Category: Get Educated

We are super excited to get in the rhythm and flow of the CSA — all of our lives have been disrupted, but we hope that we are able to provide you with some stability, confidence, hope and if you are a foodie, a little bit of excitement, with your CSA share.

Here is the preview menu of what we think will be in the share for 4/22+23. Remember the menu may change between now and when you actually receive it due to weather, product availability. We will try to let you know any major changes by email, and also post on our Facebook page, Facebook group, and on Instagram. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns!  Lauren, who helps in the market and packing shares, is helping with some of the produce recipes this week. Remember if you need help identifying veggies or suggestions cooking, to post on our Facebook group, or email. We are LOVING both the easy simple meals and fancy projects you are doing! Keep posting!! 

Just a teaser — we have oysters and clams from Rappahannock River oysters coming up soon for the meat shares and also available a la carte. These are opt-in, so those of you who prefer a meat sub for these weeks, will get that. Watch for the email about opt-in and purchase. yay for these! 

If you are a DC member and need to move your pickup location to Eastern Market or home delivery, let me know! I will let you know what time for Eastern market pickup in a separate email. 

If you are home delivery- please leave us out a box and/or cooler to place your items in.

Thank you everyone, and happy cooking!

Mark + Suzi

PRODUCE * indicates small share – you will not get items without a *. Produce is from Flores Family Farm (George, Omar and family) Hague, Va unless otherwise indicated. 

• Strawberries* Agriberry – Hanover VA – These strawberries are full of flavor! That’s one of the benefits of sourcing strawberries locally! Berry pies are a great way to welcome the warmer weather. Here is my favorite Strawberry Pie recipe. Top with some sweet whipped cream!
• Mushrooms* AM Fog, Afton, VA – Did you know that if your mushrooms dry, that you can powder them? It makes a great nutritious addition to coffee and tea. They contain protein and fiber. They also contain B vitamins and antioxidants. They support the immune system and prevent cell damage. 
• Spring Garlic* Garlic is generally planted in the fall before the first frost, and harvested the following late summer. But from March to May, once the ground has finally thawed, the young plants, called spring garlic can be harvested. The cloves usually have not formed in the bulb of garlic this young, which is why it looks more like a spring onion than a mature garlic bulb. The top is bright green and the bottom bulb is white and speckled with purple. They can be diced and used as you would normally use garlic.
• Bombolini Pasta* Richmond. Using only the finest quality ingredients and the skills acquired by years of practice make their pasta the finest quality fresh pasta available.  Consumers are increasingly excited about fresh pasta given its superior quality and nutritional value, as well as its ease of preparation. Bombolini Pasta enjoys incorporating exciting, non-traditional ingredients into this highly traditional product. The next recipe I am going to share, combines the previous three ingredients, to make a flavorful, hearty dinner. Try this Mushroom. Garlic, Pasta Recipe.  Fresh pasta cooks in a flash – usually 2 minutes or less – so follow directions carefully and err on the short side of timing.  We are trying to get some of their GF pasta, so if you have a GF note on your share, you will hopefully get this, or a sub. 
• Asparagus* – I made the most amazing white pizza the other night! It was topped with asparagus, ramps, ricotta, and mozzarella. You can sautee the asparagus in spring garlic and butter for added flavor. My nine year old loved it too! Asparagus and Ramp Pizza
• Bok Choy* – this is a versatile and delicious vegetable – great in stir fries, soups, and even in slaw. Here are some ideas. 
• Arugula/Spicy salad mix* – try this strawberry arugula salad with spicy pecans 
• Spinach – 30 ways to make you stronger than Popeye! I love it in salads, sauteed, in soups, with eggs, creamed spinach and more! It is a delicous cooler season green. 
• Leeks- These are a cornerstone of fine cooking and go well with spinach and rutabagas. Here are some recipes to get you started. The curried leek potato hash looks really good. 
• Rutabagas – so many of you have emailed to say you never realized how much you love rutubagas. They are on their way out till next year. Maybe one more week. here is a cool vegan recipe for kale rutabaga lasagna to try. I would sub spinach for kale. 
• Thyme – One of the stalwarts of seasoning – thyme is easy to grow and is super fragrant. If you don’t use up your thyme, you can hang it up to dry and use it later. Here are some ways to use it . For those of you who enjoy cocktails, thyme is a lovely ingredient to brighten up happy hour! Here are some recipes. 
• Buckwheat Pancake Mix– Wades Mill, Raphine, VA These are delicous! Top them with this easy berry compote from Minimalist Baker. If you are GF you will get a sub. This may possibly be grits. 

