Last summer Tony and I joined a CSA. This was not some branch of the Confederate States of America. It isn’t even Crop Share Associations, which is where my mind always goes. CSA means Community Supported Agriculture.

In practice it IS crop sharing, where you pay a farmer so much per week for so many weeks, and he or she gives you a share of whatever is grown that week. Theoretically. It gets complex.

Our crop share ran for twelve to eighteen weeks, and I really loved it and learned a lot. Since someone recently asked me what I learned and I drew a total blank, I thought I’d better give the question more thought. 

I tried a lot of different things that I would have given the go-by, if I’d had a choice. And unless a certain relative of mine cooks it, I still think kale is not food. 

However. I did try radish top soup. It’s more or less a tasty potato and onion soup, with the washed radish tops sautéed slightly, and then tossed in. I gave the soup a whirl with a thunderstick (hand-held blender) but it isn’t completely necessary. It does impart an exotic green color to an otherwise warm and comforting Friday night dish.

Then there’s chocolate beet cake. I got a recipe from an agricultural extension website which I think is this one.* At any rate it’s a close competitor and there are a million more recipes for Chocolate Beet Cake on google. The cake was quite edible though I liked it better with a bit of frosting. Whipped cream would probably be good as well. The amount of beet puree is negotiable if you are a bit short of the correct amount.* https://eat-move-save.extension.illinois.edu/eat/recipes/chocolate-beet-snack-cake

I learned to rip the carrot tops off carrots before storing them. This is actually a peculiar phenomenon. Only organic carrots are sold with their pretty green tops on, at least around here. But even most organic people don’t eat the tops; they are bitter. (Yes, I tried them.) Also if you leave those leafy green things attached to your carrots, you will ruin the crispness of your carrots, and ultimately their healthiness. The tops draw out moisture. If you want to keep the tops, rip them off and store them separately. 

I tried radish pickles but failed at them. They were simultaneously hot and boring. I learned to use a lot more onions and I learned how to make French Onion Soup. Notice I did not say I made it. By the time I realized how it was done, the CSA was no longer producing onions.

Green beans and wax beans are now something I can enjoy… if properly seasoned, and  served with some chicken or ham. Likewise cabbage from a farm is a different animal from the one at the grocery store. Tender and tasty! And that recipe where you add crumbled ramen noodles and some nuts and dried fruit to your coleslaw? Go for it. 

We got potatoes and corn, but I didn’t need any help appreciating those two. If you want a slightly different take on potatoes, shred a raw potato, turn on your waffle maker and grease it well, add the potato with a bit of butter on top, salt slightly, close and let cook. Gorgeous hash browns. 

We got patty pan squash but I really failed to use it well. On the other hand, we got zucchini and yellow squash, and I found an incredible zucchini bread recipe. I’ve always been suspicious of such stuff, but the wife of one of my nephews made some astonishing stuff, and all I wanted to do was to live at her house and eat her bread. (DO NOT to use patty pan squash as a substitute. It is not a good replacement.) Here’s the zucchini bread recipe I found that comes closest to that amazing stuff from my nephew’s wife. Don’t blame her for it though. I got it off the internet and forgot to write down where it came from.**

We got Kabocha squash. This comes in two varieties, one of which looks like a small and VERY orange pumpkin. The other is green and mottled. Kabocha makes amazing pumpkin pie, if you cook the vegetable in the oven until it is soft, and then mash the flesh and use it for puree. It is drier than many other squash, which makes for baked goods that I really enjoyed. It also makes amazing gluten-free muffins using the recipe on the Measure for Measure gluten free flour package. The recipe is for banana bread but it says you can swap in a 15oz can of pumpkin, instead. Or here … https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/gluten-free-whole-grain-banana-muffins-recipe

Unfortunately, this year I cannot find any Kabocha at the local farm market. A local farmer took pity on me last Saturday and introduced me to Sweet Georgia Candy Roaster Squash. Smooth pink skin, long, blue tipped and strange looking, she promised good taste. I managed to get it cooked, but haven’t managed the Pie. Tomorrow! I will use the King Arthur Flour recipe which is probably similar to any recipe you like, but adds a bit of black pepper to the spices. https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/pumpkin-pie-recipe 

** Zucchini bread

1 c grated fresh zucchini or summer squash

1/2 c butter of mild vegetable oil

2 large eggs 

1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix. Add…

1 c granulated sugar.

Mix.

Sift or stir together the following ingredients

1 1/2 c all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

Stir to combine with wet ingredients.

Bake 55 minutes at 325º in 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 loaf pan, greased. 

You can sprinkle sugar on top.

You can add nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips.

Enjoy!

++ This is not Catholic fiction or science …