CSA Delivery Week 5

Your shares will be available for pickup from 5pm – 7pm.  Come for your share, and stay for Alewife’s trivia night.
CSA members get 10% off drinks on Tuesday pickup days!

Please remember to bring:

• Sturdy bags to carry your produce home

WHAT’S IN THE BOX / NOTES FROM THE FARM:

A note on chicories….  Last week we harvested escarole, the first of our chicory plantings.  The chicory family is a wide and varied group-they can be loose-leafed or tightly-headed, tapered or round, smooth-leaved or frilled. They are also brightly colored, ranging from purest white and pale yellow to bright green or maroon. All members of the chicory family are favored for the bitterness that they all share, unlike lettuces which are chosen for their delicacy.

The chicories’ bite and texture combine nicely with richer ingredients in salads, like nuts, fruits, and sharp cheeses or bacon, smoked salmon, chicken, or ham.

This week we have two more chicories to harvest, radicchio and sugarloaf.  Both of these are mildly bitter and their leaves are tender. Try some of the recipes below and you might end up with a chicory addiction just like me!

Radicchio – I like to mix the radicchio and sugarloaf chicory together in salads dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, fresh crushed garlic, shaved parmesan and salt & pepper.  Slice the leaves into ribbons – the colors mixed together in the salad bowl are beautiful!  My brother-in-law loves to grill the radicchio, which is pretty amazing!  Try the recipe below.  Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw or Cooked  When to Use: Within 5 days

Sugarloaf Chicory – This is the first year we’ve grown this chicory.  The entire head is tender and mildly bitter – you can remove the base and then slice ribbons all the way up the head.  Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw or Cooked  When to Use: Within 5 days

Red Romaine Lettuce – It’s the perfect time of year for dinner salads!  With sliced chicken or fish (or roasted veggies) on top, these romaine leaves are sturdy enough to hold up well in heavier salads and dressings. You could also try lettuce wraps!  Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw  When to use: Within 5 days.

Green Romaine Lettuce – Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw  When to use: Within 5 days.

Fennel –  The bulbs are traditionally the part of the fennel used in recipes, but you can use the stems and fronds too.  It’s my secret ingredient in minestrone soup.  It really adds wonderful flavor to so many recipes.  Here are some great recipe ideas from Serious Eats(even for the licorice haters out there!).  Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw or Cooked  When to use: Within 5 days.

Swiss Chard – Did you try Grannie’s swiss chard recipe?  It’s the one that gets the most requests in our house.  My mom also introduced me to swiss chard pesto. (What?! It’s delicious!)  Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw Pesto, Cooked When to use: Within 5 days.  

Zucchini/Summer Squash – (2-3 pieces depending on size)
We’ve just started harvesting our summer squash and zucchini, so you can expect to receive it in your shares on and off through the summer months.  It is extremely versatile – use in soup, throw on the grill, bake some loaves of zucchini bread!  Try some of the recipes below.  Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw or Cooked, Baked When to use: Within 5 days.  

Grilled (or seared) Radicchio with Garlic, Balsamic & Mozzerella
Shredded Radicchio with Hard-cooked Egg, Walnut Vinaigrette & Breadcrumbs
Simple Fennel with Olive Oil & Parmesan
Fennel, Escarole & White Bean Salad with Gruyere
Balsamic Grilled Radicchio
Sauteed Zucchini with Mint, Basil & Pine Nuts