AnahiKristian: Fresh Recipes From Your CSA Basket

Community Supported Agriculture (more commonly known as your neighborhood CSA) has been growing in popularity since the ‘80s. New York State has a lot of farmland, so I can’t speak for all areas of the country in saying this, but new crop share programs are popping up as fast as popular microbreweries around here. The farms and organizations make it undeniably convenient for families to shop small business, shop local, and shop organic. Local farming rocks.

Aside from the aforementioned perks (local, organic, convenient), the best thing about the CSA I belong to is that it delivers a wide variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables – it’s a variety well beyond what I would normally pick up on my weekly grocery trip, and an opportunity to explore new recipes and cooking techniques. Challenge accepted.

Looking for more summertime recipes using fresh crops? Keep reading for lots of inspiration.

Fresh ideas for your lettuce:

Gone are the days of forcing yourself to eat bland lettuce, you can put anything on your salad these days and some of my favorite spice-it-up additives are seeds and nuts (from sunflower seeds to caramelized walnuts). A few more ideas to get you in the mood:

Almond caesar salad (shown above)
Wilted lettuce salad (with cider vinegar and bacon!)
Strawberry romaine salad
Buffalo chicken salad
BLT pasta and lettuce salad
Mandarin salad
Taco salad (A fave! Why don’t I think to make this more often!)

My family’s favorite homemade dressing is an emulsified combination of lemon juice, red wine vinegar, a teaspoon of white sugar, and a teaspoon of grape jelly. Its tagline should be ‘Making all salads taste like dessert since 2012.’

Tasty recipes for your summer squash:

I had like, 9 yellow squash and zucchinis in my CSA bag last week, about par for the course in July and August. We used it all with surprising ease, by exploring its use as a simple additive in other dishes. Squash is mild to begin with, and it easily absorbs other flavors in your dish making it an easy “secret” ingredient for meals that will still appeal to toddlers and kids and picky adults. And I think it’s one of the few veggies that can morph into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, and we tried it all (just check out these 25 ideas to see a range of zucchini recipes).

A zucchini quiche, tart (like shown above), or cheesy zucchini tots are quick and easy to make. Zucchini “pasta” does a good job at mimicking traditional spaghetti when paired with sauce, or when used in a baked dish like veggie lasagna (buy a mandolin to cut consistent veggie strips for faux-sagna, and a spiralizer to make spaghetti-like “Zoodles” for all kinds of recipes).

Next, let’s think outside of the box. Has anyone tried canned “pineapple” made from zucchini, lemon juice, sugar, and pineapple juice? That’s next on my list.

If you have a hunch that you have more than you can eat fresh, learn how to freeze summer squash so you can enjoy in a warm recipe on a cold, winter day.

Tons of tomatoes:

Tomatoes are enjoyable on their own – a simple tomato sandwich or handful of cherry tomatoes warm from the sun are sometimes the best way to fall into summer. Kick your summer sandwich up a notch when you try this fried green tomato sandwich.

When your tastebuds demand more from your crop, or your up to your eyeballs in excess fruit, remind yourself of the opportunity to use fresh-fresh-fresh in all of your favorite dishes. Here are some ideas to get you started:

When you’ve had your fill, learn how to can the rest of your tomatoes, or make and can fresh sauce for enjoyment all winter long.

Grilled vegetable ideas:

Grilled veggies are a simple side, and also a delicious addition to many entrees and salads. It’s easy to learn how to grill vegetables on the grates (and if you’re looking for a cleaner solution, try packing the veggies in foil pouches). Coat the vegetables in oil, or a popular marinade, and enjoy the new, natural flavors brought out by the grill.

A few new recipes to try?