Since our first glimpse of spring this year, I have been waiting, yearning, planning. For months, I have been imaging what it would be like when I got to start bringing home my overflowing veggie basket from my CSA.

If you aren’t familiar with CSAs, it’s an abbreviation for Community Supported Agriculture programs. Basically, you purchase a share in a farm’s crops before the season begins and then you receive a basket filled with produce each week for a specified time in the summer. For veggie lovers like me, it’s awesome.

Today was our first pick-up. Our basket was stuffed with greens – chard, kale, mustard greens and pak choi. Lettuce too. And there’s corn. Ten ears of fresh corn. Oh, I’ve waited so long for fresh corn. I can’t wait to eat some. Unpacking the basket is always a nice, fun surprise.

When I saw the basket, I immediately knew what was for dinner: Penne with Swiss Chard and Kielbasa. It’s a riff on a summertime recipe that I created five years ago, changing the type of pasta and updating the method. It was just as delicious as it was when we first started eating it years ago.

The kids and I hit the grocery store and picked up kielbasa, then I whipped up the ultra-easy pasta. It takes about 30 minutes to make, but most of the time is spent just preparing the ingredients for cooking like chopping chard and cutting the kielbasa. All in all, it’s simple, easy, fast. And the kids? They loved it.

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Do you ever just want to cheer from the rooftops? Maybe let out a loud whoop? Or perhaps jump on Oprah’s couch … oh wait, that’s just Tom Cruise.  Anyway, even if you aren’t couch jumping, everyone feels like this sometimes … where something thrills you so much that you just want to tell everyone. Right. Away.

That’s totally how I feel about this kale dish. And yes, I am being absolutely serious.

Although the kale is braised, it retains that texture that makes it so special. It’s softened, but still definitely leaves. In fact, that’s one of the things I love about kale and chard: they don’t turn to mush when cooked. It’s that mushiness that makes spinach and I have a tenuous relationship.

In any case, this is dinosaur kale … aka Tuscan kale. The leaves are sweeter than other varieties of kale, and milder in flavor. They are delicious when used raw, but also good for cooking.

This kale is a little sweet, but totally savory. And the lemon and Romano finish make it simply spectacular.

And perhaps the best, bestest, best part? This is local kale. I dropped by my cousin’s organic farm earlier and bought this, chard and scallions — my first local food of the season. There is nothing like it. And I couldn’t be more thrilled that the local season is here at long last.

Have your farmers markets opened yet? Are they open year-round?
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Maple syrup is a staple in our house. We eat it on pancakes (like these delish Pumpkin Chocolate Chip ones) and use it to glaze veggies and meats. And it always has to be the real thing. No imitations, or else I just won’t eat it.

The kids know that we only use real maple syrup. Why? Because in a time not that long ago, Shawn didn’t. There was maple syrup and “Daddy’s syrup,” and the kids quickly learned the difference: maple syrup comes from trees … Daddy’s comes from a factory.

But maybe a year ago, Shawn gave up his syrup in favor of the real deal. I can’t remember when it happened, but I’m glad it did. Now, we only have maple syrup.

About a month ago, Will started asking questions about maple syrup. Where does it come from? How is it made? Who makes it? So, I figured it was time to head off to a maple syrup fest so he could see for himself how maple sap becomes maple syrup.

Years ago, I covered the opening of maple syrup season for a newspaper, checking out a family farm and covering a super informative festival. It was awesome, so I knew a fest would be perfect for this. So, I did a quick Google search and found one not too far away.

We ended up heading to the Open House Maple Festival at  Sullivan Farm in New Milford, which is run by the New Milford Youth Agency. Guides showed us everything about the process, even letting us sample Grade A and Grade B syrup. Read the rest of this entry…

I love this photo. Aren't they cute?

Every year, the kids and I (and often our friends) head to local farms for pick-you-own fun. This past weekend, that meant apple picking. The apple picking season generally starts in September and goes through early November here in Connecticut, so we are more than half-way through the season (and late by our standards). Fortunately, the day we chose was sunny, but neither too hot nor too cold. Read the rest of this entry…

A few years ago, I fell deeply in love with beet greens. They have a similar taste to beets, though far milder — like a beet-tinged spinach. And they are lovely served raw in salad, sauteed and more. Until learning that they were edible, I had always been in the cut-and-toss camp, though.

A similar situation popped up recently. While making roasted veggies the other night, I was left with a particularly beautiful bunch of radish greens. These looked so fresh, so green, so inviting. I couldn’t dream of tossing them away or sending them to the compost pile. While I contemplated using them, I noticed the vibrant carrot tops from a recent trip to the farmer’s market. Again, I couldn’t let them be wasted.

I did a little research to confirm that both radish greens and carrot greens are edible (answer: yes). So, then it was just a matter of how to cook them — or not. I initially planned to saute the carrot greens and radish greens, but after some contemplation, I decided to just make a salad with a lovely sundried tomato vinaigrette.

I just couldn’t stand the idea of wasting the greens. I mean if we don’t at least try to eat then, how can we know if we like them? And furthermore, if we do like them, then we are totally missing out by not eating them.

