The 2017 Extended CSA Season has arrived! For the Extended Season, everyone gets four types of produce per week. The produce available for the Extended Season, Week 2 are (L to R, top to bottom on the photo): Farm Selected: Spring Salad Mix and Carrot bunches with tops and Choices (Choose any 2 when you pick up your CSA share): Kale, Bok Choy, Sweet Potatoes, Stir fry greens, Arugula, Cilantro, Basil, Radishes and Green Onions (herbs, green onions and radishes count as a half-items).

Salad mix (Farm Selected Item): Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. Wash before eating, and dry well. For salad inspiration, look at this: Mesclun Salad with goat cheese, or Chart of Salad Toppings Combinations.

Carrots (Farm Selected Item): Storage suggestion: Separate the tops from the roots, and store separately in the fridge. The tops can be stored in a plastic bag. Place carrots in a containers with lid and cover completely in water. Keep container in the refrigerator, changing the water ever 4-5 days. Carrot top soup is a great way to use the tops (and this recipe uses some carrots also). In addition to just eating raw carrot sticks, carrots can also be roasted, as in this wonderful Roasted Cumin-Lime Carrots recipe.

CHOICES (Choose any 2 when you pick up your CSA share)

Kale (Choice Item): store in plastic bag in refrigerator.  Serving suggestions: Add to smoothies, Fall Kale salad , Cookie+ Kate’s Kale Salad with an amazing dressing,  Zuppa Tuscana soup (I usually add a can of tomatoes to this soup and sometimes kidney beans), Kale Pesto (this recipe is served with pasta and roasted butternut squash) and Kale and Butternut squash frittata. To preserve: wash kale, cut off the stems, blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, then cool in an ice bath, drain well and freeze. Frozen kale can be used in soups, added to casseroles, pasta dishes, or anything that uses cooked kale.

Baby Bok Choy (Choice Item): Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. Here is a basic bok choy recipe with great instructions: Stir-fried Bok Choy . Cooked (leftover) Bok Choy can be added to fried rice. Bok Choy can also be cooked and used inside egg rolls (I just followed the instructions on the back of the package of egg roll wrappers). Bok Choy can also be grilled, as in this Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Miso butter! Bok choy can be sliced and added to soups during the last few minutes of cooking.If you would rather eat bok choy raw; it can be chopped and dressed with an asian- style dressing: Bok Choy Salad

Sweet Potatoes (Choice item): Store at room temperature.  Basic cooking instructions: Bake (350-375F) whole until tender, or cube sweet potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and Roast at 425F. Here is a compilation of Sweet Potato Recipes, to give you some ides. For a savory sweet potato dish try these: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Goat Cheese and Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes

Arugula (Choice Item): store in plastic bag in refrigerator.  This slightly spicy salad green is wonderful in this Roasted Sweet Potato Arugula Salad! Arugula is also wonderful topped with thinly sliced steak, as in this: Skirt Steak Salad with Arugula and Blue Cheese. Combine arugula with pasta in this Goat Cheese and Arugula over Penne  dish. Arugula can also be sautéed in olive oil with some garlic just until wilted. Arugula is great in this Arugula Soup that our whole family enjoys (2 onions can be substituted for the 6 shallots in the recipe, larger potatoes can be used instead of the salad potatoes). Some other ideas are listed in this: Top 5 Uses for Arugula Besides Salad. To preserve: wash arugula, cut off the stems, blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, then cool in an ice bath, drain well and freeze. Frozen arugula can be used in soups, added to casseroles, pasta dishes, or anything that uses cooked arugula.

Stir-fry greens mix (Choice item): Store in plastic bag in refrigerator, use within a couple days. This greens mix contains a variety of nutritious cabbage family greens including Mizuna, baby Red Russian Kale and Tatsoi. Basic cooking instructions: wash and spin dry, slice or chop greens, heat oil (olive or vegetable) over medium-high heat. Gradually add chopped greens, stirring to just wilt.  Season with salt and pepper.  Variations: add chopped garlic when you add the greens. Top the cooked greens with a fried egg(s). Here’s a detailed sir-fried greens recipe. Our family’s favorite way to enjoy stir-fry greens is alongside Korean Beef on a bowl of rice, topped with a fried egg. This recipe for Greens cooked with tomatoes and topped with eggs has helped many people enjoy greens. It is a highly adaptable recipe, and can be used with nearly any type of leafy cooking green, from spicy mustards to mellow chard.

