Fresh From the Farm...

I just picked up my 3rd share of CSA produce from the farmer’s market this weekend.

It’s been a great experience so far. I started off kind of slow in terms of using the goods in my kitchen. With a lack of inspirational bursts and a bunch of exciting life events colliding all at once, some of the veggies ended up with less than desirable fates. But I’m getting into it.

The very first week my share looked like this…

So colourful! The green garlic that I have just become acquainted with is located on the bottom right, sandwiched between radishes and baby red onions (kinda like green onions but red). The green garlic was delicious when roasting potatoes, sauteeing veg or making a salad. It had a mild garlicky taste without the sharp bite.

Over the following weeks I received more carrots, asparagus, baby red onions, green garlic, spinach and salad mix but I also got baby bok choy (I sauteed that and a few handfuls of asparagus bits with garlic, ginger and soy sauce…yum), green beans, purple kale (I think that’s what that is), and  TWO new foods I had never encountered before!!!

One is called garlic scapes…not only had I never seen this before, I hadn’t even heard a chef, TV personality or friend make reference to it (though I bet now that I know of it I will see/hear it everywhere!). Maybe it’s a well-kept secret amongst the most elite chefs ’cause I hear it’s delicious…

I think I’m going to make a potato soup with them…

And for the other novelty, it was fresh fenugreek leaves (also know as methi). I’ve used the dried version and the seeds in Indian cooking but this was the first time I had stumbled upon the fresh varietal. It is a very pretty plant!

I had all the ingredients I needed to make Methi Dal (Lentil Soup with Fresh Fenugreek), with the easy recipe unearthed from a newly discovered and delightfully curious blog called eCurry.

Here is a terrible, terrible picture of a lovely, delicious early summer meal:

I broke one of the rules of picture-taking for a blog – avoid artificial light! Well I’m a bad blogger today.

The dal (which means soup or stew) was sooo good and distinctly aromatic with the addition of turmeric which has a floral quality to it I love….but in the right doses! Too much turmeric can make a dish heavy and blunt. I spooned it over cardamom infused rice (a fancy way to describe rice prepared the usual way with a few cardamom pods thrown into the pot). The scent of all the spices made my head spin.

Bon appetit!

About these ads