Our last CSA pickup of the season has already come and gone (though we’re still enjoying the bounty from our final share last week). It has been fun and inspiring to try new things every single week, searching or trying to create new recipes. Sometimes it was way too much produce for the two of us in one week so I’m not positive about buying a share again next year unless we share it with someone else. But I love knowing that everything came from a very local farm and was delivered to my favorite bakery, just a hop, skip, and a jump away. Here’s what we got the final week:

• 2 Leeks
• 1 Head Green Butterhead Lettuce
• 1 Medium Spaghetti Squash
• 1 Head Broccoli
• 1 Head Green Cabbage
• 1 Butternut Squash
• 1 Bag Onions
• 1 Package Cremini Mushrooms

It was the perfect final share, with some of my favorite ingredients— like spaghetti and butternut squashes, onions, broccoli, and mushrooms. Leeks lend themselves to many perfect cold weather soups and cabbage is perfect for my Grandmother’s rolled cabbage recipes. Here are some other ideas for this share:

Butternut Squash Risotto

Orecchiette Carbonara

Baked Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

Mushroom and Leek Soup

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Thanks to Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative for a great season!

I can’t believe it but we only have one more week of CSA pickup remaining. I have loved the experience of getting to try new vegetables and new recipes, utilizing ingredients I may not have picked up otherwise. 

Here’s what we got last week:

• 1 Head Rhapsody Lettuce
• 1 Head Green Leaf Lettuce
• 1 Head Bok Choy
• 2 Butternut Squash
• 1 Bunch Daikon Radish
• 1 Head Broccoli
• 1 Bag Beauregard Sweet Potatoes
• 1 Bag Yellow Onions

And lots of yummy ideas for these very seasonal ingredients! Here are some things I have in mind:

Beef and Broccoli

One of my favorite Dim Sum, Daikon Radish Cakes

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Sweet Potato Chips

Butternut Squash Soup

And some baking ideas, too!

Sweet Potato and Brown Butter Scones

Sweet Potato and Pecan Casserole (Mmmmmmm)

Sweet Potato Mini Loaves with Orange Cinnamon Honey Butter

P.S. I am a little stumped by the daikon radish— any other ideas for this are welcome. Have one?

Our CSA has turned decidedly autumnal, with squash and sweet potatoes making regular appearances. As my daily routine has begun to include sweaters and boots, and pumpkin spice musings, I’ve also been able to indulge many seasonal recipes, making use of our fresh produce deliveries. Here’s what we got this week:

• 1 Bag Edamame
• 1 Bag Beauregard Sweet Potatoes
• 1 Bunch Lacinato Kale
• 2 Small Heads Green Romaine Lettuce
• 1 Bag Hot Peppers
• 1 Bunch Fennel Leaf
• 1 Bag Yellow Onions
• 1 Butternut Squash

I made butternut squash and sweet potatoes last week that were delicious. The potatoes are just perfect cubed, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasted in the oven. Here are some more plans I have for our ingredients this week:

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Frijoles Charros

Sweet Potato Cakes with Chipotle Black Bean Salsa

Autumn Succotash

Tuscan Kale Soup with Chorizo

Romaine and Gorgonzola Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing and Spiced Pecans

Happy Autumn Eating!

PS The picture is small, but that’s 8 (count them, 8!) jalapeno peppers, plus some other hot peppers in our box this week. Any spicy pepper recipes you want to share with me?

Can you believe I missed a week of CSA? Things have been crazy here, as school has started back up, and my half-marathon is coming up this Sunday. Lucky last week’s CSA delivery was full some of the yummiest produce yet, including beautiful, crunchy, tangy, juicy apples. It’s apple picking season ya’ll!

The farms fared pretty well, despite the major flooding we’ve experienced lately. Our delivery was a little late though, and some of our vegetables were pretty dirty/muddy— just proving, they come right from the farm to my kitchen. After thoroughly washing off our eggplant I made some amazing pizza. Here’s all what was in our box:

• 1 Bag Small Sweet Onions
• 2 Heads Baby Bok Choy
• 1 Bag Detroit Red Beets
• 2 Delicata Squash
• 1 Eggplant
• 1 Bag Red Tomatoes
• 2 Green and Red Bell Peppers
• 4 Apples

I was originally planning on making baked apples, but these ones were too tasty for me to wait long enough to core and bake them. Here are some other plans on hand:

Spicy Stir-fried Tofu with Bok Choy and Broccoli

Three Pepper Orzo

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna (because you can throw any veggies in there!)

Chili Lime Delicata Fries with Avocado Dip

Roasted Beet, Lentil, and Balsamic Onion Salad

Hope your week is off to a great and delicious start.

P.S. Happy apple picking season!

This week’s CSA delivery, photo courtesy of Slip, is full of yummy produce some of which I prepared pre-Hurricane, in case of a power outage (luckily we have had our power on, thus far). Despite really strong winds all day today, it is actually kind of beautiful outside right now, even a little sunny. I did pick up this month’s Cooking Light  (duh, if you put Macaroni and Cheese on the cover I am going to buy it!) and have spent a lot of time perusing delicious recipes there and on foodgawker.com that I want to try with these veggies. Here’s what we got:

• 1 Head Red Romaine Lettuce
• 2 Eggplant
• 2 Delicata Squash
• 2 Green Bell Peppers
• 1 Bunch Spearmint
• 1 Bag Portobello Mushroom Caps
• 1 Bag Red Onions
• 1 Head Bok Choy
• 1 Bag Strawberry Tomatoes

I already used the eggplant in my own take on baked eggplant parmesan that was incredibly delicious. Here are some other ideas I have for everything else:

White Bean and Kale Stuffed Delicata Squash

Summer Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese (looks amazing!)

