We Are Officially "Farmers"...Oh Yeah!

I picked up our first box of produce from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture, i.e. "Farm") today.  There it is on the left.  I didn't know what to expect.  I had been told that, sometimes, especially early in the season, you get a half-full box.  Or you get nothing but Kale.  And I don't particularly like Kale (or at least I didn't think I did).  As you can see, we received a generous amount of freshly picked produce.  And we own what is known as "half a share".  On the far left is the infamous Kale, which we actually had (and enjoyed!) tonight.  You can see Green Onions in the front, and some Asparagus that is underneath the plastic container of Strawberries (next to the Kale).  In the right side of the box is a bag of Red Leaf Lettuce, underneath which was a small Basil plant (that is now in my kitchen window) and one of the biggest live spiders I have ever seen!  Yikes!  I hope that was a one-time-only freak accident.  But my husband tells me to expect that sort of thing from Organic, 100% pesticide- free"just-picked-and-ploppod-into-a-box" produce.  So from now on, I will set newspaper out on my deck on CSA Day and turn the box upside down onto it and wait before bringing the produce indoors.

I have to admit that I was quite pleased with the array of items we received.  I looked online and found a Kale recipe that got almost 5 stars, with 121 people rating it.  Six of us tried it tonight and we all liked it, including three 18-year old boys and my 16-year old son.  If you have joined a CSA and have a pile of Kale sitting on your counter or if you have heard how nutritious it is and would like to try it, I recommend the following recipe:

Sweet & Savory Kale
2 T. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. Dijon Mustard
3 t, sugar
1 T. Cider Vinegar
1 and 1/2 cups broth (vegetable is preferable)
4 cups stemmed and torn Kale
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.  Stir in onion and garlic and cook 5 minutes.  Stir in mustard, sugar, vinegar, and broth.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Stir in kale and cook 5 minutes.  Stir in cranberries and boil, uncovered, until liquid is reduced by more than half, about 15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Makes 4 servings.  150 calories each, 5 g. fat

Note:  This is the amount of Kale that came in my box.  It was the perfect amount for this recipe, which as a side dish, served 6 of us, as I mentioned above:

For tomorrow, I have planned a menu that will incorporate the asparagus, most of the red leaf lettuce and the strawberries.  I can't wait to share it with you.  Until then, happy and healthy eating!