MEATS

Biweekly members:

• Maple Pork BBQ – Southernmost Maple – This is a delicious quick meal – just heat and eat — add a salad and a side of rutabaga mash and roasted asparagus and you are all set! I like to keep this in the freezer for a busy night. 
• Bacon –Polyface Farms Swope, VA   spinach salad with hot bacon dressing (but possibly could be sausage links)
• ground beef -Harmony Hill Farm – Here are some tips for cooking grass fed beef. Picadillo is one of my favorite ways to use ground beef – included here are slow cooker and instant pot versions. 

Weekly members:

• Trout Filets – Virginia Trout Company Monterey, VA –  – so delicious and cook quickly. I usually just panfry with butter (or olive oil) and season with salt and pepper, or you can roll in cornmeal. easy!
• Smoked trout – this is delicous as a fancy appetizer with the Billy Bread, with eggs benedict, or on a bagel with a schmear. 
• sausage – I am not sure what variety this will be or who it is by — I am sorry!!! 

BREAD

• Billy Bread – Rustic Sourdough — This is the famous Billy Bread!  Don’t distress if it starts to get hard before you can eat it all, although it is easy to eat it all at once – it is so delicious. Here are some ways to revive and  use leftover sourdough bread. 

DAIRY

• Cheese -mozzarella  – Mt View – Make shakshuka if you get feta! This is one of my favorite dishes of all times and showcases the eggs beautifully in a dish that is great for either brunch or dinner. If you get mozzarella, make this rainbow veggie sandwich! 
• Here’s a tutorial on how to strain yogurt to make it thick like Greek. If you let it sit longer it makes yogurt cheese that you can use like cream cheese. Delicous and easy. 
• ABOUT THE MEOW MILK –  Milk folks will be getting “meow milk” from Mountain View.   Do not be alarmed! This milk is what is used for their butter and cheese . It is low pasteurized at the USDA legal limit but it is not homogenized – so the cream will rise to the top. Shake it to blend. It is is fully inspected every time by USDA and VDACS. The milk is labeled as a “dairy treat for cats” which is a legal loophole for the dairy to sell this milk legally under “pet milk” regulations, without having to purchase additional costly permits/license to sell milk for people, work thru red tape etc. Dairy farming is the HARDEST farming there is, partly because of the heavy regulation, costly licensure and expensive equipment needed for every single item.  In order to do be labeled as Pet Milk, it has a disclaimer” not for human consumption.” The milk is safe to do as you wish, within the privacy of your home. This is a common, and legal practice. Please enjoy, and let me know if you have questions or concerns.

This is a really delicious share for you this week! We have a few turkeys and bison roasts left, and you can order them and pay your $20 deposit via our online ordering. They are open to non-members as stand-alone items.

PRODUCE

• Beets  – these have a red bulb, and greens. Use your greens early – cut them off and sauté – put the steps in first as they take longer than the leaves. sauteed beet greens with olive oil and garlic.  roasted beets with dill, beet salad with dill and lemon
• carrots – carrot, apple and spinach salad (kid friendly version too)
• turnips – – roasted turnips with ginger
• cherry tomatoes – cherry tomato brown bettys
• roma tomatoes = slow roasted with sea salt and coriander
• french radishes – I love to slice these into salad, but they are lovely in a sandwich, or sauteed in butter for breakfast. Here are some suggestions, I love the one with the ricotta, which you can make in minutes using the milk.
• colored cauliflower – roasted – easy but tasty
• cilantro – cilantro pesto
• celery- celery risotto with asian pear and shisho
• napa cabbage – green chile, chicken posole soup
• baby romaine – apple lettuce salad
• leeks – leek bread pudding
• arugula – arugula pear and goat cheese salad with pomegranate vinaigrette
• Brussel sprouts – yay!  flash fried with lime and salt.
• apples – brown butter and cheddar apple pie
• white sweet potatoes – chile roasted chicken, sweet potatoes and cilantro rice

MEAT

Oysters + Clams –how to shuck an oyster with Chef Pete at Merroir. How to prepare them raw  use your leeks, or green onions! Grill them. Here’s a few other methods of cooking like roasting, and steaming. Here’s how to steam clams. Here’s the Ultlimate Pasta with Clams Make oyster shooters. You can use sake, tequila, vodka etc. Look them up. You’ll be in heaven.

or

Alternate – ground sausage, cornish game hen, ground beef

BREAD

Prairie Grain

CHEESE

Eberly Cheddar assortment – swiss chard quiche with a rice crust

FRUIT

apples – make a fruit and cheese plate!

pears