Community Shared Agriculture - Week 2

With the first week of this season's CSA behind me, the girls and I headed to the farm yesterday in the rain.  Farm day at our house is big doings.  The kids look forward all week to feeding all the different animals, climbing hay bales, and sometimes getting to pick their own fruit (depending on what is in season).  We also look forward to whatever goodies await us in the share box.  This week was no exception, except that for the past two weeks the rain has been horrible on pick up day and that has meant we can't do most of our usual farm activities.  Yet with all of the much needed rain beautiful produce abounds.

In this weeks share we were provided lots of yummy greens once again, as well as beets, tomatoes, asparagus, and strawberries.  Asparagus and Strawberries are in abundance right now in New Jersey and there is nothing better in my opinion than freshly cut asparagus and picked same day strawberries.  Both are wonderful additions to a farm box filled with greens and beets.

We were also given a large jar of Clover honey that is simply scrumptious!  The farm raises bees and produces a variety of honey types, but I think Clover honey is one of the best that they sell.  So it was an extra special treat to be given a large jar in our share this week.

I want to talk a little bit this week about raw foods and the importance of having them in our every day diet.  The nutrients and enzymes are often broken down and destroyed in the cooking process of vegetables instead of when we eat them raw.  Raw clean foods give you added energy and help to maintain all of the various body processes.  So try and keep a portion of the foods you eat raw each day and you will start to notice a difference in how you feel.

Last week with the addition of onions and leeks to our share I made a wonderful Fritatta.    One of the things I love about fritattas is that you can serve them for just about any meal.  For breakfast they are simple and easy, for lunch they can be elegant when paired with a fresh salad, and if you hearty up your side dishes they can make a wonderful dinner addition as well.  The best part is that anything goes in a fritatta fairly well so it's a wonderful way to use up left overs of all types.  In order to save time during the week for when I need a quick meal I will often make extra vegetables and set some aside so that at the end of the week I can make a fritatta as one of my meals for my family.  That way its a quick go to meal and most of the prep is already completed.  I hope you enjoy the recipe below:

Leek and Vegetable Fritatta

Ingredients:

•  2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped leeks (white parts only)
• 1 bunch of asparagus trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 or 3 medium red potatoes peeled and either sliced or diced
• 1 cup of mushrooms sliced
• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup cheese (I used fontina this time but any type of cheese that you enjoy would work)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:


Preheat broiler.  Melt butter in a heavy oven/broiler proof pan (I like using either a cast iron skillet or a nonstick skillet that is safe for oven) over medium heat on your cook top.  Add leeks and sauté 4 to 5 minutes.  Add the other vegetables (if you don't have the vegetables I listed above, you can really use any type that you enjoy).  Sprinkle lightly with salt and sauté until tender.  (about 6 minutes)  Whisk eggs, fontina cheese, salt and pepper into a bowl.  Add egg mixture to skillet; fold in to combine egg mixture with vegetables.  Cook until almost set.  Sprinkle any remaining cheese over the top and put skillet in the oven.  Broil until frittata is puffed and cheese begins to turn golden in color (about 3 minutes).  Let sit for 5 minutes once removed from oven before cutting into wedges and serving.

I am looking forward to sharing some recipes next week with you on the yummy dishes I make using the variety of greens we received this week, as well as the strawberries.  I see a dessert in my future, as well as some fantastic salads or sautéed greens.  So until next week... find a farmers market in your area and pick out some tasty produce and try your hand at eating some raw foods this week.  Happy Eating