Subscribers' Blog: Wisconsin Week 1
/The 2017 CSA season has officially begun! In case you're wondering who I am or what I'm up to with this blog, check out In it you'll also find some tips for making the most of your share. As this season progresses, I'll share any additional insights, musings, and recipes I come across.
Smoked trout risotto and braised asparagus
This week
After reading Tony's newsletter this week, I'm thinking of our experiences with the week's rain. Last night, we watched the storm roll in while stirring risotto on the stove. As the winds picked up, the flames on the stove started to flicker and the mason jar of mint clippings fell from our window sill. A few closed windows later, we resumed cooking and debriefing about our days at work. I paused for a moment to wonder how the new cherry tomato plant was faring in its pot on our back porch.
This week, our shares brought asparagus (Madison & Milwaukee) or rhubarb (on-farm pick-up), leaf lettuce mix, spicy greens mix, large turnip, New Fire Leaf Lettuce, Igl Heart tomato plant (Madison & Milwaukee) or basil plant (on-farm pick-up), Ziata radishes, bok choi, and a gift of Dela’s cheese made from goat milk. We've kept our cooking for the week fairly simple and practical, with the exception of last night's smoked trout and braised asparagus. Lettuce and radishes have made their way into workday lunch salads along with some marinated grilled chicken. We also gently sauteed the bok choi in a little garlic-infused oil to pair with rice, turnips, leftover chicken, and Korean chili sauce for easy but satisfying lunches. Our spicy greens and goat cheese await tomorrow's inspiration--maybe a fritatta?
Braised asparagus
Although I am partial to Deborah Madison's recipe for braised asparagus with spring onions, we were lacking onions last night. Instead, I took a few of the lessons from this recipe and adapted them to suit what we did have in the pantry. I dropped a couple tablespoons of butter into a shallow, wide pan and waited for it to melt, then I added the asparagus, a cup or so of water, some fresh thyme leftover from another meal, and a couple of bay leaves. I brought it to a simmer, lowered the heat, and covered the pan for 10 or so minutes until the asparagus was tender, but not entirely limp.
