So now you have your first share of the season and it's time to eat your vegetables! Perhaps that will be a piece of cake. Perhaps not. Maybe the reality of receiving a bunch of food that someone else selected for you is strange and even a bit overwhelming. I have never actually been on the receiving end of the CSA process. I know that as a grower I sometimes feel like I have too much power in your life. I can't imagine having someone else choose my food for me! Maybe that's one reason I like to grow my own. I feel honored that you allow me to make these important choices for you. Thanks for your trust.
You do have power! You do have choice! You get to decide how and when and if you are going to eat your produce. Here are some ideas to get your menu planning started.
Spinach - I love the combination of spinach, garlic and olive oil. It makes great salad when raw or a delicious filling for an omelet when cooked. I like to throw in some feta cheese in the omelet and then I am all set. Plus, I feel noble when I eat greens at breakfast.
Violets - You can eat these. Use them as part of a salad or to decorate deviled eggs or cupcakes, or whatever you think would look prettier with a violet on top. You can also pour hot water on them to make an infusion (infusion = tea). Then you can sweeten and thicken the infusion to make violet syrup or jelly.
Or just stick the violets in a little vase and look at them.
Lettuce - I am hoping you know what to do with that...
Wild peppermint - This peppermint is very strong flavored. I like little bits in a salad and it is my favorite for tabouli. It also dries easily to be used for tea in the winter. The easiest way to dry it? Wash, tie in a little bundle and hang it up. Pack in a jar on a dry day when the leaves feel crispy.
Rhubarb - There are lots of yummy recipes for rhubarb. I plan on making a rhubarb crisp this afternoon. Rhubarb pie and rhubarb up-side-down cake are great too. Also stewed rhubarb. (Wash, chop up,, add some sweetener (or not, if you really want to pucker), cook until soft.) And if you are too busy to cook with your rhubarb this week, it's real easy to freeze. Just wash it, chop it up, spread on a cookie sheet and freeze. When it's frozen, put the pieces in a container. Come winter you can just scoop out what you need for pie or whatever.
These are just a few ideas. Please feel free to send me your favorites. Enjoy your food.
