Recipe Links: Week 2

1. Red Iceberg lettuce, 2. Lettuce mix, 3. Spicy greens mix, 4. Pink Beauty radishes, 5. Hakurei turnips, 6. Early onions, 7. Curly endive, 8. Asparagus, 9. Gold potatoes, 10. Gift of Dela's goat cheese.

Week 2 is here and I'm back with a few more recipe ideas for our CSA community. More springtime vegetables in our bag this week, including some lovely asparagus.

Lettuces: Red iceberg lettuce, lettuce mix

Yogurt and White Bean 'Ranch' Dressing This spin on ranch dressing looks like an excellent way for ranch-lovers to boost the nutritional quality of their salads. The Greek yogurt is sure to bring that cool tangy flavor without all the chemicals. These variations are also intriguing: Yogurt and Bean Dressing with Thai Flavors and White Bean and Yogurt Green Goddess.

Walnut-Rosemary Granola Savory granola...for your salad? Aiming for a healthy alternative to croutons (and one his kids couldn't pick out without accidentally eating some leaves along the way), food writer Nicholas Day worked up this crunchy salad topping. 

Spicy greens mix

Sauteed Greens This article outlines the basic steps of sauteeing greens and offers a variety of ways to punch them up, using mainly pantry staples. I’d say this is a CSA subscriber’s must-read.

Sweet and Spicy Bitter Greens Go forage for some dandelion greens to accompany your mustards! (Or buy some from the grocery. Or, just use another green like collards or kale.)

Mustard Greens Harissa I've been longing to try this recipe by food writer and activist Bryant Terry for months now. This recipe, invented for Bryant's new book Afro Vegan (which looks stunning, by the way) harnesses the spicy kick of mustard greens to create a peppy sauce inspired by the flavors of Northern Africa.

Pink beauty radishes

Radish Cous-Cous A light, somewhat fancy salad with radishes. Any nice-tasting oil would work in place of the avocado oil.

Roasted Radishes with Almond Salsa Verde Bring a bright, savory flavor to your radishes. Serve with bread for a side dish or light meal.

And, to use up those tops, check out the recipe for Creamy Spring Turnip Soup with Wilted Radish Greens and Bacon. 

Hakurei turnips

Deborah Madison’s Turnips with White Miso Butter, Vegetable Literacy, pg. 155
I really enjoy this recipe. The steps are pretty simple, but the flavor is anything but. White miso adds a sophisticated, layered umami flavor to the mild, sweet turnips.

1 lb Japanese turnips
2 tbsp butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp white miso
1 tsp black sesame seeds (or white), toasted in a dry skillet until fragrant
3 green onions, white parts plus an inch of the greens, slivered
Sea salt

Trim the turnips and peel neatly with a paring knife. Section them into quarters or sixths. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat, add the mirin, then the turnips, and cook, allowing them to color, for several minutes.
White the turnips are cooking, stir together the miso and the remaining butter. When the turnips are tender, add this mixture and allow it to bubble up, coat the turnips, and just heat through. Transfer to a serving dish, finish with the sesame seeds and green onions, and serve. This dish probably won’t need salt, taste to be sure.

Creamy Spring Turnip Soup with Wilted Radish Greens and Bacon Another recipe that uses those tasty radish greens! For the adventurous vegetarians/vegans in the crowd, this shiitake bacon recipe is intriguing (and I’m sure cashew cream or another vegan cream substitute would work in the soup, stirred in at the end).

Turnip Greens Frittata This simple frittata recipe is a great way to use up those turnip greens you’ve set aside this week. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m tempted to substitute the potatoes for some sauteed turnips.

Early onions

Butter-Braised Spring Onions with Lots of Chives Braising early onions like this would make a lovely side for a meal for one or two. This technique highlights the sweetness of these early onions. 

Potato, Spring Onion, Dill, and Cheese Frittata Okay, okay, another frittata. But they're easy and delicious.

Endive

Greek Potatoes with Curly Endive, Spinach and Leeks Just in case your leeks are still hanging around from last week... This recipe would make great use of this week's gold potatoes.

Curly Endive Salad with Bacon and Poached Eggs This simple salad balances the crisp bite of endive with the smoky saltiness of bacon and the richness of poached eggs. Runny yolks not your thing? Try it with hard-boiled eggs instead.

Curly Endive and Bean Soup I often make white bean soups from our CSA vegetables. This recipe is a variation on a traditional bean soup, adding endive leaves for bite.

Asparagus 

Patricia Wells’ Asparagus Braised with Fresh Rosemary and Bay Leaves This is hands-down one of my favorite ways to cook asparagus. It almost doesn’t seem fair that this recipe is so easy. I used dried bay leaves and rosemary that I keep tucked in the freezer. Delicious.

Spring Salad with Asparagus and Soft-boiled Eggs Soft-boiled eggs are a great way to make a simple meal seem a bit more indulgent. 

Asparagus Salad with Sesame Chili Lime Dressing An alternative to the gentle treatments of asparagus, this vegan recipe promises to add a kick to your spring meals.

Thai-Scented Asparagus Soup I love the idea of combining coconut milk, lemongrass and ginger with asparagus for this tempting vegetarian/vegan soup.

Gold potatoes

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese This looks like a great combination of potatoes, onions, and Dela's delicious goat cheese. 

Spring Salad with New Potatoes If you skip the peas, you have all the veg you need for this salad right in your CSA bag this week. For a little sweetness, use the peas or beans recommended or thaw out a handful of frozen peas and toss them in.

Warm Lentil and Potato Salad A filling dinner salad. Lentils are an excellent pantry ingredient to have on hand for use in salads like these. They last forever, cook quickly, and add a satisfying savory flavor to a meal.

This Turnip Greens Frittata would be a great way to use some of these pretty golden potatoes as well!