breakfast idea!! Top it with cooked zucchini, mushroom, and tomatoes. A protein packed plant-based dish for everyone! Feel free to add other protein choices to the dish if you prefer or switch the zucchini and mushrooms for other vegetables.
The zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, or any other vegetable substitutes you prefer, can be baked or fried. I prefer baked, but sometimes I don’t have time to wait in the morning, so choose what works best for you. I suggest mixing them with oil and Italian seasoning and baking them with the potato fritters, being sure to check on them after the set time. Extend time as needed.
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Pesto Drizzle Dressing
You will need a food processor or blender and …
1 cup firmly packed fresh parsley (some stem is fine) rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, or more to taste (optional)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon, or more, to taste
1 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped cucumber
1 scallion, coarsely chopped
Pinch of salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process until the mixture is well-pureed. You’ll still be seeing flecks of green.
Transfer to a bottle with a tight lid and shake before each use. Keep any unused portion in the refrigerator, where it will keep for several days.
Potato Fritters
You will need a cheese-grater and …
3 cups shredded potatoes
1 cup shredded zucchini (coarsely shredded)
1 cup shredded peeled carrots (finely shredded)
¾ tsp sea salt
½ tsp garlic powder
1 TBSP fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
¼ tsp paprika
¼ cup chickpea flour (or all-purpose)
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 2: In a clean kitchen cloth, very sturdy paper towels, or cheese cloth, squeeze out the liquid from the shredded potatoes and zucchini. Really put some muscle into it and just when you think you’ve squeezed all the liquid out, squeeze a little bit more! This will get rid of most of the starch from the potatoes and the liquid from the zucchini so that the fritters will bake up nice and crispy! DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
Step 3: Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix well to combine.
Step 4: Taking about ¼-1/3 cup of the mixture, form it into a thin patty shape with your hands. Place it on the parchment lined baking sheet and press down slightly to flatten. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
Step 5: Bake for 20 minutes. Gently flip the fritters over. Bake another 10-15 minutes until golden brown on both sides and crispy on the edges.
Serve drizzled with the parsley dressing and enjoy!
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Cabbage Tacos with Cilantro Drizzle
This recipe can be made vegan*
You will need a blender and …
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
3/4 cup sour cream (or vegan version)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small cabbage (1 1/2 pounds), halved, cored and finely shredded
1 medium onion, cut into slivers
1 medium red pepper
1 small rotisserie chicken, meat shredded, skin and bones discarded
Warm corn tortillas, for serving
Step 1: In a blender, puree the cilantro with the sour cream, lime juice and olive oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Cook your desire protein, and when that is close to being done, sauté the onion slivers and red pepper.
Step3: In a large bowl, toss in the cabbage, onions, red pepper, and the cilantro dressing. Let stand for 10-15 minutes. Add the chicken and toss until it is coated with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper and serve with warm corn tortillas.
Enjoy!
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Thank you for supporting local, organic farms for the sustainability and health of our future! May this food bring you prosperity for years to come!
From me and the team at Corvus Landing, we wish you a pleasant week!
Fidé