CSA Week 5

Although it seems that I have been neglecting to update my blog, I have really been waiting to post a new entry because we didn't get a share this week. Partway through Week 5, Darbi sent an email to all of the CSA members to ask if we would mind skipping a week due to the rain and some other conditions affecting the crops. She and Adam are going to add a share on to the end instead of providing one for Week 6. I had finished most of my share by Tuesday, but some leftovers along with local chard and squash from Ellwood Thompson's will tide me over until next week's pick up.

The first meal I made with our produce from the fifth week (and some leftover squash and potatoes from the fourth week) was the Summer Squash Gratin from 101 Cookbooks. Instead of fresh oregano in the sauce, I picked basil from the pot on my front porch. It was more reminiscent of pesto, but to me it made the dish lighter and more summery than oregano would have. I substituted cheddar for the gruyere, because we always have cheddar in the fridge, and used two Tablespoons instead of four to mix with the bread crumbs.

This gratin isn't at all traditional, but the cheese and butter really give it a rich base. I was able to eat the leftovers for the next three days along with dinner on Tuesday night, and I looked forward to it every time. The sauce also served as a delicious salad dressing for the whole week, since the recipe said to not use all of it in the gratin.

Davy was sick all week, and Thai food really appealed to him on Wednesday. We got take out and had Swiss chard sauteed in olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice on the side. On Thursday night we went to a friend's house for a cookout. We contributed braised kale and broccoletti to eat alongside grilled bison, steak, corn, and potatoes from the farmer's market.

I kept the remaining greens ate them with leftover Pad Thai for lunch on Monday. The next day we grilled pork chops, squash and onions, and roasted carrots and potatoes from the last of our produce. The carrots had gotten a little soft after a week, but they were still sweet and roasted nicely with the potatoes. We had a small serving of the root vegetables left after dinner, and we finished them off in a frittata with chard and cheddar on Saturday. The picture below does it justice - it slid right out of the pan, which was a victory because our frittatas usually stick at least partially.


I am impatient for a new round of vegetables to work with, though having a week off didn't seem to hurt our eating at all.