The Bonus in your CSA Box

So, this week, we got celery, carrots, apples, peas, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, kohlrabi, turnips... hmmm, what am I forgetting?

The GREENS!  On the tops of those kohlrabi and turnips, on the stalks of the broccoli, leaves that are just as tasty as spinach and chard... and cook pretty much the same way.  It's like a bonus dish in every CSA box.  While they're still fresh from the box, cut the stalks off your kohlrabi (or turnips, or radishes, or beets...).  Strip out the ribs of the leaves.  Wash the leaves well.  Saute in a little oil, add garlic (or salt and pepper), maybe toss in some pine nuts if you have them handy.  As an added benefit, now your kohlrabi (or turnips, or radishes, or beets...) are easier to store, and will take one less step in the preparation.

Here's a photo guide to the greens you might be missing.  And here's a photo of my kohlrabi/turnip/broccoli greens from this week's box (as prepared for my lunch today):

Adams Middle School Wellness Fair

Adams Middle School is hosting their second annual Wellness Fair this Saturday, January 12, 2013 between 10:00 and 13:00 in the cafeteria.

Join us.  I'll be there, sharing the bounty from a seasonal box, including samples of winter strawberries.

Japanese turnips

A member asked how to cook the white Japanese turnips in this week's box.  Japanese and Chinese turnips can be used interchangeably in recipes.  They differ in form factor (size and shape), but their tastes and textures are very similar.

Try this Daikon soup recipe I posted in 2009.  Although I did not mention it in the recipe, you can save the turnip greens, wash and chop them, and add them in just before serving.

Turnip (and beet and radish...) greens are nutritious and delicious so I hope you are using them in your cooking.

Penny made a soup with her white turnips and greens in the past.  See the lovely picture.

Winter strawberries are coming!

I just got news from Tanaka Farms that super sweet (ambrosial is not an overstatement!)  winter strawberries will be in this week's Tanaka Farms CSA boxes.  Sign up now to eat your veggies, and strawberries, and support your local schools.

UPDATE
Eileen, CSA manager at Tanaka Farms sends this update:

I spoke too soon about the strawberries being in the boxes this week.  One of our strawberry patches suffered damage from the crows.  The birds were eating many of the strawberries.  We do not have enough strawberries for this week , we hope to have more in the next week or two.