Versatile Veggie Sauté

When the Week 1 basket of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) veggies arrived and I spied bok
choi, I immediately started thinking of stir-fry, miso, hoisin, and a host of other Asian cuisine staples. The Husband is not a huge fan of bok choi like I am, so I figured it was my duty to use as much as possible (see more along this line here soon).

For me that largely means 'lunch bowls'. And by chopping and cooking enough veggies all at once, I could quickly whip up different variations on the theme for a few days in a row.  It also gave me an excuse to try out this 'gluten-free ramen' pack that I bought on an impulsive, empty stomach.

Now, I understand that by definition 'gluten-free' cannot not equal 'ramen' - lets just say I was seduced by the marketing - as what you end up with is rice noodles, fancy rice noodles compressed to look like the instant noodles that you had for lunch in junior high, and a far cry from what any purist would even consider to be ramen.

I was further seduced by the purple noodles of the 'forbidden rice' variety, thinking they'd make for an exotic lunchtime treat.  I was equally impressed by the short and pronounceable list of ingredients in the seasoning package that came with. So enough reason to give it a try.

Well, as is often the case, my idea of what something will be like is much more optimistic (and tasty) than what actually appears.  While the noodles were indeed a becoming shade, the resulting broth was not - largely due to all the starch from the noodles being left there to make a bit of a cloudy mess.  The directions did not say to drain before adding the 'flavor' package to the water, but I'd almost consider starting with fresh hot water for the broth, while it would take longer.

Regardless, I was happy that I had already decided to bump up the nutritional value with a mix of sauteed veggies and some baked tofu. Not only did they help to add freshness and crunch, but also color. Gotta remember we eat with our eyes first!

So that just goes to show how a quick and easy assemblage of whatever sturdy veggies you have on hand can be a great addition to dishes of many different stripes - noodles, soup or rice to name a few - whether you meant to add them or not.

Versatile Veggie Sauté

Makes about 2 cups | Infinitely scalable

The key is to slice the veggies in a manner which will be easy to eat and quick to cook, without loosing their texture.  In this case I sliced most things thinly with by knife, but pulled out the mandoline slicer to quickly and uniformly dispatch the carrots. Alternatively, you could cut them into matchsticks, they just might need a little longer to cook.  Vary the order you add the veggies according to the ones you are cooking with - sturdier ones first, delicate last - even if that means treating one vegetable two ways as is the case with the stems and greens of the bok choi.

Special note for the bok choi:

• Separate the greens from the wider, thicker portions of the stems
• Cut the stems on the bias in 1/4'' to 1/2'' chunks
• Chop the greens

Into a medium-hot sauté pan, add:

• A drizzle of good oil (I used sesame)
• 1/2 a sweet onion, diced
• 1 stem green garlic, sliced (can sub a garlic clove)
• 3 large crimini mushrooms, sliced

Sauté until just softened, then and add:

• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 4 bok choi stems, bias cut

Add any seasonings that appeal: salt & pepper, or wheat-free tamari are good choices depending on where you see the veggies landing.

When veggies are all almost done to your liking, add:

• bok choi tops, chopped
• 2 radishes, sliced (alternately, leave off the radish for garnish)

Taste the dish and add any additional seasonings. Keeping it more modest makes the veggies more versatile, but if you are committed to going a certain direction for a couple of dishes, then why not add some gluten-free, vegetarian hoisin or teriyaki sauce (San J is a good brand for this) or alternatively stir in a tablespoon of miso paste.

Use half of the veggies to dress your ramen bowl, top with radish (if using for garnish) and protein of choice.

Use the other half for another 'lunch bowl' delight, such as on rice, with sesame and topped with cashews as pictured below. I guess you could always share too.

Use Veggies for a Rice Bowl Too

CSA Week 2

I've been a little behind lately, but it doesn't mean that we haven't been enjoying fresh veggies from our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) adventure!  Here is a glimpse at what we received for week 2, with week 3 and a bunch of recipes soon to follow.