Radishes (HALF-Choice Item): Store in plastic bag in refrigerator. Crisp radishes in ice water. Sliced radishes add great flavor to salads. You can also just eat them straight with butter and a sprinkle of salt. There are many variations of radish salads, here are a couple: Radish and Mint Salad , Smitten Kitchen’s chopped salad,  and Radish, Cucumber and Orange Salad. Radishes are milder when roasted or cooked. I cut radishes in half and toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 425F until tender crisp (they can be roasted alongside sweet potatoes or carrots for a nice flavor and color combination).

Green Onions (HALF-Choice Item): Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. Use in lots of Chinese/ other asian recipes (General Tso’s chicken and Korean beef are two Redfearn favorites) chicken salad, egg salad, salad dressing to name a few.

Cilantro (HALF-Choice Item): Wrap cilantro in a damp paper towel and then put it in a plastic bag in refrigerator. Alternatively, place in a  jar of water (like cut flowers) loosely covered with a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Basil (HALF-Choice Item): Store in a jar of water (like cut flowers) in the counter, and loosely cover the basil with a plastic bag and keep it on the counter. This method allows moisture to stay in while ethylene escapes, making for basil that remains vibrant for nearly a week..

If you would like more recipe ideas, I have a pinterest board devoted to CSA vegetable recipes:  http://www.pinterest.com/sheriredfearn/csa-veggies-recipes/

The 2017 Extended CSA Season has arrived! For the Extended Season, everyone gets four types of produce per week. The produce available for the Extended Season, Week 1 are (L to R, top to bottom on the photo): Farm Selected: Spring Salad Mix and Carrot bunches with tops and Choices (Choose any 2 when you pick up your CSA share): Spinach, Kale, Bok Choy, Sweet Potatoes, Green Onions/ Radishes (each bunch counts as a half-item) and Arugula.

Salad mix (Farm Selected Item): Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. Wash before eating, and dry well. For salad inspiration, look at this: Mesclun Salad with goat cheese, or Chart of Salad Toppings Combinations.

Carrots (Farm Selected Item): Storage suggestion: Separate the tops from the roots, and store separately in the fridge. The tops can be stored in a plastic bag. Place carrots in a containers with lid and cover completely in water. Keep container in the refrigerator, changing the water ever 4-5 days. Carrot top soup is a great way to use the tops (and this recipe uses some carrots also). In addition to just eating raw carrot sticks, carrots can also be roasted, as in this wonderful Roasted Cumin-Lime Carrots recipe.

CHOICES (Choose any 2 when you pick up your CSA share)

Spinach (Choice Item): Store in plastic bag in refrigerator. Can beThe stems of this variety of spinach can be chopped and cooked along with leaves. Here are a few recipe ideas: Crustless Spinach Quiche, Butter Braised Spinach, Lentils and Spinach, or replace the swiss chard in Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes! To preserve spinach: chop stems, wash spinach, boil water and boil spinach for 3 minutes, drain, chill in ice water, drain again and press out the moisture.

Kale (Choice Item): store in plastic bag in refrigerator.  Serving suggestions: Add to smoothies, Fall Kale salad , Cookie+ Kate’s Kale Salad with an amazing dressing,  Zuppa Tuscana soup (I usually add a can of tomatoes to this soup and sometimes kidney beans), Kale Pesto (this recipe is served with pasta and roasted butternut squash) and Kale and Butternut squash frittata. To preserve: wash kale, cut off the stems, blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, then cool in an ice bath, drain well and freeze. Frozen kale can be used in soups, added to casseroles, pasta dishes, or anything that uses cooked kale. This method is my typical way of fixing kale:

Kale, Sausage and Beans

8 to 16 oz. smoked sausage (or omit and increase beans, for a vegetarian version), sliced

