It was meant to be, I guess. The same bag of banana peppers I’d exchanged for a carton of mushrooms Tuesday morning was still in the swap box after everyone had picked up Tuesday night—along with a second bag of mixed wax peppers. By now, you probably know what that means: it’s time to prep…
Tag: csa
Grill … Whoosh … Baba Ghanoush
Somehow, after last Tuesday’s sharebox, I wound up with three different kinds of eggplant. A few of the tender, wee ones found their way into a mixed sauté of zucchini, tomato, and onion. But come Monday, a day ahead of this week’s CSA delivery, the others, though still in great shape, were taking up valuable fridge real…
Great Scot: Ginger-Cantaloupe Jam
It’s late one evening in March 2001, and we’re finishing up dinner our first night in Campbeltown, Scotland. Joyce Gardiner, my dear friend Judith’s mum, places a sterling shaker on the table alongside our post-entrée cantaloupe. Pepper, I assume. Hmmm. Maybe my dad’s side of the family, who sprinkled salt and pepper on all kinds…
Swap-Box Hero: Homemade Tomato Paste
Who swaps out plum tomatoes? Well, whoever you are (and I’m guessing it was one of our half-dozen picker-uppers who ordered a supplemental 25-pound box from the co-op), I thank you. Your bag plus my bag gave me a four-pound quorum—just enough for a small batch of über-concentrated tomato paste. Another adventure in really, really slow food,…
Whizbang Summer Salsa
When it comes to homemade salsa, in high tomato season, anyway, I’m usually more of a pico de gallo gal. Finely diced fresh tomato, onion, garlic, and pepper, finished with a little lime, salt, and cilantro. No cooking, but lots and lots of chopping. Last week, though, I saw Deb Perelman’s post on a three-ingredient…
Cloudy with a Chance of Pickles
Half-sour dill pickles, to be exact. Fermented halfsies, to be even exacter. I can’t pretend to be an expert on the lacto-magic that happens here; I can only testify that it works. After years of trying to replicate “Kosher dills” using the vinegar-brine method—and ending up, every time, with tasty but mushy spears—I finally gave in,…
Grilly Beans
A few Thanksgivings ago (wow, now that I think about it, it’s more like ten), I started roasting haricots verts until they blistered, then zapping them with grated lemon zest on their way from oven to table. Ever since, that’s become my go-to potluck veggie dish. In fact, I rarely prepare string (or stringless) beans any…
Polenta: When Meal Makes the Meal
Sometimes I fantasize there’s a CSA Merit Badge for incorporating multiple sharebox items into a single dish. I had a four-bagger a couple months ago. One of the winter season’s final boxes included shitake and crimini mushrooms, red sorrel, a head of garlic, and a bag of Castle Valley Mill polenta. I guess technically that’s five items….
Pickleberries
This week’s pre-delivery CSA list had me prepped for more rhubarb—which was great, since I’d used up last week’s bundle making preserves Sunday. When I pulled back the lid on Tuesday’s box, though, there were strawberries instead. Superb. Sunday’s jam session had also cleaned me out of extra berries, so the switcheroo was a welcome one. I knew exactly…
Roasted Green-Garlic Hummus
It’s garlic that hasn’t graduated yet. Green garlic—or spring garlic—is simply garlic that’s pulled from the ground before the bulb of cloves matures and starts to dry. You’ll see it in the market and in your CSA sharebox throughout spring and summer, first as what looks like a scallion but smells like mild garlic; then…
Boxing Day 