CSA 2011: Week 25

This week, my friend came with me to the farm so I could show her around and see how things are done.  She'll be picking up my next share (if there is one) while I am on a fabulous vacation.  It's funny because I'll only be here for a few days this week, but I still ended up taking home most of the produce.  She had a bit more self-control, taking only what she thought she would use.  I felt the need to snatch up whatever she wasn't taking.  I probably should learn not to do this...

No PYO this week!  My friend did take a bit of mint.  There are a few herbs left which are unlimited picking.

Broccoli is my favorite.  I took this home.  (on purpose!)

I took 6 tiny hot peppers.

I got 2 Chinese/napa cabbage - Small ones, because I don't need a lot this week.

My friend took 3 heads of red lettuce.  She didn't want the 4th so I found a tiny green one.

I took about 1/2 pound of the lettuce mix and I believe my friend took about the same.  Maybe I should have taken a bit more...

We each took a bunch of carrots.

My friend took one tomato and I took three.

And that's a wrap!  I think next week will probably be the last week of the season, and I doubt we'll participate in the "pig out" where you go into the fields and harvest whatever you want, donating a portion of it.  So, it's been another great year and we've eaten a lot of tasty food.  I have a lot of interesting things in the freezer for the winter and a long list of things to do with them.  I think I've gotten better at the freezing and canning thing, though I've still got a ways to go.  Next year I'll be even more prepared.  I'm looking forward to the winter break, but will be happy when spring comes and the CSA starts up again!

CSA 2011: Week 24

The season is winding down now.  Last year at this time we had a TON of produce, but since the hurricane at the end of the summer our share hasn't been as plentiful.  (Still more than enough food for us, though.)

This week we picked 2 quarts of string beans, 4 quarts of sauce tomatoes, and a bunch of parsley.  Yes, we skipped everything else.  I took the parsley.  Mom always keeps the sauce tomatoes until they are ripened, and then they come home with me.

We each took a pound of the delicious lettuce mix.

I took this "spicy mix," which was basically like last week's braising mix, except with way better vegetation in it.  I particularly like the little round leaves that remind me very much of a purple baby bok choy.  (They might even BE that. Who knows? I do wish they would tell us...)  I stir-fried this with garlic and ginger and red pepper flakes.  Yum!

I took home the arugula.

I let mom have the spinach :)

The garlic had a sign (you can see the edge of it on the right) that said that this was garlic they had saved as seed garlic, but it didn't meet their quality standards for seed garlic.  Supposedly it is still tasty, but I had a hard time finding any big heads that weren't rotted out.  I got two halves of full size heads and two tiny heads.

Mom took turnips, because she still has radishes.  These were the only two choices.

Mom kept the lettuce.

I got 6 hot peppers that may be cherry peppers.  They're round and dark green.  I wonder where they pick these peppers from because they look like the same varieties as the PYO ones, but I don't know if that's where they take them from or what.

Can't believe the tomatoes are still coming!  Mom kept them this week.  I still have a bunch.

And finally...

...the broccoli.  Ah, the broccoli.  The broccoli which I realized we didn't take when we were already almost home and made my mom turn around to go get for me, because I love broccoli.  I ate one head with some ravioli for lunch.  I think I might stir fry the other one tomorrow with some garlic and ginger and have it with rice.  Yum.  So worth the extra time.

Our CSA pickups ended in the first week of November last year.  Let's see how it goes this year.  The last date has not been announced, but like the spring, they typically do it within about a week.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Roasted Peanuts

Not too long ago, I got bok choy from the choice group at our CSA.  I didn't really know what I wanted to do with it, so since it's Deborah Madison month, I flipped through her books for some ideas.  I decided on this recipe for Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Roasted Peanuts from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.  It made a nice, simple, surprisingly filling weeknight dinner.

The recipe is simple: bok choy, peanuts, a little garlic and ginger, soy sauce and some cornstarch to thicken it up.  Of course, as I was already stir-frying I reached for my soy sauce only to find that I had a bit less than half the amount called for, so I used teriyaki sauce for the rest. I thought it came out delicious anyway, maybe even better.  The peanuts gave it a nice crunch and red pepper flakes make everything better.