1 Onion, chopped

3 (or more) cloves garlic, finally chopped

1 can (or about 2 cups, peeled) tomatoes, with liquid

Kale, about one-half to one pound,  with stems cut off (or finely chopped and added to the dish) and leaves chopped

1 can drained (or about 2 Cups cooked) white beans, like great northern or cannellini beans

Brown the sausage in a skillet and then remove sausage to a paper towel lined plate and drain off excess oil. Saute the onions in olive oil over medium heat, till soft and golden, 5- 10 minutes. Add chopped garlic and kale, stir to begin to wilt. Then add tomatoes and cover: lower heat and cook until kale is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans and sausage and season to taste (red pepper flakes are a good addition). Can be topped with shredded parmesan cheese.

Baby Bok Choy (Choice Item): Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. Here is a basic bok choy recipe with great instructions: Stir-fried Bok Choy . Cooked (leftover) Bok Choy can be added to fried rice. Bok Choy can also be cooked and used inside egg rolls (I just followed the instructions on the back of the package of egg roll wrappers). Bok Choy can also be grilled, as in this Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Miso butter! Bok choy can be sliced and added to soups during the last few minutes of cooking.If you would rather eat bok choy raw; it can be chopped and dressed with an asian- style dressing: Bok Choy Salad

Sweet Potatoes (Choice item): Store at room temperature.  Basic cooking instructions: Bake (350-375F) whole until tender, or cube sweet potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and Roast at 425F. Here is a compilation of Sweet Potato Recipes, to give you some ides. For a savory sweet potato dish try these: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Goat Cheese and Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes

Arugula (Choice Item): store in plastic bag in refrigerator.  This slightly spicy salad green is wonderful in this Roasted Sweet Potato Arugula Salad! Arugula is also wonderful topped with thinly sliced steak, as in this: Skirt Steak Salad with Arugula and Blue Cheese. Combine arugula with pasta in this Goat Cheese and Arugula over Penne  dish. Arugula can also be sautéed in olive oil with some garlic just until wilted. Arugula is great in this Arugula Soup that our whole family enjoys (2 onions can be substituted for the 6 shallots in the recipe, larger potatoes can be used instead of the salad potatoes). Some other ideas are listed in this: Top 5 Uses for Arugula Besides Salad. To preserve: wash arugula, cut off the stems, blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, then cool in an ice bath, drain well and freeze. Frozen arugula can be used in soups, added to casseroles, pasta dishes, or anything that uses cooked arugula.

Radishes (Choice Item): Store in plastic bag in refrigerator. Crisp radishes in ice water. Sliced radishes add great flavor to salads. You can also just eat them straight with butter and a sprinkle of salt. There are many variations of radish salads, here are a couple: Radish and Mint Salad , Smitten Kitchen’s chopped salad,  and Radish, Cucumber and Orange Salad. Radishes are milder when roasted or cooked. I cut radishes in half and toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 425F until tender crisp (they can be roasted alongside sweet potatoes or carrots for a nice flavor and color combination).

Green Onions (Choice Item): Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. Use in lots of Chinese/ other asian recipes (General Tso’s chicken and Korean beef are two Redfearn favorites) chicken salad, egg salad, salad dressing to name a few.

Baby Bok Choy (Choice Item): Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. Here is a basic bok choy recipe with great instructions: Stir-fried Bok Choy . Cooked (leftover) Bok Choy can be added to fried rice. Bok Choy can also be cooked and used inside egg rolls (I just followed the instructions on the back of the package of egg roll wrappers). Bok Choy can also be grilled, as in this Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Miso butter! Bok choy can be sliced and added to soups during the last few minutes of cooking.If you would rather eat bok choy raw; it can be chopped and dressed with an asian- style dressing: Bok Choy Salad

If you would like more recipe ideas, I have a pinterest board devoted to CSA vegetable recipes:  http://www.pinterest.com/sheriredfearn/csa-veggies-recipes/

