Brought it home on my bike this afternoon. Asparagus, 2 lb; Rhubarb, 2 lb; Potatoes, 3 lb; Two young lettuces, red leaf and green leaf; Arugula, 1 small bunch; Green garlic, 1 bunch; Radishes, 1 bunch.
1st CSA box contents – the jar is the green garlic dressing
The problem was, I had some of almost all of those things in the fridge already. Some steamed asparagus tips, lettuce, rhubarb, potatoes in the panty.
I made the green garlic into dressing; tried out a recipe from my neighbor’s recipe service, Local Thyme. I get a subscription as an added benefit, along with my CSA box – very cool. But the dressing came out kind of blah – as in fact every other green garlic dressing recipe has that I’ve tried. This one has good ingredients – lemon, white wine vinegar, honey, the green garlic, and olive oil. Also kind of a lot of water – half a cup – that I left out, all buzzed up in the blender or food processor. And I upped the honey –
I’m pretty much thinking the best way to use green garlic is to treat it like green onions, or cooked, like baby leeks. That’s how I’ve enjoyed it the most anyways. That means for the dressing, I would’ve minced the green garlic, and poured the vinegar and sweetening and salt & pepper on top, and let it marinate for a little while, then add the mustard and whisk in the oil.
Also inspired by the Local Thyme recipes, I made a roasted potato & asparagus salad. Roasted some of the potatoes I already had, not the ones from the box, and like 5 spears of the new asparagus. Tossed the lettuce I already had with some dressing I already had – that was just a kind of plain balsamic vinaigrette, with shallot, made according to the above procedure. Put the asparagus tips I already had in with the newly-roasted potatoes & asparagus, and drizzled the green garlic dressing overall. And then we ate it on top of the dressed greens. All put together like that, it was all good.
It’s nice to have a lot of rhubarb, too. I made a pie not too long ago. Maybe muffins, or coffee cake, or maybe I’ll try this big crumb rhubarb recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Maybe I’ll try the dread rhubarb custard tart again. And maybe just chop some of it to freeze for later.
I think I’ll make asparagus pizza tomorrow.
So not a bad night, could be better. I pick up my box at somebody’s garage, and I sort of got yelled at by her. Seems I did not cross my name off the list properly – I crossed off the line where it says I’m an every other week member, instead of my name. Sheesh. I really appreciate her family providing the pick up spot, really I do – I know it’s got to be a pain to have all of us CSA-ers traipsing through their yard – but still.
Must be time for PJs and cuddle with cats – except, oh shit – there’s a sinkload of dishes to wash. Well, that’s better done in PJs than the work clothes I have on now.
