The Great Utah CSA Experiment - Week 4!

Here we go again! Without further ado or introduction, here is the share I received from the first CSA:

	CSA SHARE		Price(Organic)				Price ('Normal')	Value
	1.19 lb Red/Green Lettuce		5.31/lb					$6.50
	0.81 lb Romaine Lettuce		3.53/lb					$2.86
	0.74 lb Rainbow Chard						3.54/lb (Red)	$2.62
	1.55 lb English Peas						2.99/lb	$4.63
	0.26 lb Yellow Summer Squash						1.99/lb	$0.52

This week began with a surprise vegetable in my CSA share that wasn’t green. My very first summer squash – does that mean it’s really summer? There was just one, and weighing in at 4.20 oz I thought I might have preferred the 3 lbs I mentioned in my opening blog. Apparently it makes a great dish sliced and sautéed with caramelized onions – but there wasn’t nearly enough for that! At bottom is a recipe for Vegetable Hash I put together to stretch this small squash into a full meal.

I also found that though I still prefer sugar snap peas, I’m getting really fast at shelling the English peas, so that’s okay. They make great healthy midday snacks, easy additions to salads and soups, and they freeze well for later use too.

I gave the lettuce to my mother and two friends of mine (still feeling a little queasy, I was trying to limit my wanton salad making ways), but I kept the Rainbow Chard (pictured at right) – this was a treat I’d read about and I was very excited to try it out. The stalks of the chard varied from bright yellow to white to red (see picture, at left). I chopped it up with the remaining spinach from last week, added some Zesty Italian flavored cashews and mild cheese, and served it as a big salad for a family occasion – everybody loved it.

The Borski CSA share came several days later, right on time. Again, it contained a great variety of items which complemented the 1^st share nicely.

	CSA SHARE		Price(Organic)				Price ('Normal')	Value
	0.34 lb Garlic						2.99/lb	$1.01
	0.75 lb English Peas						2.99/lb	$2.24
	0.69 lb Broccoli		1.89/lb					$1.30
	0.5 lb Handcrafted Cheese		15.99/lb					$8.00

By this time I was feeling a little overwhelmed by peas, but at least they freeze well! Craig LOVES broccoli so that was easy to prepare – I served one head chopped and steamed with melted cheddar on top, and he ate the entire thing without leaving any for me. The garlic again went into my pantry for use as I cook – it smelled wonderful.

The real surprise in this share was the cheese. It’s not a fruit or a vegetable, and I didn’t know Borski Farms had a partnership with Beehive Cheese Company. But I was super excited to find a product from another locally owned company in the bag, and very curious to try the cheese - 8 oz. of their ‘Full Moon’ variety which is made from raw (unpasteurized) milk. The website claims this cheese has an ‘earthy’ flavor which reflects the season and weather at the time it is made – I thought it had a delicious sharp, strong flavor: but I’m no cheese-tasting professional.

Included was a small brochure on the Beehive Cheese Co. and a small insert from the farm – Predicting that next week's share will include summer squash and including preemptive cooking instructions (steam or sauté 3-4 minutes). Also, apparently the garlic will last twice as long if the tops are left on and they are stored in a dry place (not the freezer or refrigerator), which I did. That was laziness on my part - not knowledge - but hey, sometimes procrastination pays off!

That was it for our CSA offerings for this week, but I still have greens in the freezer. I have found that I compulsively crave greens in everything now, and I toss them in while cooking to satisfy that craving. Craig thinks I’m crazy, but they just make everything better. Below is a recipe for Breakfast Burritos: complete with blanched mizuna greens.

Recipes for Week 4:

-----Vegetable Hash-----

1 pkg. skillet potatoes, with seasoning
1 small onion
3-4 small peppers (or 1 large pepper)
1 clove garlic
1 small summer squash
1 large sausage (3-4 oz)
pepper, to taste

Prepare the package of skillet potatoes as directed (homemade skillet potatoes from scratch may be substituted). While the potatoes are cooking, dice the onion, garlic, and sausage, and sauté in a separate skillet. Slice the summer squash and peppers. When the potatoes are nearly done and seasoned, combine the onion mixture, potatoes, sliced summer squash, and peppers. Add seasoning to taste. Serves 3-4.

-----Breakfast Burritos-----

2 eggs
1/2 pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 c. mizuna greens: chopped, blanched, and drained
grated pepperjack cheese
salsa
4 12-inch flour tortillas
Salt

Mix the eggs in a bowl with 1 t. and water and scramble. Heat a small skillet on medium and add 1 T butter, then cook the scrambled eggs inside, adding salt and pepper to taste. When the eggs are nearly done, add the chopped pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook until all are heated through, then divide between four 12-inch tortillas. Layer on grated pepperjack cheese, salsa, and mizuna greens, then fold the tortillas into burritos. Serve hot! (Serves 2)