The final week of the 2016 CSA season is here! We will not have any farm selected items this week; CSA members will get to choose ALL of their items this week and all members will also get a bonus item, making basic shares get 6 items and premium shares, 9 items.  The items available for Week 24 of the 2016 CSA season are: Salad greens, Kale,  Sweet Potatoes,  Sweet Bell Peppers, Stir fry Greens, Radishes, Green Onions, Eggplant, New Potatoes,  Butternut squash, Green Tomatoes,  Baby Arugula,  Baby Bok Choy, Spicy Peppers (mostly Jalapeños), Fresh Herbs (Cilantro, Parsley), Leeks and  Fennel bulbs (and not pictured, but available will be spinach and Salad Turnips). For additional recipe ideas, check out my CSA veggie Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/sheriredfearn/csa-veggies-recipes/

Salad mix (Choice Item):  Store in plastic bag, in refrigerator. For salad inspiration, look at this: Mesclun Salad with goat cheese, or Chart of Salad Toppings Combinations.

Kale (Choice Item): store in plastic bag in refrigerator.  Serving suggestions: Add to smoothies, Fall Kale salad , Cookie+ Kate’s Kale Salad with an amazing dressing,  Zuppa Tuscana soup (I usually add a can of tomatoes to this soup and sometimes kidney beans), Kale Pesto (this recipe is served with pasta and roasted butternut squash) and Kale and Butternut squash frittata. To preserve: wash kale, cut off the stems, blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, then cool in an ice bath, drain well and freeze. Frozen kale can be used in soups, added to casseroles, pasta dishes, or anything that uses cooked kale. This method is my typical way of fixing kale:

Kale, Sausage and Beans

8 to 16 oz. smoked sausage (or omit and increase beans, for a vegetarian version), sliced

1 Onion, chopped

3 (or more) cloves garlic, finally chopped

1 can (or about 2 cups, peeled) tomatoes, with liquid

Kale, about one-half to one pound,  with stems cut off (or finely chopped and added to the dish) and leaves chopped

1 can drained (or about 2 Cups cooked) white beans, like great northern or cannellini beans

Brown the sausage in a skillet and then remove sausage to a paper towel lined plate and drain off excess oil. Saute the onions in olive oil over medium heat, till soft and golden, 5- 10 minutes. Add chopped garlic and kale, stir to begin to wilt. Then add tomatoes and cover: lower heat and cook until kale is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans and sausage and season to taste (red pepper flakes are a good addition). Can be topped with shredded parmesan cheese.

Sweet Bell Peppers (Choice Item):  Store in plastic bag, in refrigerator. Meal idea: sauté sliced candy onions and sweet pepper for a tasty Philly Cheese Sandwich or Fajitas. Stuffed peppers are also a favorite main dish at our house; zucchini/ yellow squash can also be stuffed using the same recipe. Sweet peppers can easily be preserved by freezing and they can be frozen raw, without blanching first. Cut peppers into the desired size: diced for adding to winter casseroles, soups or sauces; sliced for fajitas; or halved (or the tops cut off) to be used for stuffed peppers (also, after freezing there is no need to parboil peppers before stuffing) and freeze in freezer bags.

Sweet Potatoes (Choice item): Store at room temperature.  Basic cooking instructions: Bake (350-375F) whole until tender, or cube sweet potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and Roast at 425F. Here is a compilation of Sweet Potato Recipes, to give you some ides. For a savory sweet potato dish try these: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Goat Cheese and Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes

Stir-fry greens mix (Choice item): Store in plastic bag in refrigerator, use within a couple days. This greens mix contains a variety of nutritious cabbage family greens including Red Mustard, Green Mustard, Chinese Cabbage, Pac Choi, and Tatsoi. Basic cooking instructions: wash and spin dry, slice or chop greens, heat oil (olive or vegetable) over medium-high heat. Gradually add chopped greens, stirring to just wilt.  Season with salt and pepper.  Variations: add chopped garlic when you add the greens. Top the cooked greens with a fried egg(s). Here’s a detailed sir-fried greens recipe. Our family’s favorite way to enjoy stir-fry greens in alongside Korean Beef on a bowl of rice, topped with a fried egg. This recipe for Greens cooked with tomatoes and topped with eggs has helped many people enjoy greens. It is a highly adaptable recipe, and can be used with nearly any type of leafy cooking green, from spicy mustards to mellow chard. Also, some recipes that call for mustard greens can be substituted for this stir fry mix, such as: Indian Saag or Curried Mustard Greens with Kidney Beans.

