Our Winter Share by Patrice Hall

 

Our Winter Share - How we used the root veggies!

by Patrice Hall

When the summer CSA share ended in November, I was worried that we wouldn’t get fresh veggies in the winter and miss all of the flavors we enjoyed last season.  Well, thank goodness we were able to have a winter CSA season this year, this helps to supplement our grocery shopping with locally sourced items.  Vegetables are usually shipped over long distances and sprayed to preserve them for the trip, CSA veggies are usually picked the same morning of the pickup day so we can enjoy the farm to table goodness.

The potatoes, onions, carrots, turnips and green vegetables were used throughout the week.  I cooked the cabbage on our pickup day, along with the leeks, and this made a very nourishing side dish for my baked chicken.  I have not used the pumpkin yet; I may roast it or make another soup. This is prime soup season since it is so cold outside, also I am happy we finally have snow!  Later in the week I made chicken soup with the root vegetables, seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  I usually add turmeric for color but didn’t have enough on hand.  The weather forecast states that it will be mid 50’s by the end of the week, so I may make stir fry with the greens, carrots and onions.  The soup I made this week was nourishing, and I am looking forward to what next week’s share will bring!

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Registration for our CSA Summer Shares is currently open! You can find more information and everything you need to register here: https://forms.gle/xPD8sf1BSkNXpVyGA

 

Roasted Bok Choy by Patrice Hall

 

Roasted Bok Choy

by Patrice Hall

 

(sourced from thespruceeats.com)

 

We have been receiving lots of Bok choy in our winter CSA shares, so I looked for a good recipe besides the usual stir fry.  One of my favorite sources is thespruceeats.com. It has a plethora of recipes, preserving tips and other ideas for using up veggies.  For this recipe, I used my CSA honey in place of the sugar, you can also use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos in place of the soy sauce.  The sesame seeds add to the texture and flavor, and it makes it look pretty on the plate.  I served this as a side dish to chicken baked with red bell pepper and rice, you can also add thinly sliced carrots to roast alongside the bok choy. In addition, I like using bok choy in stir fry because it keeps its size when cooked and the stalk adds a nice crunch.

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 8 mins

Total: 18 mins

Servings: 2 servings

 

 

Ingredients

 

•  12 ounces baby bok choy, cleaned and cut in half lengthwise

•  2 tablespoons olive oil

•  Ground black pepper, to taste

•  1 teaspoon sesame oil

•  1 tablespoon soy sauce

•  1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

•  1 teaspoon sugar (or maple syrup)

•  1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

 

Steps to Make It

 

01  Gather the ingredients.

02  Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place bok choy on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and a few grinds of pepper.

03  Bake until stalks are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

04  In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Whisk to blend.

05   Put bok choy on a platter or serving dish, spoon dressing over, and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Serve immediately.

06  Enjoy.

 

How to Clean Bok Choy

 

The stalks of bok choy are prone to grit, much like leeks, so be sure to clean bok choy thoroughly before cooking. The simplest way to prep bok choy is to cut it in half lengthwise and submerge it in cold water for a few minutes. This will soften the dirt and allow you to remove it easily. Drain the water, check for dirt between the stalks, and run each half of bok choy under cold water. Gently shake and place on top of a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.

 

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Registration for our CSA Summer Shares is open until March 8, 2024. You can find more information and everything you need to register here: https://forms.gle/xPD8sf1BSkNXpVyGA

Dahlma’s Stir-fried Cabbage Recipe by Jonathan Lessuck and Dahlma LLanos

 Dahlma’s Stir-fried Cabbage Recipe  

by Jonathan Lessuck and Dahlma LLanos

Even though cabbage is good for you, many people don’t like the flavor of plain boiled cabbage. We have taken the idea of boiled cabbage, and zested it up with some easy to get spices. We have combined Dahlma’s Puerto Rican heritage with a spice we love from Maryland, and have come up with a cabbage dish that everyone enjoys. 

