Rainy September

Despite all of the rain we've been getting, Fertile Crescent Farm still presented us with lovely, varied veggies yesterday:


- eggplant


- daikon radish


- watermelon radish


- okra


- sungold cherry tomatoes


- bok choy


- green beans




I also bought:


- fresh eggs


- fresh pasta (spinach and plain fettuccine, black pepper linguine)


- cremini mushrooms

Fall CSA - Week 1

Last week reinforced my love for the CSA, and I was so grateful to have our share back that I even decided to try eggplant again.  Since Davy and I both didn't hate last year's fish-fragrant eggplant, I decided to try it again.  There was also a small amount of okra that I hadn't really planned anything for, and it made sense to throw them in with the eggplant.  

The okra worked very well with this preparation.  It retained its texture without being slimy, and the seeds popped pleasantly when I bit down on them.  It's not the prettiest dish, or at least it wasn't when I made it, so I didn't take any pictures of the final product.  Our main course that night was Asian turkey burger sliders which didn't photograph well but were flavorful and moist.  We topped them with sauteed onions and a delicious carrot habanero hot sauce from our friend Travis.

Our yellow wax beans were crunchy and made a refreshing accompaniment to takeout from 8 1/2 (pizza, spaghetti carbonara and an arugula/mozzarella/prosciutto hero).  Similarly, I blanched and sauteed the broccoli rabe to have alongside a leftover sandwich from Secco.  Lunch at Secco is just as delectable as dinner, and the prices are just as reasonable.  I even threw in the remaining fried chickpeas with the broccoli rabe, and they added a lovely saltiness and contrasting texture to the greens.


On Tuesday we had a large dinner salad with romaine, grilled chicken, feta, tomato, sweet peppers, and cucumber dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. It was simple but extremely fresh and satisfying, especially as we grasp at the end of summer vegetables.

Davy used the other sweet pepper and some of the basil to make me an omelet with lots of feta.  Again, it was nice to taste summery flavors even though the temperatures are cooling off.


This is one of my favorite times of the year because I'm excited about so many types of food - the last of light, summer meals as well as the more comforting dishes that suggest autumn and colder weather.  I feel fortunate to have the CSA as an excuse to take advantage of it all.  

Apples!

We weren't able to pick up our share from Josh and Caitlin until Thursday due to a fantastic dinner at Iron Fish and a trip to Charlottesville for a concert.  We received:

- wax beans

- baby yellow squash

- apples

- jalapenos

- eggplant

- watercress

- salad mix

Full Produce Drawer

It feels so good to have an influx of vegetables again.  This week we received:




- sweet peppers


- onions


- eggplant (I took one)


- okra


- yellow beans


- broccoli rabe


- basil

CSA Meals - Week 15

Please accept my apologies for neglecting my blog.  The last week of our summer share was fairly uneventful, with some homemade 8 1/2 subs, grilled venison tenderloin marinated in chimichurri, grilled peppers and onions, pizza with arugula and prosciutto, and sauteed yellow squash.


We spent the past few weeks coping with various natural disasters, celebrating birthdays, including the first of our friends' 30th birthday.  Along with all of these events came some extraordinary edibles: prime rib started in the oven and finished on the stove when we lost power, funfetti cake, nutella dream cookies, and crab dip made with crabs that were caught and picked within twenty-four hours.  It was a fitting and wonderful way to conclude the summer.


Next up: the fall CSA, which starts on Tuesday!