Baby Arugula (Choice Item): store in plastic bag in refrigerator.  This slightly spicy salad green is wonderful in this Roasted Sweet Potato Arugula Salad! Arugula is also wonderful topped with thinly sliced steak, as in this: Skirt Steak Salad with Arugula and Blue Cheese. Combine arugula with pasta in this Goat Cheese and Arugula over Penne  dish. Arugula can also be sautéed in olive oil with some garlic just until wilted. Arugula is great in this Arugula Soup that our whole family enjoys (2 onions can be substituted for the 6 shallots in the recipe, larger potatoes can be used instead of the salad potatoes). Some other ideas are listed in this: Top 5 Uses for Arugula Besides Salad. To preserve: wash arugula, cut off the stems, blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, then cool in an ice bath, drain well and freeze. Frozen arugula can be used in soups, added to casseroles, pasta dishes, or anything that uses cooked arugula.

Butternut Squash (Choice): Store at cool, room temperature. Here are a couple of delicious recipes:  Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Bacon or Smitten Kitchen’s Warm Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad.

Eggplant (Choice Item):Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator, but use quickly, because eggplant doesn’t store well. Eggplant can be sauteed, grilled or roasted.  Some wonderful eggplant recipes (that don’t require salting and draining the eggplant) are No-Fuss Eggplant Parmesan, Eggplant Parmesan Melts and Smitten Kitchen’s Eggplant Bruschetta (which has a Mediterranean style topping).Here’s a page with detailed instructions about eggplant preparation and recipes: Fine Cooking: How to cook Eggplant. It is great combined with zucchini and tomatoes (such as in Ratatouille). For eggplant recipes from Italy to China, check out these: Global Eggplant Recipes. Moussaka is a greek dish with eggplant. Here is a relatively simple recipe for Moussaka recommended by a CSA member (and also tried and deliciously approved by the Redfearn family). Some chefs suggest salting and draining the prepared (sliced, cubed, etc) eggplant for at least 20-30 minutes before cooking (this takes away any bitterness and also, helps the eggplant to absorb less oil during cooking), but I have gotten away from it the past year.

Radishes (Choice Item): Store in plastic bag in refrigerator. Crisp radishes in ice water. Sliced radishes add great flavor to salads. You can also just eat them straight with butter and a sprinkle of salt. There are many variations of radish salads, here are a couple: Radish and Mint Salad , Smitten Kitchen’s chopped salad,  and Radish, Cucumber and Orange Salad. Radishes are milder when roasted or cooked. I cut radishes in half and toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 425F until tender crisp (they can be roasted alongside sweet potatoes or carrots for a nice flavor and color combination).

Green Onions (Choice Item): Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. Use in lots of Chinese/ other asian recipes (General Tso’s chicken and Korean beef are two Redfearn favorites) chicken salad, egg salad, salad dressing to name a few.

Baby Bok Choy (Choice Item): Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. Here is a basic bok choy recipe with great instructions: Stir-fried Bok Choy . Cooked (leftover) Bok Choy can be added to fried rice. Bok Choy can also be cooked and used inside egg rolls (I just followed the instructions on the back of the package of egg roll wrappers). Bok Choy can also be grilled, as in this Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Miso butter! Bok choy can be sliced and added to soups during the last few minutes of cooking.If you would rather eat bok choy raw; it can be chopped and dressed with an asian- style dressing: Bok Choy Salad

Leeks: store in plastic bag in refrigerator. Leeks are a kind of onion and can be used in many recipes (quiches, tarts, soups) interchangeably with onions. Here is a recipe for Leek Potato Soup . Typically the white and light green sections are used, but the dark green leaf portions can be used to season vegetable or chicken stock. Leeks need to be washed well, since dirt can get in between the layers.

