Recipes for my CSA veggies

We have bought a 1/2 share in a CSA for the past couple of years. Getting a bag of veggies each week has been a good way for us to eat more veggies plus try ones we otherwise wouldn't. Of course, the downside is we get some veggies we don't care for. And we have to find ways to prepare everything!

I thought I would share some of my favorite recipes.

Beets: I like to roast beets. I had no idea I liked roasted beets until I tried them. Wash and cut into chunks (bite-size or so is good). Place on foil in baking pan. Sprinkle with olive oil and sea salt. Pinch foil closed and bake at 400 for about an hour, until tender. 

Kale: I don't like kale. Hate it. The only way I will eat it is in soup. The two soups I've tried that work well are Zuppa Tuscana (recipe from allrecipes.com) and Pork, White Bean & Kale soup (recipe from Eating Well).

Jalapeño peppers: Bacon jalapeño poppers. Yummy! I use my friend Lisa's recipe, although I sometimes omit the scallions.

Berries: If we aren't going to eat them before they turn, jam is my go-to. I like these recipes from allrecipes.com for Blackberry Jam and Strawberry Jam because I don't have to go buy pectin or can them. I just put them in the fridge and use them. 

Rhubarb: Rhubarb muffins (from The Rhubarb Compendium; I like the 7th recipe listed on this page). Or, if I have strawberries, Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler (recipe from Taste of Home). I should try jam sometime, because I love strawberry rhubarb jam. 

Basil: I chop the basil and freeze it in olive oil to use in sauces. Fill each compartment on an ice cube tray with chopped basil, cover with olive oil, freeze. Easy.

Tomatoes: I love BLTs, of course. Or even plain tomato sandwiches. Sometimes I substitute spinach for lettuce or add feta. When I have a LOT of tomatoes, I've been trying my hand at making sauce. Poach the tomatoes to remove skins, remove seeds and most of the liquid (squeezing works pretty well), then puree. Bring to boil in a pot, then simmer until it thickens. Add garlic, oregano, basil, onions, whatever. I cool the sauce, then put it in quart size freezer bags. Then I just thaw a bag when I make pasta. (Hint: green tomatoes will ripen if left on the counter or in a paper bag.)

Zucchini: My go-to for zucchini is Zucchini Bread. Of course, my recipe makes 2 loaves at a time, and I often have enough to make several batches, so I shred and freeze the zucchini to use all year. (Hint: my recipe, from allrecipes.com, calls for 2 cups of shredded zucchini, so I freeze bags of 2 cups.) 

Turnips and Rutabagas: Well, I'm not crazy about these. This year I tried my hand at pasties. I don't have a recipe down yet, but this was actually not a bad way to eat these root vegetables.

Cabbage and Leeks: My friend Amanda passed along this recipe for Potato, Cabbage, Carrot and Leek soup that I tried this year. It was quite good paired with corned beef.

There are, of course, other recipes I've used. And the most popular way to eat cucumbers, green peppers, green beans, broccoli, and cauliflower in our house is raw. I just put them out for snacks and they disappear.