CSA Report: Rhubarb Is NOT Evil Celery
Who knew? One of the things I really enjoy about the CSA is that it provides a big culinary challenge in a box. Not only must I find ways of using new foods…I must do so in a way that toddlers won’t throw it back at me. I am also learning about this crazy concept called seasons.
Week #1
Mostly salad greens which I cleverly made….well…salads with. The radishes I ate while prepping everything else. The only curve ball here was the “pink celery.” Thanks to Greenbean, my helper monkeys and I made a delicious scone/tart like thing.
Let me tell you…rhubarb is the sly little minx of the veggie world; taste it raw and it takes an hour to get your face to depucker…cook it with a little sugar and you want to slather it all over your body.
Week #2
Actual Size Broccoli
The easy list….strawberries, lettuce, world’s tiniest broccoli (My 4 year old burst out laughing when he pulled that from our CSA box. My boys are broccoli fiends…mini me isn’t going to cut it in our house.)
The tougher list…kale & swiss chard…neither of which I have any experience with. The kale I steamed and added fresh garlic, chi chis, and ww noodles. Big hit. Kale is sweet…literally sweet…not just sweeeeeeeeet. Kids couldn’t get enough of it. Soooooo not the case with the swiss chard. In fact, both my little men looked at me like I had betrayed them when they tried this lovely green. I cooked some turkey bacon and then cooked the swiss chard in the bacon grease with some garlic, tossed with their favorite noodles, Barilla Plus, and watched as they managed to eat their entire bowls without actually allowing the greens to touch their lips. Fortunately clean up crew guy, otherwise known as Dada, loved it.
2 weeks down and nothing has gone to the worm bin besides the greens butts and stems. Not shabby.
I also have to think about my order for the 24ths CSA Pastured Meat & Poultry
I am a little bothered that the eggs aren’t organic. Not sure how I feel about that. Organic over local…why can’t I just have both. Whine Whine Whine.
Lucy was thrilled that the broccoli was so wee, but I have to tell you I was pretty sore that I didn’t get any!
If this year is anything like last, prepare for tons of kale.
My first year of CSA membership was a similar culinary exploration. You might consider swiss chard chips- tear leaves into chip size pieces, spray with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and bake at 350 until crisp (10-15 min). Ellie loved it- before she became anti-veggie a few years later. Now she eats them for fear of death from her mother:)
I am definately going to try that Tasha. The swiss chard is starting to back up. Got a huge bundle again this week.
[…] eat everything that came but will need to supplement the green zone. Oh…wait..I still have swiss chardfrom last week. Won’t the kids be thrilled. Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social […]