Spicy peppers (Choice item): Jalapeno or Anaheim peppers. Store in plastic bag, in refrigerator. Ideas: Chop and add to salsa, or our new favorite is this Jalapeno Popper Dip. If you want to try water-bath canning, try this Jalapeno Jelly (I’ve used a combination of peppers). Anaheim and poblano peppers can be stuffed, as in these Chicken and Cheese Stuffed Anaheim Peppers, or Black beans and Cheese stuffed Poblano Peppers, or Rice and Beef stuffed Peppers and used as a stuffing in Jalapeno Popper Chicken. Peppers can be frozen; slice or dice and then place in freezer bags, can be used in fajitas, or anywhere you would use cooked peppers (after thawing the peppers are soft).

Fennel Bulbs (Choice Item): Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. There are three parts to fennel: the bulb, the stalks and the fronds (the dill-like frilly top). The bulb is the most commonly used part of the vegetable in recipes; such as Caramelized Fennel  or a Fennel Salad (this one is paired with blood oranges). The fennel stalks can be used when making vegetable/ chicken stock to add a subtle fennel flavor (the fennel stalks can be frozen to store). The fennel stalks are a bit tougher than the bulb, but can also be very thinly sliced and added to the fennel bulb slices. This leek and fennel soup uses all the parts of the fennel (and is a vegan recipe) and Tomato-Fennel Soup is also popular. And this Crispy Cream-braised Potatoes and Fennel  is very tasty. This page lists a variety of fennel recipes: Fennel recipes you will make over and over. One fennel bulb is also used in this Swiss Chard, Sausage, White bean casserole . Here are additional ideas for how to use all parts on the fennel.

Salad turnips (Choice Item): Salad turnips are crunchy, sweet and only slightly peppery. Storage Tips: The leaves cause moisture loss during storage, so it is best to remove tops and store the root and greens separately in the refrigerator. Preparation and Cooking: Enjoy salad turnips as you would radishes in fresh salads. Salad turnips can also be thinly sliced and sauteed, or pickled with other vegetables. Other detailed recipes are Salad turnip and radish sandwiches and Turnip and Apple Salad, Roasted turnips, Glazed turnips and more.

The items available for Week 22 of the CSA season are: Farm Selected Items :Salad greens and Kale and for the Choice Items, left to right, top to bottom on the photo (3 for Basic and 6 for Premium shares):  Sweet Potatoes,  Sweet Bell Peppers, Stir fry Greens, Summer Squash (Patty pan squash, Yellow Squash, Zucchini), Cucumbers, Eggplant,Baby Bok Choy, Winter Squash (mostly Butternut squash), Tomatoes (mostly green and some tomatoes), Arugula, Radishes,   Green Onions,  Garlic and Fresh Herbs (Cilantro, Parsley). Not shown, but also available are Spicy Peppers (mostly Jalapeños) and  Fennel bulbs. For additional recipe ideas, check out my CSA veggie Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/sheriredfearn/csa-veggies-recipes/

Salad mix (Farm Selected Item):  Store in plastic bag, in refrigerator. For salad inspiration, look at this: Mesclun Salad with goat cheese, or Chart of Salad Toppings Combinations.

Kale (Farm Selected Item): store in plastic bag in refrigerator.  Serving suggestions: Add to smoothies, Fall Kale salad , Cookie+ Kate’s Kale Salad with an amazing dressing,  Zuppa Tuscana soup (I usually add a can of tomatoes to this soup and sometimes kidney beans), Kale Pesto (this recipe is served with pasta and roasted butternut squash) and Kale and Butternut squash frittata. To preserve: wash kale, cut off the stems, blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, then cool in an ice bath, drain well and freeze. Frozen kale can be used in soups, added to casseroles, pasta dishes, or anything that uses cooked kale. Or, try this method of fixing kale:

Kale, Sausage and Beans

8 to 16 oz. smoked sausage (or omit and increase beans, for a vegetarian version), sliced

1 Onion, chopped

3 (or more) cloves garlic, finally chopped

1 can (or about 2 cups, peeled) tomatoes, with liquid

Kale, about one-half to one pound,  with stems cut off (or finely chopped and added to the dish) and leaves chopped

1 can drained (or about 2 Cups cooked) white beans, like great northern or cannellini beans

Brown the sausage in a skillet and then remove sausage to a paper towel lined plate and drain off excess oil. Saute the onions in olive oil over medium heat, till soft and golden, 5- 10 minutes. Add chopped garlic and kale, stir to begin to wilt. Then add tomatoes and cover: lower heat and cook until kale is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans and sausage and season to taste (red pepper flakes are a good addition). Can be topped with shredded parmesan cheese.