We also were away in beautiful San Francisco for our anniversary recently, and will have to share all kinds of culinary delights and inspirations that were to be found there.  So much, much more to come now that the schedule is (mildly) back on track.

For more on CSAs and the beginning of our adventure, check this post. Or click on the CSA Adventure label at right to follow along as we navigate these seasonal delights.

This week we were happy to see some arugula - one of my favorites that barely made it past day one - along with more succulent radishes and butter lettuce.  The whole bundle included (pictured roughly l-r above, excluding the lettuce):

• 1 large bunch of collard greens
• 1 large bunch of radishes with tops
• 1 bunch of arugula
• 1 stem of green garlic with a large bulb (as green garlic goes)
• 1 smaller bunch of green onions (scallions)
• 1 head of green butter lettuce

CSA Week 1

We have been really happy with our first week of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) with Sauvie Island Organic farm (SIO).  Getting to chat with Peter, one of the SIO farmers that staffs the pickup site, getting one heck of a giant head of red butter lettuce, and getting to try out more green garlic recipes have been the highlights so far.  For more on CSAs and the beginning of our adventure, check out the previous post.

Our half share included:

• 1 big, beautiful head of red butter lettuce
• 1 bunch of lacy red ursa kale
• 1 succulent head of bok choi
• 1 baby fennel bulb with lots of delicate fronds
• 1 large bunch of crunchy celesta radishes
• 2 heads of green garlic

CSA Seasonal Adventure

In an effort to eat more local, seasonal food while supporting the local economy, we are excited to be part of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) with Sauvie Island Organics! If you're not familiar with CSA, as a member you purchase a share of the harvest in advance - in our case its for 28 weeks (last week in May to the first week in December).  The farm gives you an idea of what crops they are growing and when they expect to harvest them, and you get farm-fresh produce once a week from whatever the current bounty is.

Purchasing a CSA share connects you more directly to the farm, and the risk that the farmers are taking in growing their (and your) harvest each year.  Paying up front for the whole season often gives small farms the capital they need to get plants in the ground, and while it may seem like a bunch to fork over before you see a single veggie, its usually quite reasonable if you work out the weekly rate.

With Sauvie Island Organics (SIO), we have the option of getting a 'full share' also known as a 'family share' designed for 2-3 vegetable loving adults or a family four, or a 'half share' designed for 1-2 adults or smaller households, or even a 'salad share' to get a 1/2 pound bag of mixed baby greens each week.  The full share is $945 ($33.75 per week), the half share is $515 ($18.39 per week), and the salad share is $145 for 25 weeks, or $5.80 a week.

I was gung-ho to get a full share, even though we usually are just a family of two humans and one homemade-raw-food-eating canine, we do qualify as veggie-lovers after all!
 But then reality set in, and I realized that with one human being away on business a lot, that would mean lots of 'putting up' (or food preserving) for me.  Logistically, I cannot put up that much food, and really don't want to be slaving over the canner on the stove each week because I lack freezer space.  And really, I'm in this to eat fresh veggies after all!

Seeing as I also grow a modest amount of food at home - check out some of the varieties on my latest Gardening in the Round post - I also like to peruse the many local farmers markets here, especially when friends come to town.  So that all being said, I was reasonable for once (!) and decided on a half share.  I'm excited to push my imagination each week in coming up with new and delightful dishes, and really stoked that the veggies are being grown less than 12 miles from my house. I'll do my best to post each week, check it all out under the label CSA Adventure on the right-hand column.

If you are intrigued by the CSA model, I encourage you to seek out farms in your area.  CSA's exist for not only veggies, but some include fruit, eggs, and even mushrooms! And while it would work for us, there are even meat CSAs too.  If you are in the Portland area, SIO still has shares available if you are interested.

Check out their blog to see what is in a share this week, along with seasonal recipe ideas to enjoy the harvest, and check out their website for more info on CSAs, what they grow and to sign up.

Happy Seasonal Eating!

(These are all my pictures, to check out some of SIO connect with their Flickr account)