CSA Haul: 2010-09-02

New this week: okra, shitake mushrooms, sweet potato greens.

Joe says we'll be getting beef in a few weeks and butternut squash next week.

Update: Slicing japanese eggplant into medallions and sauteeing them without any oil in a pan makes GREAT, yummy eggplant chips. You can also roast them in the oven, and add a bit of kosher or sea salt to complete the healthy chip experience.

Sweet potato greens have a delightfully nutty flavor. We're still trying to figure out how best to prepare them. We tried balsamic vinegar, but a wine vinegar and walnuts in the sautee would probably work better.

Amount	Description	Picture	Recipe Ideas/ Comments
12 oz.	okra		I wonder if there's any difference between the red and green ones?
6 oz.	shitake mushrooms		Grown on hard wood logs! Last minute substitution for the butternut squash we'll get next week.
9 oz	sweet potato greens		Perhaps sautee them with garlic, like we do with spinach?
1 lb, 12 oz.	red ripper crowder cowpeas, unshelled		These babies are a bit hard to shell. Thumbnails would probably help. It's been YEARS since I shelled peas. And, let me tell you: I now understand why it used to take place in groups...so you'd have something to keep you from running out of patience! :) Joe says that they'll probably have them shelled next time.
1 bag	sweet basil		I see more Pesto and bruschetta in our future!
3	Japanese eggplants		Hmmm...maybe some eggplant lasagna?
1 lb, 1 oz.	sweet peppers		I'm finding the small purple variety bitter, unless I sautee or otherwise cook them. But the green and red ones are SWEET and crunchy!

NOTE: We are part of our local CSA (Small Farms, run by the Love is Love farm). This is yet another post in which I keep track of how much we get of what, so I can have fun taking pictures and making lists. :)