CHOICES (Basic shares can choose 3, Premium Shares can choose 6):

Sweet Bell Peppers (Choice Item):  Store in plastic bag, in refrigerator. Meal idea: sauté sliced candy onions and sweet pepper for a tasty Philly Cheese Sandwich or Fajitas. Stuffed peppers are also a favorite main dish at our house; zucchini/ yellow squash can also be stuffed using the same recipe. Sweet peppers can easily be preserved by freezing and they can be frozen raw, without blanching first. Cut peppers into the desired size: diced for adding to winter casseroles, soups or sauces; sliced for fajitas; or halved (or the tops cut off) to be used for stuffed peppers (also, after freezing there is no need to parboil peppers before stuffing) and freeze in freezer bags.

Sweet Potatoes (Choice item): Store at room temperature.  Basic cooking instructions: Bake (350-375F) whole until tender, or cube sweet potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and Roast at 425F. Here is a compilation of Sweet Potato Recipes, to give you some ides. For a savory sweet potato dish try these: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Goat Cheese and Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes

Arugula (Choice Item): store in plastic bag in refrigerator.  This slightly spicy salad green is wonderful in this Roasted Sweet Potato Arugula Salad! Arugula is also wonderful topped with thinly sliced steak, as in this: Skirt Steak Salad with Arugula and Blue Cheese. Combine arugula with pasta in this Goat Cheese and Arugula over Penne  dish. Arugula can also be sautéed in olive oil with some garlic just until wilted. Arugula is great in this Arugula Soup that our whole family enjoys (2 onions can be substituted for the 6 shallots in the recipe, larger potatoes can be used instead of the salad potatoes). Some other ideas are listed in this: Top 5 Uses for Arugula Besides Salad.

Winter Squash (mostly Butternut Squash) (Choice): Store at cool, room temperature. Here are a couple of delicious recipes:  Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Bacon or Smitten Kitchen’s Warm Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad.

Summer squash, patty pan, yellow squash and zucchini (Choice Item, 3 squash or a box will count as one item): store in plastic bag in refrigerator. Yellow squash nearly interchangeable with zucchini and is great raw or sautéed, grilled, or baked into zucchini bread (my kids favorite way to eat zucchini!). Raw zucchini/ squash makes a fresh, flavorful salad as in this: Summer Squash Salad with Lemon Citronette. Zucchini (sliced and broiled or pan fried) can take the place of pasta in lasagna. If you want more ideas, you can try Baked Zucchini Fries, Squash baked eggs or Zucchini Fritters  or Chocolate Zucchini Bread or these main dishes Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables (this is a great recipe to use a lot of vegetables, including zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, peppers, onions and garlic),  Cheesy Zucchini Casserole (which we make with shredded sharp cheddar, instead of Velvetta). Here’s a couple other zucchini recipes, recommended by CSA members: Curried Zucchini Soup, Zucchini Tots, Sauteed Zucchini with Cherry Tomatoes (don’t overcook the zucchini!), and Zucchini Chocolate Rum Cake. To preserve: Zucchini or Yellow squash can be shredded and frozen to use in Zucchini bread recipes.

Eggplant (Choice Item):Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator, but use quickly, because eggplant doesn’t store well. Eggplant can be sauteed, grilled or roasted.  Some wonderful eggplant recipes (that don’t require salting and draining the eggplant) are No-Fuss Eggplant Parmesan, Eggplant Parmesan Melts and Smitten Kitchen’s Eggplant Bruschetta (which has a Mediterranean style topping).Here’s a page with detailed instructions about eggplant preparation and recipes: Fine Cooking: How to cook Eggplant. It is great combined with zucchini and tomatoes (such as in Ratatouille). For eggplant recipes from Italy to China, check out these: Global Eggplant Recipes. Moussaka is a greek dish with eggplant. Here is a relatively simple recipe for Moussaka recommended by a CSA member (and also tried and deliciously approved by the Redfearn family). Some chefs suggest salting and draining the prepared (sliced, cubed, etc) eggplant for at least 20-30 minutes before cooking (this takes away any bitterness and also, helps the eggplant to absorb less oil during cooking), but I have gotten away from it the past year.

