Wednesday, June 21, 2006

CSA share dinner..


I had my first CSA pick up after work today. Thomas and I signed up for a small share with the all-organic Helsing Junction Farm in Washington. I do love my Farmer's Market trips, but I wanted try out a CSA and have the fun of being surprised with the weekly variety.

Straight from the farm, for dinner:
I made a stir fry with a lot of fresh garlic, olive oil, baby carrots, spinach, arugula, garlic scapes and some carrot top. I've had them before but I had forgotten how delicious garlic scapes/tops were!
This was served with organic wild rice, Vegan with a Vengeance garlicky tahini sauce and a couple fresh strawberries. If you have access to organic strawberries over conventional, please try them, there is unprecedented sweetness. For the curious, a main reason I love Portland is the access to amazing local and organic produce - at reasonable prices.

The total share:I polished off a bottle of Soy Vay sauce with these stir fried tofu cubes. They surround fried rice with broccoli, carrots and spinach. The chopsticks were a gift from Thomas~
I never liked fried rice until I started making it at home.
We had a 2 for 1 coupon and a recommendation for brunch at No Fish! Go Fish!
I had the vegan scramble - local seasonal vegetables, fried housemade polenta cubes, tofu and a side of cornbread. This plus a fresh mimosa and some hot sauce was a pleasant weekend back brunch.

15 comments:

primaryconsumer said...

Awesome fresh produce!

jess (of Get Sconed!) said...

Thanks guys! I would love to cook for you, Jen! And I am counting the days till the next CSA pick up...

Carrie™ said...

Wow Jess, you scored the motherlode. Our local farmer's market is now open, and strawberries are in full swing. Leslie at Eat Peace Please is looking for polenta ideas. Your brunch dish looks fab!

Dr. Melissa West said...

I love the local produce. There are some places around here that deliver you a box once a week. I would love to do that... but they seem to deliver more in the city and not out in the suburbs.

Those chopsticks are adorable. The stirfry looks delicious, especially the tofu.

jenny said...

That all looks so good!!

Jody from VegChic said...

Yum! I've been contemplating a CSA share for a few years now. A small one is about $300 here and I could use all the veggies before they spoil

Is the same price range as what you pay out there.

That restaurant looks wonderful! We've got some slim pickins' for veg restaurants out here.

Oregon sounds like a great place.

Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

love your fresh from the farm veggies! i like to add other liquid to mellow the soy vay....mango or pineapple juice, etc. awesome chopsticks! :)

MeloMeals said...

Your csa share looks amazing.. those strawberries... *drools*

The tofu and rice looks delicious too..

Webly said...

I LOVE garlic curls, or whatever the tops are called. I told Brian they are my favorite veggie now. Garlic and aspargus all rolled into one nice bite!

I am glad you liked no fish go fish. Know what I mean about it being a breakfast stir fry?

Webly said...

also, your soy vey looks very good n that tofu. If I didn't OD on it in college I just might eat the screen. I kinda of want to give it a try again but I'm afraid it will bring back bad memories.

Kuntal Joisher said...

yo!! all stuff looks great! especially the tofu!!

Amanda said...

Those carrots are so cute! All the produce looks amazing, especially the strawberries! Yum. Your brunch looks great, and the tofu! HOW do you make tofu look so appetizing? I don't understand it.

funwithyourfood said...

mmm amazing produce. I'm with jen. come cook for us all!

Teddy

Eat Peace Please said...

Jess, this all looks amazing. I think I now know what to do with the polenta "issue". What a great post today!!!

jess (of Get Sconed!) said...

Leslie, I'm glad you noticed! I meant to say something - it's the best way I've ever had polenta so far, and let me add that I've had some really bad polenta too - so I've been turned off from cooking up the organic log in my cabinet.
Thanks everyone - I <3 the csa share, and am so happy that we're in the heart of berry season here!

Again let me say bout the Soy Vay sauce - I use the chinese marinade and it's way too sweet for me to use alone, but it's excellent with some spicy szechuan sauce added.
And Vicki- I may just take you up on the fruit juice tips! They sound wonderful.