So I made a Carrot Green and Radish Green Salad with Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette.

We ate it, but the dish wasn’t a winner (mostly the fault of the carrot greens — the texture is similar to frisee and isn’t a favorite around here). Nonetheless, I was happy that we at least tried to eat them.

While we probably won’t be tossing carrot tops into our salads again anytime soon the pleasant flavor does make them prime for pureeing (hello, carrot top pesto!) or finely chopping for dips, soups and sauces. As for the radish greens? Those could be fab tossed with some Bibb lettuce in a salad.

We will definitely eat these greens again … There’s no need to just cut and toss.

PS – I need to retest the vinaigrette recipe before sharing it. It will be up soon!

All season, I have offered suggestions for using up CSA produce. Greens, cabbages, squashes and more … This summer was filled with a fabulous array of fresh, wonderful foods. It was a wonderful several months and my CSA kept us very well-fed.

So, what’s it like belonging to a CSA? Well, it’s different. In the winter months, I plan every meal from start to finish on the weekends. So, when Monday rolls around, I know what we will be eating on any given day.  But this summer with the CSA share coming on Wednesday, I relinquished control and planned more on the fly. I had to, since the perishable vegetables had to be used. So, meals centered around the vegetables, with proteins as an afterthought. Read the rest of this entry…

Heirloom Tomato and Provolone Sauce on pasta

Every fall, I make a big batch of Roasted Tomato Sauce (and, last year, tomato paste) and can it for wintertime. Opening up a jar of it in the dead of winter is glorious. It’s like bottling summertime. But this year I just haven’t gotten to it and really am not sure if I will. While I love having my own, fresh, homemade sauce ready to go, I’ve had a lot on my plate lately.

But I still want to make it.

In the meantime, I am small batch cooking with tomatoes. This lovely Heirloom Tomato and Provolone Sauce is a thick, hearty, slow-cooked sauce with a sharp, but craveworthy, taste. It’s enriched with a little butter too, an idea I gleaned from the latest issue of Bon Appetit (it’s in Molly Wizenberg’s column).

From tomatoes to sauce in a little over an hour ...

All in all, this sauce can be made in a little over an hour. You start by chopping tomatoes and crushing garlic. Toss it in the pan with a few other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for an hour. Then, you puree the sauce, add the butter and cook for a few more minutes. Ready to serve.

Paige helped stir the ingredients together.

Paige and Will helped me make this sauce. Paige transferred most of the ingredients to the pan and stirred it all together. Meanwhile, Will ran the scraps out to the compost pile. They love helping in the kitchen — anyway that they are asked to.

Love that. Read the rest of this entry…

Apple, Prosciutto and Walnut Salad might just be my official salad of fall 2010. It’s divine.

A few weeks ago, one of my cohorts at Tablespoon mentioned making an Apple Salad for this month’s content. Apple salad, I thought … should I grate it and toss with a little lemon and then add to a coleslaw? Should I do something with beets and apples? But then it came to me: Apples, Prosciutto, Walnuts, Cheddar … these are to-die-for together.

The crispy, sweet apples are a lovely contrast to the salty prosciutto, creamy cheese and meaty walnuts. Heaven on a plate, if you will.

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At a family party this weekend, my cousin made a beautiful salad of heirloom tomatoes, red onions, herbs, nectarines and a light vinaigrette from a local farm. It was brilliant. The sweetness of the nectarines are a lovely contrast to the onions and tomatoes. And the vinaigrette really brought it all together. It was absolutely amazing.

This salad is inspired by hers. I’ve switched up the herbs a bit and left out the red onions, though they would be a welcome addition. I’ve added a cucumber for crunch as well. And instead of the local vinaigrette, I made my own lime-walnut one. It light and complimentary for the flavors in the salad.

Paige and I made this salad this morning. The herbs came straight from our garden, picked minutes before we used them. Then, she feasted on it for lunch, asking for seconds. I daresay she loved this Heirloom Tomato and Nectarine Salad.

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Every Wednesday since the beginning of July, I’ve headed to a local organic farm where I belong to a Community Supported Agriculture program and picked up a box of fabulous, fresh veggies. We’ve feasted on fresh greens, tomatoes, squash and more this season. Oh, sweet joy. I’ll be so sad when the CSA is over, but thankfully I have stored many veggies for wintertime.

This week’s basket was overflowing with goodies. Tomatoes galore, corn, potatoes, eggplant, greens and several large delicious apples.

Apples are one of those fabulous signs that fall is here. The season is ushered in with cooler temperatures, and lingers until just about when we light the pumpkins on the front porch. I can hardly wait to head out and pick apples with the kids, a tradition we’ve upheld for years.

Last week, I made some delicious Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce. It’s a rich, sweet applesauce, perfect for any time of day. If you are looking for something to make with your apples, that’s my best suggestion.

As for the rest? Here are a few ideas:

• Tomatoes and Eggplant – Grilled Ratatouille
• Tomatoes – Gazpacho
• Potatoes – Beef Stew
• Greens – Swiss Chard with Garlic and Bacon