I know I skimped on the “show” part of show-and-tell from the first CSA box, so hopefully this photo roundup of the creations from box #2 will make up for that. If you over-indulged on Thanksgiving and are still in “I-never-want-to-see-food-again” mode, feel free to bookmark this post and come back at a later time. Otherwise, read on for the details of some of the dishes I made with the contents of my second CSA box.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Sage Leaves
I adapted this soup recipe from The New Vegetarian Epicure and The Silver Palate Cookbook, combining the recipes and making some tweaks. The resulting recipe is easy and tasty, but requires a few steps, so it really needs its own post (coming soon!). Oh, and a big Thank You to my friend Amy, who provided the inspiration for this project by pointing me to The Silver Palate recipe in the first place.
My Go-To Broccoli Side Dish
This dish is my version of comfort food: Steamed broccoli with roasted red pepper strips, goat cheese, fresh thyme, crushed red pepper, extra virgin olive oil, Maldon sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. (Just FYI, the need for comfort determines the amount and type of cheese added to this dish. Need for more comfort = Add more cheese.)
Much like the salads I make, there’s no actual “recipe.” Simply steam the broccoli for 3-4 minutes, add the other ingredients to taste, toss, and serve.
This dish works as a side dish or a main course, depending on your dietary choices and the amount of joy you get from washing dishes. (There are few things I like less than washing dishes, so I’m a big fan of weeknight one-dish meals.) Want to make it more substantial, but still keep it to a one-dish meal? Just toss in some chopped protein; tuna, grilled chicken, and tofu are good choices. Not feeling the goat cheese? Try feta, finely shredded aged white cheddar, or chunks of fresh mozzarella. You get the idea.
Roasted Carrots with Maple Browned Butter and Toasted Pecans
I’ve been meaning to attempt a roasted carrot recipe ever since tasting Vesta’s grilled carrot starter (see the Vesta Field Trip post for more info). As it turns out, roasted carrots are a bit tricky, but oh-so-delicious. You really have to keep an eye on them so that they don’t end up too soft — which mine almost did. The toasted pecans are optional, but add a nice toasty flavor and crunch. You could also substitute toasted, chopped hazelnuts for the pecans. (Recipe adapted from The New Best Recipe.)
Cranberry-Mandarin Scones
When I saw the fresh cranberries and satsuma mandarin oranges in the CSA box, my first throught was scones! And then I did a little happy dance right there in my kitchen. Seriously. These are my favorite scones, and the recipe is super simple.
Cranberry-orange scones are a holiday standard in my house. I took care of the mise en place the night before Thanksgiving and was able to quickly make and bake the scones on Thanksgiving morning.
These scones best the day you make them, but will keep up three days in an airtight container. (Recipe adapted from epicurious.com.)
So… I’ve shown you mine, now you show me yours! Do you get a CSA box? What do you usually make with the contents? Share photos if you have ’em!