Hello, friends! Today was the first week of our family’s 2015 CSA share from Native Son Farm, and we could not have been more excited. I took all three kids—Colin, six; Archer, three; and Virginia, 20 months—out to the Oxford City Market to pick up our inaugural box, and you would have thought it was Christmas. A huge box of gorgeous produce with our name on it—literally. As someone who usually walks the market stalls trying to balance the weekly grocery budget against the temptations of organic strawberries, walking away with a full box of food already paid for truly felt like a gift. Especially with the strawberries in there!
So here’s what we found when we got home and opened our box this week:
Leeks, "Lancelot"
Bok Choy
Salad Turnips
Green Onions, "White Bermuda" (heirloom)
Radishes, Easter Egg
Grits, freshly ground by The Original GritGirl
Red Leaf Lettuce
Green Leaf Lettuce
Strawberries
With a family of five, including one really picky eater, I find that the only way to keep everyone fed and happy at our house is with a well-organized meal plan. So here is my no-fuss plan for how we incorporate all of this produce into our meals this week. (The strawberries never made it into the meal plan because they were all consumed as soon as I finished snapping the photo above.)
Wednesday
Radish and Rye Sandwich, with Boursin, Lettuce and Roast Beef (see recipe below)
Thursday
Spicy Bok Choy and Turnip Greens Stir Fry (I added Green Onion, too)
Friday
Homemade Pizza with Spring Salad (Lettuce, Radish, Green Onion)
Saturday Brunch
Leek, Fennel, and Basil Tart with Cheesy Grits
But I want to hear what you will be serving up from your box this week. So email me at nativesonproduce@gmail.com with your meal plans, your recipes, or links to other great recipes on the web, and I will share them with your fellow CSA members here.
Or maybe you’re wondering, “What the heck do I do with turnips?” Chances are at least a few other members have been wondering the same thing. (I'm still trying to figure that one out myself.) And, with more than 300 members in our CSA this year, there are probably more than a few who have wonderful ideas for serving up everything in the box. So we should talk!
I'll begin by sharing with you my favorite “recipe” for radishes. No cooking involved!
Radish and Rye Sandwich
What I love about this "recipe" is how the peppery crunchiness of the radishes really complements the saltiness of the Boursin and the sourness of the rye bread. It tastes equally good with or without the meat. It's also a great way to use radishes that doesn't involve defaulting to a salad. The best part is that you can make it in minutes, and it keeps well in a lunch box for hours. I could eat this sandwich every day for a week without tiring of it. In fact, I probably will.
Ingredients:
Radishes
Lettuce
Boursin cheese
Deli-sliced Roast Beef
Rye Bread
Spread the Boursin liberally on both sides of the Rye Bread. Don't skimp on the Boursin! Rye Bread is available at most major grocery chains, but I make mine from scratch using the basic Tassajara Bread recipe and replacing the second 3 cups of wheat flour with rye flour. Pile on a few leaves of lettuce and a couple of slices of roast beef (or omit if vegetarian). Wash the radishes and discard the stems (but save them for your stock pot!). Slice radishes thinly and layer them in the middle. Stack and enjoy.
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