CSA Weeks 5 and 6

A little behind in posting on here.  We're knee-deep in the summer travel season and I'm finding it a little hard to keep up! 

Week 5 - The Lost Week

I have a produce photo to share from this week, but no recipe.  In week 5 we received:

Beets

Zucchini

Cucumber

Lettuce

Red Potatoes

Garlic

Thyme

It was Potluck Week 2 and the dish I ended up making was incredibly un-photogenic.  Between the red lettuce, red-skinned potatoes and red beets, the dish screamed for color diversity.  Oh well! They can't all be winners. 

Week 6 - Potluck Week 3

I think this is the last week I attempt to do something with the lettuce.  I only cook once per week and the lettuce is starting to get in the way of my culinary aspirations (lofty, right?).  I'd say that is the downside to the CSA at least for our household.  If you love salads or make a lot of sandwiches, you'll definitely be able to eat up the lettuce.  That's just not how we cook/eat.  

We received the below in week 6:

Lettuce

Kale

Zucchini

Mushrooms

Green Beans

Garlic Scrapes

Rosemary

This time, instead of mostly red veggies, we received mostly green ones. However, that is a bit easier for me to work with.  With my parents coming to stay for the weekend, I decided to making two lunch-appropriate salads to share. 

Kale and Romaine Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayo (I use Hampton Creek Just Mayo)

1/4 cup yogurt (feel free to substitute vegan yogurt, buttermilk or sour cream)

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 t miso (I use chickpea miso)

1 t Worcestershire sauce

1/2 t chipotle Tabasco sauce (or any pepper sauce you like)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 head romaine lettuce, cleaned and leaves sliced into 1/2-inch ribbons

1 bunch kale, cleaned and leaves sliced into 1/2-inch ribbons

1/2-3/4 cup shaved Parmesan and/or Asiago cheese

1/2 cup sliced almonds or pine nuts, toasted

1/2 cup raisins or chopped dates

In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, yogurt, lemon juice, miso, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and garlic powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Toss with romaine, kale, cheese, nuts and fruit. 

Vegetable Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

2 med zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch half-moons

1 lg pt or scant qt of cremini mushrooms, quartered

4 garlic scrapes, chopped

1 T fresh rosemary (about three stems), chopped

1 T fresh thyme (about 5 stems), chopped

6 T olive oil, divided

1 qt fresh green beans, stemmed and cut into thirds

1 box gluten-free penne or other short pasta

1 pt cherry tomatoes, halved (I cheated here and purchased tomatoes for some added color and acidity)

1/2 c olives, halved 

2 T balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

Shaved Parmesan or crumbled feta, optional

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.  Prepare an ice bath for later use. 

2. Toss sliced zucchini, mushrooms, garlic scrapes, rosemary and thyme in a bowl with 4 T of the olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spread on to baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally, until tender and caramelized (about 40 minutes). Let cool slightly. 

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a bowl over high heat.  Blanch green beans for 2 minutes, or until crisp-tender.  Immediately remove beans to prepared ice bath. 

4. Bring pot of water to a boil again.  Add pasta and cook according to package directions (usually 7-9 minutes).  Drain. 

5. In a large serving bowl, toss together pasta, roasted vegetables, blanches beans, tomatoes, olives, balsamic vinegar and remaining 2 T olive oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, toss in cheese as well before serving.  

One note - I discovered that gluten-free pasta is not good cold the next day.  It gets pretty hard and chalky. If you are going to serve this as a cold pasta salad, definitely make and eat the same day.  However, the leftovers are tasty when warmed!