Quick Ramen Bowls (similar to my lunch yesterday)

Penne with Grilled Zuchinni, Ricotta Salata, and Mint

Coconut Pound Cake with Lemon Mint Glaze

Hope everyone is eating well this weekend, wherever you are!

Great CSA delivery this week, and sweetest corn we’ve gotten all summer. I love tasting food that tastes what summer feels like— warm, fresh, sunshine. Here’s what we got this week (photo courtesy of Slip):

• 1 Head Red Romaine
• 6 Ears Sweet Corn
• 2 Heads Garlic
• 1 White Eggplant
• 1 Bag Roma Tomatoes
• 1 Bunch Curly Parsley
• 1 Bag Red Beets

I’ve already made some delicious sweet corn and tomato salad tonight, seasoned only with a little salt and pepper. And here are some other ideas I have in store for this week:

Zucchini, Corn, and Cherry Tomato Casserole

Parsley Pesto

Meatballs with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Baked Green Bean Fries with Roasted Garlic Dipping Sauce

Warm Orzo Salad with Beets and Greens

Have a great (and delicious) week!

Another week, another CSA delivery. And this week, for the first in a while, I felt like I needed to run out and buy even more produce (and spent part of today at the Headhouse Square Farmer’s Market, picking up some yummy heirloom tomatoes and other goodies that will be put to good use). Last week I made delicious stuffed peppers and then got a whopping 5 green bell peppers in my CSA box this week— I think the stuffed peppers might make a reappearance. I’ll have to come up with some new creative uses for them as well!

Here’s what else we got this week:

• 1 Bag Jalapeno Peppers
• 1 Small Head Red Romaine Lettuce
• 1 Head Butterhead Lettuce
• 1 Eggplant
• 1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes
• 1 Bunch Aroma Basil
• 1 Bag Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 2 Red Onions
• 5 Green Bell Peppers

Here are some ideas for this box:

Creamy Jalapeno Ranch Dressing

Pasta alla Norma

Cheese, Tomato, and Basil Tart

Tricolor Potatoes with Pesto and Parmesan

Chicken Curry with Bell Peppers

Chile Cheese Bread

Hope you’re snatching up all this fresh produce that’s in season, especially some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes that I keep seeing around town. Make something delicious!

My favorite part of this time of the year? The tomatoes are absolutely glorious. And listening to the crickets at night, that is a fantastically soothing summer sound. This weekend I had the opportunity to head up to the beautiful Poconos to Camp. Summer camp has clearly never been known for great food, but I was thinking of my CSA box at home and all the yummy bites I’m going to cook up this week! Here’s what we got:

• 6 Ears Bi-Color Sweet Corn
• 1 Bag Red Tomatoes
• 1 Bag Cured Sweet Onions
• 1 Bag Green Okra
• 1 Bag Red Potatoes
• 1 Pint Red Grape Tomatoes
• 1 Bag Pickling Cucumbers
• 1 Bunch Fennel Leaf

I actually love okra but have never cooked fresh okra before (I’ve used frozen okra in gumbo, which was awesome). I know okra it can be prone to a certain “slime” if not prepared correctly (any tips on this?) I am planning on making fried okra, which I love! Here is what else I have in mind for this box:

Cajun Fried Okra

Sweet Corn Fritters

Roasted Tomato Soup

Sweet Onion Tart

Bread and Butter Pickles

Sweetcorn Chowder with Crispy Bacon

If you have any suggestions for any of these ingredients, especially the okra, please leave a note!

This week we ate lots of veg, and it was delicious. Our CSA brought some of the same that we’ve been getting, as well as some new and interesting additions to our crisper drawer. And of course, for this time of year, tomatoes, tomatoes, and more tomatoes. In this weeks box:

• 1 Bag Red Beets
• 1 Bag Mixed Tomatoes
• 1 Bag Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 2 Lemon Cucumbers
• 2 Green Bell Peppers
• 1 Pint Sungold Cherry Tomatoes
• 1 Bunch Red Cippolini Onions

I was particularly intrigued by the lemon cucumbers (bottom left) and how they will taste. The Sungolds are absolutely scrumptious and I can’t wait to use them tonight. We’ve been getting lots of tomatoes and cucumbers, which makes for great gazpacho and basic salads, but I’ve been trying to think of some more creative ideas, too. Some thoughts for this week:

Barefoot Contessa’s Capellini with Tomatoes and Basil

Baked Eggplant Bruschetta Salad

Stuffed Peppers with Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

Strata with Cippolini Onions and Arugula

Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce

This past week has been super busy, to the point of “what am I going to do with all this produce? I don’t have any time!” busy. But, I’m determined. I store everything appropriately (as recommended by LFFC) and keeps lots of recipes in mind. The plan is to use up lots of corn, tomatoes, and cabbage in some fish tacos tomorrow night, and we’ll see what the rest of the week holds.

What we got in this weeks box:

• 3 Ears Sweet Corn
• 1 Slicing Cucumber
• 1 Bunch Fresh Red Onions
• 2 Fancy Green Zucchini
• 2 Red Tomatoes
• 1 Head Red Cabbage
• 1 Bag Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes

And here are some recipes I’m considering and suggestions for your produce this week:

Sweet and Sour Cabbage

Southwest Sweet Corn Salad

Zucchini and Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Corn and Zucchini Fritters

Italian Herb and Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes