June 3rd Market & CSA Pick-up #3

Last market was the last week sweet Cory will be working with us. She is taking some time off to have her sweet baby boy due in July. She is going to be a great momma and I just know she will continue visiting market because her love is fresh food and great recipes! She gives me so many ideas and always takes plate pictures of her beautiful dishes. Good luck, Cory and enjoy this time, rest, and take care of yourself.

Our CSA members made some awesome recipes last week! Here is a sample of their yummy food! I get great ideas from them and watching what they do truly inspires me and makes Matt feel awesome. To know that our food not only nourishes their family’s bodies but also brings families together is what we are all about!

This dish is meat served on top of roasted radishes and tatsoi. It looks beyond fabulous and has inspired me to make something similar (you will see my version below).

Another tip! Matt is the king of leafy greens! His kale is the best I have ever had. I literally eat kale every day in the growing season! I also love his tatsoi! Tatsoi is a leafy green that tastes just like spinach without the bitter after taste you often find in spinach. If you leave them sitting in your refrigerator, they often get wimpy. About 3 years ago, I figured out the answer, cut off about a half inch of the stems and place these greens in beautiful jars filled with water and leave them on your counter. They almost look like fresh flowers. I gave out this tip on Facebook and one of my very creative CSA members jazzed hers up and placed her kale in a mason jar wrapped with a beautiful ribbon!

So, if you are wondering what our CSA members will be getting in their bags here it is: Squash, kale, micro greens, fennel, chard, arugula, green garlic, and kohlrabi!!! I am sure at the end of the week, Matt will give you all another surprise as things ripen up.

Here is my weekly meal plan:

Monday: I am going to copy Cory (our market helper) and make her arugula pesto dish and serve it with ribbon noodles with shrimp as a protein. It will be so easy, while the pasta is cooking I can whiz up the arugula pesto! I bet I can pull this dish together in 20 minutes and it will be oh so healthy! Pestos are so easy and truly give a flavorful punch. To make arugula pesto, you just need about 2 handfuls of arugula, 1/2 a cup of walnuts, 1/2 a cup of fresh parmesan cheese, 1/2 a cup of good olive oil, 6 garlic cloves, and a pinch of salt to taste. Whiz it all up in a food processor or blender and there it is. When you cook your pasta, save out a cup of pasta water, drain your pasta, put it back in the pot, pour a cup of pasta water in and mix in the arugula pesto! BAM…..Fast, Easy and sooooooo good!

Tuesday: Mini meatloaves with roasted fennel and chard (I stole this idea from one of our CSA members! I truly appreciate folks who share recipes with me!). So here is my secret, my family loves these mini meatloaves and they are so easy so I make 2 nights worth. I take an onion and some green garlic and sauté them in olive oil until they are soft. I then mix the sautéed onion and green garlic, one package of lean ground turkey, an egg, 2/3 of a cup of bread crumbs, 1/2 tablespoon of dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, salt and pepper to taste, 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, and about 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese grated. Now for the surprise……I cut some white cheddar cheese in to about 24 cubes. When I make the meatloaves in to balls, I put in two to three cubes of the white cheddar cheese for a special surprise! I then pour ketchup on top (not fancy, but I have an 8 year old) and I cook these little loaves for about 30 minutes at 350.

While they are cooking, I am chopping up up the fennel and and half the chard. I toss the fennel and chard stalks in olive oil and add some salt and pepper. I pump up the oven to 450 and on a sheet pan, I place the fennel and chard stalks. I roast them for 10 minutes. While they are roasting I am chopping up the chard leaves in to bite sized pieces and I toss them in olive oil, salt, and pepper. I pull out the roasted fennel and chard stalks and add the chard leaves to the top and roast them for an additional 10 minutes.

I serve the meatloaves with the micro greens on top and the whole meal is delicious and filling!

Wednesday: My family loves the baby meatloaves so much, I make a double batch and serve the second half the next day! It makes dinner EASY! This time, I will cut the baby squash in medallions and sauté them in olive oil. First I will heat up the olive oil in a pan along with some green garlic. I will then add the squash and let it cook long enough that is cooked but not mushy. I pull that off and then throw in the remaining chard stalks until they are soft and then I will wilt the chard in the pan. A little work on Tuesday will make Wednesday so easy! As a working mom, I look for ways to feed my family healthy meals in a reasonable amount of time.

Thursday: It is time to have fun with that kolrabi! Yes, I broke down and bought a spiralizer and I love it! I am looking forward to getting a lot of use out of it this summer. I found this great recipe for kohlrabi and arugula salad! Use the rest of your arugula and one of the kohlrabis to make this. This recipe is delicious! I serve it along side a grilled chicken breast to make sure we get enough protein. With the hard work Matt does in the field and a growing boy, they really need it! (Yes, I stole the plate picture from the recipe website.)

Friday: Our Fridays are usually market prep days so I have to work fast. I will take a flank steak and serve it along side a roasted kohlrabi. Preheat the oven to 400. In a ziplock bag, I will whisk together 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1 1/2 tablespoons of honey, a teaspoon of dried ginger, and a teaspoon of garlic powder. I will place the meat the meat in the refrigerator and let it marinate for 30 minutes (you can even do this the night prior or in the morning before you go to work). I will then cut the remaining kohlrabi in to bite sized chunks. I will toss it in olive oil and salt and pepper. Line your sheet pan with aluminum foil and will spray some non-stick spray on it. Put the kohlrabi in the oven for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, move the kohlrabi to the sides of the pan and place the steak on the sheet pan. Set oven to broil and broil for about 6 minutes on one side and 6 minutes on the other side. Watch it carefully to make sure it cooks to your preference. Let the steak rest for about 5 minutes and serve it with the kohlrabi and some greens. I loved the arugula pesto so much, I whipped up a a batch and put it on my steak. Out of this world!

So what is coming to market? We look forward to seeing you. Rainy markets are always the best, no lines and great food choices!