Radishes (Choice Item): Store in plastic bag in refrigerator. Crisp radishes in ice water. Sliced radishes add great flavor to salads. You can also just eat them straight with butter and a sprinkle of salt. There are many variations of radish salads, here are a couple: Radish and Mint Salad , Smitten Kitchen’s chopped salad,  and Radish, Cucumber and Orange Salad. Radishes are milder when roasted or cooked. I cut radishes in half and toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 425F until tender crisp (they can be roasted alongside sweet potatoes or carrots for a nice flavor and color combination).

Green Onions (Choice Item): Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. Use in lots of Chinese/ other asian recipes (General Tso’s chicken and Korean beef are two Redfearn favorites) chicken salad, egg salad, salad dressing to name a few.

Baby Bok Choy (Choice Item): Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. Here is a basic bok choy recipe with great instructions: Stir-fried Bok Choy . Cooked (leftover) Bok Choy can be added to fried rice. Bok Choy can also be cooked and used inside egg rolls (I just followed the instructions on the back of the package of egg roll wrappers). Bok Choy can also be grilled, as in this Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Miso butter! Bok choy can be sliced and added to soups during the last few minutes of cooking.If you would rather eat bok choy raw; it can be chopped and dressed with an asian- style dressing: Bok Choy Salad

Cucumbers (Choice item): store in plastic bag in refrigerator (our cucumbers are not waxed, so will lose moisture and become rubbery if not wrapped). Recipe Ideas: Cucumber infused Water, Smoothies with Cucumbers, Cucumber Salads: Creamy Cucumber Salad with Greek Yogurt and Dill, Cucumber Salad with Garlic and Ginger and even Stir-fried Cucumbers! Pair with tomatoes in an Israeli Salad, Cucumber, Tomato, and Avocado Salad, Greek Salad and Panzanella Salad. Cucumbers are the base for the Mediterranean sauce, Tzatziki. Cold Cucumber Soup is also a refreshing way to use cucumbers.

Spicy peppers (Choice item): Jalapeno or Anaheim peppers. Store in plastic bag, in refrigerator. Ideas: Chop and add to salsa, or our new favorite is this Jalapeno Popper Dip. If you want to try water-bath canning, try this Jalapeno Jelly (I’ve used a combination of peppers). Anaheim and poblano peppers can be stuffed, as in these Chicken and Cheese Stuffed Anaheim Peppers, or Black beans and Cheese stuffed Poblano Peppers, or Rice and Beef stuffed Peppers and used as a stuffing in Jalapeno Popper Chicken. Peppers can be frozen; slice or dice and then place in freezer bags, can be used in fajitas, or anywhere you would use cooked peppers (after thawing the peppers are soft).

Fennel Bulbs (Choice Item): Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. There are three parts to fennel: the bulb, the stalks and the fronds (the dill-like frilly top). The bulb is the most commonly used part of the vegetable in recipes; such as Caramelized Fennel  or a Fennel Salad (this one is paired with blood oranges). The fennel stalks can be used when making vegetable/ chicken stock to add a subtle fennel flavor (the fennel stalks can be frozen to store). The fennel stalks are a bit tougher than the bulb, but can also be very thinly sliced and added to the fennel bulb slices. This leek and fennel soup uses all the parts of the fennel (and is a vegan recipe) and Tomato-Fennel Soup is also popular. And this Crispy Cream-braised Potatoes and Fennel  is very tasty. This page lists a variety of fennel recipes: Fennel recipes you will make over and over. One fennel bulb is also used in this Swiss Chard, Sausage, White bean casserole . Here are additional ideas for how to use all parts on the fennel.

Garlic (Choice Item):Store in a cool, dry, well ventilated area; in a bowl/ basket on your counter should be fine.