This week when I picked up my CSA share, I was surprised to realize that I should have brought more than one bag to haul home the goods. The first few weeks, the harvest was a bit sparse, but this week my bag was jam-packed with homegrown, organic goodness. Of course, some of that was thanks to others who passed up the goodies...but that's just their loss and my gain. Here's what I brought home.
- 2 large bunches of kale
- 1 bunch of chard
- 2 heads of a new kind of lettuce
- 1 small bunch of scallions
- .02 lbs oregano
- 1 bulb of new garlic
There's been plenty of oregano, and I was overwhelmed by it for a while, but I'm learning more about its flavor and what I can use it for. I've only ever used the dry stuff, and to be honest, I think this fresh oregano tastes completely different than any oregano I've ever had. It actually has a bit of a spicy, peppery kick to it. I used it under the skin of a roasted chicken, tossed it with my salad greens, added it to a chard sauté and sprinkled some on a tomato salad (which I'll post about tomorrow). I dried some, too, but now I'm hoping we have a few more weeks of the fresh stuff coming in our shares. I'd like to experiment some more before its all gone.
I'm getting behind on my scallion use. Probably because I'm using spring onions a lot these days. I need to figure out how to use up a bunch of them over the next few days. (Again, suggestions are welcome.) Maybe I can find a recipe that uses kale and scallions...kill two vegetables with one dish.
Too much lettuce has had me a bit sick of the stuff, but now that the lettuce season is winding down I'm finally getting more creative with my dressings and toppings, which is making the lettuce much more bearable.
Hope you're eating well this summer!
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4 comments:
My mother used to make a rice pilaf with mushrooms and scallions that was absolutely yummy. I'm not partial to them unless they're cooked - they give me a bad aftertaste, but combined in other things like Thai dishes they're nice.
I've never tasted kale or chard. I love mesclun-mix type salads, but grew up in an iceberg-lettuce home and am only becoming experimental in my middle age.
I like your blog and will be returning.
Kat
chard is great. i use it in recipes that call for spinach.
you can use kale in smoothies. :)
so that's chard. it looks like a cross between rhubarb and lettuce.
your culinary ambition makes me need a nap. i feel so inadequate in the kitchen.
poetikat - I took this idea and ran with it. Thanks so much! Stir fry did the trick and I got rid of a bunch of those scallions. :)
crunchy domestic goddess - I'm good with chard, and I think I'm getting the hang of kale, but I just don't think I can bring myself to use it in smoothies. Blech!
P - Chard can have other colored stems, too. It's very pretty! (Please don't feel inadequate. These recipes are really simple. If it takes longer than 45 minutes from beginning to end, it's too long. I try to create dishes that I can prepare easily after a long day at work. Give one a try. You might be surprised...)
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