2009 CSA Basket Journal #6; Volume 2
CSA Basket Journal # 6; Volume 2
June 17th
What Genus Specie varieties your basket contains:
1.) Speckled Butteroak Loose Leaf Lettuce
2.) Green Deer Tongue Head of Leaf Lettuce
3.) Tennis Ball Butterhead Lettuce or Pirat Red & Green Butterhead
4.) Frisee Endive
5.) Golden Swiss Chard Bunch
6.) Red Russian & Siberian Kale Bunch
7.) Bulk Herbs of Cinnamon, Lime, & Genovese Basil and Summer Savory
8.) Detroit Dark Red Beet Bunch and Greens
9.) Early Tall Top and Goldstone Beet Bunch and Greens
10.) Carrot Bunch of Cosmic Purples and Snowwhites
This basket has the best representation of large beautiful beets and lettuces thus far. The soft lime green or red and green butterhead leafs; the appropriately shaped and crunchy mid rib of the green deer tongue leafs; the painted speckles of the soft and sweet butteroak leafs, are all awaiting to be used in some wonderful salads or finger foods this week. Then the large quantity of basil varieties will give much added flavors and zings to your lettuce leaf salads in addition to many great uses for pastes, pestos, vinaigrettes, sauces, butters, and sautéed vegetables. There is nothing quite like the Cinnamon Basil as it is very distinctive and aromatic and is great just as whole leaves added to green salads. With all the herbs I have made an herb-honey butter that was delicious with some homemade buckwheat and millet drop biscuits. Also, how about a thick pesto dipping spread for raw platter of sliced beets, chopped carrots, butterhead leafs (pesto put within with cheese and grape and rolled) and served with cheese, in season grapes, olives, and herbed millet biscuits. Platters are great fun as they require hands on participation of eaters, so therefore I would highly recommend trying them.
If any like to be in slight anticipation I will say that you can look forward to the first digging of the first of the early new Caribe Potatoes and the picking of my favorite French Hericot Vert, the Maxibel, for next weeks basket!
In closing, I heard some great ideas last week from you all and I will share a few here in brief that might give you all some new ideas…..
*Beet Cake/Bread Loaf as if you could imagine a carrot or zucchini bread
*Baked Polenta with incorporated Feta Cheese instead of butter served with sautéed thin sliced carrots in sesame oil and some sautéed beet greens in balsamic vinegar and olive oil
*Summer Savory pan fried turnips and carrots with sesame oil and rice vinegar and served with noodles
*A plate of wonderful chopped raw greens served simply aside some great fish
*Roasted Beet Salad with goat cheese and walnuts a top beet greens
*A large bowl salad of pan fried peas, beet greens, lettuce, roasted beets, chopped turnips, and tossed with an basil and savory vinaigrette and topped with spice roasted pecans.
*Borage Wine shared with friends on a weekend trip!
*Classic Pickled Beets