Ingredients:

4c shredded cabbage

1 lg onion

4 Tbs olive oil

1c crumbled feta cheese

1/4c olives and capers

2 Tbs Badía Complete (Adobo spice blend)

2 tsp Old Bay (spice blend)

Vinegar, salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In large skillet, heat the olive oil.
2. Add diced onions and spices (Adobo and Old Bay). Cook on med. flame until onion is translucent
3. Add shredded cabbage. Add 1c water. Mix to coat cabbage with spice blend. Cover and cook on med flame until cabbage is firm but not fully cooked. 
4. Add Feta, olives and capers (if you use the liquid, no need for additional vinegar).
5. Mix and cover. At this point the cabbage should be shiny with coating of all flavors. Continue cooking until cheese and base flavors are absorbed.
6. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Serves 4 

Enjoy.

 

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Interested in joining the Norwood CSA?  Our Summer 2023 season has come to a close, but check back in a few weeks for information about our 2023-2024 Winter Share.

Put a Pepper in your Step! by Jenny Pena

 Put a Pepper in your Step!

by Jenny Pena 

One item that throughout the fall and still as of last week we got in our CSA box are peppers. These come in different colors, shapes, sizes and spice levels. Regardless of your preference of spice level, you can find peppers that can be incorporated in your recipes to add a layer of flavor to your sauces, stews and beans. During this season we received several types and I wanted to share about two of my favorites that are also readily available in stores as well. 

Poblano Peppers – originally from Puebla they are dark green and have a lot of flavor and mild heat. Excellent to have roasted, stuffed and even dried to use in Mexican recipes which are called ancho chiles.

Here is a great recipe that I like to make when these come in the CSA box. Feel free to swap the filling with rice and beans, mashed potatoes and also experiment with different cheese combinations. It is delicious and ingredients are probably already in your pantry. See recipe linked here - https://www.thespruceeats.com/grilled-stuffed-chili-rellenos-3378388

Stuffed chiles.  Photo courtesy of https://www.thespruceeats.com

Jalapeno Peppers – these are widely known and are a bit more intense in terms of heat level. According to Wikipedia, it is the official “State Pepper of Texas,” but you don’t have to be in Texas to enjoy these. I love to add them to anything from stews, beans and guacamole. If you want it to be a bit spicier, leave the seeds; if you want it less hot, remove the seeds and use the outer part. I prefer to use them for guacamole and my trick is to roast them using a pan over the stove and then chop to add to the guacamole. Here is a simple recipe that also uses onions (that have been in every box this season) and, of course, avocados. See recipe linked here - https://everydaylatina.com/spicy-guacamole-with-roasted-vegetables/

Guacamole in a bowl with tortilla chips.  Photo courtesy of https://everydaylatina.com

So, whether you like the spice level to be up or down, you can still add some peppers to your vegetable rotation and experiment with it. Your foods will taste delicious and it is a simple and easy way to be versatile and experiment.

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Interested in learning more about the Norwood CSA? Check out our Info Page: https://norwoodfoodcoop.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-join-norwood-csa.html

My Reaction to the “12 Foods You Should Never Store In The Refrigerator” Article by Patrice Hall

My Reaction to the “12 Foods You Should Never Store In The Refrigerator” Article 

by Patrice Hall

 

Fruits and Vegetables in the Crisper Drawer of a Fridge.

I tend to keep most of the food in the kitchen refrigerated, everything goes in the fridge or freezer, especially jars of whatever is opened.  All the CSA veggies are kept in the fridge as well, the root vegetables in the vegetable bin and the greens are wrapped in a paper towel and kept in the plastic bag or Ziplock.  Well, imagine my surprise when I read the article featured in Southern Living website “12 Foods You Should Never Store in The Refrigerator”.  Many foods we keep in the fridge actually need to be kept at room temperature, so I will list each food they featured and give a reason why we customarily refrigerate them.  You can find the original article at https://www.southernliving.com/food/kitchen-assistant/foods-not-to-store-in-refrigerator?hid=745d0323cff2b5ef4eba9d9382b7f96538eb0301&did=10485343-20231011&lctg=745d0323cff2b5ef4eba9d9382b7f96538eb0301:

1.      Tomatoes -I like cold tomatoes when I eat them, they taste good in sandwiches that way.  My mom never kept them on the counter.

