Week 1 - June 8th

Yay! Now I can blog about what this blog is really about - our experience with a CSA! Today was our first pick up day and I was so glad that we had visited the farm so that I could tell the kids that all the veggies had been picked "at that farm where we had breakfast!" Not only were these veggies fresh from our farm, the were picked at 11 AM this morning!

On the list for today's pick up: chives, lettuce, spinach, bok choy, garlic scapes, radicchio, and green garlic. I am happy to report that most of the spinach as well as a third of the green garlic is gone. Absolutely delish - warmed the garlic in olive oil, added the spinach until wilted and then seasoned with a bit of salt, pepper and lemon. Perfect as a side with salmon...

Here is another favorite recipe using spinach:

Ziti with Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes and Gorgonzola Sauce (Cooking Light September 2008)

• 4 ounces uncooked ziti
• 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 6 tablespoons half-and-half
• 3 tablespoons Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup fresh spinach

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add cherry tomatoes, salt, crushed red pepper, and minced garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in half-and-half and Gorgonzola cheese; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in spinach and pasta; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts, tossing occasionally.

As soon as I saw the radicchio, one recipe came to mind. My husband Steve will be very thankful that I need to use some radicchio this week! One of our favorite lasagna recipes ever was given to us by my friend, Jenn, from our days in Zurich, Switzerland. She brought this lasagna over right after we had our second baby. I knew from the first bite that I had to have the recipe! Jenn took cooking classes in Tuscany and was taught the recipe by two little old Italian ladies. She watched what they did and wrote down the directions and amounts. Have you had a lasagna that contains radicchio and rosemary? If not, make this and enjoy the flavors!

Jenn’s Tuscan Lasagna (Zurich 2006)

• fresh lasagna or pre-cooked dry lasagna
• 1 pound sausage (or ground beef - I use ground beef)
• 1 large head of radicchio, shredded
• 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
• 2 T finely chopped garlic
• 2 T finely chopped red onion
• 2 T finely chopped fresh rosemary
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• crushed red pepper to taste
• ½ c dry white wine
• 1 ½ c crushed tomatoes
• 1 full recipe béchamel sauce*
• 1 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil

Béchamel Sauce: 1/2 c butter, 3/4 c flour, 33 oz milk -- cook flour in butter and slowly add milk whisking until smooth and thick, season with fresh nutmeg

Braise the radicchio with crushed garlic, balsamic vinegar (a splash or 2), 2 T olive oil and about ¾ c water until wilted and pretty soft. Drain and set aside.

Heat 4 T oil, chopped garlic, rosemary and onion and sauté over medium heat. Add the meat and cook breaking it up with a spoon. Add salt, pepper and chili flakes to taste.

Cook for 10 min. more and add white wine to deglaze. When the wine reduces,
add the tomatoes and cook for 15 min. and set aside.

In a greased pan, layer lasagna, then meat sauce (not a real heavy layer), radicchio, béchamel and sprinkle with a third of the cheese. Repeat 3 times ending with the top layer of meat, radicchio and béchamel and cheese that
should be the thickest

Bake 30-45 min. at 400°F (first 20 min. covered).
Enjoy!

Hope that helps you enjoy this week's share just a little bit more!