2.      Onions -Laziness is the reason why I usually toss these in the veggie bin, it never spoils faster so it works for me 😊

3.      Potatoes -This is a toss up, depending on if there is counter space these will be tossed in the veggie bin.

4.      Oil – I am in full agreement with the article here, this stays on the countertop.

5.      Bananas -If they need to ripen, they are left on the kitchen table, if they are ripe, they go in the fridge, this is a matter of taste with us.

6.      Coffee -I fully agree with the article, this is in a large mason jar on my kitchen table.

7.      Honey- Unopened it is in the cabinet, once opened it goes in the fridge because it tends to get sticky outside the jar.

8.      Bread -We keep this at room temperature on top of the fridge as the article suggests, we keep our Ezekiel bread in the fridge as instructed on the package.

9.      Avocados -When ripe we keep it in the fridge, on the countertop when it needs to ripen.

10.   Garlic -This is a toss-up, depending on our mood…

11.    Melons -These go in the fridge, we like cold melon.

12.   Peaches, Plums, And Nectarines -These all go in the fridge, usually are canned later.

This is how we keep our food stored, however I may take some pointers from the article to see the results.

 

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Interested in learning more about the Norwood CSA? Check out our Info Page: https://norwoodfoodcoop.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-join-norwood-csa.html

Butternut Squash – a Fruit Soup for the Soul by Jenny Pena

 Butternut Squash – a Fruit Soup for the Soul

By Jenny Pena

 

Fall is a great time for soup and one of my favorite items to eat is Butternut Squash. If you didn’t know, Butternut Squash is actually a fruit (but treated as a vegetable) and is in season during the fall and winter months, it is rich in many nutrients such as Vitamins C and A as well as fiber and potassium and it helps with maintaining healthy blood pressure, preventing eye disease, great source of healthy fiber, antioxidants, and many more benefits. It has a delicious sweet taste that is very filling. (see article from everyday health here - https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/potential-health-benefits-of-butternut-squash/)

 

While you can cut it in cubes and add some oil, salt, pepper and herbs (my favorite is thyme) and cook it in the air fryer to keep and add to salads, my favorite way to enjoy it is in a soup. I think that if you enjoy sweet potatoes, you will probably enjoy butternut squash.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

 

Bowl of butternut squash soup. Photo credit: https://theskinnyfork.com/blog/butternut-apple-soup

1 large butternut squash – peeled, seeded and in cubes

1-2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp dried thyme or rosemary (if you like the taste)

2 pears or apples (or both if you are adventurous) – peeled, cored and in cubes

1 medium onion – peeled and chopped

1 tsp turmeric

2-3 cloves of garlic (add more if you enjoy the garlic taste)

1-2 1’’ pieces of ginger (omit if you don’t like the taste, but this is great for your digestion and to warm up the body)

3-4 cups of chicken broth or bone broth

Salt + Pepper to taste

1 Pack of bacon (or turkey bacon) – you can omit, used as a topping to add a little texture

1-2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds – optional, it is great as a topping to add some crunch

Preparation

 

1. Toss butternut and apples and/or pears with 1 tbsp of olive oil and herb and roast for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Check and remove items as they become caramelized.
2. Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic and ginger in 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pot until is soft. Add the rest of the vegetables that were roasting with all the remaining ingredients and let it cook for 5-10 minutes.
3. Taste to verify if you need to add more salt and either use an immersion blender or remove and add to blender. I would suggest waiting for soup to be more on the warm side to avoid getting burned or massive splashes.
4. Cook bacon to be crispy in the over or on a pan, then chop and set aside for serving.
5. Toast the sesame seeds in a pan for a little bit and set aside for serving.
6. Enjoy!

 

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Interested in learning more about the Norwood CSA? Check out our Info Page: https://norwoodfoodcoop.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-join-norwood-csa.html